You clicked this thread because you are, right? Well, do something about it then! Stop getting caught in the same cycle!
As many may know, the majority of people on this website are incapable of managing daily posts, or multiple posts daily. Some can barely even manage a post weekly, god forbid! Typically role-plays on this site see a 95% failure rate. On top of all of that, there are a wide variety of selfish, and/or incapable role-players that cannot manage themselves in an environment where they are given free will. At this point, I've all but lost hope for a quickly-paced RP with a long life span that also has a genre that peaks the interest of everyone involved and gets them very invested.
It's made even worse when some of those projects that see failure have an extraordinary amount of work put into them.
Pessimistic, I know.
But this here is an interest check that aims to go beyond that typical song and dance. My aim here is to not only create a role-play, but to fashion a community. A group of players that all pertain to a particular set of expectations, and seek to be part of something that will last and stay fresh. I aim to create a rarity among group rps with you:
A dedicated and fast paced group of role players.
But how does one solve the problems that plague the majority of all role plays? Well first, we make them clear. RPs die because players lose interest. Sad, simple, true. Why do they lose interest though? This is what I aim to clarify, and solve, with this thread and the role play that may follow.
-They get bored with their characters. At the fault of the role player entirely. People who lose interest in the characters they've created are not uncommon. However, the issue is how they cope with this. They jump ship and try again in another RP, sometimes anywhere from 10-20 times consecutively.
-They get bored of the world. This can be the fault of the GM, or the player. Let's face it, most people have the attention span of a brick nowadays. With the saturation of role plays, it's inevitable that players will jump ship when things fail to hold their attention for 5 seconds. On the other hand, GMs that simply offer little in terms of lore and world building can make an RP feel like a timid dredge through an empty world.
-They grow some form of distaste for their fellow role players. Incompatibility. This is a painful one. A lot of people simply won't click. Although sometimes it's best to just avoid those who you don't enjoy role playing with, this close-mindedness and unwillingness to cooperate can be a toxic type of behavior. Often times, players who think too highly of themselves will alienate most other players. Just like Mary-sues and meta-gamers, self-entitled losers contribute to RP death and negative discourse.
-They get tired of waiting for slower posters to... Post. Simple. A lot of people post unrealistically slow. This is the number one RP killer, because it creates a chain effect that quickly escalates until nobody is posting at all. I see it all the time. People post quickly when an RP starts, sometimes multiple times a day, and then suddenly slow down. This must be avoided at all costs. When an RP slows down, it's hard to keep people interested. The lack of information makes the RP dull
-They 'are too busy' This isn't really a thing. There's no such thing as somebody who's 'too busy' to post. This is an excuse for being uninspired, bored with the RP, poor time management, sheer laziness, depression, or some other issue. Honesty is good, just tell the truth. Don't be a 'too busy Tom' alright? Instead aim to become an 'honest and humble henry'. Roleplaying is supposed to be fun, not something you consider to be a chore.
-They aren't getting enough attention. A lot of people are entitled. It's unfortunate but true. When GMs or other players don't give them attention, they feel excluded and alone in a group that should make them feel as if they're part of something bigger. Unfortunately, players will lose hope quickly instead of making an effort to inject themselves into groups properly. On the other side of the coin, groups can be too busy circle jerking to help everyone feel involved. It's a team effort. Nobody should expect people to make up for their own failures.
-They don't get their way. Sigh.
-They were never that interested to begin with.
Not all that comprehensive of a list, but you get the idea. Generally speaking, people lack conviction and role play without much concern for anyone but themselves. This is the opposite of what I'd like to achieve with a group. So how do we do that? How do we avoid another train wreck like expanding horizons? /shade
It's one part exclusivity, one part cooperation, and one part community.
With this thread, I'm looking for people who are interested in being part of something that will last. I'm looking for dedication and drive, not half-assed 'this sounds cool' comments or laziness.
For a good idea of what I'm aiming for, ahead are some of the goals I wish to achieve with the project that follows this Thread.
-Establish a community. Simple enough. Players need to speak with one another regularly when they're engaged in a project together. I aim to create an OOC that isn't just memes and stupidity 24/7. Instead, this community should be consistently engaged in coming up with ideas together and planning ahead to muster characters, a world, and a series of plot lines so that the RP is consistently fresh. Of course there's room for general conversation as well, otherwise it wouldn't be a community.
-Work together to create a narrative. No single GM, but a collective of GMs. The reason 1x1's success far more often than group RPs is simple. Two people work together as mutual GMs, craft many characters together, and create a world cooperatively. I am looking for equal participation and dedication, not only in the simple act of posting, but the creation of the RP in question as a whole. That way, there remains an equal investment of ideas and engagement, so that nobody is disappointed. We all have an equal hand in changing things to keep them interesting, so nobody is at fault for another player's lack of interest.
-Post frequently, post well, post with heart. Ok, maybe it's a little exaggerated, but you get the idea. As a group, we should have a fairly consistent schedule for posting. Of course there's leniency in timing, and it should be a mutually agreed upon pace, but it should be something that all players are willing to dedicate themselves to. Whether it's one post a day, or one post every 3 days. We're looking for equal pace with no random lulls.
-Put your heart into it, seriously! This is meant to be something big, something important and entertaining enough that you won't jump ship in a few weeks. Those who lack conviction should immediately jump out of this thread. If you cannot pour your heart into your writing, from your characters to your narratives, then you're that much more likely to lose interest.
The age of RPs with single or only a few GMs is archaic IMO. I think the only way for an RP to really thrive, is for everyone to have the same level of investment. Everyone must have the responsibility and drive of a GM. There's no room for slacking, it's a group effort that cannot sustain itself of the whims of random role players with random agendas that could fall apart at a moment's notice.
At this point, I would like to place a disclaimer:
I have created this thread to look for people who want to be part of something that will last. This isn't a place for people who jump from role-play to role-play, bailing after 2 posts. This isn't a place for people who cannot manage to post consistently. This isn't a place for people who want to be the center of attention. This isn't a place for selfishness. This is a joint front! If you don't have the drive to contribute to something that will last, I will be blunt. Don't waste my time, or the time of anyone else who may be involved.
With all that out of the way, I'm looking for people who are interested in creating a world. What kind of world? Well that's the question, isn't it? That's what we're meant to figure out as a group. That's where the effort comes in! If you can't even contribute to the foundations of an idea, how can you expect to keep that idea afloat?
I'm open to any genre myself, and look forward to finding like-minded individuals that share my wishes to fashion something, for lack of a better term, great.
I know you're out there. I see you complaining, along with myself, day in and day out. Whether it's on the status bar, or it's in OOCs. You complain that nothing lasts, that people are lazy, that threads die. So what? You just gonna accept that? I sure as hell won't! Do something about it!
If you're interested, post here or PM me directly. I'm looking to gather 3-6 players, including myself, to start work on something that can survive the harsh wastelands of RPG. Hopefully we can make something great together.
Its how me and someone else got two well off the ground, and completed one.
Its what day you launch, using times people most likely on, considering how you advertise and where. There's alot motmre stratagy than posting up and hoping it sticks.
I've gotten a fair amount of responses, enough to start the foundations of a group. I will leave this up for a while longer. To all those who have shown interest, I will contact you later today, or tomorrow with more details and some priorities in getting started.
Takes note of the sheer amount of people that have casually walked through the thread despite showing some desire for a successful RP. Disgruntled sigh.
At this point, discussions have begun with current individuals looking to participate.
For those of you who may be interested, you have a small window to get involved in the conversation, but anything confirmed as a group before your arrival will not be subject to much change. PM me personally for updates.
Hello, I just got back on this site. I tried it like a year ago, and quit because no one was posting often enough. If I'm with a group who can be committed to posting atleast once a day, I'm in. I'm definitely in.