This is a thread for debates, more or less. PM me with a topic that you would like to see discussed and I will post it here, giving you credit. People can discuss/debate topics in this thread, though I ask you to please be civil. This thread can become something great if we all work together in order to have civil, productive conversations. I will post the new topics of discussion when it seems that the other topic has been discussed enough. Depending on the topic, this can be a day, a few days, a week, perhaps even a month.

Without further ado, here is our first topic.

I like this. Something to discuss to hopefully have everyone talk about this without a specific targeting on certain people throughout something like this, but I'll be the first to answer.

My biggest roleplay pet peeve is the ghosting/no replies problem that has been going around for a while now, for me whoever does this in my eyes has no honor when it comes to roleplaying because it is like you can't be upfront with what you're thinking, or with what you are feeling.
Those that ghost or don't reply after a certain extent of time I feel strongly about having no honor and coming off as cowardly, even those that display interest and then ghost immediately from that are just as worse as those who would ghost.

I think the ghosting/no replies problem takes more than just waiting a while for a reply to determine. If the user has been offline in that time, it is entirely possible that life struck them upside the head unexpectedly, up to real world injury and death. While that's an extreme and not the case most of the time, seeing if they've been on at all is the first step. If they have, it's time to poke and get them to say exactly what is going on. I find people often do reply after a poke as they might have missed a post or forgotten and may even be expecting you to reply because they thought they hit the reply button. They might also admit their lack of inspiration, at which point you can have a direct chat to see if it's worth continuing.

If they admit they're not into it anymore, they get a half point. They should have been more upfront in the first place, but I can get it and the fact they replied to a direct OOC comment means to me they aren't intentionally screwing with you.

And of course you have the big no-no, the one I would actually start to agree with on the 'no honor' thing. They get in, they never reply, then they bump their 'looking for people' thread or visibly go for other things. At that point they've either straight up forgotten and all you need to do is poke them, or they have a legitimate issue.

I have multiple peeves that include ghosting, so I'll just mention one - the need to write another player's character's reaction. It's not too frequent on the guild I find, but on other platforms it has been a serious recurring problem that irritates the living hell out of me and seems to do it so badly I end up just not wanting to reply to anything for a while. It's an extreme reaction and the biggest reliable killer, so I suppose it would be my largest peeve. I can elaborate or justify why I think it's straight up bad roleplaying, but I freely admit my reaction is not very rational.

EDIT: You know what, half an hour later and I realise what kind of a flaming dumpster fire I just wrote. I'm going to leave it up, in a hider, but I recognize my mean-as-shit attitude isn't exactly in the spirit of the thread, so take everything in here with a grain of salt.

Or flame me back in a PM. I'll take y'on ya fuckin' cunt.



_{...am I the bad guy?}

I have a lot of roleplay pet peeves which makes me into something of a picky partner I suppose. ^^; Nevertheless, if I have to talk about my biggest roleplay pet peeve, it would have to be with romance and pairings.

I have nothing against them at the outset; I am a sappy person and seeing my characters with their love interests and gushing about it with my partners is terribly fun and I can go on and on about it. However what I don't like at all is pushing two characters together before they have even interacted, for dumb reasons that may include just because they may look cute together.

I want my romances to be organic and natural, and generally a slow burn. Hey, if someone's going to fall for another in a week's time, fine, it could happen, maybe, like in a stressful dangerous situation perhaps. But in my opinion it should be something written out first and not planned even before their entrance in the game... unless that's the whole point of the roleplay. Then carry on. It's just not for me.

Also, please note I mean love as opposed to feeling attracted. Falling in lust is only natural lol.

The most irksome element I encounter roleplaying is indeed the element of "ghosting". I have said it before and will say it again and again breathlessly, tirelessly, and without an ounce of insincerity or jest in it; players who are unreliable in their topics should not be roleplaying whatsoever or in the slightest of capacities. It is one matter to utterly insult a singular partner by disappearing or being scarce, as is seemingly most common in private threads between two parties, it is another magnitude more disrespectful and disgraceful a snub to be so discourteous to a group of players. It happens time after time, where one player for nebulous "reasons", which I will suffice to say are almost always of the same caliber or so utterly lame and pathetic that they are fooling none, becomes severely inactive in a topic and their lethargy spreads to the rest like a miasmatic plague. The resultant fallout of this one individual's lack leaves two, three, maybe four or more other souls waiting, often because said character was essential to the plot or was being engaged with in some way.

Granted, a Game Master can always move the matter along and players themselves should have said power if several days pass, but it begins an insidious corruption in most every thread it touches. As one fades, so often too does a second, then a third, until at most a smattering of players and or the thread's owner might remain, mind you that is being terribly optimistic. This matter cuts deep into the marrow of a writer's morale and often leads to them simply eschewing another character or concept, finding it difficult to continue if they so desire any longer. Problematic enough is it to retain the attention of those today, as our medium is particularly archaic by internet standards, even more troubling is the effort of retention when players disappear without actual consequence.

As a result there is no one singular thing which irks me more than the petty, rehashed, abused old excuses players invent for their disappearances. Writing is not a disproportionately difficult exercise, even a bad day of writing can be fought through just by getting words on to the metaphorical paper, and at most - truly the most it might take for several paragraphs of writing - is an hour. For some it might take less, far less, or in rare cases more, but the point is neither of these, rather that even if one has no desire to continue a topic that they should carry on for the sake of the rest until they can bow out at an appropriate time. Performing a disappearing act and pretending to not notice or worse yet inventing some "crisis" in their life as a backdoor to avoid the social reprisal as no one realistically will challenge it, is not only a sorry display of individual personality and character, it is detrimental to others who might well have been interested and invested in a topic.

If one hasn't the true dedication, time, or interest to invest in a topic until it ends or until they might bow out appropriately, do not make the effort to join in the first place.

I have a few that are almost equally as horrible, but I suppose my biggest is communication (or lack thereof). Whether life gets busy or not, I feel like if someone doesn't communicate with you one way or the other, there's bound to be problems. And no, I'm not bitching about one specific person. Over my 10+ years of roleplaying, I've noticed this get on a lot of people's nerves. And equally so, I've seen it kill many roleplays. some of them I was in and some were roleplays that shouldn't have died so quickly.

I just think it doesn't take much to write an "I can't post right now" message to whoever is the GM of whatever roleplay in question.

At that point it's the GM's responsibility to not only keep it fresh, but also not axe their RP as soon as they're demoralized from seeing three people out of eight leave without notice. You don't have to be nice to ghosters, you have to be nice to players.

This hurt to read but I needed to hear it. Thanks.

The resultant fallout of this one individual's lack leaves two, three, maybe four or more other souls waiting, often because said character was essential to the plot or was being engaged with in some way.

Granted, a Game Master can always move the matter along and players themselves should have said power if several days pass, but it begins an insidious corruption in most every thread it touches. As one fades, so often too does a second, then a third, until at most a smattering of players and or the thread's owner might remain, mind you that is being terribly optimistic. This matter cuts deep into the marrow of a writer's morale and often leads to them simply eschewing another character or concept, finding it difficult to continue if they so desire any longer. Problematic enough is it to retain the attention of those today, as our medium is particularly archaic by internet standards, even more troubling is the effort of retention when players disappear without actual consequence.

I take issue with this. It's a complete slippery slope argument.

I don't think that, in good faith, you can say that one player leaving without notice is the direct cause of others leaving without notice too. Those who do find a direct reason in that I, again, denounce as people who weren't really interested in your creative product to begin with. A bad GM that can't keep the attention of his players isn't to blame on one guy getting the memo sooner than the rest. Even then, when half your cast leaves but some still stay, what of those few that were still committed enough? To still stick around and actually form a cohesive group? If you're down from eight to four, but those four *really* want to make it work, is it not in your best interest to keep it going despite that?

I don't think I've ever said it outright, but I will now: Most RPs die because their GM failed, not because the GM's players did. Either the GM was uninteresting, a complete flake himself or got so upset about some who left that they decided to axe it and didn't want to continue anymore. As far as I see it, a game can succeed even if it's just you and one other guy. All parties involved need to be interested; those who choose not to involve themselves any longer, and those who were not involved to begin with, don't qualify for this.

That's not to say there isn't anything the players can do. I'm in an RP where I've basically decided to carry the load for those that can't, the Danganronpa one I'm in. It failed once due to half the cast leaving, we rebooted with a more stable group, then someone else had to take a long hiatus because of real-life issues, after which they vanished off the site. That left us with three characters that needed to be accounted for, so I just suggested to... redistribute them. Share the burden on those still remaining. Me, one other player and the GM took a character each. This worked and the RP still continues a healthy lifespan.

Ghosters wouldn't do this. Ghosters aren't worth your time. Find the people that are worth your time. An RP is never going to run perfectly from start to finish, so instead of complaining about those who set you back a light amount, make up for the setback by working with your players to rise above it.

What I'm trying to say is...

As a GM who's primarily blamed themselves for everything that goes wrong in their RPs, some amazing things happen after a few years of doing that. Now when the shit hits the fan, instead of thinking "Well player X really screwed this RP over!" I now think "I know how to deal with this."

It isn't always the GM's fault, but the GM can usually get things back on track if they are skilled enough.

Two pet peeves I have, and I admittedly have several more, but most of them are underwhelming and have been repeated here already. I'm just making a list because complaining is fun. >.>

1) Dialogue. The first problem is minor, and has only happened a few times, mostly with one person who isn't on the Guild, that I know of. But when someone typos a word or name in dialogue... admittedly this can be annoying for the person whose character is named, but typos happen. Not checking with the writer first before having another character call the speaker out on mispronouncing something can kinda ruin the moment, slight though it may be. The second is anyone putting words in my character's mouth. Knowing the answer to a question they're asked, in general, is fine. But actively writing out what they said, especially if they don't know how my character would have spoken, just makes me fume. Briefly.

2) Giving my character personality attributes they never asked me about before sticking them in the story. Even if the character was from a wanted ad, even if we shared our ideas about them, and even if the two characters are supposed to know each other really well. If you get them right, that's lucky, if you get them wrong... One of us isn't going to be happy. I don't mind characters assuming things about other characters, or having their own perspective on my character's actions and thoughts, but literally making it a statement of self-assured fact without checking in with me pisses me off.

My apologies but not for a moment will I accept the notion that the slippery slope does not exist, @Ammokkx. Normalization is indeed an alive and well element, and were I one to bet I would wager quite favorably that it falls into the realm wherein people find it most convenient to "cut their losses" when cracks in the foundation begin. Socially this extends even further; the first person to leave a room often encourages others considering to do so into doing so, the first person to ask a question will often stimulate other questions to be raised. On and on it goes, so consider me not of the belief it is some myth when plenty of parallels exist. In fact, the concept itself is not actually a fallacy and only in particular cases does it qualify, contrary to what is popular to believe in our age.

I digress, while you cannot say in good faith that a single player leaving begins to draw others, it is trend I have paid mind to and go so far as to try and wager in various topics I might be interested in. It is perhaps reliable enough to say through this with opinions aside, that if one or a few members leave, the odds of losing more - most profoundly at the start of a thread - becomes significantly higher. Even yet, in your chosen example, again I am afraid I call that a show of the exact thing I was appealing to, in that if one were to lose four members of eight, just how strong are the odds that those four remaining will commit so much? Frankly it would be considered most lucky to have perhaps two of that number who are willing to carry on regardless.

From here you will find me again in disagreement, in that I do not at all believe the thread's owner is mostly at fault. Granted there is not a dearth of Game Masters who slink from their obligations but numerically it will be, more or less is, more likely that the players will up and disappear by the number. In keeping with this, a topic owner who leaves almost automatically spells doom for the associated piece for all the reasons one imagines, more so than a player or really players, but I certainly do not excuse either faction. An unreliable person is, innately, unreliable and inconsistent be them the owner of the roleplay or just a would-be player in it. Again, citing an atypical source as your particular experience is not at all the norm; if we begun digging through the graves of countless topics, I have a striking suspicion, a hunch if you will, that we will see anything but that.

We are not discussing the issue of whether "ghosters" are responsible, in fact we were describing that which irks us, as they by their nature are very much responsible for any ill that comes to a target for their unexcused absence, the specific issue taken is that people do it at all. And more importantly, elope free of much retribution or scorn. Finding "the people that are worth your time" is an unlikely experience, as were that the case by majority, there would be many more age old topics than there are currently and many more changes of hands or custody, formal or otherwise. Simply put, as those are not seen by raw number, they can only be held as ideal.

Having players be so discourteous as to snub others is not being "set back a light amount", rather it is purely something that should be scorned and looked down upon, to the point it is taboo in highest. Furthermore, "gid gud" is not an answer to a problem more complicated than that. Thus that leaves me with my original commentary of, "If one hasn't the true dedication, time, or interest to invest in a topic until it ends or until they might bow out appropriately, do not make the effort to join in the first place." Individuals should be held responsible to their roles in whatever they pledge themselves to. Members can always of course attempt to take up buckets and cast water from a sinking ship, but that is not always a viable solution with a consistent outcome.

The second issue fundamentally taken, at least by what I was speaking to initially, is that people draft such tired, hackneyed, trite excuses for why they cannot write in a topic until they fade into obscurity or are pressured into just withdrawing. The amount of times I have heard the rationalization of their being "sick" or that they simply do not feel well, the number of "family emergencies", or the sheer amount of "busyness with school and or work", leads me to do nothing but roll my eyes at this point. It is my own failing that I expect more from people whatsoever, foolish of me to hope for as much, because at this point of apathy and jadedness I cannot be bothered to care or believe. All too many times has it been abused to the point it might as well be parody.

What is your favorite character that you have ever written?
_{Bonus points if you link me to the character sheet. Extra hella bonus points if you link me to a post of you writing this character.}

Wait, written as in "Has at least 1 RP post" or written as in "Has a character sheet"

because my answer varies depending on which one it is

Sirine Al Nahel. She was made for an Elder Scrolls roleplay. An Imperial Redguard mix, she was a sailor pretty much from birth, having been born at sea. She comes from a merchant family, though her field shifted into piracy later in her life. Currently however she is neither, stuck on land and trying to find her way back to the sea, amidst a dwemer invasion.

Sirine's Sheet

One of my recent posts with her

<Snipped quote by HaleyTheRandom>

Wait, written as in "Has at least 1 RP post" or written as in "Has a character sheet"

because my answer varies depending on which one it is

Either. Said character could have been used, or is simply in storage.

What is your favorite character that you have ever written?
_{Bonus points if you link me to the character sheet. Extra hella bonus points if you link me to a post of you writing this character.}

Just one?!?!?! Can I do like 2 M 2 F? lol 😭😭😭

Well in that case...

I will never not mention how upset I am I never got to play Tamatsu.

So let me set the scene here. You have this new upstart card game RP that just blew up- like, massively- and I was there since the start. I'd actually helped the GM brainstorm and he even assigned me co-GM at some point in time due to me getting super involved. I PM him to bounce ideas back-and-forth about what I could make my character.

Then it hit me.

"Let's play a dead girl"

See, it's not mentioned in this sheet since it's the public one n'd all, but with the lore of the universe, I could reasonably pull off Tamatsu actually not being a living human. But let's back up a bit; because this is a two-parter. Vanth was also a factor, and if not for the two of them, this wouldn't have worked nearly as well.

Vanth is this batshit mage who lived in ye olden days and was absolutely obsessed with the arcane. He'd go to any length to be the most powerful mage on the goddamn planet, up to and including self-mutilation and eventual self-lichdom. That was the baseline concept, but we had a whole discord for this RP, and it soon became apparent that through linking various WIP lores together, Vanth turned into an easy final boss character. He also refused to die under any circumstance, so he eventually sealed himself before a holy knight could finish him off for good.

Now why was sealing himself important, you may ask?

Well, through some leftover magic, he's actually the one to cause Tamatsu's accident. Sending a truck off-course while she was admiring some fireworks from afar caused her to crash into the lake, limbs crippled leaving her unable to swim. Vanth's entire gambit was reliant on this gentle girl to not have a deathwish, and since she desperately wanted to live, he could form a contract with her to reincarnate into her as a second persona.

So this asshole managed to not only defy death twice in the past, but actively caused an innocent person's death just to serve his own goals. Tamatsu is barely even aware he's there, but she almost impulsively knows she's dead too. The girl's just a poor innocent soul who absolutely did not deserve to be subject to this, but because she was so simple, it also makes taking over her mind super simple. I was actively working with like 4 other people on possible relations, too. Someone with a similar backstory (though the possessor isn't nearly as evil, nor was the character strictly dead, nor did the possessor cause the accident) was going to be her friend and it would lead to a really tragic fight where both of them fought to free the other from their curse by sacrificing themselves. Tamatsu was going to be frequenting the shop of an older character, who taught her the game. The Dread King and Vanth had a whole chain of backstabbing going.

And then the GM imploded the entire RP because he didn't flesh out the mechanics ahead of time ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

I still consider Tamatsu and Vanth's dynamic an absolute stroke of genius I'll never be able to pull off in any other RP again, because the planets had to align for their existence in the first place. It makes me all the more bitter that I never got to write them.

<Snipped quote by HaleyTheRandom>

Just one?!?!?! Can I do like 2 M 2 F? lol 😭😭😭

There can be multiple. xD

What is your favorite character that you have ever written?
_{Bonus points if you link me to the character sheet. Extra hella bonus points if you link me to a post of you writing this character.}

My favorite? Hmm I have done a Fantasy character of a half-human and half-elf character that I wrote for the setting but discovered I could also adapt him enough for an Elder Scrolls kind of roleplay and it was a feel good moment when I was done with him CS wise.