What is your opinion on "school/academy" RPs?

[Speedwagon]

Whether it be an actual school, an academy for superpowered youngsters, or flat-out "*Insert franchise here* Academy"... how do my fellow RPers feel about these kinds of RPs? They never seem to be in demand as they're consistently overflowing compared to any other genre of RP, or so I find. I suppose I can kinda see the appeal of making an RP where the characters are in a school setting. It's relatable. I get that. I don't have to like it, but I get it.

What I don't really get so much is the appeal behind taking [franchise] and having the characters be in a school in some alternate reality version of their world. It's such a huge RPing concept that I used to love a long time ago but honestly just can't get into anymore. Have I just turned cynical and picky towards RPs over time? I'm not sure. Maybe I just think the concept has gotten stale or something. Most of the ones I see just treat it as the means to an end - the end being that it's easier to set up a plot in a school setting because it already explains the reasons of the protagonists for being where they are.

...Eh, I'll leave my opinion at that for now. I didn't intend to turn it into a rant or anything.

How does the Guild feel about these kinds of RPs?

[Ellri]

We personally don't participate in RPs about educational institutions, but we can also see how many enjoy them. For us, such RPs wouldn't be the sort we find easy to join, as we've not attended any sort of school in a good while.

The overflow RP type tends to vary over time, with no clear schedule or duration for each set. One month it might be schools, the next week it might be post-apocalyptic. Sometimes, these tend to blend together. But we also noted last year around the release of Star Wars Episode VII that RPs related to that (to varying degrees) were very popular. No doubt there were also numerous Game of Thrones-esque RPs around when that ran back before the summer.

We know the reasons behind such popularities are very much based around the inscruitable interests of the individual members, which is why there is no clear pattern to what is popular when. We do have a prediction that Star Wars will get another boost around the release of Rogue One, though.

[Mixtape Ghost N]

School RPs are okay, but I agree that they are over-saturated. I've done a few of them, and had an absolute great time with them... but, the more "average slice of life" highschool/college RPs are just boring tbh. lol

I'll take a superhero school anyday.

[Rin]

Yeah, I mean I'm not opposed to "academy" RPs, but they kind of need a gimmick to make them seem interesting. Otherwise they just kind of get boring pretty fast, or end up with you just replaying your high school years which is something I'm not entirely keen on doing. XD

[Dion]

@Mr Allen J I agree that for me to be interested they need a gimmick.

I'm not sure what the point of this thread is. What does my opinion change?

If people like school RP's then let them have their school RP's, damn. Let the children have their sandbox, let the adults have their murderous smut RP's, let the Koreans have their advertisements.

Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiet.

[Ammokkx]

Hider

oops.

For real, though. I'm fifty-fifty on school RP's. It depends on the context and what I want to play at that very moment. Stuff like the above came from the fandom not really being RP'd often, and is actually a reboot after the original GM had left it to die. Some other times it may be a fandom RP where the source material was school based, ala Danganronpa (which, to be fair, is a giant murder game and not so much a school drama.). If it's an original work, I'll usually avoid it unless I'm feeling like going for the east, low-hanging fruit. It's just the simple, short timesink I'd need to fill in the blank spaces of my schedule and I wouldn't have to think hard on it.

The above is for me joining one, as for what I think of it... eh, I'd rather have another setting if at all possible. School is limiting, something I've found trying to GM the above. I'm all for wacky misadventures that may or may not end up in everyone ending up dead and the heroes fucking it up, which are easier in a more open setting. Not to say a school setting doesn't have its perks or can't make way for said misadventures, just that it has a harder time justifying why exactly we're hunting down generic artifact no. 558.

It's a decent setting, though. Don't let me take away someone's fun, there's definitely an audience for these types of RPs and more power to them. We're all here to have fun.

[tsukune]

I don't hate school RPs - I get that it will forever be in demand regardless of time - but I'm just not interested in it.

I mean... I'm still schooling, and I have enough of school. Please spare me the agony of going to school again while I'm having a sem break now. Like, RL school is already a pain in the ass. I don't need another hundred more virtual schools to add on to my woes.

...Ahem.

Jokes aside, RPs set in academies or institutions, regardless of genre (whether normal slice-of-life-y or superpower stuffs), aren't my cup of tea. For one, I find it a chore to keep up with all the classrooms and timetable stuffs, keeping tabs on which teachers teach which subjects that 99% of them are pretty much something only Americans understand (an Asian like me won't understand the system at all since ours is very, very different)... Well, I just feel tired at the thought of having to do all these extra homework for a mere hobby, and worse when I have to go back to my real school to deal with actual homework before the RP can come to a conclusive end (in one month? Talk about impossible).

I prefer to take on RPs set in a more open setting, like a city or even country. Doing things in the bigger, more chaotic world outside of the four walls of a small classroom.

And yes, I'm a considerate RPer who knows my RL schedule limit, which is also the partial reason why I have to avoid school-setting RPs (well, not like anyone would give a damn if I have to disappear because of exams anyway - my college schedule is so screwed up lol).

[Cyndyr]

I mean, they always begin and end with people just wandering around wondering when others are going to interact with their characters, so what fun are they? In all honesty, I had a really good school Roleplay stretch from January all the way until June, so they certainly aren't impossible. They aren't greatly possible, either, and usually need some sort of "catch" in order to be interesting.

In fact, I only enjoy slice-of-life Roleplays when there is some sort of "catch" involved.

Naturally, I don't consider superhero, Disney, crossover or supernatural-based high schools to be very original, but some can be executed surprisingly well, so I'm not going to knock them down at well. I do feel like they're a bit overdone considering how many exist on the Guild, though.

[ArenaSnow]

Relatability (that a word? Meh) for the most part, especially as I find people draw inspiration largely from their current circumstances.

Me? I don't even like looking at the titles, I can't say I was fond of my school days >.>

[Dion]

@Cynder I've found that the whole wandering around while screaming in the OOC; 'WHO WANTS TO INTERACT WITH MY CHARACTER' thing is present in many RP's. Often these RP's have the same people/same type of people in them too, so I guess it's not so surprising.

[MonstrousMan]

School and education systems is where a lot of people develope their personalities, likes and dislikes - of which many will be taken forward into adult hood.

Or, as I like to call it, ARRRGHHH!

So, in my opinion, these kind of role plays are popular because they allow people to recreate more exciting and enjoyable experiences in a school environment. We are all here to experience another reality apart from our own, and who wouldn't want trade in their crappy school memories with awesome role play moments.

Not to assume crappy school experiences, but I'm sure we all know some point in our young lives that we wish hadn't happened.

You get me?

That's my opinion.

*babble ends*

[Cyndyr]

@Cynder I've found that the whole wandering around while screaming in the OOC; 'WHO WANTS TO INTERACT WITH MY CHARACTER' thing is present in many RP's. Often these RP's have the same people/same type of people in them too, so I guess it's not so surprising.

@Buddha

I've seen this as well, but it seems to have a new magnitude in highschool Roleplays. It is amazing to me that so many Roleplays can be filled with loner archetypes and still manage to stay alive.

[Dion]

<Snipped quote by Buddha>
I've seen this as well, but it seems to have a new magnitude in highschool Roleplays. It is amazing to me that so many Roleplays can be filled with loner archetypes and still manage to stay alive.

@Cynder

It's just like how Naruto is considered the shonen of all shonen - in a bad way - where all the characters in those RP's typically follow the archetype;

X was a young child when he was orphaned. His father died doing y (usually a special super top secret mission) and his mother died doing y too. See they were partners. Just like Naruto's father and mother! So anyway, he didn't have any friends, because everyone hated him. But also, he is really friendly! But because he never had any friends he's kinda lonely and sad. Like emo-sad.

Bonus points if they self harm. Seen these characters a lot in Naruto RP's. I guess it's kinda the same for highschool/college/educational facility RP's in the sense that there's a common archetype people follow with their characters.

Lonely characters just seem to be something people like for some reason because it makes them look cool, edgy and gives them a reason for their character to play the victim (which is easy, unlike playing a villain. For most people anyway). When in reality it just leads to over saturation of loners who are cool and don't need nobody.

On the other hand there's also a shit tonne of 'super happy' people that could have their arms chopped off and they'd still be happy about it.

[Cyndyr]

Lonely characters just seem to be something people like for some reason because it makes them look cool, edgy and gives them a reason for their character to play the victim (which is easy, unlike playing a villain. For most people anyway). When in reality it just leads to over saturation of loners who are cool and don't need nobody.

@Buddha

Make a gospel for Roleplaying and put this in there.

[Dion]

<Snipped quote by Buddha>
Make a gospel for Roleplaying and put this in there.

@Cynder

in a singing voice;

You play a loner cause you lame!

The personality says he's nice _{really, he's not!}

You play a loner cause you lame!

The personality says he's lonely _{but he talks like an extravert!}

You play a loner cause you lame!

His history is really sad _{but somehow he's still upbeat?}

You play a loner cause you lame!

Also he's bloody handsome, all the girls want him _{but no girl player characters talk to him!}

SHIP YOUR CHARACTER WITH RANDOM CHARACTERS

Who wants to interact with my character _{please, i'm desperate!}

GET UPSET NOBODY WANTS TO INTERACT

It's because he's too cool and edgy _{self-insert much?}

POST STATUS ABOUT ROLEPLAYERS NOT WANTING TO PLAY WITH YOU

It's the tenth in a week _{but it can't be my fault!!}

'I POST ABOUT 4 PARAGRAPHS PER POST!'

I miscounted, it's like 4 sentences _{WHY DID YOU VANISH FROM THE RP???}

[Mao Mao]

@Buddha, you should become a song writer and/or singer.

[BrokenPromise]

Really, school is the dominating genre here? Heh, clearly there are WAY too many weabos who worship their school dramas!

(pay no mind to the anime grill from a school drama to the left of this post)

Anyway, as someone who participates in maybe 1 or two RPs a year, they don't bother me. They need a good hook of course, just like the overly saturated fantasy genre. I really won't waste my time on anything that doesn't feel special in some way.

[Mae]

Hmm. it's a love-hate relationship for me. Which is funny because I'm technically running a few? On second thought, I enjoy them! Hazaar!

I have to say that I have learnt to completely blank the old fashoined cookie-cutter "magic/mutant/superhero/plain ol' school/ect" where the government has made a secret school to train magicians/mutants/superheroes and the plot is indecernable other then "here's a place to train! here's where you sleep!" and i can't be bothered with timetables. If I see a timetable I switch off because I find it limiting (I want to interact with character X but.. oh wait I'm in maths and they're in english and my character wouldn't break dem rules, yo :() A few i've been in died due to weird time management (everyone wanted to interact with certain people so there was loads of "this evening i talk to x" while someone else was like "i hang out with y over first period" until the GM just did a huge timeskip that stumped everyone and it died, so. bad taste in my mouth there, i guess?)

But other then that I actually enjoy taking part in them though as a chill thing! Every so often I get an itching to join one and I do so. The ones I've been in have never lasted longer then a few months, but I kind of like just throwing a character together and sticking them in an environment where everything is contained.

That being said I don't feel as so-so about the more unusual plots or things with a cool gimmik or kick. I don't put them under the same umbrella in my brainnoggenmachine. I won't click passed them if they seem really well thought out or unusual and just treat them like any other rp.

[Dervish]

I'm like 90% sure the vast majority of people who do school RPs had unsatisfactory or otherwise totally shit experiences in school in real life so this is pretty much escapism to live out a fantasy of what they wanted school to be.

Can't speak from experience because I roll my eyes every time I see some variation of "Angsty Teenager Academy- With a Twist!", but I'm pretty sure the majority of those RPs don't capture thr tedium of sitting through 50 minutes of chemistry class and staring at the clock while enduring the high stakes adventure of writing notes without developing a cramp.

Considering they're a dime a dozen for roleplays, and most don't last long before folding, I assume most are made without any direction or plot. With few exceptions, that doesn't lead to a good lifespan for a game. You kind of need more than a basic premise to keep players invested.

[Lilgaybird]

For me (fandom wise), it depends on the fandom at times whether i feel the school/academy rp will work. For example, Creepypasta. I can see it as something that could possibly work if not taken too seriously, even if its difficult to understand.