Harem roleplay?

[WanderingDragon]

Haven't been on this site in quite some time, so I'm sort of dipping my toes to see what things are like around here. I should also preface this by saying that I'm not trying to

Let's get to the point; Something I've been dying to play out in terms of romance related roleplay is one with a harem plotline. You've probably seen some anime in which some... Admittedly dull, wimpy guy suddenly has a bunch of hot girls pining and fighting over him. There's lots of fanservice and the like, but typically, nothing gets resolved because apparently the protagonist can't be allowed to make their own decisions.

But enough ranting. The kind of harem rp I'd like to do is meant to be less about one guy getting a bunch of girls to fawn over him, but rather a singular person bringing people together. So, it'd probably be more accurate to call it a poly-amorous relationship. But, the problem is, especially if my character is male, it's basically a bunch of girls falling in love with one another and one guy, so it does come off as kinda self-centered.

With that said, what are your thoughts on harem plots in the case of rping?

[WTPR]

With that said, what are your thoughts on harem plots in the case of rping?

@WanderingDragon

The only thing worse than self-inserts are wish fulfillment self-inserts.

[BrokenPromise]

I think they're pretty bad, honestly. They are seldom more than wish fulfillment self-inserts.

I mean, they can be done well. If the "wimpy male" has a less than ideal situation that could create some drama. Maybe all of his suitors know he's incredibly rich, and his parents just want to marry him off. Or maybe all of the girls are spirits/demons of some sort that want his soul for whatever reason. Or perhaps the guy actually is really desirable, and the girls that are after him aren't, and try to make sure better woman don't come anywhere near him. Making the RP about the girls interactions with each other would also make things more interesting for them as players.

But if you're more interested in making a fantasy than a story, maybe try the 1x1 section.

[ArenaSnow]

Or maybe all of the girls are spirits/demons of some sort that want his soul for whatever reason.

@BrokenPromise

Do this

[NuttsnBolts]

I don't see why it can't be done as it is a certain genre of sorts. Hell, people watch the bachelor and bachelorette on a regular basis just to see who the final couple may end up being, so creating an RP around this premise isn't too far out of the norm.

A few things need to be addressed though and that's with the characters, and the interactions. You need a well designed male character, not some boring schmuck. They need to be desirable, attractive, either walled off person who never asked for this or an open charmer who knows the females will fall over for him (depending on the type of harem story you want), and most of all interesting for the players (both male and female) to read. If it's none of these then how can you expect characters to generate a lust/love for them without it sounding like some trashy love triangle.

You also need to avoid, like really avoid, inserting yourself into the character as a Mary Sues/Gary Stus. If you're creating this to get your rocks off on an online roleplay where people desire over an avatar of you, stop immediately... what you are doing is not fair on the other players who are probably in it to create a unique story experience. There are plenty of places out there for you to cyber your kinky fantasies, and the Guild ain't one of them. I can't speak for all 1x1s however, but this is a group we are talking about; different people with different threshold levels. Make it clear what it is you want and perhaps you'll actually make this happen.

Lastly, determine the type of RP setup you want—public or private. PM RPs can cater to 5 people. That's 4 female characters and 1 male if it's 1 per player. Private RPs do open to more adult content but run the risk of people feeling more uncomfortable about the direction. A public Roleplay will have certain restrictions on what can be written, but at least the players will feel comfortable knowing that what is posted follows some decency.

[pugbutter]

But if you're more interested in making a fantasy than a story, maybe try the 1x1 section.

@BrokenPromise

I'd do this with both the players acting as omniscient narrators, or at least as the girl characters, leaving the male lead to an NPC role. Because once the MC starts going down one girl's "route," the others will feel left out and grow frustrated with the game.

Unless, of course, the MC gives equal doses of attention to many girls, in which case he becomes (IMO) less likeable as a character, which also harms the game.

The genre isn't well-suited to group play, least of all when you enter it with selfish intentions.

[Dion]

Haven't been on this site in quite some time, so I'm sort of dipping my toes to see what things are like around here. I should also preface this by saying that I'm not trying to be a really cool guy that everyone loves and gives gifts to because of how cool he is.

@WanderingDragon

ftfy

Let's get to the point; Something I've been dying to play out in terms of romance related roleplay is one with a harem plotline. You've probably seen some anime in which some... Admittedly dull, wimpy guy suddenly has a bunch of hot girls pining and fighting over him. There's lots of fanservice and the like, but typically, nothing gets resolved because apparently the protagonist can't be allowed to make their own decisions.

But enough ranting. The kind of harem rp I'd like to do is meant to be less about one guy getting a bunch of girls to fawn over him, but rather a singular person bringing people together. So, it'd probably be more accurate to call it a poly-amorous relationship. But, the problem is, especially if my character is male, it's basically a bunch of girls falling in love with one another and one guy, so it does come off as kinda self-centered.

With that said, what are your thoughts on harem plots in the case of rping?

@WanderingDragon

I imagine this is like the perfect RP if you just want mindless 'uguuuuu' shit to happen 24/7 where all the girls make OwO and UwU faces all the time. For any serious depth, I think you'll find that this type of RP quickly devolves into nothing because A) these type of RP's dies even faster than regular RP's and B) the type of content in it is so samey that you'll be writing the same scene 3x over and over before you decide you're bored of your partner and drop it.

By all means that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it - I think it's an awful idea but I know for a fact that there are plenty of people on RPG who would go for it. But I think you'd be disappointed with how much you actually get out of it.

[Darcel]

I just hope this isn't some sort of harem when, ahem:

Girl: "Hey, can you please pass me the salt?"

Boy: "Here you go," he passed the salt.

Girl, now catastrophically blushing, in her inner thoughts: "No one has ever been this kind to me while passing the salt... W-what are these feelings... ? I think... I'm um... in love."

[KoL]

@Chasebloodcrest

You... made me laugh, sir/lady.

Now, for the OP: @WanderingDragon From experience I can say that romance RPs die like flies, even faster if they are self-insert romances (like pointed by so many others). The Guild isn't really a good place for this kind of role play. More often than not, you'd be best served writing fiction somewhere else.

However, just like @BrokenPromise said, if you wanna go forward, at least give something for your partners to do other than grovel around a bland harem MC as if they were characters in an awful light novel series like the kind that bloat these days' market.

I'd suggest something more on the lines of Date a Live and Tenchi Muyo, than Love Hina, if you want the game to survive past a few couple days. Though, I'd abstain from making your character the center of the action, if you GM it. There are ways around it, but the truth is that most persons find it a bit irksome to play a game just to pander the whims of someone else, even if they don't say it because they may otherwise be interested in the plot.

[WanderingDragon]

@Odin
Yeah, I was falling asleep when I posted this. It should have said

"I should preface this by saying this isn't a request for roleplay, or anything of the sort"

With that out of the way, I should explain that what you pointed out is what I never liked about harem plots in the first place: The main character is usually completely undeserving of the attention he gets. The writers will try to justify this by saying the guy is really nice, but that usually amounts to him just doing some miniscule favor or saying she looks pretty that one time.

But, stuff like that works for the same reason Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey were so popular: it appeals to people with low self-esteem. In the case of harem anime, it's aimed at NEETs and shut-ins who are two afraid to talk to females, by presenting a scenario where hot girls fawn over him for no real reason, even against sense and logic.

What I would like to see, and probably play out is a scenario where the main character did something to earn the affection of his suitors and/or eventual lovers. I don't mean just passing someone salt. Like, say risking his life to save hers, helping another girl with some deeply personal issue she's dealing with, or otherwise making a deep and intimate personal connection with that girl, or just earning admiration through his strength of character or charisma.

And that's also extremely important, a lead with a strong characterization. That doesn't mean some broken Mary-Sue God, but someone with a compelling character that makes the reader/player interested in him.

What's also very important, as aforementioned, is the interactions of the perspective suitors. Are some of them friends? Perhaps enemies? How does their desire towards the main character effect their relationship? Lastly, what conflicts do all of them go through?

One example for such a scenario would be a harem consisting of characters from different Capcom fighting games. Let's say Cammy & Chun-Li from Street Fighter, and Hsien-Ko and Felicia from Darkstalkers.

In the case of Chun-Li and Felicia, there could be conflict with the MC, since he's a vigilante who has sometimes broken the law, and a non-religious man who is opposed to the fundamental teachings of Catholism.

However, as the plot goes on, Chun-Li and the MC would bond over what they do have in common and she sees that while he doesn't always follow the letter of the law, he respects and upholds it spirit.

With Felicia, the MC would disagree with Felicia's manhood and life of celibacy, eventually pointing out it was created to control and suppress women's sexuality, and is not healthy in the long run. As the plot continues, Felicia starts to come around somewhat to the MC's ppoint and rather than abandon her beliefs, reforms them into something that reflects what she actually believes.

As for the suitors as a whole, it would be a good way to explore their feelings and sexuality as a whole. It could be a chance to deepen whatever bonds they already have, and perhaps romance can spark between them in some way. Hence it becomes less about "The fine stud who gets all the ladies, heh heh."

And more, "How a group of people are brought together by their expanding and mutual love for one another."

[Darcel]

[@Odin]
Stuff like that works for the same reason Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey were so popular.

@WanderingDragon

Fifty shades was so popular because Christian is rich and handsome. Remove that and what's left is a seriously screwed up man who essentially has sex and beats women that resembles his dead prostitute mother, and the leftovers of Anastasia's diary:

I blush. I gasp. He touches me down there.
I gasp again. He gasps. We both gasp now.
I refer to my genitals as "down there" few times more.
I blush again. Sorry, I mean I "flush" some more.
I bite my lip. He gasps. More lip biting.
More blushing/flushing. Still more gasping.
The end.

[WanderingDragon]

I blush. I gasp. He touches me down there.
I gasp again. He gasps. We both gasp now.
I refer to my genitals as "down there" few times more.
I blush again. Sorry, I mean I "flush" some more.
I bite my lip. He gasps. More lip biting.
More blushing/flushing. Still more gasping.
The end.

@Chasebloodcrest

Christ, that was bad.

But, getting to my point: Think about Anastasia, plain at best and dull and stupid at worst. How many women who read that trite probably feel that way about themselves, let alone are that way?

Secondly, why does Christian like her so much? What does she have that he goes to such extremes to have her in his life?

Answer is, nothing to justify this plot. So, for this to work, Christian, the man of E.L James's dreams, just imposes himself into her life and forces himself on her, while she makes weak, half-assed attempts to push him away until he just suddenly obeys like a trained puppy, because in her mind that's the only way she can a man like him

Was and anyone who wants such a man should get their head checked. Matter of fact, everyone involved should get their head checked.

[BrokenPromise]

@WanderingDragon

Give all the characters really good reasons to come together, but you've still got a large group of people mingling together in a romantic manner. Be it a harem relationship where everyone wants "that D," or some type of weird love octagon filled with bisexual woman and a hetro dude.

I'm having difficulty grasping what it is that you're looking for. If I really mince the first post you do say something about how you want your character to bring everyone together. Typically any team of people would have a leader. You could do a squad based RP where your character is a leader of sorts and all of the players form up under you. be them police officers, or members of a the school's book club. While I wouldn't call that a harem, that does sound more in line with what you want.

<Snipped quote by BrokenPromise>

I'd do this with both the players acting as omniscient narrators, or at least as the girl characters, leaving the male lead to an NPC role. Because once the MC starts going down one girl's "route," the others will feel left out and grow frustrated with the game.

Unless, of course, the MC gives equal doses of attention to many girls, in which case he becomes (IMO) less likeable as a character, which also harms the game.

The genre isn't well-suited to group play, least of all when you enter it with selfish intentions.

@pugbutter

I would say that another possibility would be for one player to be MC and the other to be all dem chickz. Then if MC does decide to take a certain character, it's not a big deal.

[Darcel]

But, getting to my point: Think about Anastasia, plain at best and dull and stupid at worst.

[Silver Carrot]

I am interested in playing a girl in a harem. I love harem anime if they're funny. I love the idea that all the girls are after the guy's wealth, or soul (at first)

[shamrocknroll]

<Snipped quote by WanderingDragon>
Fifty shades was so popular because Christian is rich and handsome. Remove that and what's left is a seriously screwed up man who essentially has sex and beats women that resembles his dead prostitute mother.

@Chasebloodcrest

I don't know who said it first but my friend said it best: If someone is crazy but rich he's "eccentric" when someone is crazy but poor he's a freak.