Let's B!tch. I feel it's a healthy release for our roleplay annoyances 2.0

[Gowi]

Grump over:

Replied to someone's search thread, gave a pitch based on their idea, was told said pitch is awesome, waited for them to start.

INCIDENT 1: Got told to start because *I* went to them with the idea and *they* have work to do, called out their attitude and bid farewell, person apologised, swept it under rug and we setup.

Rolled a few posts, realized something not discussed about npc relationships, confronted person if it's to force the pairing together quickly and iterated I'm no pushover, got told I talk to them like crap from incident 1 (?!?!).

Explained to person if you don't like something you bring it up and not throw surprises at someone that disrupts their npc THEN I bid farewell politely, other person goodbye'd and promptly made a public note somewhere about my apparent tyranism.

I can't even.

Now I don't trust people who compliment how my derived plots are anything appealing when I reply their searches. ಠ_ಠ In case another one accuses me of bullying them into accepting.

@Pair of Hearts

Without context, I cannot really give any valuable perspective on this – but I’ve had similar hurdles with 1x1’s. I once was inactive for a week or two and the person dropped the RP framing me as the villain with passive aggression and guilt trip tactics aimed towards me. The only thing I was guilty of was not communicating I was taking a little longer to write a follow-up post. Chance has it, that person blacklisted me from RP possibilities including them in the future. It was a kind of shit scenario.

Not at all your problem, but it seems that you being direct was misinterpreted as abrasiveness… for reasons unknown. Again I don’t know the context, but based on our brief conversations I cannot imagine you being tyrannical or mean-spirited.

[Pair of Hearts]

@Gowi
I usually hate it when people don't reply to our RP anymore thinking of three thoughts:

1. HEY! They're online. ... Shit, is someone on their computer? I should downplay a bit on any profanities. Hopefully they don't think my muse went OOC.

2. ... okay they posted elsewhere. What's wrong with me? Wait, pfft. They're just not inspired to write for our RP right now. Muse is tough. Chill, self.

3. Maybe they forgot. I'll remind them later. (A few hours later.) Eating. Remind them later. (A few hours later.) Sleepy. (Wake up.) Did I forget something? (A few days later.) ... it's been a week. They probably lost interest. Oh well.

• • •

I can be blunt like a well-used 2B pencil, and they're probably the sensitive type since they seemed affectionate with all the huggles and snuggles in our OOC. Oh well.

[Gowi]

I treat my 1x1’s fairly well, but sometimes it does take me time— I don’t think its unfair that I focus on my group RP’s and prioritize over them. Though sometimes I am complacent. But other times I may be online but I may not be in the mood to write and just want to do casual conversation or read RP’s I’m not involved in (yeah, I do that). Interesting discussion point.

How does everyone view their 1x1's?

[NuttsnBolts]

@Pair of Hearts, @Gowi's rp had someone who said, "mention me if you want me to post". Not even making the effort to check up on an RP they entered.

[Gowi]

@Pair of Hearts, @Gowi's rp had someone who said, "mention me if you want me to post". Not even making the effort to check up on an RP they entered.

@NuttsnBolts

Yeah, that’s a bit… I’m still not happy about that.

[Pair of Hearts]

@Gowi
You mean what I think of my 1x1's?

Dirty secret time: A tough hill to climb when we're writing it. Every post for me sponged up my heart, soul, firstborn and dreams, man.

Then after a dozen posts in, re-reading from the start again makes me feel accomplished. Happy. Ecstatic that I could both express my thoughts/imagination and didn't dun goof with my partner. (I'm the roleplayer who rewrites and rereads twice before posting.)

Tl;dr It's a drag, then it's not.

[Pair of Hearts]

@NuttsnBolts
The alert system isn't top-notch, yeah, but r u srs? Usually if I feel like my partner is doing me a favour to even respond, I already feel put off by, idk, 80%???

[Gowi]

@NuttsnBolts
The alert system isn't top-notch, yeah, but r u srs? Usually if I feel like my partner is doing me a favour to even respond, I already feel put off by, idk, 80%???

@Pair of Hearts

Yes. The message in question was:
"I thought I'd get a mention when it was time for me to post"

[NuttsnBolts]

Issue is that many people have different standards and quality. Seen it all from lazy people to people that will metagame to make their character seem superior, and even people make a character sheet only to play a character with a completely different personality and agenda.

You wouldn't see it much in a 1x1, but in a group RP these traits can become infectious with people subtly adjusting their writing to counter play so that they don't get metagamed or power played out.

As for how I view 1x1s. I try to keep them the same as a group RP, but it's harder as I feel you're acting as both gm and player. Surprise moments don't always work out, and I have seen 1x1s where someone created an npc and the other player kill off that npc with their character, so communication is key in order to prevent this. :\

[Pair of Hearts]

@NuttsnBolts
Based on experiences, I just know that 1x1 Mystery is nigh impossible, so when a private partner wants to surprise, it makes me feel like my fat cat before he gets a bath. //grumpy dull stare

@Gowi
Then leave it be. If that's how they work, and keep to it, pretty sure they'll eventually run out of RPs. Worst thing to happen for anyone addicted to roleplaying!

[Gowi]

I just know that 1x1 Mystery is nigh impossible,

Easier than mystery/horror RP’s for a group. Oh god, I have never seen those I’ve participated in or read go anywhere. With a 1x1, I can at least create a mood that involves that person’s character more cohesively and throw curveballs instead of accommodating for an entire group of 4+ people.

[Pair of Hearts]

@Gowi
You, me, collab GM for group mystery, when free mutually, oui?

EDIT: I'm a sucker for "so lyk if u guys can't guess the perp or cause u die off either one by one or all at once. Hehehehe" stuff though.

[Gowi]

You, me, collab GM for group mystery, when free mutually, oui?

Heh, been awhile since I humored the thought. Might be worth looking into, but yeah “HMU” or whatever the kids say these days.

[Pair of Hearts]

@Gowi
I HAD TO GOOGLE THAT ACRONYM. I think I'm getting old and "out". //early 90's

Hitting you up in a bit; ready ye socks so I can rock em off.

[NuttsnBolts]

HMU?
*Googles*
Oh... Hold my unicorn... Now is it wrong that I both had my mind in the gutter and was thinking Despicable Me. Probably not a good mix >_>

[Tarquin]

Issue is that many people have different standards and quality. Seen it all from lazy people to people that will metagame to make their character seem superior, and even people make a character sheet only to play a character with a completely different personality and agenda.

You wouldn't see it much in a 1x1, but in a group RP these traits can become infectious with people subtly adjusting their writing to counter play so that they don't get metagamed or power played out.

As for how I view 1x1s. I try to keep them the same as a group RP, but it's harder as I feel you're acting as both gm and player. Surprise moments don't always work out, and I have seen 1x1s where someone created an npc and the other player kill off that npc with their character, so communication is key in order to prevent this. :\

@NuttsnBolts

This right here. So true.

Also, on the note of mystery; I had a friend that had intended for part of his RP (not sure if it was meant to be the whole thing) to be a mystery. Like, a plot involving a kidnapping or something, can't remember too well. But what happened was one of the players suddenly invented a convenient note left by the bad guys that claimed the kidnapped people were tied to the railway tracks or something (I think it may have been a Western RP?). The rest of the group just goes along with this and bam, whole mystery plot ruined because one guy decided to pierce the metagaming heavens. And because the rest of the group had played along, they wanted to keep going with it in spite of my friend's protests. He basically just left it to die after that.

[Mairik]

Heh, been awhile since I humored the thought. Might be worth looking into, but yeah “HMU” or whatever the kids say these days.

@Gowi

oh don't mind me i'm just really interested in being about of this collaborative process wheeee

also

that "partner" of yours, gowi.

[Pair of Hearts]

@Tarquin
This is why I prefer giving individual quests on top of solving the case. "You don't achieve that? You still lose. Oh, btw, one of the player's goal is to destroy yours, so watch what crap you say."

[Tarquin]

@Tarquin
This is why I prefer giving individual quests on top of solving the case. "You don't achieve that? You still lose. Oh, btw, one of the player's goal is to destroy yours, so watch what crap you say."

@Pair of Hearts

Well it's not a bad idea, but I don't think it really solves the problem. If you were to present such a situation to a metagamer of the same kind I'm thinking of, would they not simply cheat at both the case and the individual quest? Like, "My character suddenly finds a note that reveals the true mystery, and a MacGuffin that trivializes his personal quest! What luck!"

And I'm certain the same player would be the type to instantly godmode any character that threatened their success. Then they'll bitch and moan when you tell them it's against the rules and leave in protest of your fascism etc etc....

[Shorticus]

What this comes down to:

Having players you can trust to not be dorks, and having a group in general that's willing to agree when it's time to kick someone that's being a dork out.

As someone who plays and GMs both tabletop and offline games, I notice that people are much more capable of getting away with really dumb stuff when there isn't AT LEAST one of the players willing to call someone out on being a dork. Now, this is psychology at work, because people are more likely to voice their opinions when someone else voices the same opinion. It causes a cascade effect. But if nobody takes the first step and says "Hey, wait a minute," you'll have... yeah, people just running with the guy being tied to the railroad tracks.

Now, I'm not advocating for folks to keep protest signs handy and start a rabble whenever someone does something you even minorly disagree with. Being able to compromise and work together with other players is part of the roleplaying experience. But if someone is blatantly godmoding, or trying to fudge the rules, or otherwise being a general ass, it's probably a good idea to say "Hey, stop that."

...But then again, it sounds like the folks involved in this "secret note from bad guys" fiasco were all very silly people. Your friend has my condolences, @Tarquin.