The Top Five Most Influential Roleplayers

[Enarr]

Hello all! If you're in this thread, take a minute to look back at your time as a roleplayer. Now, list off the five people who've influenced you most, explain how, and if possible, tag them so they join in too. It's not a popularity contest, just about commemorating the people who made us.

[Enarr]

@Byrd Man This wouldn't be the first time I compare Byrd to a role playing father figure and call him old in public. He GMd the first game I ever played in, checked all my early games I wanted to make, and helped me in general. I've only recently really split from him in the last few months, more by circumstance than conscious choice, though.

Master Bruce of the Superherohype and Oldguild. Best. Writer. Ever. He showed me how to tell a good story, gave me his blessing, and let me butcher every work of art he ever made. The guy fleshed out his concepts beautifully, wrote like every line was a poem, and energized me in my early days, too. I still hang onto concepts for a Batman/Daredevil crossover we never got around to doing.

@Gowi Gowi learns from his mistakes. He used to be kinda strict, but now it's loosened up. We've generally worked closely, though not necessarily together. While Master Bruce taught me brilliant burnouts, Gowi taught me dedication. He's thoughtful to his games, and has a sickeningly plotted Batman story to tell. We have gotten into little spats and stood on opposing opinions, but I think our differences have helped me grow a lot.

@Lord Wraith What can I say, he's a caring guy and a real friend, even though I've never met him. He, like Gowi, is very detail oriented, but somehow manages to play looser. He's got a meticulously crafted original superhero universe (Vigilance) that he's expanded into a sort of brand by putting it across multiple sites, in cities that are apart in players, plot, and events, but linked in world history and universal fact. I've heard about him linking up crossovers and whatnot. It's really impressive.

My fifth, tbh I can't choose. Maybe @AndyC for his strong concepts I've looked to with envy? @HenryJonesJr for setting up games I've played in for most of my tenure as a player. @Hillan for opening my horizons a bit. Or my sidekick from the oldguild, @Archangel89. Maybe @DeathstrokeSW, he definitely affected how I look at the games. Perhaps @Bounce, even.

Thanks guys, all of you. It's been fun.

[Gowi]

_{@Pachamac@Byrd Man@AndyC@Eddie Brock}

Byrd Man (Tone, Mood) _2013-2015
Probably the last in a long line of influences, not so much a mentor but a peer who utterly trumps me in detail and tone. I can’t write introspection or detective serials like Byrd can and I always find myself dissecting his posts new and old to try to learn something as I did with Master Bruce and others from the Hype games. He’s a multi-genre talent that can convey comedy, suspense, and action all on equally sufficient levels; to the point where I wonder who he learned from and what tips he can give me, which ironically I have actually asked him in private on occasion. I’m glad this is someone I can still write with and hopefully I won’t have to look on in fond remembrance for a very long time.

Eddie Brock / Andy C (Perspective, Characterization) _2013-2015
This one is a tie since both of these individuals inspired me around the same time to give first-person perspective a try which completely changed how I looked at certain characters as well as how to characterize emotion as well as introspection rather well due to how they handled characters like Peter Park and Clark Kent. Much like Byrd these are people I’m glad I can continue to write with and I’m sure there’s much we can learn off one another as time continues onward.

Pachamac (Critical Thinking, Game Direction) _2007-2015
An individual who has a deep vision for tone and a talent for bringing his characters to life. I haven’t had the chance to write with them for years due to my own complacency or ill-fated coincidence. We have very different views and influences, but I’d think of few people I’d just like to write with for a decent period again. But what I like the most about Pach is his talent for critical thinking and leading a game, he’s a gifted GM and has really helped me analyze my own writing issues and problems on more than one occasion. We started writing together around 2007 and our last joint venture was around 2011 or 2012.

Rico Underwood (World-Building, Character Development) _2001-2011
Though I know him beyond his pen-name at this point, Rico is and was the original source of inspiration for my collaborative writing. As a youth in 2001, I idolized and utterly respect him not for his detail prose but his distinct world-building, no nonsense attitude, and his stances against purple prose. I also consistently annoyed him since well, he was well into his adulthood and I was twelve – so it pretty much went how you expected it to. However, I was never shunned or isolated, being fully allowed to breathe in settings with acceptance despite by missteps in plot and prose alike. When my peers later on would criticize him I stood there in the shadow of this mentor and simply wouldn’t let that attitude be spoken in front of me. I just wish I could write with him one more time, but I imagine he’s moved on to greater responsibilities and focusing on his deeply enriched setting.

Tergonaut (Narrative, Detail) _2004-2012
Whereas I was taught there was quality in a mere sentence by my first ‘mentor’, from around 2004 onward Tergonaut showed me the full power of detailed narrative at the hands of a talented writer. A dynamic force on my first role-playing forum and probably the second most important to indirectly teach me what collaborative writing was about. Where Rico taught me about characters, Tergonaut taught me about narrative and pacing. I was still young by this point, but he was just as encouraging and supportive as any other person – which is something I wish I had myself as I can be admittedly selfish and too much of a perfectionist when it comes to my collaborative writing. Much like many people from the forum, life and interests shift.

[TheEvanCat]

I'd like to thank Allah. And that's about it.

Oh, right, and Ray Charles.

[Dinh AaronMk]

@VilageidiotX, @Gorgenmast get the ticket for being the sorts I've RP'd with the longest and we've built each other up over the long five years we've all been RP'ing together for. Borrowing off of each other's skill sets for our own inspiration on how to push forward a story. And for being present to put up with my shit and folks I can bounce ideas off of.

Like wise, @TheEvanCat and @Pepperm1nts on the base they're someone I bounce shit off of. Though the later is basically now a literal potato.

And Byrd's still the new guy to me but is respectable.

[Pepperm1nts]

@Dinh AaronMk: I am offended.

While I am here, though, I guess I'll list mine.

Dinh AaronMK basically got me into serious RP'ing one fateful day when he brought over one of his roleplays to the forum I frequented at the time. That was pretty much the start of it.

A lot of my writing and style is influenced by @vilageidiotx and @gorgenmast. They are also the guys I usually go to when I have questions.

I'd say those are the three guys that have been most influential. That is not to say I haven't learned little things along the way from other sources.

Though lately I have not been RP'ing much. I want to get back into it but between being lazy and having ADHD, it's hard to get back in the mood.

[Vilageidiotx]

The first time I ever tried roleplaying was a long long time ago, in the olden days of 2004. It was on a LOTR fansite that I would look at every now and then. I only posted once or twice though, because it seemed like everybody wanted to be perfect mary sue elves who were too busy perfect perfecting to tell a story.

So my most important influences would be the people that years later, in 2011, showed me that you can actually make a little effort and tell a story with an RP.

@Dinh AaronMk brought me back into RPing. We used to hang out in the same chat group and he was always going on about the details of an rp he was doing, so I thought "Fuck it, this is a way to kill a few minutes." Because I hadn't been a writer of any sort until then, I learned how to structure posts by copying little things from his style. I recall the hardest thing when I first started Arrpeeing was putting together dialogue, and that is one of the things I learned from the ground up by copying Aaron's style.

@gorgenmast was the second major influence, and in the same RP. It seemed like he was the best at descriptions back then, which is something that took me a long time to master. Before I got brave enough to steal descriptive styles from published authors, Gorgen was the template I learned from.

The third important name for how I developed my RP style is someone who isn't in the RP guild as far as I am aware, and that was the early Precipicer Shadesofmoose. When Precipice was just a basic RTS style roleplay, it was Shadesofmoose who really showed how an NRP could tell a story. His ability to use the RP format as a way to tell a complete story with all the proper suspense and drama was an important part of me taking RPing seriously, and really allowed me to consider RPing a legitimate form of writing.

Those three names, when it comes down to it, serve as the roots of my RPing history. I don't think the remaining two can be narrowed down, because there are a lot of people who have influences me through doing things that I would respect enough to remember and consider when I sit down to make a post. @Pepperm1nts is definitely the person I bounce ideas off of the most, partially because he is awake when I am posting more than anybody else and partially because he makes an effort to answer thoughtfully and honestly (and you can never underestimate the value of somebody who is willing to tell you when an idea sucks). @TheEvanCat and @Veoline get props for making interesting posts that have their own clear style and personality, and though all of these names are people I knew before the Guild, I can say that @Byrd Man's posts and ideas have been a refreshing new approach for me that shows that I can still be influenced.

[Spoopy Scary]

@Dinh AaronMk, @Vilageidiotx, @Leonerdo, @Mr Allen J, @UrbanEvolution

Okay, maybe not. I never actually had the privilege to roleplay with Aaron or Vilage (civilization was never something I could get into), Leonerdo is actually me, and I forged the latter two with my bare hands. The most influential roleplayers for me are people that don't go on this forum; but they did, regardless, help me improve vastly in as little a year's time. It has been a little over 5 years since then.

So, uh, but hey - shout-out to those 4 people for being at least moderately rad.

EDIT: Oh wait, I was wrong. @He Who Walks Behind is one of them (or Shadeofmoose, whoever remembers him as such).

[Mixtape Ghost N]

Yay, I got mentioned.

[Chapatrap]

@Vilageidiotx@Dinh AaronMk@gorgenmast

These three are the hot shit in Precipice and reading through their posts make me moist try harder at my own posts.

@Pepperm1nts is a lazy sod but when he does post, I man-love him. Ah feck it, I man-love him anyway.

@Raddum is my oldest mate on RPGuild and the go-to guy on ideas. shine on you crazy politoed you.

[AlteredTundra]

@yoshua171, @Perfect Anarchy, @Anorgos, @Hero, @Kal-El

These five people have been rping with me for the better part of the decade and I appreciate each of their advice, and how they always pushed me to go further. Yosh might have been the younger of the bunch as far as being influential in my RPing experience, but in that time, he has really shown me some things that I never thought of. The rest of you -- you all know how I feel about you all and how much you have helped me. Much love guys, truly.

<3

[yoshua171]

Aww, thanks @Altered Tundra :3

[Gowi]

Three months out, but I'd like to say there are a lot of honorable mentions to make note of and impeccable writers I'm glad I've worked with.

[Darcs]

>dead thread
Fuck it

My biggest influence as a babby coming over from the TV Tropes forums all those years ago was probably @Genkai.

Was it just me who looked up to her like a shy exchange student looks up to that one cool English teacher, even though you don't actually go to that class? Because that was pretty much my whole shtick for a long time, just lurking and reading other people's posts. I learned quickly how you can construct each post as it's own short story, rife with inner thoughts and action, complimented with an appropriate amount of prose and flavor. Mimicking that attention to detail and establishing tone came (mostly) from studying Genkai, and people like Genkai's posts and RPs, and emulating them and developing my own preferred method from their examples. That, combined with a FUCK TONNE of trial and error (process still on-going) transformed me into the collaborative writer I am today.

I know it's prolly weird for me to mention you tho-- I think the entire extent of interactions we've had was a potential 1x1 that never went anywhere once? Maybe? But still, thanks for being you so that I could become me.

This writing stuff's great.

[Hank]

One of my biggest influences was @Asyrdar, who unfortunately doesn't roleplay anymore. He sparked my love of medieval fantasy worldbuilding. Other than that... most of the people I learned to roleplay from were never members of RPG. I came here already moderately experienced.

These days, I seem to be taking a page out of @HeySeuss's book when it comes to Interest Check formatting.

Can't really think of anything else. The best roleplayer I've ever seen went by the name dsmith, but he left RPG years ago, never to return. I haven't been able to track him down anywhere else.

[AlteredTundra]

@HankFunny thing, a lot of people seem to be doing that. Like, forsaking the plot, rules, factions, etc sections and simply go with a IC info, OOC info approach. I think it's pretty effective and much more eye-pleasing.

[Hank]

Yeah, I agree. Obviously. Which is why I'm doing it myself now.

[Gowi]

It's definitely a format to be inspired by, I think I'll end up using it in the future instead of my formerly brief methods.