Defining a Fandom The way I see it, it’s definitely canonized work that defines a roleplay as being a Fandom RP. When you see a roleplay based on another roleplay, for example, the word “fandom” doesn’t come to mind so much as “spin-off” or maybe “sequel”. Even if you’re consciously aware of the fact that the RP is based off of another person’s idea, it doesn’t set off the flag in your mind that seeing the words “Harry Potter RP” would, for example. Seeing a label like that makes you instantly categorize the RP in your mind as ‘Fandom’, and thus, you’re likely to treat it differently than an RP based off of another RP, even if they’re both based off of a pre-existing work.
So, it might not be the most technical definition, but in terms of the trends associated with Fandom RP’s and the way many roleplayers perceive them, it makes more sense to define Fandom RP’s as roleplays based off of a canonized series, as a roleplay based on another roleplay would be treated as a very different beast.
Myth and Reality: Fandoms and OriginalityI’d say that Fandom RP’s should have some level of original content – but really it’s almost impossible to find one that has none. Despite the criticism Fandom RP’s generally receive for “not coming up with their own ideas”, there’s only so much a Fandom RP can borrow from its respective fandom. They’ll usually use the universe they’re basing the RP off of, but many, like you said, will use original characters in that universe. But even if they use both a pre-existing universe and pre-existing characters, they’d still need a new plot, explore areas of the world that the canon didn’t – something. If there’s nothing original, then you’re just copying everything that happened in-canon, and that’s really not a roleplay anymore. Thankfully though, I’m fairly certain nothing like that exists on the Guild. Every Fandom RP brings you something that their canon didn’t, whether that be placing original characters in a pre-existing world, or taking pre-existing characters and putting them in situations they’ve never had to face before.
So really, I don’t know what I think they “should” be, since all of them already fit what I think Fandoms are supposed to be.
Harshing on the FandomsIn short, I’d say it’s because Fandom RP’s are simply misunderstood; many are unaware of how “original” these RP’s actually are, as well as why they tend to be so successful and popular. As mentioned above, many roleplayers consider Fandom RP’s to be unoriginal, and show laziness and lack of imagination in their GM’s and participants – thus making them inferior to non-Fandom roleplays. While I can understand where this perception comes from, it simply just isn’t true!
I can’t speak for every Fandom RP out there, but many of them show plenty of effort – be that from the plot GM’s create, the characters the players create, or even just from the dedication, teamwork and enthusiasm required to keep any roleplay going. Even on top of a pre-existing idea, there’s plenty of room for creativity, and I think that’s something people sometimes fail to acknowledge. For example, Pokemon RP’s are common, right? Well, even in a Pokemon RP that uses the general formula from the video games – catch all the Pokemon, earn all the badges, defeat the evil Teams, etc – you’ll still find plenty of people getting creative and re-designing the idea a little by going at the plot from a different angle, designing their own antagonists and opponents, creating a new region, etc. And that’s just what you’ll see in Pokemon RP’s that stay truest to the canon. Now think about all the “dark” or “realistic” Pokemon RP’s that float around, also common. GM’s of these RP’s use their creative efforts to paint is popular children’s game in a completely different light, all creating unique new versions of the Pokemon universe that, at least in my experience, all turn out wildly different from one another, and are all vastly different from the original canon they’re based off of. And I’d say that’s hardly “unoriginal”.
Additionally, there’s a good reason why Fandom RP’s are so popular – familiarity. Fandom RP’s are easier for GM’s to recruit players for, and easier for players to join, because the target audience for the RP already has a lot of the base knowledge needed in order to play. If you’re already familiar with the universe and concept, it’s easier for you to get hooked on the idea and start playing. If you see an RP with a more original but more obscure plot and concept, you may find the idea either too strange to interest you, or too information-heavy to invest your time in. Going back to the previous example, Pokemon is very popular on this forum, and Pokemon RP’s are some of the most popular Fandom roleplays. The Pokemon canon contains literally hundreds of different monsters that those joining the RP would already be expected to know, and so players can join already knowing of those creatures. That gives a Pokemon RP a huge advantage over, say, a medieval fantasy RP containing a dozen or so made-up races that the players have to read about, try to understand, and attempt to accurately portray. I’d say a lot of you would agree that keeping track of a dozen races could be difficult, but imagine an RP with 700+ original monsters! The advantage is clear. In fact, let’s say that instead of 12 original races, the fantasy RP uses orcs, dwarves, goblins, fairies, etc – things we know. Suddenly it’s not as hard to join, is it? You’ll see here that a pattern will start to develop. The more original something is, the harder it is to understand. That’s why even “original” RP’s really aren’t all that original at all. That’s why we have medieval fantasy, sci-fi, zombie apocalypse, high school, wolf pack, and of course, Fandom RP’s.
So you could say that Fandom RP’s are less original than non-Fandom RP’s, or that they don’t show as much effort as non-Fandom RP’s, but really, those things just aren’t true. I think that if more roleplayers acknowledged how equal the two types are, and that you can find higher and lower levels of effort in both, Fandoms wouldn’t so often be thought of as always inferior.
It's All RP to MeI just don’t differentiate between Fandom and non-Fandom RP’s. If I’m browsing the interest checks looking for something to join, I’ll click whatever I think I might like, be that a unique and interesting idea, or a good concept based off of a series I enjoy. Whether it’s a Fandom RP or not holds little bearing over my decision to join. Same goes for RP’s I come up with myself; each one is just another idea that came into my head and I think would be fun to run, regardless of what inspired it. So ideally, I’d say it’s 50/50, but thinking back statistically to what I’ve done in the past, I think in practice I have a tendency to participate in a few more Fandom RP’s, perhaps just because of the reasons above. Hah.
Changing Attitudes, One Hard Head At a TimeLike I said, the only real reason people seem to think of Fandom RP’s as inferior is because they misunderstand them. I really wish the knowledge of how Fandom RP’s truly compare to non-Fandom ones in terms of true effort and originality was more common among Guild members, but I feel like there’s not much to do to enforce that Guild-wide. Hopefully the newsletter helps, though! ^^
If you’re referring to the way they’re organized in the Guild, I really think they’re just fine the way they are. Fandoms have as much justification to be put in their own categories as other genres do; I don’t think they need to be put on their own little island. After all, their titles and labels generally make them easier to recognize and pick out from a list of roleplays, making them easier to avoid/find, depending on whether you like them or not.
Words of WisdomThere’s not much advice to give specifically to Fandom RPers, really, since they’re really not that different from non-Fandom RP’s – not where it matters, anyway. If you’re a GM, use the same GMing skills that you would for any other roleplay. If you’re a player, same idea. I’d recommend that GM’s use the canon they’re basing their RP off of for inspiration, and to think of all the fun things they can do with a pre-existing idea, but isn’t that already how GM’s come up with ideas and plot lines for a fantasy or sci-fi premise? None of it’s really different at all. The only thing you specifically need in order to participate in a Fandom RP is just to be comfortable with it.
If you’re good at non-Fandom RP’s, the skills should transfer over. The only real difference between the two is just where the ideas come from.>
On the other hand, be patient; mahz has stuff to do in real life and the updates are more technically demanding now.