Silly

Death of the genre

You bring up an interesting point, and there is understandable concerns around the cliques and it’s an important topic in any community, especially roleplay groups. Fundamentally with this hobby, we are creating temporary close-knit communities whenever a GM makes a game. These can sometimes feel exclusionary or difficult enter, especially when it is a game in progress.

However, it is important to distinguish the difference between harmful exclusion, such as elitism or GM’s being ‘Warlords of their Domain’, with the balance of RP groups needing healthy boundaries. Communities thrive when everyone feels safe, respected, and free to express themselves. RP is an intimate experience both in-character and out-character, so trust is important.

Sometimes our decisions to exclude certain individuals from an role-play wasn’t about forming an elitist clique or being unkind to people. This can be making sure that people who join are a ‘Good Fit’ to enter the RP. These decisions can be around ensuring the safety and well-being of our members which has to be the foundation of any healthy community.

So, when someone engages in behaviours like harassment or makes others feel unsafe, it just doesn’t work, and things fall apart. it undermines the trust and enjoyment that makes these roleplay communities so fulfilling. So, addressing those issues is necessary to maintain a positive environment for us all to thrive in.

I think it is good to be open to discussing ways we can make the community more welcoming for our members.

Death of the genre

There is a general trend in the population around attention deficits for projects, due to which has been exploited a lot by social media, game companies, and so on, who want your eyes on their products in what is termed attention economy. They provide those hits via doom-scrolling, notifications, time limited offers, engagement algorithms, and gamification.

Hobbies like role-play and creative writing take work and time, it requires that investment and energy before you get the "pay-offs". So it is challenged by multiple avenues which offer that more immediately and provide that rush.

Have you ever been in a role-play where someone is very slow with their posts, or you are constantly waiting for them, whilst you can see their active status of playing Monster Hunter World for the last 8 hours every day for last week. It isn't a case of "I don't have time", it is a case of prioritisation. Why invest your time in something when you can get a more immediate payoff by comparison elsewhere. What harm would happen if they put MHW down for one hour a week, so the RP can progress its story.

So places like forums will have a role, and hobbies like this one will be a constant niche activity. We are the knitters and crocheters.

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So, with this in mind, how could this forum improve?

The thing is, the scaremongering and looking at the numbers leads to policies and judgements based on the goal of retention, as opposed to things like quality in the community which could decrease population decline.

What a forum offers is a medium which allows for long term and impactful role-playing. It is amazing just sometimes booting up a thread and just seeing all the art, pictures, formatting, and such great writing, for free. Seeing people enjoy themselves and have fun in their story telling communities. Mediums like Discord RP is typically more for cheap frills and temporary fun, and people who respond for a bit then finish their interest in it and bail, it doesn't produce or create anything meaningful.

Now, you might think "Quality? Do you mean get rid of the rubbish role players", and you would be wrong. We are humans, we have this great ability to learn, develop and grow. We were all terrible at some point, and with guidance, we can blossom and grow, and becomes future leaders of this place. What is important, however, is the quality of the community to enable such a fostering environment.

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I like to call a spade a spade, this account is new here, I get that. I was invited onto this forum from a friend, and I joined and stayed because I found a RP with a nice community. But the very sad news is, not everyone here has been welcoming. I don't even need to name names, but if it wasn't for the fact I found a good community here, I would have left. I remember shortly after my first post, my first private message on the forum was from a Not-nice user, with a cheery "Hello! Your avatar is so beautiful." I ignored their first PM, due to it being creep behaviour, and then I got the PM again, and I replied out of curiosity, and they shortly hit me with a "Can I sniff your laundry?" proving my first impression of them. This is the reception that new members get on the forum, and this user stalks those Welcome threads. This is why I have decided upon myself, to personally greet and welcome every new user to comes through that door, to show them, that yes, there are decent people here, and just not creeps.

If I feel like I would have left in these circumstances, what about all those who post there with wide eyes and hopes and dreams, but never find a good community and scared away due to having a creep message them? How many users have we just lost in the name of retention? What about all their stories and the great contributions they would have made here?

hider

And for anyone reading this who doubts my tale, then just click 'log out', create a new account, get yourself a beautiful pfp, post in the Welcome thread, and you will get a one of those lovely private messages.

hailing from my nokia 6260

I heard Nokia's are indestructible, so you would be here for the long run then!

Forum role play combines both creative writing and role-playing. So if you imagine one of those Venn diagrams, this is between the two circles. Some people are very much more on the creative side, as they have long elaborate plans which can be quite rigid, and others are more on the role-playing side, where they prefer more dynamic story telling from characters perspective. Neither approach is wrong, but they can butt heads when it comes to extremes. So it depends on where you land with things on what you would find the most effective for your own experience.

Good luck in your search for what you are looking for!

Hello new friends

@Silly

Tis is a scratch to the immortal ;p

@Messengerofgods

Tis' only a flesh wound!

Hello!! Looking for rps

It sounds like you got some solid leads on what interests you.

Good luck in your search for a role play that means your needs and gives you a nice community to settle into!

Otreas is searching for partners to create and continue some stories.

Hi Otraes,

It is good to see you are still interested in doing your 1x1, but this is not the right section for it!

You got to do it here: roleplayerguild.com/forums/16-1x1-int…
and yes, you are free to bump it there too!

Salutations

Welcome Hammy! I find that engaging with a great story with a good community is the best way to ignite that passion. After all, when it comes to role-play, it is best done with a group of fun people, it is a community hobby.

Good luck in finding your muse once again!

Weaving My Way Into this Community

Thank you for the four leaf clovers, I already have an inbox being filled with messages from individuals as well!

@Socks

If you delete the messages completely, you won't get any more notifications from those specific PM threads any more, if they are not to your liking.

Weaving My Way Into this Community

Wherever it is stockings, ankle, or below the knee, a pair of quality socks are always welcome. Just avoid the washing machine, it appears to eat socks for breakfast.

Good luck in your journey to weave your threads with plot hooks!

Hi!

yo MB gng ill never say good luck again

@BimboTheClown

Don't you dare do that. I want to see it in every welcome post from now on!