the issue with roleplays..

[firebird!]

I'd really like to rant on a few things.. about the roleplays, that is.

1. Detail. There isn't enough of it. I've seen so many roleplays opened with "you're a ___, you live ___, how will you survive?" I can't work with that. I like plots to follow! It's like trying to write a book without a pen. It can't be done. Right now there happens to be four or five different wolf roleplays, and they are all doing great. Why? They have plots. They are detailed, thought out. Other roleplays, such as the cat-, human- or horse-based roleplays, aren't doing so well. Most of them say exactly what my example said. (with variation of words and such) Come on people, the more details, the more people join, and the less confusion is caused later! Not only have I seen less detail in plots, but in characters. I don't think it's fair that people make a character with absolutely no detail then make stuff up as they go along. "___ blasted ___ with her hidden superpowers!" "What superpowers?" I'd say, You know what? It wasn't in the form, she won't have them. (Except in my old roleplay, powers had to be earned)

2. Copies. There is atleast two of every active roleplay. I understand some have different plots, which is great. We'd have a lot more members in roleplays if it was the only one available. I try to vary my roleplays. Example: in my wolf roleplay, "the toxic breed", I have regular wolves and fantasy type wolves -- a possible non-fiction plot, and a fantasy plot. They are both tied together. I think that if we had more roleplays like this, everyone would be satisfied, thus causing a decrease in copies, also decreasing the amount of clutter.

3. The "don't go -- pages without me" rule. A lot of people have this. It really annoys me when people get mad at you for roleplaying. You should understand from the moment you open a popular roleplay that people will want to roleplay in it. "I'll close it down." Go ahead then? If it's popular, there is chance that someone has a) made a copy or b) thought about it. Most of these types of roleplays aren't detailed, OR (big or) are very detailed and plots that need to stay in line. I understand that some people can't get on very much, but this is why we have recaps.

4. Posts. I'm very tired of reading one line posts saying, "__ sat in the sun, yawning." ("But Firebird, you've done tons of one line posts!") How else am I supposed to answer to your one liner?! I try to do atleast three lines if a long post is directed at my character. I highly suggest doing atleast three, also. Three isn't too much or too little, and gets the point across. Just because you're bored and trying to keep the pages going doesn't mean I want you to post a one liner.

5. Grammar and punctuation. THIS IS A BIG ONE. I get so annoyed when people post with bad grammar or punctuation. "___ seemed to flot acros the lamd, holding her headd high then turned suddenly" I would die if I actually read that. Is it too much to check your post before posting? When and is spelled adn, the as teh. I get very annoyed.. but because I am not one to be rude, I don't really mention it. Too many people have gotten mad because of me saying something about it. Mispelled words, too. I will start saying things though.. I hope this doesn't offend anyone, but it help us all in the long run.

6. Romance. I feel that this is a big one, too. In any roleplay, the characters end up meeting and becoming mates/boyfriend-girlfriend within the first ten pages. This annoys me.. no one does this in real life. Or atleast I don't. I'm not saying it's wrong.. but what ever happened to letting them meet, become friends, etc? It's like, wow. Didn't you just meet, and now your character is pregnant? o.0 I'd really like to see more people letting their characters spend time together. It keeps the roleplay going and lets them get to know eachother. Two birds with one stone.

* this post was not directed to anyone in particuliar.
don't take it offensively. pm me, I'd be glad to talk.

* incase anyone wondered, I roleplay in both fiction and non-fiction categories.

* also xDD if you want, I could put a summary of your roleplay here if it meets all terms.

Did I make any good points? Was I wrong? Please add your opinion.

[*~Trent~*]

I agree with like... all of this.

Usually when i post the "sat in the sun, yawning," posts its to keep that particular wolf from getting deleted, and I usually post antoher wolfs rp that people can respond too.

Yeah, there are a lot of Wolf rps. But thats because they are fun and seem to work. I tried to make mine very different, but I just went too far and I'm back to normal wolves xD But I have been thinking up some small variables to differ it from Maikah [which, sorry, I think will die out soon]

I HATE the page limit. Does the person not want me to post in their RP? What if the owner gets sick and cant go online. Do they really expect us to sit around and not post for days? And if we do obey them, then they might come back saying 'why isn't anyone posting?" and they flip out. They should be ecstatic that their RP can go through FIVE WHOLE PAGES [75 posts] when they are gone for a few hours. It means the RP can run itself and the owner doesnt need to worry about keeping it active.


I'm pretty happy though, that people are trying to branch out. Even if they dont work out, some of these RPs coming in are brand new, fresh. But they usually die because the owner is running 8 rps and forgets, it is ignored, the idea was boring, or there was no plot to begin with.

I really think RPs die out because the players dont contribute their own ideas, and make it all creative.

I think your post is pretty agreeable

[firebird!]

Haha, thanks Trent.

I have posted the simple posts, too. I won't deny that.
but when people make so many characters, the one
you're waiting to reply to sometimes isn't used, so
of course you'd still want to keep your character active
so you can reactive their little story going on when the
character is used. that's understandable. -adds more-

I'm liking the new ideas coming in, don't get me wrong.
but I have a difficult time playing anything other then
dogs, wolves, or cats. I can play humans, but I really
have to work. in Narcissa's old roleplay, I could play
humans just fine because they had animal mutations.

[*~Trent~*]

Maybe we can open up an 'Institute' again. I was going to make it, but she beat me to it. Want to run it together? [but can i have first post? I love coding it!]

I was almost thinking of making a Degrassi-like thing, but less... extreme. Just because it is easy to make up drama and plotlines for high school stuff. [im just afraid people might be to disgusted to join xD]

I am also making a COyote thing, but i dont think it will go too well, b/c there isnt much to do =[

[firebird!]

I'd love to. Slow the roll on breaking out, and it'll go smoothly xDD

I still think it was me who messed that roleplay up in the first place.

Anyways, the high school thing would be cool if we set up cliques,
class schedules, a town map, etc. Really detail it. I'd like it, ahaha.

[*~Trent~*]

Yeah. It will take me a few days to make coding for the high school thing, just because it is so much. Town map and school map, definitely.

Okay, I guess I will go make a post for another institute.

What shall we call it? [should we jsut call it 'The Institute' and then give credit to narcissa?

[firebird!]

We could :33 I don't mind. I think it'd be respectful to do it that way.

As for the highschool thing, that'll be fun. If you make a form and send it to me, I'll get my characters thought out and set up.

[*~Trent~*]

Okay, once i make the institute, i will make forms for Degrassi. But i need to think up a new name for the high school. Any ideas?

[firebird!]

I'll pm you xD

[Fire Opal]

Here's the thing...

It's kind of hard to produce the perfect roleplay when you have to work with a tiny thread in the Gaming board. Making an entire site on proboards or some other hosting website provides much more opportunity for customization, moderation, and more in-depth roleplay. And let's face it: practically all of the players on SBF that enjoy roleplay are beginners. I don't mean that in a bad way- you have to start somewhere- but it means that you really can't expect a lot. These people roleplay for no reason other than to have a quick, fun way to spend their time. It is impossible to impose good grammar and detailed posts and characters on them (Firebird, I am SO with you on the grammar/spelling thing and length! It irks me...).
I believe that you, Firebird, have been around the roleplaying block as I have... Correct me if I'm wrong, but we've had a bit of experience roleplaying on different sites and all that. The roleplaying level on SBF is smaller, less advanced than what we've experienced and what we're used to.

So, basically... You can rant all you want (don't get me wrong, I love ranting!) but chances are you won't go far in trying to advance SBF roleplay. And if you genuinely want an advanced roleplay experience, try making or joining a site. I know it's easier just making one thread (heck, that's the whole appeal) but you can't expect much that way.

P.S., this is only my opinion, I may be wrong in several or all aspects, and if so I will humbly accept defeat.

[wolfgirl159357]

i agree and i try my best to look over my posts, but my eyes are quite weak at like 3AM i know i shouldnt be on a computer adn thatss my own dang fault, but hey so yes adn speaking of plots I am going to go any try to make a new plot for my Warriors RP and suggestions.

[firebird!]

No, no, I'm all open for opinions. I expected someone to say something!

That's why I'm saying.. we should get more experianced members here on SBF. Help the beginners. I know that almost anyone here would be petty clueless or disgusted by the things some higher leveled roleplayers post. (on other websites) I'm used to playing out fights, death, bloody scenes.. mating, birthing, the whole nine yards. (One pack that I was in had a leader that lost his eye.. to one of the members, because of a badger.. it got infected and we were there to 'watch' her get the eye out.) They'd have to understand that we don't have all that here on SBF though.. which is probably why no one really stays and roleplays. xD I've tried to make websites, but they were too complex. Posts are far more easier. this is me- "I'm making a website!!" ~two days later~ "I'm going back to SBF!!" I mean, I'd really like to find a good wolf roleplay out on proboards that interests me. but it's hard to find one that I can join because I can't do 300 words a post :33 I just really needed to get all that out, lol..

[Fire Opal]

Lol. My problem is all that stuff you just mentioned... Graphic stuff, like cussing and mating. I'm a Christian, so I can't just forget about it and let it slide. It bothers me. That's why I've sort of declined from the roleplay world... You never know who's going to be on the other end of the computer. Most roleplays are simply too violent and twisted for me.

That would be why SBF roleplays appeal to me: I know the people, I know that they follow the rules and that they don't have bad intentions.

But the lack of realism, the lack of depth, the lack of proper grammar, it just bugs me. And that's why you never see me in the roleplays. =)

[firebird!]

I can do well with pretty much anything.

[barbaro800]

I agree. Especially with the "dont go __ pages without me" thing. The person should WANT their RPers to have fun and they should want their RP game to grow and have more pages.
Also, in RPs, with the whole "romance" thing, everyone is mainly obsessed with getting a boyfriend/girlfriend rather then concentrating on the actual game.