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+--- Thread: Regarding difficulties finding RP (/showthread.php?tid=196)
Regarding difficulties finding RP - mcman - 07-05-2013
It has honestly been since last summer that I actually had a character who was really near the center of the IC community, and while being busy with school has made this more acceptable, at some point one must wonder if it is just not meant to be at Mesalia anymore. Scipio, my first character on the last map, was very successful and I hardly ever had a hard time finding RP with him back in Auria's golden days. But with successive characters I have failed to establish any consistent source of RP, and diligence is waning.
Cervantes was at least a recognizable character from the start, but due to a certain few circumstances he was quickly vilified by several characters, some who he had hardly even interacted with up to that point. He was not meant to be a villain at that time and his RP potential never recovered from this, so I ended up retiring him. I certainly managed his development a bit poorly, but he was praised as an interesting character so it is tough to see why he couldn't work in the setting.
My next attempt was with Ferenc, the friendly bard, who helped initiate the IC festival that ended Auria's tenure. The festival was a success, and I had RP with him playing his instruments, but ultimately he too failed to establish himself within the IC social sphere. I could spend the whole afternoon and night IC in the town's only tavern and not get a single RP with him, and he never developed much in the way of relationships. This continued into the pilgrimage, and eventually I just gave up completely trying to RP him and he left without a word, and I spent that time working on this new map instead.
Both of the above characters partially suffered due to a growing tendency I noticed in the community toward 1-on-1 RRP and cliquey behavior. Several other characters in particular have seemed quite conducive to focusing on this kind of RP, and I suppose that will never be any different. But this was something staff had high hopes to fix with the new map, and although it took a long while to get going given the length of the pilgrimage, the new setting has had a sort of rocky beginning for me in terms of RP opportunities.
My latest Mesalian character is Athena, who has experienced similar issues. While initially the news of her presence seems to have sparked excitement in the group, launch came at an unfortunate time for me as I was getting into my final papers and exams, so I had to let RP fall by the wayside. The result is that any sense of interest in Athena seems to have dissolved, and while I can understand her initially standoffish nature may have been a bit impeding, that was pretty reasonable behavior for someone in her position and she's not really gotten much of a chance in the meantime. I've hardly been able to get RP's lasting more than a few lines with her, and for having just walked in and seized the inn she was living in, she's often disregarded by people IC for the most part. While some of it may have to do with her inability to get in touch with IC leadership despite multiple efforts, or the current divided nature of the group between the port and inn, I am losing hope in her potential quite fast.
Like most of you, I put a lot of efforts into my characters, and it's just not something I can justify when these are the kind of prospects I have to look for in the RP. I have utmost confidence in the objective quality of all these characters, and my RP uses the descriptive narrative style that is generally appreciated. Thus I honestly do not see what the issue is that I have such difficulties finding RP... if it's a hole in my RP skills I've not picked up, or if it's just because there's simply no OOC interest in RPing with me. The latter seems most likely at this point; perhaps I have earned reputation for a few things, but I'm not sure why this should lead people to avoid my characters in RP or label me a poor RPer.
For someone who has had a significant role in the staff's projects for a long while it's very strange, and now that I am no longer staff the RP is really all I have to stick around for. If my RP is no longer welcome in this community perhaps it's time to throw in the towel completely, and not just for staff duties. I do not see how I can suddenly have better luck finding more RP while remaining IC, and ultimately I'll just have to give up the RP hobby or seek another community if it continues at this rate. I suppose I shouldn't consider this so much of a surprise, considering how many here seem to have their issues with me, but I feel like ideally the quality of someone's RP should speak for itself.
There seem to always be a favorite few players who everyone likes RPing with, though this seems to be motivated as much by OOC relationships as by their quality of RP. If anyone has any suggestions to me personally, feel free to share them here, but otherwise I suggest to everyone that you make an effort to RP with a wide variety of characters and not just an IC or OOC clique, since that's how you have an interesting and fun community. I do not actually expect that this thread will receive much feedback, but that is probably telling enough in itself.
Re: Regarding difficulties finding RP - Demotheus - 07-05-2013
Hey, I'd RP with you. Is your character usually easy to find though? Mine is normally in/around (mostly in) the inn (lul), so Idk if it would make sense ICly for him to go around looking for people unless the Inn is empty or something.
Re: Regarding difficulties finding RP - French_Fri - 07-05-2013
Mcman, I see no problems whatsoever with your personality. I am sorry that I haven't gotten to talk to your character with Julius, but I guess that is just one of the "they haven't met" obstacles. Actually, I would very much like to roleplay wih Athena, moreso because Julius would find her rather interesting, not because of this OOC discussion topic. If anyone has problems with your personality, or anything else, I hope they might tell you to your face, and not bicker behind backs. I have no issues with you, and I am greatful for all you did as staff and still hold you to a high regard.
Re: Regarding difficulties finding RP - Rokku_Ryu - 07-05-2013
I'd have to say, that you need to look at the mind set of the main cast.
For the last few years, they haven't BEEN a town. They have been a group of survivors. They have traveled a long way, but as a town, new people were greeted with a smile. But now, they met many people along the way, as well as lost a few, and some of the last people they met, tried to kill them. Meeting the Doctor and Jake most certainly made them more cautious.
As new people used to mean new friends and new adventures, they can easily now be seen as threats. And the group has already suffered many losses. I cant see most sensible characters opening welcoming new people. Granted, a few are that type (Marty, Dusken, Arua to name only a few) But a character that is reclusive, lies about their name, and doesn't come off as instantly friendly, might not be seen as a a friendly. Look at other new characters that have joined the setting, like Drake, who was, at the very least, helpful to the cast. This was a bridge, for them to form friendships and whatnot. Dan (Eps new character) quickly offered to help the town in getting more food for the winter. Nicole, the same. Much like in real life, people only make that first step to be your friend if they can get something out of it. (God thats a terrible thing to say)
The cast is basically in the mindset of the cast of The Walking Dead mid season 3. Stranger Danger... Stranger... Danger...
Re: Regarding difficulties finding RP - mcman - 07-05-2013
I don't think that offers a sufficient explanation for the issues with Athena or the larger issue over multiple characters. If she was really such a threat, then would they really be moving half of their group into the building where she lives? Apparently she's not enough of a threat that anybody thinks twice about seizing the building she stays in, but she is enough of a threat that they don't want to interact with her. That seems a bit incongruous to me. The fact that it's just for the most part assumed that she's happy to have other people in the inn suggests that she's not seen as someone who would oppose the group interest in any way. At the very least she should get some credit for tolerating this, and she hasn't done anything else to cancel that out yet.
Athena tried many times to seek out the group leaders to ask what the situation was, but she was blown off each time (at least three or four times), so how can she be expected to help if she's disregarded from the start? There are plenty of characters that aren't friendly but who are nevertheless popular IC, which supports my belief that it has to do with OOC reasons. Her behavior is realistic for someone who has been living alone in ruins for a while, and who feels a bit vulnerable. What's unrealistic is to expect that every character to join the group should do so without any reservations because that will negatively affect their character's IC popularity. Athena's situation just isn't different from that of any other character who joins the group enough to explain it in my view.