Reviving the Roleplay Corner

[GrizzlyEatsKids]

UPDATES ON THE RP REVIVAL

Changes Being Made

~ denotes a change still being worked on and decided on by the community, and we have not yet reached a conclusion on it.

-Updated Rules: Due to the natural development of the RP Corner over time, several of the global rules are no longer followed or don't quite apply like they used to. As we decide on more changes for the section, I will continue to revise the old rules and add new ones, and will talk to Jerry about updating the old rules when finished.

-Guidelines/FAQ: I'm currently working on creating an expansive set of guidelines and frequently asked questions for RPers, GMs, and writers alike. It will cover a massive list of topics, including things such as RP terminology and basics, writing tips and strategies, help on starting and running an RP, and more.

~Revised RP Format: We currently have RP's made up of three separate threads: RP,, Profiles, and OOCC. What exactly goes into each one specifically will be revised in order to keep all RP's consistent, while making them easier to navigate.

-Ongoing Summary: It will now be the GM's job to keep an ongoing summary of the entire RPs plot for the entire duration of the roleplay. It will be kept on the first post of the RP thread, directly under where the initial plot for the RP is located.

~New Mods: Due to the inactivity of two of the section's mods, I've reached out to Jerry to see what we can do about possibly appointing new ones.

~RP Awards: This has been mentioned several times, and having user-voted awards for the RP section every so often remains a high possibility.

~RP "Hub": This has also been mentioned several times, but we've yet to reach a definite decision. We may have a sort of hub thread set up where members of the community can go to discuss anything RPing, from concepts, to posts, to characters.



I've noticed that over the past several months, if not longer, the RP section of the forums has noticeably declined. We have never finished an RP, people lose interest, and, while I know that not everyone is out to be a professional writer, quality isn't always that great. So, I've put together this thread to ask what problems you have with the. RP section, and how you think we should go about fixing it. RP'ing is a community activity, and so we need the community's input if we want to fix it. I have some basic suggestions and ideas, but this is only scratching the surface, and until I get more time to think about it, this is mostly brainstorming. I know I'm not a mod or anything like that, and am not in charge of the RP section of the forums, but as a writer and member of the RP community, I feel the need to help. I am not trying to take over in any sense, but I am trying to make RP'ing on PU something that people can really get excited about once again.

-Annual or Semi-Annual Roleplay Awards
Why don't we reward RP'ers for their efforts? We could have some sort of community voted awards every so many times a year, where members of the community vote for things like best post, best profile (or user with best profiles), best dialogue, best quality, etc. We could have a separate thread set up for this to recognize the winners.

-RP "Hub"
Yes, we have all sorts of RP chats all over the place, such as PO and Skype, but what if we moved it to PU? We could have  a sort of Hub thread where people can come to talk about RP's in general, as well as discuss their upcoming projects, make suggestions for the RP section, and get feedback on new RP ideas and profiles.

-Guidelines and Tip Section
While we have standard rules for RP's and RP'ers, why don't we sort of update it? While their isn't a major problem with it, maybe we could change things up and require more quality and more frequent participation? Coinciding with that, what if we had some sort of tips set out for RP'ers? Like tips, help, and FAQ's giving advice that spans everything from replying to posts on RP's, creating your own, and general writing etiquette.

-New RP Format
Again, I'm just brainstorming, but what if we changed the way that RP's were laid out? What if GM's kept up a summary of everything to happen in the RP so far? I don't have a problem with the way we have RP's set up, such as sections for Profiles, OOCC, and the RP, but is there a way we can improve it? This format, which could go in line with revised rules/guidelines, could possibly demand for more, deeper development of RP's, therefore there would be a higher chance of it reaching a conclusion.

-Verification
What if we had some sort of "test" that had to be taken before you could host an RP? What if each RP had its own requirement for participants to join?

-Goals
Each RP should have goals and deadlines to meet in order to keep RP'ers motivated and to keep the RP moving along. The RP could possibly even take short breaks after completing goals to prevent fatigue.

I know that people have problems with time and a lack interest, and I know that everyone's situation is different, and reviving the RP section won't be a simple, easy fix. This is just the beginning, and the above are just early ideas that I've brainstormed to help us get started. I'd be happy to elaborate on any of these ideas, and I'm open to changing or developing any of them. Please, respond with thoughts and ideas or your own, because this is a community effort, and the RP section cannot thrive without your help. On that note, though, I feel that of we all work together, we can build the roleplay section up to be better than it has ever been.

[Tickles]

I agree. I used to love being in RP's, but lately it just felt tedious and uninspired. It pains me to do a well thought out post only to get a short response that just lacks effort. And that has me thinking, most of the people that joined these role-plays were new and probably didn't feel  like that were creative. I think only a few of us actually offered to help, but those were far and few in between.

Then there are the GM's who make a cool concept, have expectations, and either abandon them to keep everyone happy or strictly sick to them and lose interest once those aren't met. I admit, I am guilty of both of these, but it is a really thin line.

I think reinventing the format and having a workshop will help a lot, because I thank the RPers here for giving me the courage to actually show my work, and eventually join the team. I feel part responsible  for the decline as well, and want to help.

[Yume Tsuki]

My usual problem is that I don't know how to react usually. So I really hestitate to post. Aside from that I have the habit to just go straight to the point of what I write and keep it short that way. ^^;

[rajlev]

I think one of the problem is that everyone wants to be the main character, and GM can not put limits on development history, then as a character is fighting a mid ocean marine snake, another is sleeping, the other playing cards, one buying utensils and others are in an epic battle, and lost sense of the post, since they are scrambled and messy. I think RP should have a goal set from being created, and set limits to the freedom of the characters, as it loses all meaning to do something different and out of the main objective of RP. It also often happens that players want to be omnipotent or invincible, and the fights become never ending.
I think RP should be made so that all the characters are even, with an applicable role, if not achieved, then the participants get bored, and if the GM continues the RP leaving behind many of the characters, favoring only a few who post more or involve him more, the RP ends up being only for a few and then when they stop posting the RP dies.
So, i think one of the reasons why it is closed by the players, although specific rules are given, still trying their characters are superior to others in any way.

Also, i think something that may be good, is recounting the story, so there is a control of activities and the players may be able to remember the story, so they dont lost and keep on to the main goal of the RP

(sorry for the misspelled, i used google traductor)

[TrainerX]

-Annual or Semi-Annual Roleplay Awards
Why don't we reward RP'ers for their efforts? We could have some sort of community voted awards every so many times a year, where members of the community vote for things like best post, best profile (or user with best profiles), best dialogue, best quality, etc. We could have a separate thread set up for this to recognize the winners.

I know of a role-playing forum that does this. They have a pretty large community there, and I guess it's kind of a big deal to them. I dunno though, I've never taken any interest in it.

-RP "Hub"
Yes, we have all sorts of RP chats all over the place, such as PO and Skype, but what if we moved it to PU? We could have  a sort of Hub thread where people can come to talk about RP's in general, as well as discuss their upcoming projects, make suggestions for the RP section, and get feedback on new RP ideas and profiles.

I like this idea. Another plus is that it would help to keep the OOC threads a little cleaner.

-Guidelines and Tip Section
While we have standard rules for RP's and RP'ers, why don't we sort of update it? While their isn't a major problem with it, maybe we could change things up and require more quality and more frequent participation? Coinciding with that, what if we had some sort of tips set out for RP'ers? Like tips, help, and FAQ's giving advice that spans everything from replying to posts on RP's, creating your own, and general writing etiquette.

There are a couple of things in the rules I think should be changed. Specifically, I would like to add a rule which is used on the aforementioned role-playing forum: "The GMs word is law." I don't know if this has been a problem over the past year, but a couple of years ago when I was still RPing, there were a few instances of people arguing with the GM or what is/isn't fair, or what GMs can/can't regulate, etc. I think this rule could help to prevent conflicts like this from popping up as often.

The other thing I would change is this:

14. All RPing, and discussion about the RP must commence within a SINGLE thread. This means that separate threads for "playing" and "planning" are not allowed. It is not necessary for these two parts of the RP be divorced, and it only serves to clutter up the forum.

I'm not sure if this rule does not permit an OOC thread, or if you just can't have a thread solely for planning stuff(in addition to an OOC thread). It either needs to be rewritten or removed.

I think the tips section would be a nice addition.

-New RP Format
Again, I'm just brainstorming, but what if we changed the way that RP's were laid out? What if GM's kept up a summary of everything to happen in the RP so far? I don't have a problem with the way we have RP's set up, such as sections for Profiles, OOCC, and the RP, but is there a way we can improve it? This format, which could go in line with revised rules/guidelines, could possibly demand for more, deeper development of RP's, therefore there would be a higher chance of it reaching a conclusion.

Not sure about this, could you explain further about what you want to be changed?

-Verification
What if we had some sort of "test" that had to be taken before you could host an RP? What if each RP had its own requirement for participants to join?

I don't think I'll be on board with this. When somebody who is unqualified to host an RP tries to do so, you can usually tell by reading the thread whether or not they're capable enough. I can't really think of a good way to test someone for that.

-Goals
Each RP should have goals and deadlines to meet in order to keep RP'ers motivated and to keep the RP moving along. The RP could possibly even take short breaks after completing goals to prevent fatigue.

Interesting idea. It could help if the system is implemented properly.

I'll try to think of a few ideas of my own, but it may be a while before I get a chance to post them.

[Humen]

I just want an RP that can last for a few dozen pages that  doesnt have people flaking out on it.

@Toast

about the GM word is law. I dont think its a bad rule but if the GM gets too a point were he's being overly strenuous about people's post and the rest of the group agrees things are being unfair then  GM may want to revise what he's doing.

[The-Blades-slave]

The main reason the corner died is simple. We rushed RPs, pulled plots out of our asses, and never thought anything through. Characters were often forgotten and left behind, and it would be very hard to get them back in when they came back. Most importantly, though, it just stopped being fun.

I never really ran my own RP, but I sub-gmed for the majority of ones released over the past year or so. They all encountered the same problem. People would become impatient and just move on without others. In GU, for example, a single battle could take one day to, in a few cases, two weeks to wrap up. People would get bored waiting and so by the time the battle would conclude, no one was there.

Like I said, I was never a real GM and wasn't that great at RPing anyways, but that's what ruined most of them for me.

[GrizzlyEatsKids]

This is a big post, and I encourage everyone to read it all, but if you can't, I'll bold the topics and suggestions most important, and if you are interested in helping the RP section return, you should definitely look at those.

I think reinventing the format and having a workshop will help a lot, because I thank the RPers here for giving me the courage to actually show my work, and eventually join the team. I feel part responsible  for the decline as well, and want to help.

While I don't have an issue with the 3 thread format we have going, I'm open to any suggestions on revising/formatting it. I don't have any ideas on quite how to do that as of now, though. As for a workshop/FAQ/Guidelines, I can begin putting that together now. I welcome anyone who would like to help me in putting that together, and if any of you are, message me. On that same note, if anyone has any question that they think could be beneficial to the RP section at all if answered, send it to me in a PM and I can see about getting it into the Guidelines/FAQ thread.

My usual problem is that I don't know how to react usually. So I really hestitate to post. Aside from that I have the habit to just go straight to the point of what I write and keep it short that way. ^^;

Well, not knowing how to react can generally be a problem for anyone, but I'll see what I can do by working something to do with that in to the FAQ/Help thread. This also tends to cause a delay in posting time, and leads to a loss of interest, because, as Blades mentioned, events and such sometimes take to long to get through, and then too many people are left sitting doing nothing, And, not anyone specifically, but in general, I find people tend to really rush through their posts, not putting much effort into it, and that leads to an overall decline in interest of the RP.

I think one of the problem is that everyone wants to be the main character, and GM can not put limits on development history, then as a character is fighting a mid ocean marine snake, another is sleeping, the other playing cards, one buying utensils and others are in an epic battle, and lost sense of the post, since they are scrambled and messy. I think RP should have a goal set from being created, and set limits to the freedom of the characters, as it loses all meaning to do something different and out of the main objective of RP. It also often happens that players want to be omnipotent or invincible, and the fights become never ending.
I think RP should be made so that all the characters are even, with an applicable role, if not achieved, then the participants get bored, and if the GM continues the RP leaving behind many of the characters, favoring only a few who post more or involve him more, the RP ends up being only for a few and then when they stop posting the RP dies.
So, i think one of the reasons why it is closed by the players, although specific rules are given, still trying their characters are superior to others in any way.

We've generally been able to iron out issues such as being OP and invincible, but we've all been guilty of overstepping those boundaries and taking things too far. I find that debugs always help iron out the flaws in a character, and what if we took a look at making debugs mandatory? Not everyone can be a main character, but at the same time, nobody really wants to play a background character that doesn't matter. What I've found helps is to have a multitude of major NPCs that are all influential to the story and help tie it together. I first tried this in the first Kingdom Hearts RP I did, and it is in an already established world, so having those NPCs is a little easier. Having those characters kind of gives an anchor to the story, and it gives everyone the ability to be important without taking over. The entire RP followed characters like Sora and Riku, who were already established as main characters in that universe, and there was no overshadowing them. Players were also a part of different factions, and something was almost going on in each of them, or at least as much as I could have them doing as GM, and that sort of helped the whole "There's nothing going on for me" issue. Everyone was typically always given a task, always had something to do, and that kept it engaging. As for posting more, I can't help if people don't stay active in the RP, especially if they are always online and can post anyway. As for some players not being as involved as others, I believe that, while it is in part due to how active and ambitious the RP'er chooses to be, it is a big part of the issue that should be fixed.

Also, i think something that may be good, is recounting the story, so there is a control of activities and the players may be able to remember the story, so they dont lost and keep on to the main goal of the RP

(sorry for the misspelled, i used google traductor)

I think, like I briefly mentioned in the first post, that this is definitely doable. It can be placed right on the first page of an RP thread, right under where most of us have been posting the plot summary. I think it could be a good idea to look into making the GM posting an ongoing summary of the RP's plot a mandatory part of running an RP, just as a general plot of the RP is required.

-Annual or Semi-Annual Roleplay Awards
Why don't we reward RP'ers for their efforts? We could have some sort of community voted awards every so many times a year, where members of the community vote for things like best post, best profile (or user with best profiles), best dialogue, best quality, etc. We could have a separate thread set up for this to recognize the winners.

I know of a role-playing forum that does this. They have a pretty large community there, and I guess it's kind of a big deal to them. I dunno though, I've never taken any interest in it.

Granted, our RP community isn't that large right now, but would anyone else be interested in having an RP Awards?

-RP "Hub"
Yes, we have all sorts of RP chats all over the place, such as PO and Skype, but what if we moved it to PU? We could have  a sort of Hub thread where people can come to talk about RP's in general, as well as discuss their upcoming projects, make suggestions for the RP section, and get feedback on new RP ideas and profiles.

I like this idea. Another plus is that it would help to keep the OOC threads a little cleaner.

I agree, and this could help people really iron out RP ideas before posting them, which could lead to better developed, more well thought out RP's. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?

-Guidelines and Tip Section
While we have standard rules for RP's and RP'ers, why don't we sort of update it? While their isn't a major problem with it, maybe we could change things up and require more quality and more frequent participation? Coinciding with that, what if we had some sort of tips set out for RP'ers? Like tips, help, and FAQ's giving advice that spans everything from replying to posts on RP's, creating your own, and general writing etiquette.

There are a couple of things in the rules I think should be changed. Specifically, I would like to add a rule which is used on the aforementioned role-playing forum: "The GMs word is law." I don't know if this has been a problem over the past year, but a couple of years ago when I was still RPing, there were a few instances of people arguing with the GM or what is/isn't fair, or what GMs can/can't regulate, etc. I think this rule could help to prevent conflicts like this from popping up as often.

The other thing I would change is this:
14. All RPing, and discussion about the RP must commence within a SINGLE thread. This means that separate threads for "playing" and "planning" are not allowed. It is not necessary for these two parts of the RP be divorced, and it only serves to clutter up the forum.
I'm not sure if this rule does not permit an OOC thread, or if you just can't have a thread solely for planning stuff(in addition to an OOC thread). It either needs to be rewritten or removed.

I think the tips section would be a nice addition.

The tips/guidelines thread is in the works. As for the GM's word is law, I have sort of always incorporated that into my RP's, but, much in lines with Humen's concern, I've always been open to the thoughts and suggestions of others, and that is also why having a Sub-GM helps, as they can catch things that you as GM won't. And as for those rules, being that the RP section has changed and adapted many of them are not followed any more, hence is why I think it may be a good idea to revise the RP rules.

-New RP Format
Again, I'm just brainstorming, but what if we changed the way that RP's were laid out? What if GM's kept up a summary of everything to happen in the RP so far? I don't have a problem with the way we have RP's set up, such as sections for Profiles, OOCC, and the RP, but is there a way we can improve it? This format, which could go in line with revised rules/guidelines, could possibly demand for more, deeper development of RP's, therefore there would be a higher chance of it reaching a conclusion.

Not sure about this, could you explain further about what you want to be changed?

This one is a bit more complicated. We currently have a 3 thread system for profiles, OOCC, and RP. I personally don't have a problem with this, as I feel it works well, but is there a way we could change the format of each individual thread to make navigation easier? Is there a way we can change how RP's are done or presented that could not only make RP's fresh and more inviting, but a bit more user friendly as well?

Verification
What if we had some sort of "test" that had to be taken before you could host an RP? What if each RP had its own requirement for participants to join?

I don't think I'll be on board with this. When somebody who is unqualified to host an RP tries to do so, you can usually tell by reading the thread whether or not they're capable enough. I can't really think of a good way to test someone for that.

I get what you're saying, and it makes sense. What if RP's had some sort of requirement for members, though, such as a 400 word sample or "story" of sorts that must be included with their character when they submit it? It could check for dedication and true interest in the RP, help them develop some sort of past incident, other than just the usually very generalized backstories, and find any kinks in their character that may not have been encountered in a debug.

-Goals
Each RP should have goals and deadlines to meet in order to keep RP'ers motivated and to keep the RP moving along. The RP could possibly even take short breaks after completing goals to prevent fatigue.

Interesting idea. It could help if the system is implemented properly.

I'll try to think of a few ideas of my own, but it may be a while before I get a chance to post them.

I agree, and I'm open to both suggestions about implementing a goal system, as well as any other ideas you may have for the RP section in general.

I just want an RP that can last for a few dozen pages that  doesnt have people flaking out on it.

That's the biggest part of what we're trying to solve right now.

The main reason the corner died is simple. We rushed RPs, pulled plots out of our asses, and never thought anything through. Characters were often forgotten and left behind, and it would be very hard to get them back in when they came back. Most importantly, though, it just stopped being fun.

I never really ran my own RP, but I sub-gmed for the majority of ones released over the past year or so. They all encountered the same problem. People would become impatient and just move on without others. In GU, for example, a single battle could take one day to, in a few cases, two weeks to wrap up. People would get bored waiting and so by the time the battle would conclude, no one was there.

Like I said, I was never a real GM and wasn't that great at RPing anyways, but that's what ruined most of them for me.

Yep, this is in part due to people deliberately being inactive, but there are many other faces to this issue as well. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember the KH RP covering all characters fairly well, as I addressed when answering rajlev.  We need to keep everyone involved throughout the RP, even in an event that doesn't necessarily concern them. I know that sometimes characters that aren't involved in a conflict or battle may still be present and will have to react, but, at least for those that are only a couple of characters, what if the RP'ers conduct the battle or conflict away from the main thread, like in Skype or PO, and then one of them posted it here when it is finished? I people have different schedules and timelines, but if we could work something out along these lines, even when dealing with only conversations and not combat between a few characters, I think it could help solve this problem somewhat.

[Desbear]

I like most of these idea's, but there are a couple that I don't get along with and such.

-Verification
What if we had some sort of "test" that had to be taken before you could host an RP? What if each RP had its own requirement for participants to join?

This is actually my only complaint. If we went by this system, people like Blades wouldn't have been able to show off his writing, or even improve it. Like when he made the first two RP's he made, which, he's not proud of, but everyone had fun, you know, why RP's exist.

Another thing is, there's actually a Rule I'd like to do away with, and it's the, "No RP'er should control more than one character" Rule we break constantly...

Anyways, I vote we do most of this, and actually start up some RP's again. And when we do, do it. I vote we make sure to have two RP's going at a time; A pokemon RP, which I can supply, and a non-pokemon RP. As to, hopefully, cater to a larger group of writers. You get my drift?

[GrizzlyEatsKids]

That all makes sense to me. I do have an idea that I've been thinking about for a while for an RP, and I actually have some "physical" items, so to speak, such as downloadable pdf's that go with the RP, but I'm not willing to post it until we can get the section fixed.

[Roloc]

I don't RP, I used two when I was around 18, but that's long before PU.

Anyway, for the whole "Events take 2 days to 2 weeks" problem. Why don't y'all make up a schedule for the people partaking in the event and have them do it "live" on PO / skype / IRC and then save the log and post it in the RP thread it goes to. That would let them do the battle / event a lot faster and let the RP move on.

Just my 2 cents. Use it or leave it.

[GrizzlyEatsKids]

That's what I'm thinking, but not everyone is available to do that. I think it should be done when possible, and with GM's permission, but if not, it'll have to be handled on the forums.

[TrainerX]

I don't RP, I used two when I was around 18, but that's long before PU.

Anyway, for the whole "Events take 2 days to 2 weeks" problem. Why don't y'all make up a schedule for the people partaking in the event and have them do it "live" on PO / skype / IRC and then save the log and post it in the RP thread it goes to. That would let them do the battle / event a lot faster and let the RP move on.

Just my 2 cents. Use it or leave it.

I think that's been attempted before, and we've even had people try to do live RPs on IRC, but it just doesn't seem to work. Maybe if you had enough dedicated people. It wouldn't work for all RPs though, as it largely depends on the style of the RP and the players. Some people like to come up with shorter posts on the spot, and some people like to make long posts that flow really well and are really detailed, which can take 1 - 3 days (or longer) depending on how ambitious and skilled the writer is.

I'll probably read over the rest of this stuff tomorrow so I'll have an easier time thinking and comprehending, but there are a few things I'll mention now.

The thing with the "The GM's Rule is Law" rule, is that you have to depend on the mods of the RP forum to watch and step in if things get out of hand, or to investigate if they're getting complaints. Right now, the only active mod of the RP section is Jerry, and he's busy, so he can't handle it all himself. I think we need to de-mod the inactive mods, and then find some people who are willing and capable of moderating the RP section. If we have enough mods, that should eliminate any of the issues you guys mentioned.

I'm still not entirely sure about the verification thing, but if it's just a 400 word story I guess it couldn't hurt.

[Roloc]

I think that's been attempted before, and we've even had people try to do live RPs on IRC, but it just doesn't seem to work.

I have never seen what I said attempted, and thats coming from someone who was logged in on IRC and PO 24/7. Though I did see the live RP come and go 2 or 3 times.
Though what I was suggesting isn't a full live RP only the battle / event. So it can get done and move on with the RP since that seems to be a big problem with people.
No one wants to wait 2+ days for a battle to end so they can continue, much less 2 weeks.

A simple time frame for the individuals that are participating in the event / battle to meet on PO / IRC / skype should suffice.

[Yume Tsuki]

Live RP only works when people come online at the same time, every time. Then we have the problem with timezones. IF people from diffrent zones want to join. Before I joined actual RP, I had a lot of Live RP's on a chat service. But that chat was just for dutch people, so there was no time zone problem, and it was very consecutive by always starting at the same time.


An RP Forum I was once part of had a quite strict system about activity for RP.

All characters would be put in a certain order. Taking turns posting based on the order in the list.

You had one week to post your piece of story.

You are allowed to skip, this you did by simply posting "Skip" in the thread you're RPing.

Two days before the week ends you will be warned.

If you failed to post within that week, your character would be executed by a harbringer, and removed it with your entire character slot.

If your character has been executed twice by a harbringer within a year you'll be temporarily banned from the forums.

You could use the "safe house" to skip without having to request a skip however, your time in the safe house is limited. Safe house is mainly meant for vacation or personal trouble.

As beginner you start off with 3 character slots all of them for 'normal' pokemon.

Points can be spent to buy a Character Ticket, Mutation Ticket, Shiny Ticket, or an Infected Ticket, aside from that It can also be spent in the "Market street" where people will make art for your character for points.

Points could be gained by simply going along with the RP. After a certain amount of posts (Skips don't count) you gained points. And by opening a shop on the market streets, you could gain points by making art for people.