Does any else find the public Asterisk/hypen Rpers cringey?

[call me rae]

Ah well that's script/chat roleplaying and it's just another style of roleplaying. As I said it's typically meant to mimic chat based sites. In the site I was on previously there where tons of roleplays done in this style. There were also roleplays done in poem form as well.


So the way I see it is if it's not your cup of tea that's fine but I wouldn't say the people who use it are bad or cringey.


Unless your talking more specifically about people typing one sentence replies in roleplays where the norm is a paragraph or better.


That I would think is more of a problem of people perhaps not understanding that their are different styles of roleplaying OR biting off more than they can chew.



We all start somewhere after all. Rather than going off on the style - perhaps explain to the person why that style is inappropriate for the roleplay they're in. It's more helpful and has a chance of getting them to actually use a style that you find less upsetting. 

 

[Doc]

Yes and no? I find it jarring in places where it doesn't belong, more like. If you create an RP just for script roleplaying, I won't knock you. It's your preference. But if you see a roleplay that doesn't have script roleplay and start script role playing that's a nono. 


Or if you speak to me and do that cutesie shit, (*blushes and bats eyelashes*), or try to have a conversation like that with me, my mind will automatically categorize you as too young. 

Must I repeat myself? 

 

[call me rae]

Must I repeat myself? 

I didn't see that response. But the fact still remains the way you described it wasn't one I was familiar with and in your opening post you didn't explain very well what you were trying to say. If you have a problem with that style it's fine. But next time I would be clear on exactly what the issue is.


Just saying -- ooh those asterick kids ammirite?


Sounds A. confusing for people who don't know what your talking about.


B. condescending. 


If you don't want people to use text talk or chat speak to you then just say that. Your entitled to your opinion after all.


But by making it out that everyone who uses this style must be immature or a child than it's coming across like you think your better than these people or you don't consider them worthy of courtesy. 


Which I'm sure wasn't your intention but it sort of how you came across in your opening post.

 

[Doc]

Sounds A. confusing for people who don't know what your talking about.

Uh yeah. I expected anyone who clicked on the conversation would be drawn in by understanding exactly what I was talking about. You'd post your opinion on it, because you understood what I was speaking about, and and had an opinion.  I even had a little joke speaking about if you didn't understand. But I suppose if you don't understand because of my wording. That is my bad. It was a quick post. 

B. condescending. 

It's supposed to sound bad. It was actually a little joke, but besides that my opinion of the whole thing is negative. So I opened the conversation in a negative manner. I'm completely open to hearing other people's positive opinions though. I'm not here to just sit around, and pick on little kids with a group of people. I'm here to hear people's opinion on this topic, because it was on my mind, and I want to know what other people think. Like you. I appreciated hearing your opinion on the matter. 


But either way. If it offends someone, or hurts their feelings... too bad? It's a post on the internet. You can just as easily ignore it, you're too sensitive to make a clear and decent argument on the topic if you're hurt by my words. 

 

[Pine]

It's a bit jarring to see script roleplaying in a thread where everyone else is using a paragraph style, but if the GM/their partner allows it, then I don't have any qualms with it. I would argue the same goes for any other thing that goes against roleplay conventions though, like power playing. It's just not something that we're used to seeing.


My irl best friend roleplays script style exclusively, barring the couple of times I roped her into some paragraph style roleplays. In those few times, she felt horribly intimidated by the length of everyone else's posts and became overly concerned with matching quantity, in which she felt inferior if she couldn't match/exceed their own quantity. I've seen this same obsession with post length amongst so many other roleplayers, though, including myself. Additionally, I've heard complaints from her in her writing that she imagines things vividly in a movie-esque way, but she feels she has no talent for conveying that imagery, which is another source of her frustration.


Overall, she's much more comfortable with script roleplaying, and that's totally fine. Not everyone is interested in developing their writing style. Roleplaying really is just a hobby for some. In my friend's case, she's a nursing major, and ain't nobody got time for that shit. Besides, maybe someone is interested in writing plays/musicals/operas/movie scripts, which is no less valid than any other forms of writing. Script roleplaying could be useful for people simply interested in getting right down to the nit and gritty action. It allows a lot of flexibility for the imagination which, in this postmodern era of writing, can emulate a minimalist style. But on a more basic level, if you're just here to have fun crafting a story of character interaction, it's very useful.


As for using it OOC, I also find this to be a useful form of communication. We're here on the internet. Nine times out of ten, our main method of communicating is text of copy/pasting memes images we found on communication. Unless we're Skyping, video cam and all, I have no visual or auditory aid to express myself. If we were talking face to face, a wave of my arms could convey exasperation and bring attention to the sarcasm in my tone. Sure, I could type a message and hope people understand exactly what I mean to say, or perhaps say more things to bring my point home... but why bother when I have these other shortcuts?


Do I associate the use of asterisks with a younger crowd? Yes, but that's less of me thinking of it as a maturity/young thing as it is that I have yet to see the older crowd taking up this same practice. As my generation and below continue to age, I may very well witness some middle-aged people *sighing*, but we aren't quite there yet.


I might be overromanticizing the whole thing though and I'm hoping I didn't miss the point of the thread because there seems to be a lot of misunderstanding going on here?? LOL

 

[Quark]

@theDoc


Please don't misunderstand, I've seen it a couple of times but it's never been like a dense number of posts filled with that. (From what I've heard). Probably I've just been luckier up until now (or there is worse to come). :')


Rest assured, I was reading the posts. 


My opinion is just that:


I don't find it great when people use scripts, since if you can't write literate sentences it's not going to be helpful in society. However, I can deal with it in OOC compared to something like breaking rules. 


I guess kind of choosing which things I will tolerate and which ones I don't. 

 

[sakigamis]

I don't find it great when people use scripts, since if you can't write literate sentences

But uh... script can have full sentences, and I've seen plenty of people who do fragments in para style. It's got nothing to do with which style you're using and more to do with the style of the RP itself (is it a crack/casual RP where nobody cares if you just say "Head tilt", or is it a more serious RP where they want you to say "He tilted his head"?).

 

[Quark]

But uh... script can have full sentences, and I've seen plenty of people who do fragments in para style. It's got nothing to do with which style you're using and more to do with the style of the RP itself (is it a crack/casual RP where nobody cares if you just say "Head tilt", or is it a more serious RP where they want you to say "He tilted his head"?).

Oh, is that how it works? 


Thanks for correcting me on the definition. 


And that's a good point actually. I'll keep that in mind. 

 

[sathanas]

Different people have different preferred methods of communicating.


I'm sure if forced to, the people who *wink* and *blushes* could communicate in the style you wish.


While it is more commonly associated with younger people I don't really find it bothersome or cringey- language and communication changes all the time, younger generations will always use slang or text speech and whatever the future holds next, and older people will always get grumpy about it. As someone who also can't understand why people would make a big deal out of "funner" vs "more fun" since language changes and evolves and dictionaries do not determine it, but rather the other way around, that's just the general attitude I have toward this type of thing.


So no, I don't see using that sort of script-like-chat in OOC as a problem or something you need to or should "grow out of" in order to be taken seriously. It's just different.


If I use it ever it's probably ironically or for ease like Pine suggests that it aids in communicating tone/attitude/etc. Wow, that's twice I'm agreeing with you today.


Personally I'd probably stay away from an rp with an OOC full of that and nothing else, but it's just because it's not my cup of tea.


If they're having fun, who cares?


*shrugs*

 

[JayTee]

*Walks into room and looks at you* 


-sees you and blushes- Nyan. 

Ah, yes. Baby's first RP steps. I remember those days.


Someone get me the hard liquor so I can forget again.


(in all seriousness, while it is quite awkward, a lot of people started out like that and eventually quit, so I don't break out the crucifix and nails.)

If they're having fun, who cares?


*shrugs*

Because my fun is more important and better than their fun.


Obviously. 

 

[Teh Frixz]

Obviously you are mistaken JayTee, as my fun is the ultimate overall goal of RPN and I can prove it. 


 

 

[Grey]

Obviously you are mistaken JayTee, as my fun is the ultimate overall goal of RPN and I can prove it. 


 

I DON'T SEE ANY CHARTS.


WHERE ARE MY FUCKING CHARTS, ROBOT. 

 

[JayTee]

Pift, charts. Everyone knows graphs are where it's at!

 

[Teh Frixz]

 

[Alexandra]

Outstanding!

 

[JayTee]

That's not a fucking graph, Frix...

 

[Teh Frixz]

Charts are more fun 

 

[Alexandra]

brb, making an infographic.

 

[The Dark Wizard]

 

[Karate Cat]

Well, the topic seems to reach the consensus already. That is,

1. Script roleplaying (asterisks and hypens) are not bad, per se, as long as it's in the right context. If the entire rp is like that, then it's on context. When in rome, act like a roman.
   
2. It became bad when it's used out of context. For example in a detailed rp with 2-3 paragraphs minimum per reply, suddenly someone said "*A entered the room* hi!". That's cringey, because it's out of context.
   

So my comment is only about the opening sentence. You already said it's meant to provoke reaction, so that people who use it in condition 2 above can understand that it's bad. And that's totally fine. But what I don't like is...


It's click-bait. And it's not a good form of communication. It's like saying "nope, actually I'm not meaning it like A! I actually mean it as B!"


That's called lying to public. It provoke reaction, sure. But it made me trust your words less. Because next sentence can mean totally different thing, right? Why bother thinking about it then? If it can mean anything then it means nothing in the end.

 

[Doc]

I'm not sure which you're talking about, so I'll address both. @Karate Cat


1. The Title


Click-bait? What? How was it click-bait? The title states my own opinion. I find it cringey. It makes me cringe. I at no point said, I didn't find it cringey. I never lied to anyone. My stance wasn't blurry, but when I ellaborated on my view, your expectations of what my stance would be weren't exactly on point. So you took it in as me lying to you. Lol 


But if you still think I lied to you, please quote exactly where this lie was told. I read through my posts and there is no contradiction in my thoughts.  I'm very interested in seeing where exactly you believe I lied. 


2. The Opening Sentence (Which can't be called click bait since you already clicked on the thread. But whatever right?)


That's called a hook. (using your style of treating me like an idiot there)  Basic writing technique. Intrigue your reader. Make them continue reading. And that's what it did. You've read through the thread. And posted your own opinion on the matter. So it worked. Just cause you didn't like the way I did it, or because it was a bit "mean" doesn't mean it's bad. 

 

[call me rae]

@theDoc I believe what Cat meant was that the way you wrote your thread came across like your condescending to everyone. It wasn't stating your opinion in a respectful way it was you trying to rile people up by being a jerk.


Like i am not saying that was your intention or even that making an opinion based thread is bad


but that's like saying well I wanted someone to look in my direction so I slapped them in the face. Did it make them look at you? Yes. But not for a good reason.

 

[Doc]

@nerdyfangirlThere's a large difference between lying and being condescending. They were clear in their point that they believed I contradicted myself.


If they just wanted to call me a jerk, I could understand. I have come off as aggressive or uncouth here. So that sentiment I can completely understand. I've been a jerk. I can accept that, but I haven't lied. So I can not accept that. Sorry. 

 

[cupidcreep]

Personally I enjoy roleplaying in short paragraphs (as I roleplay as a hobby and am not an extremely developed writer.) I don't judge how other people roleplay as long as they aren't shaming others while doing so. RPN is a place for all types of roleplayers and writers to have fun, and putting down the way some people write is not exactly accepting of that statement, is it not?


I used to roleplay in asterisks/one liners- that's how I had fun and enjoyed the roleplays I was in. Slowly over time I became more attached to the site and decided to make my posts a bit longer. I do not believe that the longer/more mature your post sounds, the older you are. That's something I don't understand, like, a 10 year old could write paragraphs and find that fun, but a 30 year old might prefer to roleplay *like this.* It's personal preference. 


And just to add to your statement about 'roleplaying out of character,' you do realise this is a roleplaying site, right? Mainly everything is focused around roleplay and some enjoy interacting with others as their OC to escape from real life in which they might have problems, or maybe they don't like themselves so choose to go about in a different way online.

 

[Doc]

And just to add to your statement about 'roleplaying out of character,' you do realise this is a roleplaying site, right? Mainly everything is focused around roleplay and some enjoy interacting with others as their OC to escape from real life in which they might have problems, or maybe they don't like themselves so choose to go about in a different way online.

That's actually a very decent point. I suppose in that I could loosen up how harsh I am against them.


I never said that someone older would play better for a fact. That's an argument I've heard a lot here. "Older people can asterisk play too." Of course I know that. I'm just saying that the majority of the demographic (that I've seen) who *plays* tends to be younger. Pre-teens to early teens. So in my mind when I see someone *play* they become that age. Unless I know their actual age. Hey, I could be wrong though.


(That moment when you just wanted a little experience story and opinion thread, but you get a large scale debate against yourself. Lol ;-