How long is long enough?

[A Ty]

If your partner suddenly stops replying, how long do you typically wait until you just decide that the RP's done?

 

[amdreams]

Or you could ask them if they've lost interest. I feel like that is more definitive of an rp's status.

 

[A Ty]

Or you could ask them if they've lost interest. I feel like that is more definitive of an rp's status.

I've tried being nice and asking that, but they still haven't replied. I guess I'll just assume it's over haha

 

[amdreams]

Possibly. It depends on how long you waited. I tend to wait a little longer than a month before thinking an rp is dead. But that's just me. I don't know what the general consensus on this is.

 

[A Ty]

Ah, okay. It's been about a month now, so... :/ Oh well...

 

[Coward]

Tbh I tend to think a week or even less is pretty definitive unless it's an agreed hiatus. If a partner can go for an entire week without even wanting to spend a scrap of free time on a reply they've almost certainly lost interest, and even if they force themself to post the thread is basically dead at that point.

 

[call me rae]

I agree with @Coward unless you have informed me that your going to be gone for an extended period of time I usually wait a week and then just assume you've lost interest. But that's because I'm mostly doing 1x1s where replies are every other day on average.


Now if your in a group or if you and your partner have a more lax reply schedule the time period before declaring something dead might differ.


With groups I usually go by the last time the GM replied as well as the rules for posting requirements. If the GM says a reply every other day and they haven't responded in a week then I think it's on hiatus. If no one else has replies within fourteen days than it's dead.


In 1x1s it's usually a week. Unless we're doing a slow paced roleplay where we're talking about a reply every other week in which case I might wait up to a month.


But the surest way to see if things are dead?


Look at the last time your partner signed in. If they're still online and responding to other things just not your roleplay than I usually give it like five days tops and then move on. Especially if they don't respond to my queries on where they are in replying.


If it's been like two weeks since they've logged onto the sight and they don't inform me in advance than I just assume RL kidnapped them and again move on.

 

[A Ty]

Ah, okay. Well, thanks for the help guys

 

[UndisclosedDesires7]

From my previous experiences I tend to give my partner a month and if I haven't heard anything from them by then well it's usually dead

 

[Steel Tiger]

I think a week or so is where the line should be drawn and looked at usually, especially when you're messaging them to check if they've lost interest or if they're still there. Although I tend to extend it to a month because, I tend to be weird like that.

 

[SolarWind]

Sometimes replies get lost or accidentally aren't sent, I usually ask if they got my last reply.


I used to have a roleplay buddy (really great one) who would reply sometimes once a month other times a lot in one day. We roleplayed for 3 years and it was incredible. I'd do that for a good roleplay, but don't like long stretches—too easy for me to forget what's going on.


It's hard to stay in the mood for your character when over two weeks have gone by, you know? I constantly had to reread the last 3 replies just to stay familiar.


...It was a really really good roleplay.

 

[Nero Kunivas]

I say if a Month passes and nothing happens, the RP is dead. Hell, before that your mood for the RP would have diminished quite considerably too. :/

 

[Azecreth]

I tend to wait a week or so and then send a bump, since I tend to assume that RL is a thing that's happening to them (unless I can check and see that they haven't been on in a while) Once I get to about a week after that, there's an implicit assumption unless I hear from them.


But I can understand that that might not apply to everyone, since I'm a relatively low maintenance person like that.

 

[Xyshurondor]

After one week of no communication I'm going to assume they're gone. I want to roleplay almost every day if I can, so I'm going to move on to the next responsive person rather than pester someone who's not. Finding someone who will start a roleplay is always easier than finding someone who will continue it.


I keep an Excel file of current partners, the medium and/or origin of the contact, the setting, their main alt's name, and then organize it by the "reply date" column so that fast responders go up at the top. I don't delete people from the file after seven days, just in case, but I do keep an empty row between the "responded less than 7 days ago" and "responded more than 7 days ago" sections.