Experiences Minimum Ages (18+ roleplayers)

[K Elizabeth]

I am new here but this topic in particular kind of caught my interest. For me, I prefer to roleplay with people over eighteen due to past experiences and not to mention if 'something romantic' does develop between our characters then I don't need to be too concerned. If the wrong person caught an adult roleplaying romance, not even smut with someone underage it can become a legal issue and potentially ruin the adult person's life. This has happened to people before and it was just roleplay, nothing ooc at all. Some parents or family members can be strict and cause a problem. I refuse to take that risk. I have a family of my own to worry about. Now for non-romantic roleplays then it all goes down to the writing level and maturity of my partner. I have had RP partners in the past who are fifteen and sixteen who write better than some of my adult RP partners.

Like I said in an earlier reply on here, my parents flipped the fuck out on a 16 year old for talking to me when I was 14 because our characters were in a relationship and they decided he had some sort of evil intentions toward me because of it so yes omg are parents e x t r a. That was just a teenage boy, if it was an adult I'm sure it would have been worse. Now that I'm 17 they don't really give a shit anymore but for a while they were like petrified of me talking to anyone ove the internet who was older than me it was...a lot.

 

[C.DEX]

I'll preface this by saying no smut of any kind, form, or shape is allowed on RPN (hence the checkbox saying 'I WILL NOT ERP' that you must check when you sign up).

I understand why people would want to recruit partners that are their age / adults, though. While I haven't felt the need to do so myself, when I've had younger RP partners I've felt a little odd talking to them OOC. I just tend not to have much to talk about with an extremely younger person and I don't feel comfortable addressing themes that I wouldn't address with, say, my 13-year-old niece. Because OOC is a big factor towards whether I like an RP, for that reason, I prefer older partners.

 

[K Elizabeth]

I'll preface this by saying no smut of any kind, form, or shape is allowed on RPN (hence the checkbox saying 'I WILL NOT ERP' that you must check when you sign up).

I understand why people would want to recruit partners that are their age / adults, though. While I haven't felt the need to do so myself, when I've had younger RP partners I've felt a little odd talking to them OOC. I just tend not to have much to talk about with an extremely younger person and I don't feel comfortable addressing themes that I wouldn't address with, say, my 13-year-old niece. Because OOC is a big factor towards whether I like an RP, for that reason, I prefer older partners.

100% my favorite rule on this damn site I hate when I do an rp and people want to take it there it's so annoying because it happens with a nice rp and when I say I don't write that stuff they get annoyed or disappointed or whatever so it's great that they rlly can't here...?

And that's why the majority of my partners are like in the 16-21 range and don't really go too far out of that because once they do we kinda lose stuff to talk about. It's rare I've found partners. OOC is my favorit part about rp sowhen we can't get along well outside of it it's kinda uncomfortable...even if the writing is good it's still a lot more interesting when you really get along with the person.

 

[DareToDream]

Yeah it is nice to have a place to roleplay that has a rule like that for a change of pace. People tend to forget what 'RP' actually is. It is about co-writing and creating an actual story with fictional characters or maybe fandom ones, not the other stuff... that goes by a different name.

 

[Hige]

I have always wanted to comment on a thread like this, I just didn't want to make it myself.

I used to be those 16 year olds who would RP with adults and from my experience I wish I didn't really, but that line of experience won't be the bulk of what I have to say.

it's really weird to have that sort of relationship with a minor. I don't know about you, but I like to be friends with my RP partner. If I don't think someone would be a good friend, why would I want to invest in a lot of time writing with them?

(just to clarify, i'm using relation ship to mean "the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected." Not that sort of relationship).

For an adult to have a relationship (as friends) in this scenario with someone who is much younger than them it really feels inappropiate. Actually, it is inappropiate. Yeah, maybe both parties don't mind, but the parents of the minor might actually care.
And let's not kid ourselves, smut does happen, even if you could convince me it absolutely doesn't happen on site I've seen a few instances were people clearly as for smut RPs with no age check and got them on discord.

When you get to the point where you're my age, paying taxes, working or doing academics, and if you even work or had worked with minors you understand that even if they are 18 mentally they are in a totally different space than you.

I've talked to a lot of people who only recquire 18+ RPers, and rarely (actually none of them, but I don't want someone quoting me just to be the devil's advocate) any of them do it be spiteful, but some actually do it just for legalities and just to be a good adult. (Legalities I assume meaning that person might want to RP more mature content, and the good adult bit is refering to that relationship dynamic I mentioned above). I also assume some of the times it's because a 26 year old just...doesn't want to be friends with a 16 year old or some other age, which is within their rights.

And even if someone is doing it to gatekeep their partners on "maturity"...well, minors aren't really that mature. One would argue even young adults aren't that mature, and they're correct a lot of the times, but especially minors aren't, even if they are "mature for their age". Looking back, yeah, I wasn't mature for my age. Absolutely not. I've seen that come up, often spoken by younger members on here and poking around to see what they tend to type...yeah, they aren't mature for their age.

Just respect people's wishes. And absolutely don't lie about your age. If you see someone request 18+ RPers just respect it. If you're found out (for being a minor who wants to RP with an adult who absolutely doesn't want to RP with minors) and people see you contacting people who only want adult RPers I and several other members will absolutely contact the other person and give them a heads up.

 

[K Elizabeth]

I have always wanted to comment on a thread like this, I just didn't want to make it myself.

I used to be those 16 year olds who would RP with adults and from my experience I wish I didn't really, but that line of experience won't be the bulk of what I have to say.

it's really weird to have that sort of relationship with a minor. I don't know about you, but I like to be friends with my RP partner. If I don't think someone would be a good friend, why would I want to invest in a lot of time writing with them?

(just to clarify, i'm using relation ship to mean "the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected." Not that sort of relationship).

For an adult to have a relationship (as friends) in this scenario with someone who is much younger than them it really feels inappropiate. Actually, it is inappropiate. Yeah, maybe both parties don't mind, but the parents of the minor might actually care.
And let's not kid ourselves, smut does happen, even if you could convince me it absolutely doesn't happen on site I've seen a few instances were people clearly as for smut RPs with no age check and got them on discord.

When you get to the point where you're my age, paying taxes, working or doing academics, and if you even work or had worked with minors you understand that even if they are 18 mentally they are in a totally different space than you.

I've talked to a lot of people who only recquire 18+ RPers, and rarely (actually none of them, but I don't want someone quoting me just to be the devil's advocate) any of them do it be spiteful, but some actually do it just for legalities and just to be a good adult. (Legalities I assume meaning that person might want to RP more mature content, and the good adult bit is refering to that relationship dynamic I mentioned above). I also assume some of the times it's because a 26 year old just...doesn't want to be friends with a 16 year old or some other age, which is within their rights.

And even if someone is doing it to gatekeep their partners on "maturity"...well, minors aren't really that mature. One would argue even young adults aren't that mature, and they're correct a lot of the times, but especially minors aren't, even if they are "mature for their age". Looking back, yeah, I wasn't mature for my age. Absolutely not. I've seen that come up, often spoken by younger members on here and poking around to see what they tend to type...yeah, they aren't mature for their age.

Just respect people's wishes. And absolutely don't lie about your age. If you see someone request 18+ RPers just respect it. If you're found out (for being a minor who wants to RP with an adult who absolutely doesn't want to RP with minors) and people see you contacting people who only want adult RPers I and several other members will absolutely contact the other person and give them a heads up.

I agree with most of what you said to a degree tbh but I don't really think that saying a minor and an adult talking here is 'inappropriate' feels...right. I have quite a lot of online and real life friends who are in their 20s, andmy parents are alright with that. For a good portion of them I either met them through roleplay groups and such, or knew them before they were adults etc so with them it's quite a different thing from just becoming friends with someone older than me for the sake of a 1x1 rp or just to be friends. But I have quite a good amount of those too on this site that I've made over my time roleplaying here. In fact, most of my current partners are in the 17-22 range on this site. Obviously there's a difference there but my relationship with them is generally the same throughout the ages, going from the people who are my age to the people who are adults. And yes, they have to do things that I don't have to, and they have parts of their lives that I don't understand at this point in my own life but I don't really see how that changes the ability to form a friendship if both parties don't mind those differences.

And yes. Smut does happen. Quite often honestly. And no matter how much they try to avoid it here they can't avoid it completely. But the rules they've set in place do make it easier to avoid in general for those who are uninterested in it. I just don't necessarily think that can say anything about whether or not a minor should be roleplaying with or talking to an adult on here. It's inappropriate for them to be writing that sort of stuff, obviously, and I can even get behind it being considered inappropriate to simply write a romance with that age difference (even if I do) but I don't think an adult simply talking to and writing with a minor here is inherently bad or problematic....even with very different life experiences.

 

[Minako]

First thing: I read "don't play therapist with them" and for 2.4 seconds thought you meant never to play a character who was a therapist until I stopped being stupid???

But yep. People like to take things further than they actually go in this situation. It's like they think that just because they're not 12 makes it less of an issue but like you're still underage so it's still an issue for that person no matter what.
I'm 17. I'll be 18 at the end of the year. But I'm still not an adult. And I won't be treated as such by those roleplayers, simply because I am not. I don't hae an issue with that.
I've actually noticed most of the people getting pissy about it are younger than that. Like 15 or 16, which is even worse and somehow more annoying to read and see...?

LOL! It's all lovely! It's all lovely! On that subject, Therapist x Patient sounds like an interesting RP! Or, well, sub-plot in a group RP storyline.

I'm glad you understand and aren't taking it personal, because it really isn't. Also, even disregarding the fact no one in their right mind wants to face legal issues for simply just enjoying a hobby, the mere fact alone it makes older RPers uncomfortable should be enough. Yes, they could be snobs/elitists who simply don't think younger RPers write well enough, but that also deserves respect no matter how snobby because thats a preference. No one would like it if someone tried to change their preference, so trying to do it to others is very hypocritical. No RPer owes anyone anything, I'm afraid, even an explanation as to why they don't wanna RP with you, so just them telling you the age is discomforting should be taken with dignity.

Yes, it is mostly the 14-16 year old crowd that gets... especially touchy... if you mention it to them, their qualms (most of peoples discomfort stems from actual legality, at least when the individual officially turns 18 there aren't risks of legal issues from said new adults parents/guardians that can stem from interacting with them due to their emancipation) because they must wait years when they don't want to while 17-year-old's, at worst, only have 1 year to wait and at best less than a few months.

 

[K Elizabeth]

Honestly if anything bothers me about it it's that I only have a certain amount of months to wait. Like it doesn't make me mad at the person who has that preference it's just like "this rp is rlly fascinating and in a few months I could have done it"
I've seen a lot of people commenting on those posts trying to convince people to be fine with them because "well I only have 6 months I'm practically there" but idk I find that rude...like people set preferences for a reason??

And you're right. And besides, if the person has decided that I'm a shit writer simply because I'm under the age of 18 why is that someone I should be trying to convince to write with me anyway?? Like just ignore them. If someone thinks you aren't worth their time don't try to be worth their time just move on with your life-

And yes. Especially 16 year olds? Because for some reason theres this thing around turning 16 that suddenly you're "mature" like actually you're not and it's time to stop? But when they're 16 they get that in their head and get crazy insulted when someone slightly disagrees-

 

[K Elizabeth]

LOL! It's all lovely! It's all lovely! On that subject, Therapist x Patient sounds like an interesting RP! Or, well, sub-plot in a group RP storyline.

Also therapist x patient would be really interesting, especially in a group setting ooooohhhhhhh

Felt the need to add that whoops

 

[Minako]

Also therapist x patient would be really interesting, especially in a group setting ooooohhhhhhh

Felt the need to add that whoops

Been dabbling in a quest RP about that! Stiiiilll undecided about the art style though

And yeah, that can be pretty vexing, I'd imagine, but maybe the RP will be alive or rebooted when you can! Or your potential RP Partner will get to know you, decide you're mature enough, and make an exception, as some might. A little trust goes a long way!

Ah... Hm... Well, it can be rude, especially depending on how the minor goes about asking. If they ask once, and respectfully express their interest, only to be turned down for whatever reason, constantly pressing the potential partner regardless of knowing the reasons will... hm... I guess "seal the deal" so to speak. It's fine to try to defend your case, but there's a certain point it very much does become rude, especially if they were simply asked to wait until said potential RP partner would get to know you to make sure you were trustworthy.

Another good point! If the older RPers preference is more elitist than common sense, it really is a waste of time to try to sway them, possibly to continue to be looked down upon even after emancipation because age and legality were never their issue. I wouldn't say it's condescending (as their stereotyping could just be from so much experience dealing with minors) but it can come across this way, and so its best to just cut your losses and try to find a more understanding person when the time comes.

Oooh, does that stem from the whole "Sweet 16" culture?

I, uhm, am latina, so in my culture we don't have that.... but a "Quinceanera", when a girl turns 15 and has a huge party with a fancy beautiful dress and such... I did not get one due to medical reasons

 

[K Elizabeth]

Been dabbling in a quest RP about that! Stiiiilll undecided about the art style though

And yeah, that can be pretty vexing, I'd imagine, but maybe the RP will be alive or rebooted when you can! Or your potential RP Partner will get to know you, decide you're mature enough, and make an exception, as some might. A little trust goes a long way!

Ah... Hm... Well, it can be rude, especially depending on how the minor goes about asking. If they ask once, and respectfully express their interest, only to be turned down for whatever reason, constantly pressing the potential partner regardless of knowing the reasons will... hm... I guess "seal the deal" so to speak. It's fine to try to defend your case, but there's a certain point it very much does become rude, especially if they were simply asked to wait until said potential RP partner would get to know you to make sure you were trustworthy.

Another good point! If the older RPers preference is more elitist than common sense, it really is a waste of time to try to sway them, possibly to continue to be looked down upon even after emancipation because age and legality were never their issue. I wouldn't say it's condescending (as their stereotyping could just be from so much experience dealing with minors) but it can come across this way, and so its best to just cut your losses and try to find a more understanding person when the time comes.

Oooh, does that stem from the whole "Sweet 16" culture?

I, uhm, am latina, so in my culture we don't have that.... but a "Quinceanera", when a girl turns 15 and has a huge party with a fancy beautiful dress and such... I did not get one due to medical reasons

I'v been thinking about starting up a mental hospital or asylum group on here so that's smth that could be rlly cool for it tbhh

I tend to leave posts alone when I see 18+ because, myself, I feel rude tryng to convince them. But that's just me. People who go about it respecfully aren't really an issue, they're just trying to see if they can do something they're genuinely interested in. It's the people in your second paragraph that piss me off-

And yeah pshh. It's so dumb. I didn't get a Sweet 16 because money??? Like I didn't even have friends over it was just like a normal birthday?? And that never really bugged me because that's all it felt like it should be to me like 16 is just an age. So is 15. Just because I'm 16 one day doesn't mean I'm any more mature than I was a month ago at 15??

And ahh that sucks...how old are you now, if you don't mind me asking?

 

[Minako]

I'v been thinking about starting up a mental hospital or asylum group on here so that's smth that could be rlly cool for it tbhh

I tend to leave posts alone when I see 18+ because, myself, I feel rude tryng to convince them. But that's just me. People who go about it respecfully aren't really an issue, they're just trying to see if they can do something they're genuinely interested in. It's the people in your second paragraph that piss me off-

And yeah pshh. It's so dumb. I didn't get a Sweet 16 because money??? Like I didn't even have friends over it was just like a normal birthday?? And that never really bugged me because that's all it felt like it should be to me like 16 is just an age. So is 15. Just because I'm 16 one day doesn't mean I'm any more mature than I was a month ago at 15??

And ahh that sucks...how old are you now, if you don't mind me asking?

Oooh! Those, written well, would require a lot of research and time and dedication to accuracy, which is why I've not dabbled in those myself, but best of luck if you do start one! Oh, on that note (lol covering so much topics!) I'm not sure if you've seen threads or posts about how flaky some RPers can be in group RPs, and I've found that your best bet is to rally up real life or very good online friends, as opposed to an interest check! It seems, as has been stated before, many times and in much better ways: Brainstorming ideas can be funner than actually RPing. That being said, if you still wanna try, go for it! I've met very cool peeps who ended up being my good online friends from group RPs!

...I wonder whether I'm in the minority or majority preferring groups... Never really bothered to ask...

Yeah... I don't usually RP outside my teeny tiny friend group for various reasons, so I've never encountered them on my own, but I've heard and read they can get pretty... protestant... ahah... Which is a waste of time really, because if they already didn't want to RP with you and were generous to give them an actual explanation constant whining and bad-mouthing is only gonna make them want to RP LESS with them... Remember: It is better for people to suspect you a fool then for you to open your mouth and remove all doubt!

Heh, maybe it's surviving until that age? I know in some cultures young and old, there was a task or ceremony that was done to all the "new adults" of that village/culture/tribe/ what have you to show they have "come of age" and not exactly are a "different" person than they were before they reached said age... and now-a-days, yes it is merely a celebration of much gifts and cake.

Mm, I do not mind it, it was necessary I went through what I did, when I did, or else my life would be very... limited... aha. I do not think my mother before me had one either (though her sisters, as my cousins, surely did) so I feel a bit closer to her in that regard! She is one of the strongest people I know, so I'm honored to even have that in common with her.

Oh my! Hahah, perhaps I should PM that if you really wanna know?

 

[K Elizabeth]

I've written like a thousand papers on mental asylums in like the 1900's, and I research certain mental illnesses and such all the time simply for curiosity's sake, so I've always wanted to actually use them in an RP. I used to be a part of one, not on this site, and it was really nice, and very well put together. We were all friends already and they were really careful about time and accuracy (it was set in the US right after WWII) and it was fuckin beautiful....I don't think I'd be able to achieve that leven of beauty for a group ever in my life-

And I used to do that but then all my friends' lives took over. Whether it be school or work...they just stopped replying to rp. So I came here to kinda look for people to try again with. I've actually made some good friends on here so far but some aren't too interested in the darker themes that would come along with that type of rp so I may have to look for some other people outside of it. I like my rp groups to be people I know mostly, but sometimes it's unavoidable....

I don't like groups as much as 1x1 generally simply for the sake of having to wait for other players even when what you're writing is completely unrelated...? But I love the idea of groups...and when they're run well they're nice and enjoyable....

Oh that's actually kinda nice. Like the stuff about your mom, I mean~ And nah don't worry about it, I was just wondering. If you're not comfortable sharing though that's fine~

 

[AnimeGenork]

Highkey relate to the last line thats me every day

But I agree with that. I think that if people are just putting that because they don't think that people younger than that can be mature in the sense of being responsible or good at writing, that's quite a bit unfair...I have until November till I'm 18 as well and at this point it's just a bit annoying??

Eyyyyyy November's when I turn 18, too, we should celebrate our ability to join them 18+ roleplayers together

 

[Fable]

And let's not kid ourselves, smut does happen, even if you could convince me it absolutely doesn't happen on site I've seen a few instances were people clearly as for smut RPs with no age check and got them on discord.

If you are coming across such violations of the site's rules, it should be reported.

Anyway, on the subject of this discussion. If a user is uncomfortable with interacting with a minor, that is their personal preference. Some may do this for an elitist reason thinking minors are perhaps incapable of writing on their level or understanding mature themes. I find it interesting how minors don't put those limitations in their requirements. "No one over 17 years of age." But.. that is a totally different discussion, lol.

I had a longer reply, but decided to scrap it. >_>;

 

[rae2nerdy]

If you are coming across such violations of the site's rules, it should be reported.

Anyway, on the subject of this discussion. If a user is uncomfortable with interacting with a minor, that is their personal preference. Some may do this for an elitist reason thinking minors are perhaps incapable of writing on their level or understanding mature themes. I find it interesting how minors don't put those limitations in their requirements. "No one over 17 years of age." But.. that is a totally different discussion, lol.

I had a longer reply, but decided to scrap it. >_>;

I too have always wondered why their is no age maximum rather than a minimum.

For adults I imagine it's because once you reach your mid twenties you are at a point where even if you aren't quite in the same place as someone in their forties you can at least understand enough to form some kind of common bond.

For kids I think it's this idea that they're more adult than their years so it would be seen as "not cool" or "childish" to ask for someone under a specific age range.

That said I have seen some roleplays that sort of have soft age limits. Like I'm 19 and I'd like someone around my age. I usually take it to mean I'm a little too old to roleplay with them.

I don't see it as much with the 17 or under ground though so it would be an interesting side topic.

 

[Jules8008]

Well, I am not a huge fan of "Must be 18+" RP's. For me, if heavily depends on how my partner writes. If a 18+ dude writes like a three year old kid, I'll ditch. If a 14 year old has decent to good grammar and doesn't fear more "mature" themes, or gory RP's, I'd be happy to roleplay with them. I'd personally avoid roleplays with a 18+ or older rule. Just simply because age doesn't mean that you are mature. One of my few recommendations is that you need to deal with the fact that I usually tend to create darker characters or love to write gore. Actually, it's both.

In fact, if my favorite RP-partner would have had a "Must be 18+ or older" role back in the days (Around 2014, when I was 15) I would have missed out on so much. She's one of the few persons I RP with where I actually try out new stuff I haven't done before; more darker themes, different mental illness (In our current RP, I have a character that suffers from moderate depression) for instance. Our RP is kind of like a very weird testing base for me; if I see that I can write those characters well, I usually implement them in other RP's. There's only one way to improve. But before I get hated to death for not portraying them correctly, I'll do it with her first.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Well, I am not a huge fan of "Must be 18+" RP's. For me, if heavily depends on how my partner writes. If a 18+ dude writes like a three year old kid, I'll ditch. If a 14 year old has decent to good grammar and doesn't fear more "mature" themes, or gory RP's, I'd be happy to roleplay with them. I'd personally avoid roleplays with a 18+ or older rule. Just simply because age doesn't mean that you are mature. One of my few recommendations is that you need to deal with the fact that I usually tend to create darker characters or love to write gore. Actually, it's both.

In fact, if my favorite RP-partner would have had a "Must be 18+ or older" role back in the days (Around 2014, when I was 15) I would have missed out on so much. She's one of the few persons I RP with where I actually try out new stuff I haven't done before; more darker themes, different mental illness (In our current RP, I have a character that suffers from moderate depression) for instance. Our RP is kind of like a very weird testing base for me; if I see that I can write those characters well, I usually implement them in other RP's. There's only one way to improve. But before I get hated to death for not portraying them correctly, I'll do it with her first.

I think there is a big misconception that an age limit is some kind of maturity gatekeeping device. I'm not saying their aren't people out there that are like - ewww teenagers how immature.

But most people ( even in this thread ) aren't really saying under 18 year olds are immature.

It's just that when you get a certain age you stop seeing teenagers as equals and start seeing them as kids.

Like if your in your mid twenties your just aren't going to consider a seventeen year old to be your peer.

It's not because the seventeen year old is somehow immature or childish.

It's because your twenty eight years old and you're at a very different place and thinking about different things. Like a lot of people by this age are parents or at the very least married with jobs. And those who aren't married/parents themselves know that their contemporaries are.

So it's not so much at that point that teenagers are less mature. It's that they're kids. They're still in school and just starting to figure out what it means to be an adult.

And the younger teens ( sixteen and under ) are even more children.

So I can see from that point of view being all - yeah no I'm not going to do these topics with kids. It's inappropriate.

I can also see taking it on a case by case basis ( what I do ).

 

[spookie]

judging by what i've seen here this will be an unpopular opinion, but the age limit is one of the reasons i avoid 1x1s. it definitely has a time and a place, not arguing that, but on a site that doesn't allow adult content to begin with it seems... redundant at best.

having friends that are both under and over 18, i can tell you that nothing changes. there is no 'magic birthday'. if someone is immature or a bad writer at 16, they will be at 18 unless they work hard to improve, and that has nothing to do with age and everything to do with practice.

i know there's all the legal stuff, and if you're truly uncomfortable then that's your choice. you're probably missing out on some talented and creative individuals, but again, that's your right. it's annoying if an idea catches my attention, but i'm not going to get nasty about it or lie.

i mean, i guess i could request all my roleplay partners be under 18 like myself just to be contrary, but honestly i don't care if you're 14 or 40 as long as you're a good writer and not excessively rude.

if that makes me immature, then so be it.

 

[K Elizabeth]

judging by what i've seen here this will be an unpopular opinion, but the age limit is one of the reasons i avoid 1x1s. it definitely has a time and a place, not arguing that, but on a site that doesn't allow adult content to begin with it seems... redundant at best.

having friends that are both under and over 18, i can tell you that nothing changes. there is no 'magic birthday'. if someone is immature or a bad writer at 16, they will be at 18 unless they work hard to improve, and that has nothing to do with age and everything to do with practice.

i know there's all the legal stuff, and if you're truly uncomfortable then that's your choice. you're probably missing out on some talented and creative individuals, but again, that's your right. it's annoying if an idea catches my attention, but i'm not going to get nasty about it or lie.

i mean, i guess i could request all my roleplay partners be under 18 like myself just to be contrary, but honestly i don't care if you're 14 or 40 as long as you're a good writer and not excessively rude.

if that makes me immature, then so be it.

I think the majority of my rp partners are like 19 to 25 and it isn't really an issue
Like I don't think every adult on the site should be saying they only rp with 18+ partners that would just be annoying
I just don't think the people who do only rp with them are an issue either y'know.... And for the majority of them I'm sure they know there's some writers who are amazing and are younger than their age limit but they make the choice for their own reasons, no matter what they are.

 

[rae2nerdy]

judging by what i've seen here this will be an unpopular opinion, but the age limit is one of the reasons i avoid 1x1s. it definitely has a time and a place, not arguing that, but on a site that doesn't allow adult content to begin with it seems... redundant at best.

having friends that are both under and over 18, i can tell you that nothing changes. there is no 'magic birthday'. if someone is immature or a bad writer at 16, they will be at 18 unless they work hard to improve, and that has nothing to do with age and everything to do with practice.

i know there's all the legal stuff, and if you're truly uncomfortable then that's your choice. you're probably missing out on some talented and creative individuals, but again, that's your right. it's annoying if an idea catches my attention, but i'm not going to get nasty about it or lie.

i mean, i guess i could request all my roleplay partners be under 18 like myself just to be contrary, but honestly i don't care if you're 14 or 40 as long as you're a good writer and not excessively rude.

if that makes me immature, then so be it.

I don't think it's a maturity thing though. I think it's a matter of people feeling like they'll have more in common with a partner who is near to their own age ( like IRL not in terms of writing ) AND I think it's a matter of being uncomfortable talking to children about certain topics. Not because the child is immature or mature or whatever but because they are just not comfortable talking about it with a kid they don't know.

For instance if I said - I don't do student x teacher relationships.

That isn't because I think everyone in the world who writes those roleplays is somehow a pedophile and out to take advantage of children. It isn't because I think the people who write them are immature and don't understand what the pairing means from a legal/ethical standpoint.

It's because student x teacher is outside of MY personal comfort level. It has nothing to do with potential partners, their writing style/maturity level/belief system.

And sure I've probably missed out on some super talented people because I don't do those kind of roleplays. But since the no student x teacher thing is a hard limit for me it wouldn't have mattered if the person was Tamora Pierce levels of excellent writer. I would have been totally uncomfortable with the roleplay anyway and probably had to bow out.

The under 18 thing is the same. It's not an attack on individuals and their writing style/maturity level/abilities as roleplayers. It's just about an individuals comfort level. And if your not comfortable with something it will ruin the roleplay for you regardless of how good or awesome your partner is.

 

[Minako]

I've written like a thousand papers on mental asylums in like the 1900's, and I research certain mental illnesses and such all the time simply for curiosity's sake, so I've always wanted to actually use them in an RP. I used to be a part of one, not on this site, and it was really nice, and very well put together. We were all friends already and they were really careful about time and accuracy (it was set in the US right after WWII) and it was fuckin beautiful....I don't think I'd be able to achieve that leven of beauty for a group ever in my life-

And I used to do that but then all my friends' lives took over. Whether it be school or work...they just stopped replying to rp. So I came here to kinda look for people to try again with. I've actually made some good friends on here so far but some aren't too interested in the darker themes that would come along with that type of rp so I may have to look for some other people outside of it. I like my rp groups to be people I know mostly, but sometimes it's unavoidable....

I don't like groups as much as 1x1 generally simply for the sake of having to wait for other players even when what you're writing is completely unrelated...? But I love the idea of groups...and when they're run well they're nice and enjoyable....

Oh that's actually kinda nice. Like the stuff about your mom, I mean~ And nah don't worry about it, I was just wondering. If you're not comfortable sharing though that's fine~

Aiiie! Sorry for taking a bit, I've only been on here strictly to reply to peeps and then immediately to do other stuff!

Oooh, that sounds interesting! You sound like a very smart and mature young lady!

Haha, yeah... Life... Life definitely does that... Though honestly, that's okay! Its alright if sometimes people get a little busy, if they truly care for you they'll find a way to make time for you despite their busy schedules! I hope you find neat RP partners soon!

Heh, I actually like group RPs because it's like... You never know what new character will join in next, you know? There's so much people to interact with and surprises to be had! It's super great! Dooooooooooooooooes have it's drawbacks, though, haha, like people not replying in forever and making you wait and vice versa, you could make someone wait a while to simply because life has bombarded you! If you're really close to them, though, like you mentioned before, I think you can really make it! But yes the right players and gm and story are really what makes them shine!

Heh, yeah, I really love and respect my mother! Well I wouldn't mind telling you, just not like, the rest of the forum and stuff xD

 

[K Elizabeth]

Nah don't worry about it man~ It happens to me literally all the time

And that's been how it is with the people from that group we just sorta chat but no one rps anymore y'know...?

I always set up groups with rules that like...people only have to wait for others responses if their characters are interacting? Like if three or more characters are interacting then you make a post order so no one gets left out....but so that other people outside of it can still interact? It helped a lot for keeping the group active for a good while tbh....but, again, life got in the way...

And yeah no I completely understand that. Oddly, as a minor, I actually feel the need to give out my age more so than I would if I wasn't because, well, the topic of this whole thread tbh

 

[Minako]

K Elizabeth Haha! Same with my small group! We chat it up like nobody's business but now-a-days we discuss RP's more than we actually do them, haha!

Yeah... I know the feeling, but hey, maybe some people in your group would still like to? I may not RP with everyone in my group, but some of them do RP with me still, so who knows!

I'm glad you do, I think Superior Iron Man mentioned some kiddos lie about their age to loophole that preference and that honestly is indescribably disappointing. Honesty is the best policy, and with a little trust and understanding that "over 18" will not be forever. However, if they lie about it, I wouldn't RP with them if they were the last RP partner ever even after they actually are 18+.

Even if their reasons were less ethic/moral/legal and just snobbery, its always best to be honest and put your best foot forward!

 

[K Elizabeth]

K Elizabeth Haha! Same with my small group! We chat it up like nobody's business but now-a-days we discuss RP's more than we actually do them, haha!

Yeah... I know the feeling, but hey, maybe some people in your group would still like to? I may not RP with everyone in my group, but some of them do RP with me still, so who knows!

I'm glad you do, I think Superior Iron Man mentioned some kiddos lie about their age to loophole that preference and that honestly is indescribably disappointing. Honesty is the best policy, and with a little trust and understanding that "over 18" will not be forever. However, if they lie about it, I wouldn't RP with them if they were the last RP partner ever even after they actually are 18+.

Even if their reasons were less ethic/moral/legal and just snobbery, its always best to be honest and put your best foot forward!

True true

And yeah I don't really see a point in lyding about it. Especially bc I like to become friends with my rp partners and like...do I really want to start the friendship off with a lie that will 100% affect the rest of the relationship?? Like wtf am I supposed to do? 2 years after I meet them pretend I turned the same age twice or some shit??