Roleplay Pet Peeves

[Strawberry Ink]

I've said this before but special snowflake characters really bother me the most. I hate checking out a rp and seeing characters that have been raped by every man on earth and is also mute, deaf and blind. Or characters that are cannibalistic teenagers with neon pink hair who killed their entire family at the ripe ol' age of ten. It almost doesn't matter what the setting is, these types of characters just STAND OUT so badly. Another pet peeve of mine are characters that try too hard to be "sexy". Like, they have to have the biggest bra size in the party and the skimpiest outfits for no reason at all. It just gives me the impression that you desperately want somebody to cyber with you and/or want as much attention on your character as possible. Call me old fashioned, I guess...

 

[call me rae]

Something reminded me of this, it's definitely a huge pet peeve. Not enough to make me not roleplay with someone but something that makes me grind my teeth every time.


Character Ratios or "Fairness" pairings.


Like I'm sorry I don't think you telling me what characters I have to play in order to justify your pairings is fair. If you only want to play females that's fine. If you only want to do OC x Canon romance that's also fine. 


But don't be like - oh I'll play anyone for you but only if you play anyone for me. Or I'll play a boy for you but only if you play a boy for me first.


I'm like you shouldn't have conditional character divisions like that.


Just say who you really want to play and have done. Chances are if I'm playing a Canon character or a Male character or a whatever kind of character it's BECAUSE I WANT TO.


It's not because I'm like --- ooh well this person is being super unreasonable asking me to play opposite to them in a pairing they like and the only way I'll do it is if I can guilt them into doing what I WANT too.

 

[Bacon is fluffy]

I don't know what type of roleplays you guys have experienced @A Nerd Named Rae and @Strawberry Ink, but that sounds god awful. Well the stuff strawberry said about the ten year old rapists is one thing,but the cybering part. cringey  

 

[Upton O Goode]

ten year old rapists 

Reading this, I suddenly remembered that I have seen something like this before. In fact, it was worse; it was a less than 10 year old (6, I think) character that was not only a super child of prophecy  (and I mean ACTUAL IN GAME PROPHECY) but also possessed the mind of a serial killer from the darkest corners of the deep-web. They got into a fight with one character and vividly described how their character forced them to experience illusions of them raping their parents.


A freaking 6 year old boy forcing someone to see visions of him raping their parents.


Naturally, this person was a GM in the RP, so nobody had the authority to oppose it. But my god, I don't understand why people didn't just bail on it the moment that sheet was presented. I should have myself, but I was sticking around in part for a few friends of mine. 


Now that I think about it, the guy that made that character was perhaps the most disgusting, shameless snowflake writer and power-gamer I have ever seen. 

 

[fattiest fat cat]

havent read over the thread but here are some of my personal faves

• "cr*zy" characters who are just really weird, convoluted ideas of mental illness which are clearly held by people who wouldn't know a mental illness if it burrowed into their brain and ruined their life.
  
• someone sending a pm to me, the person who blatantly says im super slow: "hey i noticed it's been just under 24 hours since you posted. are you still interested?"
  
• "i'm interested" "ok. what ideas in my search interested you?" "i dunno"
  
• i'm not a stickler for grammar or correct language by any means, but when it's so bad i dont understand what the post says... that's a problem.
  
• "i'm not a grammar nazi, but...."
  
• "i'm not an english major, so i'm not super strict, just don't use homonyms, know how to spell things, have decent punctuation and grammar, and give me 500+ words plus cited and reference in APA on my desk by monday" (pro-tip: english majors understand the language is ever-changing and we're just not all that butthurt about "ungrammatical" things lol)
  

 

[call me rae]

• "i'm interested" "ok. what ideas in my search interested you?" "i dunno"
  
• "i'm not an english major, so i'm not super strict, just don't use homonyms, know how to spell things, have decent punctuation and grammar, and give me 500+ words plus cited and reference in APA on my desk by monday" (pro-tip: english majors understand the language is ever-changing and we're just not all that butthurt about "ungrammatical" things lol)
  

Omg I lol'd so hard at the last one. Like people who will tell you -I'm not judgmental or elitist but.... then list like twelve ways they are in fact judgmental and elitist both.


like please check the hypocrisy or blatant lies, thanks.


 The "I wanna rp" people who basically contribute nothing beyond that sentence and yes or no monosyllables.

 

[Quincunx]

It probably says something negative about me that this is so long, but here we go.


Pet Peeve Roleplay Settings/General Gripes:


"This RP is set at a school for [the "troubled"/the upper class/the supernaturally gifted/supernatural creatures]." There's nothing wrong with these four specific ideas themselves. They're just incredibly overdone. In the Fantasy section in particular, you can find at least 5 "Supernatural Academy" RPs on the front page at any given time.


"This RP is set at a mental hospital/in a therapy group." In 90% of these, it's apparent that the players haven't done any research, and I doubt most of them have been in either setting, because their writing doesn't accurately reflect how these places (or mental illnesses) work. At worst, the portrayals are disrespectful and make me wonder if the writers see mentally ill people as complete human beings, as opposed to ~interesting~ props. (Also, mental hospitals in particular are one of the most boring and restrictive environments you can possibly be in, so I have no idea why anyone would set their RP in one.)


"Who needs plot/conflict when I have a setting?" You need both. If the GM doesn't have anything to do planned for the RP, and none of the players step up and make something, the RP will probably die shortly after characters introduce themselves to each other. Bonus points if when a GM is asked about their RP's plot/conflict, they describe the setting instead, or otherwise give a non-answer.


"Personality" sections in character sheets. This is the subject of a lot of debate, but I believe personality should be expressed through in-character actions, rather than as a series of informed traits. It just seems like a chance for players to tell others how sweet/shy/~quirky~ their characters are instead of actually providing evidence; also, as a GM, I personally find it too broad to give me the information I need to know about how a character will function.


"Straight characters only." Shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up





Pet Peeve Player Behaviors:


Making a floridly detailed application for your character, but in the actual roleplay, half of those details never comes across. If you can't show it in your writing, you have no business informing us of it. Or making a GM sift through all that irrelevant information, to be honest.


Using a picture someone else specifically made as an OC for the same fandom. It's understandable to use art someone else made. The creators of canon characters aren't going to care, nor are most people who made a picture without any real established character traits. However, if you do this with someone else's OC for the same fandom you're trying to make a character for, I think it borders on creative dishonesty. That's an OC somebody else already made, it's possibly their face claim for an RP, and you're lifting their design (and possibly things like their name and mannerisms/props/weapons).


"Your character's depression/trauma/personality disorder/etc. should be inconsequential since my character gave yours affection and snuggles." This shouldn't need explaining.


Excessive text formatting. This is unnecessary, and rough on my eyes.





Gripes Specific to Fandom RPs (that, in all likelihood, nobody in this thread is familiar with):


"This is a RWBY RP, but I'm not going to give my character a color-related name/enforce that characters have color-related names." Monty Oum actually made this as a guideline for creating fan characters and teams. Not enforcing it is the fastest way to make me ignore/decline/quit a RWBY RP, because it's clear that the GM does not respect the source material.


"For this RWBY RP, my character's semblance is manipulating ice/wind/fire/earth." You can (somewhat) reproduce the effects of this with Dust. Also, it could be argued that elemental control is reserved for Maidens. Either way, it's not a very inspired or novel idea.

 

[Bacon is fluffy]

"Personality" sections in character sheets. This is the subject of a lot of debate, but I believe personality should be expressed through in-character actions, rather than as a series of informed traits. It just seems like a chance for players to tell others how sweet/shy/~quirky~ their characters are instead of actually providing evidence; also, as a GM, I personally find it too broad to give me the information I need to know about how a character will function.

I think it all comes down to how you as the reader imagine the character and how it's written. Obviously a list of bullet points vs a paragraph, are going to have a bigger impact on this section. And a well written personality paragraph with all the important things cited does even more good than the former. However it's all taste I suppose. I can rant about backgrounds, since those are almost always non canonical and have nothing to do with character in the present. Happy children don't always grow up to be happy adults and sad children aren't always emotional stunted or miserable for the rest of their lives.


but eh I just found that part of your post interesting. Although it's mostly because I get the urge to make a thread about what's important,but then back out because it's all a matter of opinion.

 

[call me rae]

I think it all comes down to how you as the reader imagine the character and how it's written. Obviously a list of bullet points vs a paragraph, are going to have a bigger impact on this section. And a well written personality paragraph with all the important things cited does even more good than the former. However it's all taste I suppose. I can rant about backgrounds, since those are almost always non canonical and have nothing to do with character in the present. Happy children don't always grow up to be happy adults and sad children aren't always emotional stunted or miserable for the rest of their lives.


but eh I just found that part of your post interesting. Although it's mostly because I get the urge to make a thread about what's important,but then back out because it's all a matter of opinion.

It's actually an interesting debate. They had something similar awhile back when someone made something or another about the right way to make a character sheet / what were the essential points of successful character sheet.

 

[Inner Power]

People that want you to play canon characters in fandoms for them but are not willing to do the same for you.

 

[Quincunx]

I think it all comes down to how you as the reader imagine the character and how it's written. Obviously a list of bullet points vs a paragraph, are going to have a bigger impact on this section. And a well written personality paragraph with all the important things cited does even more good than the former. However it's all taste I suppose. I can rant about backgrounds, since those are almost always non canonical and have nothing to do with character in the present. Happy children don't always grow up to be happy adults and sad children aren't always emotional stunted or miserable for the rest of their lives.


but eh I just found that part of your post interesting. Although it's mostly because I get the urge to make a thread about what's important,but then back out because it's all a matter of opinion.

For me, I ask a series of "interview" questions whose answers tell me what I need to know about their personalities, which is basically:

• how the character sees themselves
  
• a weakness or insecurity that could be used against them
  
• where they come from (or basically, what ties they have to the rest of the world)
  
• that they have lives outside of being a superhero/magical girl/monster hunter, or at least a reason not to
  
• how they act around others
  

I'm also experimenting with a very minimal CS that leaves out personality and background entirely, and replacing them with a writing sample that shows something about how they operate. (Learn about the character, and see if the player's writing style is up to snuff - two birds, one stone. But I'm also doing this for the sake of seeing if it can be done.)


Please rant about backgrounds. I agree with what you're saying and would like to hear more. I think they can be used properly if the player knows what they're doing (I ask specifically "what in your character's past shaped them?" to hopefully get more relevant information); if their background actually plays into their motive/actions, it's necessary information. However, too often it's weighed down with irrelevant details, and/or used to say "my character has suffered The Most".

It's actually an interesting debate. They had something similar awhile back when someone made something or another about the right way to make a character sheet / what were the essential points of successful character sheet.

That sounds like an interesting discussion that might be worth reviving.

 

[Upton O Goode]

"Your character's depression/trauma/personality disorder/etc. should be inconsequential since my character gave yours affection and snuggles." This shouldn't need explaining.

I've never seen this happen before. Did it happen to you? Cause it sounds hilarious.

 

[Quincunx]

I've never seen this happen before. Did it happen to you? Cause it sounds hilarious.

Thankfully, no. But it's happened to my friends before, and I've heard it's a pretty common mistake in RPs that involve trauma/mental illness.

 

[iWriteAboutNothing]

I don't know if it's just me, but: When everyone drops out of the RP on the same day. I'm just like: "uh... I think I missed the memo?" (echoes, echoes, echoes) I've been on this site for a year and have never really gotten to RP yet 'cause everyone just leaves after around the fifth-sixth post...


Also, people that just say you're horrible at RPing, but don't give any constructive criticism to help you improve. I'm trying to have fun, too. In order to get better so I can have more fun, I'd appreciate some help pushing me in the right direction. A "just get out you're messing us all up you f***ing f***ot!!!" type attitude is not very appreciated. 


Did I mention I've yet to actually RP on this site? I don't know if it's just me or I just have bad luck, but come on people. I'm not that ugly...

 

[call me rae]

I don't know if it's just me, but: When everyone drops out of the RP on the same day. I'm just like: "uh... I think I missed the memo?" (echoes, echoes, echoes) I've been on this site for a year and have never really gotten to RP yet 'cause everyone just leaves after around the fifth-sixth post...


Also, people that just say you're horrible at RPing, but don't give any constructive criticism to help you improve. I'm trying to have fun, too. In order to get better so I can have more fun, I'd appreciate some help pushing me in the right direction. A "just get out you're messing us all up you f***ing f***ot!!!" type attitude is not very appreciated. 


Did I mention I've yet to actually RP on this site? I don't know if it's just me or I just have bad luck, but come on people. I'm not that ugly...

Groups have notoriously bad shelf lives. I've been roleplaying ten years - 1 roleplay I was in made it past a month. Well 2 one group and one 1x1.


so yeah I'd just focus on finding friends you get along with. Try 1x1s a little, they have more flexibility around various schedules.

 

[iWriteAboutNothing]

Groups have notoriously bad shelf lives. I've been roleplaying ten years - 1 roleplay I was in made it past a month. Well 2 one group and one 1x1.


so yeah I'd just focus on finding friends you get along with. Try 1x1s a little, they have more flexibility around various schedules.

I've done 1x1s on other sites with about as much luck. It's gotten to the point where if someone really wants me to, I'll quickly binge-watch a short enough fandom to get caught up so I can RP it with them. I've had one successful one this way, but it remains my sole success in RPing in general. I went and watched "Free!" over a weekend, then RP'd that over the course of around a month with someone else. Any other way I've tried, they stop replying in around four days. There was also one who tried RPing with me out of pity, and that one just felt wrong in so many ways... RPing is supposed to be a fun pastime, not a pity-party. I'll deal with it 'till I find another good one, these are just things that are peeving me right now. I'll either get over it, or things'll change. Like I said before, it's probably just bad luck.

 

[call me rae]

I've done 1x1s on other sites with about as much luck. It's gotten to the point where if someone really wants me to, I'll quickly binge-watch a short enough fandom to get caught up so I can RP it with them. I've had one successful one this way, but it remains my sole success in RPing in general. I went and watched "Free!" over a weekend, then RP'd that over the course of around a month with someone else. Any other way I've tried, they stop replying in around four days. There was also one who tried RPing with me out of pity, and that one just felt wrong in so many ways... RPing is supposed to be a fun pastime, not a pity-party. I'll deal with it 'till I find another good one, these are just things that are peeving me right now. I'll either get over it, or things'll change. Like I said before, it's probably just bad luck.

Lol that's why I said focus on making  friends not (solely) roleplaying. (lol. i realized that sounded like i was saying don't roleplay at all and that wasn't my intention. just like if your hitting a dry spell try talking to folks about random stuff instead of trying to force a roleplay to work ) If nothing else you'll have someone to rant to when other people got you down. Before I discovered the previous rant thread my poor skype friends listened to many a rant about OMG IF THIS B*TCH DOESN'T FREAKING STOP TURNING HER POSTS INTO RAINBOW VOMIT MY HEAD IS GONNA EXPLODE.


Side note - that was a huge pet peeve of mine for a while when people would copy and paste other people's dialogue in different colors in their post. Or just have like five different colors in their post in general for no reason. This isn't art class. I don't need to see the freaking rainbow everytime you post.

 

[Upton O Goode]

Lol that's why I said focus on making  friends not (solely) roleplaying. 

But how does one make friends when your RPs collapse just a short distance past "Hello"?

 

[call me rae]

But how does one make friends when your RPs collapse just a short distance past "Hello"?

Lol the discussion forums, status updates, just like talking to folks. Mostly discussion forums though. Just make something in like personal discussion saying ya wanna chat with people.

 

[WeissOnReiss]

Definitely when:


A. People just straight-up abandon threads without telling you.


And/Or


B. Taking the time to write an intro and then they never respond, then proceed to ignore you entirely.

 

[Whisker]

Newest Big Pet Peeve: Don't have stuff listed in your interest check that you're not actually interested in rping. At least mark it out or something if it's gonna be off menu for awhile. 

 

[AngelicSavant]

I know its been said already but it bears repeating. These players who join an RP with a character who has a mental illness of some kind, and they boil it down to 'lolsorandom' and just spout garbage after random garbage thinking its clever. 


Zero research done, zero sensitivity. 


Since there is a class of characters in the fandom I RP whose main feature is mental illness, I recently made the decision to portray a character with a mental illness other than the one I personally suffer from. Just to get some perspective and bring a thoughtful portrayal to the RP. It seems as soon as you do that, you have other players who want to pop up and do the same. Only in a horrible, discount-mad-hatter way.

 

[call me rae]

People that want you to play canon characters in fandoms for them but are not willing to do the same for you.

Nope I'm okay with that because people that assume the opposite make me grind my teeth so hard my jaw aches.


Then again it depends on how straight forward they are with it. If they just straight up don't want to play a male/Canon character than that's fine. I don't mind playing opposite them for their pairing.


But if your gonna be lazy/whiny about it. Oh I can't play a guy because I'm a girl lol. Or I can't play a canon because I don't think i'll do them justice lol. 


Then okay. Fuck you. You think I'm really Barry Freaking Allen in real life then? Do you think just because I'm can play a guy I'm automatically a guy too.


Please W*tch. 


If i can stretch my imagination than you can at least try. Or just be honest and tell me flat out that you don't want to.

 

[Blaire Wisteria]

One thing I never understood is why most 1x1's have to have some form of romance between the two characters or need to be about a specific ship. Like what if I want to make a Lethal Weapon/any buddy cop movie type of RP where it's about two people who aren't romantically involved and will probably never be who go out and clean up the streets.  Is it just some unspoken rule that you can't have an engaging story with just two people involved without putting uneccisary romance in it?

 

[call me rae]

One thing I never understood is why most 1x1's have to have some form of romance between the two characters or need to be about a specific ship. Like what if I want to make a Lethal Weapon/any buddy cop movie type of RP where it's about two people who aren't romantically involved and will probably never be who go out and clean up the streets.  Is it just some unspoken rule that you can't have an engaging story with just two people involved without putting uneccisary romance in it?

OMG I have no idea. I like vastly prefer platonic to romantic relationships. But your right most people I say - so why don't we just focus on family dynamics / friendships / getting shit done   look at me like i'm talking in tongues. B-but what about romance? Who is Character A banging? What does character B have a crush on?


I so want to piss someone off at some point and be like. Character A has no genitalia and thus can't bang anyone. Character B has a crush ON JUSTICE.


Except there are people who would take both those things as a CHALLENGE TO TRUE LOVE.


likeomgwhycantyoutakeahint