Roleplay Pet Peeves

[eclipsa]

people who mistake edginess for depth. you can use trauma without it being edgy. if you're going to use it at the very least try and have realistic characteristics afterwards. there are a lot of different reactions to trauma, but there are still things that should be included.
disclaimer: this is coming from someone who has experienced trauma, writes about trauma, and hates reading characters that have been through trauma but show absolutely none of the symptoms of trauma.

 

[Zaikeiil]

One-liners. I know that I am guilty of that, but when it happens I usually have bad case of writers block. Even then I will try to write two or even three sentences. I can't write really anything when I have "He leans against the wall, and looked at her." For example.

 

[XXDemonCutesXX]

When they don't punctuate anything and it goes into one sentence. Or when they speak without quotes like this, "He walked over to her hi my darling

 

[Ashfeather]

Somewhat related to the "edginess instead of depth" thing: Victim characters. I know a character with a troubled past can be very compelling and super cool to write and read if done well but I see it a lot where it just turns the whole RP into a pity party for the character. If it goes on for long it just depresses me and is a major turnoff.

 

[Bone2pick]

When fandom rps stray too much from established rules.

I get you are allowed a bit of artistic license, but if you're gonna change fundamental rules about how that universe works, you might as well just make up your own.

I'm curious what exactly you mean by "fundamental rules"?

 

[Lina Inverse]

I'm curious what exactly you mean by "fundamental rules"?

Rules that when changed completely alters the world of a particular universe.

So for example, I view the whole "the avatar is the only one capable of bending all four elements" thing to be a fundamental rule to the Avatar universe.

 

[Dalamus Ulom]

I'm curious what exactly you mean by "fundamental rules"?

Like adding magic to a Star Trek RP, or adding a time travelling cyborg to a GoT rp. Shit like that.

 

[hologram]

Somewhat related to the "edginess instead of depth" thing: Victim characters. I know a character with a troubled past can be very compelling and super cool to write and read if done well but I see it a lot where it just turns the whole RP into a pity party for the character. If it goes on for long it just depresses me and is a major turnoff.

I try to give my partner a bit of time to know my character first before things get emotionally fraught for them in order to avoid this sort of thing. I find it's harder for me to invest in a character's emotional distress if it's one of the first things I see about them and it continues for a prolonged period. But at the same time my current main OC does have a bit of a complicated past (one that's in line with the melodramatic and overwrought tone of the fandom I created her for) but I always offer to tone things down for my partner beforehand.

I definitely feel like angst is something that needs to be used in moderation, though. Heap too much on all at once and it does mess with my suspension of disbelief. I love incorporating it into my RPs but I always try to balance it out because otherwise it does get depressing for me.

 

[Ashfeather]

I try to give my partner a bit of time to know my character first before things get emotionally fraught for them in order to avoid this sort of thing. I find it's harder for me to invest in a character's emotional distress if it's one of the first things I see about them and it continues for a prolonged period. But at the same time my current main OC does have a bit of a complicated past (one that's in line with the melodramatic and overwrought tone of the fandom I created her for) but I always offer to tone things down for my partner beforehand.

I definitely feel like angst is something that needs to be used in moderation, though. Heap too much on all at once and it does mess with my suspension of disbelief. I love incorporating it into my RPs but I always try to balance it out because otherwise it does get depressing for me.

I think this would mitigate a lot of my annoyance for it, to be honest. There are times when you kind of have to let your characters have a troubled past, but of course it doesn't mean they automatically have to parade it (most people realistically wouldn't) or be troubled every single second of their life by it. I'd like to see more characters who have had a troubled past, but actually got past it instead of randomly telling strangers about it and crying within 5 seconds of them meeting.

 

[Lord Bradorian]

TIE LOCKS!


If you don't know what that is, it's when you tie in your character with someone else's for a little while (like they have an encounter, or date, and start living together.) and then they leave in the middle of something, and the rest of the group continues playing, but you can't cause you're locked with this player till they come back. I just call it a "tie lock." Cause you tie in, and get locked in place. I'm not sure if there's a better word with it. But these are like the worst. Part of the reason, I've pulled away from group RPs, and am hesitant to jump back into any. The game of catch up, after a tie lock is always the worst. Or if you have a big Tie Lock that halts everyone's play, because one person won't respond, at the most climactic part of the RP.... the worst...

I only do 1x1s for this reason

 

[hologram]

I only do 1x1s for this reason

What finally got me to quit groups was having this great arc planned out for my character, who was a fish out of water type slowly becoming accustomed to his new surroundings. I kept asking in the OOC thread for people to RP with so I could start playing it out but I hardly got any interest, all while the RP proceeded into the next story line. So I finally just write out all this development as happening off screen to try to at least get him ready for the big action scene even though there wasn't much he could do to help... then I get invited to a private conversation where everyone had been planning the RP outside of the OOC thread.

Killed my interest so dead I gave some excuse about suddenly being too busy to RP, left the site and didn't come back until months later on a new account. I don't think it was intentional, I do believe the other players genuinely forgot to invite me until that point, but it still stung all the same. In retrospect I didn't handle it very well, but hey. The RP also wasn't a great fit for my character because the pace was way too fast for the slow build of development I had in mind and his 'power level' was waaaay too low in comparison to the other characters so there wasn't much he could do in the action scenes, which were very frequent.

 

[Bone2pick]

Rules that when changed completely alters the world of a particular universe.

So for example, I view the whole "the avatar is the only one capable of bending all four elements" thing to be a fundamental rule to the Avatar universe.

What about significantly altering the setting and characters? For instance, a gothic/medieval Gotham City where Batman is a vampire and Alfred is his ghostly servant?

 

[Chimney Swift]

Somewhat related to the "edginess instead of depth" thing: Victim characters. I know a character with a troubled past can be very compelling and super cool to write and read if done well but I see it a lot where it just turns the whole RP into a pity party for the character. If it goes on for long it just depresses me and is a major turnoff.

AMEN

Like, I hate when characters are nothing but wildly wmotionally dependent on everyone else or become helpless damsels as soon as something troubling happens. Dealing with a character who needs comforting and protecting every waking moment is a goddamn chore.

 

[Lina Inverse]

What about significantly altering the setting and characters? For instance, a gothic/medieval Gotham City where Batman is a vampire and Alfred is his ghostly servant?

I'm fine with those. I'm more talking about rp's that supposedly takes places in the same universe.

 

[bangtanoli]

“18+ only”

 

[Melpomene]

I think one Pet Peeve I have to add on is when my partner describes their character as something in every post...

For example: I don't mind pretty characters. I really don't. In fact, most of my characters are pretty! I see nothing wrong with having a character that has a stunning smile or is a curvaceous bombshell! What irks me is when someone is constantly telling me they're character is beautiful. If in every single post you mention how pretty they are... It just gets grating. Once every few posts is enough, honestly.

 

[bangtanoli]

Agree 100%

 

[Dalamus Ulom]

What about significantly altering the setting and characters? For instance, a gothic/medieval Gotham City where Batman is a vampire and Alfred is his ghostly servant?

And technically, Batman's been a vampire multiple times. Pretty sure I remember hearing something about Alfred being a ghost in one of the alternate universe comics. And Batman has taken place in both Victorian London and Medieval times. Hell, the man's been a PIRATE for Christ's sake.

 

[Bone2pick]

And technically, Batman's been a vampire multiple times. Pretty sure I remember hearing something about Alfred being a ghost in one of the alternate universe comics. And Batman has taken place in both Victorian London and Medieval times. Hell, the man's been a PIRATE for Christ's sake.

Your reasoning here being: if alternate universes have already been established, you're fine with it. But what if I wanted to fuse Middle Earth with cyberpunk technology and mega-corporate intrigue?

 

[Dalamus Ulom]

Your reasoning here being: if alternate universes have already been established, you're fine with it. But what if I wanted to fuse Middle Earth with cyberpunk technology and mega-corporate intrigue?

I think adding your own spin to a setting is fine as long as it's advertised as such. Personally, the real problem is less they're going and adding cyberpunk to Middle Earth, and more that they don't SAY it's Middle Earth with cyberpunk until you start the rp. Another thing is if they go and break a fundimental law of the setting, like making a dozen characters the Avatar in a Avatar rp.

 

[elextrified]

when people refuse to use quotation marks around dialogue

 

[bangtanoli]

Forgot to mention this one, but when people disappear and show back up 5 days later. I mean come on. I thought you ghosted me, I get excited (‘cause ya’ boy’s a mcfckn dork), I respond and suddenly they’re gone again for another week. Bruh. Ghost or don’t lmao what is this??

Sounds petty rofl sorry but imo that’s probably the most jaw clenching thing about this wesbite. 90% of the rps I’m in go like that and it’s MEGA annoying. I’m not asking for 200 replies a day or even fast responses. Just PLEASE don’t leave me hanging for a billion days between replies

 

[Laurensmas]

-Mary Sues

-Bad boy/Good girl and other such clichés

-Terrible grammar and one-liners

-People who take criticism personally and get angry

-Just cliché plots in general

 

[Lord Aphrodite]

When people give me edgy loners or ‘loveable’ trolls.

If the loner doesn’t talk to my character, then what reason does my character have to talk to them?

As for trolls, they annoy me in real life, and they annoy me in RP. Like if your character drenches my character in mud, my character wouldn’t like it. Don’t expect them to like it. It’s a dramatic example, but it shows my point.

 

[kevintheradioguy]

I've read this thread, and it seems that many people write their deal-breakers, and not pet peeves.

So, my pet peeves...

Referring to your character by their hair colour (it just... sounds so obscene... I mean, I do call my character "the blond man" occasionally, but very, very rarely, when all other ways to do so are used).
Using present tense in third-perspective games: "he goes to his car", "he takes his sword, and gives a prayer".
Your/you're their/they're and alike.