Experiences RP Groups, the good, the bad, the ugly.

[Milkshake Crush]

It's been a while since I posted my other discussion thread (Experiences - What's one RP trope/topic that makes you leave without discussion? ) and I wanted to pitch another discussion thread.

I have had a lot of bad experiences myself with RP groups, and it always results in the same thing; the group falls apart. And it's always because two people have a falling out, or someone gets jealous, or the moderators simply stop giving a crap and don't do their "jobs" anymore.

And to be honest, I hardly ever had a good experience in group RPs because I always find myself joining when the cliques have already formed and there's just no room for me or my characters to fit in. I could try to put myself out there as much as I want to, but always end up writing short threads, or mostly just talking to myself. :/

I've always heard from others how much fun they've had in a group and I'm just sad that I can't say the same. I want to experience what others have been telling me, because I do still believe that it can be fun. I just fear the same things will happen over and over again.

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So, discuss your group experiences here! Both the good and the bad.

Just keep it respectful, don't mention any names, and keep in mind that experiences are different for everyone.

 

[GloomySage]

The good: Sometimes a story just slots together so nicely.. It becomes a fantastic creative outlet.
The Bad: Often folks will lose a muse and that's fine; but the rp dies with it.
The Ugly: I've had people just use me to climb ranks in groups I've run before. Feelsbadman

 

[Heavenchi]

I'd say groups have the amazing ability to force your writing to expand. Groups introduce you to new writing styles and give you a lot of writing material at once which really gets your creative juices flowing. The bad would be working with multiple people remotely. Some people don't give updates which results in RPs dying. The ugly would probably be narrow-minded individuals not allowing the story to flow beyond what they envisioned.

 

[Meryl_ya]

I used to do RP groups exclusively, until I got a taste of 1x1 RP and I got addicted and just find that my time and drive is more managed when doing 1x1.

The good of group RPs is that if you don’t click with one person in the group, you still have better chance, because more people, more chances you can get that “click”. May not always there, but it can be closer than the previous person.

The bad of group RPs is that, there will be more people you gotta check in and consult with when doing posts that moves the plot forward. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I never feel at ease when posting something that moves the plot unless I know ALL the other parties are okay with it (yeah, I was that one person who is all react and nothing to give. I’m trying to get better and communicative tho ehe). And well, given the differences in timezones, getting those approvals can be quite… long, and tedious.

Now, the ugly of group RPs is that it can be chain-ing (is that a word?). What I mean is that if someone drops out, usually it won’t last long until the RP just stops. If the GM is also no longer able to carry out what they must do because of any reason, it can also kill the RP. This “chain”, however, can be the best of group RPs when the GM gives everyone a scene, and the writers have the same sense or similar ideas on how it should feel, how it can goes from one post to another that makes everyone interested and invested in it. This either happens in a group where the participants know each others, or just “click” more or perfectly.

 

[TerrorKitty]

For me group RPs are often just chances, but low ones. They fall apart easily because it requires multiple people to consistently be available and on the same page for the story. For every person in the RP, the more chances it will fail. Usually early on, it's also difficult because you gotta find an RP you actually want to join.

The only RPs I've had that last multiple months and ever gone past 2 pages are 1x1s and this is ironic because RPs with more people would reach 3+ pages faster, in theory.

However I've found my peace with them. For me, Group RPs are challenges. A challenge to make of re-create a character in a new setting, a new plot. A challenge to try my own hand at creating a plot or story idea. A challenge to use BBcode in creative in fun ways (I don't really use BBcode or even character sheets in 1x1s even though I love making them), they're like a testing ground for my brain regardless if they ever go anywhere.

A lot of my favorite characters I use in 1x1s were made for group RPs, possibly remade multiple times as those fell through but each time I got to revamp them and their individual character identity formed to the point that when another RP pops up on my radar I know exactly what character would be a perfect fit for one reason or another. Especially if the reason they fit only a few encompassing aspects of them so I have to chuck out a lot of their established themes to make it work, and therefore adding to their growing multifaceted central characterization.

Even if the the RP never goes anywhere, my ability as a writer grows, I end up with a new character sheet to gush over, and I may even had made some new friends connections along the way.

Though I would really love if one actually worked out for at least a month or three???

 

[Sara Sidereal]

How large is the group that cliques are possible? You should never run a game with more than 4 to 5 players plus a GM, especially online. If the GM isn't implementing a size limit for the game, that's an immediate red flag.

 

[nerdy tangents]

Well to be fair I once joined a group with probably at most six people and I ended up having to be leave because the GM was peer pressured to make me change my entire character.

Like literally some shit stirrer popped up in the OOC server saying “nerdy has a whack character” and next thing I know the GM is telling me I have to change my entire character.

Baring in mind I was essentially a mod (having been like the second person to join). So even small groups have cliques. It’s usually because the GM invites their friends to join up.

 

[Walliver]

Good:
I found this really nice group that I mesh really well with. I make it a point to take a gander at most of their interest checks and they are amazing! I always have a fun time writing with them, even if life can get in the way. And the plots are all diverse and captivating.

Bad:
I ran an rp group at one point that I believe was fairly decent. However, when I made the decision to kick someone who had been deemed problematic by myself and other players, another player began heavily criticizing the way I ran the group. It was a rough experience that still haunts me when I run group rps.

Ugly:
Nothing ugly per-say, some rps just end badly

 

[Jannah]

Good: Group RPs can be nice if a story is complex and has need for more characters than a 1x1 can easily fit in.
Bad: These tend to die quickly as writers may get busy or simply lose muse. There's also the fact that some slower posters (such as myself) easily get left behind in the dust.
Ugly: There is a tendency for cliques to form. This can cause some writers to favour plotting with whoever happens to be within their own clique. It means some writers may even get left out if they don't fit into the designated cliques or join late.

 

[Pretty Little Creature]

Regardless of my experiences. Each experience grows me. Be it a backbone or a learning curve.
It's hard to pin something as all "good" or all "bad". I like to stay comfortably in a neutral grey area.
I'm not certain if any of this makes sense but its how I have learned to desensitize my emotions and focus on a story.

 

[SpiderQueen]

I had some good experiences with group rps. But they usually end up falling apart. Either from drama, the one person stopped replying and then everyone else stopped. Sometimes I end up rping with one person in the group unless there is an event in the rp and we all rp together. I enjoy those times. At the same time I find it difficult to join group rps because most of the time they already have their own "cliques" and I'm not sure how to have my ocs fit in.

 

[Edric Blight]

Responsiveness always seems to be a problem so I don't tend to join too many tbh lol. When they work tho, it can be hella fun.

 

[The Random Fox]

I don't join groups anymore because when I used to, people would completely ignore my character when I was first starting out. Left a bad taste in my mouth so I quit joining in.

 

[Inno]

I've done smaller group roleplays with at least four people max and the bigger ones with 10+ players. From my experience, the ones that were four or even three tend to work out much better than those with a large roster.



The Good(of smaller groups) My experience.

No one got left behind. Someone didn't post, that's fine. Everyone could wait until said person returned. All characters were important.

Better communication.

All of the participants, save for a few exceptions, were partners. Sure, we had the creative mind behind the origins of the roleplay, but there was never this thing where whatever and I do mean whatever they said was law. We all wanted to tell a story together and contribute.




The bad(of larger groups) I've experienced.

People feeling personally attacked by what happens to their characters in the roleplay.

Out of character drama between players. So and so has a relationship with whoever now they've broken up, both are pushing their breakup into the roleplay so everyone is screwed.

GM not listening to their players or vice versa. Everyone wants to do their own thing. Cliques form in and out of the roleplay.

All characters must be the best. Everyone is strong and no one can be harmed by anything realistically. Any character that can be hurt, let's just say by a bullet, is considered weak.

 

[Abyss]

What I love about group RPs: I'm someone who is a bit more shy, so I really like joining groups because having multiple players feels like it takes some of the pressure away from me. I can join in with the conversation or hangout in the chat and just enjoy the general atmosphere of creativity and brainstorming. With 1x1 RPs, I sometimes freeze up unless I know the person already, as I don't always know what to do or say . In a group, I tend to go with the flow or help fill in some of the silences, but the choice is mine so I feel more relaxed. Plus, I've met some awesome writers and friends through group RPs. There's something really special about being in a group where everyone seems to be getting along and bouncing ideas off of one another.

What's hit or miss for me: Finding the right group can be hard. It's amazing when it happens, but it's sort of 50/50 whether a group will mesh well together. I think that a good GM can make all the difference. Those first few days are really essential at getting people talking and invested in the RP. Once the ball is rolling, I feel like it needs to be maintained, but that players will also pop in more often to keep the chat lively. I think that it helps when people also connect through random topics and the like. That way if the RP is waiting on a post, it won't fizzle out too soon.

Things I've Seen Kill An RP of the Bat: No GM engagement/setup wherein they make an OOC or Discord but don't really participate in conversations. I get the impression that no one really knows what to or say, so everyone stays quiet and then it dies quickly. That or when new players arrive no one makes an effort to make them feel welcome. If a group is having a blast and new joiners are sort of left on their own, I feel like it can hurt the likelihood of them choosing to stay.

 

[Murdergurl]

As someone who's been RPing for the better part of two decades, and I'd guess about 80% of that being group RP, lemme just weigh in with my experiences in the matter. (I'm not by any means suggesting I know any better, but I definitely have a lot of personal experience on the subject)

As hard as it is to get a 1x1 going, getting a functional group going is even more troublesome. All the difficulties of getting the players together is often multiplied by every extra participant. Since people have differing times and availability to post and participate, just the scheduling and pace can kill the RP. Then you need to get everyone on theme. There is less wiggle room for creative roaming because, unlike a 1x1, you are trying to et the group as a whole to mesh, and the individual character/player are less important than the collective. People more used to 1x1 will find that the story doesn't cater to them, and they need to make a lot more effort to push their characters into the narrative. Otherwise they will quickly find that they will get left behind.

Now, let's take a moment to tip our hats to the group GMs. Because that job (if they are doing it right) is something that takes a whole lot of effort and patience. You really need to know what you are doing as a group GM, otherwise the RP will almost certainly fall apart. I think this is the leading cause of Group RP failure. A lot of times, inexperienced GMs simply don't know how to carry through. They might have an excellent idea for the RP concept. They might even have a nice flashy advert for it, and cute/cool character sheets. But all that is for naught if you can't keep the players cohesive and interested. Knowing when to let the players fill in, and when to step in for story direction is key. You dont want to come off like they have no choices or time to develop their characters, but you also dont want to let the scene flounder. Addressing the group as well as individual charr=acters with the narrative is a never-ending assignment. It's a lot of work, and frankly, I don't think most people are up for the task for one reason or another.

Cliques... I don't have a lot to say on the matter. I've always been pretty good about getting my character in on the action, and I'm also perfectly content to write my characters along in a "solo" style until they are merged in with the others. Though, I do understand how one can feel like the odd-man-out in the ooc when all the other players seem to know each other. I'm not one to make friends online, so I'm almost always the stranger that only speaks up in the ooc to ask about plot stuff and character things. I don't drop in just to shoot the shit and post memes. I have better things to do with my free time.

For me, the hardest part about group RP is actually finding something I actually want to participate in. Unlike a 1x1 where you (should) get to weight in with some reasonable quid pro quo with your RP partner, a group RP is out there with a roster and you have to find your place in it. This, especially if there is already multiple people interested and with CS filled out. I used to try my hand at running group RPs, but it proved to be too much effort and not enough return. And nowadays, I simply dont have the time to dedicate to all the effort it takes to undertake GMing. So you are essentially left to try and find something that someone else is trying to get going. And once you find that thing, you cross your fingers and pray to the RP gods that that all the odds prove the idea into a success. However, in my experience, most group RPs die off within 5 posts... if they even get that far. Many dont even really get on their feet because the GM/players dawdle too long in getting it started.

I'd say that delay is the second reason that group RPs die off. Either people get tired of waiting for someone to post, or the GM is waiting for the players to do more, or the players are waiting for the GM. In all these cases, everyone is just waiting, and for some of the players, they might be on day six or seven while the last person to post is only on day two. And mark my words, once one person drops out, it has a domino effect.

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Now, all that being said, Group RP is STILL my preferred method of RP. I love the multi-faceted range of participants. I like not being stuck with just one player to interact with. You get to see a variety of writing styles, and a variety of characters written in the flavor of the individual players. Sometimes, and its very rare, you do get a group to be cohesive, and what is borne from it is truly wonderful.

And for those of us with less time to post, having multiple individuals in a group means you have more time before its your "turn" to respond.

 

[Pretty Little Creature]

I'd say groups have the amazing ability to force your writing to expand. Groups introduce you to new writing styles and give you a lot of writing material at once which really gets your creative juices flowing. The bad would be working with multiple people remotely. Some people don't give updates which results in RPs dying. The ugly would probably be narrow-minded individuals not allowing the story to flow beyond what they envisioned.

I one hundred percent agree with this. If I ever had anything to add to my first post in this thread. I would also add this. It's all about expanding and encouraging and developing. Love it

 

[BestHelicopter]

Whilst I don't have much experiences of grogup roleplaying, the ones I have haven't really worked. It's difficult because it requires more people to be available at one time. The more that's needed, the harder it is. particulary when you've got players from across the globe so there's time zones. I left a time zone because most the players were from a different country to me so I was always in bed when most of them were active lol

 

[Broken Promise]

I don't really have much to say that Murdergurl hasn't already addressed, but solid GMing is really important to keep a group RP together. You need to be aware of everyone's schedule so that posts happen, make sure everyone can react to something, and be there to deal with a player's problems, be they online or IRL.

I have seen roleplays fall apart because of a single misunderstanding between players, or because a player has thrown a tantrum and threatens self harm. These are difficult situations for anyone to handle, but not addressing them is asking the RP to fail. It's not what you signed up for, but discord/OOC drama is your responsibility.

The biggest blunders I've seen from GMs (I include myself in this.) Is the inability to say no or remove troublesome players. It's hard to remove toxic players, especially if you like them before they became so sour. But allowing them to remain will dampen the atmosphere and make things less fun for everyone. Address them immediately, (In PM/DM's, preferably) and if they cannot behave themselves, have them removed.

Anyway, I prefer group RPs to 1x1. For one, they can survive if a player or two drops, where is you're usually back at square one with 1x1. While you might not care for each individual player and their character, there is likely something there worth interacting with. You also get exposed to a lot more, and it's easier to grow your tool set working in groups. But really, I've just had a lot of luck running them. The last one I ran lasted four years, and while I don't expect/desire that to happen all the time, it's proof you can have a great long group RP experience.

 

[SpiderQueen]

Now, all that being said, Group RP is STILL my preferred method of RP. I love the multi-faceted range of participants. I like not being stuck with just one player to interact with. You get to see a variety of writing styles, and a variety of characters written in the flavor of the individual players. Sometimes, and its very rare, you do get a group to be cohesive, and what is borne from it is truly wonderful.

This is why I like groups. At least with small ones. When you have a few people rping together you can get new ideas. With 1x1 things will eventually get stale. At least for me it does. And from my experience getting a 1x1 started is just as difficult as getting a group started. I would rather put that much effort into getting a group started. Of course when 1, 2 or more players drop you'll end up being back to 1x1. But if you keep rping maybe someone new will show up and you can start back to rping in a group. You never know.

 

[Murdergurl]

This is why I like groups. At least with small ones. When you have a few people rping together you can get new ideas. With 1x1 things will eventually get stale. At least for me it does. And from my experience getting a 1x1 started is just as difficult as getting a group started. I would rather put that much effort into getting a group started. Of course when 1, 2 or more players drop you'll end up being back to 1x1. But if you keep rping maybe someone new will show up and you can start back to rping in a group. You never know.

Yeah, I second a lot of this sentiment. I feel like a great idea should be shared with more than just one other person, and there is less risk of it dying when it all doesnt hinge on that one other person replying. And for ME, personally, I actually am quite uncomfortable with the 1x1 dynamic. Like, too much of the weight of the RP is on my shoulders. With 4 or 5 other people involved, you can participate at a lot more of a casual pace and don't have tso much responsibility.

 

[Yunalescaa]

I remember when I was a group RP only person. I loved roleplaying with other people. Inevitably they all died very fast upon creation.

The most recent one I was invited to I was hesitant because it had already been created by a group of friends. I felt really out of place but they were super welcoming. Two posts in we had to discontinue because of the creators personal health issues. This is all totally understandable but I've never seen group RPs continue for more than 2-3 pages of a forum before completely dying out. Always makes me hesitant to join again.

 

[Trektek]

I remember when I was a group RP only person. I loved roleplaying with other people. Inevitably they all died very fast upon creation.

The most recent one I was invited to I was hesitant because it had already been created by a group of friends. I felt really out of place but they were super welcoming. Two posts in we had to discontinue because of the creators personal health issues. This is all totally understandable but I've never seen group RPs continue for more than 2-3 pages of a forum before completely dying out. Always makes me hesitant to join again.

The Group threads that I find work the best and are the longest running are Nation Builder Rps, which is why I love to be a part of them and run some, myself. It gives set boundaries, while also giving lots of room to grow and things to rp, both in what that player creates and between other players and the GM.

Plus, those ones are able to keep going with ease even if a few players drop out here or there.

 

[nerdy tangents]

I remember when I was a group RP only person. I loved roleplaying with other people. Inevitably they all died very fast upon creation.

The most recent one I was invited to I was hesitant because it had already been created by a group of friends. I felt really out of place but they were super welcoming. Two posts in we had to discontinue because of the creators personal health issues. This is all totally understandable but I've never seen group RPs continue for more than 2-3 pages of a forum before completely dying out. Always makes me hesitant to join again.

So I have seen maybe a handful of groups last long term. On my old sight there were two roleplays that lasted four years plus. The one I was part of the owner did indeed have to tap out multiple times due to IRL concerns.

What kept it going was two things :

1. An extremely active OOC and a core group of roleplayers that were constantly moving the story forward. They would brainstorm time skips, mini arcs, etc.

2. An ability to replace characters easily that was supported by the setting. The roleplay was set at a school so whenever someone either left or wanted to change characters it was “said character left the boarding school.”

I was also briefly in a long running roleplay on this sight which had similar set up. The GM was a bit more active and set up things like post schedules and mini arcs themselves.

But I think the key to a long running group is just proactive players and a plan of how to get around players leaving.

I think a lot of times people get into the habit of letting the GM do all the work and so when the GM leaves or runs out of ideas then the roleplay dies. But it’s really a collaborative thing.

The best roleplays are the ones where everyone is excited and willing to take up the slack if someone has to leave.

 

[Malphaestus]

Proactivity, productivity, and timeliness are the bedrocks of what make a successful roleplay. Or, in the very least, one which runs for an extended period of time. Participants in roleplays get into the habit of following the flow, this is bad practice and leaves a bad taste in GMs worth their weight in experience. The best a GM can wish for is communicativity in participants, and players willing to test waters, and propose ideas and questions of the setting. This is proactivity.

Productivity refers to participants' ability to write for it, typically as a result of momentary inspiration. But will necessitate that, over time, participants need to be able to post through another force of creativity than mere inspiration, as such things are fleeting, and GMs do not want fleeting participants. But, ultimately, the most important person in a roleplay is the GM, and thus their ability to produce is of highest importance. They need to drive the story forward on their own, because others can not be expected to do so for them. This is doubly important during a roleplay's initial period, where a GM needs to grab lasting interest in it's participants so that procedure can loosen over time, and dynamism can be rooted.

Whilst I said that participants should not be limited to inspiration for posting, that does not mean one should actively stop it from revealing it's effect. By making a roleplay crawl at snail's pace, a group (which takes prolonged periods of time to post as a collective) can easily disintegrate. Timeliness, therefore, is another key factor. And whilst such a factor will depend extensively on who you are participating with, it is nonetheless necessary to figure out the correct period of time needed to fully maximize the gain, and out-weigh the negatives which both fast pace and slow pace provide.

To refer back to the main topic of this thread, roleplaying in groups is a finicky thing. All collaborative artistry and creativity is. But due to the hobby nature of the medium, there are no external forces which demand any given group's continuation (monetary, career, et cetera). It is gambling, in a sense, with time. The "highs" of a group are of the uppermost caliber, I would even argue they surpass that which 1x1 may provide. But finding the proper group of individuals is as difficult as you may imagine, and an immense investment.

The group dynamics are of little consequence to myself, but they could be for others. Certain cadre of people collectively join groups, en masse, resulting in the immediate formation of division through means of relation. Which can lead to certain people developing outcast mentality, but I would suggest not submitting before such nature if possible. Nonetheless, it is an existing issue, and many experienced GMs carry with them their own 'people' in-between roleplays. For some, it can be difficult to assimilate into such dynamics.

And whilst I do not personally recognize what amongst a group, in specific, could be "ugly," I am aware that through simple math, there are more people, leading to a higher chance of interacting with those you do not enjoy interacting with. As a participant in a group, you cannot police a GM on which people should, or should not join. You may try, but it is not in your power. There are many kinds of people who partake in group: those wishing to game-ify the storytelling medium for misplaced wants of superiority, to the vengefully spiteful, who will hinder others and force them towards things which they do not enjoy. More often than not, these are permitted, which can cause grief for people who simply wished to enjoy storytelling. It is of no concern to me, but it is a concern of many with whom I have interacted with over my years at RPN.

It is not exclusive here, it is merely the result of people participating in something. It happens everywhere, for whatever reasons, from the simplest of issues.