Viewpoint RP veterans, what have you observed has changed over time in roleplays ?

[Darling_Canines]

EDIT: Sorry Mods! It seems I've posted this in the wrong section at first. Thank you for moving it to the right place!

Greetings to you! Thank you for stopping by!
Last time I joined a roleplay community and actively did collaborative writing was in the 2010s and only decided to come back to it recently. And wow things have both very much changed...and also not at all? I haven't started rolelpaying with anyone on here yet, I have just been observing and lurking to understand the current linguo and such. And I thought that it would be fun to talk about how roleplaying online has evolved!

Here's what I've observed so far:

-First off holy shit did RP site rules change and become SO SAFE it's amazing! Back in the day wherever I went, every group roleplay I used to partake in always seemed to turn into an ERP, it might've been just a thing in the communities I was a part of but MAN is it refreshing to find so many cool ideas that only focus on the lore and have fully fleshed out characters that aren't just created with the intent of having them bone.

- Still about safety but people seem to be so much more open about their boundaries !!! Back then I used to only see someone say "No godmodding and no one liners" and that's all. It's so cool how people know exactly what they like and don't like in an RP partner, AND COMMUNICATE IT. Hell I'm so impressed by so many adult roleplayers openly state that they feel uncomfortable roleplaying with minors. Which is so godamn reassuring to see because man, roleplaying used to be like playing a weird game of russian roulette where if you were a kid and RPing with other kids it was so likely that you'd end up talking to some creepy ass people.

- Idk if again that is specific to the communities I used to be in but I miss people referring to character sheets as 'skellies' (short for character skeletons) and other cute names and abreviations for different parts of the RP setup. I was honestly expecting that to have evolved into some whacky terms, but I understand that using less niche language makes rolpelaying more accessible to everyone so I'm not critiquing or anything.

- It's heartwarming to see that theres so much more options out there to customize and 'beautify' an RP thread. Like what you can do with a little bit of coding on here is so godamn cool and I can't help but feel so happy for the writers that love curating aesthetics to go along with their writing. Back then I never came across a website or a place that could do more than allow you to add pictures, and even then it was so hard to size pics correctly you'd often cross a post with a very obnoxious signature at the end or way too tiny pictures you couldn't see jack shit of.

- While looking around this website I can tell when someone's been writing with one specific OC they've had FOREVER. And usually they've evolved and have been so very well fleshed out, but I can just SEE what they might've been in the past when that OC was probably just a knockoff Sasuke character written by an angsty teen with an overly used anime picture as a reference and it cracks me up but also kinda fills me with pride to see y'all sticking to your craft for so long. Kudos to y'all, stay determined.

-I'm so glad post signatures are still a thing. And that there are rules to discourage users from making them too flashy/obnoxious by using gifs or huge pics. But they still have that good old cheesy nature to them with quotes and funny shit. I'm so glad that's still a thing.

-Even after all this time, SCPs and creepypastas are still alive and thriving. I did not expect that lmao.

 

[Jannah]

I'll list a few that stand out.

-Far more LGBTQA+ pairings. When I started these did exist, but it was pretty niche. It's not really my thing as I usually prefer MxF pairings, but it's cool that the option is out there I suppose for people that want it. Fitting into this as well I guess would be far more of a conscious effort by RPers to include POC, disabled characters, etc. in their stories.

-Trigger warnings. It's not really something I ever thought about too deeply as I don't have any triggers myself so it's really only something I've noticed upon observing others.

-RP's generally being far more complex than they used to be. Maybe this is just an observation I've made due to the crowds I RP with, but RP has really become more like a form of collaborative storytelling rather than simply playing a role. This means far more worldbulding, inclusion of more NPC's, etc.

 

[nerdy tangents]

So I do think it’s a combination of two things.

1. The average roleplayer (at least on this site) has grown. If you started out as a teen in 2010 your in your late twenties to early thirties now. (i started at 20 in 2008 so that should give ya an idea of how long I have been at this).

Over that time I have gotten a lot better idea of what I do and don’t like, how to execute my ideas, and how to stand up for myself.

2. It’s absolutely the site. I think I joined this site in 2016 originally. Now I havent used it exclusively in that time but the one thing I will say for the site is its well organized and a reasonably safe community. I don’t always agree with the mods but I rarely get the sense they’re just playing favorites or using the rules to bully people they don’t like. Which was an issue in one of the sites I played in previously.

---

---

But for the question at hand, and specific to the evolution of this site ::

1. I miss the detailed, casual, simple definitions. It was so much easier to find folks who write at a similar level when those where a thing. It was a universal site specific glossary that we could all use rather than having to get into specifics in each thread.

2. The increase in respect. It used to be anything I tried to set boundaries I would get a five paragraph screed about how I was a horrible person pushing an agenda. Like yep you got me, my radical agenda is don’t make your character bipolar if you don’t actually know what that means.

Like now a days folks can be like “so I don’t really like smoking to be featured in the roleplay” and it’s totally fine.

 

[chaotic cat cutie]

So, here I am going against the grain again but I'm going to say roleplaying is probably more dangerous than ever at this period of time. Mainly because of the ambiguity of what is right and wrong when it comes to AI. AI generated art. AI generated writing. AI generated bots trolling your discord. Even that feature of age checking before joining a discord server. Super dangerous. The fact that there are discord servers out there which can view your first and last name. Really unsettling. Another change I've noticed is trigger warnings. I've tried to honor this change the best I can because I am always looking to find ways to make players feel safe but even those become an issue. It is also becoming increasingly harder for younger and older players to write together because of the stigma. Which is really unsettling. Just because your ten years older than someone doesn't mean you wish ill intent on them when writing with them. I miss the days where you could activly mentor and write with youth and not be afraid or shamed into anything.

I feel like it's much harder for players to be open and honest as well as authentically creative anymore. No one can swallow two sides of an opinion anymore. Have a conversation and come to a happy medium. I see that's becoming much more difficult these days.

I will just return to something I heard someone I really respect saying. Sometimes justice thinking doesn't serve your best interest and I truly feel this is the largest impact to the roleplay universe.
The illusion of safety doesn't mean your safe.

As well as the terrifying use of AI on the regular.

That's my five cents right there. But this is just my observation over the past twenty years.

 

[Darling_Canines]

I'll list a few that stand out.

-Far more LGBTQA+ pairings. When I started these did exist, but it was pretty niche. It's not really my thing as I usually prefer MxF pairings, but it's cool that the option is out there I suppose for people that want it. Fitting into this as well I guess would be far more of a conscious effort by RPers to include POC, disabled characters, etc. in their stories.

-Trigger warnings. It's not really something I ever thought about too deeply as I don't have any triggers myself so it's really only something I've noticed upon observing others.

-RP's generally being far more complex than they used to be. Maybe this is just an observation I've made due to the crowds I RP with, but RP has really become more like a form of collaborative storytelling rather than simply playing a role. This means far more worldbulding, inclusion of more NPC's, etc.

I agree about LGBTQIA+ content being a lot more popular now! Back in my day (I'm just 25 lmao) it was so goddamn hard to find people to RP a pairing that wasn't straight. And usually I often landed on weird 'fetishising lesbians' folks hahaha. And it is refreshing to see people diversifying their casts but I can't help but cringe at people that uh...clearly don't do enough research or really understand a disability/culture that isn't their own. I guess over here is alright and people will learn or land on someone that will teach them eventually but yeah. I feel like it's a double edged sword.

I really appreciate the trigger warning thing. I think it's the other crevices of the internet that have contributed to that addition in a lot of places quite well and man is it nice for people that struggle with those. (I am people) If I tried to do that back in 2012 I think people would have tried to dox me lmao.

 

[Darling_Canines]

So I do think it’s a combination of two things.

1. The average roleplayer (at least on this site) has grown. If you started out as a teen in 2010 your in your late twenties to early thirties now. (i started at 20 in 2008 so that should give ya an idea of how long I have been at this).

Over that time I have gotten a lot better idea of what I do and don’t like, how to execute my ideas, and how to stand up for myself.

2. It’s absolutely the site. I think I joined this site in 2016 originally. Now I havent used it exclusively in that time but the one thing I will say for the site is its well organized and a reasonably safe community. I don’t always agree with the mods but I rarely get the sense they’re just playing favorites or using the rules to bully people they don’t like. Which was an issue in one of the sites I played in previously.

---

---

But for the question at hand, and specific to the evolution of this site ::

1. I miss the detailed, casual, simple definitions. It was so much easier to find folks who write at a similar level when those where a thing. It was a universal site specific glossary that we could all use rather than having to get into specifics in each thread.

2. The increase in respect. It used to be anything I tried to set boundaries I would get a five paragraph screed about how I was a horrible person pushing an agenda. Like yep you got me, my radical agenda is don’t make your character bipolar if you don’t actually know what that means.

Like now a days folks can be like “so I don’t really like smoking to be featured in the roleplay” and it’s totally fine.

Oh yeah the age thing makes a lot of sense! It surprised me to see so many people around my age range on here. You make me wish I discovered this website earlier haha.

I had the glossary thing in the websites I used to frequent too! I agree that was a great way to help everyone get to the point of what they expected/wanted in a RP partner. But I wonder if maybe their removal could be because it was also limiting in a way? Not everyone understands things in the exact same way, and I don't think whoever came up with the glossaries could ask literally everyone that read it, how did they understand the use of each specific new word and how they would use it etc... But it was also helpful for younger, less expressive folks to understand their options and gave them an idea on what to express. I wonder if the removal of glossaries is related to your point about the average population on here just aging and knowing what they want and how to say it without the need of coded words like before?


I soo agree for the increase in respect! I believe that came with the inclusion of trigger warnings and people being a lot more aware that others can struggle with things that seem mundane or safe to them.

 

[nerdy tangents]

Oh yeah the age thing makes a lot of sense! It surprised me to see so many people around my age range on here. You make me wish I discovered this website earlier haha.

I had the glossary thing in the websites I used to frequent too! I agree that was a great way to help everyone get to the point of what they expected/wanted in a RP partner. But I wonder if maybe their removal could be because it was also limiting in a way? Not everyone understands things in the exact same way, and I don't think whoever came up with the glossaries could ask literally everyone that read it, how did they understand the use of each specific new word and how they would use it etc... But it was also helpful for younger, less expressive folks to understand their options and gave them an idea on what to express. I wonder if the removal of glossaries is related to your point about the average population on here just aging and knowing what they want and how to say it without the need of coded words like before?


I soo agree for the increase in respect! I believe that came with the inclusion of trigger warnings and people being a lot more aware that others can struggle with things that seem mundane or safe to them.

So based on observations of the time I think the glossary thing fell to the wayside because of a increase in users and also when they changed the site layout.

I honestly don’t remember if they specified why the glossary had to go but I think it was something to do with the addition of the tag system.

I do think respect and age go hand and hand. I think as teens it’s difficult to navigate social situations in a respectful manner but as you get older you get introduced to more diverse viewpoints and you develop more empathy for the people around you.

I know I was a hardheaded little shit when I started out. I was never intentionally mean but in hindsight I didn’t have the best people skills either.

But I have grown, acknowledged my flaws and made an effort to improve. Can’t say I always succeed but at least I can usually pinpoint where I went off the rails.

 

[Darling_Canines]

So, here I am going against the grain again but I'm going to say roleplaying is probably more dangerous than ever at this period of time. Mainly because of the ambiguity of what is right and wrong when it comes to AI. AI generated art. AI generated writing. AI generated bots trolling your discord. Even that feature of age checking before joining a discord server. Super dangerous. The fact that there are discord servers out there which can view your first and last name. Really unsettling. Another change I've noticed is trigger warnings. I've tried to honor this change the best I can because I am always looking to find ways to make players feel safe but even those become an issue. It is also becoming increasingly harder for younger and older players to write together because of the stigma. Which is really unsettling. Just because your ten years older than someone doesn't mean you wish ill intent on them when writing with them. I miss the days where you could activly mentor and write with youth and not be afraid or shamed into anything.

I feel like it's much harder for players to be open and honest as well as authentically creative anymore. No one can swallow two sides of an opinion anymore. Have a conversation and come to a happy medium. I see that's becoming much more difficult these days.

I will just return to something I heard someone I really respect saying. Sometimes justice thinking doesn't serve your best interest and I truly feel this is the largest impact to the roleplay universe.
The illusion of safety doesn't mean your safe.

As well as the terrifying use of AI on the regular.

That's my five cents right there. But this is just my observation over the past twenty years.

I did not think about all the AI related problems that could go with roleplaying nowadays! Good point there! It is unsettling that ill-willed tech inclined people could have a LOT more power over people than they should...

Can you elaborate on your trigger warning bit? I go agree that it seems people in different age ranges on here seem to avoid each other like the plague. But on the other hand I kind of understand and find it reassuring in a way, I think a lot of us older roleplayers that frequented RP spaces as minors have encountered a lot of weird, creepy adults that really shouldn't be talking about certain things or exploring certain topics with minors in the way they did. And that has left a lot of us now with a shitty taste in our mouths from it. So I can understand other people's discomfort on that. But I do also see the divide it creates. (For me Roleplaying can unite people from all walks of life in writing, and seeing RPing being THAT controlled and smoothed over now I also can't help but feel a little sad that people now are less inclined to mesh with others that are considered "too different" from them. I do see that potential for really interesting RPs never being really tapped into. I think we can both agree on that.

I don't agree however on people's inability to see different prespectives on a situation. It's just a lot harder to really see that being done anywhere nowadays because everything on the internet is INCREDIBLY fast paced and doesn't give you much time to write down the full spectrum of your views on every single little thing. And with that people loose that common sense notion of exploring all sides of a coin (on the internet), because:
- It's usually not worth the time and extra effort to elaborate in short replies
- Since no one does it anymore, no one actively tries or thinks to do it (on the internet)
- Not everyone on the internet is there to have a civilised conversation. Some people use their anonimity to expel their shitty day or life. Like vomit, better out than inwards lmao But that means that you will find a lot of people just looking for fights instead of really trying to have a conversation.
- Younger folks are exposed to all that and are kind of...convinced? That that is the normal way things are, which in turn can fuck with their ability to have a convo. Which is probably going to repulse quite a lot of older roleplayers that do expect nuances in conversation/RPs they are in
-I might be rambling and not making sense anymore, please let me know if you wantme to elaborate on something hahah
- I believe that is it possible to have a nuanced, interesting and educational conversation with ANYONE as long as you let them know that you partake in the "put yourself in other people's shoes" mindset. And that usually helps people remember that nuance is totally something they can do.

But damn yeah 20 YEARS of this!? That's amazing dude!!! You must have seen some crazy shit hahaha.

 

[nerdy tangents]

Also this is a bit more niche but in the category of “things have changed but also not” - HP Roleplays.

When I started roleplahing Harry Potter was one of the most popular fandoms in existence (that, X-men, and anime were basically all you found in the fandom section).

Now I think there are like five to ten Harry Potter roleplayers on the entire site. It’s gotten so I know all of them by name and they know me.

Now that’s not a huge imposition, we get new blood all the time and every once in a blue moon one of my HP besties and I have our schedules line up to do a shared roleplay.

The thing that has remained the same is that so many people still like the coming of age / teen romance storylines in fandom (HP and others). Which I find funny because we’re all reaching the point where we could conceivably be our characters parents chatting about going to class and teenage crushes.

Then again being an adult can be stressful so there is nothing wrong with falling back on nostalgia. I actually find the more platonic school stories fun (a bit too old for teen romances but that’s more of a personal taste thing).

 

[chaotic cat cutie]

I did not think about all the AI related problems that could go with roleplaying nowadays! Good point there! It is unsettling that ill-willed tech inclined people could have a LOT more power over people than they should...

Can you elaborate on your trigger warning bit? I go agree that it seems people in different age ranges on here seem to avoid each other like the plague. But on the other hand I kind of understand and find it reassuring in a way, I think a lot of us older roleplayers that frequented RP spaces as minors have encountered a lot of weird, creepy adults that really shouldn't be talking about certain things or exploring certain topics with minors in the way they did. And that has left a lot of us now with a shitty taste in our mouths from it. So I can understand other people's discomfort on that. But I do also see the divide it creates. (For me Roleplaying can unite people from all walks of life in writing, and seeing RPing being THAT controlled and smoothed over now I also can't help but feel a little sad that people now are less inclined to mesh with others that are considered "too different" from them. I do see that potential for really interesting RPs never being really tapped into. I think we can both agree on that.

I don't agree however on people's inability to see different prespectives on a situation. It's just a lot harder to really see that being done anywhere nowadays because everything on the internet is INCREDIBLY fast paced and doesn't give you much time to write down the full spectrum of your views on every single little thing. And with that people loose that common sense notion of exploring all sides of a coin (on the internet), because:
- It's usually not worth the time and extra effort to elaborate in short replies
- Since no one does it anymore, no one actively tries or thinks to do it (on the internet)
- Not everyone on the internet is there to have a civilised conversation. Some people use their anonimity to expel their shitty day or life. Like vomit, better out than inwards lmao But that means that you will find a lot of people just looking for fights instead of really trying to have a conversation.
- Younger folks are exposed to all that and are kind of...convinced? That that is the normal way things are, which in turn can fuck with their ability to have a convo. Which is probably going to repulse quite a lot of older roleplayers that do expect nuances in conversation/RPs they are in
-I might be rambling and not making sense anymore, please let me know if you wantme to elaborate on something hahah
- I believe that is it possible to have a nuanced, interesting and educational conversation with ANYONE as long as you let them know that you partake in the "put yourself in other people's shoes" mindset. And that usually helps people remember that nuance is totally something they can do.

But damn yeah 20 YEARS of this!? That's amazing dude!!! You must have seen some crazy shit hahaha.

If you want to add pen and paper roleplaying there you can tack on another five years.

Yes, I've seen my fair share of crazy shit so perhaps I'm a bit jaded.

As trigger warnings go, I don't mean like a light trigger warning of gore and violence. I don't mean like being polite and saying there may be swearing.
I mean like an entire front page describing what you can and can not : discuss or even roleplay. The trigger warnings which really bind people into a really horrible place. Box you in and your walking on eggshells. I don't mean just genuine politeness and being mindful of your players safety. I mean an almost dictator kind of trigger warnings. The one's where it's like you said the wrong word you used the wrong tone FIX YOUR POST. It perplexes my creativity. You feel uncomfortable that a character is showing genuine characteristics of a human being and reacting in a realistic manner? That upsets you? Wait what? I can't even grow my character the proper way with such restrictions. I'm talking those triggers. The type of people unable or willing to grow.

I'm really glad you asked me to clarify because I don't think all trigger warnings are bad. I actually really wish I had a trigger warning when I started listening to the "Bluest Eye." I've heard so much about it. Although, for me, I had to stop and literally get sick at the vapor rub part. I'm not going to get into it but if you read this book or listened to you you know exactly what I'm talking about. THAT was a huge trigger for me because of the paralleling history I have and I was like WOAH WHAT. So YES trigger warning are very appreciated to me when I need them.

When people get too tunnel versioned on the subject matter being unsettling and making everyone comfortable. I take issue with that. When it's warented. Your roleplaying with close friends or adults and your like "hey for your own mental health this may have blah blah subject matter."

As far as civilized conversations. I totally agree with you. I actually appreciate it when someone is very blunt and honest. What I mean is.. miscommunication happens a lot more. At least for me. Perhaps that's my lack of investment in anything social media. I actually didn't have internet really till I was in my twenties.


Also, I don't think you rambling at all. I was able to make sense of the points.

I think your right it does just boil down to different generations communicate different. Sometimes it can be repulsing trying to fit yourself into a box of the older generation. Hey totally get it. My mother's a boomer! Very 1950's mindset but she still thinks she's a hippy and in because she protested war as a kid. I mean like totally accurate generational differences with social media and just in general. FEOOWEE ( don't know if that sound really translates to anything but)


Again, I always appreciate conversation and being quoted. Again sorry if I came across jaded.


And yes, AI does creep me the fuck out. ALOT. Mostly because I know people who have created this software for popular AI and it's pretty nuts.( I can't go much into it because I'm not smart or savvy) I don't think the world is remotely ready for it. At least from what I understand. It's going to be bonkers soon. It's going to change literally everything in the next few years.


( just adding here if anything doesn't make sense or the grammar is atrocious I have a tiny bit of a migraine which could be playing with me. so sorry for any confusion.)

 

[Paradox9]

1. The shift of rp from forum to discord. Play by post rp has reached a point where it's split between novella style writers that still do forum, and chat style one/couple liners on discord. As someone who dislikes single thread rp, I finally had to just accept joining this place because the quantity of good panfandom forum rps has dropped to near non existent.
2. A strange aversion to rping as or with younger characters. This seems to be purely a development among role players because I can go find many older fanfiction writers that will craft great stories for characters that are under 18. Just because I'm over 30, doesn't mean I suddenly don't want to rp as a character from a show or game I like.
3. AI replacing Face Claims. I don't really hate this and it makes sense for OCs. I just like seeing rare or cool FCs that I like and now there is less of that.

 

[Jannah]

I agree about LGBTQIA+ content being a lot more popular now! Back in my day (I'm just 25 lmao) it was so goddamn hard to find people to RP a pairing that wasn't straight. And usually I often landed on weird 'fetishising lesbians' folks hahaha. And it is refreshing to see people diversifying their casts but I can't help but cringe at people that uh...clearly don't do enough research or really understand a disability/culture that isn't their own. I guess over here is alright and people will learn or land on someone that will teach them eventually but yeah. I feel like it's a double edged sword.

I really appreciate the trigger warning thing. I think it's the other crevices of the internet that have contributed to that addition in a lot of places quite well and man is it nice for people that struggle with those. (I am people) If I tried to do that back in 2012 I think people would have tried to dox me lmao.

I will admit that I actively avoid writing non-cis characters precisely because I'm not very knowledgeable about that stuff. I'm cis myself and don't really have any non-cis friends, thus my exposure to that community is very very limited. The one time I actually attempted to play a trans character it was rife with common tropes and stereotypes. Because of this experience I'd be a hypocrite not to tell others to at least research the things they're wanting to write.

 

[Nu Epiq]

Discord becoming a major thing to either write or have planning on. I don't personally deal with it but it's a big deal, I suppose.

I can appreciate the writers who can make all kinds of characters, as in, different ethnicities, races, etc and not make them just a bundle of stereotypes. Before, you could tell who didn't bother doing some research.

 

[Darling_Canines]

So based on observations of the time I think the glossary thing fell to the wayside because of a increase in users and also when they changed the site layout.

I honestly don’t remember if they specified why the glossary had to go but I think it was something to do with the addition of the tag system.

I do think respect and age go hand and hand. I think as teens it’s difficult to navigate social situations in a respectful manner but as you get older you get introduced to more diverse viewpoints and you develop more empathy for the people around you.

I know I was a hardheaded little shit when I started out. I was never intentionally mean but in hindsight I didn’t have the best people skills either.

But I have grown, acknowledged my flaws and made an effort to improve. Can’t say I always succeed but at least I can usually pinpoint where I went off the rails.

Aaah I see, that makes sense. It's already hard enough to get 10 people to all read the same thing so maybe the glossary was also getting overlooked a lot as more and more people joined. Whereas the tag system is obligatory and "forces" you to interact with it rather than giving you the option to simply "check it out".

And yes I absolutely agree that our relationship with respect changes as we age. In my case I came to really understand how to respect others when I came to learn how to really do it with myself. Respecting my own boundaries, thoughts and feelings allowed me to understand how to figure out how to approach other people's boundaries and worth. I come from France, and even if I enver like to generalize the behavior of an entire country's worth of people, I can confidently say that putting children down is a goddamn olympic sport over here So it takes younger folks an especially longer while for them to actually understand what the hell a boundary is and what manners are

Also this is a bit more niche but in the category of “things have changed but also not” - HP Roleplays.

When I started roleplahing Harry Potter was one of the most popular fandoms in existence (that, X-men, and anime were basically all you found in the fandom section).

Now I think there are like five to ten Harry Potter roleplayers on the entire site. It’s gotten so I know all of them by name and they know me.

Now that’s not a huge imposition, we get new blood all the time and every once in a blue moon one of my HP besties and I have our schedules line up to do a shared roleplay.

The thing that has remained the same is that so many people still like the coming of age / teen romance storylines in fandom (HP and others). Which I find funny because we’re all reaching the point where we could conceivably be our characters parents chatting about going to class and teenage crushes.

Then again being an adult can be stressful so there is nothing wrong with falling back on nostalgia. I actually find the more platonic school stories fun (a bit too old for teen romances but that’s more of a personal taste thing).

Wow, of all the fandoms to persist in numbers I was really expecting HP fans to be absolutely THRIVING here. I'm not a fan myself but I've barely seen books that have been loved as ardently and intensely as Harry Potter books have been...I'm really surprised there aren't more of y'all on here!!!

For the coming of age stories I wonder if they are so popular because I've never met or heard of someone that hasn't grown up absolutely drowned in those kinds of stories. I mean they are everywhere and always are a hit it would almost be weird to not want to write those kinds of scenarios. I wonder if also it might be popular because it is an easy, familiar and cozy way of having character growth. Everyone knows it pretty well so it probably leads to 'satisfying' writing if that makes sense.

 

[Darling_Canines]

If you want to add pen and paper roleplaying there you can tack on another five years.

Yes, I've seen my fair share of crazy shit so perhaps I'm a bit jaded.

As trigger warnings go, I don't mean like a light trigger warning of gore and violence. I don't mean like being polite and saying there may be swearing.
I mean like an entire front page describing what you can and can not : discuss or even roleplay. The trigger warnings which really bind people into a really horrible place. Box you in and your walking on eggshells. I don't mean just genuine politeness and being mindful of your players safety. I mean an almost dictator kind of trigger warnings. The one's where it's like you said the wrong word you used the wrong tone FIX YOUR POST. It perplexes my creativity. You feel uncomfortable that a character is showing genuine characteristics of a human being and reacting in a realistic manner? That upsets you? Wait what? I can't even grow my character the proper way with such restrictions. I'm talking those triggers. The type of people unable or willing to grow.

I'm really glad you asked me to clarify because I don't think all trigger warnings are bad. I actually really wish I had a trigger warning when I started listening to the "Bluest Eye." I've heard so much about it. Although, for me, I had to stop and literally get sick at the vapor rub part. I'm not going to get into it but if you read this book or listened to you you know exactly what I'm talking about. THAT was a huge trigger for me because of the paralleling history I have and I was like WOAH WHAT. So YES trigger warning are very appreciated to me when I need them.

When people get too tunnel versioned on the subject matter being unsettling and making everyone comfortable. I take issue with that. When it's warented. Your roleplaying with close friends or adults and your like "hey for your own mental health this may have blah blah subject matter."

As far as civilized conversations. I totally agree with you. I actually appreciate it when someone is very blunt and honest. What I mean is.. miscommunication happens a lot more. At least for me. Perhaps that's my lack of investment in anything social media. I actually didn't have internet really till I was in my twenties.


Also, I don't think you rambling at all. I was able to make sense of the points.

I think your right it does just boil down to different generations communicate different. Sometimes it can be repulsing trying to fit yourself into a box of the older generation. Hey totally get it. My mother's a boomer! Very 1950's mindset but she still thinks she's a hippy and in because she protested war as a kid. I mean like totally accurate generational differences with social media and just in general. FEOOWEE ( don't know if that sound really translates to anything but)


Again, I always appreciate conversation and being quoted. Again sorry if I came across jaded.


And yes, AI does creep me the fuck out. ALOT. Mostly because I know people who have created this software for popular AI and it's pretty nuts.( I can't go much into it because I'm not smart or savvy) I don't think the world is remotely ready for it. At least from what I understand. It's going to be bonkers soon. It's going to change literally everything in the next few years.


( just adding here if anything doesn't make sense or the grammar is atrocious I have a tiny bit of a migraine which could be playing with me. so sorry for any confusion.)

Oooh okay, yeah I can see how trigger warnings could be used as more of a very controlling tool than just a simple request for respect on certain things. It sounds almost like...a godmodding tactic? Do people still use that term? Because yeah it sounds a little fucked honestly. If you already have a very specific way you want your RP to go, write a story on your own and stop roleplaying!

Your mother sounds exactly like my father hahaha He's convinced he's an open minded hippy because he went to protests and listened to "not very christian" music in his younger years (He's french and protesting is a national sport that literally EVERYONE does ALL THE TIME over here, he's not as special as he thinks he is hahaha)

But yeah, generational divides are interesting to look at, but sad to go through. Thank you technology for making that gap even wider...

Thank you for taking the extra time to explain that through a migraine, I couldn't do that. I'm such a baby when it comes to any sort of pain I have to immediately stop everything I'm doing. Hell even trying to think during a migrain is too much effort for me hahaha

 

[chaotic cat cutie]

Oooh okay, yeah I can see how trigger warnings could be used as more of a very controlling tool than just a simple request for respect on certain things. It sounds almost like...a godmodding tactic? Do people still use that term? Because yeah it sounds a little fucked honestly. If you already have a very specific way you want your RP to go, write a story on your own and stop roleplaying!

Your mother sounds exactly like my father hahaha He's convinced he's an open minded hippy because he went to protests and listened to "not very christian" music in his younger years (He's french and protesting is a national sport that literally EVERYONE does ALL THE TIME over here, he's not as special as he thinks he is hahaha)

But yeah, generational divides are interesting to look at, but sad to go through. Thank you technology for making that gap even wider...

Thank you for taking the extra time to explain that through a migraine, I couldn't do that. I'm such a baby when it comes to any sort of pain I have to immediately stop everything I'm doing. Hell even trying to think during a migrain is too much effort for me hahaha

YES GODMODDING is so right!
HAHA Your dad and my mom would get along.
Yes I agree technology makes me feel so much older than I am. lol I feel like Thelma and her grandson.

And totally okay! I usually can slug through them. Thank you for taking the time to respond.

AND proving me wrong people CAN have conversations on the internet about things. This has been a really pleasant conversation.

 

[A Sparkling Zombie]

* The use of real people as face claims has become more commonplace. In some circles it has evolved into having additional restrictions based on celebs denying permission for use of their likeness and GMs rejecting the use of celebs who have done criminal/questionable things.

* The roleplayer demographic has aged. Minors, at least here, struggle to find roleplays as the older demographic keeps them out and indirectly buries minor-friendly groups/1x1 requests, which will probably contribute to the decline in forums as a medium, if not maybe the hobby as a whole. I mean, RPN'S design is a culprit in the issue, too, but yeah. (Edit: I tacked on the last sentence as an afterthought while on my phone, and it's a poor choice of words. RPN isn't at fault, but it would be nice if more could be done to give minors space to enjoy/get into the hobby.)

* People are still attached to lit/semi-lit as descriptors. Roleplayers have evolved in terms of accepting diversity, but many still want to use an archaic classification scheme designed to make people feel inferior or superior based on the size of their posts.

* Still a lot of school-based roleplays are created.

* Between Gaia and RPN, since the former's heyday, there has been an increase in the complexity of the window dressing for posts. The incorporation of css into bbcode results in some cool things, but has made roleplaying more inaccessible, since many coders, and the roleplayers who use their designs, don't account for usability. Like, poor font color and size has always popped up, but now there are tiny boxes, a lack of scrollbars in said boxes, and camouflaged/not-easily-decipherable buttons to also contend with.

 

[chaotic cat cutie]

* The use of real people as face claims has become more commonplace. In some circles it has evolved into having additional restrictions based on celebs denying permission for use of their likeness and GMs rejecting the use of celebs who have done criminal/questionable things.

* The roleplayer demographic has aged. Minors, at least here, struggle to find roleplays as the older demographic keeps them out and indirectly buries minor-friendly groups/1x1 requests, which will probably contribute to the decline in forums as a medium, if not maybe the hobby as a whole. I mean, RPN'S design is a culprit in the issue, too, but yeah.

* People are still attached to lit/semi-lit as descriptors. Roleplayers have evolved in terms of accepting diversity, but many still want to use an archaic classification scheme designed to make people feel inferior or superior based on the size of their posts.

* Still a lot of school-based roleplays are created.

* Between Gaia and RPN, since the former's heyday, there has been an increase in the complexity of the window dressing for posts. The incorporation of css into bbcode results in some cool things, but has made roleplaying more inaccessible, since many coders, and the roleplayers who use their designs, don't account for usability. Like, poor font color and size has always popped up, but now there are tiny boxes, a lack of scrollbars in said boxes, and camouflaged/not-easily-decipherable buttons to also contend with.

Why do you think the term of literacy is used to make people feel inferior?
It's a category not an opinion. I'm just so curios, because it's like a school system in my eyes.
Or a scholastic sort of system. I can see it seeming elitist but it's truly not.
I mean in my eyes. How do we evolve this to not be offensive then? Just really curios so I am not offending people.

(Just adding a small point here because I don't want to come off too blunt. People work really hard to get to get to an advanced literacy status.
It's meant to look like an achievement not an offensive status. I really do want to know how to evolve this language so it doesn't offend.
I too did not start off well written and I've had people be brutal with my writing before. I don't want to offend people. Ever. )

 

[nerdy tangents]

Wow, of all the fandoms to persist in numbers I was really expecting HP fans to be absolutely THRIVING here. I'm not a fan myself but I've barely seen books that have been loved as ardently and intensely as Harry Potter books have been...I'm really surprised there aren't more of y'all on here!!!

For the coming of age stories I wonder if they are so popular because I've never met or heard of someone that hasn't grown up absolutely drowned in those kinds of stories. I mean they are everywhere and always are a hit it would almost be weird to not want to write those kinds of scenarios. I wonder if also it might be popular because it is an easy, familiar and cozy way of having character growth. Everyone knows it pretty well so it probably leads to 'satisfying' writing if that makes sense.

I think it’s mostly because the author turned into a Bigot and has gotten increasingly vocal about it as the years have passed. It used to be just a few slightly questionable opinions that you could gloss over as her being a bit ignorant or making a mistake (happens to us all no big deal).

Now with the way she acts it’s like, oh no there is a real ugliness here and I think that ruins the series for a lot of people.

Especially when you pair it with the increase in diversity within RP demographics (people being more open to LGBtQ+ characters, PoC characters, etc. it makes the source material seem worse when you compare it to the modern viewpoints).

But I do think you are onto something about comfort. When I ask people why they want to do school based stories instead of sort of making up something new within the universe (how I personally address the problematic elements, I just make up my own new ideas within the universe). They’re like but this setting is really whimsical and it meant a lot to me as a kid so I want to revisit it.

 

[A Sparkling Zombie]

Why do you think the term of literacy is used to make people feel inferior?
It's a category not an opinion. I'm just so curios, because it's like a school system in my eyes.
Or a scholastic sort of system. I can see it seeming elitist but it's truly not.
I mean in my eyes. How do we evolve this to not be offensive then? Just really curios so I am not offending people.

(Just adding a small point here because I don't want to come off too blunt. People work really hard to get to get to an advanced literacy status.
It's meant to look like an achievement not an offensive status. I really do want to know how to evolve this language so it doesn't offend.
I too did not start off well written and I've had people be brutal with my writing before. I don't want to offend people. Ever. )

To keep from derailing the thread, I'll reply this once and not say anymore on the topic. If you want to continue the discussion past this point, my inbox is open, or feel free to open a separate thread, but, if I remember right, this topic has come up once or twice within the past year. I'm not going to be saying anything that hasn't already been said, and probably from more brilliant minds.

So, I do recognize that there are people who do use the system with good intent, who genuinely aren't trying to mistreat others, or they use it simply to work within the community, but the connotations of the words are easy enough to twist that it creates an echelon, not a neutral classification.

If you write a paragraph regularly, then you're semi-lit, which means you're beneath the standard, which must mean your writing is trash, or you're plain stupid. And if you're just literate, well, that's fine, but you aren't good enough to hang with the brilliant minds of the adv lit crowd.

And then "lazy lit" was added at some point, but it's not much better. It's trying to deny the "gross" semi-lit categorization while also implying a lack of effort. Just speaking for myself, no matter how many words I'm writing, I put effort into my posts, lol.

Look through this board, or on Reddit, and in many cases where post length is brought up, or this nomenclature is discussed, you'll probably see these attitudes, where people who write more look down their nose at those who write less, or people who write less treat themselves as inferior. It fosters a sense of "ew" or indignation when someone encounters someone else who writes less than them.

I grew up under the nomenclature. I remember making myself miserable trying to aspire to the system's ideal, because I didn't want to prattle on at length about what my characters are feeling or how a table is set. I will never be verbose because my communication style is "straight to the point." More or less. I also don't much like balancing multiple dialogue exchanges in a single post, where flow becomes clunky and minor actions from earlier posts become contradicted. I will do it to match a partner's writing style, but it's not my preference.

It took going to another site where this nomenclature isn't used, if not also system play-by-post, to unlearn some of the bias I obtained from the nomenclature and realize that there are creative and intelligent minds who write short, coherent posts. They just don't like to spend time writing anything that isn't immediately useful to keeping the game moving or setting the scene. They're not lesser. They just have a different style and preference.

Maybe the similar academic nomenclature is fine in the academic setting, because they have to cater to apparent learning levels somehow, but people can have other motives for writing fewer words that aren't based around capability. The "lit" scheme isn't reflective of this. Nerdy mentioned earlier that RPN used to divide roleplays by simple, casual, and detailed. Maybe there is a better term than "simple" if someone wants a special spot for one-liner-esque roleplay styles, but overall I think the system is better than the lit one. In an earlier iteration of this discussion, I think someone suggested short, medium, and long. That's decent too. No classification will be perfect, and there will always be those people who try to twist something so that they can feel superior to others, or people who suffer from poor self-esteem who will look for ways to present themselves as crap. That's human nature. But the connotations of those systems are at least more neutral and can maybe reduce some of that attitude.

 

[nerdy tangents]

Also to clarify the original glossary system also wasn’t linked solely to post length which might also be part of the problem.

Now baring in mind it’s been close to a decade since I read the definitions my memory is they were broken up thusly ::

1. Simple
You basically just want to start immediately.
You may or may not have a character sheet
You may or may not have a specific plot.
Typically your posts are rapid and of a lower word count.

2. Casual
You have some set up but nothing too strenuous.
So you will have a character sheet and a plot but you aren’t going to spend a lot of time fleshing either one out. Think more of a basic premise and an elevator pitch.

Typically your posts are maybe a paragraph or so but that’s more of an individual RP thing.

3. Detailed
Okay so now we get to the people who like planning.

You not only have a character sheet and plot but you probably have a lot of lore and your looking for people who can flesh out both the character and the story.

Typically your posts are gonna be multiple paragraphs.

---

---

Sorry I think that was my bad I made it seems like a post length thing. It was more of a roleplay mindset thing.

Which is part of why I miss it because I am a planner by nature so I do like detailed roleplays. Not because I really care about how much you post but because I wanna write with people who are as invested in world building as I am.

Now that’s not to say they were a perfect division either cuz you get people that don’t fit into those three categories exactly. But it was a least less of a writing challenge and more about sharing a mindset.

 

[A Sparkling Zombie]

Also to clarify the original glossary system also wasn’t linked solely to post length which might also be part of the problem.

Now baring in mind it’s been close to a decade since I read the definitions my memory is they were broken up thusly ::

1. Simple
You basically just want to start immediately.
You may or may not have a character sheet
You may or may not have a specific plot.
Typically your posts are rapid and of a lower word count.

2. Casual
You have some set up but nothing too strenuous.
So you will have a character sheet and a plot but you aren’t going to spend a lot of time fleshing either one out. Think more of a basic premise and an elevator pitch.

Typically your posts are maybe a paragraph or so but that’s more of an individual RP thing.

3. Detailed
Okay so now we get to the people who like planning.

You not only have a character sheet and plot but you probably have a lot of lore and your looking for people who can flesh out both the character and the story.

Typically your posts are gonna be multiple paragraphs.

---

---

Sorry I think that was my bad I made it seems like a post length thing. It was more of a roleplay mindset thing.

Which is part of why I miss it because I am a planner by nature so I do like detailed roleplays. Not because I really care about how much you post but because I wanna write with people who are as invested in world building as I am.

Now that’s not to say they were a perfect division either cuz you get people that don’t fit into those three categories exactly. But it was a least less of a writing challenge and more about sharing a mindset.

Thanks for clarifying! I do like that idea better than one based around post length.

 

[Ayama]

Ngl I kinda love that classification too- grouping RPs by basic approach rather than average post length seems to me like a much better way to find a like-minded group of players ^^ We should bring it back!

 

[chaotic cat cutie]

I don't think the question was derailing the thread. What I'm observing in your post is the observation of the system in a very literal sense. Your right, the language does need to evolve, but I don't think it's there to hurt feelings.
I can empathies with a lot of what your saying about standard of writing and the expectations we have. The terms were introduced to me many many years ago and so they are like habbits.
I really really like nerdy tangents nerdy's version and will consider using those in future. It's very important those catagories exist because if I were to write with someone below my academic level it's really hard for me to comprehend what someone is writing is their grammar is riddled with mistakes. Although, back in the beginning I may have appreciated smaller posts and lower grammar skills because I was still at that level. I remember getting angry at people who wrote very large and elegantly written posts, perhaps out of envy, and now I see it for what it was. Insecurity.

This is something great to watch evolve and change in the roleplay world. A bit of a language change in systems. Though, I still see it the same I'm happy the system might help clarify things better.

Thanks again nerdy tangents I really like this system too. I think it's still on topic of observations but I'll not post again. Just so more idea's and comments can float around.

I'm super intrigued with this topic

 

[Jannah]

It took going to another site where this nomenclature isn't used, if not also system play-by-post, to unlearn some of the bias I obtained from the nomenclature and realize that there are creative and intelligent minds who write short, coherent posts. They just don't like to spend time writing anything that isn't immediately useful to keeping the game moving or setting the scene. They're not lesser. They just have a different style and preference.

This right here. Some of my favourite posts I've seen from partners of mine have only been about 150-200 words long. Every word was chosen carefully and flowed into some beautiful prose.