Supernatural High School Failures

[Viper]

They are all over the place, it is impossible that you have not seen one (or a hundred) of them on this site. Yet day after day another one dies and another one takes it's place. For that reason I have seen people swear off them all together and as a fan of the basic idea behind it, I want to know why this happens. To me they may not be 100% original anymore but they still hold potential for a good time in a setting we all know and understand.


My basic questions are: Why do you think supernatural high school RPs fail and what would one have to do to succeed or get your true interest?


My personal theory is that magic high schools fail for three reasons. One, and this may be a personal preference, there are far to many people in the role play. There is either too much going on and a person gets buried underneath 43 unread posts just for being gone a few hours or there are so many people doing their own little things that no real bonds are really made between the masses. Second, there is no realism or true school like situations at all. Other than the fact that homework and tests are rarely a thing, the problem is that in a place where magic/monsters are common and expected, the students (aka the characters) get to do whatever they want without consequence. The students can kill random civilians, talk back to their teacher, beat the teacher to a pulp even though they are 20+ years older than your character etc. Third, and my main theory, is that there is no plot point. You simply to make your character and go to your first day of school, that's it. There is no goal, no conflict, no real encouragement to simply interact with each other, you simply are in school with powers.

 

[White Masquerade]

Lol. Yeah, you're right in everything. I strongly believe any type of role-play no matter how many times it's been done, can be awesome if the right buttons are pushed. You make a good point. There's nothing "school" about school RPs other than the setting.


A true school role-play, would do very well as a Hosted Project. Everything you say that's a problem, is a problem. If you correct that, you'll end up with a great school RP. For me to join, the creator would have to make amazing use of the classroom, to tie in other parts of the role-play. I don't want to RP sitting in class talking to friends. I really don't. I would be willing to do this though, if there was some serious plot tied with it. Like, your character is a student-assassin giving a coded message to their friend, while rival student-assassins have their ears open trying out figure it out. Something like that.


If you want to flip the High School RP type on its head, do it. As they are now, I wouldn't touch them with a 10-foot pole.

 

[Grey]

1. No plot, not even a real plot outline.


2. No coherent world-building.


3. No sense that the creator knows what they're doing.


4. No tonal or thematic consistency.


5. Minimal detail.


6. Failure to actually exploit the school setting.


7. Obviously an excuse to play a self-insert wish-fulfillment character and have boring romances that go nowhere.

 

[GiggledustJedi]

There's also the thing with characters being overpowered as hell, or Edgy on Purpose.

 

[call me rae]

I was so worried you were going to be bashing the supernatural high school idea and as someone who started roleplaying by entering the xavier's institute and who has ( consistently ) had at least one monster high roleplay every year around halloween I have to say I was ready to take up arms in defense of the idea.


Honestly I think your right - for me it's usually people first, lack of plot second, and people not paying attention to the groundwork i set.


Because I'm a world building queen and I will set up whole worlds for my roleplays to take place - less so for my schools but that's because i'm assuming you have a basic idea of how school works.


In my case the school setting is usually a backdrop to some kind of quest/problem/etc.


I.E. - Rosario Vampire - Normal in a Magic/Monster School


I.E. - Murder Mystery - Monsters Killing Normal Students


I.E. - Halloween. - shhhh that's totally a plot.


I mean grant you I usually start them for the sole purpose of having a place to geek out about my halloween mania so plots less important than just having fun for me


But they probably would last longer if someone made like a mult-tier plot and a decent world backdrop.


Then again honest susan - that's true for all the roleplays ever.


 

There's also the thing with characters being overpowered as hell, or Edgy on Purpose.

OMG. I blame Stephanie Meyer. She RUINED the supernatural community. Everyone thinks their monsters have to be emo gary stu losers.


Me I'm like no. Be creative.


Make a chain smoking pink princess unicorn with a gambling addiction.


A stoner dream catcher that manipulates people's dreams


A witch who animates knitting projects


The spirit of the Internet.


Something. I mean there is more to the supernatural world than - Edward Cullen and Jake Black.


Je-SUS people. come on.

 

[GiggledustJedi]

@readingraebow


I agree, Meyer set off a very annoying trend! If I want vampires I'll stick with The Lost Boys, because they enjoy eating people and who doesn't love 80's vampires?!


I'm trying to imagine that unicorn princess, and it's glorious. :3 The witch idea is beyond adorable, just imagine all the cute enchanted gifts she'd make! Poncho that keeps you toasty in a snowstorm, or fuzzy socks that make you faster!


NO DON'T DO IT. THE SPIRIT OF THE INTERNET WILL DESTROY US ALL.


Anyway back to the topic! I also get annoyed when the adults in charge of a supernatural school seem to have no power whatsoever. Seriously, I expect the math teacher to wipe the floor with some obnoxious punk that tries to superpower their way out of things!

 

[call me rae]

Lol yeah I can't find the other picture but the original inspiration for pretty princess with the gambling addiction is below.


As to teachers I literally do exactly that for people with delusion God sue characters.


LIKE yeah no the teachers are the In chArge for a reason<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_09/image.jpg.8077d4897bc419758617b252348bbe44.jpg" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="75810" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2015_09/image.jpg.8077d4897bc419758617b252348bbe44.jpg" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>

 

[GiggledustJedi]

Oh my word, what a beautiful masterpiece! ;w;


LOL I wish I could have read that, especially if the author of the God Sue tried to retaliate somehow. You know that could be a fun premise, the days and lives of superpowered teachers complaining about their whiny students in the teachers lounge!

 

[call me rae]

Oh my word, what a beautiful masterpiece! ;w;
LOL I wish I could have read that, especially if the author of the God Sue tried to retaliate somehow. You know that could be a fun premise, the days and lives of superpowered teachers complaining about their whiny students in the teachers lounge!

Ooh that would be awesome!


I'll have to try that some time. I already have three character from my old men days. And it is funny like


Can you believe that little shit Leon tried to turn me into a toad again! Hell I might have given him a half grade if he managed it - but no it was just another distraction.


...do you think our principal would be mad if we told his parents he got eaten?


Only I turned HIM into a toad and whiskers was giving him a funny look

 

[GiggledustJedi]

@readingraebow


Go right ahead, all my ideas are free to use! I'd love to join if you do decide to make that! Just imagine all the shenanigans that'd happen everyday. 8D We're kinda going off track, but if you want to discuss this idea further then shoot me a PM~


So, another thing that bugs me about supernatural schools is that they usually lack in organization and controlling the sense of time that passes by. I haven't seen one where all the listed classes happened, it's usually first/last period, lunch time, gym time, or go home time.

 

[call me rae]

Lol I'm a bit busy but October is my month for monster shenanigans so if I have spare time I'll give you a pm.


Yea know I think I might do that. Unless I'm doing a roleplay with hands on classes where like they do stuff then it's usually


They went to class..... They ate dinner.... Omg time for the prom

 

[Viper]

Just to mention the twilight point, although I don't like the type of vampires Meyer made, I think the edgy vampire thing existed WAY before that. If anything she made vampires the opposite of emo, she made them more human like. They didn't wear black, makeup or hang out in cemeteries, they dressed normal, drove cars, and had a house. Just look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a series I adore by the way, they are far more emo than any twilight vampire. Since the main two vampires always wears black, wines about his life, and lives in a cemetery. This isn't an attack you guys, but I think people just like to blame her for all the faults in the modern supernatural fandom since Twilight is treated like a big masterpiece, they hate the story, and that her vampires sparkled.


Glad to see you guys agree with my other points though! I didn't even think about the time passing problem since it is common in many RPs but when you set up a class schedule and never mention it more than once, you just wasted your time and a chance at fleshing out the school experience.

 

[GiggledustJedi]

That's alright, Viper. I enjoy Buffy too, and I'd rather watch that since vampirism is treated as a curse rather than something to aspire to. 80's vampires are the best though, because you can't go wrong with cheesiness and over the top fashion!


Exactly! They might as well be in a mall wandering about since no book learning is gonna be done. >:c

 

[call me rae]

Just to mention the twilight point, although I don't like the type of vampires Meyer made, I think the edgy vampire thing existed WAY before that. If anything she made vampires the opposite of emo, she made them more human like. They didn't wear black, makeup or hang out in cemeteries, they dressed normal, drove cars, and had a house. Just look at Buffy the Vampire Slayer, a series I adore by the way, they are far more emo than any twilight vampire. Since the main two vampires always wears black, wines about his life, and lives in a cemetery. This isn't an attack you guys, but I think people just like to blame her for all the faults in the modern supernatural fandom since Twilight is treated like a big masterpiece, they hate the story, and that her vampires sparkled.
Glad to see you guys agree with my other points though! I didn't even think about the time passing problem since it is common in many RPs but when you set up a class schedule and never mention it more than once, you just wasted your time and a chance at fleshing out the school experience.

First off don't be talkin' about my fake boyfriend like that. *waggles fingers*


Lol but seriously I guess for me it was less an issue with the mythology of meyer - i mean you change vampires to faeries and it makes a lot more sense - but the total lack of characterization.


To address your Buffy comparison


Angel was indeed a whiny emo crybaby sometimes. But he was like that because of CURSE. That overly emotional b.s. was him dealing with being a total sociopath for years. And it was against his nature as a vampire.


If you look at the "proper vampires" - Dru, Spike, Darla, Angelous - then you see the more common trope of monsters.


Even the overly emotional thing isn't bad if your trying for like a redemption sub-plot. But like it has to make since -


In a high school setting where everyone is a monster then why would you bitch and moan about having to eat people when chances are 90% of your classmates do the same thing?


For that Edward had NO LIFE outside of Bella and VICE VERSA.


That is the part that just - no I can't.


I mean yes I get that that is unfortunately a fairly accurate rendition of how some teen girls think but I'm sorry I'm not writing a story dedicated to that nonsense I don't care how realistic it is.


-----


Lastly to touch on the original point - like didn't the Meyer vampires have like no real weaknesses. Unles you like dismembered them - and you needed crazy super strength to do that?


See my above response to that.


I will nerf my teacher character into superman and swat that snotty brat around like a pinball.

 

[Kylesar1]

School RPs have no plot. That's the biggest problem for me


I suppose it takes from the school anime, but most of those don't have their plot rooted in school. Their main location is a school, but it's plot isn't centered around the school


They're boring as hell. There's nothing more boring than going class to class taking courses in history. If it's boring in real life, chances are, it's gonna be just as boring in an RP. I mean, it's an RP for christ sake. Literally anything can happen, but apparently going from class to class is fun for some reason.


No room for growth. Nothing happens............ EVER. Just a bunch of player socializing about nothing. The romances are lame. If the school is the location, what can happen?

 

[Bacon is fluffy]

I don't mind playing a teenager, but I'm tired of high school being the main plot of anime. So I'd have extreme prejudice against an rp like this unless it was extremely well done

 

[Grey]

. If the school is the location, what can happen?

I will address this with a So You Want To Write before the New Year.

 

[call me rae]

I will address this with a So You Want To Write before the New Year.

Oh can't wait. I've tried to do plot oriented school roleplays ( many based at least superficially in a "supernatural" or "gifted school" context ) but they never seem to get off the mark. I always figured I was swinging too far in the opposite direction of most people's problem with this type of thing.


I.E. There's no plot why am I in a school?


Whereas I literally plotted out monthly missions each tied to a specific class offered as well as holiday multi-tiered missions for breaks.


I seriously had an entire year of activities planned ( I've lost the document for it which I'm bummed about because I think it would be fun if I ever did the plot again ) but the problem is that we never seemed to get through one activity before people started dropping like flies.

 

[call me rae]

[QUOTE="Bacon is fluffy]I don't mind playing a teenager, but I'm tired of high school being the main plot of anime. So I'd have extreme prejudice against an rp like this unless it was extremely well done

[/QUOTE]
For me I think it depends on how they define the school. Like in the supernatural specific concept I think going to fun themed "classes" like "How to Scare" or "Demon Deals" or something would be kind of fun if you got creative with it. Plus if you have like an over-reaching reason for the people to be in the school.


Ex. I'm in a school just like this right now - well a part of the interest thread - and the big over reaching plot is there are humans that are being incorporated into the human school. So kind of "Rosario Vampire" esque. Which is a fun plot if for no other reason than you can like go cheesy horror movie with it and write in fun scares and gross stuff.


So like if it's just rote - I'm in school because reasons and doing jack diddly with it. Then yeah it's boring.


But if it's like - we're a host club hosting themed parties OR there's been a murder at the school and we're trying to find the culprit before we all die. Or even full on MUTINY! STUDENTS TAKE OVER THE SCHOOL and chaos reigns supreme. It's all in how much creativity and fun you have with the concept.


Don't limit yourself to texting and hook ups and I'll at least give it a shot.


Then again it's been long enough since I've been in high school that I'm willing to laugh at the ridiculousness of it.