Experiences Things that instantly make you drop an RP

[Scarlett Wyverne]

Honestly if my partner doesn't want to use realistic face claims I'd rather just use none and rely on good writing skills to describe the character. At any rate, I just really can't stand using manga for face claims sorrrry that makes everybody angry apparently....but I really agree with the short cheesy replies, those are atrocious!

 

[rae2nerdy]

J Jules8008 your whole post gave me a rage migraine. I have gotten into such toxic arguments with people who do that exact thing.

They either refuse to plan at all and take a "we'll make it up as we go along approach" when usually sends me down the micromanaging rabbit hole as I try to construct internal consistency entirely by myself.

OR They pull this "oh I like to keep X thing a surprise" and a few weeks later when X thing hasn't come up they have the nerve to complain about it.

Like if you want some super special thing to happen for your character than BLOODY LET ME KNOW.

Ugh.

I cannot with these people.

Literally it gives me a headache just thinking about them.

I simply will not roleplay with a person that makes romance the first priority.

Wolfypuffs Related to your above sentence. When people act like romance is literally the only interpersonal relationship human beings have.

Like literally they'll act like if you don't have a romantic interest for your character than they're unrealistic and can't have drama.

I'm like...so you're saying that there is never any drama between siblings, friends, family members, coworkers, etc.?

And that the entirety of your IRL social circle is the person/people you want to bang?

It just drives me up a wall. Like if you like romance that's fine. But don't act like romance is the only way to write realistic and well-rounded characters.

For that matter people who treat roleplay like it's a dating service. I literally saw a thread where it was " I'm looking for someone to date please roleplay with me."

Like wtf even? This is a fun hobby that involves pretending to be different characters OR writing a story you happen to like.

It's not match.com.

 

[Vudukudu]

Manga/anime face claims making up the bulk of the characters bugs the shit out of me, if the RP isn't expressly anime/manga themed. I don't mind a few, but it does send me running when I look at a character thread and more than 50% use it. Just my personal experience - I rarely, if ever, have seen a character with an anime faceclaim that isn't awful, whether the writing quality is just bad, the character is hopelessly overpowered, the character doesn't fit in the setting, or they want to make it all about them. JUST MY EXPERIENCE.

Besides the above, the other issue I have with them is they don't look like people. Sure, there are a handful of characters made in that art style who actually have, y'know, facial features, hair that looks like hair instead of MS Paint, and a body type that resembles something a living human could be. 95% of them do not. I don't mind art being used for character images, if its drawn well and is a feasible attempt at "looking real."

As someone who tends to picture characters in roleplays, its extremely strange to me when the party includes two humans and a 4'1 "adult girl" with eyes the size of footballs, green hair, a < for a nose, and eyelashes that you could use a real comb on. It doesn't fly for me, and I'd rather everyone just type out a lot of detail if they can't or won't find a more realistic faceclaim.


Everyone else is harping on romance so I'll pitch my two cents there too. It confuses me. As someone in an actual relationship, it confuses me. As someone who has had times where they are not in an actual relationship, it also confuses me. I don't mind including romance elements - IF they make sense. They rarely do, as 99% of cases I've seen involve a strange love at first sight between characters who haven't done more than say hello. The last time I bumped into it was the most heinous - I was playing a character who was manipulative, harsh, and pretty bitter (in a setting where political manipulation and scheming is the national pastime, but still). Generally, he was just a super unlikable guy, admirable as a sort of Machiavellian figure in a world where that is to be admired, but not a likable guy. Someone, within a handful of posts, had decided they have fallen hopelessly in love with this person after he had called them weak and shitty, compared them to the in-setting slave caste, and asked them, rather impolitely, to go away and stop bothering him until they get useful. But no, she loves him, despite not knowing literally anything about him or his personal history.

Stop doing poorly written romance RPs. Please.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Vudukudu lol i mean i can sort of stand anime if you have a less realistic setting. Like an alien planet or some super magical land. Than yeah people looking weird and unnatural makes a bit more sense. Even if it's a realistic setting I just pretend in my head it's a cartoon and roll with it.

What drives me crazy is when it's mix and match. That kills my suspension of disbelief immediately. When I see all these realistic photos OR even just written descriptions of realistic people and then randomly 5 super stylized anime images. No. The lack of internal consistency within the world makes my head hurt.

Like either match everyone else or write a description that is at least similar.

--------------

Onto romance. Like I just do not understand. I'll even try to strike a compromise and actually pick a romantic relationship for the characters to have. Like they're married or dating or divorced or whatever. Plenty of drama you can put into those relationships while actually making your character well-rounded and realistic.

Buut no. It's all romcom or mary sue tropes. And I just do not understand.

 

[Wert]

If I'm interested in a roleplay with someone and they ask me to use kik/skype/email or anything else unrelated to the site. This goes along with the first reason on my previous post. I'm sorry if that is your preferred way to roleplay, but I would much rather stay in the zone that is the Rpnation site.

 

[MechanicalSnake]

Regarding the anime thing, I don't see why it is such a problem. I'd rather see a picture for a fantasy/sci-fi character than a casually dressed actor.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Regarding the anime thing, I don't see why it is such a problem. I'd rather see a picture for a fantasy/sci-fi character than a casually dressed actor.

I think it's more of a time and place issue. Like I said in my own post it's fine if the setting allows for individuals who are unusual looking. Sci Fi or Fantasy you can explain away any inhuman looking appearances as magic / aliens / advanced technology / genetic mutations / whatever.

If however your doing generic school roleplay #15981 and the roleplay is meant to be set in a realistic world than having your character be 1/3rd boob, green haired, with a weird carrot nose is distracting. because it doesn't fit the estabilished world.

I mean we can forgive a 30 year old pretending to be a teenager because tv shows do it all the time. We are not going to have some green haired big boobed ten year old running around in a realistic world. It would look hella weird and break the internal consistency of the show. Or at least it does for some people.

 

[hologram]

I think the issue some folks have with anime pictures can be the fact that anime as a medium is home to wildly diverse art styles, many of which are different enough to where it can be hard to picture say, someone who chooses Sakura from Card Captor Sakura as a face claim next to someone who chooses... Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop. Which can be another issue with anime face claims, when people use images of popular or recognizable characters as face claims. It's never enough to throw me out of an RP to the point of dropping but my brain will still associate the character with their more famous appearance even though I know it's used as shorthand to say 'basically they look like this character'.

 

[Elephantom]

I loathe romance. It is absurd.

You may say, “Have you, sir, any other words to support that most grungy statement?”

So I shall aptly provide the background.

Well, one day, a long time ago, I decided to have a partner— against my better judgement. Perhaps, my current regret is justified, but that is up to the audience, no?

I had a character, she had a character. To be fair, we had many characters. I don't believe in typical roleplay conventions, and my credo is even weaker when it comes to roleplays that employ such conventions with authority typically displayed in the cookie-cutter plots they use.

Regret, regret! Alas, I express them in bitter terms.

Allow me to explain my regret, sirrah? Good. She had a character of marked note, as she believed her to be primary to the story we had set. I would rather say that she was dead set on siccing her character upon mine.

Credo! I gaped, she did as she did, and shit flew, hit the fan, and went beyond.

For an instant, my audience, I felt like I was seeing a grindhouse, low-budget b-movie, or perhaps a bull getting his tiddly-wink jacked out by a special handler. So grotesque. Who knew courting could be so insanely instantaneous? I was reading about diesel tanks today, and I was reminded of this particular incident— in that the engine requires few substances to function, and includes a robust amount of rubbing

I am fairly sure that was her ultimate intent. Or penultimate intent. I didn't pursue her endgame plans.

Nevertheless, her concept of romance was the romance of whoever created the idea of dime-a-dozen romance booklets. Ugly, quick, and somewhat sad.

Pot-bellied, blue novels. Fuck. Who writes like that?

Pardon my ego.

I write like that, maybe. She writes like that, maybe. Somebody writes like that. Opinion is opinion, very subjective matter.

But shit hit the fan, no doubt. It was the kind of monkey business that traumatizes men and women and everyone in between.

Allow me to explain the concept, confused audience, in formal terms: her beloved character was a mary sue, aptly named, with traces of unaddressed (undressed?) edginess and elements of their own personality (just saying elements ain't completely right, if you ask me). My character was the opposite of a mary sue (have mercy on my ego), and loathed the vice that is lust. Of course, in a few posts that were far from central to the story, she made to abandon her pursuits and attempt . . . to court with my character.

The OOC was even worse.

Regret, regret! Credo!

 

[Typewriter]

The easiest way to make me drop a roleplay (and give me the urge to throw my laptop out of the window) is to shove romance down my throat. I am so horrible at writing it and have absolutely no romantic inclinations in real life, so I need a major build up to get to that point. But so many times (especially in fandom-based stuff) people expect it right off the bat? Like no, sorry, my character JUST MET YOURS, they are not going to fall in love and make the person their entire world after four posts. Not gonna happen.

On that same note though, forcing me to ship my character when my intention was for them to be a platonic companion-type character? I bite my thumb at you sir/ma'am/otherwise. (This is a huge issue for me it seems like, sob)

Also, unhealthy relationships getting romanticised. I've had this issue a lot with LGBTQIA+ groups/1x1s where they want like, a jock to abuse some LGBT+ nerd or something and then "they realize they were wrong and fall in love". No! Absolutely not! That is not the way Salem drives this bus. Nuh-uh.

Abuse is *not* sexy.​

A random one, but, I really get super freaking annoyed when my partner has constant drama. Like, I mean to the point where your character's role in the roleplay seems to be consoling them on a 24 hour basis. I adore angst, don't get me wrong, but I don't roleplay to be an unpaid therapist.

Anyway, that's it for me. I feel kinda better after writing this up PFFT.

 

[MechanicalSnake]

A random one, but, I really get super freaking annoyed when my partner has constant drama. Like, I mean to the point where you character's role in the roleplay seems to be consoling them on a 24 hour basis. I adore angst, don't get me wrong, but I don't roleplay to be an unpaid therapist.

OMG so much this!!!! I had roleplays like that in the past and I ALMOST forgot about them and now the horror came back!

 

[rae2nerdy]

The easiest way to make me drop a roleplay (and give me the urge to throw my laptop out of the window) is to shove romance down my throat. I am so horrible at writing it and have absolutely no romantic inclinations in real life, so I need a major build up to get to that point. But so many times (especially in fandom-based stuff) people expect it right off the bat? Like no, sorry, my character JUST MET YOURS, they are not going to fall in love and make the person their entire world after four posts. Not gonna happen.

On that same note though, forcing me to ship my character when my intention was for them to be a platonic companion-type character? I bite my thumb at you sir/ma'am/otherwise. (This is a huge issue for me it seems like, sob)

Also, unhealthy relationships getting romanticised. I've had this issue a lot with LGBTQIA+ groups/1x1s where they want like, a jock to abuse some LGBT+ nerd or something and then "they realize they were wrong and fall in love". No! Absolutely not! That is not the way Salem drives this bus. Nuh-uh.

Abuse is *not* sexy.​

A random one, but, I really get super freaking annoyed when my partner has constant drama. Like, I mean to the point where your character's role in the roleplay seems to be consoling them on a 24 hour basis. I adore angst, don't get me wrong, but I don't roleplay to be an unpaid therapist.

Anyway, that's it for me. I feel kinda better after writing this up PFFT.

OMG TWINSIES! Seriously did you reach into my mind and pick out all my greatest peaves? Because I am pretty sure I have drafted almost this exact response before.

Also once again for the people in the back

PLATONIC IS NOT A SYNONYM FOR ROMANCE.
LET MY CHARACTER HAVE FREAKING NON ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS!

And again with bells on

ABUSE IS NOT SEXY PEOPLE.​

 

[salty_ moustachio]

The easiest way to make me drop a roleplay (and give me the urge to throw my laptop out of the window) is to shove romance down my throat. I am so horrible at writing it and have absolutely no romantic inclinations in real life, so I need a major build up to get to that point. But so many times (especially in fandom-based stuff) people expect it right off the bat? Like no, sorry, my character JUST MET YOURS, they are not going to fall in love and make the person their entire world after four posts. Not gonna happen.

On that same note though, forcing me to ship my character when my intention was for them to be a platonic companion-type character? I bite my thumb at you sir/ma'am/otherwise. (This is a huge issue for me it seems like, sob)

Also, unhealthy relationships getting romanticised. I've had this issue a lot with LGBTQIA+ groups/1x1s where they want like, a jock to abuse some LGBT+ nerd or something and then "they realize they were wrong and fall in love". No! Absolutely not! That is not the way Salem drives this bus. Nuh-uh.

Abuse is *not* sexy.​

A random one, but, I really get super freaking annoyed when my partner has constant drama. Like, I mean to the point where your character's role in the roleplay seems to be consoling them on a 24 hour basis. I adore angst, don't get me wrong, but I don't roleplay to be an unpaid therapist.

Anyway, that's it for me. I feel kinda better after writing this up PFFT.

YES, YES, YES!

I'm sooooo seriously sick of seeing abuse related romance requests. Freaking 50 Shades of Grey, normalizing domestic violence. I just want to slap any woman who would find that sexy (who knows? they might like it?).

Just ew.

 

[Elephantom]

OMG TWINSIES! Seriously did you reach into my mind and pick out all my greatest peaves? Because I am pretty sure I have drafted almost this exact response before.

Also once again for the people in the back

PLATONIC IS NOT A SYNONYM FOR ROMANCE.
LET MY CHARACTER HAVE FREAKING NON ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIPS!

And again with bells on

ABUSE IS NOT SEXY PEOPLE.​

Credo!

 

[GoldenSlime]

I usually go without face claims myself. Probably because sometimes they turn me off. Someone dropped a roleplay with me because I told them their face claim looked like an instagram model slash porn star. I had in my head that the character was a girl next door type so it bothered me.

I'd prefer no face claims to inappropriate ones.

Sorry, but that's rude. Damn rude. You could've just said you didn't like the face claim.

 

[salty_ moustachio]

Sorry, but that's rude. Damn rude. You could've just said you didn't like the face claim.

I don't get why that's so rude if it's true. The face claim isn't the RPer and I think it's pretty unhealthy to get that attached to face claims that you can't even realize how inappropriate said face claim might be.

It's like me picking Brad Pitt for some guy I've described as having obvious flaws.

 

[MechanicalSnake]

I don't get why that's so rude if it's true. The face claim isn't the RPer and I think it's pretty unhealthy to get that attached to face claims that you can't even realize how inappropriate said face claim might be.

It's like me picking Brad Pitt for some guy I've described as having obvious flaws.

In all honesty if I truly disliked a face claim, I'd say it to the other person nicely, even if I thought theirs looked like a porn actor on speed... but only because it is obvious that if you offend someone they find hot, they will not want to RP with you anymore. I mean I have some preferences that many people don't share and though I'm ancient and not too attached to anything, it still pisses me off when someone comments a model I reaaaally like with "ewwww, what a gross tranny" etc.

 

[salty_ moustachio]

Maybe why I prefer no face claims. Better to not take the risk of an awful one than be cringing the whole time.
But I expressed that I don't do face claims and I still got sent the porn star.

 

[MechanicalSnake]

Maybe why I prefer no face claims. Better to not take the risk of an awful one than be cringing the whole time.
But I expressed that I don't do face claims and I still got sent the porn star.

Actually I prefer none too. Sometimes I cant even find fitting ones for my chars...

 

[duegxybus]

Mostly this kinda stuff for 1x1s.

RP Partner: HEYA LETS RP!
Me: Okay
RP Partner: GOT ANY PLOOOOOTS!? ?
Me: Yes I got ploots. [Lists ploots ?]
RP Partner: OK UR PLOOTS ARE GOOD BUT HOW ABOUT YOU PLAY AN ARMLESS PREGNANT WOMAN THAT GETS HER LEFT LEG CHOPPED OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF A CAR ACCIDENT HALFWAY IN?
Me: ...no thanks that's a little too extreme even for me...I don't like that ploot ?
RP Partner: WAT, U DONT LIKE? FUCK U U CLOSE MINDED PIECE OF SHIT START RESPECTING MY PLOOTS ? U DUMB BETCH
RP Partner: *Leaves*
Me: ...
RP Partner: *Posts status update* OMG I HATE PPL WHO ARE SO CLOSE MINDED

(Maybe I shoulda respected the ploot)

And don't even get me started on Group RPs...

 

[MechanicalSnake]

Something new (that has in fact just happened!) Now, I know this is lame, but sometimes I get turned off if I am asked for providing a writing sample and... just lose interest then. I know it is completely legitimate, even wise to ask for them! I mean how else is the person going to know they will enjoy the RP, right?
Yet, my brain does the "...what, you are asking ME if I can write?? Me, who has been writing for this and this long? You newbie!" And then I'm out.

 

[Fable]

Something new (that has in fact just happened!) Now, I know this is lame, but sometimes I get turned off if I am asked for providing a writing sample and... just lose interest then. I know it is completely legitimate, even wise to ask for them! I mean how else is the person going to know they will enjoy the RP, right?
Yet, my brain does the "...what, you are asking ME if I can write?? Me, who has been writing for this and this long? You newbie!" And then I'm out.

I mean, what's worse? Being asked for a writing sample or writing a reply and being told "ur writing sux" or "sorry, I just can't mesh with your writing style" after you've gone to work on setting up a RP with someone?

I don't tend to ask for writing samples because I post where others can plainly read it, but I've had it happen where I get ready to start a roleplay and the moment the other person posts... either their formatting makes it hard to read, too many run-on sentences, or I can't even understand what was typed even after a few reads. I tend to feel bad telling them that I don't think it'd work out based simply on the fact that I'm struggling to read their post. I mean, they put in the effort to type out a post, even if I can't decipher it. :\

 

[rae2nerdy]

I mean, what's worse? Being asked for a writing sample or writing a reply and being told "ur writing sux" or "sorry, I just can't mesh with your writing style" after you've gone to work on setting up a RP with someone?

I don't tend to ask for writing samples because I post where others can plainly read it, but I've had it happen where I get ready to start a roleplay and the moment the other person posts... either their formatting makes it hard to read, too many run-on sentences, or I can't even understand what was typed even after a few reads. I tend to feel bad telling them that I don't think it'd work out based simply on the fact that I'm struggling to read their post. I mean, they put in the effort to type out a post, even if I can't decipher it. :\

But your still telling them their writing is bad based on a single sample. They might not have had to write it up on demand but they still wrote it. And sometimes people don't have readily available samples anyway. So in that case they're writing out a post for your only for you to tell them they aren't up to snuff.

So honestly both situations are equally as hurtful there is just a possibility of less work going into one maybe.

It's why I tend to just straight up ask people if something is a sticking point for me.

That way I'm not playing critic I'm just letting people know what my dealbreakers are. And if they can't accept a dealbreaker well then we weren't going to work out regardless of the quality of their writing.

 

[SP3CT3R]

Me: *joins RPs that allow for lots of creative freedom so that I don't have to keep my imagination in check and because fuck human characters*

Also me: *Gets annoyed at several of the characters for "pushing it" even though my own character is doing the same thing*

Also me: *Eventually gets overwhelmed at the popularity and fast pace of these RPs and bounces out*

 

[Shuusuke]

Personally, I don't mind having to do writing samples for RPs I'm interested in. It's just one more way the RP creator can make sure everyone's around the same "level" and to guarantee a minimal quality standard, and it gives me more insurance, which is something I need to have before deciding to spend time and effort writing for an RP. So I like to contribute to this process, as well as giving my creativity a push.

When asked, I usually just direct them to my posts on previous RPs I've been in. Obviously there's been some time and my writing might have changed, but I like to think that it can only have improved in that case. So if they look into my most recent posts, they can think "this guy's writing was like this sometime ago, so this is an estimate of the worst I can expect from him". It's not ideal (then again, what is?) , but it's a quick way to handle it. If they're willing to go through the trouble of reading posts from further back, I think it's a more thorough way to give them more information for their verdict.

If they're going to ask for a writing sample anyway, and previous posts somehow aren't enough for them, they should be more specific about the scene they want. For example "write about your character arriving into x place", "write about how your character interacts with people he's never met before", "describe this place (shows image) and your character's thoughts on it", etc., something that's relevant to the RP (if there's going to be a lot of action, request an action writing sample, if there's going to be a lot of emotional moments, ask for an emotional writing sample, and so on) and that preferably has a reasonable length, I'd say at most what you defined as the length of a post.