Tropes you are sick of seeing in RPs

[wonderandawe]

I'm willing to let such things pass as some of these role players are actually struggling with being in the closet.   So RP allows them experiment with coming out in a safe location.  Now, if they derail plot to make the entire RP about their character's orientation, then we have a problem.  But that would be a problem if a character turned an entire RP about their relationship with their abusive parent.  


When I was in college I used RP to get over my fear of confrontation.  I got into arguments in character that allowed me to learn how to stand up for myself out of character.  

 

[Ratatoskr]

When the only playable races are "human, elf, dwarf, and sometimes orc." I'm not saying including those races automatically makes an RP bad, but because they're usually very similar to what humans are and there's no other sentient races to play as I just... ...ehhhhhh

 

[Shireling]

Here's one: 


The zombie apocalypse is entering it's third day now and... 


All social services have broken down, the collective might of the US military and police forces have failed to make a dent in the undead hordes which have overrun the country.


In some instances this is justified, such as a weaponized time-release virus or the simultaneous targeting of key areas with infection-carrying missiles. 


However, played straight this is usually an annoying stereotype. While I don't think a post-zombie world would be "normal," I think most of the country would be adequately protected by the armed services and police. Furthermore, in the event that a city is overrun, it's very likely that it would merely be firebombed or subject to a nuclear strike. Zombie fiction is usually riddled with annoying tropes, but this is the big one. 


Granted, this is not always a bad thing. Sometimes you just need a zombie apocalypse and don't want to worry about it being realistic, so you pull a Walking Dead and make the whole process a little fuzzy. 

 

[Transparent]

Here's one: 


The zombie apocalypse is entering it's third day now and... 


All social services have broken down, the collective might of the US military and police forces have failed to make a dent in the undead hordes which have overrun the country.


In some instances this is justified, such as a weaponized time-release virus or the simultaneous targeting of key areas with infection-carrying missiles. 


However, played straight this is usually an annoying stereotype. While I don't think a post-zombie world would be "normal," I think most of the country would be adequately protected by the armed services and police. Furthermore, in the event that a city is overrun, it's very likely that it would merely be firebombed or subject to a nuclear strike. Zombie fiction is usually riddled with annoying tropes, but this is the big one. 


Granted, this is not always a bad thing. Sometimes you just need a zombie apocalypse and don't want to worry about it being realistic, so you pull a Walking Dead and make the whole process a little fuzzy. 






2







 

There's some explanation to some of these though


-If I recall correctly, most forms of law enforcement and armed forces are taught to aim for the body before the head, or generally default to that before the head due to being an easier target. This matters because if zombies, like we think, aren't around in the world's popular fiction, which is usually true for a good zombie RP, you won't know jack right off. This includes exactly how to kill them, how it spreads, etc. Panic is also a major factor. You've got idiots hiding bite marks in populated areas, and cops? Fuck their job, when shit goes sideways they're gonna focus on protecting their family first. And armed forces? Won't mean shit when the line breaks cause they put a clip into something that just got back up afterward. Moral is a major factor in this, and humans tend to only think of one thing when something that bad strikes. I'd go more in detail but I accidently deleted what I had at first and now I'm jus typing this out of annoyance.


Oh wait, nukes. If it doesn't destroy the brain and the body remains intact somehow you're gonna have a walking corpse hotter than Chernobyl and twice as bitey. It'll only take a couple nukes to rule that idea out for good. Fire bombs, I'll give ya that.

 

[Shireling]

There's some explanation to some of these though


-If I recall correctly, most forms of law enforcement and armed forces are taught to aim for the body before the head, or generally default to that before the head due to being an easier target. This matters because if zombies, like we think, aren't around in the world's popular fiction, which is usually true for a good zombie RP, you won't know jack right off. This includes exactly how to kill them, how it spreads, etc. Panic is also a major factor. You've got idiots hiding bite marks in populated areas, and cops? Fuck their job, when shit goes sideways they're gonna focus on protecting their family first. And armed forces? Won't mean shit when the line breaks cause they put a clip into something that just got back up afterward. Moral is a major factor in this, and humans tend to only think of one thing when something that bad strikes. I'd go more in detail but I accidently deleted what I had at first and now I'm jus typing this out of annoyance.


Oh wait, nukes. If it doesn't destroy the brain and the body remains intact somehow you're gonna have a walking corpse hotter than Chernobyl and twice as bitey. It'll only take a couple nukes to rule that idea out for good. Fire bombs, I'll give ya that.

I guess this largely does depend on what your zombies are like. But as a general rule, we're talking about the most sophisticated military complex and crisis response system to ever exist.

 

[The Gunrunner]

The big badguy being the undead in a fantasy setting (less 'sick of' and more just 'tired of.')


Anime characters


Military rp characters who try to be Master Chief 'lone wolf' types


Military rp characters being related to everyone in their unit


Aliens that look exactly like humans but with a different eye or skin colour. 

 

[TPBx]

Anime characters

Anime characters

Anime characters

 

[Luthor]

Modern asylums. Or more accurately, the teen asylums, filled with poor kids with no family. This is annoying for many, many, many many, many reasons.

1. Inaccuracy- Whilst yes, some people with depression may end up in an institution, it is incredibly unlikely that this would be the case, especially on a long term basis. Usually a patient would just be kept under surveillance to prevent a suicide attempt, if that, or would be treated accordingly as an outpatient. In the rare case that a depressed person would be kept inside for an extended period of time, they would not be in a strait jacket and they almost definitely would be medicated. 
   
2. Inaccuracy pt. 2- People completely 'choosing' the wrong mental illnesses for their character's symptoms. For example, an intense feeling of paranoia or fear that can only be put at bay by completing certain actions to fulfil an irrational idea isn't likely to be anxiety. It is far more likely to be a form of OCD. Bipolar is also not usually just switching between happy and sad every other minute, but extended manic episodes followed by depressive episodes. GET. IT. RIGHT.
   
3. 'State Funded'- Institutions are not usually state funded unless they are used for mentally unsound individuals who have committed crimes. Especially if this is for teens, and especially if it is based in England (as an inordinate amount are). Adolescent mental health services are usually awful as well (the CAHMs waiting list in my area is around 9 months, regardless of how bad a child's mental health may be)
   

Oh, and they're not called asylums any more. 

 

[Umbrie]

the Female Character who cannot keep her clothes on. this is annoying when the player looks for excuses for their character to loose her clothes. i'm not just talking kicking in a miniskirt and not caring if your panties are visible as long as you don't put much focus on the panties themselves. but when the player lets their character fumble dodging a fireball so her clothes can be in tatters and reveal more of her form. or when her skirt gets caught on the fence and causes her clothes to tear themselves halfway off. that is annoying,


but i agree on the Asylum Part. i am Autstic, Bipolar and Schizoprhenic IRL, i was hospitalized for only like 2 weeks for testing to ensure they found a medication that works. then they released me and still provide my pills so i don't have to be locked up. there weren't even straightjackets or padded walls, there were lots of times where i had to take blood tests and provide urine samples but that was due to the nature of the medication itself. there were other children there at the time and we pretty much played video games and ate nasty prepackaged cereal together. the reason i couldn't handle it was because i didn't like the food there because they didn't season it properly. but i come from an Italian American Household and Italian Americans use a lot of seasoning, cook massive portions and generally pay very fine levels of devoted attention to their meals that most hospital staff wouldn't understand. plus, i was one of the few girls who actually ate Eggplant or Spanakopita. neither of which they had. the only Pizza they had was Pepperoni, Mexican was usually Ground Beef Tacos, and well, Burgers or Chicken Nuggets (which got 2 nights each per week in the rotation) were pretty standard. and once a week, was Spaghetti Marinara on Saturdays. Breakfast was Always a prepackaged Bowl of Lucky Charms or Captain Crunch, both of which i can't stand. as an Italian American, a Desire for Yummy Food runs down my Veins, i would have had a mental collapse if i had to stay there and eat such bland meals.


it wasn't the Asylum mistreating me or anything. it is that i spent 2 weeks eating the blandest food of my life and i wanted to go home for a real meal. so i maintained my best behavior because i just wanted to get some real food.

 

[ewolf20]

the Female Character who cannot keep her clothes on. this is annoying when the player looks for excuses for their character to loose her clothes. i'm not just talking kicking in a miniskirt and not caring if your panties are visible as long as you don't put much focus on the panties themselves. but when the player lets their character fumble dodging a fireball so her clothes can be in tatters and reveal more of her form. or when her skirt gets caught on the fence and causes her clothes to tear themselves halfway off. that is annoying,


but i agree on the Asylum Part. i am Autstic, Bipolar and Schizoprhenic IRL, i was hospitalized for only like 2 weeks for testing to ensure they found a medication that works. then they released me and still provide my pills so i don't have to be locked up. there weren't even straightjackets or padded walls, there were lots of times where i had to take blood tests and provide urine samples but that was due to the nature of the medication itself. there were other children there at the time and we pretty much played video games and ate nasty prepackaged cereal together. the reason i couldn't handle it was because i didn't like the food there because they didn't season it properly. but i come from an Italian American Household and Italian Americans use a lot of seasoning, cook massive portions and generally pay very fine levels of devoted attention to their meals that most hospital staff wouldn't understand. plus, i was one of the few girls who actually ate Eggplant or Spanakopita. neither of which they had. the only Pizza they had was Pepperoni, Mexican was usually Ground Beef Tacos, and well, Burgers or Chicken Nuggets (which got 2 nights each per week in the rotation) were pretty standard. and once a week, was Spaghetti Marinara on Saturdays. Breakfast was Always a prepackaged Bowl of Lucky Charms or Captain Crunch, both of which i can't stand. as an Italian American, a Desire for Yummy Food runs down my Veins, i would have had a mental collapse if i had to stay there and eat such bland meals.


it wasn't the Asylum mistreating me or anything. it is that i spent 2 weeks eating the blandest food of my life and i wanted to go home for a real meal. so i maintained my best behavior because i just wanted to get some real food.

Thank God I won't do that. When I mean by that I mean the girl losing her clothes or something.

 

[AgWordSmith]

*crack knuckles*


Oh I have a few of these.

1. Lack of diversity: Everyone is white and straight. I get it if the OC is a self insert, but come on. Where are my LGBT+? Where are the poc? Everyone in these vast worlds can't all be white and heterosexual. Mix it up, building the world and creates way more interesting romance (which seems to be the focus of a lot of rps I'm in) 
   
2. Instant Romance/pairing: love is slow and never instant. But everyone wants to finds a person and they fuck. It's ridiculous!!! The only, the only relationship I find full enjoyment in doing is one that has had both irl years and IC years to develop. We didn't even plan it, and it made it beuatiful. Planning can be a great asset but finding the first sack of meat and making out is unrealistic of you're looking for love and not a one night stand.  
   
3. The OP edgy playboy: you the one that can never die or get hurt and tries to get everyone in love with them but ooo watch out he's deep and emo. I see this way to often with males on this site. Why do you have to be the best? Its boring and ruins a lot of potential character development. 
   
4. The Mash Ups: when the character is a demon angel Neko cyborg vampire for no goddamn reason. The only place I've seen mash ups work is an rp where the characters have been experimented on and even then the characters have a lot of draw backs balancing out the potential OPness.
   
5. Staying too inside the lines: Yeah it's annoying to have convoluted characters but the ones that have NO thought what so ever are just as flat and become stock characters. Play with your norms to create some one unique but don't stuff everything into one character.
   
6. Gms who do not specify the limits/ world build: being nit picky about everything is a pain but when you get angry at people for not being within the rules you never told them is Being a shitty GM. Also flat worlds create flat scenarios, if the world has no rules certain crazies can take over your rp and ruin it. There is a happy medium between open world and cubicle. 
   
7. People who just want to sex rp: enough said
   

I hope these made sense. It feels so good to get some of these off my chest. 

 

[Truthblade]

Gms who do not specify the limits/ world build: being nit picky about everything is a pain but when you get angry at people for not being within the rules you never told them is Being a shitty GM. Also flat worlds create flat scenarios, if the world has no rules certain crazies can take over your rp and ruin it. There is a happy medium between open world and cubicle.


I hope these made sense. It feels so good to get some of these off my chest. 

I am honestly guilty of this. This happenes twice with two Fanfom rps i made (not trying to call anyone out here sobi won't name anyone). I had an Avatar roleplay where I thought i did not have to have a rule about asian names only, and i get three characters with extremely western names. I aant to correct people when this happens, but i feel like i have no right to when i didn't put it in the rules.

 

[AgWordSmith]

I feel like the only way to remedy that would be to just add it to the rules. Saying that you forgot or feel like it's a neccessary addition Your the GM you can add and shape the rules within reason. 


But I can relate to feeling like you don't have the authority, but you are the GM, if you feel bad you can let a few Slide but have a limit of how many people you allow to slip past you. 

 

[CupAndCough]

I don't know if I'd call it a trope, but I have seen it so prevalently with roleplays I was in the past to the point where I have to make a note of it: The Statement Character. 


So lemme explain my pissy little peeved about this; I was in a lot of rp's where some of the group was heavily in an ideal that was heavily touted across all channels of media and sort of became a "trend"(?). While the idea in which they had could have been wonderfully composed (OH BOY ISN'T THAT A COP-OUT ANSWER OF "I DON'T LIKE IT, BUT I DON'T LIKE Y'ALL WHO DO IT"), this character became more of a megaphone of ideas. 

"Well maybe it's not a trope then, bitch-boy! STOP COMPLAINING" 
​

 I'm sorry voice of my absentee father who loudly judges me in my head, I have to bitch about it 'cause I wanna inflict my pettiness and judgey-ness onto others. KAY DAD?! Anyways The Statement Character or MY BIG FUCKING MEGAPHONE that's also a character in a story that appeared within the Roleplay was alright and really fun in the beginning--was even rooting for them in the beginning--then for some reason the whole roleplay revolved around that single character's actions that the user decided to transpose their ideals and personality on the character so heavily that it just became them with powers. Not only that, with all mary sue-ness vested within them, the character became literally a nuke taking out a country with a massive explosion. (Dont worry, it wasn't the one of the good ones -COUGH- CANADA -COUGH-) Anyways, yeah. 


  Whatever was topical and trending in the shoutbox that person was apart of was later stapled onto the character, things that sort of seemed out of place and irrelevant to the context of the story--FOR EXAMPLE: 


                      Saying "YOU DIDDY BOPPIN MOFO" was "in" at the time, you'd suddenly see that character's catchphrase after TWO YEARS in the roleplay be YOU DIDDY BOPPIN MOFO TEEHEE. 

OR
​

 
​

This political ideal is touted as the one true way within your group, which comes from a good place, but they instead hit that note so hard that you screech and break the conductors eardrums as you make an abomination that becomes the equivalent to one of those philosophy youtubers who gain revenue from videos literally whining, but in the post-apocalypse.
​

 
​

  "BOY YOU SURE TALKED ABOUT NOTHING FOR A WHILE"  
​

 
​

   You damn right I told a concise and clear argument to vainly protest things that I only care about, thank you for reaffirming my beliefs voice inside my head that tells me to listen to the strange woman who calls herself a doctor but really just asks "How'd that make you feel, hrmmmm?" I will end this.....ramble? Incoherent Cacophony of Vocalizations and Writing? "WHATEVER GROUP YOU DISLIKE"-baby crying? Pointless wanking of my complaining stick that drew me here like some sort of compelling force like the great god Viagra and Cialis? Whatever I'm done now--I literally said nothing of value. Bye. 

 

[King Ad Rock]

if you're expecting to run a RP with 20 people and multiple IC threads - Guess what? No... just no. (Especially by yourself.)

Hmm, I've done this multiple times with no problem.



Probably doesn't count as a trope but I'll call them the passive-aggressive players. Someone who claims/seems fine in OOC but their characters are all of a sudden very uncooperative and rude in IC. When it's clearly the player's backhanded way of trying to say they don't like what's being written/how the plot is advancing. It's infuriating because of how difficult it is to call out.

 

[Spinach]

I don't know if I'd call it a trope, but I have seen it so prevalently with roleplays I was in the past to the point where I have to make a note of it: The Statement Character. 

Ah the characters who use fifteen paragraphs to explain why their answer is a 'no'. 

 

[wonderandawe]

I heard in Improve acting, you agree with what the other actor is doing and build off of each other.   I've watched a lot of "Who's Line is it Anyways?" and you can get some amazing scenes using this technique.


The only time I say "No!" is when the action will break my character "No, my character will not sacrifice her brother because you want to impress a spirit for superpowers."   

 

[Esper Alucard]

And a jerkass whose sole response to being offered cooperation is "Fuck you."

The good: Abnormal backstories that fit in well with the character. No example, because i was only told about people with this, and never encountered these ever.


The bad: Only Emotional/Angry/Annoyed/Edgy/Useless/ *Rants on more*


The ugly: Twilight boys 2.0

 

[_Line 213]

snip

This is usually summarized as "preachy writing." It isn't limited to character voices either, even though that's often where it comes from.

 

[Spacekitty]

Modern asylums. Or more accurately, the teen asylums, filled with poor kids with no family. This is annoying for many, many, many many, many reasons.

1. Inaccuracy- Whilst yes, some people with depression may end up in an institution, it is incredibly unlikely that this would be the case, especially on a long term basis. Usually a patient would just be kept under surveillance to prevent a suicide attempt, if that, or would be treated accordingly as an outpatient. In the rare case that a depressed person would be kept inside for an extended period of time, they would not be in a strait jacket and they almost definitely would be medicated. 
   
2. Inaccuracy pt. 2- People completely 'choosing' the wrong mental illnesses for their character's symptoms. For example, an intense feeling of paranoia or fear that can only be put at bay by completing certain actions to fulfil an irrational idea isn't likely to be anxiety. It is far more likely to be a form of OCD. Bipolar is also not usually just switching between happy and sad every other minute, but extended manic episodes followed by depressive episodes. GET. IT. RIGHT.
   
3. 'State Funded'- Institutions are not usually state funded unless they are used for mentally unsound individuals who have committed crimes. Especially if this is for teens, and especially if it is based in England (as an inordinate amount are). Adolescent mental health services are usually awful as well (the CAHMs waiting list in my area is around 9 months, regardless of how bad a child's mental health may be)
   

Oh, and they're not called asylums any more. 

Just reading through this and wanted to play Devil's Advocate.


Isnt OCD considered an anxiety disorder if im not mistaken? ;3


But other than nit picking that... I agree compeltely thank you so much

 

[ewolf20]

23 hours ago, AgWordSmith said:



*crack knuckles*


Oh I have a few of these.

1. Lack of diversity: Everyone is white and straight. I get it if the OC is a self insert, but come on. Where are my LGBT+? Where are the poc? Everyone in these vast worlds can't all be white and heterosexual. Mix it up, building the world and creates way more interesting romance (which seems to be the focus of a lot of rps I'm in) 
   
2. Instant Romance/pairing: love is slow and never instant. But everyone wants to finds a person and they fuck. It's ridiculous!!! The only, the only relationship I find full enjoyment in doing is one that has had both irl years and IC years to develop. We didn't even plan it, and it made it beuatiful. Planning can be a great asset but finding the first sack of meat and making out is unrealistic of you're looking for love and not a one night stand.  
   
3. The OP edgy playboy: you the one that can never die or get hurt and tries to get everyone in love with them but ooo watch out he's deep and emo. I see this way to often with males on this site. Why do you have to be the best? Its boring and ruins a lot of potential character development. 
   
4. The Mash Ups: when the character is a demon angel Neko cyborg vampire for no goddamn reason. The only place I've seen mash ups work is an rp where the characters have been experimented on and even then the characters have a lot of draw backs balancing out the potential OPness.
   
5. Staying too inside the lines: Yeah it's annoying to have convoluted characters but the ones that have NO thought what so ever are just as flat and become stock characters. Play with your norms to create some one unique but don't stuff everything into one character.
   
6. Gms who do not specify the limits/ world build: being nit picky about everything is a pain but when you get angry at people for not being within the rules you never told them is Being a shitty GM. Also flat worlds create flat scenarios, if the world has no rules certain crazies can take over your rp and ruin it. There is a happy medium between open world and cubicle. 
   
7. People who just want to sex rp: enough said
   

I hope these made sense. It feels so good to get some of these off my chest. 




 

i've seen lots of diversity actually as of late, but i guess it's uncommon.

 

[Umbrie]

The good: Abnormal backstories that fit in well with the character. No example, because i was only told about people with this, and never encountered these ever.


The bad: Only Emotional/Angry/Annoyed/Edgy/Useless/ *Rants on more*


The ugly: Twilight boys 2.0

purehearted and sensible faerie assassin whose primary motivation is to support the financial needs of her family. Neutral Good Alignment, innocent persona, completely not edgy. she does what she is payed to do because it ensures that her many younger sisters get to eat. complete opposite of irrational, she took a job collecting bounties, gathering intelligence and doing reconnaissance, because it was the only way she knew how to feed her sisters. not that she enjoys the act of murder, but she does enjoy the exercise, the fact she gets to go on trips and the fact she gets to play dress up and talk to people under the role of a fictitious persona. if she could become an actress and still have been able to reliably support her family, she would have done so. completely not your typical edgelord assassin.

 

[Kidstupefy]

I accept all tropes!

 

[KhazTheGiraffe]

purehearted and sensible faerie assassin whose primary motivation is to support the financial needs of her family. Neutral Good Alignment, innocent persona, completely not edgy. she does what she is payed to do because it ensures that her many younger sisters get to eat. complete opposite of irrational, she took a job collecting bounties, gathering intelligence and doing reconnaissance, because it was the only way she knew how to feed her sisters. not that she enjoys the act of murder, but she does enjoy the exercise, the fact she gets to go on trips and the fact she gets to play dress up and talk to people under the role of a fictitious persona. if she could become an actress and still have been able to reliably support her family, she would have done so. completely not your typical edgelord assassin.

You do realize that no one is naming your character specifically and that you don't need to keep validating why your character is so awesome and against the typical "edge lord" stereotype, right?

 

[Umbrie]

You do realize that no one is naming your character specifically and that you don't need to keep validating why your character is so awesome and against the typical "edge lord" stereotype, right?

sorriesies.