Understanding your partners

[BuddhistDracula]

There are some things that I have come across quite often recently while looking at roleplay recruitment threads.


One of them is the required length of posts. I do understand that many of you want long and detailled posts; they are more fun to read, there is no desputing. When being asked, the creators of such threads where detailled posts are required most likely answer that they want their fellows to put effort in their posts. I also want that, but short posts do not always mean that there is no effort behind them. Sometimes, people just do not know what to write, and they prefer short posts from writing nonsense. Others might want to go on with the story, but they do not have the time to always write three paragraphs. Or they might be learners of the English language and thus are insecure, or do not speak English well enough to write long posts.


Speaking of non-native speakers, being 'literate' is the next point that is required quite often. In fact, there are many literate people out there in the world, but due to their lack of English skills, they might not always be able to show that they are. How about someone, for example, who is fluent in five different languages, but English is none of them? Should we not give them a chance?


Another thing is the requirement to answer at least once a day. While this is possible for most of us, it might not be for some. I, for example, live in Germany; the time difference between Germany and the US ranges from about 5 to 9 hours, which means that we often are online at different times. In addition to that, we all have lives outside of RpNation, and those lives can sometimes prevent us from answering for a few days (e. g. if they do not feel well or have tons of work to do).


And then - to those people who do not understand why others might require some things - everyone has got reasons why he requires things that you do not agree with. Length of posts for example - detailled posts mostly are more fun to be read. Being literate - really, it is not fun to RP with someone who needs an explanation for just everything. (People who need lots of explanations due to lack of language skills are excluded from this.) Answering at least once a day - some people are impatient; they cannot wait for such a long time.

 

[Shreb]

Glad you know and acknowledge the problems. Unfortunately, we cannot do much about it.

 

[call me rae]

I would also say people that require their partners to play specific characters are are unwilling to compromise on this. Now look it's fine if you have a specific pairing you are looking for and you want to play one half of that pairing and your looking for someone to play the other half.


Example : Canon x OC // Male x Female // Awesome Person x Their Significant Other. ( bold being the parts you play )


But if you have a plot with multiple people and your only willing to play the "main character" or a single OC, and yet you expect your partner to play everyone else this is a little impolite.

Example :

My plot is about

My Character

and her

Boyfriend

having a fight because

BFF

sleeps with Boyfriend. Only surprise that's just a rumor by

Mean Girl

so she can steal Boyfriend away from

My Character.

But

My Character

wins in the end and goes back to dating her

Boyfriend

. She even apologies to

BFF

and they try to fix their friendship.

Mean Girl

is very jealous and keeps starting nasty rumors about

My Character

. Then for a twist we can have a

New Boy

come in and become friends with

BFF

.

First off look how many times My Character shows up compared to everyone else. It's obvious the story is about them and everyone else is just background cast created to move along the plot. Now that's fine in and of itself, some plots are focused around a specific person and as long as everyone gets equal screen time in the roleplay that's fine.


But the problem comes in when the person hosting the search expects you to play Boyfriend, BFF, Mean Girl, and New Boy all by yourself while they just play their singular character My Character.


That makes things very one sided and is very inconsiderate to your partners time and effort. Now this is obviously a bit of an exaggeration ( I've never seen people ask someone to make five characters to their one ) but I have seen several searches where one person is expected to play Two or Three characters to their partners one.


Now I did ask someone who offered a similar plot ( not as exaggerated obviously but where I would play two characters to her one ) and after some Q&A I discovered that what she really wanted was just a simple pairing roleplay. I play Boyfriend and she played Girlfriend. But she wanted the plot to have more layers than just a straight romance so she added in all these background characters and then didn't know what to do with them.


Because she didn't feel confident in portraying more than one character she decided that I as the partner could play the Boyfriend and the remaining characters.


Now if she had started her search by explaining this to me I probably would have been reasonable okay. As I said most of the characters were just background so it wouldn't have been that difficult to use them to progress the story without having to post for three characters simultaneously.


So while I understand the desire to make a romance more "realistic" by adding in side plots so the romance isn't the only thing in a roleplay I would suggest focusing only on your main characters and making everyone else into a background cast.

 

[Seiden]

I hate this "if you don't do 32 paragraphs you are a shitty roleplayer" thing. I roleplay for the roleplay, aka for the characters and the stories, and not to write and read novels. I highly prefers someone that writes short replies but let me react to all of their actions and speeches, rather than someone that would add in several actions and sentences in one single post in order to make it longer. Like, the character says something, then do something, then say something else and so something else, and maybe even say a third different thing after that. It makes it awkward to reply to the first action and sentence... Also, how can you do quick interactions, like real dialogues, when writing 5 paragraphs per post ? In the real life, you sometimes just exchange some quick sentences as a conversation, like, imagine the following conversation:


"Are you hungry?"


"Yes I am!"


"So, what would you like to eat?"


"I dunno, what can you offer?"


"Well, pastas maybe?"


"Meh, I'm already eating this everyday"


"Well, what about an omelette, then?"


"Sounds nice!"


I know this dialogue is boring but it may still happen in a roleplay, mostly romances. But you know what would make it really boring? Having 4 paragraphs for each sentence of this dialogue. Why not writing paragraphs when they are needed, where descriptions and internal thoughts are relevant, and keep it short when needed to allow quick interactions between your characters ?


I am not a native English speaker, and I just started roleplaying (or writing at all) in English. Then, yes, I am really insecure and it is difficult to me to write long paragraphs. The result is that I am really long to reply to my roleplays, because I need to have a good amount of free time and to feel fit to be able to write the required paragraphs, while I would be way more comfortable and way quicker to reply if I was allowed to just post a few sentences.


As for the literacy, however, I am guilty. I want my partners to be literate. Because I am using roleplay to learn English, therefore I am learning from my partners. Then, if my partner makes lots of grammar or syntax mistakes, I will think they are the right way to write things and I will "learn" them and use them as well. I want to avoid this, this is why I want my partners to be literate. Also, as I am not really used to English, I cannot understand things that are not written well. I am not asking for author skills, I am just asking for understanding posts that will not lead me to make mistakes myself. I make mistakes as well, of course, as I am a beginner with English language, but I still do effort. For example, I do the difference between "your" and "you're" and will do the effort to write the right one. And maybe because these words sounds different to me, I make a difference between "then" and "than" and actually may not understand your sentence right away if you use the wrong one, because they are totally different words to me. Basically the same for every word : if you do not use the right word, I will not understand what you are saying, because I do not know the pronunciation of most words then will not find what word sounds the same and may be the one you meant to use. Then it may be quite annoying to have to read everything twice to understand it because my partners confuses words.


When it comes to the requirement to answer at least once a day, well, this is the thing that make me run away from a "interest check" post. Because I am a student, I wake up at 6am and sometimes am back home at 10pm, then no, I will not reply everyday. And even if I had lots of free time and was able to reply every day, I would never require this from my partners, because I understand not everyone is on the computer every day, not every one wants to roleplay everyday, not everyone has the time for this ever day, some have a life out of the computer, and I can not stand this "be here for me every day" rule, because it sounds really selfish and exigent to me.


....But, yeah, as you said, I should still accept and understand every rule. Well, when some rules does not please me, I just skip the post, I will never complain about a rule.

 

[ProRPer]

Haha, I actually dislike extremely long posts. I mean, cmon, you have to at least admit that it's a pain in the arse specifically when they make it 8 point font. It seriously pisses me off xD

 

[Shreb]

I'm okay with long posts. Just so long as I actually understand the point. I don't want to read a small novel about how someone said "Hi" to me.

 

[ProRPer]

I'm okay with long posts. Just so long as I actually understand the point. I don't want to read a small novel about how someone said "Hi" to me.

True xD Ex: |He inched closer towards the man--| Okay, no. I'm way too tired and lazy to do that.

 

[CoconutLeaves]

True xD Ex: |He inched closer towards the man--| Okay, no. I'm way too tired and lazy to do that.

I actually wouldn't mind that. I like reading though and I tend to be fast at reading, so I guess that's why I'm not bothered. However, I think post length is irrelevant as long as you have the right amount of words to use to make it interesting. Perhaps long posts are from those who read novels and emulate novel style writing to their rp's so they have to factor the setting, mood, tone, etc.

 

[Zilla]

I bring this up a lot, but I'm used to chat RP and instant messenger RP, so long posts are detrimental to the story. It's not necessarily about speed, but about keeping things more "real time". I find a lot of people enjoy writing their character more than they like writing the story and this turns into a lot of exposition, "purple prose" and just a lot of wasted text.

 

[Shreb]

I actually wouldn't mind that. I like reading though and I tend to be fast at reading, so I guess that's why I'm not bothered. However, I think post length is irrelevant as long as you have the right amount of words to use to make it interesting. Perhaps long posts are from those who read novels and emulate novel style writing to their rp's so they have to factor the setting, mood, tone, etc.

It's not as if I'm saying I'm slow at reading, I'm very fast compared to most of my classmates, but I'd rather the paragraphs be put into the setting. You know, the atmosphere, the landscape, just to give an idea of where your characters are in the first place, and not just 7 paragraphs about how some guy felt like ordering an omelette.

 

[CoconutLeaves]

It's not as if I'm saying I'm slow at reading, I'm very fast compared to most of my classmates, but I'd rather the paragraphs be put into the setting. You know, the atmosphere, the landscape, just to give an idea of where your characters are in the first place, and not just 7 paragraphs about how some guy felt like ordering an omelette.

Lol seven paragraphs ordering an omelette is excessive. But I guess this is where preference matters. Like if character was walking down the park, it was sunny, and he was listening to music, it's okay. But if he was really thinking about his past relationships while listening to it, I don't mind reading it either. Don't get me wrong, too much detail can clutter an rp, but if the person finds it necessary and needs to use prose to achieve it, it is their burden. We can always skim those parts.

 

[Seiden]

and not just 7 paragraphs about how some guy felt like ordering an omelette

omg. Please let me give it a try.


So let's imagine the roleplay is started for a while already and the characters already are sitting at a table, otherwise it would be way too easy.

Spoiler

I was keeping my gaze on the delicate young lady sitting in front of me. Her eyes were scouring the room with a curiosity that looked feigned to me : I had the feeling she was simply trying to avoid my look, and I was seeing the embarrassment dying the sweet roundness of her cheeks, which was making her even more charming. I tried, in vain, to refrain the moved smile that just appeared on my thin lips. My lips, as thin and insignificant than theirs were tender and full, delicately tinted with a rosy hue, probably inspired by the most precious rose bushes of some prestigious French castle, place of elegance and romanticism where the gardener help his flowers grow as well with the power of the love he give to them daily, than the vigour of the water he drags from some wild and untouched stream. Oh, I would have liked to taste these lips. But for now, I have to wait. Wait until the beauty is tamed, after giving the needed patience to slowly give her confidence. I had to approach her softly not to scare her away, to be able to adroitly circumvent her timidity, this fearful timidity that makes the delicate and moving charm of a young girl you wants to protect, to cosset, to preserve from a world that is too violent for such pretty eyes to see.


The eyes of the gorgeous one slowly came back to our table while they were following the waiter who was approaching with light and steady steps, his shoes of black leather scarcely clacking on the parquet, made of a dark and slightly oiled wood. The man had a white napkin hanging on his arm, short and thick, with ends embroidered with a thin gold piping, and the fabric was slightly shaking at each of his steps. In his hand, he was holding two large menus, from a brown assorted to the room's flour, decorated with the restaurant name wrote in large gold letters sewed to the leather cover of the booklet. The waiter leaved said booklets on our table, one in front of me, the second one in front of my companion, accompanying his gesture with a smile of circumstance, as sincere as the tears of a funeral service salary-man, but still really aesthetic and pleasing thanks to his shining white teeth, matching his no less white shirt. Then, I took the booklet and opened it delicately, letting the thin plastic film which was protecting the leather criss between my fingers, while the interior pages appeared to my gourmand eyes, delivering them the sweet desire for the exquisite savours they were promising to my soul. The world then disappeared around me, and I barely noticed the discreet bow the waiter made before moving away from his slow steps, examining the room for a client to serve. Without worrying any more for the remainder, almost coming to forget about my date whose regard where browsing the pages already, I let my eyes land on the letters of black ink written on the slightly tented paper.


The more I wandered on the lines, the more my choice was made difficult, as each course seemed so much appetizing to me. Here is the problem with luxurious restaurants : one cannot settle for the dish of the day to spare oneself from the difficult task of making a choice. I never knew to make choices. As a kid already, while I was wandering between the shelves in the supermarket, looking for my birthday present of choice, I always required hours to decide. The space soldier armed by his laser canon, or the native american warrior with his bow ? The red lorry, or the yellow one ? The tiger plush, or the lion one ? Everything in life is about making choices, and I never knew how to. It sometimes lead me to some anxieties because, while there is nothing important about choosing a toy over another, it becomes way more annoying when it comes to decide for your own future. Thus, which option to choose at secondary school, which pathway to choose at the university? Which occupation should I opt for ? My ideas were so vast I was not even able to set myself a category, which could have been helped to orientate my studies at least. But I was hesitating between medicine and heavy machines driving, between accounting and architecture. At the end, by dint of focusing on my hesitations rather than my revisions, my grades ended up choosing for me.


But here, nobody will choose for me, and I will have to make a choice despite myself. I tried to focus my attention back on my reading, analysing each course, imaginating the savour they may have in my mouth and the pleasure they may provide for me. Some appeared more pleasing than others, and I mentally eliminated some propositions without a much serious reason. But at the moment when my eyes reached the last line of the last page of the menu, I still did not know what I would like to order.


I raised my eyes back to my companion. Her look was still plunged into the names of the delicious courses recovering the booklet she was holding within her so delicate hands, her thing and elegant fingers grazing the cover with so much lightness it looked like the item were floating between her exquisitely gracious hands. An instant, I thought of asking her to share her choice with me in order for me to imitate it. But I quickly changed my mind, thinking it may give her a bad image of me. By just copying her choice, I would look like either someone who is incapable of making a choice by himself, what would show my weakness, either one of these person without much personality who content themselves with copying the choices of others to pretend being like them and having common things with them. While this kind of escape is possible with family or close friends that understand you, it would be a big mistake to give myself over to such an ease in front of a damsel I would like to seduce. To stack all the odds in my favour, I would have to not only make a choice by myself, but also make the right one.


I buried my look back in reading the menu. The beef with shallot is said to be the best speciality of this restaurant, its perfect cooking and its smooth sauce being highly appreciated by the culinary critics, but I was afraid the shallot may give me a bad breath, what would be enough to wipe out the project I have for the night. I quickly considered the chicken with prunes before reminding myself I would be unable to keep my elegance if I had to try to retrieve the flesh from the leg bones of the fowl with the only help of my fork. I then thought of the cook's salad, but it may give the image of a man who already have to watch his diet because of some health problem. The carbonara pastas were tempting me as well, and I was feeling already the smooth cream slipping within my throat, maybe accompanied by a scarcely cooked egg, but I was afraid this course may appears to banal and make me look like someone who lacks distinction.


After having read the whole menu a second time, patiently examining each proposition, I ended up finding the perfect course : the omelette with truffles accompanied with a salad with walnuts. Not only there is nothing here that may give me a bad breath, but also this course was not substantial enough to eventually weigh down my evening, but still substantial enough to avoid my stomach to gurgle at the wrong moment. More, this course was neither too refined, avoiding to make me look arrogant, and neither too simple, car still accompanied with an expensive and looked after ingredient.


Satisfied, I slowly closed the menu, gently tightening the pages between my fingers without pushing them around before delicately putting the booklet on the little red doily who were ornamenting the table between my two cutleries. I was then showing the proud and satisfied smile of the man who succeed his mission with verve.


Am I considered a "good" roleplayer now ?


(to make think clear, I actually have nothing against people that writes novels for everything. If this is their way to have fun, then this is alright. I just have a problem with the elitists that think one have to write novels in order to be considered "good", and will despise and belittle those who would rather have fun with smaller and quicker replies)

 

[ManicMuse]

Soooo here is an issue I have been having. Perhaps you all could assist me with some insight. I have a great friend who taught me the basics of role play back in the day. Ten years have passed. We recently took up role playing together again. She is still playing the same character! For the last 3 days, she has pretty much been having me gut her character piece by piece and re-write it for her so it fits the verse we wanted to role play in.


I know, sometimes a character can just have a few changes to it and it works.


I have found there tends to be two general unspoken types of role-players. Someone who rewrites the same character over and over for new story lines.


Then the one who writes a brand new character for everything!


However, I do not see how a demon-wolf-shape shifting-alien works in a Firefly/Defiance mash up RP.


She is a dear friend and writing partner and I feel like a -Bleep- because I want to strangle my dear friend over this! Any insight?

 

[call me rae]

[QUOTE="Manic Muse]Soooo here is an issue I have been having. Perhaps you all could assist me with some insight. I have a great friend who taught me the basics of role play back in the day. Ten years have passed. We recently took up role playing together again. She is still playing the same character! For the last 3 days, she has pretty much been having me gut her character piece by piece and re-write it for her so it fits the verse we wanted to role play in.
I know, sometimes a character can just have a few changes to it and it works.


I have found there tends to be two general unspoken types of role-players. Someone who rewrites the same character over and over for new story lines.


Then the one who writes a brand new character for everything!


However, I do not see how a demon-wolf-shape shifting-alien works in a Firefly/Defiance mash up RP.


She is a dear friend and writing partner and I feel like a -Bleep- because I want to strangle my dear friend over this! Any insight?

[/QUOTE]
Maybe just take the basic personality traits and as much as the name/appearance as applicable and then ask them.


Okay what is the reason you wanted her to be demon/wolf whatever in the first place? What did that character bring to the roleplay? Then find a way to fit the reason into the same universe.


If that doesn't work. Tell her to name her favorite character from the show and just copy that backstory.


Not the most creative but it saves you having to rewrite her character line by line

 

[CoconutLeaves]

[QUOTE="Manic Muse]Soooo here is an issue I have been having. Perhaps you all could assist me with some insight. I have a great friend who taught me the basics of role play back in the day. Ten years have passed. We recently took up role playing together again. She is still playing the same character! For the last 3 days, she has pretty much been having me gut her character piece by piece and re-write it for her so it fits the verse we wanted to role play in.
I know, sometimes a character can just have a few changes to it and it works.


I have found there tends to be two general unspoken types of role-players. Someone who rewrites the same character over and over for new story lines.


Then the one who writes a brand new character for everything!


However, I do not see how a demon-wolf-shape shifting-alien works in a Firefly/Defiance mash up RP.


She is a dear friend and writing partner and I feel like a -Bleep- because I want to strangle my dear friend over this! Any insight?

[/QUOTE]
I know a person who only rp's with one character as well. I think, just like a furry, their rp character is their other self. That character we like to be whatever any situation.

omg. Please let me give it a try.
So let's imagine the roleplay is started for a while already and the characters already are sitting at a table, otherwise it would be way too easy.

Spoiler

I was keeping my gaze on the delicate young lady sitting in front of me. Her eyes were scouring the room with a curiosity that looked feigned to me : I had the feeling she was simply trying to avoid my look, and I was seeing the embarrassment dying the sweet roundness of her cheeks, which was making her even more charming. I tried, in vain, to refrain the moved smile that just appeared on my thin lips. My lips, as thin and insignificant than theirs were tender and full, delicately tinted with a rosy hue, probably inspired by the most precious rose bushes of some prestigious French castle, place of elegance and romanticism where the gardener help his flowers grow as well with the power of the love he give to them daily, than the vigour of the water he drags from some wild and untouched stream. Oh, I would have liked to taste these lips. But for now, I have to wait. Wait until the beauty is tamed, after giving the needed patience to slowly give her confidence. I had to approach her softly not to scare her away, to be able to adroitly circumvent her timidity, this fearful timidity that makes the delicate and moving charm of a young girl you wants to protect, to cosset, to preserve from a world that is too violent for such pretty eyes to see.


The eyes of the gorgeous one slowly came back to our table while they were following the waiter who was approaching with light and steady steps, his shoes of black leather scarcely clacking on the parquet, made of a dark and slightly oiled wood. The man had a white napkin hanging on his arm, short and thick, with ends embroidered with a thin gold piping, and the fabric was slightly shaking at each of his steps. In his hand, he was holding two large menus, from a brown assorted to the room's flour, decorated with the restaurant name wrote in large gold letters sewed to the leather cover of the booklet. The waiter leaved said booklets on our table, one in front of me, the second one in front of my companion, accompanying his gesture with a smile of circumstance, as sincere as the tears of a funeral service salary-man, but still really aesthetic and pleasing thanks to his shining white teeth, matching his no less white shirt. Then, I took the booklet and opened it delicately, letting the thin plastic film which was protecting the leather criss between my fingers, while the interior pages appeared to my gourmand eyes, delivering them the sweet desire for the exquisite savours they were promising to my soul. The world then disappeared around me, and I barely noticed the discreet bow the waiter made before moving away from his slow steps, examining the room for a client to serve. Without worrying any more for the remainder, almost coming to forget about my date whose regard where browsing the pages already, I let my eyes land on the letters of black ink written on the slightly tented paper.


The more I wandered on the lines, the more my choice was made difficult, as each course seemed so much appetizing to me. Here is the problem with luxurious restaurants : one cannot settle for the dish of the day to spare oneself from the difficult task of making a choice. I never knew to make choices. As a kid already, while I was wandering between the shelves in the supermarket, looking for my birthday present of choice, I always required hours to decide. The space soldier armed by his laser canon, or the native american warrior with his bow ? The red lorry, or the yellow one ? The tiger plush, or the lion one ? Everything in life is about making choices, and I never knew how to. It sometimes lead me to some anxieties because, while there is nothing important about choosing a toy over another, it becomes way more annoying when it comes to decide for your own future. Thus, which option to choose at secondary school, which pathway to choose at the university? Which occupation should I opt for ? My ideas were so vast I was not even able to set myself a category, which could have been helped to orientate my studies at least. But I was hesitating between medicine and heavy machines driving, between accounting and architecture. At the end, by dint of focusing on my hesitations rather than my revisions, my grades ended up choosing for me.


But here, nobody will choose for me, and I will have to make a choice despite myself. I tried to focus my attention back on my reading, analysing each course, imaginating the savour they may have in my mouth and the pleasure they may provide for me. Some appeared more pleasing than others, and I mentally eliminated some propositions without a much serious reason. But at the moment when my eyes reached the last line of the last page of the menu, I still did not know what I would like to order.


I raised my eyes back to my companion. Her look was still plunged into the names of the delicious courses recovering the booklet she was holding within her so delicate hands, her thing and elegant fingers grazing the cover with so much lightness it looked like the item were floating between her exquisitely gracious hands. An instant, I thought of asking her to share her choice with me in order for me to imitate it. But I quickly changed my mind, thinking it may give her a bad image of me. By just copying her choice, I would look like either someone who is incapable of making a choice by himself, what would show my weakness, either one of these person without much personality who content themselves with copying the choices of others to pretend being like them and having common things with them. While this kind of escape is possible with family or close friends that understand you, it would be a big mistake to give myself over to such an ease in front of a damsel I would like to seduce. To stack all the odds in my favour, I would have to not only make a choice by myself, but also make the right one.


I buried my look back in reading the menu. The beef with shallot is said to be the best speciality of this restaurant, its perfect cooking and its smooth sauce being highly appreciated by the culinary critics, but I was afraid the shallot may give me a bad breath, what would be enough to wipe out the project I have for the night. I quickly considered the chicken with prunes before reminding myself I would be unable to keep my elegance if I had to try to retrieve the flesh from the leg bones of the fowl with the only help of my fork. I then thought of the cook's salad, but it may give the image of a man who already have to watch his diet because of some health problem. The carbonara pastas were tempting me as well, and I was feeling already the smooth cream slipping within my throat, maybe accompanied by a scarcely cooked egg, but I was afraid this course may appears to banal and make me look like someone who lacks distinction.


After having read the whole menu a second time, patiently examining each proposition, I ended up finding the perfect course : the omelette with truffles accompanied with a salad with walnuts. Not only there is nothing here that may give me a bad breath, but also this course was not substantial enough to eventually weigh down my evening, but still substantial enough to avoid my stomach to gurgle at the wrong moment. More, this course was neither too refined, avoiding to make me look arrogant, and neither too simple, car still accompanied with an expensive and looked after ingredient.


Satisfied, I slowly closed the menu, gently tightening the pages between my fingers without pushing them around before delicately putting the booklet on the little red doily who were ornamenting the table between my two cutleries. I was then showing the proud and satisfied smile of the man who succeed his mission with verve.


Am I considered a "good" roleplayer now ?


(to make think clear, I actually have nothing against people that writes novels for everything. If this is their way to have fun, then this is alright. I just have a problem with the elitists that think one have to write novels in order to be considered "good", and will despise and belittle those who would rather have fun with smaller and quicker replies)


I actually read it, and I felt like I learned new vocabulary and relearned some old ones. I dislike elitist's as well. I think I like roleplayers that make me feel excited.


In other news, I swear you could work for one of the ghostwriting jobs and earn enough money xD .

 

[Shreb]

omg. Please let me give it a try.
So let's imagine the roleplay is started for a while already and the characters already are sitting at a table, otherwise it would be way too easy.

Spoiler

I was keeping my gaze on the delicate young lady sitting in front of me. Her eyes were scouring the room with a curiosity that looked feigned to me : I had the feeling she was simply trying to avoid my look, and I was seeing the embarrassment dying the sweet roundness of her cheeks, which was making her even more charming. I tried, in vain, to refrain the moved smile that just appeared on my thin lips. My lips, as thin and insignificant than theirs were tender and full, delicately tinted with a rosy hue, probably inspired by the most precious rose bushes of some prestigious French castle, place of elegance and romanticism where the gardener help his flowers grow as well with the power of the love he give to them daily, than the vigour of the water he drags from some wild and untouched stream. Oh, I would have liked to taste these lips. But for now, I have to wait. Wait until the beauty is tamed, after giving the needed patience to slowly give her confidence. I had to approach her softly not to scare her away, to be able to adroitly circumvent her timidity, this fearful timidity that makes the delicate and moving charm of a young girl you wants to protect, to cosset, to preserve from a world that is too violent for such pretty eyes to see.


The eyes of the gorgeous one slowly came back to our table while they were following the waiter who was approaching with light and steady steps, his shoes of black leather scarcely clacking on the parquet, made of a dark and slightly oiled wood. The man had a white napkin hanging on his arm, short and thick, with ends embroidered with a thin gold piping, and the fabric was slightly shaking at each of his steps. In his hand, he was holding two large menus, from a brown assorted to the room's flour, decorated with the restaurant name wrote in large gold letters sewed to the leather cover of the booklet. The waiter leaved said booklets on our table, one in front of me, the second one in front of my companion, accompanying his gesture with a smile of circumstance, as sincere as the tears of a funeral service salary-man, but still really aesthetic and pleasing thanks to his shining white teeth, matching his no less white shirt. Then, I took the booklet and opened it delicately, letting the thin plastic film which was protecting the leather criss between my fingers, while the interior pages appeared to my gourmand eyes, delivering them the sweet desire for the exquisite savours they were promising to my soul. The world then disappeared around me, and I barely noticed the discreet bow the waiter made before moving away from his slow steps, examining the room for a client to serve. Without worrying any more for the remainder, almost coming to forget about my date whose regard where browsing the pages already, I let my eyes land on the letters of black ink written on the slightly tented paper.


The more I wandered on the lines, the more my choice was made difficult, as each course seemed so much appetizing to me. Here is the problem with luxurious restaurants : one cannot settle for the dish of the day to spare oneself from the difficult task of making a choice. I never knew to make choices. As a kid already, while I was wandering between the shelves in the supermarket, looking for my birthday present of choice, I always required hours to decide. The space soldier armed by his laser canon, or the native american warrior with his bow ? The red lorry, or the yellow one ? The tiger plush, or the lion one ? Everything in life is about making choices, and I never knew how to. It sometimes lead me to some anxieties because, while there is nothing important about choosing a toy over another, it becomes way more annoying when it comes to decide for your own future. Thus, which option to choose at secondary school, which pathway to choose at the university? Which occupation should I opt for ? My ideas were so vast I was not even able to set myself a category, which could have been helped to orientate my studies at least. But I was hesitating between medicine and heavy machines driving, between accounting and architecture. At the end, by dint of focusing on my hesitations rather than my revisions, my grades ended up choosing for me.


But here, nobody will choose for me, and I will have to make a choice despite myself. I tried to focus my attention back on my reading, analysing each course, imaginating the savour they may have in my mouth and the pleasure they may provide for me. Some appeared more pleasing than others, and I mentally eliminated some propositions without a much serious reason. But at the moment when my eyes reached the last line of the last page of the menu, I still did not know what I would like to order.


I raised my eyes back to my companion. Her look was still plunged into the names of the delicious courses recovering the booklet she was holding within her so delicate hands, her thing and elegant fingers grazing the cover with so much lightness it looked like the item were floating between her exquisitely gracious hands. An instant, I thought of asking her to share her choice with me in order for me to imitate it. But I quickly changed my mind, thinking it may give her a bad image of me. By just copying her choice, I would look like either someone who is incapable of making a choice by himself, what would show my weakness, either one of these person without much personality who content themselves with copying the choices of others to pretend being like them and having common things with them. While this kind of escape is possible with family or close friends that understand you, it would be a big mistake to give myself over to such an ease in front of a damsel I would like to seduce. To stack all the odds in my favour, I would have to not only make a choice by myself, but also make the right one.


I buried my look back in reading the menu. The beef with shallot is said to be the best speciality of this restaurant, its perfect cooking and its smooth sauce being highly appreciated by the culinary critics, but I was afraid the shallot may give me a bad breath, what would be enough to wipe out the project I have for the night. I quickly considered the chicken with prunes before reminding myself I would be unable to keep my elegance if I had to try to retrieve the flesh from the leg bones of the fowl with the only help of my fork. I then thought of the cook's salad, but it may give the image of a man who already have to watch his diet because of some health problem. The carbonara pastas were tempting me as well, and I was feeling already the smooth cream slipping within my throat, maybe accompanied by a scarcely cooked egg, but I was afraid this course may appears to banal and make me look like someone who lacks distinction.


After having read the whole menu a second time, patiently examining each proposition, I ended up finding the perfect course : the omelette with truffles accompanied with a salad with walnuts. Not only there is nothing here that may give me a bad breath, but also this course was not substantial enough to eventually weigh down my evening, but still substantial enough to avoid my stomach to gurgle at the wrong moment. More, this course was neither too refined, avoiding to make me look arrogant, and neither too simple, car still accompanied with an expensive and looked after ingredient.


Satisfied, I slowly closed the menu, gently tightening the pages between my fingers without pushing them around before delicately putting the booklet on the little red doily who were ornamenting the table between my two cutleries. I was then showing the proud and satisfied smile of the man who succeed his mission with verve.


Am I considered a "good" roleplayer now ?


(to make think clear, I actually have nothing against people that writes novels for everything. If this is their way to have fun, then this is alright. I just have a problem with the elitists that think one have to write novels in order to be considered "good", and will despise and belittle those who would rather have fun with smaller and quicker replies)


welp, almost reported it when i was trying to reply it. no one saw anything


The fact that you managed to stack up 7 paragraphs is impressive all on its own. If you can implement that into an essay like I can't, then you've basically solved 80% of literature and english assignments. I applaud.


Then again, this is a role-play forum, meaning that someone is going to have to match that so they don't have to feel the pressure of feeling worse because they wrote like 2 - 3. I can barely write 7 paragraphs of the setting >_>


Quality over quantity, but I always keep my paragraphs short, readable, and enough to tell the partner can respond. We call it a Goosebumps book nahimjk

TSUNDERBOT

them

of course, it's not like the paragraphs weren't proportional or anything, b-baka

 

[Seiden]

I felt like I learned new vocabulary and relearned some old ones

This is because I use my dictionary a lot, and when there are several words for what I want, I usually pick the one that is said to be "formal" or "outdated". So I may be using many words that are not commonly used. I have no idea which word to pick anyway.


I am not a writer at all, not even in my own language, and I just started trying to roleplay in English a few months ago then I still have a really bad vocabulary, this is why I rely to my dictionary a lot x__x


Any way, I am really impressed you read it. Were you that bored?


And you taught me a new word as well, I had to google "ghost-writing". It is something I would love to do (not in English, of course!) but I do not have any talent for writing, sadly. But maybe I do have some talent to put 632 words where only 6 are needed?

The fact that you managed to stack up 7 paragraphs is impressive all on its own. If you can implement that into an essay like I can't, then you've basically solved 80% of literature and english assignments. I applaud.


Then again, this is a role-play forum, meaning that someone is going to have to match that so they don't have to feel the pressure of feeling worse because they wrote like 2 - 3. I can barely write 7 paragraphs of the setting >_>


Quality over quantity, but I always keep my paragraphs short, readable, and enough to tell the partner can respond. We call it a Goosebumps book nahimjk

I have to admit I was almost proud of it. Why it is really easy to do in your own language, it is quite a challenge to do in a language you are not comfortable with. I know there are lots of mistakes, and probably my grammar and my syntax are awful, but I think it was still a good exercise?


And, yes, actually, I used to do the same at school, being easily able to write two full pages about something that could be said within 5 lines, just to give the teacher the impression I have lots of things to say about the topic.... and it works pretty well. Except in science were the teachers were rather mad about it x)


And this is exactly my problem within roleplay : if someones writes that much, it is cool, but what is not cool is that you have to write the same amount in your own reply, no matter if you do not have that much to say... Like, if this was a real roleplay, the one playing the girl would have to write the same amount of text about their own food order? You cannot describe the restaurant or your clothings at every post. It works only once. Then what are you supposed to do when everything is written already? Well, you write bullshit like I did, in the only aim to claim "yup, there is 7 paragraphs, then I'm good". This is the problem I have with post length. I do not mind whether my partner writes 2 or 200 lines, as long as I am not obligated to write 200 lines when there is nothing to say, as long as they do not consider me an illiterate idiot just because I prefer quick roleplays over novel-writing.


"Goosebumps book nahimjk"...? What's this ?

 

[Shreb]

"Goosebumps book nahimjk"...? What's this ?

The Goosebumps series usually had a "Choose your own ending!" and that kind of book. I think. I don't remember, it's been a while.

 

[Seiden]

Oh, this sounds interesting. Thanks for explaining

 

[Nodamechi]

I hate this "if you don't do 32 paragraphs you are a shitty roleplayer" thing. I roleplay for the roleplay, aka for the characters and the stories, and not to write and read novels. I highly prefers someone that writes short replies but let me react to all of their actions and speeches, rather than someone that would add in several actions and sentences in one single post in order to make it longer. Like, the character says something, then do something, then say something else and so something else, and maybe even say a third different thing after that. It makes it awkward to reply to the first action and sentence... Also, how can you do quick interactions, like real dialogues, when writing 5 paragraphs per post ? In the real life, you sometimes just exchange some quick sentences as a conversation, like, imagine the following conversation:
"Are you hungry?"


"Yes I am!"


"So, what would you like to eat?"


"I dunno, what can you offer?"


"Well, pastas maybe?"


"Meh, I'm already eating this everyday"


"Well, what about an omelette, then?"


"Sounds nice!"


I know this dialogue is boring but it may still happen in a roleplay, mostly romances. But you know what would make it really boring? Having 4 paragraphs for each sentence of this dialogue. Why not writing paragraphs when they are needed, where descriptions and internal thoughts are relevant, and keep it short when needed to allow quick interactions between your characters ?


I am not a native English speaker, and I just started roleplaying (or writing at all) in English. Then, yes, I am really insecure and it is difficult to me to write long paragraphs. The result is that I am really long to reply to my roleplays, because I need to have a good amount of free time and to feel fit to be able to write the required paragraphs, while I would be way more comfortable and way quicker to reply if I was allowed to just post a few sentences.


As for the literacy, however, I am guilty. I want my partners to be literate. Because I am using roleplay to learn English, therefore I am learning from my partners. Then, if my partner makes lots of grammar or syntax mistakes, I will think they are the right way to write things and I will "learn" them and use them as well. I want to avoid this, this is why I want my partners to be literate. Also, as I am not really used to English, I cannot understand things that are not written well. I am not asking for author skills, I am just asking for understanding posts that will not lead me to make mistakes myself. I make mistakes as well, of course, as I am a beginner with English language, but I still do effort. For example, I do the difference between "your" and "you're" and will do the effort to write the right one. And maybe because these words sounds different to me, I make a difference between "then" and "than" and actually may not understand your sentence right away if you use the wrong one, because they are totally different words to me. Basically the same for every word : if you do not use the right word, I will not understand what you are saying, because I do not know the pronunciation of most words then will not find what word sounds the same and may be the one you meant to use. Then it may be quite annoying to have to read everything twice to understand it because my partners confuses words.


When it comes to the requirement to answer at least once a day, well, this is the thing that make me run away from a "interest check" post. Because I am a student, I wake up at 6am and sometimes am back home at 10pm, then no, I will not reply everyday. And even if I had lots of free time and was able to reply every day, I would never require this from my partners, because I understand not everyone is on the computer every day, not every one wants to roleplay everyday, not everyone has the time for this ever day, some have a life out of the computer, and I can not stand this "be here for me every day" rule, because it sounds really selfish and exigent to me.


....But, yeah, as you said, I should still accept and understand every rule. Well, when some rules does not please me, I just skip the post, I will never complain about a rule.

I can so sympathize with this! While I haven't been role playing in English, I have done it in my mother tongue before, and I would be considered literate in it. Even so, I do hate unnecessarily long posts. Sometimes short posts convey exactly what is necessary to convey.


True, I could go about something the long way, describing each and every detail, and it could even look nice. But is it always necessary? I believe long posts should be used, of course, but only as a mean to further the plot. Otherwise it can look like spam basically, a long post you have to read to make sure you don't miss on anything important, but which doesn't actually add anything to the play.


Also, the time difference is actually an issue, and it shouldn't necessarily be expected for people to be there every day. We do have lives outside of the internet, and it can be quite hard sometimes to reconcile play and real life.

 

[Elle Joyner]

Um. But.... isn't this why Interest Checks exist?


Because you're essentially looking for a partner to fill YOUR PERSONAL RP needs? Like... I'm not gonna RP with someone who writes one liners or doesn't believe in punctuation. So I'll add this into my interest check to let folks know if that's their style, they need not apply. Does that make them a terrible roleplayer? No. It's just a preference.


You wouldn't go to a restaurant and complain that there's too many choices on the menu... right? It's kinda the same thing on RPN. People have different tastes - none are right or wrong, and there's usually something for everyone to enjoy. No sense in shaming folks for liking what they like. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Lyrite]

yeah, surely having preferences isnt a bad thing?