Viewpoint Unpopular roleplay opinions?

[BackSet]

Yeah, there are different types of Asexual and/or Aromantic people who are Ace and/or Aro for different reasons. Some, like me, find the idea of sexual attraction and romantic attraction disgusting (not that I'd actively shame people about it) while others are okay with it but simply do not experience those feelings themselves themselves.

Admittedly, I'm not entirely opposed to romance (in writing, that is. Like I said, I find irl romance kind of gross) I just don't like romance novel style romance. At best romance can be a side plot but it should never be the main plot in my opinion.

 

[Jannah]

Well, being Asexual and Aromantic are not intrinsically linked so it's possible to be one without being the other (which is not to say that people who are both Ace and Aro (like me) can't also like romance (not like me), I just figured I'd point that out).

I am Aro, yet I still enjoy romance in my RP's for the most part.

 

[BackSet]

I am Aro, yet I still enjoy romance in my RP's for the most part.

Hence the sentence in parenthesis:

(which is not to say that people who are both Ace and Aro (like me) can't also like romance (not like me), I just figured I'd point that out).

 

[nerdy tangents]

I feel like part of the problem with romance is that people mean very different things when they say that word.

From years of 1x1 I feel like it falls into two to three main categories.

1. plot driven romance, where it’s not about character chemistry so much as hitting specific story beats (this is the most common one)

2. character chemistry, where the characters start out in some kind of relationship (friends, rivals, lovers) and the roleplay is about their relationship and how it grows/changes. (this is usually the slow-burn camp)

3. fantasy, this is similar to plot driven only it’s basically writing out one partners fantasies (it’s the least common on this site)

I feel like a lot of the problem with romance is people with very different views on what makes a romance story trying to write together.

 

[Murdergurl]

I feel like a lot of the problem with romance is people with very different views on what makes a romance story trying to write together.

Together reveling in the spray of our enemies' blood pattering against our sweaty flesh, whilst meting out vengeance through the crucible of mortal combat?

 

[BackSet]

ro·mance
/rōˈmans,ˈrōˌmans/

noun

1. 1.
   a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love.
   "in search of romance"
2. 2.
   a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life.
   "the beauty and romance of the night"

 

[Murdergurl]

ro·mance
/rōˈmans,ˈrōˌmans/

noun

1. 1.
   a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love.
   "in search of romance"
2. 2.
   a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life.
   "the beauty and romance of the night"

Y'know, the Greeks had six different words for love, depending on the context it was meant.

 

[BackSet]

Y'know, the Greeks had six different words for love, depending on the context it was meant.

I know, it's pretty neat. I haven't looked into it that much but I'll get around to it.

 

[nerdy tangents]

ro·mance
/rōˈmans,ˈrōˌmans/

noun

1. 1.
   a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love.
   "in search of romance"
2. 2.
   a quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life.
   "the beauty and romance of the night"

Romance roleplays are more closely aligned with the GENRE romance which loosely translates to : “written* works centering a romantic relationship between two or more individuals”.

*written in this context specifically as we are a text based website.

And just like published books under the wider umbrella of romance fall many different sub-genres, romance roleplays also fall into different sub-genres.

Not just in terms of setting (ie historical romance, fantasy romance, etc.) but also in terms of story structure.

Which was my main point, if you prefer historical romance than you aren’t going to be happy writing with a partner who likes modern romance.

In the same way that if you like character driven romance you aren’t going to like writing with someone who is more story driven.

Personally I like character driven myself so any time I see someone who just wants to write tropes or has an elaborate plot written out I skip it. It’s not my cup of tea and I don’t feel like wasting both of our times.

It’s why I personally prefer “slow burn” because in my experience these are people that are looking at character driven stories. They’re also the ones more likely to be okay with a platonic relationship as a substitute.

 

[BackSet]

It was a joke.

 

[nerdy tangents]

It was a joke.

You might have meant it as one. But there are plenty of people who would sincerely use the definition to argue that there is no difference between sub-genres. So I clarified so they can’t kick off the same semantics nonsense they do with the word literate.

 

[Murdergurl]

... so they can’t kick off the same semantics nonsense they do with the word literate.

don't get me started on this one. lmao

Word count does not equal literacy!

 

[BackSet]

I've always had issues with the word "literate" but that's a rant for another day.

 

[Jannah]

Romance roleplays are more closely aligned with the GENRE romance which loosely translates to : “written* works centering a romantic relationship between two or more individuals”.

*written in this context specifically as we are a text based website.

And just like published books under the wider umbrella of romance fall many different sub-genres, romance roleplays also fall into different sub-genres.

Not just in terms of setting (ie historical romance, fantasy romance, etc.) but also in terms of story structure.

Which was my main point, if you prefer historical romance than you aren’t going to be happy writing with a partner who likes modern romance.

In the same way that if you like character driven romance you aren’t going to like writing with someone who is more story driven.

Personally I like character driven myself so any time I see someone who just wants to write tropes or has an elaborate plot written out I skip it. It’s not my cup of tea and I don’t feel like wasting both of our times.

It’s why I personally prefer “slow burn” because in my experience these are people that are looking at character driven stories. They’re also the ones more likely to be okay with a platonic relationship as a substitute.

I have certain tropes I enjoy writing, but I'm fine with romance or platonic relationships. Fortunately many of the tropes I like can work with both.

 

[CecilDMMasters]

My only problem is that I don't like romance and I don't like it when people (neither me nor anyone else) play canon characters.

Romance. yuk. Yeah, I don't do the romance theme either. I'm not much of a romantic irl. So it's nothing I want to fabricate in an RP

This is pretty much my issue with a lot of RPers I know. My total lack of wanting romance makes us incompatible in RP ideas that would otherwise sound fun. And I've even been accused of not wanting characters to even be friends if I hate love that much. Like seriously, I don't date or even think of romance myself and I have friends and co workers I get along with fine. Romance isn't a sign of someone's ability to feel other forms of love, respect or camaraderie.

And if someone sees me discussing or putting side characters who are happily married in they get mad I won't write romance pairings with other people. Like dude, I'm telling you now I put a lot of thought in how my characters think. And you would not want to RP with me overthinking how a romance couple thinks, what they want in a partner and what they won't put up with in deciding on a relationship.

I don't require it in all my RP's, but it is a nice thing to have when it happens. I like it to develop naturally.

No one has ever suggested a ship with a main character of mine that seemed even remotely natural. It all seemed based on Ship Zombie logic of "OH! They have that one thing in common! They should be together despite other logical clashing personality issues!"

 

[Jannah]

No one has ever suggested a ship with a main character of mine that seemed even remotely natural. It all seemed based on Ship Zombie logic of "OH! They have that one thing in common! They should be together despite other logical clashing personality issues!"

Yea, it's definitely tricky to get good romance in RP's. You really have to find the right partner. Having compatible writing styles helps too.

 

[Shy2Infinity]

As someone that thinks romance is (usually) a must for my roleplays, I think the buildup towards the romance is far better than the romance itself. The anticipation? The slow burn as characters gradually grow closer and closer? Chemistry is also a must! The struggles and their newfound connection makes everything afterwards much more rewarding. And I don't really like "love at first sight" too much, as a result. Some people can do it well but... Meh.

And while I do like romance, I must say, sometimes I do love me a good "found family" trope. Dat's some potentially good fluff. Or... Ya know, friends struggling through something together and growing closer and never really becoming anything more? Sometimes you don't really need romance for some nice, wholesome, emotional connections. Back when I was younger, I ONLY played romance, but I've become more lenient as I got older.

 

[BackSet]

I still don't understand slow burn. I'm not a romance fan and that might be part of why... I just can't stand the waiting. I sit there like "Just frikken kiss already!"

 

[AndPeggy]

I don't like personality or biography sections in profiles. I'm so much less likely to want to join a RP if it includes a biography section.

I know I'm not the only one who has changed aspects about my character the more I got a feel for playing them and the more I got to know the world all around. I've written profiles that six months later are no longer accurate because the character took me in a different direction.

Plus, bios and personality sections just make submitting profiles a longer ordeal. As a GM I just want it to be as minimal as possible and learn about the characters through writing.

 

[Syntra]

I still don't understand slow burn. I'm not a romance fan and that might be part of why... I just can't stand the waiting. I sit there like "Just frikken kiss already!"

Slowburn is good when the romance isn't the only thing that's going on. It's very easy to write a slowly developing love story for like, 200+ posts if the characters are also saving the world. Not a dull moment then!

 

[AndPeggy]

I'm saying that (generally) you can take the FACE of like 90% of anime characters, and paste it onto another character and it makes little difference. They all have that slopey, checkmark nose, simplistic mouth, and big, giant eyes. I get that it's the style, but it's always bugged me that the rest of the character can have so much nice detail to them, and then the face is like from a completely different style that makes me think they ran out of time or something. Both of the pics you supplied can stand as a testament to that.

I agree with you. Usually anime characters drawn at any skill level have no actual facial features. The art could be amazing quality and so detailed... Until the generic anime face.

 

[Crayons]

I don't like personality or biography sections in profiles. I'm so much less likely to want to join a RP if it includes a biography section.

I know I'm not the only one who has changed aspects about my character the more I got a feel for playing them and the more I got to know the world all around. I've written profiles that six months later are no longer accurate because the character took me in a different direction.

Plus, bios and personality sections just make submitting profiles a longer ordeal. As a GM I just want it to be as minimal as possible and learn about the characters through writing.

What would you even have in a profile if it had no biography or personality section?

Just a picture....?

 

[BackSet]

What would you even have in a profile if it had no biography or personality section?

Just a picture....?

Name, age, gender, height, weight, an appearence description (I have nothing against face claims but I prefer descriptions), etc, etc.

 

[Crayons]

Name, age, gender, height, weight, an appearence description (I have nothing against face claims but I prefer descriptions), etc, etc.

How is knowing a character's weight more important than knowing the basics of their personality?

 

[Jannah]

I don't even do character sheets at all unless my partner insists on it. They also make sense in group RP's, but I don't join group RP's very often.