Viewpoint Unpopular roleplay opinions?

[Jannah]

People make too big a deal over writing disabled characters. Believe it or not, a lot, I think most people with a disability, mental or physical, just... live with it.

I think it's difficult for a lot of people because they don't want to misrepresent the disability or they feel such characters would not fit in the setting they're playing in. For example, a deaf person in a military setting. Unless the person became deaf at some point during the course of the RP itself I think it's difficult for most to imagine that sort of character fitting into a military RP.

 

[onesmallpopsicle]

I think it's difficult for a lot of people because they don't want to misrepresent the disability or they feel such characters would not fit in the setting they're playing in. For example, a deaf person in a military setting. Unless the person became deaf at some point during the course of the RP itself I think it's difficult for most to imagine that sort of character fitting into a military RP.

I fully understand that, and all the difficulties involved. But it's not that difficult to not make a character, give them a disability, and then NOT make the disability the only thing about them.

 

[Jannah]

I fully understand that, and all the difficulties involved. But it's not that difficult to not make a character, give them a disability, and then NOT make the disability the only thing about them.

And with this I agree.

For the record I have written disabled characters. One was a deaf professional duellist in a HP setting. She was so successful at duelling due to excelling at non-verbal magic beyond most due to having been born deaf. This left her opponents unable to predict her next move. She was actually pretty heavily inspired by Toph, but instead of being blind she was deaf.

 

[onesmallpopsicle]

And with this I agree.

For the record I have written disabled characters. One was a deaf professional duellist in a HP setting. She was so successful at duelling due to excelling at non-verbal magic beyond most due to having been born deaf. This left her opponents unable to predict her next move. She was actually pretty heavily inspired by Toph, but instead of being blind she was deaf.

I am disabled, so I like to think I have a bit of a say on the matter. I can definitely say that she sounds pretty cool!

 

[Illuminary]

I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion or not, I wish I could write with more non-human characters - aliens, robots, etc. Even if I find a cool partner, I always seem to be playing against a human character or a race/species that’s adjacent. I understand that it’s a preference thing. I guess, I just wished more people were open to playing creatures - expand their wheelhouse, you know?

 

[Cazimir X]

Don't you mean worse?

I
No
The opposite of that

 

[Vespere]

Literacy levels don’t mean squat. Neither does word count, tbh. They’re just some arbitrary labels that people seem to obsess about.

A great post doesn’t have to be lengthy and a long posts aren’t always great.

What matters most is the ability to move the plot forward or add something substantial to a scene. If we’re still around the same topic after a few posts (3-5 posts) and there’s no progression and you’ve written 1k plus words about how interesting the setting is or how your character remembers something from the past that’s unrelated - it might as well be over.

There’s also activity and consistency with plots that I would place on higher importance. I would rather have a person who can plot and know how to collaborate and bring in new elements and actually integrate it rather than doing most of the heavy lifting solo.

It’s no fun reading something with circular logic or no progression and the RP just becomes a chore to post.

 

[nerdy tangents]

I don’t like pairing where it’s all about one persons OC. I have come across this multiple times on this site where it’s very clear a player has a preference for the story revolving around their one specific character. And you are just expected to play the sidekick to this persons character and essentially write out the fanfic they have in their head.

Like I get having a craving for a specific plot but your partner should also get to be a protagonist in the story.

 

[Jannah]

I don’t like pairing where it’s all about one persons OC. I have come across this multiple times on this site where it’s very clear a player has a preference for the story revolving around their one specific character. And you are just expected to play the sidekick to this persons character and essentially write out the fanfic they have in their head.

Like I get having a craving for a specific plot but your partner should also get to be a protagonist in the story.

Omg yes. If that's your desire then you're better off just writing a novel or fan fic on your own.

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion or not, I wish I could write with more non-human characters - aliens, robots, etc. Even if I find a cool partner, I always seem to be playing against a human character or a race/species that’s adjacent. I understand that it’s a preference thing. I guess, I just wished more people were open to playing creatures - expand their wheelhouse, you know?

Totally agree

 

[BackSet]

Its okay to play a character who's not your race, gender, or sexuality. This isn't that hard people!

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

Its okay to play a character who's not your race, gender, or sexuality. This isn't that hard people!

There also alot of stigma for doing so tho and there reaaly sholundt be

 

[chaepeumeon]

Its okay to play a character who's not your race, gender, or sexuality. This isn't that hard people!

I agree, but personally it's just comfort level for me to play an OC that's African American like I am. I have been turned down from romantic roleplay because my character was black, so I often don't like playing a character outside my race because it feels more personal than playing a role.

 

[nerdy tangents]

I feel like “don’t play outside your IRL self” is reserved for diverse characters. As people tend to assume your cishet white (male or female) unless you specifically tell them otherwise.

I feel like the fear is that people will either fetishize or stereotype other viewpoints. I usually take the stance that as long as you aren’t erasing people from existence (ex. I don’t want any gay characters at all because gay people make me uncomfortable) or hateful ( Women characters should all be stay at home moms because that’s their natural place) then I don’t care what you write.

I will call out problematic tropes if I see them just because I know it’s hard to know when your crossing a line if no one ever says anything. But I am not snotty about it.

 

[BackSet]

I agree, but personally it's just comfort level for me to play an OC that's African American like I am. I have been turned down from romantic roleplay because my character was black, so I often don't like playing a character outside my race because it feels more personal than playing a role.

That makes sense. My problem is more when people think playing outside your own gender/race/whatever is inherently wrong and that nobody should do it ever.

 

[chaepeumeon]

Something that drives me crazy is when people get roleplay and reality mixed up. Roleplay to me is make believe, and make believe only. I do a lot of romantic roleplay, and I prefer to have no strings attached with partners. (I make exceptions to only a small group of partners.) It makes me uncomfortable when the roleplay gets a bit heated, and the romance is great, but my partner takes the energy outside of the roleplay. This has happened with few of my adult roleplay partners and it's weird. I have had situations where people would become territorial, and try to rp-lock me to where I couldn't roleplay romantically with anyone else because I was "cheating." Roleplay is playing pretend. Unless I'm okay with it, Keep it pretend.

 

[Vertex]

Something that drives me crazy is when people get roleplay and reality mixed up. Roleplay to me is make believe, and make believe only. I do a lot of romantic roleplay, and I prefer to have no strings attached with partners. (I make exceptions to only a small group of partners.) It makes me uncomfortable when the roleplay gets a bit heated, and the romance is great, but my partner takes the energy outside of the roleplay. This has happened with few of my adult roleplay partners and it's weird. I have had situations where people would become territorial, and try to rp-lock me to where I couldn't roleplay romantically with anyone else because I was "cheating." Roleplay is playing pretend. Unless I'm okay with it, Keep it pretend.

That sounds quite...toxic.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Something that drives me crazy is when people get roleplay and reality mixed up. Roleplay to me is make believe, and make believe only. I do a lot of romantic roleplay, and I prefer to have no strings attached with partners. (I make exceptions to only a small group of partners.) It makes me uncomfortable when the roleplay gets a bit heated, and the romance is great, but my partner takes the energy outside of the roleplay. This has happened with few of my adult roleplay partners and it's weird. I have had situations where people would become territorial, and try to rp-lock me to where I couldn't roleplay romantically with anyone else because I was "cheating." Roleplay is playing pretend. Unless I'm okay with it, Keep it pretend.

I can understand this mindset of blurring the lines between reality and roleplay, but it's not something I would ever condone. They probably already have a shit life and use roleplay as a substitute and end up becoming so immersed within the roleplays they do that they have split themselves up into different characters who are borderline self-inserts. It's a way of running away from their real life problems (which is a horrible defense/coping mechanism, but oh well). So when something happens they are against and it makes them feel like shit and reminds them of reality, they act out like this. I'm sorry that happened to you, and I hope you keep finding people who aren't going to RP-lock you like that because that's just scummy.

I also hate the idea that playing something that isn't yourself is "cultural appropriation" (I have seen someone use this argument against me before a few years back and while I do understand where they are coming from, I don't subscribe to that idea). I'm not using someone else's culture for profit, am I? XD I'm not trying to portray them as me doing it to be a racist thing either (I usually try to find the positivity in most things I do, unless it's something really serious and shouldn't be romanticized).

I just have lost faith in humanity at this point. Threads like these help me to realize people aren't all weird and scummy. XD

 

[Huntertabbysandshark3]

That makes sense. My problem is more when people think playing outside your own gender/race/whatever is inherently wrong and that nobody should do it ever.

Exactly hence why I avoid humans all together sometimes it’s just better to be a orc because you will get less shit for decisidng to play an Asian girl or something

 

[chaepeumeon]

That sounds quite...toxic.

The 2 people I am very specifically talking about are. To the point where I didn't know how I could get out of it. I am not mentioning names, but they definitely shouldn't be able to roleplay here. Roleplay isn't a commitment to someone it should be fun and entertaining, not something to dread and an obligation

 

[Vertex]

The 2 people I am very specifically talking about are. To the point where I didn't know how I could get out of it. I am not mentioning names, but they definitely shouldn't be able to roleplay here. Roleplay isn't a commitment to someone it should be fun and entertaining, not something to dread and an obligation

I think if you have a problem, you should report it. It doesn't sound like an ideal partnership at all.

 

[nerdy tangents]

chaepeumeon I had a partner once who was full on delusional (as in they though God spoke to them in their dreams). Ironically enough they were actually a pretty decent partner before God told them to stop talking to me. I mean there were a few instances where they would mix up themselves and their characters (saying I do this instead of Character does this).

But it was never in a romantic sense just in the “This personal has a clear mental disorder and maybe doesn’t understand social cues”.

But at least they didn’t try to guilt me into being their unpaid therapist or doing all the emotional labor of making them feel better about themselves. Like this is a fun hobby about making up pretend stories. This isn’t your weekly therapy session or whatever.

 

[chaepeumeon]

I think if you have a problem, you should report it. It doesn't sound like an ideal partnership at all.

Eh, now I think it's okay. After the guy and I fought it out for a while we just decided to not be in each other's lives. He asked me to never contact him again, and this was a year ago, so I am not concerned with what he's doing, but he was rotten in the past. Quite frankly, I don't remember his username anyway, lol.

 

[Owlbear]

Its okay to play a character who's not your race, gender, or sexuality. This isn't that hard people!

That's hardly an unpopular opinion though.

 

[BackSet]

That's hardly an unpopular opinion though.

More unpopular than you'd think.

Also I'd kind of annoyed at how many threads there are surrounding this topic and needed to vent somehow.