Viewpoint What Are Pairings You Don't Care For In RP

[iceice]

For me personally its Stalker x Victim,Murderer x Victim,Master x Slave, and Nurse x Patient literally anything with " x Victim" is a red flag for me

Student X Teacher

 

[CrimsonDawn]

Bad Boy x Good Girl.

Can't stand it, sorry.

I only like the inverse of it, i.e. Good Boy x Bad Girl.

Also, I'm not keen on OC x OC or OC x Canon for the most part. Hence I'll usually only do it for the sake of the other person, and provided I get my pairing played out. Usually CC x CC, with rare exception.

 

[Chained Echoes]

If I may be perfectly honest, and this may be a bit of a hot take, the very idea of pairing itself is something I don't really care for anymore. If romance is going to happen I would prefer it happen naturally between two characters who are compatible and actually do and say things that appeal to each other and spark that sexual tension in the air between them which leads to further exploration of a possible relationship.

That said, as long as pairings are done well I don't mind them. But I mean it when I say as long as they're "done well."

For example, here's how NOT to approach a more "dynamic" pairing (no matter what kind of pairing it may be):

Player One joins an RP and designs a character. Player 2 comes along and joins as well, and they design a character that Player One really likes. Player One initiates character interactions IC while totally ignoring and/or disrespecting their own CS, including personality and bio, to try and re-tailor their character on the fly to be more attractive to Player Two's character in the hopes that a romance will start.

Don't. Do. This.

If a romance is going to happen, let it happen naturally. If your character isn't compatible from the start, don't force it.

If it's a pre-planned pairing, at least give it enough thought and effort that it feels genuine and earned.

For example, let's say two players agree on a power imbalance pairing like a master-servant in medieval times. Who falls in love first? And why? If those two questions don't have an obvious and believable answer, bruh. For instance, let's say a female servant falls in love first with her master who's an overbearing and arrogant prick. Why did she fall in love? What does she see in him that makes her think "I love this man?"

Did she sneak a peak during the times he wants to be "alone" and caught him crying at a small shrine in his room to his parents who perished during a plague a number of years ago? Does she hear him confessing to them about how he knows he's being a douche but he can't seem to break free of his created persona since it works so well in keeping him safe and in good standing as a rich noble, which thereby helps him maintain the legacy of his family, including his parents, and protecting their image which means a lot to him?

If so, THAT I can get behind. Seeing vulnerabilities and realizing that the douche is a façade and the real person behind it all is actually a kind hearted human being who knows he's wrong but doesn't see a way out is believable grounds for love to bloom.

But if the servant just loves him because he's the master and she's "attracted" to him with no greater or more believable explanation as to how love could blossom between the two, then I have to call it like I see it and say it's BS.


All in all, pairings are to personal taste. And I respect that.

But even so I would still prefer to see them done well, with obvious thought and effort put into them, rather than see them done just for the sake of throwing characters together for the sake of throwing them together.

Cheers!

~ GojiBean

100% agree

 

[kawaiiyote]

• i'm not into, "this person is a legal adult but they look and act suuuuper young." not only would this be a turn off for 100% of my characters, it feels really gross.
• like many others, i don't love huge power imbalances like stalker x victim. honestly, no shade to the people writing these. i just personally cannot get invested in a ship with a character involved that is, to me! irredeemable.
• when one or both characters are well into adulthood, but both seem to have a middle-school level grasp of relationships. yes, this can happen. yes, a person in their late 30s can blush and giggle and stammer. it's just not for me.

 

[FrostyDragon]

For me, I don't typically include romance in the RPs I write in, so pairings are just a way for me to start ideas off and maybe give anyone reading my interest check an idea about what types of plots I typically enjoy.

I'm someone who loves power imbalances in a pairing - slave x master, scientist x experiment, etc - but there are a few pairings that don't interest me. Teacher x student, good girl x bad boy and animal/creature x animal/creature are some examples. This is really just because my muse doesn't really seem to have any interesting ideas for plots including those pairings, so I wouldn't actively seek our someone wanting an RP based on those pairings because I'd doubt my ability to provide any decent ideas of my own to the collaborative effort. If a partner came to me with one of those pairings and a fleshed out plot that interested me, I'd happily go for it.

 

[Chained Echoes]

Anything with dealing with an angel x demon pairing. Master x slave, student x teacher.

 

[Jet]

Love triangles because they're a harem fantasy for whoever is mutually desired. It's also sad as fuck for the desperate duo begging for attention like dogs, when their crush clearly doesn't like them as much — considering they flip-flop between two options. I often view those characters as weak willed and a little bit pathetic, regardless of the genders involved. It just stinks of desperation and a lack of self respect.

I once had someone try a love triangle with me. I had no idea that was their plan in the beginning, but when my character and I learned what was happening, I immediately ended any romance & flirting in my posts. I had and have no interest in writing a character without self respect.

 

[Daisie]

Love triangles because they're a harem fantasy for whoever is mutually desired. It's also sad as fuck for the desperate duo begging for attention like dogs, when their crush clearly doesn't like them as much — considering they flip-flop between two options. I often view those characters as weak willed and a little bit pathetic, regardless of the genders involved. It just stinks of desperation and a lack of self respect.

I once had someone try a love triangle with me. I had no idea that was their plan in the beginning, but when my character and I learned what was happening, I immediately ended any romance & flirting in my posts. I had and have no interest in writing a character without self respect.

Oh man, yeah. I forgot love triangles are a thing. I haven't encountered it, but I think what bugs me most about love triangles in general is that the vast majority of them can be solved by a basic level of selflessness and communication. Any love triangle that lasts is only because of a stupid amount of indecision, which is so needlessly cruel. It's basically Diet Cheating™.

 

[Jannah]

Oh man, yeah. I forgot love triangles are a thing. I haven't encountered it, but I think what bugs me most about love triangles in general is that the vast majority of them can be solved by a basic level of selflessness and communication. Any love triangle that lasts is only because of a stupid amount of indecision, which is so needlessly cruel. It's basically Diet Cheating™.

I especially hate how there's so many of them in YA fiction too. Like, I'm a huge Hunger Games fan, but the series had so much going for it already that it really did not need the love triangle.

 

[RascalRoadkill]

For me it depends entirely on what the intentions of the RP and story are. I don’t typically like to plan relationships ahead of time, because I prefer for them to develop naturally. However, I’m okay with planning if the intention is for the dynamic to carry the story, since that would require more detail.

As for particular types, again, for me it depends on the story. For example, I wouldn’t want to play anything like “Doctor x patient” as genuinely romantic or fluffy because I heavily dislike the power imbalance. But if we’re in acknowledgment that we won’t be sugarcoating it, and playing it as part of a horror/thriller story where the development of that relationship is part of the unnerving scare factor, then I’ll be fine with doing it. So, for me, it all depends on what our intentions are and how we plan to depict it.

 

[Daisie]

I especially hate how there's so many of them in YA fiction too. Like, I'm a huge Hunger Games fan, but the series had so much going for it already that it really did not need the love triangle.

Oh OOF. I guess I dodged all that XD is it really common in YA books? I'm not a huge reader.
I can't think of a really significant love triangle off the top of my head - TV and movies are more my speed. Like I guess Phantom of the Opera was a love triangle, but again, that was resolved kinda quick when the phantom murdered a man in cold blood, lol. I feel like I've managed to slip past a lot of them.

 

[DragonSlayer57]

Anything that involves animals or anthro animals. I may love dragons, but i do not love dragons. Any thing in which there are multiple characters in the word romance. Love triangles, poly. I already have enough trying to figure out how to rp romance, multiple people is too much

 

[Jet]

Oh OOF. I guess I dodged all that XD is it really common in YA books? I'm not a huge reader.
I can't think of a really significant love triangle off the top of my head - TV and movies are more my speed. Like I guess Phantom of the Opera was a love triangle, but again, that was resolved kinda quick when the phantom murdered a man in cold blood, lol. I feel like I've managed to slip past a lot of them.

Kate, Jack and Sawyer in Lost.

Her indecision between "good guy" Jack and "bad boy" Sawyer was cliche and cringe as fuck, and made her (an otherwise good character) into an unlikable bitch for playing with the guys' feelings. It added nothing important to the story, ruined her character and made Jack look like a complete simp. I will never understand creative decisions like that.

If I had to wager a guess, it's when a writer is desperate for drama and uses the triangle as a crutch — filler to pad runtime or page count, and give wish fulfillment to men or women depending on the harem owner's gender.

Edit

Stranger Things is teasing a love triangle for season 5, and had a triangle in season 2 IIRC.

 

[kawaiiyote]

while i can totally understand where people who hate love triangles are coming from and empathize with a lot of the reasons here, i am having a blast writing one with two other writers in which the fellas pining for the same lady develop feelings for each other as well. they're likely going to be a throuple.

 

[Cthylla]

For me, I read a LOT of fanfics, and the one thing I can't stand is when the OC has some sort of mental disorder. I hate Mary Sue type characters too don't get me wrong, but I just don't like when a character comes with some baggage because they can't be interesting any other way. I prefer to watch a character go through a trauma and see how they grow or fall from it.

 

[Daisie]

For me, I read a LOT of fanfics, and the one thing I can't stand is when the OC has some sort of mental disorder. I hate Mary Sue type characters too don't get me wrong, but I just don't like when a character comes with some baggage because they can't be interesting any other way. I prefer to watch a character go through a trauma and see how they grow or fall from it.

Mm, it sounds like the problem might be less "characters who have mental disorders" and more "characters who are defined by their mental disorders"?

 

[nerdy tangents]

while i can totally understand where people who hate love triangles are coming from and empathize with a lot of the reasons here, i am having a blast writing one with two other writers in which the fellas pining for the same lady develop feelings for each other as well. they're likely going to be a throuple.

I always got the impression that what defined a love triangle versus a threesome was the “Person A has to choose between Person B or Person C.” As that’s where the drama/angst comes in.

I think if the ideas is all three individuals end up together it’s more of an accidental threesome. So there is still some drama/angst the conclusion is just different.

As from the books I have read which feature these particular plot points it’s always indicated somewhere in the blurb “hey this is going to be about three people falling in love and there shenanigans.” OR “hey this is going to be about having to chose between Option A or Option B.”

 

[Cheruzzi]

Any kind that would be deemed...problematic

 

[ShotoNemar]

I've discovered I'm not the hugest fan of Double ups. I'd prefer to want to focus on one relationship if the rp is about a pairing, and to enjoy playing as that character.

I also don't like OC x Canon most of the time. Sometimes it's fine but....

Other then these things most of the time its more about the over-arching story. If it's just about the romance it can get boring though.

 

[SakuraMochi]

Other than obvious things, like moral Grey areas, I'd say enemies to lovers - especially when they're canon characters that are just enemies. Never quite gotten the appeal.

 

[snicker_sage]

I'm really not a fan of canon × OC ships, i use canon characters, sometimes as AUs, but being the "romantic interest" of a character that never appeared before is just too weird for me..

Plus, my current muse was canonically involved two times, and romance wasn't the main focus, it was build whithin the movies.

 

[anotherrooster]

I suspect people like it because it's taboo. Same reason why some may find power imbalance pairings like boss x employee and teacher x student appealing.

Maybe a unique perspective here: I used to pretty much strictly do stalker rps years ago.
Starting the new account out strong!/sar

I believe it stimmed from both a personal lack of control in my life and poor coping skills. I've learned better ways to cope than being a freak on the Internet lol

And more than that, it was the easiest way to get "deep" rps. "Complex" rps.

I genuinely had the belief that rps had to be toxic to be interesting. I didn't know how to craft the juicy conflict without the characters outright harming each other

The automatic stakes of a stalker/serial killer rp immediately pay off.

Don't get me wrong, to this day my rps can play around with power dynamics and toxicity. But I've realized that things get far more interesting when both characters have a fair hand in the plot. It's not just... Whomp, or character A hurts B and they just like them still... "Just because."

Or if the conflict is an outside one. They don't have to hate each other, the plot itself can drive them apart/together!

I've realized that it's more fun when the characters both feel strongly for each other.

I agree with GojiBean! I prefer the latter, and would give said servant leverage over the master. That would be balance to me, and through the plot they have a growing respect for each other.

And I think this is what most that frequent these rps, may truly desire

They want drama and high stakes, and interesting OCS. But aren't sure how to find that.

Or they're just weirdos who like kidnapping make believe:l

Anyways, that's my perspective!

My pet peeve is characters that don't progress the plot at all

 

[Daisie]

It's not just... Whomp, or character A hurts B and they just like them still... "Just because."

Oh yes. There's one of my previous RPs where my partner's character had been stalking my dude since she was a teenager. She got hired by him. Lived in his house. As his stalker.

The twist being that he was more obsessive and unstable than she was.

I've been RPing here for 8 years and edge is still my jam.

Edit: AH heck I literally talked about this below the post you were quoting. I'm not obsessed. It's fine.

 

[boohooboone]

okay, im a person who will pretty much roleplay with almost anything.. including possibly weird or (not really) crazy tropes or duos, but a lot of them do feel iffy to me.

Stalker x Victim = personally, extremely weird to me

Abuser x Victim = also just weird

Overly dominant guy x twink who can’t do anything himself = this trope is just so overused and it makes me cringe i guess?

a lot of stereotypical tropes like good girl x bad boy or teacher x student = some of these are just. insanely boring to me. like i wouldn’t care if somebody wanted to roleplay them with me (personally id care if it was teacher x student, that’s just weird to me) but i would like to see people switch it up once in a while.

ILLEGAL AGE GAPS = OH GOD. gross. like 40 with a 16 year old?! NO!

love triangles but if all of them aren’t falling for each other im gonna be frustrated!!

sometimes OC x CANON = because i usually get corrected A LOT when i do oc x canon, because usually the other person doesn’t want me doing a certain thing or they want me acting OOC and immediately having the canon character fall head over heels at first sight and drop to their knees, even though that character could never ever do that in canon

 

[Jannah]

okay, im a person who will pretty much roleplay with almost anything.. including possibly weird or (not really) crazy tropes or duos, but a lot of them do feel iffy to me.

Stalker x Victim = personally, extremely weird to me

Abuser x Victim = also just weird

Overly dominant guy x twink who can’t do anything himself = this trope is just so overused and it makes me cringe i guess?

a lot of stereotypical tropes like good girl x bad boy or teacher x student = some of these are just. insanely boring to me. like i wouldn’t care if somebody wanted to roleplay them with me (personally id care if it was teacher x student, that’s just weird to me) but i would like to see people switch it up once in a while.

ILLEGAL AGE GAPS = OH GOD. gross. like 40 with a 16 year old?! NO!

love triangles but if all of them aren’t falling for each other im gonna be frustrated!!

sometimes OC x CANON = because i usually get corrected A LOT when i do oc x canon, because usually the other person doesn’t want me doing a certain thing or they want me acting OOC and immediately having the canon character fall head over heels at first sight and drop to their knees, even though that character could never ever do that in canon

I have done age gap type stuff, but only in arranged marriage type scenarios. Anyone doing it willingly is eww to me as it screams predator so I certainly won't RP it. I also always make sure the younger character in the age gap is at least an adult. As soon as minors are involved it's a huge nope for me, even in arranged marriage plots.