Viewpoint What are some common RP traits that you don't understand the appeal of?

[Frownist]

I think it's the coding thing for me. Definitely not knocking anyone who likes to code. I've seen some pretty posts but I personally don't get the appeal. For one, I can't code. Even if I could, I don't think I would bother. I would be more concerned with the quality of my post more than anything. Again, everyone has their own tastes I suppose.

For me a lot of people make these kinds of post for interest checks, and since I usually use my phone I can’t see them. They don’t usually make a mobile friendly version either.. Sucks.

 

[Jannah]

I similarly don't understand the appeal of using celebrities now that I've been role-playing for many years now. As a frequent gm, I've noticed that it often creates a bit of character bias. Cillian Murphy, Oscar Isaac, and Pedro Pascal are notable examples of face claims that have garnered more favor in roleplays I've been in since their popularity has grown. People have a tendency to fixate on roles they've played, or even the roleplayer themselves will lowkey create a character that is just a remixed version of their well known role.

Personally, I find it a bit distracting. I think smaller actors and models help reduce the initial bias and favor might receive from recognition alone.

I actually also feel the same about popular anime and video game characters. Gojo from JJK is a common one I see in roleplays, and I find it difficult to not compare the roleplayer's character to Gojo himself lmao

I'm on a site that requires face claims and they have to be either actors, signed musicians, or signed models. Years ago I wasn't fond of this rule, but I have grown so used to it now. I just think of it as the actors and such playing yet another role. I mean, they're actors. They literally play characters. It's what they do. It's definitely less weird to think about it like that.

 

[cwosont]

I'm on a site that requires face claims and they have to be either actors, signed musicians, or signed models. Years ago I wasn't fond of this rule, but I have grown so used to it now. I just think of it as the actors and such playing yet another role. I mean, they're actors. They literally play characters. It's what they do. It's definitely less weird to think about it like that.

Yeah, I've no qualms with signed actors or models. It's just A-list actors that I've found distracting over the years, and I say this as someone who used to use actors like Cillian Murphy, Sophie Turner, etc. It was just the reactions and favoritism received for using those particular actors that steered me away from them. I use signed models more these days, and the occasional lesser known actor, and feel that my characters receive more attention for their personality or backstory than they used to.

 

[Jannah]

Yeah, I've no qualms with signed actors or models. It's just A-list actors that I've found distracting over the years, and I say this as someone who used to use actors like Cillian Murphy, Sophie Turner, etc. It was just the reactions and favoritism received for using those particular actors that steered me away from them. I use signed models more these days, and the occasional lesser known actor, and feel that my characters receive more attention for their personality or backstory than they used to.

When I use actors I tend to use a lot of lesser known foreign ones myself. Only rarely will I use an A-list Hollywood actor, typically because I feel they're PERFECT for the character they're going to be portraying.

 

[Auralunabella]

I think mine is when people require or disallow certain types of face claims. Use whatever you want or use nothing and just describe your character, I don't care, as long as the character fits the story and the story is good. If you can't RP with someone because they've used a drawn face claim when you require realistic, or vice versa, it just seems counterproductive to me. I'm all about the writing. I'll use whatever my partner(s) like(s), but I won't even entertain an interest check that says "Realistic face claims only" or any variation of that. Not because I don't use whatever they prefer, but because it seems so restrictive, and leads me to believe that won't be the only restriction imposed on me throughout the RP.

 

[nerdy tangents]

So for me it’s a consistency issue. I am a very visual person so I need the visuals to be similar or it breaks immersion for me.

For instance if your watching a TV show and suddenly one of the character becomes animated but all the other characters are live action that is jarring. Now some TV shows built that into the plot (oh so and so has delusions where they see people as cartoons or the characters are all high as a kite or whatever).

And if thats the case (the plot has some sort of dynamic in it where some people are going to be animated and some live action) than sure. I don’t care what you pick.

But if its meant to be something where all the characters are just people living in whatever fictional world the story takes place in. I’m gonna need you to pick a lane.

Now granted I personally don’t really care which lane you pick. If you want to do drawn images that’s fine. If you want real people also great. If you want written descriptions, well I will definately have a photo of my character but I have no problem writing a written description of that if it’s easier for you.

Because again personally I’m a visual person. I need to be able to see it to get a clear image of the character. But I by no means put my partners under the same restriction.


That said it does kind of put me off when people askme to pick their characters visuals. I don’t mean “oh hey do you want real photos or drawn image?” I mean “oh so can you make/find a visual for my character.”

No. Because it’s not my character and beyond consistency I don’t super care what your character looks like.

 

[Edric Blight]

Well keeping with the whole face claims thing in terms of common RP traits I don’t understand, (and considering some of the previous comments I know this is gonna ruffle some feathers so sorry) but I never understood using drawn face claims for so many situations. Idk, I’m just a big realistic face claim guy so I’ve never understood the appeal of drawn or anime face claims. Yes I said it don’t kill me- it’s just my opinion and a common thing I see that I don’t really understand much. Not bashing it and not saying no one should use drawn face claims- just saying I don’t prefer them.

 

[April_Fools]

When people avoid conflict between muses. They keep to purely outer conflict like villians, monsters, or other conflict but I've seen people go through ridiculous hoops to avoid conflict with another's character.

If it's some random you think will god mod that's one thing. But especially in like romance RP that great shit happens when they get pissed with one another.

 

[Nu Epiq]

Let me start by saying, I have no issue with romance. It can be fun if characters get together or even something platonic is great. I've been seeing this a lot lately, not just here, but other places where romance is a must. Like it has to happen. I guess I don't get really the appeal of the "must" part. I mean how can anyone say romance must happen if they don't know how, in a 1x1, the other person's character will react to their character or even like said character for that matter? It feels like there's no real choice. It's just kind of strange in some sense to not have a relationship play out organically if there needs to even be one.

 

[Frownist]

Well keeping with the whole face claims thing in terms of common RP traits I don’t understand, (and considering some of the previous comments I know this is gonna ruffle some feathers so sorry) but I never understood using drawn face claims for so many situations. Idk, I’m just a big realistic face claim guy so I’ve never understood the appeal of drawn or anime face claims. Yes I said it don’t kill me- it’s just my opinion and a common thing I see that I don’t really understand much. Not bashing it and not saying no one should use drawn face claims- just saying I don’t prefer them.

I understand. I don’t like people who only allow realistic face claims because if I just draw the way my character looks then I’ll be much happier honestly and I don’t really like to use other people’s work. It’s pretty hard to find a face claim I like. I guess I’m just really picky, lol.

 

[Edric Blight]

I understand. I don’t like people who only allow realistic face claims because if I just draw the way my character looks then I’ll be much happier honestly and I don’t really like to use other people’s work. It’s pretty hard to find a face claim I like. I guess I’m just really picky, lol.

Fair enough. I’m admittedly picky too but in the sense of I like realistic and don’t prefer drawn. But to each their own, that’s the glory of it. (:

 

[Cogwork]

I guess I don't get really the appeal of the "must" part.

I don't get what is so weird about it.

Would you be as confused if someone who wanted to run a comedy roleplay required that comedy had to be included in their rp?

 

[Steve Jobs]

I'm not sure why people go through the trouble of applying to a roleplay, plotting with others, and then ghosting. I understand if a person loses interest or gets busy but it's the ghosting part that really befuddles me. Surely if you were active enough to plot with people, you can tell the GM you want to leave right?

Not to mention, it's a waste of your and everyone's time if you never intended on actually posting.

 

[Nu Epiq]

I don't get what is so weird about it.

Would you be as confused if someone who wanted to run a comedy roleplay required that comedy had to be included in their rp?

We aren't talking about comedy though, at least I was not. Going back to the topic of the thread, I answered what I found as to not be appealing. It wasn't a knock against anyone that requires romance as a must. You may not agree which is fine but it's how I feel and it won't change whether or not you choose to question it. As not to have another derail of the topic, please don't tag me again if you take issue.

 

[ViperBite]

Even though it’s already mentioned, I’d have to go with coding. I’m assuming it’s similar to making a post appear aesthetically pleasing? Yeah. I had people refuse to write with me because I don’t “pretty up” my posts.

 

[Jackalope]

Hello! I'll been RPing for quite some time (over a decade, though I can't figure out the exact number), and quite a lot of things have changed over the years! I've been noticing a couple new popular things in RP that weren't really around the last time I was on a forum, and things that have been around since time immemorial.

So, I was wondering: what are some RP tendencies that you don't really "get"? I don't mean pet peeves or straight-up complaints, really. Just things that you may not necessarily dislike, you just don't understand why people do them or why they're popular. Maybe they're even habits that you do, and you don't really understand why you do them! Who knows- maybe someone on the thread will explain it, and then you'll get why people prefer it!

I'll start with two of mine:

1. I've never understood the appeal of "celebrity" or household names as faceclaims, even when I started RPing. I suppose they could have a certain appeal if you're picking actors and envisioning your RP as a TV series or movie. For me, though, I feel like I would be taking away a certain degree of originality or creativity by giving my character the face of someone extremely popular. Something like that phenomenon when you watch a movie and the actor is so popular that it's hard to see them as their character and not just the actor. Like, nobody ever calls the Rock's characters by their names.

2. The former is my old guard "RPer yells at cloud", but this is a new one I've noticed that I don't think I've seen before: a lot of character post codes I've seen have a section to put down the character's mood. I don't really understand that. I feel like a character's mood usually comes across well enough in the post itself? Especially with long posts. It just seems a little redundant and I don't get it.

1. I hate when my partners ask for RL face claims. It strikes me as so odd and just... no one consented to me using their picture as my character. I feel like that's important somehow, comical though it may be, since they're public figures.

2. That's... That's a thing? I don't think I've seen that yet. But that's weird. If you can't convey through your post, then... what's the point?

 

[kawaiiyote]

• many have said coding, & i agree - though i actually like/enjoy coding! i do not, however, have any desire to implement it in roleplay posts.
  • i want to be able to read and post on mobile if need be.
  • i just wanna yeet my posts. it's so tedious to copy code, first, then insert the text. hate it, won't rp on a site that requires this.
  • anything that makes it harder to read is an immediate, resounding, no. tiny fonts, low contrast, contained themes so you have to scroll several times to read one paragraph? absolutely not. and if it breaks on my cell (lookin' at you, beautiful but convoluted google docs layouts), i'm not into it. at all.
• "wanted faceclaims." usually if i see a section like this in a group, i'll leave. i do not want my character boiled down to the faceclaim i pick for them, but for their personality and the way they're written. "i want to write against a ___ fc" gives me the ick. people can enjoy what they enjoy ofc! it's just not for me. (suggested fcs is a little different; especially if it's just a resource for new characters. like, "hey, these fcs have resources that help them fit in really well in this setting," etc.)
• a super specific one, but: that person in the group who can do nothing but talk about their character. they'll interrupt every conceivable conversation, especially if it's focused on other characters, to dump headcanons about theirs. i love the enthusiasm, but the lack of self awareness is secondhand embarrassing.

 

[Beckoncall]

Nobility RP that focuses on a single ball/dance almost exclusively until the thread dies. Needs hunts, feasts, battles, sieges!

Totally. I ran a nobility RP which went fantastically -- and there were social elements as well as a lot of intrigue, politics, diplomacy and fighting on a small and large scale. Really enjoyed it.

If there was going to be a nobility roleplay about a single event or ball, it should say that on the tin. I could Run a game like that, with everyone having a certain number of hours to do things and having agendas and objectives (besides fun) to achieve during the course of the event (Improve relations with other nobles, assassinate someone, secure a trade deal, grow in status) before the ball ends. I would cut up the event into "turns" each representing an hour of the evening, maybe with unifying events like dances or costume changes at regular intervals.

 

[BuggaBoo]

Hi!!

For me it's dice and stats. Like I get stats cuz some people grasp concepts better when you put numbers to them. But then again most gms that use stats use them for only combat and physical which kinda makes sense but then why don't they use it for charries brains too?

Like why not stats out: memory, peruasiveness, charisma (lol rizz), knowledge, attention, etc? But like yeah stats kinda bug me yet they make sense when you couple it with dice.

But dice? Like I don't get it. I played d and d before irl and I hated it cuz everything you do is dictated by dice. That and all you do is like take soooooo much time to kill things so you can just level up. Soooolike why you need to roll dice for rp? I guess you can write the results but it don't get ya girls creative juices going. Maybe it's because people like to rp morelike a game? Idk but I don't get the appeal.

 

[lizardanya]

Hi!!

For me it's dice and stats. Like I get stats cuz some people grasp concepts better when you put numbers to them. But then again most gms that use stats use them for only combat and physical which kinda makes sense but then why don't they use it for charries brains too?

Like why not stats out: memory, peruasiveness, charisma (lol rizz), knowledge, attention, etc? But like yeah stats kinda bug me yet they make sense when you couple it with dice.

But dice? Like I don't get it. I played d and d before irl and I hated it cuz everything you do is dictated by dice. That and all you do is like take soooooo much time to kill things so you can just level up. Soooolike why you need to roll dice for rp? I guess you can write the results but it don't get ya girls creative juices going. Maybe it's because people like to rp morelike a game? Idk but I don't get the appeal.

i think it's because dnd is a game with roleplay elements rather than a straight rp - when rp can lead to solving puzzles, in-game problems and conflicts and such, it can be game-breaking when you can just talk your way out of every problem with no limitations. if there were no dice in dnd rp, many gms would probably just be forced to make some encounters/problems unsolvable by rp, and that in turn can make rp really lame - what's the point of making a charisma based character if the dm can at any point just go "yeah no matter what you say this guy won't budge lol".

that being said dnd is a very flexible game and this is managed with groups deciding their own preferences, for example many gms will just reward players for good rp by either big bonuses to the dice or skipping the dice at all. others will also rule it that the player can't just roll the dice without making a good effort with rp, etc. the leveling problem is also fixed by many by using milestone levelling instead of xp based, so you level up when you complete important plot points in the story and such, instead of being based on how many guys you kill.

 

[lizardanya]

honestly i don't entirely like face claims at all lol. i get getting a base line look for a character and such, but like, this is a written medium. we're using our imaginations for most of it, why not just use descriptions for appearances? sometimes it feels limiting when my character looks exactly like an already existing person or character, but maybe i'm just more inclined to the writing aspect itself than most.

 

[gator]

I don't get face claims at all. This hobby is about writing and use your imagination. You can describe your character. With words.

Hi!!

For me it's dice and stats. Like I get stats cuz some people grasp concepts better when you put numbers to them. But then again most gms that use stats use them for only combat and physical which kinda makes sense but then why don't they use it for charries brains too?

Like why not stats out: memory, peruasiveness, charisma (lol rizz), knowledge, attention, etc? But like yeah stats kinda bug me yet they make sense when you couple it with dice.

Game systems already have these attributes.

lizardanya Sorry for repeating you. Posted without reading the whole thread.

 

[nerdy tangents]

honestly i don't entirely like face claims at all lol. i get getting a base line look for a character and such, but like, this is a written medium. we're using our imaginations for most of it, why not just use descriptions for appearances? sometimes it feels limiting when my character looks exactly like an already existing person or character, but maybe i'm just more inclined to the writing aspect itself than most.

So I actually realized this when listening to a podcast. Not everyone can visualize things in their head.

I can’t. If I don’t have a visual of some sort to reference (not just my character either, I will literally spend hours trying to find images of cars, houses, animals, etc. for my roleplays) I literally can’t picture it in my head.

It has nothing to do with the other persons writing ability and everything to do with how my brain works.

Now sometimes if somethings appearance is repeatedly mentioned in the source material (ie Harry Potter has his moms green eyes) then that trait will stick in my head and I can kinda imagine it.

But that’s kinda an awkward way to write for a lot of people so I wouldn’t expect it of my partner.

Now in fairness appearance in general isn’t a huge deal for me with other people’s characters. So if my partner doesn’t want to do a visual for their character that’s fine. I’m gonna do it for mine but they’re free to do whatever they want.

 

[Daisie]

Now sometimes if somethings appearance is repeatedly mentioned in the source material (ie Harry Potter has his moms green eyes) then that trait will stick in my head and I can kinda imagine it.

But that’s kinda an awkward way to write for a lot of people so I wouldn’t expect it of my partner.

This actually really relieves me, because I tend to repeat character traits a lot (appearance, body language, tone of voice, etc). It feels good knowing that some people out there actually like that, or otherwise benefit from it.

 

[Jet]

The reason for face claims and other visual cues for RPs, is that no matter how detailed you are in your descriptions. No matter how amazing you are at describing things, there won't be a consensus on what something looks like. Everyone perceives a description differently.

GRRM is an amazing writer and when people made art for his books, they consistently missed what he was looking for. According to GRRM, nobody has ever drawn the iron throne how he sees it. The closest person who again, didn't actually hit the mark, was an artist he consulted with and corrected time and time again, yet it still wasn't 100% perfect. Is that GRRMs fault? Maybe I guess, but he's an award winning and best selling author. The more likely explanation is that everyone interprets descriptions differently.

Now why does that matter for an RP?

Unlike books where it's not a collaborative experience, RPs require everyone to be on the same page. It doesn't matter if two people envision the iron throne differently, because we're not adding to the story. We're on the sidelines reading in our own bubbles, but collaborative writing is a different beast. You don't want ten writers with different perceptions of the same thing. You want them to have concrete images of characters and places when possible.

Sure you can try writing instead of doing that, but comprehensive descriptions require very, very long passages full of technical descriptions, and nobody wants to read that crap. There's a reason books use simple descriptions like, "He was a stout man with black hair and a round pugnacious face, and his skin was dotted with pockmarks and red pores. His chin was hairless but a mustache adorned his upper lip."

That gives you a general idea without rambling about hip to waist ratios and the shape of his ear lobes, because I don't care if different readers have a different perception. But in RP that can actually matter. So it's just better to use a picture and be done with it.