What Defines A "Good" vs. a "Great" Role-Player?

[Charming Mouser]

Your signature GIF is the best one ever.


Just saying.

 

[Klutzy Ninja Kitty]

[QUOTE="Charming Mouser]Adaptability, Passion, Inspiration, Balance. That's what makes a great roleplayer.

[/QUOTE]
So many good points have been made on this thread! I think the one I quoted above is closest to what my belief is. I may be new to this website, but I've actually been a roleplayer for ten years. I've roleplayed with many different types of people so I have a pretty good idea of what makes a roleplayer good v.s. great.


As Charming Mouser said, I think a great roleplayer is adaptable. Any situation thrown at them they will work with, or try to work with if they're good, at least. I've had roleplayers whom I've thrown a twist at during our roleplays and they told me to change it because they didn't like it or because they didn't think they could work with it. I think great roleplayers will welcome twists and find a way to adapt to them that adds to the plot.


Passion is very important. If you don't love what you're roleplaying, it most definitely will show in your writing and enthusiasm. I've had roleplayers who were very slow to reply and asked to start new roleplays several different times because they just couldn't "get into" what we were working on. If the concept you choose for a roleplay doesn't excite you, you shouldn't start it in the first place.


Inspiration sort of goes hand in hand with passion. Inspired roleplayers are indeed great roleplayers. Inspired roleplayers will want to reply more often, brainstorm with you, and will look forward to implimenting new ideas they thought of when they were offline.


Blance is VERY important in a roleplay. Both parties should put in equal work and dedication to the plot, not just one. I've roleplayed with someone who was playing an injured, mute character in a roleplay with me and her character was literally a limp ragdoll who did nothing but look at my character, smile, cry, or stare off into the distance. Nothing is more frustrating than a partner who doesn't try to contribute. Even if your character is mute, blind, and unconcious you could have something happen in the background while they are recovering.


There is one more thing I'd like to add that I think makes a roleplayer good from great, however, and that would be their habits. Here are pet peves of mine that really make me feel roleplayers are not as good:


1. Most people who roleplay will post their rules and preferences. One huge pet peve of mine is when they post something along the lines of "I will reply to you every day and I expect you do the same," but they don't even keep to their own rules. If you expect a certain amount of replies from someone, you should be willing to give the same amount. So I guess to sum this up, honesty is important to me. When you advertise yourself as active and you aren't I will me more frustrated with you when you don't reply rather than if you advertised yourself as "I'll reply when I can," or ect.


2. (This applies to 1x1 rps only. I understand in an rp with multiple people it requires more of your attention or you will be left behind.) If you have multiple rp partners, they all deserve the same amount of attention. I find myself cringing in frustration when I start a new roleplay with someone and they reply once, then reply to another roleplay of theirs five times, then reply to a different roleplay, and then hunt the forums advertising how they are craving new active roleplayers to start up some rps with. I think to myself, "Um, hello! You have an active roleplay partner right here! Come reply to me!" I'm polite to people so I don't call them on it very often, but this has happened to me so much in the past and it irritates me so.


3. Respect. I've had so many people be rude to me! What's up with that? I believe roleplaying is about having fun and not badgering the person you roleplay with. Life is tough and at the end of the day when I go online to roleplay and have some fun. I don't want to be stressed out by someone being rude to me. I've had people argue with me over my own rules, try to bully me into rping an idea I didn't like, and tell me to change something I wrote because they can't work with it. That just makes me sad. I disrespectful rp partner is a roleplay killer for me right off the bat.


4. Inactivity. Unfortunately this happens a lot. Even I've been rather inactive to roleplays in the past. I never thought much of it before. I would think, "I'll reply to it when I get a chance, even if it takes me a few weeks." I've started to realize that isn't so good. Inactivity kills a roleplay. I only started to realize this recently. It's like choosing a TV show to watch. Would you rather choose the one to watch that comes on once a week or once a month? It's important to reply every once in a while. But how much is enough? At the least, once a week should be enough, I believe. Even if your partner says its okay to take as long as you want, the less they look at the roleplay the less they'll be thinking about it, and the less they think about it, the less interest they will have in it until they've forgotten about it entirely. I'm not saying this is the case for every roleplay, but it can happen.


5. Excuses. "I have writer's block." "Oh, I haven't replied for a while? I'm sorry, I thought I did!" "I'm sorry, my alerts never notified me." "I have a lot of school work or exams right now." "My third cousin's best friend's grandfather's dog died today so I won't be able to reply for a while." Admit it, we all end up telling our partner excuses from time to time if we lag in replying. Sometimes these excuses are legit. Exams, writers block, notifications failing to be received, and ect can be true at times. But if a roleplay partner gives me an excuse every time I ask them why the lack of replies, I start not to trust them and become frustrated with them.


6. Insta-roleplay quitters. This is when someone starts a roleplay with me and they reply once, twice, or maybe even not at all. This makes me very sad. I don't like getting hyped on a new roleplay only for it to instantly die. I like to think of a roleplay as a comitment. From the moment its started you should at least work on it a little while. I understand people have to quit roleplays or lose interested and that's normal, but quitting right at the beginning is just so sad.


Other than those pet peves the only thing left that comes to mind is great roleplays can make quality over quantity. I don't care if one line is written or eight paragraphs. Anyhow, I think that's all I have to say. I'm a bit tired as I write this so if some points don't make sense I apologize.


So I guess to sum up what I think makes a great roleplayer I would say adaptability, passion, inspiration, balance, habits, and quality. If you can't have all of those things when you roleplay, at least have good habits and you won't frustrate your partner. Sometimes finding people with good habits is just as valuable as finding someone who is good with all other parts of roleplaying. These are only my opinions though, guys. I just thought I would share!

 

[PicaPirate]

For me a great RP'er is something that brings a smile to your face.


Of course what makes RP great in general is the team effort. So when you have several people who are great at RP, take a situation, blow it up to 100x scale and have a great time making believable characters, readers/other RP'ers will enjoy it.


My favourite RP's have been those with magic moments. When two characters meet and they are somehow oddly compatible. A chemistry experiment gone right. THe best RP'ers are those who can catalyse those magical moments in an RP.


Personal opinion of course mind you, so Im curious to see if people disagree.

 

[TheRoleplayingDovah]

Hmm....


I've never thought about what makes a good roleplayer and what makes a great roleplayer. Both always post on a regular basis and always post a decent amount of stuff instead of one liners that are filler. E.g., Bob looked up at the sky. Instead of Bob looked up at the sky whilst thinking about the offer he had just recieved. he was conflicted about it.


Both try to respond to the character that interacted with them and some even discuss plans via PM then surprise everyone. I would say that a great roleplayer is capable of planning a romance with another PC whilst making sure it remains a natural outcome for both PCs instead of both PCs falling in love almost instantly or in a way that you can tell it was planned. Unplanned romances tend to be the best kind as it surprises the RPer and gives them something to work with.


A great RPer always lets the DM know if they are unable to roleplay due to life and most DMs appericate being told about it. And a great RPer shows what their PC is thinking. I'll be the first one to admit, i don't do this due to laziness but i will try do to it on a common basis when it feels natural.


Roleplayers should always aim to post what they feel is the natural outcome for their character instead of posting what they think other people will like as it can result PCs acting strangely or the post feeling forced.

 

[Elowyn]

Hey! This thread has a lot of great thoughts. I used to be awful with roleplaying and creating original characters. Now I'm branching out and something that really helps me differentiate between good and great roleplayers is the quality of character and what the player can do with that character in a certain setting. Also, how believable can they make their characters and their actions? Do they seem like they've grown up in the setting? Do their decisions make sense and have a certain flow to it? Flexibility is always good, but I also think that some of the results falls on the GM who is kind of leading the whole endeavor. If the GM doesn't give enough details about the world, then how can players make accurate decisions with their characters? Of course, this is barring modern roleplays on earth, in familiar settings.  


On that note, there seem to be many experienced roleplayer here. Would any of you (preferably with 5+years of experience) like to briefly look over some of the rp's I'm in, character profiles and posts, and give me some feedback? <I've only started rp-ing a lot in the past few months, so be gentle but direct ? with me please~>


oops I just realized this was an old thread.... how embarrassing. whatevs, i'm leaving this here.

 

[Grey]

For me, good roleplayers work effectively with my GMing and with the other players.


Great roleplayers do half the work for me without realizing it.

 

[Bacon is fluffy]

I personally value good writing skills as this is a text based hobby. However, I personally prioritize how the player portrays their character and how they make decisions, rather than how long their post is. Or how accurate their grammar may be. That last part is probably a fragment but I'm too lazy to find out.

 

[Reine]

A good roleplayer is someone who stays true to their character's personality. A great one knows that people change and can't be prepared for everything, so their characters are flawed and indefinite, with the ability to be affected by their surroundings.


Grammar and spelling has a lot to do with it, as I'm a huge grammar nazi. But it really depends on what they write. No one that I've seen here tries to really put their heart into their posts, which is important to me. So is detail.


The difference between, "He felt nervous, his foot tapping on the floor as he bounced his leg. He couldn't breathe, adding to the stress," and, "His chest felt tight, like his insides were caving in, his own body beginning to rebel against his mind. His foot clicked each time the heel of his dress shoes hit the tile floor. For a moment he wished it annoyed others. It was a simple thought, just so everyone else could feel his pain. The room itself was small, so those in it were forced together like animals, or so it seemed. The man's eyes stayed firmly on his feet. With his arms wrapped around himself in a strange hug, he could have seemed absolutely insane. It might have been better, or worse, for someone to ask him what was wrong. At least then his thoughts would stop stirring endlessly, going in circles around the same thing. Or maybe he wouldn't be able to talk at all. Maybe his voice wouldn't work, just like his thoughts."


Someone asked me one time how to be "detailed." But really, I don't think it matters as long as the words flow, and give a feeling of familiarity, where you can relate to their feelings. Really, if a text is able to provoke any emotion in me besides annoyance(towards the author), it's worth it.


I understand that it takes a long time to write something like the second example, especially counterproductive in very active or simple RPs, but it doesn't hurt to play with your words every once in a while. I really admire the people that do. I guess that's the biggest thing I like in a player.

 

[Sunbather]

Writing skills, social competence, creativity, dedication, and a drive to improve the experience for everyone involved, not just themselves.

 

[call me rae]

For me I don't think there is anything such thing as a good, great, bad, awful roleplayer. 



There are some people that I would say are right pieces of work that I'm better off never speaking to again but that's about as close as I get. 


To me if your having fun and not infringing on anyone else's ability to have fun than your a role-player and it's not for me to say boo about how you run things. 


Now does that mean that there aren't  roleplaying styles / storylines / character types / players that I find aren't my particular cup of tea? No of course not. I have things I like when I'm roleplay just the same as anyone else.


But I would never say the things I don't like are bad. Unless again the things are making you as a roleplayer unhappy OR you are going around making things not fun for everyone else.


If your gonna be an asshole than I think your a bad person and you ought to re-think how you treat people. But that's not the same as being a "bad" roleplayer.

 

[Bacon is fluffy]

For me I don't think there is anything such thing as a good, great, bad, awful roleplayer. 



There are some people that I would say are right pieces of work that I'm better off never speaking to again but that's about as close as I get. 


To me if your having fun and not infringing on anyone else's ability to have fun than your a role-player and it's not for me to say boo about how you run things. 


Now does that mean that there aren't  roleplaying styles / storylines / character types / players that I find aren't my particular cup of tea? No of course not. I have things I like when I'm roleplay just the same as anyone else.


But I would never say the things I don't like are bad. Unless again the things are making you as a roleplayer unhappy OR you are going around making things not fun for everyone else.


If your gonna be an asshole than I think your a bad person and you ought to re-think how you treat people. But that's not the same as being a "bad" roleplayer.

There is such thing as someone who is a bad and bad roleplayer. It's a skill like anything else. One that requires a rethinking for how to you communicate in and out of character and ofcourse, through text primarily. It's something where even after all these years, I'm learning little tips and tricks that improve how I rp. Whether that be to challenge myself, show not tell(try to), and just try to convey an attitude in dialogue. It's a learning experience where you can keep getting better through both concrete and abstract ways. 

 

[call me rae]

There is such thing as someone who is a bad and bad roleplayer. It's a skill like anything else. One that requires a rethinking for how to you communicate in and out of character and ofcourse, through text primarily. It's something where even after all these years, I'm learning little tips and tricks that improve how I rp. Whether that be to challenge myself, show not tell(try to), and just try to convey an attitude in dialogue. It's a learning experience where you can keep getting better through both concrete and abstract ways. 

And I think we'll have to agree to disagree. I think too much focus on the technical aspects is what leads to the elitist attitudes the OP was talking about. Where people stick up their noses and act like if your not perfect (or at least very proficient) at all the various technical aspects of roleplaying you have no business roleplaying at all.


And I'm like you want to know what - it doesn't matter.


So what if some people only do one-liner Roleplays? Or script/chat based Roleplays? Or aren't great at making characters/plots or have imperfect grammar/spelling?


By quantifying a good roleplayer as only someone who is good (if not perfect) at all those things you're pretty much shooting everyone who doesn't roleplay at at least the casual level ( good spelling, paragraph or more per post, decent character development and plot, etc) in the foot.


Pretty much all the simple and a few of the casual roleplayers on this site are automatically considered bad.


When I'm sorry when most people start out they're simple roleplayers. And that's fine, as long as they are having fun and not trying to hijack a roleplay and prevent other people from having fun who cares about the technical details?


Just because you might prefer better spelling, grammar, post length, etc. doesn't take away from the fact that those kinds of people deserve to be able to have fun without being talked down too.


I'm not saying you can't have standards. I'm not saying we all have to roleplay the same way either. That's the point. It's not about how we roleplay but whether or not we're enjoying ourselves. 


If someone is happy only writing


 “He smiled.” 


Or 


*she flinches* I'm scared


Than who are we to judge them and say they're bad?


Unless they're infringing on other peoples enjoyment. For example replying in a roleplay where everyone else is writing paragraphs with


“He agreed”


That is inconsiderate and not being a courteous person. But I wouldn't say that makes them a bad roleplayer.


Anymore than the ability to write publish worthy posts, fully realistic characters, or intricate plots makes you a great roleplayer. It makes you a great writer sure, but that's a different thing.


Because I would rather roleplay with someone who is eager to work together, polite, and friendly who maybe can barely manage a paragraph with okay spelling and grammar. Than someone who is the next JK Rowling in terms of technical proficiency but is a small minded elitist snob in personality.


Now again this is just my opinion. Im fine with agreeing to disagree but for me there is not bad roleplayer. There might be bad writers or bad people but I don't consider those two things to be relevant to whether or not someone is a good/bad/great roleplayer.

 

[Bone2pick]

@A Nerd Named Rae I'm having a hard time understanding how there can be bad writers but not bad roleplayers?  

 

[octopi]

@A Nerd Named Rae I'm having a hard time understanding how there can be bad writers but not bad roleplayers?  

I think the idea is that the point of writing, say, novels is to communicate a story to an audience, whereas the point of roleplaying is really just to have fun with your friends. So if someone has fun playing overpowered characters and spamming one-liners and everyone in the RP is okay with it, it's not really anyone else's place to criticize that. Whether I'd play with someone like that is another matter, but I'm not going to say that people are bad RPers just because their style doesn't mesh with mine.


That said, though, I feel like a "good" roleplayer should have an idea of what they want out of a RP and be able to look for and work effectively with people with similar tastes. Going into a chat RP and interrupting the flow with 10 paragraphs would be just as rude as going into a detailed RP and spamming one-liners.

 

[Bacon is fluffy]

@A Nerd Named Rae You're entitled to your opinion and your own arbitrary lines in the sand,but I honestly beleive you're too focused on being nice. I would never go out of my way to say someone sucks in their own roleplay thread, nor would I laugh in their face if they linked a thread with one liners. However, roleplaying is a skill. There are some who are good and those who are bad. If you come across someone who is bad and they ask for advice, then happily give them advice. If they're boastful about being good, then it's up to you if you want to validate their opinion. There's a way to approach and even help people who aren't as good in something without being a judgemental asshole.


You don't have to accept the assholes,but you don't have to lump having standards as being asshole. It doesn't help those who lack skill and is crueler than telling them they can stand to improve a bit.

 

[call me rae]

@A Nerd Named Rae I'm having a hard time understanding how there can be bad writers but not bad roleplayers?  

Exactly what octopus said. A writer is a different beast than a roleplayer. Equating the two together excludes everyone who roleplays in a style that isn't dependent on proper grammar or novel style posts.


For instance script roleplayer or people who maybe don't have the best grasp of grammar either due to lack of knowledge or some kind of handicap.


I further to @Bacon is fluffy I am not saying don't have standards and don't enforce them. I for instance won't roleplay smut nor will I roleplay with someone whose character doesn't fit the narrative. One liners also drive me up a wall. But all that is my personal preference. It's what I as an individual want. But I do ththink the pepeople who write one or who wriyr smut are bad roleplayers. They just aren't using a style that I personally find interesting.


To me just because I might not find a style interesting myself doesn't mean that person is bad. And unfortunately for a lot of people that is the case.


Also people can certainly wish to improve. That falls under them enjoying themselves. If someone wants to get better at the technical aspects than by all means you can give advice. But if they are happy with there style than you should let them enjoy themselves without imposing your standards on them.

 

[Bone2pick]

I think the idea is that the point of writing, say, novels is to communicate a story to an audience, whereas the point of roleplaying is really just to have fun with your friends.

You've made a distinction here that many roleplayers wouldn't—I certainly wouldn't.  You've taken "communicate a story" out of roleplaying and replaced it with the word fun.  


As a player in any roleplay I will wear two hats: one of a storyteller (whenever I post), and one as an audience member (whenever I read other player's posts).   So if the argument is only audience members have a legitimate claim to judgement...

 

[octopi]

You've made a distinction here that many roleplayers wouldn't—I certainly wouldn't.  You've taken "communicate a story" out of roleplaying and replaced it with the word fun.  


As I player in any roleplay I will wear two hats: one of a storyteller (whenever I post), and one as an audience member (whenever I read other player's posts).   So if the argument is only audience members have a legitimate claim to judgement...

Then how about this distinction? If I read a picture book and don't enjoy it because it's too simple, I still wouldn't say it's a bad book just because of that. I understand that I'm not its target audience, and that someone else who likes short simple books may enjoy it. A chat RP post's "audience" is "the other RPers, who joined a chat RP because they enjoy writing and reading chat RPs". And in that respect, it communicates a story to its audience quite effectively.

 

[Grey]

I know a lot of good roleplayers who are not good writers.  A majority of them would not consider themselves writers, or the hobby to be writing - this applies both to tabletop or LARP and forum-based roleplaying. 

 

[Bone2pick]

Then how about this distinction? If I read a picture book and don't enjoy it because it's too simple, I still wouldn't say it's a bad book just because of that. I understand that I'm not its target audience, and that someone else who likes short simple books may enjoy it. A chat RP post's "audience" is "the other RPers, who joined a chat RP because they enjoy writing and reading chat RPs". And in that respect, it communicates a story to its audience quite effectively.

But because you concede that picture books are intended for an audience, they are subject to judgement.  And that of course opens up the door for bad picture book authors (artists), good ones, and everything in between.

 

[octopi]

But because you concede that picture books are intended for an audience, they are subject to judgement.  And that of course opens up the door for bad picture book authors (artists), good ones, and everything in between.

Oh, I don't necessarily agree that there are no bad roleplayers. I just agree that good-roleplayer-ness, whatever that even means, has very little to do with the level of grammar or length or style of writing. It has more to do with how effectively they can work with other RPers to make a fun and engaging experience.


I just caught myself trying to use the phrase "at this point we need to reexamine our definition of 'good'", which is probably a sign I need to leave this conversation.

 

[Bone2pick]

@octopi My original question that you responded to was asking how there could such a thing as bad writers, but not such a thing as bad roleplayers.  What constitutes bad & good would be a much longer (and incredibly subjective) conversation.

 

[DarkLightHitomi]

I find it funny how many posters here base the difference on aspects unique to the text medium.


Personally, I play by text sometimes but I also play in person when I can, and some people play via roll20 or other video chat programs.


Therefore, I can't support any aspect unuque to a single medium as making a roleplayer good, bad, or great.


For me I think important things for a roleplayer are things like initiative to push the story forward, rolling with what is presented, enabling/encouraging great rp from the other players, and lastly is able to avoid alienating/overshadowing the other players.


Oh, and the ability to be clear, precise, interesting, entertaining, and most of all able to immerse others in what you were telling.

 

[call me rae]

I find it funny how many posters here base the difference on aspects unique to the text medium.


Personally, I play by text sometimes but I also play in person when I can, and some people play via roll20 or other video chat programs.


Therefore, I can't support any aspect unuque to a single medium as making a roleplayer good, bad, or great.


For me I think important things for a roleplayer are things like initiative to push the story forward, rolling with what is presented, enabling/encouraging great rp from the other players, and lastly is able to avoid alienating/overshadowing the other players.


Oh, and the ability to be clear, precise, interesting, entertaining, and most of all able to immerse others in what you were telling.

That is precisely what my main problem with assigning specific values of "good, bad, great, awful" to people based on a set of standards. Because roleplay as a medium isn't all about writing in third person novella style. And I feel like a great many people use writing as a ruler to judge others by when not all roleplays follow a specific writing style.


I've seen roleplays that were written entirely in haikus, I've seen roleplays that were modelled after/took place in chat rooms, I've seen people ask to do roleplays using hand-drawn comic strips. Or as you suggested roleplaying in real life or over voice chat.


Not everyone is here to be a storyteller. Some people just want to have fun and hang out with friends, or work on character development. Some even want to focus on improving their mastery of a foreign language.



So that's why just judging them on their actions rather than their skill set is a much more practical guideline.


For me if your friendly and enthusiastic, if you'r having a great time and helping others do the same. Than that's it, your a good roleplayer.


If your being an asshole and interfering with people enjoying themselves than you're being a "bad" roleplayer. 


But that in itself is a pretty broad spectrum. So that's why I don't really focus on good or bad when I'm searching for partners. I don't care. 


I care about you being compatible with the style I'm looking to roleplay at the moment OR if our personalities mesh. If that happens than things are go. If that doesn't happen then I'll probably let you down gently and move on. But I'm never gonna be like - oh you suck because you don't fit my style. It's gonna be - Sorry I don't think you and I mesh well right now but I wish you luck.

 

[Lappi]

In my opinion, a 'great' role-player is somebody who can develop a character in a fair time span that makes sense. For example, I'd be fine with somebody's character being able to destroy a planet. If they took 20 years to get them to that point.


They also require to get to the point. I mean, it's annoying when people put useless detail that strays the reader away from the main point, so just get the heck to it and quit wastin' your partner's time. And I mean, like, multi-para (4+ for me) to novella-level description, for a single, simple event. It's just too much in that scenario.


Great role-players should be able to adapt in any scenario, but also be able to realize their limitations. They should also be able to help they who lack a fair bit of skill to elevate their role-playing skill to new levels, but keep their confidence in check so that they don't go off creating 40+ characters that barely get progressed and end up becoming overpowered as heck.


That's just me though.

I agree. I am a very lack luster Roleplayers myself but I attribute that to my overall lack of time. If I spent the amount of detail I did when I was younger I would make only about 2 post a day. Which is very unfortunate for my self esteem because I feel bad seeing people dedicate so much only for me to write 5 sentences.