Viewpoint What is your opinion on Original Roleplays?

[Winter Kakyoin]

Hello everyone! What's your opinion on original roleplays? Personally, I love them, due to how much you can atually do! With fandom rps, of course there's AUs, but you have the keep the characters and world close to the way it was originally put together. Though, with original rps/stories, you can do so much more with the characters and world around them!

 

[Loxely]

I personally prefer original roleplays over fandoms and even UAs. I like the room for literary freedom with my characters and the world around them!

 

[Jannah]

I like them, although I will often set them in the real world or in a world similar to ours simply because worldbuilding can be a lot of effort for a story that may not even get off the ground. Fandom universes are convenient since the worldbuilding has already been done by someone else. In these, though, I am strictly a OC only player. I won't even play in fandom universes with anyone who wants to play canons.

That being said, I was trying to get to sleep the other night and came up with some original worldbuilding for a religous hierarchy that could work in a fantasy or dystopian cyberpunk universe. I just have no idea how to create a story around that since I doubt too many people would be interested in a RP exclusively about a religious order.

 

[Onmyoji]

I've always said that I'm a fandom roleplayer because I've been doing exclusively fandom rps for years. But right now my all (except one) active rps are original. I guess I can't hold on to that title anymore, oops.

I love fandom roleplays because it lets me stay in the setting I like and play around with my favorite characters. It's also challenging, because for me staying canon-compliant is important even when you're doing AU or canon divergent plot. It has to make sense within canon setting and the characters have to behave close enough to the original (even though I'm fine with some OOC, I prefer to keep it to a minimum).

At the same time, original roleplays give me challenge of a different kind. Infinite options. I can make my character however I want and don't need to worry about OOC. I love to do extensive worldbuilding for my roleplays (even though sometimes it hinders progress lol). It's a lot of fun for me to decide how the world works and how my original characters would fit into that world.

Bottom line is, I really enjoy both fandom and original, but for different things.

 

[nerdy tangents]

I like them, although I will often set them in the real world or in a world similar to ours simply because worldbuilding can be a lot of effort for a story that may not even get off the ground. Fandom universes are convenient since the worldbuilding has already been done by someone else. In these, though, I am strictly a OC only player. I won't even play in fandom universes with anyone who wants to play canons.

That being said, I was trying to get to sleep the other night and came up with some original worldbuilding for a religous hierarchy that could work in a fantasy or dystopian cyberpunk universe. I just have no idea how to create a story around that since I doubt too many people would be interested in a RP exclusively about a religious order.

It depends on the religious order. I find fantasy religious orders can be super fun way to explore the world building and the day to day life of the people in the universe.

A good example of this is the Living Circle religion in Tamora Pierce’s books.

As the religion is all about doing good works for the community around you and also living with nature essentially. So very monastic in that way but in a world with it’s own unique magic system and dieties.

Also slightly less fantasy but one that could easily be put in a fantasy world , the Order of Saint Nonautus. It’s a fictional order of nuns that are all midwives and nurses and provide healthcare for women in poorer neighborhoods. Given how much of “witchcraft” is tied to women’s health and knowledge being passed down through female spaces a religious order dedicated to that would be super fun.

So it very much depends on how you present the religion. If it’s something that allows you to explore the world then people love it. If it’s just memorizing a lot of rules and your kinda stuck in one place then it can get kinda boring. But that’s less of a religious problem and more of a plot issue.

Most plots with a lot of rules that don’t move around can be hard to kick off cuz people like a bit of variety.

 

[Letho]

Generally original roleplays are not my thing. I prefer fandom worlds and playing canons - most of the time I just can't bring myself to care about OCs as much. I mean, I'm fine if I can still play my favourite canon while some of the other members of the group bring in their OCs, I'll obviously interact with them and treat them the way that canon would realistically treat them - and so on - but... Canon characters are usually what draws me to the fandom - and the roleplay.

One big exception to that is D&D. My group is using Wildemount as our setting, so I'm playing a canon character - and I'm not the only one - but obviously I've done original worlds and characters for D&D before. And, well, hundreds of NPCs, of course, but that's different.

 

[Jannah]

It depends on the religious order. I find fantasy religious orders can be super fun way to explore the world building and the day to day life of the people in the universe.

A good example of this is the Living Circle religion in Tamora Pierce’s books.

As the religion is all about doing good works for the community around you and also living with nature essentially. So very monastic in that way but in a world with it’s own unique magic system and dieties.

Also slightly less fantasy but one that could easily be put in a fantasy world , the Order of Saint Nonautus. It’s a fictional order of nuns that are all midwives and nurses and provide healthcare for women in poorer neighborhoods. Given how much of “witchcraft” is tied to women’s health and knowledge being passed down through female spaces a religious order dedicated to that would be super fun.

So it very much depends on how you present the religion. If it’s something that allows you to explore the world then people love it. If it’s just memorizing a lot of rules and your kinda stuck in one place then it can get kinda boring. But that’s less of a religious problem and more of a plot issue.

Most plots with a lot of rules that don’t move around can be hard to kick off cuz people like a bit of variety.

This order is fairly secluded unfortunately. At least the high priests and priestesses are (gender is not a factor in who can or cannot become clergy). However, each high priest/priestess has a pair of proteges and one serves as their eventual successor. These are the people who tend to interact more with the outside world. Because there's also two for each high priest/priestess there's also sometimes conflict between them. If a high priest/priestess dies without naming their direct successor then the two proteges will fight for the position, often violently, for the position as well.

Whether the religious institution is viewed as a positive or negative force would depend on which setting I chose to utilize it in. In a dystopian cyberpunk setting I would obviously portray them as very corrupt and caring more about worldly power and influence than actual spirituality. In a more Medieval fantasy type universe they would sort of be there and would be pretty mixed. For the most part they would be the religion of the land and the one most people default to. Serving them would be considered an honour and most people would be proud to. Of course like any real world religion there would also be some extremist clergy and followers who use the religion to excuse questionable actions.

 

[WhiskeyMarten]

I prefer original roleplays to fandom roleplays, and I will never roleplay as anything but an original character

 

[GojiBean]

I prefer original RP's as well, and I think 9/10 RP's that I create are original ideas based on familiar scenarios. Gotta keep that thread of DNA familiar enough to draw attention and interest, after all.

From my own perspective, I find that there's more to enjoy with exploring something I haven't seen before than with trying to recreate elements from existing lore and characters that are set from existing work.

That said, I do love fandom still. In particular is Pokemon. I really can't get enough of trying to envision a more realistic and grounded world where Pokemon are a part of nature as wild animals with a complete food chain amongst themselves as all the species live and survive as any other would. It's a lot of fun to take fandoms in directions the source material never intended them to go. Ya know?

Cheers!

- RpNation

 

[Steve Jobs]

I generally prefer original universes because I find them more novel than fandom ones (where I could just play/read/watch the material) and because it gives me more space to world build with my character and there is less of a chance that someone is just going to create an expy of a canon character.

Nonetheless, I'm willing to play a fandom one if they do something interesting with the premise and I don't have to play canons.

 

[nerdy tangents]

GojiBean I love utilizing fantastical plants and animals im my original universe. I’m not familiar enough with Pokémon to do something set in that universe, but I do enjoy the idea of sort of fantastical eco systems.

I also love to explore how that would effect other things like technology, healthcare, and human society.

 

[MoonMagic]

My interest is in original storylines. Reading the words "That's not canon" is enough to send me over the edge.

 

[xpstitch]

I have an 'abusive' relationship with original stories. Meaning I get ghosted frequently so I'll be creatively inspired to create one and get jaded once I get left again lol.

I get sad when I grow to slightly hate my own original story idea because it failed (perhaps more than once).

 

[Taevith]

Original, all the way. Even with fandom I'd rather have it be all ocs and just take place in or is based on the rules of said world.

Plus I like working on my own world anyways, so it would be a bit odd if fandom was my go to. Lol

 

[Edric Blight]

Love em. I’m a sucker for fandom RPs but a nice original roleplay once and a while tickles my fancy.

 

[Pokeking]

I have never participated in a fandom storyline because of havinf to work with preexisting canon and possible interaction with canon characters.

I much rather prefer original characters in original settings. I don't mind a take on a theme. Years ago, I participated in a 1x1! storyline that was like Men in Black, but was supernatural and monster based rather than scifi and alien based.

 

[Jannah]

I have never participated in a fandom storyline because of havinf to work with preexisting canon and possible interaction with canon characters.

I much rather prefer original characters in original settings. I don't mind a take on a theme. Years ago, I participated in a 1x1! storyline that was like Men in Black, but was supernatural and monster based rather than scifi and alien based.

Not necessarily. It's very possible to do fandom RP's without canon characters. Some people, like myself, just like to explore the setting with original storylines and characters.

 

[Megilagor]

Not necessarily. It's very possible to do fandom RP's without canon characters. Some people, like myself, just like to explore the setting with original storylines and characters.

I have to one up that. Since my favourite RP's so far were fandom RP's and yet they were original in a way.
Yes they took settings and the world from some fandom, but the storyline and characters were mostly original.
Yeah there were some canon storylines and characters but only because we went to the places where those things happened so it was our choice for meddling with that stuff.

 

[Sorin]

I prefer original concepts over fandoms, personally, though I do love the occasional fandom-based or crossover settings too!

 

[nerdy tangents]

I have to one up that. Since my favourite RP's so far were fandom RP's and yet they were original in a way.

Yes they took settings and the world from some fandom, but the storyline and characters were mostly original.

Yeah there were some canon storylines and characters but only because we went to the places where those things happened so it was our choice for meddling with that stuff.

l think sometimes people gatekeeping themselves from fandoms because they think they have to recreate the source material exactly.

To me the whole point of a fandom roleplay is to tell an original story from your own perspective. Canon should only be a guideline to help you set up your story.

As someone who does both fandom ahd originals the only difference between the two is I get to look at pre-existing lore to see what I want to expand on with fandoms whereas with original works I have to create everything from scratch to fit the narrative.

And honestly sometimes it’s just nice not to have to spend weeks coming up with world building for a roleplay.

 

[Shreb]

Original rp is lit.

Fandom rp is also lit.

So long as it's a story between two people, regardless of if it finishes or not, that is a spark of an original roleplay, in my eyes. Everyone interprets their own distinct version of impact from what they absorb, so the way ideas come together into an rp is always going to be just a little unique even if it comes with the intention of following the universe of an existing franchise.

creativity is a two-way street, you can be creative with freedom or be creative with limitation, it's pretty cool to see how it blossoms

 

[InvisiblexInk]

In my opinion, Original Roleplays hold a special allure and are often my preferred choice over fandom roleplays. The reason for this preference lies in the joy of creating something fresh and unique with a fellow roleplayer. In an Original Roleplay, we have the freedom to shape the world, characters, and story according to our imagination, without the constraints of pre-existing lore or established narratives.

One of the advantages of Original Roleplays is the freedom it grants us to explore uncharted territories. We can develop intricate plotlines, delve into unexplored themes, and breathe life into characters who have never before seen the light of day. This sense of creative liberation fosters a deeper connection to the story we're crafting, as it emerges organically from our collaborative efforts.

Furthermore, Original Roleplays spare us the worry of adhering to existing lore and the pressure of getting every detail right. We can fully immerse ourselves in the creative process, shaping the world and its inhabitants without the fear of inadvertently misinterpreting or misrepresenting established canon.

 

[Yunalescaa]

I adore original roleplays but they're the one area of RP where they usually never make it past plotting, or if we're lucky to make it that far it's never past the first post. I get that there's a lot that can go into an original idea like world building, lore building, character building. You're basically building from the ground up as opposed to doing things within fandom where the majority of it's already there you just need to fill in the gaps. Sure you have existing lore that can be a road block but I always tell partners that canon is a sandbox and if you can really convince me, you can break as much as you want.

That being said with originals, I have a big rule that like, 50% needs to be done. For the majority of my original ideas I'll let someone know if all I have is a concept or if I've worked on enough lore that they can help fill in the rest. I typically won't approach someone on an original idea if all they have is the concept. The inevitably die, at least for me, during plotting so it's just a time saving thing I guess.

I do remember for a very long time when I came to the RP world, I was very much against it. I couldn't tell you why. It was probably for the same reason, ideas were just bare bones concepts that never really made it anywhere in plotting. I'm way more open to them now, especially in small group settings.

 

[chaotic cat cutie]

Never fandom. I just can't do it.

 

[spookie ayumi]

I enjoy original rps very much but I don't mind the fandom ones I just have a preference and it so happens to be originals, this also depends on the fandom though cuz some fandom rps I'd do in a heartbeat against originals