Experiences Whats making you angry today? Rp pet peeves

[sevyn]

also that it's not just in roleplay, but in fandom spaces as a whole, hence why i brought up the atla fandoms' treatment of katara

 

[Lunar Bunny]

Personally, I feel like this problem of hyper-competent females is mostly a western problem, primarily an issue in the United States. I also disagree with Nerdy Tangents in that I don't believe that the idea is caused by misogyny at all but due to feminists (male and female) not really understanding what the public wants. For a long time there was backlash over female characters in media being too dependent on their male counterparts, being seen as weak by the viewers, and so modern writers kind of go above and beyond showing off how amazing, strong and intelligent their female characters are to the detriment of not only the male characters but also to the female characters themselves, ironically. In order not to receive those old criticisms, writers now seem to think that they're not allowed to show women as anything other than the Strong Independent Woman Who Needs No Man trope. Which is boring. This concept probably aligns with roleplayers as well since I often see people too scared to go against the grain in terms of representation the way it's shown on television or sometimes they just don't know how to write anything else. I honestly can't say how you'd resolve this in rp? Because, at the end of the day, it's the other person's character. I guess you could tell your partner that you'd like to see more dimension to their character's personality, more vulnerability or something but... yeah, I'm not sure what can be done about it.

 

[nerdy tangents]

imma assume we're not doing the same kinda roleplay, cause this is simply not clicking for me. like i get the general point you're trying to make, but i'm not usually writing just a male or just a woman. i do 1x1 doubles, you seem to be speaking from the experience of a group roleplayer or something.

also, what someone else does with their character is generally out of my control, nine times outta ten if i bring something like this up, it's just gonna start a conflict and they're not gonna change it anyway, or if they do they'll be hella passive aggressive about it, so it's waaay better to just cut it right there. maybe cause i've been writing for so long that i just cannot be bothered, my patience is running pretty thin and i already know what i love vs what i hate, so like... why would i roleplay w someone whose character i cannot stand? usually, these characters revolve mostly around their competence, they have very little purpose outside of being a Badass Woman, so it's hard to ask them to change that without dismantling the character entirely. the whole point i'm making is less that competent woman characters are inherently bad, and more that it's boring the experience the same character again and again, especially since they're so very stagnant and tend to have little personality other than to be stoic, bemusedly exasperated, rational, blah blah blah.

it's also definitely not my responsibility to tell people that misogynistic tropes are bad.

Okay I think you are misunderstanding me,

What this seems to be at the heart is one progressing the plot by themselves.

But this is a collaborative medium and it is actually super easy to tell your partner “Hey I’m gonna need you to contribute to the plot cuz I don’t like writing a story by myself.”

Or

“hey your character is kinda hijacking the plot and I would like my character to also get a say in what’s happening”.

Basically this isn’t like reading a book where you have a character taking over the narrative and you can’t do anything about it.

Just tell your partner you want both characters yo contribute equally to the plot.

I do it all the time in my 1x1s. If the person throws a fit their not worth writing with anyway.

 

[Inno]

But this is a collaborative medium and it is actually super easy to tell your partner “Hey I’m gonna need you to contribute to the plot cuz I don’t like writing a story by myself.”

Not for everyone. Some people can't take any type of feedback whatsoever.

 

[Melpomene]

Personally, I feel like this problem of hyper-competent females is mostly a western problem, primarily an issue in the United States. I also disagree with Nerdy Tangents in that I don't believe that the idea is caused by misogyny at all but due to feminists (male and female) not really understanding what the public wants. For a long time there was backlash over female characters in media being too dependent on their male counterparts, being seen as weak by the viewers, and so modern writers kind of go above and beyond showing off how amazing, strong and intelligent their female characters are to the detriment of not only the male characters but also to the female characters themselves, ironically. In order not to receive those old criticisms, writers now seem to think that they're not allowed to show women as anything other than the Strong Independent Woman Who Needs No Man trope. Which is boring. This concept probably aligns with roleplayers as well since I often see people too scared to go against the grain in terms of representation the way it's shown on television or sometimes they just don't know how to write anything else. I honestly can't say how you'd resolve this in rp? Because, at the end of the day, it's the other person's character. I guess you could tell your partner that you'd like to see more dimension to their character's personality, more vulnerability or something but... yeah, I'm not sure what can be done about it.

I agree with you.

People started calling them out for relegating female characters to only being damsels in distress or as people who were way too dependent and unable to think/do for themselves (which writers should be called out for that, women are more than just objects to urge the hero along) but then media decided to MASSIVELY overcorrect.

Now women have to never be wrong, imperfect, and hyper-competent. They can't be goofy, clumsy or even hinted at to be not that smart. No, she has to be Jack of Trades, master of all. And then she has to babysit incompetent manchildren and do their jobs for them because they are just too incompetent.

I don't know how it is supposed to be empowering to watch a woman have to babysit grown ass men but, ya know. Girl boss.

And it's hilarious because as mentioned earlier, Toph is a goofy imperfect girl... And she is one of the favorite characters on ATLA. Because she is a competent badass while at the same time having vulnerability and a personality. And maybe if more studio producers can understand that is the the type of product people want when they say "competent female character" then we can actually get some good fucking food.

Unfortunately that is just what some people like. And often they might not even know they are doing it. Quite frankly... The only option is just not RPing with them. It probably is you won't click with them. It sucks, but it is what it is.

 

[nerdy tangents]

Not for everyone. Some people can't take any type of feedback whatsoever.

Well yeah but those kind of people usually aren’t much fun to roleplay with anyone. So better to peel the bandaid off quickly then drag things off.

 

[Houndstar-The-Goon]

Not being able to find an RP that suits my particular interests, heh.
(As much as I hate school, I do find school RPs very fun. It just seems there aren't many around these days for whatever reason. Maybe I'm just not looking hard enough?)

 

[Edric Blight]

Not being able to find an RP that suits my particular interests, heh.
(As much as I hate school, I do find school RPs very fun. It just seems there aren't many around these days for whatever reason. Maybe I'm just not looking hard enough?)

Really? Hmm, maybe if you make an interest post in a 1 x 1 Interest Check thread and state that you want to do a school roleplay, you'll find some takers.

Like I know I'm SUPER into school RPs, and I think a few other people are too. There are those who despise school-type roleplays and those who love it, like me. It's kinda like my guilty pleasure lmao.

 

[sevyn]

Okay I think you are misunderstanding me,

What this seems to be at the heart is one progressing the plot by themselves.

But this is a collaborative medium and it is actually super easy to tell your partner “Hey I’m gonna need you to contribute to the plot cuz I don’t like writing a story by myself.”

i think you might be the one just not getting it, it's not even a problem exclusive to roleplay. and it's also not always just the person progressing the problem by themselves, so that's not what the issue is "at it's heart" buddy. i'm figuring that you've just never experienced this particular problem in the way that i'm talking about, cause you're way off beat here.

Personally, I feel like this problem of hyper-competent females is mostly a western problem, primarily an issue in the United States. I also disagree with Nerdy Tangents in that I don't believe that the idea is caused by misogyny at all but due to feminists (male and female) not really understanding what the public wants. For a long time there was backlash over female characters in media being too dependent on their male counterparts, being seen as weak by the viewers, and so modern writers kind of go above and beyond showing off how amazing, strong and intelligent their female characters are to the detriment of not only the male characters but also to the female characters themselves, ironically. In order not to receive those old criticisms, writers now seem to think that they're not allowed to show women as anything other than the Strong Independent Woman Who Needs No Man trope. Which is boring. This concept probably aligns with roleplayers as well since I often see people too scared to go against the grain in terms of representation the way it's shown on television or sometimes they just don't know how to write anything else. I honestly can't say how you'd resolve this in rp? Because, at the end of the day, it's the other person's character. I guess you could tell your partner that you'd like to see more dimension to their character's personality, more vulnerability or something but... yeah, I'm not sure what can be done about it.

i agree for the most part! i'd still call it misogynistic though... but maybe not. like being so much of a feminist that it turns back around to misogyny, full circle

I do it all the time in my 1x1s. If the person throws a fit their not worth writing with anyway.

literally what i said about not wanting to write with them anyway if they're showing signs of being a poor writer, but turn up i guess

 

[nerdy tangents]

sevyn You don’t have to be rude, I am genuinely trying to understand what exactly you want people to do.

You seem to be having an issue with a specific trope. Okay I don’t like tons of tropes.

But I guess I don’t understand what has to do with you participating in roleplays?

That is the part that is not computing for me.

 

[Inno]

When someone decides to have their character's history/background explicitly tie in with my character without having talked to me about it at all. But it's all in the character sheet. Feels just the same as character control to me.

 

[Melpomene]

When someone decides to have their character's history/background explicitly tie in with my character without having talked to me about it at all. But it's all in the character sheet. Feels just the same as character control to me.

I remember once someone made me and their character best buds without asking me first. And I was like... well this is awkward because I'm pretty sure she would hate your character from what I know of them...

 

[Inno]

I remember once someone made me and their character best buds without asking me first. And I was like... well this is awkward because I'm pretty sure she would hate your character from what I know of them...

It's so annoying. Ask first! Communicate. Isn't that what a roleplay partnership is about?

 

[Lunar Bunny]

It's so annoying. Ask first! Communicate. Isn't that what a roleplay partnership is about?

I'm always amazed by how common it is for people to do things without asking. Especially the types that try to take over a roleplay by inserting their own lore without going through the gm first.

 

[sevyn]

sevyn You don’t have to be rude, I am genuinely trying to understand what exactly you want people to do.

You seem to be having an issue with a specific trope. Okay I don’t like tons of tropes.

But I guess I don’t understand what has to do with you participating in roleplays?

That is the part that is not computing for me.

oh boy, here you go... i'd hardly consider my behaviour rude, but you're welcome to take it however you want. if you don't understand what i'm talking about then that's just too bad, i don't know how else you want me to explain it to you? "i don't understand what that has to do with you participating in roleplays" literally What do you mean by this? it could not possibly be more clear, i can't see what's not clicking. i said i don't participate in roleplays if i don't like the characters involved, what else do you want me to say? what YOU'RE talking about is a completely different subject, it doesn't relate to the issue that i take with characters like that, we're having two different discussions right now.

YOU’RE talking about people who have their characters hijack the plot and essentially do everything themselves, thereby ruining the collaborative experience of roleplay. I’M talking about the lack of diversity in many female characters, who are often very serious and lacking in personality, thereby creating a boring character, as well as being a trope that is somewhat prevalent in media and fandom spaces. they might have some overlap, but they’re not the same conversation. that’s probably why you’re so confused, because you’re not even talking about the same thing. when i say “hyper competent” i don’t just mean a fiercely independent character, i mean a character who is constantly rational, responsible for everyone else, unable to have moments of vulnerability because their entire being revolves around how self sufficient they are. like lunar bunny said, this is an attempt to get away from the damsel in distress archetype, but creates a new problem, at least in my eyes

 

[sevyn]

also, hell yeah i'm annoyed when you're over here totally misunderstanding the topic and then telling me that i have the wrong idea. hello?? if you don't get it then that's fine, maybe we have different experiences, but like... chill out, perhaps you don't need to give your two cents when you're not even talking about the same problem.

 

[lisbeth]

 

[Inno]

Maybe agree to disagree and move on? Seems like there's some miscommunication somewhere.

 

[sevyn]

i concur!

 

[Damafaud]

There is "high schoolers that never appear in class and only go wacky adventures"

And there is "let's roleplay EVERY CLASS for EVERY DAY OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR"

And you know. Maybe the first one isn't so strangling-worthy after all

 

[GojiBean]

If I had to point to one thing that's irritating me today, not necessarily making me "angry," but just irritating, it's the fact that it seems to be increasingly common for role-players these days to rush their character development.

They'll start the RP with a CS that states openly, or heavily implies, that their character is dealing with this, and this, and this problems and will have to deal with them over the course of the whole adventure... Only for them to deal with one of those major issues within the first 20-50 posts of the RP.

... Bruh.

I mean, we're all free to develop our characters however we want. But really? 20-50 posts and you're already having your character overcome one of their weaknesses and/or personal issues?

Cause, to me at least, that's way too early to be overcoming a major personal issue no matter how much you want them to progress. I don't think I've ever read a book, seen a film, or seen a tv series or video game where a character overcomes a major personal issue within the first 5-10 minutes. Ever.

Again, I realize everyone's free to develop their characters however they want. But it's still really irritating to see so many role-players rushing their characters through progression so early on in the experience. As a reader/lurker, I want to immerse myself in your character's journey and feel their struggle and their pain before they finally reach that point and earn the positive change rather than it just being handed to them on a silver platter so early on.

After all, the sooner you reach a resolution for your character's problems the faster your character will stagnate, and the faster you'll lose interest in them and the more likely you are to leave the RP they're in cause you have nowhere left to go with them. And you'll have nothing to look forward to other than the promise of watching other people's characters develop at a much better and more natural pace.

Anyway, I'm not "angry" about this. Just irritated. I like reading almost as much as I like role-playing, so it kinda sucks to start a journey with a character that I like only for their personal journey to end within the first 20-50 posts.

Cheers!

- GojiBean

 

[Inno]

When I do a profile for a character that's a bad guy, completely irredeemable, just absolutely rotten to the core. There's no chance for said character to be anything other than bad to the point where even I want my other characters to kill him off BUT SOMEHOW someone takes one look at the profile, sees him in action in the roleplay, and is in love with this psychopath. Like they feel their character can show him the error of his murderous ways through sunshine, candy, Mary Sue-ish damsel in distress love. Dude, dammit, no! He's the VILLAIN.

 

[Wolfiee]

When I do a profile for a character that's a bad guy, completely irredeemable, just absolutely rotten to the core. There's no chance for said character to be anything other than bad to the point where even I want my other characters to kill him off BUT SOMEHOW someone takes one look at the profile, sees him in action in the roleplay, and is in love with this psychopath. Like they feel their character can show him the error of his murderous ways through sunshine, candy, Mary Sue-ish damsel in distress love. Dude, dammit, no! He's the VILLAIN.

Oof I totally understand that! It’s one thing if they have their character interested and possibly try to “redeem” them only to have their character realize there is no way the villain can be redeemed. That can cause for some interesting plots as in it can toss in some places for your villainous character to completely show off their crazy in different ways. However if they honestly think they can toss a bunny character at a wolf and think it’ll suddenly be sunshine and roses they are sadly mistaken. Also a little annoying when they continue to try romance and don’t have their character react to the heinous crimes being done.

 

[Murdergurl]

When I do a profile for a character that's a bad guy, completely irredeemable, just absolutely rotten to the core. There's no chance for said character to be anything other than bad to the point where even I want my other characters to kill him off BUT SOMEHOW someone takes one look at the profile, sees him in action in the roleplay, and is in love with this psychopath. Like they feel their character can show him the error of his murderous ways through sunshine, candy, Mary Sue-ish damsel in distress love. Dude, dammit, no! He's the VILLAIN.

honest question here: How is it exactly that you integrate these characters into a setting with other RPers? Like, I make a lot of antagonistic OCs. And I feel like one of the biggest hurdles to actually getting them written with other people is that it is really hard for the other players to write their character(s) against a low-life, shit bag with murderous intent. lol

 

[Inno]

honest question here: How is it exactly that you integrate these characters into a setting with other RPers? Like, I make a lot of antagonistic OCs. And I feel like one of the biggest hurdles to actually getting them written with other people is that it is really hard for the other players to write their character(s) against a low-life, shit bag with murderous intent. lol

The thing is the villains that I make are not meant to be played alongside other characters. They are for story purposes only. Example, the hero characters have someone that's hindering their progress of their goal. This is where the villain comes in. I would never write an antagonistic character to play alongside someone else's character in the normal sense. That just doesn't work for me and I'm sure the other person would not like it either maybe.