Viewpoint Where do your roleplays fall on the Sliding Scale of Idealism vs. Cynicism?

[Daisie]

Though my characters, themselves, are usually a good mix of cynics, optimists, and realists, the setting I prefer to put them in is almost always cynical and dark. There have been a couple cases where the world has been lighter, but I think my overall preference leans towards the dark side.

Being someone who is fascinated with psychology, I really do enjoy seeing the long term effects of an unrelenting world on people - especially optimistic ones. And I love, love character growth.

 

[BackSet]

You're not truly dark unless you write dark and cynical things while using the dark skin.

 

[Grey]

You're not truly dark unless you write dark and cynical things while using the dark skin.

I can't believe someone would attack me like this.


(this is a joke)

 

[Crenando]

I don't think there's anything funnier than poorly-executed cynicism in RPs. I think we've all seen some variation on this from younger and/or less experienced writers:
A writer sees a darker or more cynical take on a genre they like (Worm, Berserk, Warhammer 40k, et al.) and decide to make something like it without understanding what makes the piece in question tick. Eventually, the cynical elements become cartoonishly overblown. The excess of real elements start making the writing less realistic. A morally corrupt politician or businessman might go from having shady practices that end up hurting people in the long run to supporting war crimes, with no tongue planted in any cheek.
It's almost comforting that this is a stumbling block most people go through as a teenager and grow out of with experience. Most writers grow out of this excess when they're less worried about being taken seriously by their peers, and end up making something that ends up better, whether it's cynical or optimistic.

 

[Phantom Thief of Hearts]

I feel that there's room for both but many RPers who lean on cynicism then to go over board for the sake of "realism."

I am reminded of how an RPer once said that real evil people would rape children and kill them which while those things to happen in the real world... In a fictional setting it more often than not feels cheap and done for shock value. People need to learn that less is more. Restraint is better than cranking up the "realism" dial to 11. In their attempts to be realistic they end up being unrealistic. A Literary Uncanny Valley.