Why do Colloseum RPs die out so often?

[Crenando]

I mean, other than general disinterest. I've seen them die after one post from a participant. I've seen them die before they've gotten off the ground. Is it the lack of build-up, or the general lack of character interaction outside the battlefield?

 

[gogojojo331]

IMO It's mainly cause some of the ideas of the coliseum is strange to me. Just fighting with little to no plot kinda kills the pace.

 

[Idea]

I think gogojojo has a point, but also that people are doing combat RPs, but in other areas. I think the colleseum is not really a known thing, so between new players and those that simply don't think their combat RPs fit the concept of "combat" RPs, so the people who could be in the colleseum haven't really understood that and so remain participating /making RPs on other boards instead.


Colleseum is lacking attention.

 

[Crenando]

I think Colosseum needs to take a few pointers from wrestling. Wrestling is just fights, and anything that isn't a fight in wrestling is made to build up wrestlers characters, or hype up a big match, etc.

 

[Morris]

In my opinion, even people who *love* action and combat don't want *only* action and combat. An RP where people are dishing out harm and damage is just that, entertaining for a bit, but it doesn't actually evolve anywhere.


Even if characters are opposed to the point of killing intent, there needs to be interaction, not just focus on murder and wounding. There are so many opportunities of personal change, even in such an environment - respect, appallment, disgust, joy, cold professionality, dissatisfaction with one's own collaborants, sympathy for the enemy, etc. There can be periods of recovery, philosophy, pondering how to proceed, what keeps a character moving forth. There can be unexpected twists, betrayal from within by NPCs, a third party interfering or manipulating...


Long story short: even an action-heavy RP can have an actual evolving story that keeps participants entertained, without having to cross out the action part.


But I don't think that many players actually recognize these opportunities, or at the very least feel as if they were "out of character" of a combat-focused RP. And as such, the wouldn't classify a play with such elements as a Colosseum RP to begin with.


Just my opinion on the matter.

 

[Idea]

I think Colosseum needs to take a few pointers from wrestling. Wrestling is just fights, and anything that isn't a fight in wrestling is made to build up wrestlers characters, or hype up a big match, etc.

Very true. I mean, some actually do, but when describing the combat RP, you will not be detailing all the possible romantic aspects of it. One should make a combat RP knowing there needs to be more than just combat, but one should join one trusting there will be those extra parts and making their decisions based on the combat aspect and what is at stake or what sort of scenarios can happen.

In my opinion, even people who *love* action and combat don't want *only* action and combat. An RP where people are dishing out harm and damage is just that, entertaining for a bit, but it doesn't actually evolve anywhere.
Even if characters are opposed to the point of killing intent, there needs to be interaction, not just focus on murder and wounding. There are so many opportunities of personal change, even in such an environment - respect, appallment, disgust, joy, cold professionality, dissatisfaction with one's own collaborants, sympathy for the enemy, etc. There can be periods of recovery, philosophy, pondering how to proceed, what keeps a character moving forth. There can be unexpected twists, betrayal from within by NPCs, a third party interfering or manipulating...


Long story short: even an action-heavy RP can have an actual evolving story that keeps participants entertained, without having to cross out the action part.


But I don't think that many players actually recognize these opportunities, or at the very least feel as if they were "out of character" of a combat-focused RP. And as such, the wouldn't classify a play with such elements as a Colosseum RP to begin with.


Just my opinion on the matter.

True, and it kinda comes to my point.

 

[call me rae]

That and combat is kind of a tricky thing to roleplay in general. I mean even discounting everyone else's points about there needing to be more than fighting to keep people interested not everyone know how to fight effectively.


I mean I'm in a "mission oriented" roleplay right now that is similar. Our characters aren't really fighting per se but the whole point of the roleplay is to complete a series of missions in order to "graduate" to the next rank of the setting.


But not all the missions are straigh combat or espionage or whatever. Some are what I call field trips just our characters going places for a break.. which would be like everyone else's suggestions about adding more to the plot than fighting.


Also I have every mission already planned out with an objective and time frame.


Plus in the combat oriented ones (especially when I used a group version of the same plot ) I devised a dice system to make random things happen that would effect the characters completion of the mission.


Example one mission was find bombs in a mock village and deactivate them. Well I gave the players ( this was when I did the group ) a real life time frame. Like u have 2 weeks to complete this. For ur characters it's going to be like a few hours.


And I just randomly set off bombs. Once a day or every other day when I got on to post.


But I never told the players when I was gonna set something off so it was more realistic.


I don't think I even told them how many bombs there were. It was several years ago so I don't remember for sure.


But I did that so no one could be all. I found all the bombs and deactivated them with my mad skills in like less than three posts.


I think that's something people don't take into account when fighting or doing combat roleplays. How much time it takes to set up something that is fair for everyone and yet doesn't drag on forever with just two people exchanging punches.


You have to figure out a system (dice based, random, or just talk it out with ur partner ) that keeps the plot moving forward while also allowing for their to be an ultimate winner in a fair fight.

 

[gogojojo331]

True. We had an Rp where after 3 posts for each person in a fight, we'd roll a die, 1&2, player/side A would win the fight even if it could be a Pyrrhic victory. 3&4 were ties, 5&6 would have player/side B winning.