Forums » RP Discussion » Anyone else having trouble with fandom RP?

I can't seem to find anyone who is intrested in any of the fandoms I appear to be in. Has anyone else had this issue? I put that I have 8 years exp (which I do not recommend wasting your life on it) and a few other things. I'm trying to be respectful here, but I'm getting a little tired and bored of being casually without a longterm roleplay partner.

haven't had that problem, just to answer your question

DID find that i have an easier time finding 'In Universe' roleplays (so... the Undertale SETTING, for instance, while canon cast and crew are just background / NPCs, not a major part of the actual roleplay) or otherwise labeled OC-acceptance within fandom roleplays.

There does seem to be, I guess, anxiety? Over writing a canon character *exactly* how they're presented in the fandom, probably because a lot of how we relate to a canon character when we're reading / watching / playing the IP is subjective.

Subjectivity in character interpretation can vary WIDELY, so you're likelier to clash or have the roleplay stagnate if your expectations for a certain canon character aren't being met (or are being actively opposed) by the other writer.

interesting to think about -- i actually started on 'original character' roleplays in pre-established settings (fandom OR original) and only tried canon character in fandom roleplays muuuuch later in my writing career. BUT the IP we were writing in already had its established "Alternate Timeline" possibilities, so it was okay to hand-wave some character aspects that weren't in keeping with canon (subjectively).

It was easier to rewrite and accept character interpretations under this Alternate Universe or AU genre, there was more room for mistakes and forgiveness, way less pressure to write a character Correctly or even stay studied up on fan lore / IP setting, et c.

I mean-
I like Undertale.
But not Sans ships. (Or ships in general, most of the time.) So maybe I can't help you there.
Edited to add something vaguely more helpful: Sometimes finding people who share your fandoms is easier than finding people whose roleplay interests in said fandom overlap with yours. That's kind of just how it is, since everyone's different. But I do wish you luck in finding what you're looking for.

I’ve said it before to people and I’ll say it again, if your fandom(s) is/are a little more niche or unique, you might have to look elsewhere than RPR for writing partners. This is a great site, but I’ve noticed people wanting to RP canon characters and settings sometimes have difficulty finding partners here. I’d wager original characters and lore are more popular overall. That’s not to say you can’t find someone with similar interests, but it’s really a waiting game. I’d say make a “looking for” ad, if you haven’t already, and just be patient. Also consider other RP platforms.

We all have those rps that we crave but never can find players for. I have a kind of a weird suggestion. I would Find a few boards of that fan base (Whereever that is) and see if there are any Rpers there. it is kinda putting your self out there and you may get some weird responses but it may be worth a shot if that is something you really have a craving for. All these rp sites have there Fads they go threw even more so with Cannons than original characters. you can also use the search to see if there any one that plays that Fandom and email them directly. because not everyone is on the boards.

I'm sorry you have trouble finding what you're looking for! I won't repeat Miarup's statement about the niche nature of fandom (though I agree wholeheartedly.) I have seen many people experiencing a similar issue when they seek roleplay strictly within the confines of fandom or canon universes. But- I do have some suggestions which may be of assistance!

• Self representation matters
  I look over someone's profile and character before speaking with them. It informs me to some degree whether we'd be compatible as collaborators or casual acquaintances. You can use this space to tell people who you are, when you're around, what kind of themes and styles of RP/characters you prefer, which roles you enjoy playing, and what your fandoms are! It also is an excellent way to make a lasting impression regarding your overall personality. Giving people a glimpse of your sparkly factors and humanity can be the best hook!
  
• Answer questions before they can be asked.
  Unfortunately have no idea what fandoms you're into; your profile doesn't tell me. Also, I don't know what Undertale is- so until I got context from this thread, I didn't even realize that your name was referencing this.
  
• Forums aren't everyone's thing
  Not everyone uses them or sees your post when it's on the front page. Sometimes you have to do your legwork and seek out what you're seeking instead of relying on the possibility of them coming to you. Consider browsing the groups on RPR; they're under the Community tab! This might be a decent option for finding something you're interested in. Many groups also operate group-specific Discord servers, which I mentioned because you said you prefer that platform.
  
• Free Samples
  Having publicly published character profiles is a great way to provide prospective partners and interested parties with examples of what you can bring to the table. The essence of building characters is very telling, like browsing an artist's work before you purchase a commission. Free time is a scarce resource for many people today, so making a connection to have it not be compatible would absorb some of that precious free time, unfortunately.
  
• Compromise
  Another thought is that you could browse the LFRP board or groups for popular canons, universes, and themes- maybe some of those will align with your interest, and you can consider inhabiting them. If you make a great connection this way, I bet they'd be open to your wishlist of universes, like Undertale- even if they don't have that as a currently listed ISO!

I hope this came across as me rooting for you because I am! I had to learn all of these things over..20 years.. (grimace) I've been doing this. Sometimes it can be discouraging to change how you seek things, represent things, phrase things, or qualify potential partners/lines. The beauty of the RP community is how different those within it are; learning to communicate in more universal ways can be eye-opening to all of the connections you may have missed before. I know that it was for me!

All of this is helpful and I didn't even ask the original question. Thank you, Mina! And I love you're new avatar.

I'm having troubles with Fandom RP too, except not with Undertale, but with Disney's Tangled franchise, the Despicable Me franchise and The Umbrella Academy. However, I find that finding someone that'll let you use a canon character with their OC in their OC's universe is easier than to find someone with both Canon Characters.

For instance, I am having an RP right now with Varian (a character from Tangled: The Series) with someone else's OC that isn't Tangled-related at all. And my anonymous character (that I kind of already told everyone is mine but oh well) has been in a many of RPs that aren't his universe. Everyone has good advice here though, so I suppose listening to those might be a good idea!

Yeah. I'm pretty new but I have defo struggled finding fandom RP even though I write pretty popular characters.

I mostly RP fandoms and canon characters too, so I'm having the same trouble as you unfortunately ^^'

I think Mina honestly said it best, but thought maybe as someone that dislikes most fandom stories I could try and explain some of my reasoning. Perhaps being able to "see behind the curtain" so to speak could provide some insight? Like maybe there are some misconceptions I have that others would also have? Could be useful to preemptively assuage those fears in future ads and hopefully lead to more responses and partners for you.

None of these are attempts to denigrate any interest or try to say one form is better than the other. I am truly only trying to offer insight. Everyone's interests and enjoyment are just as valid as everyone else's

Most (Keyword MOST) fandom stories tend to be very short term. I personally like a long term partner and a story with broad potential that can be taken in many different directions. I dislike writing for a single scene or to achieve a single interaction. I completely understand the attraction many have for this, it just is not for me.

Most fandom stories involve sparse amounts of research. They use already established characters doing already established things. In many instances with little variation from the original text. I enjoy writing as a way to explore new topics or push the boundaries of my comfort levels. I want a story that helps me grow as a person or improve my craft. To me fandom stories very rarely do this. So perhaps it would be helpful to offer potential ways your ad would rectify this?

As was previously mentioned by other posters, many fandoms are incredibly niche or restrictive. Many partners will only accept exact replicas of specific characters to match afore-mentioned specific scenes. Many times the character already "claimed" in the ad is the more popular character of whatever fandom is in question. This further restricts the already narrow field of possible matches who likely have similar predilections and would be less interested in using different characters. I think the best option here is what was mentioned about using fandom settings as backdrops for original characters.

I hope this came across as my rooting for you as well! I think fandoms are a lot like fanfiction. I understand many people are very passionate about them, but many others see them as bordering on thievery or plagiarism or even lazy. This divisiveness could be another reason it is hard to find partners. So I honestly want you to be able to overcome this and find more success.

Best of luck and wishes!

I have the same problem!

I don't want to beat a -- you know that is a horrible figure of speech -- anyway! You got a lot of wonderful responses and tidbits of advice here. And the tips provided by Mina are extremely helpful, I think. In fact, I've followed several of them in my time of RPin'.

As someone who pretty much only role-plays canons/licensed characters, I have run into this problem numerous times over the years, especially since I jump around fandoms like crazy (yay ADHD hyper fixations)!

My best bit of advice is to be open to diversity and welcome original characters wishing to participate in your fandom. I absolutely love the original characters I have interacting with Sherlock and co.

And like they offered, you may have to broaden your search beyond the borders of RPR -- I also participate outside of the community for certain things myself, but those profile pages are so incredibly handy for references to my characters. If all else fails, at least RPR can be a home base for your manifest that you can link others to if you have to explore other options.