Forums » Smalltalk » Need to rant about my bad luck with rps. X.X T.T

I'm a newbie to RPR, but I have several years experience when it comes to roleplaying. The problem is that I have been having an extremely hard time finding and keeping good roleplays. It seems like every rp I join just dies extremely quickly, some of them before they hit so much as ten posts! Now before anyone gets any ideas that it's all my fault, it's not. I nudge the OP if they haven't posted in a while, offer ideas if they want them, ask tons of plot/character related questions and of course post. Normally I'm either waiting for someone else or I have completely nothing to work with, so I pass and quite often people just wind up disappearing with no warning. >.<

I have also tried a few times to create my own group plot with even worse luck. My rules are generally pretty lenient and not at all restricting or at least they are in my opinion. I also offer a lot of free rein where it comes to plot development, partly because I have no experience when it comes to leading a plot. Obviously I need to practice if I am going to get any tho. However the last three times I attempting to start my own rp, twice it didn't even make it to actual posting before everyone disappeared and one time no one posted at all. I don't get it, I gave everyone the chance to make suggestions with regards to the plot and I even let them help shape the setting...I thought my plot were interesting as well.

I'm just starting to think that I am rather unlucky. I just want some active and literate roleplays. Is that so much to ask?

Ok sorry for my little rant, but I just needed to let off a little steam.

It's definitely frustrating when people disappear so quickly, but it might help if you take into consideration that a lot of people are busy and may not have time to post as often as you do! There are finals going on for many, and it's the holiday season which means jobs tend to get busier.

They're not likely ditching you on purpose, or they may be afraid to tell you they're not enjoying themselves for one reason or another and hope they can avoid a confrontation by letting the RP die in silence. Maybe your pokes are misinterpreted as being annoyed and they feel bad! There's tons of reasons.

I don't know how closely you've been following the current event, but there are some useful tips that maybe make it easier for you to deal with this if you want to give it a try!

As for groups, people don't join them quickly unless prompted through and RP discussion topic/post. It can be intimidating to just join a group out of the blue, so a little coaxing is usually necessary.

Also, for your information, I've got a little post open in RP discussion called Post apocalypse quarantaine RP. It hasn't started yet, so maybe something you'd like to join in?

I know that feeling, Katia. I seem to have a bit more luck when it comes to having an RP that keeps going on. But for each succesful running roleplay there's two of them that suddenly came to a stop. It's hard to keep it running if the other person isn't motivated to continue.

The reasons why roleplays usually don't survive have been explained by Sanne. Most people here are a friendly bunch who wouldn't want to disappoint. Talking to the other people in OOC can also help keeping a roleplay alive. After all it's easier to ask people about the roleplay if you're friends with them and know them a bit. Friends are also less likely to simply leave when things aren't going in their favor.

I hope that helped a bit to make sure your roleplays don't wither and die anymore.

Also I like RP. Just throwing that out there.

@Sanne I wish I could believe that, but this has been going on since long before finals and the holiday season. >.< As for my nudges, I keep them on the friendly side to try and prevent them from feeling bad. Finally as for the group, there was no one in it and I also had a wanted ad explaining that I wanted people to join it. These were all from another site which is why I felt more comfortable about ranting here.

@Olthain Thanks for the invite, but it doesn't look to be my cup of tea. I am rather picky when it comes to my Apocalypse rps.

@Rynh, I wish I could try to rp with friends more, but the problem is that I have next to none and the one rp friend I do have has been extremely busy lately. *shy Katia is shy* Though I will go check out your characters.

I'm just slightly confused. Is it people and a group on RPR, or on a different site then?

It might be a good idea to elaborate on that early on, because it sounded like you were very unsatisfied with the RPRians and the groups here! And that makes us give tips and such about RPR, not other sites.

If this is something that happens often though, there might still be something you're doing - without realizing - that's putting people off for some reason. You're not doing anything intentionally wrong, but it's easy to overlook that something you're doing is becoming troublesome. (Case in point, I know that I can come across as too overbearing and pushy sometimes. It's really difficult for me to judge myself on when I sound like that, so I need people to tell me when it happens so I can fix it. I don't mean to upset people, or be like that, but I am without realizing).

Kim's recent post in the RPR Event actually covers this kind of thing!

If it's something localized to just that other website, it may be something that just goes on over there. But it's hard to comment on that because we don't know where it is.

@sanne It was a different site. Sorry I didn't make that clear in my first post. Unfortunately I don't have any friends that I could ask to help me figure out what I could be doing wrong.

I know how you feel. In the past, I sucked at RPing (and still kinda do ). What I could recommend is just diving into RPGs with different people, so you are more comfortable RPing in different situations. Think about each post before you post it, and try to put a little bit of detail into your posts as well. These are all little things you can do, but, from experience, I have learned that these really do help in the long run. (Now if you excuse me, I am going to tend to my aching throat.)