Forums » RP Discussion » Thoughts on Discord

I can see the appeal of it for active play, which isn't something I really have experience with in quantity (though I would certainly give it a go.)

It really does all come down to preference.

I’m a pretty laid back roleplay partner and will go with the medium my partner likes. Active play is difficult, though. Time zones, work, life, distractions. I find it more engaging but I don’t feel my replies are as well thought out.

I try to keep it pretty casual and understanding as well. A bit of diversity on platforms seems likely to help.

If you're not opposed to chat rp, don't require profiles for characters, and are a bit pinched on time... it's not all that bad. Simple enough, honestly.

It clearly wasn't really designed with roleplay in mind, but like any chat platform, it's entirely possible. Searching for a variety of servers isn't all that hard, though it takes some patience with those that require you to wait around before actually becoming a member. Several want you to then pick a role, which is basically like slapping a nametag on at a social event.

The lack of direct focus towards roleplay might be a huge turn off for some, but I've found that as far as writing and frequency of interaction goes, it's an excellent platform. At times where you just want to start something up quickly and leave before you've invested too much of your day, it's even ideal. You can still use an image for your avatar, which some lesser chats don't rightly offer.

Testing a character concept and want to do it right then, not a few hours later? Don't want to find or create a whole request just to start up something fun? Feel like doing things the way you want to do them, right off the bat, regardless of most kinks and ect.?

Probably not the worst location for all that.

All that on the table, I don't find it visually appealing, I think the ability to search for people directly took security over ease of access a bit too far, and the fact that you can't remove yourself from a specific room without removing yourself from the server itself can be a very minor annoyance. If you're looking for lasting experiences, I'd probably steer clear of investing yourself in Discord, but others have had success, I'm told. With modest to light pursuits, it works just dandy.

I'd be careful of voice chatting, but anyone well into their adulthood should probably grasp that much already from the early days of such artifices being implemented in other chatrooms. All in all, it has a tendency to remind me of the old AOL chats, and even some of the Yahoo social chats - of which both were very useful for roleplay. The character limit is a huge pain for long-winded folks like myself, but again, if you're familiar with that, it can actually help you learn (or re-learn) how to flow through an rp quickly. Still, there is very little in the way of incentive, and since you can't purchase nifty little expansions and what have you, some may feel it a bit bland.

All in all, I think its suitable for OOC primarily, and RP in the secondary at best, with testing concepts and practicing swift roleplay slipping in between as a sort of 1.5 position. As long as you don't enter it looking to replace larger platforms of roleplay - assuming you require a larger platform at all - it's probably not the worst platform to use. If you remember places like Red Dragon Inn and The Blue Tavern, you'll probably feel right at home; if forum posting and character profiles have become almost essential for you, don't expect Discord to thread you away. If you just want to converse with new people or meme yourself into oblivion.... sure, give it a shot, I guess? But like any social outlet, be responsible, and know its limitations.