Forums » Smalltalk » When an idea doesn't get off the ground ...

Question for the community:

When you have an idea for an RP, and you plot it out with someone, and then as soon as you're about to start that person ghosts on you ... is it or is it not appropriate to post about that idea in the forums looking for a new partner?

I'm interested to hear peoples' thoughts on this.

I think it's okay for people to post the idea on the forum to look for a new partner! You never know if someone else who's interested will help develop that RP idea further or add new ideas to freshen it up and help make it something that was different than what was plotted out with the person who ghosted.

I say okay. You can use different characters and turn the idea into something better with your new partner.

Yeah go for it. I’ve done it a number of times. Just refine what you have for the LFRP thread and chances are someone new will be interested. I posted a somewhat controversial thread on this sort of thing a number of months ago.

You can play your ideas with as many people and in as many games as you want, regardless of if anyone ghosts. *shrugs*

This.

Unless you yourself have lost heart in the idea, then post away! People ghost all the time and that's not a reason for you to sit still. Life keeps going. So should you. ♡

There is no reason not to attempt your ideas as many times as you'd like. The idea doesn't make the RP special (IMO) the character interactions do. It's the same reason D&D Manuals can have different parties go though the same scenarios and produce a unique party experience for each one. Or why the story of Romeo and Juliet can be retold over and over to be something new in and of itself. As long as you aren't trying to fill a 'pre-planned role' and shove a square peg into a round hole (The player character being the peg and the empty space in your RP being the hole) without respecting what makes the new character different from the one who ghosted you (which I really doubt you are doing) there is no reason not to use the ideas you worked hard thinking up.

On that same note, there is also no reason you cant use the same ideas even if RPs DO work out. Because again, as long as you respect the other player character it's not going to be the same. Many things start looking similar, be they books, video games, or RPs, and grow into something more/ unique to the participants.

So, I feel I should clarify - what if the idea was someone else's? You got excited about it but then they ghosted just before you started the RP? (Its frustrating when that happens, especially when you both seen to be on the same page)

I think it’s fine to look for new partners even if you are still role playing, as long as it’s not because your bored but don’t want to offend your partner, that’s kind of rude. But if it’s because you want to do more than one at a time it’s fine. But if they’re busy or just gone I certainly see no reason why you shouldn’t be able to.

Then it's still okay to use it as inspiration for another idea that you then develop with someone else. There was a recent thread about that, actually.

Edit: Here it is. https://www.rprepository.com/community/forumthread.php?t=77840