Forums » RP Discussion » Favorite Elements/Themes to Play Out?

I've always been curious on what other people enjoy playing out in a roleplay. Mainly I'm looking for what kind of themes and elements you enjoy having in an RP the most.

For me, I mainly enjoy the slower and more psychological kind of scenarios. Situations where a character is forced into uncomfortable situations or ones that force them to think intently on their actions. I also love putting characters through hell and back for them to come out stronger. Exploring motives and goals and how they might change over time is also quite fun for me.

Ohhhh where do I begin? I love drama, action, adventure. It's something that keeps my interest going if the stakes keep getting higher and I know the characters have yet new obstacles to overcome, it makes me worry and root for them. Unfortunately, in my old RP community (not on here) I was literally treated like a leper because the other players didn't like my plots, they wanted everything to wrap up neatly like the stand-alone episode of a tv-show, bad guys and good guys firmly separated, while I like exploring the "grey" areas (villains who might have their own set of morals, or good guys who might not be lovable and "Steven universe" sweet all the time), I like plots folding out over long time, and not "skipping to the fun scenes" which was another thing we argued over.... also because their only concept of "fun scenes" was basically people hanging out, drinking, and throwing parties. Maybe because I'm naturally an introvert so I don't have an active social life myself, but these things can hold my interest only for a couple post, not make up the bulk of a RP - otherwise I get bored. The worst experience I had was when they insisted on having me partake to a birthday party with two characters for whom I felt absolutely nothing, but they were the ones they wanted to play with; I was bored out of my wits, hoping only that the party would end soon, and yet I was made to feel bad about it because they were obviously enjoying it, and they said they liked my contribute, but to me it felt like I was literally shifting the characters from place A to place B, fidgeting and saying random nonsense because I didn't know what to have them do and I didn't want to play there, but I wanted to play with my friends

I love the intrigue and intensity that can be done with stories, putting my characters in difficult situations and they needing to internally and externally work out their responses to what has come their way. My character Nina is a mentally emotional mess, having the appearance of a 'perfect' life, yet has been committed to a very dysfunctional marriage for decades. With mid-life and life change that women go through, she is all over the place as to her emotions and feelings and in turn, her responses to situations.

Favorite themes I have to say are intrigue and angst, and challenging situations. The elements are character relationships and deep interactions among different sorts of character personalities.

My favorite theme -- picture a small town, situated on a cold, snowy mountain, and kind of cut off from the rest of the world. From the outside, it's like any other small town, decent, safe, peaceful, simple etc. But then something happens, a terrible murder or supernatural occurrences, and then the townsfolk start turning on each other, pointing fingers and not being able to fathom that their once safe and simple home is no longer that.

Feeling of mistrust, angst, dread, fear... taking something seemingly innocent and pure (such as traveling to a small town) and making it terrifying. These are the dramatic and horrific elements that I'm searching for in some of my role plays. I also enjoy seeing people's morals being compromised in time's of trouble. Everyone thinks they know themselves, until a monster or killer is breaking down their door. Friendship will be tested, alliances forged and broken, people would truly show their worth, whether they're courageous or cowardly.

I don't like melodrama, I don't like soap opera stories with overly dramatic relationship dynamics, and pure cringe. I like non romantic drama though, such as dealing with betrayal or a new threat lurking. Another theme I like to play out is progress, I feel like it's super underrated, I cannot stand characters that seemingly remain exactly the same from the beginning to the end of the story. Progress is important, I like to use subtle ways of showing that we're getting closer and closer to the climax.

lesbians

I have quite bizarre tastes so my favorite elements are usually a mash up of modern fantasy, sci-fi, and adventure. Just fantasy and adventure (together or separate) is also fine with me too.

I'm such a sucker for solid hurt/comfort, angst, horror, all the juicy stuff. Action and intrigue and tension are just so fun! I love characters getting put through the wringer and coming out of it closer and stronger, and even if an rp is slice of life I'll bite if there's something similar there to latch onto and run with, like exploring the fears and trauma of the characters.

Also I just can't stay invested in 95% of m/f romance rps. I try one every few years to see if I like it yet, like coffee, but my interest always just fizzles out so quickly.

I'm a sucker for drama no matter what I'm doing. I love the constant action from it. I also love incorporating trauma in stories and dealing with the consequences of it.

I love romance too but I don't do fluff. Something along the lines of 'she loves him but he loves someone else'. I heavily lean toward darker elements. I do t shy away from too much.

For a good while now I've been obsessed with modern settings. I have a ridiculous amount of characters for those so I'm trying to make more fantasy characters so I can have a bit of everything that I like.

► I enjoy tossing my characters into unfortunate circumstances and seeing how they develop.

► 'Grimdark', be it in the setting itself or in the plot.

► Fantasy is one of the settings that is always my go to as a foundation. I also enjoy combining it with other settings. So, for example, fantasy/history, fantasy/horror, and fantasy/science-fiction, the latter thanks to thoroughly enjoying a futuristic DnD 5e horror short-term campaign I recently took part in.

I always liked darker themes be it personal dark or just typical horror.

Conflict - I need worlds with a lot of conflict, injusitces, crime, bad events.. just something for characters to use as a plot device as a call to action be it good or bad.

Deep deep interpersonal connections. There is something to be said about a theme where all the big bells and whistles are put on the sidelines and two characters become more like real people and get to know each other to the point you can feel their connection whether it is platonic, romantic, or a rivalry hatred. It hits a certain sweet spot that gets you dangerously emotionally invested... but I love that feeling when the character takes the wheel.

Even better when all three are put together.

frankly, aisling said a lot of what i like- my response would be very very similar!

beyond those things, i love non-traditional homebrew fantasy elements. i'm not against the traditional, tried-and-true staples of the fantasy genre, but i gravitate toward unique creations and worldbuilding. many of my favorite pieces of media are genre-blending, often bizarre, and give off a feeling of 'how did someone come up with that?', so it's not a surprise that i gravitate toward that in RP as well! i have a couple of settings i'm trying to develop that are within this vein, but they're still definitely in the early stages.

i like characters who have a strong conflict between their inner and outer self, and seeing them attempt to resolve that conflict. of course, whether that goes well is another matter. i also enjoy seeing a character's personality change over time as a result of their experiences, especially if it involves becoming less innocent and more understanding of the world around them. it's interesting to see characters do things they previously could have never imagined, along with the inner turmoil that may result.

I'm a massive fan of anything character-driven, and I really do love getting into the psychological meat of a character. Even with Slice of Life, the ability to get into a character's head, easing them apart to see what makes them tick... Finding out breadcrumbs of their past and how they react to certain situations... I'm all there for it ✨ There's a reason I love to use my psychology lad, so much!

In terms of things I read, I'm a huuuge horror fan, so in my own writing I love a good dose of psychological (or physical) horror. The darker the better - gore, abuse, gaslighting... IC drama is welcomed!

I will admit I'm a bit of a modern day buff, too. Only because I'm nervous that I'll suck at other genres, and I need to broaden my horizons. Still, I can't help but like the 'dirty realism' style... dirty here meaning gritty, realistic, and pulling no punches 😊

Tormenting my OC's putting them in situations they hate, I absolutely love.

Wholesome stuff, I don't get a lot of it but what I do is precious.

Grimdark, horror, monsters! gimme gimme gimme!

Supernatural yeeessssss

More monsters, the more the better.

Modern with supernatural elements - I don't get to play this one enough! >

Medical - I nerd out so hard

Sticking two characters together who don't get long / have to work together. The times this has occurred has been some real memorable RP's

Right, so I always take something a character says at the beginning of an RP, and let it resonate throughout the story.
It REALLY hits the sweet spot when the meaning of the words change because the person saying it has changed, or because their context has changed, or it stays exactly the same but with more certainty.

I can play with any plot, genre, or setting, but letting a character make an IMPACT on mine or vice versa is the whole point of RP for me.. like I need you on the other side catching all the ways my character is broken and falling apart, and either help with the repairs or PULL THE THREAD AND MAKE THINGS WORSE. And I want to do the same for yours.


But like also, this is the right answer.

Anything that ISN'T incredibly realistic. I use RP to escape from reality, so I like to see some creativity!

Make it interesting! Show me your fantasy creatures! Tell me about how your sci-fi world works! AND PLEASE SHOW ME ALL YOUR MONSTERS!! I love funky creatures and creepy critters, they have a special place in my heart.

Okay, let's get the wholesome stuff out of the way first. There's found family, romance, comedy. All the good stuff.

and then
slides onto the floor

...enemies to lovers with full on combat and intrigue...
oh, bittersweet tragedy, my beloveded

*heabvy brebthing*
hhhh a n g st