Forums » RP Discussion » LFRP Post - What makes them catch your interest?

I've always been curious about this. I know many will say if the plot catches interest but I really wonder. When you decide to respond to a lfrp what makes you make that decision. Was just the info on the post, the catchy topic title, the details on the character page, etc....?

Also are reasons that something that may have been interesting made you change your mind?

What in a lfrp post makes you keep on scrolling?

Just kind of curious in general.

Generally I like it when a LFRP post has some effort. If its something vauge and short Im probably gonna scroll on by.

What catches my eye mostly is when a lfrp has a written snippet. I can get an idea of how they write and get a better idea of the plot.

Its good to have a hook!

I also enjoy when a person clearly knows what they want and outlines their post length preferance and such.

To me character profiles can be fairly bare bones. If they have the basics then its fine but if its an empty profile then I may be a tad more hesitent to bite on that RP.

That being said the title is also very important. Judging at a glance is common so being able to see what the request is about generally is nice.

If I see an intresting lfrp but decide against it-it may be because we have diffrent ideas of post lengths...or if I see lots of spelling errors...or maybe Ive rp'd with them in the past and it hasnt gone well.

I mostly care about three things.

1. That it's some form of fantasy.

2. That it's an interesting idea or concept with story potential.

3. That romance is not a hard requirement.

If it fills these criteria I will look at the post.

Basically https://www.rprepository.com/help/kickbutt-character-profiles but ads. There's no better writing sample than the search itself to know if their posts will be sharp or a mess. A partner seems much more interested and willing to plot if they stick to one/a few well-defined ideas than if they have a dozen vague ones. And if they're assertive (and maybe a bit rude!) I'm more confident they'll tell me if there's a problem than I am if they drip with passive-aggression or obvious past baggage.

None of that is a deal-breaker though. I try and make sure I spend more time looking for reasons a partnership might work than why it might fail.

For me, I generally looks for a few things before I send a message:

- They have a clear, concise idea of what they want. I wanna know what we're gonna be working on and what I'm gonna be doing for them as a partner.
- If they have a list of stuff without plot details, then they gotta show some indication what they favor within that list, be it a dynamic or a genre. It's not a lot, but it's enough that I can build plot ideas to send to them!
- If it's a post as a character, I am gonna be looking at the profile; I don't care about blood type, exact height or weight, or trivial bits and bobs-- I'm looking for the vibe of the character, some backstory, info on their nature and personality, what's going on in their life/some context, maybe descriptions of how they do and be, AND I'm gonna be looking for art or image references. I'm looking for something meaty so that I get an idea of what might work with this character and the plot the writer wants.
- If it's a general LF post from a user, or they're off anon, I'm gonna be looking at what info they have available on their profile-- their age, what they've written for themselves, their characters, and their kudos. I'm going through it all. It's a general and totally scientific Vibe Check.

If everything looks good, then I shoot off a message and hope for the best! Overall if they satisfied the above in some shape or form, that's why I messaged them.

Things that usually have me pass on an ad tho...

- Terminology that doesn't sit well with me.
- It's just too vague, and the user has an incomplete profile and no characters...or characters with limited to no info on their pages.
- If I see someone bashing a certain play style or genre in their ad (or profile), or really pressing on negativity in general, chances are we're incompatible.

Generally this is all stuff I've ran circles over in deciding whether or not I message someone. It's certainly not a comprehensive list and I sometimes make exceptions either way, but I hope it gives some insight!

I like it when an ad has a variety of plot or role options for the characters involved. For example, if someone is looking for RP with their Space Pirate Captain character, they might something like this:

• Captured! The law has finally caught up to Space Pirate Captain and they have been incarcerated. The other characters involved might be fellow inmates, prison employees (like medics or counselors), or wardens.
• Heist time! SPC has learned of a priceless treasure that is being transported to another stellar system. The other characters might be hired help, rival pirates, or the unfortunate victims of the theft.
• Technical difficulties! SPC's space vessel (or mechanical limb, computer system, etc.) isn't working right, and they have to fix it. There's room in this plot for technicians, fellow crew members, merchants of technological goods, etc.

Details like this let me know that the other player has a direction they'd like things to move in. I love it when a plot has room for development over time, but there are still boundaries and goals in sight.

I’ll answer these since I’ve been going over the LFRP threads a lot since I came here.

I look at the topic title for that which I want to possibly rp, which is adult mxf modern romance. Anything with fantasy, mxm, fxf, etc. in the title is immediately scrolled by.

If the title is vague but interesting and may meet my brief, I’ll open the thread in hopes more clarity is provided in the post. If the post mentions Anything with fantasy, mxm, fxf, etc., I close the thread and move on.

If the title and the information in the post has kept me interested, I will look at the character used to post, or the profile of the played who posted and see if I can get any more information as far as play style or if the character has my interest. If they still have me interested, I will then PM.

In summary, I look for thread titles that offer something of my interest, then read the post if I’m interested, and will PM if I think we may have a common style or desire for a type of roleplay.

I will add that the pickings have been slim for my niche so far.