Posted by Kim on September 11, 2013, 11:40am
Some weeks ago, Ben foolishly asked Kim for assistance setting up a website for his new business as a professional writer. Long story short, she extracted a life debt through ancient webmaster rituals, and forced him to swear that to repay it and earn back his soul, he would go forth and interview the RPR community about the wonders of RP based on pre-existing fictional universes from TV, books, and comics.This is that article.
Greetings, citizens of RPR!
What settings do you play your characters in? How do you decide what roleplays to join? I hope I can be of some help with the latter question, by examining in detail the differences between two broad setting types. When it comes to roleplay, the term “canon” has come to mean roleplay which takes place in a setting in which the rules are established by people other than the roleplayers. This includes roleplay that takes place in the worlds of books, tv shows, movies, and other mediums, where the elements of the setting are not subject to change. "Original" roleplay has come to mean any setting in which the players directly control and influence the world, or where the game master has created something original for people to play in.
So I asked the RPR community about these two different kinds of settings, what they play in, and how they feel about them.
I expected there to be a divide here: some players who only do canon roleplay, and some who only do player created. To my surprise, most of the fine folks I interviewed told me that they do both. So let's start with established canon roleplay.
I asked our players what attracts them to roleplay that takes place in fictional universes from books, anime, tv shows, and other mediums.
Usually the uniqueness of an established setting. Like with Legend of Korra- How awesome are benders? I know we all think of these sorts of things when we make our own characters, but with an established canon, you have advantages of bending, disadvantages, limits, advances and a whole system for how and why it works. Some of this stuff that grounds the 'magic' of bending you may never think of and that can lead to god-modding etc. Without some established rules in how a world works, the richness of a character can be lost.
Also environments. Some people aren't the best at establishing or thinking up an environment that might be interactive and useful. So I think they find comfort in having this already build up and laid out landscape that they can plop their characters in. Plot line also plays a role. You don't always have to think of your own story so much as use the canon story as a guide.- f0x1nth3b0x
Also environments. Some people aren't the best at establishing or thinking up an environment that might be interactive and useful. So I think they find comfort in having this already build up and laid out landscape that they can plop their characters in. Plot line also plays a role. You don't always have to think of your own story so much as use the canon story as a guide.- f0x1nth3b0x
I found this sort of thought process common. Our players love settings that are well defined, professionally developed and exciting to explore. This adds a two-fold bonus of ease and complexity to the roleplay. On one hand, there's a lot less to worry about, because the rules of the universe are clear. On the other, developing a character the way you want to, but within those rules can be challenging. This rings true for game masters as well. It's a lot easier to develop a story when there's so much existing content to draw from. But it's a lot to remember and reference, too!
Not only do you have to think as your character but also you have to think as your character in the confines of another person's universe. It pushes players to think critically on multiple levels and once they master that, they become more versatile players in the long run.- Highjinx
Some players, however, feel that the same abundance of guidelines and information that makes canon roleplay so attractive, can also be very limiting. Especially in universes that have casts of main characters, it can be very difficult to influence the flow of a storyline. And there's the added problem that in universes already containing large casts, adding in original characters can become problematic, as can expanding on existing stories.
That same structure that's a benefit, can also be a limitation. You must work in the bound rules of that universe, and sometimes you may want to do something in that setting, but not be able to find how it should work in that world. It also cuts in on some of the creativity for me, because there are so many strict rules and guidelines.- Loki
Before we move on to talk about player created settings, I'd like to mention that there are two kinds of “original” settings. Some look a lot like fictional canon settings, they are highly in depth with a strict set of rules and guidelines. Some are very loose, where the players will simply pick a starting location, throw in some characters and see what happens. There are degrees in between, of course, but for the sake of simplicity we'll keep it at two.
So what are some of the characteristics of player created roleplay settings? Well, they are inherently risky because they are not always well conceived and well balanced. Players get a lot more freedom to do with their characters as they wish, influence plot, and take a bigger part in the story, but that comes with risk too. Without a strictly controlled story the action can die down, or spiral out of control, resulting in your players abandoning the game due to frustration or boredom.
If you're not invested enough to build the RP, then it's not going to go anywhere. You can always consult your partner to help you come up with ideas and plot etc, but sometimes their ideas are so big, or your ideas are so big and out there that they don't mesh well. In a canon RP, you already have established enemies, establish world struggles to deal with. It's a lot of grasping going on. Sometimes you manage to grab the right thing and 70+ pages later you've written an amazing game you never want to end! Or 3 pages in you both lose interest because the initial spark is gone and you're not sure what to introduce to get it going again.- f0x1nth3b0x
When everyone wants to be a big part of the story, conflicts of interests can occur, and without very good and careful management original settings can be ripped apart. On the other hand, when they work, they can be extremely satisfying experiences. When two or more creative people do mesh well together, and come up with an exciting plotline, it can lead to hours upon hours of great entertainment.
Original RPs give others and the Host a chance to explore a previously unknown and exciting setting that all characters would be able to explore, grow and face new challenges inside. This said there is an additional mystery as to what the host will throw at them as the plot unfolds.- virusghost18
Conclusions:
Canon Settings
If you're a new to RPR or roleplay in general, starting with roleplay that takes place in an established fictional universe seems to me like a very good idea. It's a great way to learn the ropes. Canon roleplay can teach you how to:
- Balance a character's advantages and disadvantages
- Play within the boundaries of a set universe
- Be involved with, and help develop exciting plot
But it's not just for the newbies. Many veterans enjoy canon roleplay because a strict set of character creation guidelines fosters more focus on personality and motivation, rather than being the ultimate badass.
If you're looking for a roleplay experience that's challenging, and will help you learn to become a better roleplayer, this might be the place to start.
Player Created Settings
There is far more inherent risk in joining, or running one of these games. As a player, there's no guarantee that the universe will interest you. And as a game master, there's no guarantee that your universe will appeal to the players.
However, if you apply the principles of canon RP to your setting, there's a chance you might create a game that is immensely satisfying to play.
Be aware of what type of game you're looking for when you chose a player created setting.
If you're seeking a short term game, then a loose setting can actually be quite useful. There's very little work, you can get right into the action without many limitations to worry about. However, these games tend not to last long, and if you're a new player it's easy to pick up habits that the community frowns upon. For brainstorming and testing characters, however, loose settings are great!
If you're looking for a game that's going to last a while, and a storyline that you can sink your teeth in to, find a player created setting that's just as detailed as fictional canons. The more you play in canon universes, the more you'll learn to recognize (and create) a good original setting. Run well, these roleplays can combine the best of both worlds, giving your characters the freedom to influence the setting, while providing balancing factors to avoid unpleasantness.
The more balancing factors there are in a game, the less creative freedom you have, so it's up to you to decide how much is too much in either direction. There's no right or wrong when it comes to picking your roleplays, but some games will be better suited for your goals, depending on your level of experience, how much time you can devote to the roleplay, and what you want to get out of it.
So what do you think, denizens of the RPR? Shall we return Ben's soul, or do we still have questions about canon RP that we need him to research and interview to answer?
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Comments
the primary advantage of canon rp is that it removes the problem of worldbuilding, which is the main reason most threads die out after five posts
nobody wants to build worlds, it's a boring and thankless task, and if you do, ninety percent of the content you spent dozens or hundreds of hours preparing will be ignored by the players anyway
but you can't just drop your players in a generic mysterious swampforestdungeon either, with no idea of why they're there or what's around the next corner - everybody can tell when you do this, and they'll leave immediately
also, an infinite canvas is not interesting. an unlimited design space kills creativity. it's the restrictions we choose that make our other choices interesting
nobody wants to build worlds, it's a boring and thankless task, and if you do, ninety percent of the content you spent dozens or hundreds of hours preparing will be ignored by the players anyway
but you can't just drop your players in a generic mysterious swampforestdungeon either, with no idea of why they're there or what's around the next corner - everybody can tell when you do this, and they'll leave immediately
also, an infinite canvas is not interesting. an unlimited design space kills creativity. it's the restrictions we choose that make our other choices interesting
Awesome article!!! And I'm not just saying this because I was quoted! 
Canon is a relatively loose term that has been applied to a number of things. In general it means the officially accepted, or recognized, set of rules or conditions. As Highjinx says.
Such an insightful and delightful article. I am both pro-canon and Original rp 
I love both.
I love both.
HRA, you are not wrong 
Canon is usually used to describe something that has already been established. Whether that be people, places, things, times, fandoms, etc.
Canon is usually used to describe something that has already been established. Whether that be people, places, things, times, fandoms, etc.
I quite enjoyed this article, and as a person who is pro-canon RP it only strengthened how I feel about playing in a set universe! It makes things easier for me as a player, and takes the stress of thinking about the 'universe' off of my back.
Strange, I'm not sure if I'm reading this right, but I learned (from somewhere else) that a Canon RP was an RP that followed a person's history and added onto that history, and that the non canon was the opposite...
Ben
September 15, 2013
10:41pm