Announcements: Cutting Costs (2024) » January 2024 Copyfraud Attack » Finding Universes to Join (and making yours more visible!) » Guide To Universes On RPG » Member Shoutout Thread » Starter Locations & Prompts for Newcomers » RPG Chat — the official app » Frequently Asked Questions » Suggestions & Requests: THE MASTER THREAD »

Latest Discussions: Adapa Adapa's for adapa » To the Rich Men North of Richmond » Shake Senora » Good Morning RPG! » Ramblings of a Madman: American History Unkempt » Site Revitalization » Map Making Resources » Lost Poetry » Wishes » Ring of Invisibility » Seeking Roleplayer for Rumple/Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time » Some political parody for these trying times » What dinosaur are you? » So, I have an Etsy » Train Poetry I » Joker » D&D Alignment Chart: How To Get A Theorem Named After You » Dungeon23 : Creative Challenge » Returning User - Is it dead? » Twelve Days of Christmas »

Players Wanted: Serious Anime Crossover Roleplay (semi-literate) » Looking for a long term partner! » JoJo or Mha roleplay » Seeking long-term rp partners for MxM » [MxF] Ruining Beauty / Beauty x Bastard » Minecraft Rp Help Wanted » CALL FOR WITNESSES: The Public v Zosimos » Social Immortal: A Vampire Only Soiree [The Multiverse] » XENOMORPH EDM TOUR Feat. Synthe Gridd: Get Your Tickets! » Aishna: Tower of Desire » Looking for fellow RPGers/Characters » looking for a RP partner (ABO/BL) » Looking for a long term roleplay partner » Explore the World of Boruto with Our Roleplaying Group on FB » More Jedi, Sith, and Imperials needed! » Role-player's Wanted » OSR Armchair Warrior looking for Kin » Friday the 13th Fun, Anyone? » Writers Wanted! » Long term partner to play an older male wanted »

Roleplay Supremacy?

a topic in Discussion & Debate, a part of the RPG forum.

Moderators: dealing with it, Ambassadors

Talk about philosophy, politics, news & current events, or any other subject you're interested in!

Roleplay Supremacy?

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Creed on Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:34 pm

In the roleplaying community there are those who write adventurous things, romances, fighting, among many other topics. A lot of people have made characters fitting under human circumstances, supernatural, science-based, technologically enhanced..But why?

Maybe it's to release their creativity, or perhaps they actually aim to inspire others, or even help the needy. Then there are those few - or actually many - who aim to be some sort of dominant roleplayer over the rest. These are the ones who go around allowing their egotism to lead every act they do; the ones you see leading brute organizations/clans within forums and IRC communities in an attempt to get known and gain whatever fame they can.

But what's the point of this all? Where do they actually get? I've actually..Experimented in these clans, even ran one or two of my own to see what rush they get. Sure, it's fun for a while, all fun while you are in a competititve roleplay environment, until people begin to take things a bit too seriously. Like, those who can't tell the difference between roleplaying and real life concepts, and this is outside of realistic roleplaying, too.

I was wondering if other people would like to share their point of view on this subject, or perhaps argue as too why people would do this? What are your views on roleplaying in general? And if you are one of those people who do this for the rush, or the sense of dominance, possibly explain what motivation you have as to doing this?

Tip jar: the author of this post has received 0.00 INK in return for their work.

User avatar
Creed
Member for 15 years
Conversation Starter Conversationalist Friendly Beginnings

Re: Roleplay Supremacy?

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Ylanne on Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:23 pm

Some people will do this perhaps to make up for a perceived lack of 'dominance', 'acceptance', or 'attention' in their real world lives. I can sympathize with the many people who do feel as though they are not respected or accepted among their peers, family, or others whom they come into regular contact with. This has been, all too often, a cause for Mary Sue or Gary Stu type characters, idealized self-insertions intended to elicit sympathy from the skeptical, bored, and unsympathetic reader.

For very casual roleplayers, and very casual writers, these things are usually just fine. But, speaking as a crime writer and editor, in more serious roleplaying and definitely in more serious writing, these things are very unacceptable. No one other than the writer (or like writers) likes to read a Mary Sue character, or an already done a million times plot.

For myself, personally, I try to write and develop roleplays with plausible scenarios, and encourage creation and development of dynamic, depth-ful characters who interact consistently and plausibly with others, their environment, and the situations they are placed in, slowly developing meaningful relationships (rivalry, romance, friendship, mentoring, etc.) with the characters around them. This is a natural instinct for me, as a writer.

As an editor, I can appreciate creativity in all forms, including in those stereotypical Mary Sue characters and already-done-a-million-times plots, when roleplayer writers attempt to create an idealized character and place them in some kind of action-invoking situation, such as trapped on a desert island, living in a group residence, locked/detained in a prison/lab/mental hospital, living on the streets, attending a high school for similarly 'gifted' individuals. . .

As a crime writer, and modern, realistic roleplayer, none of my characters are 'technologically enhanced', or possess any sort of 'superhuman' power, including 'magic', chi, psychic, clairvoyant, or psiotic type ability. Few have Japanese names (actually, only one, and she is mostly Japanese, and a rather minor character), only some carry a weapon (criminals, terrorists, law enforcement), most simply have a name typical of their ethnic background (Neldeen Ayvazian, Armenian; Shasta Wadiri Almontaser, Uighur; Kami Nobuko, Japanese; Natalie Elisabeth Schultz, German; etc.), and most change clothes daily and dress to suit their own style (although I rarely mention a character's clothes in a roleplay, unless it is significant, which it usually isn't).

I try to write realistic, believable characters who are full of depth and dynamic, and who may or may not elicit sympathy from the audience, whomever happens to read my work.

I try to do the same when writing collaboratively, otherwise known as roleplaying. For me, it adds depth and clarity, as well as deeper meaning, to roleplay. That is when roleplay becomes collaborative writing, in my view.

--Ylanne
​“Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”
― Arundhati Roy

“The only way to survive is to take care of each other.”
― Grace Lee Boggs

“every day is another chance to practice living out the values that matter most to us. to be our best selves. to be the legacy we want to leave.”
― Mia Mingus

Tip jar: the author of this post has received 0.00 INK in return for their work.

User avatar
Ylanne
Groundskeeper
Groundskeeper
Member for 16 years
Promethean Conversation Starter Author Inspiration World Builder Conversationalist Friendly Beginnings Novelist Greeter Arc Warden Party Starter Contributor Person of Interest Storyteller Beta Tester Builder Cult Leader Concierge Tipworthy Donated! Lifegiver Visual Appeal

Re: Roleplay Supremacy?

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Creed on Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:19 pm

Often achieving some form of respect or attention is what they are after; I’ll give you that. I remember when I had thoughts of feeling left out and I turned to role-play to have a sense of fitting in somewhere – even if it is only for the few days that the role-play is occurring.
I understand that many feel left out at home, or where ever they are; that they may need a sense of security by gaining even pseudo-dominance. I have sympathy for those people who feel this way – I really do. But there is a certain extent they should take in role-playing.
People tend to create certain characters or certain role-plays in an attempt to be indestructible, or set up a certain ruling system to allow them higher power than the opposition by default. You’ve probably heard of this as God-Modding, or such terms. Besides this being utterly unethical and annoying within the community among people who actually have the decency to create characters and earn a form of dominance over others without getting overwhelmingly serious, it also seems to be a silent plea for attention from others.
I guess it all leads down to the lust of attention that makes people act like that, or perhaps many people are just complete jerks and like the feel of having power over another entity.
It’s reasonable when someone devotes himself or herself to their writing, hell, even I do. I have no problem with people who like to write a lot in a role-play; I even rather enjoy it when they are extraordinarily good writers. I write a lot in my posts as well, even including useless detail.
I make my posts interesting for the readers, but I also make them fun for me. I write to express my thoughts and views on things in a way that can’t be classified as complaining, and I enjoy seeing what my imagination can release through creative writing, then sharing it with the world to get comments on it.
Thanks for your views on this, and for your time.

Tip jar: the author of this post has received 0.00 INK in return for their work.

User avatar
Creed
Member for 15 years
Conversation Starter Conversationalist Friendly Beginnings

Re: Roleplay Supremacy?

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Fractal Resonance on Wed Apr 29, 2009 6:51 am

Creed wrote:Sure, it's fun for a while, all fun while you are in a competititve roleplay environment, until people begin to take things a bit too seriously.

I've never understood this, and I never will. Also, people who come from different backgrounds of roleplaying (like myself) think people who believe roleplaying can be competative are, and I quote, "batshit crazy." I've had this explained to me several times over the last few months ever since I came here to Roleplay Gateway, and my reaction is always the same. People who think you can somehow roleplay competatively are batshit crazy, my good sir.

Treali Storm wrote:I try to do the same when writing collaboratively, otherwise known as roleplaying.

Roleplaying is not "writing collaboratively" at all. Collaborative writing is a method through which one can roleplay, but roleplaying is really its own little niche in the artistic community. Like any art, it shares components from a lot of different places, but it can't really be boiled down to anything except itself. I wouldn't really call it any sort of exceptional form of artistic expression, though. It tends to be pretty mediocre.

Regardless, aside from Treali's one sentance there, my opinions are very close to his own. I find as roleplayers mature both as individuals and as roleplayers they tend to drift towards more realistic characters in more realistic circumstances. I see this happen in every medium and with every roleplayer who actively roleplays. There are exceptions to this, though. I find people who attempt to play Mary/Gary Sues and/or God characters aren't really roleplaying; they're looking for a power fantasy, and roleplaying is a great way to get it. And, as Treali mentioned, it's usually because they're missing something in real life. In fact, a lot of roleplayers seem to act out their real life ambitions through their characters without even realizing it, though most of the better roleplayers do this very subtly and without ruining the atmosphere.

I'm not even saying it's bad to pursue said ambitions or try to fill any deficiencies through a character, as it's an appealing aspect of roleplaying outside of the ability to be creative, social, and improve your writing skills... but it certainly needs to be moderated, just like with anything else.

Tip jar: the author of this post has received 0.00 INK in return for their work.

User avatar
Fractal Resonance
Member for 16 years
Conversation Starter Conversationalist Friendly Beginnings


Post a reply

Make a Donation

$

RPG relies exclusively on user donations to support the platform.

Donors earn the "Contributor" achievement and are permanently recognized in the credits. Consider donating today!

 

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest