RP Completion: A Survey

[LordSaladin]

So, I'm curious... When I was last here on a more active basis, there was a definite trend of roleplays not finishing - some would last quite a while, but others would often not even reach more than a couple of forum pages.

Which leads to the question I'm presenting to the community: Do roleplays still have a tendency to 'fizzle' out before they reach a conclusion?

More specifically, if you could answer the following questions, that would be great.

1. Have you created or been in more than three RPs that haven't finished?
2. Of these RPs, how long did it take for them to die out?
3. What are common reasons for RPs not finishing? 'Nobody posted' is already implied, so if you can give more specific reasons, that would be better. Eg: Exams, plot wasn't going anywhere so people lost interest, the GM closed it down (Why?), etc etc
4. Was there any attempt to revive the RP? If so, what actions were taken?

5. Have you been involved in RPs that have reached a conclusion?
6. How long did these RPs run for?
7. Were there any significant reduction in the number of players towards the end of the RP? If so, why?
8. Were there any major rearrangements of the players in your RP? If so, why?
9. Were there extended periods of inactivity? If so, what did you do to revive it?
10. Did you have to 'reboot' the RP at any time?

11. What keeps you interested in an RP?
12. If you do lose interest in an RP, do you tell the GM/other players your concerns? If not, why?
13. If you decide to leave an RP, do you give a logical exit of your characters?

As to the purpose of this survey: I'm curious. And if there is a decent response, perhaps steps can be taken to solve the problem of RPs dying out, if indeed it still is a problem.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to answer.

[ViceVersus]

1. Have you created or been in more than three RPs that haven't finished?

Yes, sir.

2. Of these RPs, how long did it take for them to die out?

Anywhere from a month, to seven months.

3. What are common reasons for RPs not finishing? 'Nobody posted' is already implied, so if you can give more specific reasons, that would be better. Eg: Exams, plot wasn't going anywhere so people lost interest, the GM closed it down (Why?), etc etc

The roleplay kept getting pushed further and further back due to a particularly daunting post that was coming up next - something that would require a ton of outside research, a lot of collaboration, or just plain time and effort! I've also seen roleplays die because the GMs planned out all the background and setting content so enthusiastically, but did not at least sketch out a plot. There was no inciting incident planned. No first rung to breach. The Gobi Desert of roleplays is more often than not where things fall apart.

4. Was there any attempt to revive the RP? If so, what actions were taken?

I've mass PM'd people, read up on past posts, done a few test posts. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. In duo RPs, it often gets things back up and running. With groups, if you wait too long, people may have deleted characters to move on to something more current.

5. Have you been involved in RPs that have reached a conclusion?

In the forums, but not with the RP tab.

6. How long did these RPs run for?

Oof, like, three or four numbers?

7. Were there any significant reduction in the number of players towards the end of the RP? If so, why?

No, sir. It was a duo RP from start to finish.

8. Were there any major rearrangements of the players in your RP? If so, why?

Understand for this one, I'm no longer talking about the completed Duo RP. In other RPs, I have taken over the parts of characters that belong to users who have become uninterested, or just straight up left the site completely. That can often change the dynamic completely.

9. Were there extended periods of inactivity? If so, what did you do to revive it?

Someone leaving on a vacation can spark inactivity. Making sure to hound them once they set foot back on Gateway usually rectifies this.

10. Did you have to 'reboot' the RP at any time?

I had to reboot a very early forum RP I did. I've rebooted many RPs over old roleplaying websites from ages old, to now.

11. What keeps you interested in an RP?

The idea of writing a story with someone, collaboratively, and catching the same creative flow. It's fascinating to me to watch something unfold like that.

12. If you do lose interest in an RP, do you tell the GM/other players your concerns? If not, why?

Generally, no. I haven't been in that position.

13. If you decide to leave an RP, do you give a logical exit of your characters?

I've done that only once. I gave permission for the GM to take over my character.

[Alasund]

1. Have you created or been in more than three RPs that haven't finished?

Yes, indeed I have.

2. Of these RPs, how long did it take for them to die out?

Uh, several varying lengths of time. However, usually not until at least a month of play.

3. What are common reasons for RPs not finishing? 'Nobody posted' is already implied, so if you can give more specific reasons, that would be better. Eg: Exams, plot wasn't going anywhere so people lost interest, the GM closed it down (Why?), etc etc

Well, in a majority of the RP's, it was a case of the GM disappearing or losing interest. The Losing interest was due to other players vanishing.

4. Was there any attempt to revive the RP? If so, what actions were taken?

Well, no attempt to 'revive' but several times me and a few other players kept RPing until it felt kind of dead, as the GM's plans couldn't go anywhere without them there to explain...

5. Have you been involved in RPs that have reached a conclusion?

Yeah, just a few. Only by Chat though.

6. How long did these RPs run for?

Usually a good few months.

7. Were there any significant reduction in the number of players towards the end of the RP? If so, why?

Nope. There was usually only one or two other players anyways.

8. Were there any major rearrangements of the players in your RP? If so, why?

I can't say I remember any that come to mind. I remember once when the GM had to take over a character whose player had vanished...

9. Were there extended periods of inactivity? If so, what did you do to revive it?

There were several times when something went inactive and I revived it. Usually only a temporary measure before it sinks, though. PM's and casually talking in the OOC chat was what I did.

10. Did you have to 'reboot' the RP at any time?

Several times if something were to continue, it would've had to be rebooted. But I've never done it myself.

11. What keeps you interested in an RP?

A storyline that keeps me on the edge of my seat, or characters I enjoy interacting with. Failing that, the setting can keep me interested all on it's own.

12. If you do lose interest in an RP, do you tell the GM/other players your concerns? If not, why?

Well, no, I didn't. The one time I really lost interest I just got rid of my character the most convenient way, and left. I think I mentioned prior to my leaving that I was, but I never really went into it. Why? ... I can't say I really know, other than perhaps I didn't want to burden the other players with my own Apathy towards the story.

13. If you decide to leave an RP, do you give a logical exit of your characters?

Yeah. As I said, I removed him the most convenient way that was totally in character for him.

[dealing with it]

I'll just squish this all into the overhead bin....

1. Yes, I've been in several incomplete RPs.
2. Two didn't make it past character creation; one lasted for 3 pages; another for about a page.
3. Respectively, not enough people joined; the GM had a real life crisis; and far too many people were let in for stability.
4. No, no effort was made to revive these RPs.
5. I have never been in an RP that finished. I have one RP-in-progress, though.

6. The RP-in-progress has lasted 3 months.
7. It's a one-on-one, so any reduction of players would kill it immediately.
8. I started out as a sort-of-GM, since it was my idea, but now that both of us have a grip on the setting and concept, it's a lot more collaborative.
9. I stopped posting to camp out with the local Occupy chapter. It wasn't that hard to revive it, once I got in touch with the other player.
10. I thought about rebooting after I got back from Occupy. We discussed it, and I was convinced to just continue from where we left off.

11. It is almost entirely the players that make the game worth it or not.
12. I'm learning to. Frank and open OOC discussion about the game can reignite interest.
13. It's never come up. But it sounds like the civil thing to do, especially if you are leaving a large table.

[Lattia]

Before doing this survey I feel it's pertinent to mention that I have never actually been involved in anything on this site, so anything I say will be from experience elsewhere. If that invalidates my answers for whatever reason then that's fine. Just thought I'd mention it and answer what I could regardless.

1. Have you created or been in more than three RPs that haven't finished?

Most definitely. I've created several rps in my time and most of them have not seen the end that I originally intended. I've been a part of countless more that never got off the ground, or simply fizzled out.

2. Of these RPs, how long did it take for them to die out?

Besides the ones that never really went past a few posts/meets the length for most rps I've been involved in have a pretty good track record. I'd say most ran around six months to a year before beginning to fizzle out.

3. What are common reasons for RPs not finishing? 'Nobody posted' is already implied, so if you can give more specific reasons, that would be better. Eg: Exams, plot wasn't going anywhere so people lost interest, the GM closed it down (Why?), etc etc

Other than the obvious "Nobody posting/people just moving on" reasons, I'd have to say the most common occurrence is a lack of direction. I've found that while free form rps can be very fun, when players don't have a direction or at least a semblance of a goal to strive for, the rp invariably dies. Players just lose their way and everything gets sidetracked. Then people just stop showing up.

4. Was there any attempt to revive the RP? If so, what actions were taken?

There have been on occasion. Some of the attempts have been successful. Those attempts generally involved the GM restructuring and setting a goal for players as mentioned.

5. Have you been involved in RPs that have reached a conclusion?

Yes.

6. How long did these RPs run for?

Generally around a year. Anything over that usually ends up losing to many people to continue.

7. Were there any significant reduction in the number of players towards the end of the RP? If so, why?

Normally I'd say at least fifty percent of the starting players don't reach the conclusion of the rp.

8. Were there any major rearrangements of the players in your RP? If so, why?

Hmmm, seems entirely variable. Yes there have been in some occasions, but I haven't exactly noticed a trend.

9. Were there extended periods of inactivity? If so, what did you do to revive it?

Inactivity usually just means death. Unless there are at least a handful of very dedicated players, I find it's very difficult to come back from inactivity.

10. Did you have to 'reboot' the RP at any time?

I think a little reboot is a good thing every few weeks at least. Having a recap/direction post from the GM every few weeks helps keep players on track and helps consolidate what's been happening.

11. What keeps you interested in an RP?

Character interactions and general plot both have to be decent to keep me in an rp. If either is exceptional, I'll stick around for a very long time.

12. If you do lose interest in an RP, do you tell the GM/other players your concerns? If not, why?

I try to make in known to the GM what my opinions are. I'm generally a very vocal player. If I feel like things are heading south in an RP I generally like, then I definitely try to get in contact with the GM to alert them. They can't fix anything if they don't know there's something to fix.

13. If you decide to leave an RP, do you give a logical exit of your characters?

Preferably. Generally I don't leave until an rp is dead or finished, but if something makes my exit necessary I always prefer to discuss that exit with the GM and make it a logical part of the rp.

Hope these answers help/sate your curiosity.

[Gasmask]

1. Created 1
2. It died because they were ideas nobody was interested in.
3. People weren't interested, lost interest or had stuff to do, I don't blame any of them.
4. None.

5. Yes, lots
6. One year and another at one month, to the better half of an hour.
7. Sometimes, probably boredom.
8. Nope.
9. I kicked the players into gear.
10. Nope.

11. Lots of stuff really, the roleplay itself, the characters, the writing, the players, everything that makes a great roleplay.
12. I tell em', honestly first bro.
13. Yep.

[Safisan]

1. Have you created or been in more than three RPs that haven't finished? Yes.
2. Of these RPs, how long did it take for them to die out? Anywhere from two weeks to more than a year.
3. What are common reasons for RPs not finishing? Sometimes we had a tightly knit group, so losing just one person blew everything up. There were other times in which I assume interest was lost-- usually you don't hear why. Rarely was it an outside cause, though.
4. Was there any attempt to revive the RP? If so, what actions were taken? Yep! Bringing in new people is the most common action I see, but you don't lose anything by contacting the players.

5. Have you been involved in RPs that have reached a conclusion? Yes, I left it though >.<
6. How long did these RPs run for? It was pretty short actually, about two months.
7. Were there any significant reduction in the number of players towards the end of the RP? If so, why? 30% of the players, I'd say. I for one left because of school, but the others never said a thing.
8. Were there any major rearrangements of the players in your RP? If so, why? Nothing of value was lost, so to speak. We went on just fine with the ones left.
9. Were there extended periods of inactivity? If so, what did you do to revive it? Not on the completed RPs, but usually a post or PM to everyone involved will get them posting. Also, I find consistent use and encouraging the players' own use of the OOC thread to work out nicely.
10. Did you have to 'reboot' the RP at any time? Nope.

11. What keeps you interested in an RP? There's the plot, and then there's the players-- if I dislike the way somebody role-plays chances are I'll shut my mouth unless it's too obnoxious. Pair a few of those players together though, and I'll probably leave.
12. If you do lose interest in an RP, do you tell the GM/other players your concerns? If not, why? I do, but I can't recall ever saying 'hey, I think your game is getting stale". I just say I'm busy.
13. If you decide to leave an RP, do you give a logical exit of your characters? Unless it's an outside cause or the current setting doesn't allow for it, yeah, I will.

[Mr_Doomed]

1. Have you created or been in more than three RPs that haven't finished?
I’ve been in many’a RPs that have failed outright. I’d about ten.

2. Of these RPs, how long did it take for them to die out?
Anywhere from before it even started to a month.

3. What are common reasons for RPs not finishing? 'Nobody posted' is already implied, so if you can give more specific reasons, that would be better. Eg: Exams, plot wasn't going anywhere so people lost interest, the GM closed it down (Why?), etc etc
I’d say besides the implied, most of these RPs have failed because the GM would lose interest.

4. Was there any attempt to revive the RP? If so, what actions were taken?
I’ve tried personally to revive an RP once, but it failed and I decided that I wasn’t going to go to great lengths to try to revive one again.


5. Have you been involved in RPs that have reached a conclusion?
Twice, and there is a third one well on its way to completion.

6. How long did these RPs run for?
Between the two, it was just under a year.

7. Were there any significant reduction in the number of players towards the end of the RP? If so, why?
There was in the first one. It started out with about six players and that quickly reduced to about four. Soon after that, one left and we were left with three. Around the middle of the RP, things started to change and two players joined only to leave just before the climax. During the climax, one of the players disappeared (later we learnt it was due to computer problems) and the GM and I finished it between the two of us.
In the second RP, we started with a large number (around fifteen) and by the end we were left with around seven.
For most of the players, they just didn’t want to get involved with any plotting or collaborating and lost interest. Some didn’t even post. They sure did miss out.

8. Were there any major rearrangements of the players in your RP? If so, why?
Despite all the characters that left, we just assumed that their characters left for some other adventure to avoid the conflicts that were going on in the RP. I think there was only one time when I took over someone’s character. In the end, I barely used the character and killed him off for a plot device to further my other character’s plot.

9. Were there extended periods of inactivity? If so, what did you do to revive it?
The only major bouts of inactivity were my fault. There were two occasions where I had gone on vacation. There was no need to revive it. All the players are very dedicated individuals and we just went right back from where we started.

10. Did you have to 'reboot' the RP at any time?
We never purposefully rebooted the RP. We have enough fresh ideas to keep interest while still moving the plot along.


11. What keeps you interested in an RP?
A good GM and dedicated players who enjoy collaboration as much as I do.

12. If you do lose interest in an RP, do you tell the GM/other players your concerns? If not, why?
If I’ve lost interest, than there is no hope for me regaining that interest.

13. If you decide to leave an RP, do you give a logical exit of your characters?
Only ever had an instance when I quit before the RP died (turns out the RP I quick reached an ending), but the players were kind of disrespectful to my character and so out of rage I left the RP without giving players or the GM notice and I just left with my character in the middle of a conversation with someone. I know it wasn’t right for me to do that, but I wasn’t happy with the player who seemed to have no respect for me or my character.

[Zero Reaper]

1. Have you created or been in more than three RPs that haven't finished?
Over a dozen, actually. I've never been in, or seen, a roleplay that has finished.

2. Of these RPs, how long did it take for them to die out?
It varied, but I've grouped them into two categories; some collapse after only a week, and some will last about a month or two. I've never seen one go on longer than that.

3. What are common reasons for RPs not finishing? 'Nobody posted' is already implied, so if you can give more specific reasons, that would be better. Eg: Exams, plot wasn't going anywhere so people lost interest, the GM closed it down (Why?), etc etc
People, as a general rule, have a short attention span. They generally just lost interest in the roleplay, it seems. People just forget about it.

4. Was there any attempt to revive the RP? If so, what actions were taken?
Generally not. Sometimes one or two people posted with the intention, but that was it.

5. Have you been involved in RPs that have reached a conclusion?
Unfortunately, no.

6. How long did these RPs run for?
N/A

7. Were there any significant reduction in the number of players towards the end of the RP? If so, why?
N/A

8. Were there any major rearrangements of the players in your RP? If so, why?
N/A

9. Were there extended periods of inactivity? If so, what did you do to revive it?
N/A

10. Did you have to 'reboot' the RP at any time?
N/A

11. What keeps you interested in an RP?
Well, a good plot, characters that I care about, a solid plot, and people who will stay through it instead of maybe posting once a week.

12. If you do lose interest in an RP, do you tell the GM/other players your concerns? If not, why?
No; I just generally disappear. I know, I shouldn't do it...

13. If you decide to leave an RP, do you give a logical exit of your characters?
Well, I've never decided to formally 'leave' an RP, so no.

[ImmortalSin]

I suppose I will add my input as well. Though some of it does make me cringe. Alrighty, let's do this.

1. Yes.
2. It varied from days - an average of about a month or two - and some even over the period of a year or so.
3. Any of the group roleplays I was involved in that fizzled out usually had the same issue - some or all of the group just disappeared. As for anything private or closed (2-3 people) either the plot eventually became a little stretched, a partner vanished or we both agreed that we had lost interest.
4. Sometimes. A time skip could be used, or new characters. For the most part, it was let be.

5. Yes, but they are indeed scarce.
6. Over the period of a few months. No longer than six.
7. No, but post frequency definitely declined.
8. Yes. It kept things flowing and interesting.
9. At times, yes. A gentle nudge tended to work for the most part. If it didn't, nothing did.
10. No.

11. Being able to see progression with not only the plot but also the characters, and knowing that my partners are actively working together to make this happen. It's no fun when you are the only one throwing ideas out there.
12. For the most part, yes.
13. Almost always I am not the one who has chosen to leave. In the event that I am, yes, I like to make it so that anyone else still interested can carry on properly.