The Growing Apathy Towards RPs Options

[Ryuga]

The Roleplay sub forum has been stagnating lately. I mean more than I've ever seen before. Activity is at an all time low.
The number of active Roleplays has been reduced to essentially five, one of which is pretty much dead, and the other is moving at a snails pace.
Activity in Sign-up and OOC discussion is at a standstill.
Members that I used to see around frequently have fallen off the map, with no new players to replace them.

Essentially things just suck right now.

Lack of activity may be due to the season, and activity may start to increase now that the summer months are finally here. Though with things as they are, I'm sure that's not the only factor.

Anyways, what are all of your thoughts on this issue? Is the lack of activity just a seasonal thing that will blow over in a couple weeks?

Or do you think that things are really on the decline?

If the answer to the previous question is a yes than how should we go about getting people active again, as well as getting new people interested?

Discuss.

This post has been edited by Ryuga: Jul 4 2011, 11:10 AM

[Strawberry]

I've honestly only RP'd once in my life, but it was a lot of fun.

I would normally jump at the chance to join the RPs on this forum, but I get so nervous when I play with people I barely know in RL. What if I make a mistake or my character sucks?

I've noticed the activity has gone downhill, though, and it stinks, because, well, I like reading through the RPs and characters in hopes I can learn more and start another one someday.

[Ryuga]

Don't have to be so nervous about jumping in. We're not perfect the first few times we do something. Even I'm not proud of my first character, or the first couple posts I've made in this forum.
Reading through other RP's is a good way to get started, but reading only gets you so far. Some of the most important things are done by doing. So what if your character is not up to par with some of the others. Maybe your posts aren't the best in the RP either. My work is nothing compared to the works of Sparrowsmith, Niscp, and, Kratour. But I've learned things by reflecting on what I wrote, and comparing and contrasting my writing with the pieces from other people.

I understand how daunting it can be to join in with people you don't know. But our primary reason for roleplaying is to have fun, not to judge the quality of ones storytelling technique from behind our computer monitors.

Sure, if you don't feel like you're ready, than by all means stay on the sidelines for now. But there certainly shouldn't be anything to be nervous about.

[Nicsp]

Aye aye, i'm with Ryuga, no need to be nervous, we're a small community right now but everyone here is very nice and will no doubt be glad to help you, if necessary ^w^

About what you said, Ryuga, I myself had been having trouble getting on a while ago because I was finishing up my exams and such, though now that July is here I'll be back at full throttle. I initially also thought that inactivity was due to the season but...Yeah...I don't know what caused this sudden decline in activity, but one of them is definetly the fact that we just don't have enough active RPers around right now. I do indeed fear that things may be on a bit of a decline right now, but honestly, I didn't have any ideas to fix that yet. I have tried to boost activity a little with the Watchers RP, which, being something new and that hadn't been done yet, I thought would bring up a little more activity.

I also have one new RP me and Omnial had discussed before but never got to opening, this one was a more battle centered one, it's not ready yet though...Also, we had three people who tried to join the RP forums but they tried to join by making their own RPs and, alas, those ones didn't go very well.

P.S.

Also, it seems Sparrowsmith is now also a mod for the RPing forum...WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED OF THIS?

This post has been edited by Nicsp: Jul 4 2011, 01:34 PM

[Darkblade]

Sorry about vanishing like that and not posting in Holy Shield.
I've been feeling really depressed lately and the summer heat doesn't help my mood.


I think its just a seasonal thing.

Things will pick up in a little while.
When they realise the sun is a horrible fire breathing thing. I swear I'm not a vampire.

I would normally jump at the chance to join the RPs on this forum, but I get so nervous when I play with people I barely know in RL. What if I make a mistake or my character sucks?

Yeah, it can be kind of tough at first, but most of the users here are good enough to say something if something is a bit wrong.

[Sparrowsmith]

Also, it seems Sparrowsmith is now also a mod for the RPing forum...WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED OF THIS?

I am?!
Na, I said I would take up the job, what with Omi leaving, but I had absolutely no idea if it had gone through until now... Has it?
anyway.

My first posts in the RP section were shit. I made a very reserved character (even though he was meant to be outgoing) and generally didn't interact with anyone or anything. Then I tried again and made my all time favorite character (Damien Howler) and I still cocked up the first few posts (Damien and Nobu's fight was quite difficult to read in a few places) but I got there in the end.
Role playing isn't an exact science, but it's a great way to experiment with your writing and to understand how necessary it is to never favour one character too much.

As for the growing apathy towards RPs, I tried my best with Section Seven (people are still welcome to join, we'll work em in somehow...) which is largely focused on PMing and discussing/thinking outside of the RP. That way even if the RP slows down (IE we're all waiting for one person to post) on the outside we still have people thinking up ideas, discussing possible gadgets to build for infiltration, bouncing ideas on the mystery behind section seven.

However, the real apathy, if I had to say there is one, is in a lack of conflict.
Currently we have several RPs that haven't (or aren't currently) very action based. And few people can be bothered to write out a scene which is essentially a boring and mundane every day thing. People like there to be constant action.
However, the really smart RPs need long sections of exposition and planning - which people naturally don't want to do

You can always guarantee though that there'll be a few loyal RPers who'll post every now and then, and that might not be much, but it keeps them going I guess. We just need an RP that will attract more newcomers into the game... *puts thinking cap on*

[kaz]

P.S.

Also, it seems Sparrowsmith is now also a mod for the RPing forum...WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED OF THIS?

Sorry-----

Did you know Sparrowsmith is now a mod on the RP forum

Did you know that Nicsp is going to be promoted to Lmod very soon

[Nicsp]

We just need an RP that will attract more newcomers into the game... *puts thinking cap on*

Uhh...Like I mentioned before, me and Omnial were cooking up an Action based RP before he left...I'll PM you the details about it later.

P.S.

Also, it seems Sparrowsmith is now also a mod for the RPing forum...WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED OF THIS?

Sorry-----

Did you know Sparrowsmith is now a mod on the RP forum

Did you know that Nicsp is going to be promoted to Lmod very soon

I am?

[Ratty524]

I think it just has to deal with the fact that this site is primarily an indie game-making forum. Most people use this forum to post projects, contribute/take resources, and talk about games. As such, most people, including myself, don't even think to even look at the RP forums.

As for me, I have just been too busy recently to participate in RPs. Plus the RPs that are already posted don't really suit my tastes. Generally, however, I love to roleplay.

[Ryuga]

About what you said, Ryuga, I myself had been having trouble getting on a while ago because I was finishing up my exams and such, though now that July is here I'll be back at full throttle. I initially also thought that inactivity was due to the season but...Yeah...I don't know what caused this sudden decline in activity, but one of them is definetly the fact that we just don't have enough active RPers around right now. I do indeed fear that things may be on a bit of a decline right now, but honestly, I didn't have any ideas to fix that yet. I have tried to boost activity a little with the Watchers RP, which, being something new and that hadn't been done yet, I thought would bring up a little more activity.

I also have one new RP me and Omnial had discussed before but never got to opening, this one was a more battle centered one, it's not ready yet though...Also, we had three people who tried to join the RP forums but they tried to join by making their own RPs and, alas, those ones didn't go very well.

Indeed, our numbers are low at the moment. I mean the regulars have been reduced to essentially the handful of people who've posted in this topic. The guys over in Exaltica don't really count since they only post there and nowhere else.

Don't think The Watchers RP isn't doing anything. It's active. I see multiple posts in between your updates. It's just the RP is dependant on your activity, which is why it can get slow sometimes, a bottleneck effect. It just comes with the territory.

As for the three new RP's, it's regretable.
One was a private RP request, so I'm not sure if I can call that an attempt to join the RP forums.
The other didn't convey enough backstory to get anyone interested. Though on hindsight, I should have attempted to welcome the member by suggesting improvements.
And then there was DarkNesa's, which is what I expect out of a signup topic. Unfortunately I just can't do Zombie outbreak games. Just not my thing.

Sorry about vanishing like that and not posting in Holy Shield.
I've been feeling really depressed lately and the summer heat doesn't help my mood.

I think its just a seasonal thing.

While the active members will likely improve in activity, we can't just go on with the same four or five people in every RP. I wouldn't call that a healthy forum.

As for the growing apathy towards RPs, I tried my best with Section Seven (people are still welcome to join, we'll work em in somehow...) which is largely focused on PMing and discussing/thinking outside of the RP. That way even if the RP slows down (IE we're all waiting for one person to post) on the outside we still have people thinking up ideas, discussing possible gadgets to build for infiltration, bouncing ideas on the mystery behind section seven.

However, the real apathy, if I had to say there is one, is in a lack of conflict.
Currently we have several RPs that haven't (or aren't currently) very action based. And few people can be bothered to write out a scene which is essentially a boring and mundane every day thing. People like there to be constant action.
However, the really smart RPs need long sections of exposition and planning - which people naturally don't want to do

You can always guarantee though that there'll be a few loyal RPers who'll post every now and then, and that might not be much, but it keeps them going I guess. We just need an RP that will attract more newcomers into the game... *puts thinking cap on*

It all has to do with balance. An RP based only on conflict thrives for a while, but people get burnt out. I mean the Persona RP, It's a Wonderful World, and the Pokemon RP were all conflict orriented but still died abruptly. Though I will admit they ran longer than most RPs.

---
From this discussion so far, I've gathered that we need...
1) An RP that will attract new members.
2) A Signup subforum that's more hospitable to newcomers.

I don't have much for 1. All the ideas I've been tossing around are for more advanced level games.
But as for 2, maybe we should have a "Help building a Roleplay" topic, for when newcomers have difficulty building an RP, or just aren't attracting any members to ones they've already made.
Though I guess I should worry about getting newcomers before jumping the gun on this one.

EDIT:

I think it just has to deal with the fact that this site is primarily an indie game-making forum. Most people use this forum to post projects, contribute/take resources, and talk about games. As such, most people, including myself, don't even think to even look at the RP forums.

As for me, I have just been too busy recently to participate in RPs. Plus the RPs that are already posted don't really suit my tastes. Generally, however, I love to roleplay.

While the activity in the RP forums have never been as high as I've seen on some more dedicated sites, we certainly have been a very lively bunch in the past. We're contrasting our present state to a period in time when activity was better, and we realize that things suck right now.
We're not looking for most people to pay attention to the RP forums. We just want a few new people who have a passing interest to participate.

This post has been edited by Ryuga: Jul 5 2011, 09:37 AM

[Nicsp]

---
From this discussion so far, I've gathered that we need...
1) An RP that will attract new members.

2) A Signup subforum that's more hospitable to newcomers.

I don't have much for 1. All the ideas I've been tossing around are for more advanced level games.
But as for 2, maybe we should have a "Help building a Roleplay" topic, for when newcomers have difficulty building an RP, or just aren't attracting any members to ones they've already made.
Though I guess I should worry about getting newcomers before jumping the gun on this one.

I have pinned up Satou_Asahira's tutorial for New RPs and I have suggested it for the first of the new RPs that tried to be opened up. I found it a pretty complete tutorial and it's still open and able to be posted into, so I think any questions regarding how to make an RP should simply be put in there.

[Ryuga]

I have pinned up Satou_Asahira's tutorial for New RPs and I have suggested it for the first of the new RPs that tried to be opened up. I found it a pretty complete tutorial and it's still open and able to be posted into, so I think any questions regarding how to make an RP should simply be put in there.

That could do the trick, though I think a description that encourages people to post in the topic would help. We should also consider that the topic is rather old. Do people even reference it anymore?

[Nicsp]

I changed the title and description a bit to try and sound more open to questions. Dunno about the topic being old, I pinned it anyways, so it'll always be up there at the top.

[Ryuga]

Thanks Niscp. That should do the trick.

[Sparrowsmith]

Another thing I've noticed is that Fan RPs (IE RPs based off of games/films/etc) almost always reel in newcomers. Hey, the first RP I joined was a Persona one.
Sometimes people move on to other RPs after getting a taste for it, but the problem with Fan RPs is that they tend to have too many restrictions to allow the RPer to really spread their wings. That's why Alsta was my favorite RP. The characters were fun and original, all moving in their own directions, and the world was lively and kind of sandbox-ish. My favorite thing was the magic though, that's what got me hooked on Roleplaying. Even as a newcomer to roleplay, I played a large part in defining how the entire magical world worked in Alsta. Of course, it was a collaboration, but the idea of being able to just make up a spell, with practically no limitations, that's when I got my teeth for roleplaying.
Frankly, we need another RP like that.

An RP where newcomers (if they join) have the ability to really shape the world around them. This was done two-fold with the death note RP, where it was a fan game (good deal of interest) and a free world. One person had the ability to kill anyone they liked, the rest had the ability to just make up resources and use them for the sake of it. It was purely a battle of imagination.
Again, even a newcomer to Roleplaying could walk into the death note RP and have a good time.

I'm looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with, but the way I see it we need something that catches newcomers eyes. Something they're already familiar with. Then we take that idea in a whole new direction, one which allows people to really use their creative energy to shape the world.
Also, the success of several RPs has been due to their being very 'real' enemies: The other RPers. Maybe not always enemies, but always a point of conflict and drama. When there was an enemy, it wasn't several, it was usually just the one at a time. People get bored mowing through tens of drones that they just made up, but they do want enemies. One enemy that requires cooperation to take down, or pitting against each other (maybe not directly) is where the fun is at.
Cooperation or conflict, free rule to shape the world, and a familiar name. These are the three concepts that I think bring the most newcomers into RPing.

The best RPs however, usually just have to be original with an idea of the direction it's heading in, but we're not going for best, we're just trying to get newcomers

Edit:
Now that I think about it... Darkblade, there's a grand total of five RPs set in Alsta, you churn out any more of these bad boys and we might have to dedicate a section to them (I'm probably joking) They are my favorite series though - shame we never got to finish the original trilogy.

[Satou Asahira]

My Nonary Game is still in the back of my mind. Sparrowsmith and I did a trial run of it and I think it went pretty well. It's a lot of work and I'm masterminding it myself(and we all know how lazy I can be) so progress is going slow. I think for optimal enjoyment, players should be kept totally in the dark so that's why I'm not reaching out for help or anything other than the trial run with Sparrow. I've given up on setting a release date on it but it will be here in the future and it will be awesome.

One thing that bugs me though is that we never ever finish. I think there may have been one or two that I wasn't a part of but all the ones I've played in died. That's the primary thing that turned me away from RP'ing. So unless I see something REALLY interesting, I probably am done with RP'ing until I finish prepping my game.

[Sparrowsmith]

Satou! I haven't seen you around here in a while.
Someone else tried to set up a Nonary game, but it didn't get much attention (new member to the site, what can you do) sure yours will take off though However, if you're looking for an RP with an 'end' I might direct you towards my first and current RP: Section Seven. There is a mystery that must be solved - and I do actually have an answer for the whole thing (I don't know how satisfied everyone will be by it). There is a conspiracy involved - and the characters have deep motives beyond 'evil' that explain it. And at the very end the RPers will face a choice.
So if you feel like joining an RP with an ending... hint hint.
oh, and did I mention it's like, steampunk and shiz

[Satou Asahira]

Haha, well I do owe you for indulging my trial Nonary Game so what the hell. I'll read over the topic and make a character today.