RP question

Ok.....just curious here and looking for opinions.

One of the places I like to hang out at has begun an RP group which really got my interest at first because it's a very cool bunch of people that run it....on a very cool 'haunted' themed sim. So I asked to be on the RP team and worked out a charatcer and so on....

But...what's been happening in this particular group (and I am by no means an RP expert, just basing this on what I've seen elsewhere).... they have so tightly defined the RP that basically the story is written and those who RP have to send a note in advance that they want to be a part of the story being played out. In effect.... there's no real opportunity to take a character and develope it because the RP moderaters have already decided the plot of each RP event and the RP seems to be more of a stage act. The RP is not an on going theme...anotherwords you can't just pop in and interact as your character....you have to wait until 'they' have announced that something is going on and then sign up to be a part of it.

This is frustrating to me..... this was the first time I really got enthused about developing a character for RP (cause really I'm just not that into it) and it is looking as tho there will be no real chance for me to take my idea and use it. I had sent my 'character bio' and ideas for some background to the RP mods and they loved my ideas.....but that was the end of it.

So....what has been your experience with RP? Is is usually so tightly controlled like this or are you able to play a continual story out with-in the context of the basic RP plot? As much as I want to get involved with this group.....I have abstained because it seems to me they are trying way too hard to 'control' all the characters and that's a huge turn off for me. Thoughts?

Depends on what type of RP.

I have known many vampire covenants to have this tight of a grip on their RP, but I have known others that are more lax and allow visitors to their RP and meetings.

Maybe try finding another group?

This is a problem with RPs - you either have too much control and people feel stifled or you are too liberal and people derail the game play. In Rygeon we have a backstory as a base to the RP themes and Scribes that write you into the gameplay. This allows us to keep control and for the players to use their imaginations to enjoy the game. Perhaps you should suggest this to your Admins and see what they think.

In my experience the one place I enjoyed the idea of RP at simply didn't really work as a concept and there's rarely anyone at the sim there. They also were rigid about it, they also enthused about my original idea for a character - but that was as far as it went too.

I now avoid the RP's that are all about control...which are pretty much all the ones I encountered except the Neko's.
I tried Star Wars and Star Trek (because I build 3D spaceships) and was severely disappointed by the control freaks who kept telling me I was OOC)) (out of character)
I now prefer being a surfer dude/beach bum...or a male Neko... both are independent and do pretty much whatever they like to do... So now I spend most of my time dancing, chatting and exploring...to hell with the closed, controlled RP, most have a tendency to limit imagination and original thought.

This seems more like scripted scenes then just ordinary regular rping. They seem to have the entire episode already written out more like a play then just rping. It would seem more appropiate to call this a play instead of rp.

Rp is more of a natural thing where you're immersed into your sl character and everyone around you does the same instead of having to join a certain group to be told what to do.

It's very, very difficult to set up an RP well.

What your case sounds like is a very common occurrence - that the person who's organising the RP, is doing it because they want to RP a particular role or story, and therefore make the rules to try and ensure that happens. I can understand where they're coming from, it's tough to accept that you should pay US$1000+ for a sim and then US$295 a month, plus all the money and work required to actually build the area - only for your particular story to have no more importance than anyone else's. But it's sadly necessary. (Sometimes it's more obvious than others - I've seen an RP sim where fully 50% of the Sim was the "Queen's private palace and ballroom" and the rest was a little village for everyone else. Now, it's their sim, they have a right to do that, but others have a right not to play there...)

The big problem is that the opposite case is a problem too, because if everybody is equal then often you wind up with no stories at all - other than people just social chatting in-character - because nobody can really start a story, since doing so would mean they were putting themselves above everyone else, and they may be shunned or ignored if they do that.

there are tradeoffs, the tighter the control the more cohesive the storyline, which makes for great writing, and allows others to read and understand all the events, but doesn't leave as many options open to players

the looser the control, the less focused the RP becomes, and makes it harder for new people to get a feel for the backstory, especially recent events, but opens numerous possibilities for character directions and development... it also becomes suceptible to derailing.

at either extreme, if someone starts telling me what my character should or shouldn't do, or it becomes just an exercise in wandering around doing random things... there's something seriously wrong, and I'm done.

IMO roleplay groups need to send out notes to all the members of what the storyline is and what parts are needed. Then let the people go and do their thing so all have fun but storyline is not ruined. This could be done in small steps and anyone derailing will be asked to step out and wait for another more in their line. Character sheets should be given to the storymaster but others must learn your character and their abilities.

I guess my point is that good roleplay has guidelines but does not control every move or line of a storyline.

Good point...Unfortunately most RP Sims does not provide this option. Most I have encountered just slap you around if you have not 'guessed' their particular RP correctly. I tired of that rather quickly. But yeah, a script, general guidelines and specific roles and responsibilities to choose from would be great.
The Star Wars RP was a little better than the Star Trek Sims as it did give a few roles to choose from, but both lacked a general storyline to follow. Mostly told you (me) to shut up while I learned it on the fly, or risk being OOC)) and being expelled. I suppose if it is their money, and their Sim, then they can do whatever they want, but it will be with out me being there...bye bye!

Its really too bad that some RPs are so strict and tight, they may be losing out on a chance to RP with some extremely imginative and colorful people. I havent done a lot of RP in my time, but the ones I had the most fun in where the ones that gave a basic idea of what the area is about, the time line, things going on etc and let the people come in and create their characters (didnt have to be scripted in, they were a living script) and each characeters decided what they would RP. Always guidelines on what to/not to do but without stunting the imagination and freedom of letting a character simply...be.

I would love to find something like this, but I have a feeling I will just end up doing it on a day by day basis with people I know instead. This leaves me open to a million different RP situations, and lets my creative juices flow without being 'ruled'. Again, it just seems like a lot of RP is being missed out there.

Hi Milla,

I enjoy RP very much, have been doing it for years. I recently left an RP group/sim because of this very reason. I do think a back story or history is necessary so that one can figure out how to adapt their character appropriately. But that rigid "scene writing" where you show up and basically act a part that the GM's direct sucks in my opinion. I think I lasted about 3 weeks there.

There are RP sims though that don't do that, but then you have to look out for derailment of the story premise too; players getting carried away with unrealistic actions and what not. Then you get a bunch of little side stories and no cross play.

I guess one has to just putt about until you find a place that fits. Visit "Rygeon", if you like fantasy play. It's new and has the right idea IMO. = )

I kind of see the Forum Cartel as a RP loosly based on a cross between Cheers and All in the Family television shows...(remember those anyone?)

Thanks guys.

This sim I'm referring to is not all RP.....they added an RP area because of the haunted radio streams they play daily. It attacts a huge crowd and it was pretty unanymous that anRP area would be a lot of fun.

I actually wrote an entire back story for the RP group. (they requested input and asked for ideas from writers) They loved my back story and it left the theme open to the kind of RP they want to do. But....the way they are proceeding is a turn off. I don't want to be in a play..I want to have a character I can immerse into and progress with.

From everything I hear...it is a really tough gig, running any RP group....so I'm not gonna whine about their methods. *sigh* I appreciate all your input~!!

I like to throw in The Jerry Springer Show just for good measure

heh when everything is layed out like that is not really RP to me.

Half of what I do in second life is RP and even on the forums. I dont use all those stupid brackets or OOC or IC or anything, but its usualy pretty obvious to see when I'm being just "me" as apposed to the goofball that I created over time.

what I was going to do in SL and what I over time molded into however well that's changed but well anyhow...

uh that's not RP .. there are some that have tried making or trying to set "rp standards" from time to time but half the fun or RP is not knowing what the other guy is gonna do and trying to fit into it. Otherwise i feel like saying "metagame much" but i hold myself back when its all scripted like that

Anyhow uh I dont belong to any RP groups. I spend most of my life looking like a macho dude acting totally opposite to the way I look. The other half of my second life I look like the great unwashed and act like it too...

Then there is the leather.. uh
*turns red*

*runs*

Am I back to being village idiot yet my arm is getting tired from throwing pies and I dont fancy myself to be a coat rack .. besides i spent 2 years working on the village idiot thing.. dont make me make my own village idiot title in my own group.. besides it fits better in the cartel group

Bah no..

*walks away shattered and makes a title in his own group*

/me doesn't say ANYTHING at all ...

<smirk>

Heh, Cheers I do, we never got All in the Family, but I do know it..... can't say I remember seeing any vampire/goth/neo/confused characters in those shows.... well, maybe confused, but not the rest!

Anyway, I think RP should have some spontaneity, otherwise it becomes too predictable, and sort of defeats the object.

Other B.

It sounds to me like these guys are running the role-playing like LARP events. When you've got a huge crowd of people then you do need to have some kind of idea where you want the story to go. Plus you don't want everyone taking actions and effecting the story 'off camera' out of sight of the guys running the show, otherwise they won't know you've done x,y,z, and won't know to weave your actions into the overall story. Some role-playing can be done away from the main events but it has to be fed back into the organisers somehow.

I think this is just one way of running a RPG in SL and may not be for everyone especially if you're not around for the events 'cos you're in a different timezone. (I know the sim you're talking about and I was gutted when I realised I couldn't be involved 'cos I'm on GMT!) Or if you're more interested in role-playing in-character interactions that being part of a specific story that's unfolding.

Are the organisers deciding the outcome of the story in advance though? If they are then I think they're going wrong. The actions of the players have to be able to influence the story and determine the outcome otherwise it's totally demoralising for the players.

We'll try to hook you up today Willie

I agree. This reminds me of when Gotham City (the comic book RP Sim) was first completed and I had been giddy to go and play since they first started building it. When it finally opened, I went, and it was exactly the kind of place you're talking about back then, which quickly prompted me to throw up with boredom and leave, even after weeks and weeks of anticipation. (The fact that you had to play an existing comic book character and couldn't invent your own also contributed, lol)

It's more like a stage play when RP is run like that...still sometimes if you're bored, it's ok to watch.

With such a huge level of control like this, they might as well at least film it so they can make Machinima out of it...you already have the cast, setting, storyline, directors, and script! If you stay PLEASE suggest that idea lol

Milla, if you're into Star Wars rp, hop by Ord Mantell. Yes its rated 'r' when compared to most sims 'pg-13' but Elmore puts the players first..he even made a group to oppose another major group when several of us kept fighting their tactics. No to mention building a FREE base. He may sill be looking for another good faction too. Right now we have a slavers business running, their opposition (player inspired), a loose rancor that shows up, bounties, and the threat of a droid army. Not to mention the imperials...

Fun place, so if you like open minded admins and good swrp, drop by.

I couldn't do roleplay as I'm too happy-go-lucky. But the tight style of RP decribed in the OP is more like a script for a play. If I was in that I'd feel like an actor. Presumably somebody snapshots or videos the whole thing to make into a story.

City of Lost Angels is a Dark Post-apocolyptic roleplay (Lost Angels on the map) where Vampires, Demons, Nekos, Humans, Lycans and other supernaturals dwell and roam. The roleplay is freeform, some storylines are scripted but the outcomes can deviate completely from the possible scripted outcome. You take part in scripted city-wide roleplays or decide not to, you can develop your character anyway you like and interact on a level you are happy with. I have been roleplaying there for about 8 months and love it. Incidentally I play a vampire