What's something you've overcome in RPing? (Full Version)

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Starstruck -> What's something you've overcome in RPing? (5/19/2014 14:12:11)

The title is a tad confusing, so I'll clarify.

In everything, there are obstacles; things that are just difficult for us to do. I continuously have problems with getting myself to go start something, even though I'm perfectly fine doing it and finishing it. Multi-day projects can be a chore as I work up the initiative to start the second half/third/quarter.

We're all works in progress, but let's take a look backwards and see what we used to have trouble with that isn't as difficult for us anymore.

For me, it was "not getting ahead of myself." I always had sneaky plans and multiple options, but when it came time to execute these plans, I messed up the pacing, often included details from the wrong sneaky plan, and overall just couldn't make a choice of what I wanted my character to be like. I wanted everything. (this is a parallel to real life as well)

But you'd be surprised what you can do with an underloaded character, and I was certainly taken aback by how much I enjoyed playing as the shopkeeper. Her only "powers" per se are her crumpets and her physical prowess, and I tinkered under the hood for the Elemental Championships so she's not like that anymore, but it was a lot of fun to have sneaky plans and to have revelations and strategies WITHOUT that being dependent on some supernatural ability I'd been keeping secret.



black knight 1234567 -> RE: What's something you've overcome in RPing? (5/19/2014 14:44:48)

Spelling man, easily. I cringe at what I used to make up back in the day.



Legendium -> RE: What's something you've overcome in RPing? (5/19/2014 15:22:20)

I can't really say. I suppose I improved my writing skills in general, and character making as a whole, but I dunno.
It's difficult for me to say. I know others probably saw improvement in me.



TJByrum -> RE: What's something you've overcome in RPing? (5/19/2014 16:06:11)

@BK: I remember when you first poked your head around in the RPA. I can honestly say you have improved a good bit. I'm sure there are many others who improved, but you're the one who really stuck out.

As for myself, I know I've improved, if only slightly. My initial roleplaying posts were awfully paced. One moment my character was atop a mountain, the next moment I was in front of the city gates. Often times I just did completely unreasonable things - like beating the city guards down and storming my way through the gates. I left out lots of details and it was hard to really visualize what my character(s) were doing. My vocabulary isn't the best, but it's certainly improved over the years.

While we're at it, can we talk about things we want to improve? I still have a lot of problems and make many mistakes. Most of my characters are 'perfect' in the sense that it's not really possible for them to change or develop. I tried to break that by creating Jack in Felicity, but it wasn't long ago that I used a 'perfect' character. Also, my impatience gets the better of me. RPing is just a hobby and I know that, but I expect way to much from people and I want to actively roleplay as much as possible, but I know that's a pretty tall order for most people; as a result, I tend to lose interest in roleplays when it isn't as active as I would like it to be.

Another problem I have is uninteresting characters. I don't really think anyone finds my characters interesting, usually because they're cardboard cut-outs of the stereotypical hero, but I've been trying to break that mold. Everyone seems to have varied and unique characters that could pique the interest of others, but I don't think I ever achieve that.



Eukara Vox -> RE: What's something you've overcome in RPing? (5/19/2014 17:30:48)

Writing combat, fighting, appropriately lengthed dialogue/combat/fight sequences, understanding reality in a fight, etc. I never got in fights in school, because, well, you don't pick on the girl who plays power forward in Basketball, service specialist and offside strong hitter in volleyball and throws heavy equipment in track...


So, I had to learn, and it took a bit. I still have to work at it, but it was a big obstacle for a while back when I started RPing.



Starstruck -> RE: What's something you've overcome in RPing? (5/19/2014 18:00:35)

Haha! Well, nobody picked fights with me either in school...but I'm a guy, so we wrestled and talked about fighting and stuff like that. If you've ever done light LARP (not the kind with props and rules and beanbag fireballs, but the "going on an adventure; I'm the wizard, you're an assassin, you're a soldier with a machine gun" kind), that's what we did.

Eukky, I do enjoy your change-of-pace characters who are very tough without being fighters or rebels. Although they are thrust into combat situations and are able to hold their own, I like that their design isn't totally focused around combat - it's a thing that gets tiresome even in combat RPs where people will load their character up with lots of fighting powers and describe their fighting styles and offensive stuff and defensive stuff and all that. Interestingly enough, very few are described as "aggressive," despite being totally gung-ho in practice or going much farther than they should have based on their personalities.

Also, paaaaacing. My sworn enemy. Just like with my social skills, I alternate quickly from "yeah this isn't so hard! I got this!" to "OH MY GOD WHAT AM I DOING THIS IS TERRIBLE." On the whole, thinking clearly about it, I have a generally good sense of pacing with some genuinely awful moments where I butcher something I was planning to delay or forget something that I wanted to include. Hopefully I'll work on that...



DaiTigris -> RE: What's something you've overcome in RPing? (5/21/2014 15:10:05)

I would have to say the amount of forethought in creating characters is something I've had to adapt to here. I'm very used to the writing techniques where you can develop while writing through various drafts. It personally gives me more time to think about how the character will grow and refine the character. On the other hand in a role play setting you have to set up your character to the point where everything you write should reflect what you had set up in the biography and not making things up on the spot. There can be somethings left unsaid and plans for new growth but it all in the end requires an amount of planning things out before putting them into motion.

Starstruck, I tend to like secondary and background characters as well. While there not as flashy they tend to add an extra depth when done right. I particularly find that I enjoy a character who can take the events caused by other characters going on in a story and show how it's effecting the rest of the story in a reasonable ripple effect. Going on, I recall back when working on Vanguard I had a character named Chita(a Jungle Fury) who did per say, via the requirements, would learn some powers over the course of her years there but was of a non-violent disposition to even think of using them. It was enjoyable and probably one of the most memorable role plays I took a part in.

Pacing in a role play environment something also a bit odd to me and will still take time getting used to it. The best way I can describe it is, it's like something in between impromptu acting(regarding reacting to others in character) and working with a preplanned outline of what you want to happen for your character in the story. There are a lot of elements that could come into play from outside forces, and other characters, ultimately causing a change in your own planed pacing. It is difficult to work with such fluctuating situations and I do find it personally a bit hard to strike a balance with what pacing I should use while complimenting the overall pacing of a role play.



Starstruck -> RE: What's something you've overcome in RPing? (5/21/2014 17:28:00)

Playing as a secondary or background character can be an extremely rewarding experience, albeit slightly difficult. Your character is purposefully tempered, intentionally limited, and yet that character survives and thrives and has a whole life going on outside of the storyline and inside of the storyline. Playing a sideline/supportive role should be a prerequisite to leadership, because people who have only ever been in charge all the time make the worst leaders AND the worst subordinates. A leader is just someone who follows and makes sure everyone is doing the right thing, not the one who walks in front of everyone and takes bullets to the face or the one who tries to manipulate and control others. It's the same deal in RPing - until you have played as a supporting character, you would make a terrible main character.



TJByrum -> RE: What's something you've overcome in RPing? (5/21/2014 17:30:32)

@Starstruck: Could you give me an example of a sideline/supportive character?



Starstruck -> RE: What's something you've overcome in RPing? (5/22/2014 11:02:05)

Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter is the example I had in mind. He's just a guy, and an inept guy at that, but very few people realize just how cool and complex and awesome Neville is as a character.



TJByrum -> RE: What's something you've overcome in RPing? (5/23/2014 9:44:29)

Well I don't know a lick about Harry Potter, but I think I understand the concept of what you're talking about.



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