User blog:Udon thief/How to RP Generously

We all like fun. We like monster girls. We want to roleplay WITH monster girls.

However, I've been noticing a trend in my time here, and feel like I should address something. I've played role playing games before, but chat roleplay is something I'm still kind of new to, so here's a few things I've noticed that maybe some of you out there who HAVE done a lot of chat roleplay might benefit from, if you want to play MORE.

Firstly, respect your RP partner. It doesn't matter if your RP partner's RL is like, in an RP, they're your equal, you're playing a game together. Play nice, and don't assume that you're just 'better' than your partner just because you've got superior grammar or writing skills.

Secondly, show some RP generosity. Don't make everything about you, and don't put your character in a position of absolute control or in the seat as the only possible means of RP progression. Give other people something to do. Even if an RP involves one character acting as a guardian and the other is being protected, don't FORCE someone else into a stagnant RP position. Get over yourself and your impulse to show how awesome your character is and throw your partner(s) a freaking bone.

Thirdly, if your RP partner is clearly struggling for something to do, don't be afraid to throw out a little suggestion here and there. I don't mean you should PM someone with 'hey, maybe you should make your character do X', because again, that's not respecting your RP partner, and it's giving them direction as to how YOU want them to play. I mean, throwing out a subtle hint like, "My character lunges for the gun, but is knocked down by the thug. During the struggle, the gun goes skidding across the floor and stops in front of X" or "My character stops dead in her tracks as she spots you, sensing a dark presence, but the feeling disappears suddenly, as if it was detected.", even if the character being played with has no 'dark auras' to speak of. There's nothing wrong with a little imagination thrown at someone ELSE'S character, especially if they're trying to come up with something on their own.

In addition to this, have a purpose in mind for the RP. Don't just throw two characters into the same room and see what happens, have at LEAST an idea of where you want the story to go or what the goal of the RP is. If it's an erotic role play, establish kinks and fetishes first. If it's a character-driven RP, have some direction, don't just aimlessly wander from setpiece to setpiece like it's an overblown production about NOTHING. ASK YOUR PARTNER WHAT THEY WANT. WE ARE NOT ALL PROFESSOR X AND CAN READ MINDS. For that matter, for crying out loud, be HONEST when you DO tell your partner about what you want, don't say, "oh, whatever manamo you want to play is fine" and then make comments about your partner's choice. Either say what you want, or both of you are going to have a bad time.

Fourthly, AN INTERESTING RP DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN A LORD OF THE RINGS STYLE EPIC. You don't NEED to be kicking your partners along the storyline like you've got a cattle prod or they'll miss out on seeing all the cool stuff you've got planned for them. Given guidance, most people know how to find something for their characters to DO and contribute to the story. If you've set up an 'adventure' RP, that's fine, but cramming an epic down someone's throat when they didn't ask for one isn't going to make that RP any more interesting. Cater to the tastes of your partners if you want them to be interested, don't force a character who clearly isn't built for adventuring into something that's completely the wrong theme for that character. There's 'reluctant hero' and then there's, "Uhh, what the hell am I doing here?" This is a very personal gripe as it's something that has come up multiple times. I'm not afraid to spontaneously stop playing with people who bore me, and that, to a lot of people unfortunately, instantly means I need to be off on an EXCITING QUEST FULL OF MYSTERY AND INTRIGUE or I'll fall asleep at the keyboard, when what it REALLY means is I don't want to feel like there's nothing I can contribute beyond my vagina.

Fifth and finally, DON'T MAKE YOUR FIRST POST YOUR BACKSTORY. This is the most common thing that most new RPers do wrong. I KNOW you're eager to talk about how awesome your character is! Bravo, you wrote a tragic backstory to your character, that DOESN'T make your character any more interesting to play with! Think about how this would happen if you did it in real life. You say hello to someone, shake their hand, and just as they ask what you do for a living, you reply, "MY PARENTS WERE MURDERED IN FRONT OF ME WHILE I WAS IN MAGIC SCHOOL TRAINING TO BE THE ULTIMATE SOOPER SAIYAN 4 JEDI MASTER DID I MENTION MY PARENTS WERE MURDERED ANYWAY I AM TRAUMATIZED I NEED TO SHOW YOU MY SCARS AND POKEMON BADGES MY PARENTS ARE DEEEEEEEEEEEEAD." Save the backstory for when it's appropriate. You'll have your chance to show how awesome your character is if you'll give other people a chance too.

These are just a few things I can think of that help make my RP experiences more fun, as I really try my hardest to follow the points here. Again, these are just things I've found in my pointless little meanderings around the interwebs, RPing in different fandoms, and these are things that I see often that I TRY to correct when I see them happen.