a question for the masses

objectively the fastest way for me to dip outta an rp (AU): people not knowing what they want to do with their characters.
— you can not just simply do "friendship" and similar plots over and over again in all aus.
— i read some plots in profiles and they absolutely give no clue what is the outcome and some are too 'main character' types.
— and many are so obsessed with chats and call threads which leaves no room for characters that are introverted and cautious around people.
— you've this elaborate background for a character and then they're basically THE SAME c&p. instead of background, I'd like people to focus more on personality which again is nothing because everyone's chatting.

— a well intriguing plot will keep me writing. I need high stakes.

— again, in an rp I look for what can I do with my character. I usually have them start with a flaw, a fear, or anything, that needs to be worked on. and honestly, I'd write with one person in an rp of they actually put effort into plotting.


and as pink_lemonade said, most don't care about writing and most are cliques. and I'm too damn old to be worrying about dead dove topics being bad.

i also agree with syn and himbos.
personally, i'll stay active as long as my personal muse for the character i have is high. it seems a lot of people are drawn to roleplays with VERY active chat rooms but as someone who is introverted and finds that draining it's more likely to scare me off than get me to join/interact via that format. lol also, i find that people who genuinely want to write don't usually care about how active the roleplay is; they'll just thread regardless, which is great! i've seen several roleplays that are still active this way, or longer aus that are still busy even after months. it seems actually making it past a certain threshold of activity to longevity is very hard though, hence seeing so many newer rps die off sadly.

I am all for writing and open to it, however, I am gonna keep it real with you and be the first one to say this.

The majority of users on this site honestly don’t care about role playing or writing anymore. It’s turned into parasocial interactions now. What’s even more funny is that people will tell you they “want a place to write so badly” yet when places open they never join and if they do, they never write; unless there’s an ic chat room then they’ll eat that up. That goes for both non-aus and aus. An IC chat room is the only way people will write or want to write.

Of course I am not pointing fingers and saying that everyone is like that, there are still a few people (emphasis on the few) who wish to write and I mean actually write, but they’re hard to find now.

I won’t even open the can of worms that involves cliques and toxicity.

Role play is a two way street and people have unfortunately forgotten that.

i pretty much agree with everything synodic said, but i also want to add that what keeps me active and writing is when i have others around me who also want to do the same, but that feels kinda hard to come by these days imho. i haven't joined or been interested in many rps because of some of the things syn mentioned, so maybe my knowledge of rps and how they've been lately isn't as up to date, but yeah. i think it's a balance of chatting and writing that keeps people interested here because i've noticed that in all my efforts to write in rps or start up threads, people were a lot more receptive to writing with me when i was in chat or just talking to them ooc (which 8/10 times i really don't care to do lol). i wish i didn't have to chat to make things work for me here on this site, but it's really hard to get any sort of interaction without it. as for what keeps me active, idk... when i'm inspired and motivated, it doesn't take much to get me interested in being active and around generally speaking. i'll even go out of my way to do more than i need to most times. even when i'm busy, i'll make time to pop in at least once a day and try to engage the community so they know i'm there and around for rping so i can either maintain or start new threads. like i mentioned earlier, i don't care much for chatting, so i don't really stick around for that if it doesn't lead anywhere writing wise tbh, but popping in so people know i'm still present and haven't ghosted the rp (which is all too common these days) i don't mind.

I have left quite a few places after a couple of days as well. Sometimes shortly after joining you notice you just don't vibe with the people there. Maybe because of needless drama, because they ignore you or because they don't like to write the same genres as you and you feel left out. I like places that I know I can share my ideas with others and be supported even if my plots aren't always claimed

personally babes, i think it comes down to a few key aspects
the first being: who's running the place? this site is...VERY cliquey tbh... and everyone kind of flocks around the same kind of genre and the same couple of users. it's hard to feel included or be active in a place where everyone already knows each other without feeling like you're being too intrusive. and that barrier can be incredibly difficult to cross if no one is willing to meet you halfway.

second: how welcoming is the rp's atmosphere? i look for rps where everyone is open to meeting with, talking with, and writing with people, even ones they may not know. you never know what kind of friendships you'll make if you're not making an effort to be inclusive. every time i see any remotely cliquey behavior or feel like i'm being pushed off to the side, i step back and analyze whether i want to continue writing in such a space. i like to connect with people. i like to know how everyone's doing, how they spent their weekend, if they got exciting plans, etc. even if i'm...a tad introverted sometimes

third: the concept of the roleplay. i REALLY enjoy au roleplays and tend to gravitate towards them, but i've also noticed that aus are some of the quickest ones to die out. if your community isn't welcoming, your admins aren't involved, or you just have a concept that not many people vibe with, it may spell disaster--people leaving, going inactive, etc. not only that, but what is your pacing like? do you allow for your writers to go at their own pace (which can, admittedly, turn around and bite admins in the foot because a lot of people go inactive this way as well), or do you have set activity requirements that are far too restrictive that it kills one's motivation to write? i tend to seek out self-paced communities because i'm very busy most days, but i do know that self-paced can also lead to dead rps if not occasionally monitored

saintpepsi 4 minutes ago Reply
personally me, i’m loyal to roleplays and feel inspired to roleplay when i see the welcoming energy from, not only the admins, but of the roleplayers themselves within the roleplay and for how long i see that dedication. i really enjoy the bonding aspects of a roleplay. it’s in those types of roleplays that i was able to not only enjoy chat, but i was able to truly enjoy writing with others.

personally me, i’m loyal to roleplays and feel inspired to roleplay when i see the welcoming energy from, not only the admins, but of the roleplayers themselves within the roleplay and for how long i see that dedication. i really enjoy the bonding aspects of a roleplay. it’s in those types of roleplays that i was able to not only enjoy chat, but i was able to truly enjoy writing with others.