My RP's just die, why?

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Taska Vilna

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As many times as i try to write an original world, story, or setting, and develop a roleplay around it, people seem to show interest and enthusiasm at first, but then they all die after less than a page or two of posts. im not sure what im doing wrong, and i would just like to sound my ideas off and see if maybe there's anything i can do better to create something that people wont forget so soon.
 
Oof. I know exactly on how you feel when you have an original story or setting while also having a roleplay around it. I think original world, story and setting could be an issue for some people but I know something that is worse for what you are going through.

You're getting too many ghosters, I feel bad for you because it sounds like you are in fact creative with what you want but ghosters are the worst kind of people overall, they get you hyped and interested and before long they poof on you like a vanishing act. It doesn't sound like it is a you problem it is more specifically to ghosters and them overall. As much as I want something done about them as a whole as their ghosting kills creativity and one's morale.
 
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You have to be careful here, shuffling the blame to your players without fully ensuring their isn't some fault on your end as well. Are you engaging their characters effectively? Is your plot balanced in action and lulls without dragging? Are you setting definitive deadlines for posting? Are your posting requirements realistic? Did you give them enough to work off of in the GM post?

Only when you're able to answer these questions with a 'yes' can you really be sure the issue is solely on the part of your players.

And in THAT case, you also need to take responsibility as a GM. Communication os THE most important aspect of RP. You need to be willing, even if you only ask for a post weekly, to talk to these people as often as you're able. Engage them. Plot with them. Keep that initial excitement spark alive and kicking. And if things stall? Remind them it is their turn to post. Tag them. If you've got a discord server, remind them there, too. Proactive communication is an absolut necessity in any successful group.
 
OK first things first.

Roleplays die.

It happens all the time.

On another site there is a roleplay I’ve been watching. It is coming to it’s closing chapters. It is a great roleplay. The person running it is a pretty good GM who creates interesting stories around a preexisting world that lots of people love and is also pretty decent writer. Here’s the thing, they have had far far far more RPs fizzle out and die than succeed. It happens to the best of people. Sometimes RPs just die.

Why do RPs die? Well, for one thing roleplaying is a fairly investment heavy hobby. People have to find the time, the energy and the muse to write and real life is fairly good at kicking those things out from under us one way or another. As such, some people will just vanish and as frustrating as it is, it is better not to dwell on it too much. The only person suffering if you get angry or sad or whatever about it is you. No one else. It isn’t worth the energy. Life is too short.

When it comes to group RPs (I see you are involved in some; I’m not sure if this is where your problem is but I don’t do 1x1 RP so it is all I can really talk about) there are some things you as the GM can do to help keep you rp going as long as possible. (This isn't a list to suggest you've been failing as a GM some how. GMing is hard. These are just some ideas that might be helpful.)

1: Set out what the RP will be like as best you can at the start. If people think an RP will be one thing and it turns out to be something else, they are more likely to lose interest.

2: Look up your potential players. If you can see someone has a habit of being super hyped about an RP and then vanishing three posts in then, even if they produce a brilliant character, you will want to think twice about accepting them.

3: Keep things moving. Nothing kills an RP like a stagnating scene where players don’t really know what they are doing that lasts forever. People will lose interest and go and find other RPs/things to do. If you see this happening then it is time for a GM post. With groups, the GM controls most of the narrative and your players will be looking to you for direction.

4: If you can, have a posting schedule and stick to it. If you say you are going to post as the GM and then are weeks late, your players won’t stick around.

Also don’t be afraid of setting deadlines for players that are dragging their feet and moving the RP on if they don’t post or even asking them to leave. One person isn’t more important than the whole group. Asking someone to leave an RP can be hard because we often start to like the people we RP with (or at least I do.) but if they aren't involved anyway, better to make it official and let the story progress for the other players. Perhaps even open the RP up to new players.

5: Keep players engaged out of character. One thing that helps to keep RPs going (perhaps at a very slow pace but going nonetheless) is the members of it being engaged out of character. This can be just as general chit chat but I think discussion around the RP like what people are excited for or what they enjoyed about previous posts etc helps keep everyone interested and the RP in people's minds.

I’m sure other people have advice and ideas on this topic but those are some thoughts I have developed and picked up over my handful of years RPing.

I’m going to finish by saying, even if you do everything right sometimes an RP will die. Rather than being sad that it died, be happy that it happened at all. There are precious few RPs I have joined that have lasted for more than three pages of posts, but there are maybe only one or two RPs I have joined ever that I haven't enjoyed being a part of however briefly. Would I have liked them all to carry on. Yes of course. But the fact that they died doesn’t negate the fun I had along the way either.​
 
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Elle and Applo gave all the excellent advice I would have for a GM, so I'mm tell you what keeps me in a roleplay as a player!

Talking about the roleplay and hanging out with the players to discuss our characters.
It is THE most important thing, because I want to feel excited and hyped to play. O: I love to chat with other players about our charries and potential scenes we can do. When no one talks to me about the roleplay, I have to wing it with my character, which I can do but it ends up feeling reactionary instead of like I'm contributing to the story.

I like it when the story actually makes progress in a reasonable time frame.
Most group roleplays die in those first five pages, and it's usually because we get stuck in the opening scene and then have no idea what to do next. Even though I am an aggressive player and I know how to fix it myself... I don't want to step on a GMs toes or do something that's not part of the GMs plan. D: It is the GM that is supposed to push us forward and guide us where to go.

It's frustrating when a player with an "important character" isn't posting and the roleplay gets stalled because of it.
A lot of roleplays have cast lists with important roles that need filling. Which is cool if those roles are filled by players who are ride-or-die and actually post consistently... but if they don't? The whole roleplay gets screwed cause the main character isn't there and the GM doesn't know what to do or how to adapt their vision. So I would be careful about casting or learn how to murder off/write out characters and adapt plots.

Sometimes it's one of the other players that kills my interest.
The sad fact is that we can't get along with everyone or have a good writing chemistry with everyone. Group roleplays have a higher difficulty with this because you're trying to create a functioning playing group with multiple people who all have different things that keep them engaged or can annoy them. Most of the time it's gonna fail and it's not anyone's fault, you just have to get lucky!

For example, I don't give a fluff if someone has terrible grammar or writing skills, but if a player is writing posts that contain no content that adds something to the rp and then complains that no one is interacting with them and that they don't know what to do? Imma get mad. I'm also very turned off by players who are rude and demanding about people's posting habits. And people who are snotty to the GM and other players when things aren't going the way they want it to.

It is hard work being a GM, but if you keep trying regularly, eventually you put together and amazing plot and group at the same time and magic happens. 8D
 
Keep clicking on the interest checks though- some have really good ideas. Just be open in OOC and communication. Never hesitate to set limits before the rp happens, like if you like or dislike Smut, violence, etc.. just say so. I'm more than willing to fade to black scenes and letting the rp progress on its own. But really.. life happens and I get that. But please drop lines like oh hay- this and this are happening, I might return at a later time.. Okay cool. You take care of life stuff then we rp more if you want or do something else entirely. Don't be rude and leave your partner to worry it's all their fault x_x; cannot tell you how many times that's happened in this month alone. And it -probably- is my fault on a lot of the ghosting. But still. MANNERS DAMNIT! >_> that's all I have. Ps... when rp's die because you can't come up with ANYTHING for it... that's when it's good time to plot.
 
Keep clicking on the interest checks though- some have really good ideas. Just be open in OOC and communication. Never hesitate to set limits before the rp happens, like if you like or dislike Smut, violence, etc.. just say so. I'm more than willing to fade to black scenes and letting the rp progress on its own. But really.. life happens and I get that. But please drop lines like oh hay- this and this are happening, I might return at a later time.. Okay cool. You take care of life stuff then we rp more if you want or do something else entirely. Don't be rude and leave your partner to worry it's all their fault x_x; cannot tell you how many times that's happened in this month alone. And it -probably- is my fault on a lot of the ghosting. But still. MANNERS DAMNIT! >_> that's all I have. Ps... when rp's die because you can't come up with ANYTHING for it... that's when it's good time to plot.

Manners are indeed IMPORTANT which is in fact true. Even if one is open to OOC and communication get ghosted because the one that expressed interest just does so without warning, no mention of life issues or a line before hand. It's rude/dishonorable to be doing this and to leave them wonder if it was their fault alone. So in a way those "partners" that ghost on someone without notice deserves 100% of the blame even if you are engaging OOC and communicating to the best of your abilities. Even if everything is in balance of your work before posting interest if it only attract these kind of partners and whittles down on one's morale then why bother knowing the result will be the same over and over repeating the definition of insanity.
 
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Roleplays dying is a fact of life. It's hard not to be discouraged, but every roleplay has the opportunity to teach you something new, and if you had fun, then all the better.

Since most others here spoke of groups, I'll talk about 1x1 RP death.

Often, it comes down to a few basic reasons:
  • Player discomfort.
    This can be caused by a variety of reasons, but similarly to how a person will be avoided IRL if they mouthbreathe on a person's neck or if they whine constantly or have bad breath, similar happens online. Sometimes, people just don't feel comfortable around someone, so they ghost them. In terms of being fixable, this one is tough, as it requires seeking out criticism and using it to your advantage.
  • Lack of enjoyment.
    The RP isn't enjoyable for someone anymore. It could be the plot's direction, the other player's skill, or in some cases, a person has experienced something IRL that has caused a paradigm shift about plots or fetishes they once liked. This one can be the easiest to fix, since keeping open and judgment-free communication and some effort is really all it takes.
  • Time and brainpower constraints.
    "Life, uh, finds a way..." yeah, to screw you over. Roleplaying takes time and brain cells, and sometimes life can ruin that for you due to its unwelcome surprises or just the changes that come with someone having a goal for their future. There's nothing to do about this except, if you want to keep going, to be as good (and non-creepy) a friend as you can. Support them, be patient, and send wholesome memes or something, but don't get obnoxious.

This isn't an exhaustive list, mind you. It's just what I thought up after waking up from not-enough-sleep.

Speaking of that last one, there are some people I need to talk to... I've taken so long on their posts. TnT
 
As many have already stated, the first thing you must do is avoid blaming your partners and first take a look into what you are doing/not doing. Without reading any of your work at all, and not knowing your particular situation, my advice is as follows:

1. Is your story compelling and detailed?

the number one thing people want to see when they are searching for a new roleplay to dive into is creativity, complexity and longevity. Nobody wants to jump onto a roleplay that looks like it'll die in a week or two. So how do you avoid that? Put effort behind your plot, characters, and grammar. If you don't take your own story seriously nobody else will. Take the time to do the necessary research, spell check your work and make sure it is inviting.

2. State your expectations clearly.

How many posts per week are you looking to see from each participant? How long or detailed do you expect each post to be? Shall it be done in first person, third person limited or third person onnicient? Is spell checking and grammar of high importance to you?

By stating clearly what you expect you are going to attract more serious participants. The great writers here or elsewhere don't want to waste their time. They know what the are looking for and have expectations of their own. They are looking for GMs that are serious about their story and their writing.

3. Pinpoint who your Ideal partners are.

You should have an ideal partner(s) in mind and they should be somewhat at your level in writing level and consistency if not a slightly above your own level. Too high above yourself and you will feel pressured to keep their pace and will in turn churn out work you think they want to see and will in the end feel like your catering to someone else and will lose all your love for the story. If someone is too far from where you're at the story won't progress. It'll feel like your trying to shove too wrong puzzle pieces together. It just won't work. Like attracts like. Figure out where you're at and search out similar people. Don't be afraid to pick and choose your partners.

4. Always sharpen your tools.

If you want great content being sent to you, you must also churn out great content. Read a lot. Write a lot and learn from the greats. My favorite book on writing is coincidentally called "On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft," by Stephen King.

Bottom line: if you're not really into your story nobody else will be either. Like attracts like. If you want serious players that are in it for the long haul, sharpen your tools and meet them where they're at. Otherwise, find your crowd and set your expectations.

Roleplays come and go, but if you're finding that none of yours are sticking try doing something new. Try honing your skills. Good luck!
 
... and make sure it is inviting.
THIS is so important. It's hard to explain sometimes, or even for me to remember to explain, but it is one of the most important things.

The difference between getting a message and not could come down to phrasing. The expectations and rules you list and describe will get better reactions depending on this.

These should be kept brief, non-hurtful, and they should avoid use of 'you' statements. "I like posts with at least ten words," and "My partners should be patient with me, and I will be patient with them," are going to feel more welcoming than "I hate one-liners," or "If you can't be patient with me, I won't be patient with you!"

It can take a little longer to think about how to write it, but I've seen the difference first-hand on multiple websites.

As the saying goes, "You draw in more flies with honey."

Granted, this isn't technically advice for making a roleplay so much as for finding a roleplay, but a huge part of keeping a roleplay alive is finding a good partner (or good players) in the first place!
 
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I disagree with the above statement. "I like posts with at least ten words," "I hate one-liners," "I can write 3-10 paragraphs and I would appreciate if my partner does the same." No matter how you sugar coat it, it's meaning is essentially the same --> "Write exactly what I set for a minimum (whether it be paragraphs, word count, or sentences) or fuck off and don't even bother PMing me for RP."

As you can see, no matter how you sugar coat it, the meaning is STILL offensive and hurtful. After I joined this site and started looking for RP, I was SHOCKED to see so many 1x1's specifying a minimum word count or a minimum number of paragraphs. I joined this site hoping to find RP. Unfortunately, many fellow RPers just told me to go fuck myself simply because I like to respond with oneliners. :(
 
But ultimately not sugar coating at all. It's simply stating that that's their preference... And it's better to be forthcoming about it than be dishonest or worse yet, disappointed in a poorly matched partner. I don't enjoy writing or replying to one liners. It's just not entertaining to me. You feel differently and that's fine. But at the end of the day we wouldn't be compatible partners because of those differences. I'd rather make that clear off the bat and avoid awkwardness.
 
Wow, sensitive much? Everyone's got a right to their preferences and it's perfectly proper to say so up front so that their time and effort isn't wasted dealing with incompatible partners. What you're saying is like telling someone who's exclusively gay that saying so is telling all straight people to fuck off from trying to date them. It might be true but so what? Why should they have to pander to someone with whom it's not going to work out anyway?
 
In my experience with RP's, sometimes the reason why some stories die is due to memory. Sometimes people are easily forgetful or don't have notifications set for threads (Or on here; Private Messages) due to either their own self or a site malfunction. It wouldn't hurt to poke your partner (or Partners if it was a group RP in question) to say "Hey, you're next to respond" but obviously said in a more polite fashion.

Otherwise, try to invigorate your threads with a bit more energy! Sometimes it does help to brainstorm midway through a Roleplay to spice things up, or add a twist yourself.

I disagree with the above statement. "I like posts with at least ten words," "I hate one-liners," "I can write 3-10 paragraphs and I would appreciate if my partner does the same." No matter how you sugar coat it, it's meaning is essentially the same --> "Write exactly what I set for a minimum (whether it be paragraphs, word count, or sentences) or fuck off and don't even bother PMing me for RP."

As you can see, no matter how you sugar coat it, the meaning is STILL offensive and hurtful. After I joined this site and started looking for RP, I was SHOCKED to see so many 1x1's specifying a minimum word count or a minimum number of paragraphs. I joined this site hoping to find RP. Unfortunately, many fellow RPers just told me to go fuck myself simply because I like to respond with oneliners. :(

There are more request threads to look at or hell, if you don't like people's preferences, why don't you just go and make your own thread?

Also your statement about "I hate one-liners, I can write 3-10 paragraphs" on people's request threads, that's pretty rich of you to say considering you have your profile set to private, potentially limiting how people interact with you, or to see on your profile what your preferences are if you even listed them.

Evidence:

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Let's remember to keep this discussion helpful and respectful, everyone. <3 We are all here to have fun, aren't we?

I joined this site hoping to find RP. Unfortunately, many fellow RPers just told me to go fuck myself simply because I like to respond with oneliners. :(
We actually do have a system you can use to narrow your search down to only what is relevant to you! All you need to do is go into our resources section and find the tag list. In it, we have tags for posting expectations on both speed and quality.

You could also make a thread of your own, because if you are frustrated by not finding anyone who wants to play the same way you do, there are probably others who feel the same way. =)

Finally, if anyone has told you that directly, especially if you were being respectful to them, you should report the offending person. Iwaku is meant to be a friendly place where people can have fun in a way that feels comfortable for them.
 
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