POTW: Fandom Roleplaying

[Diana]

Here is a fun topic for all us roleplayers that also super adore our fandoms. >:3

When we have a fandom we love, we wanna plaaaay with it. We wanna write with it. We wanna do all the things!

So this poll asks. What kind of fandom roleplayer are you? Do you play in the canon world that was created? Do you play with that world and alter it a bit to suit your ideas? Or do you create a new world inspired by that fandom and do it with your own twist?

 

[Shokkou]

The only fandom I've roleplayed within so far is Lord of the Rings because it has its own paper-and-pencil RPG and that's what my local friends and I started with before moving into D&D. In that regard, I kept it 100% canon insofar as was possible. The players had things to do that were in the background influencing the Fellowship, but in the end everything unfolded exactly as it did in the books. I mean, they met the Fellowship in Moria and Helms Deep. They had their own recurring antagonist. In the end though, canon was upheld.

 

[Lady Sabine]

I can't really RP within a cannon. I know I'm not good enough of a writer, nor do I know the subject material well enough. I'll use fandoms as fairly direct inspiration, but setting them even in the same world is iffy for me. Writing in a pre-established universe feels like wearing someone else's underwear. XD Just too awkward for me.

 

[Fijoli]

I don't know how to answer this so i'll just comment and maybe you can tell me. I don't like the idea of using premade characters. However the world and universe is what I like to play in. I just love creating my own original character and running around Skyrim or creating my own sailor scout ( which the drawing will soon be done for) and just going wild with the story until it has evolved into something completely new or can even remain relaxed. ​

Characers have to be original though hands down, but the world, universe, map is the basis for me to start.​

 

[Scrap Iron]

I'll start with my most-used example: Star Wars.

My tabletop group plays the Revised Core edition (for now), and we always have an understand that we'll start out with a (modified) understanding of the canon, but once the game gets going, the players can do whatever they want, according to the rules. That means drastically changing the established canon by player action. For example, a game I played a long time ago had the players actually find Luke Skywalker on Tattooine by chance and noticed he had a strong connection with the Force, so they took him and trained him themselves, years before he would have hooked up with Obi-wan. That's just one of the more extreme examples of divergence.

The modified canon has changes itself, like I will never run a Star Wars game/campain in which the Yuuzhan Vong appear, and I always run the world as if Mace Windu wasn't killed at the end of Revenge of the Sith -- he was the only Jedi "killed" in the movies that didn't die on-screen. Suspicious, eh? Anyway. There are other things, too, but they're more minor.

 

[LogicfromLogic]

I tend to steer from cannon, but every once in a while I like using their ideas. My ElfQuest rp is rare; I just felt the need for one I guess.

 

[WesteriaVale]

I feel kind of like Fijoli, in that I'm not sure which answer fits me.
I do do fandoms. However I only do all canon characters
OR
I do all original characters.
The reason for this is that I don't like playing out the OC's fantasy where they get together with so-and-so. With Canon characters I do not keep to the original story line. I do "what-if" stories. For example: What if Voldemort choose Neville over Harry to be the Chosen one. The world reamins pretty much the same as in the story, but with a few minor changes. With OC characters I do have interaction with canons, but they aren't part of our main plot.
:D

 

[Falcon]

Depends on whether we're talking Fanfiction or RPs.

When It comes to writing fanfic and do everything 100% cannon. I know of no greater challenge than taking a pre-established universe and characters, keeping them within the canon parameters, and attempting to tell a unique story that fits within and does not contradict the cannon. It's a great writing exercise in my opinion, and I've learned a great deal about keeping a character's personality and abilities consistent while throwing various events at them.

If I'm going to RP with a cannon setting I find a way to use the world, but all the characters have to be original. For example the One Piece RP I'm currently running. The world and rules for that world are the same, but I've set it long enough before the cannon so that anything could happen.

 

[VerbalAbuse]

Yeah, if you want me to do something fandom-related, you'd have to make it something I love deeply. Homestuck, Pokemon, Fire Emblem, et cetera essentially dork stuff

 

[Minibit]

I play within the universe's canon, for the rules of the universe, but to create a plot or to keep the world interesting, I sometimes change on element to add a 'what if' factor.

For example, if I were roleplaying in the Zelda universe of Hyrule, in the time era of Ocarina of Time, I would keep the map layout, the racial relations, the monarchy, etcetera. But I would maybe add a grand tournament inviting participants from all surrounding realms; there is nothing in canon to suggest other countries beyond Hyrule do not exist, and this opens the story to broader possibilites than exploring a world that all players are already familiar with.

But I wouldn't add a new race called the Dremar and claim they have always lived in Hyrule; they're not canon. I wouldn't give Link a sister, canon states he has no living relatives. I wouldn't have Zelda taking walks in the village; canon states that the princess stays in the castle and that seeing her is a rare privilege.

So I keep the world as established, but add new situations to keep the story interesting.

 

[Sidhe]

My preference depends on the fandom, honestly. For Persona 4 (my favourite!), I prefer to play canon characters in an AU, and perhaps occasionally in the canon universe. For Dragon Age (another favourite), I much prefer original characters in the canon universe, though I will play AUs as well. Very rarely do I prefer 'canon characters in strict canon universe' though. If I wanted that, I'd just play the game, watch the show or read the book.

I think my favourite 'universe' to mess around with is Silent Hill, because aside from a few canon plot bits, you can have a lot of freedom with it. Everyone's otherworld is different, after all. It's a really interesting way to develop characters, playing off their fears.

 

[Shokkou]

I think my favourite 'universe' to mess around with is Silent Hill, because aside from a few canon plot bits, you can have a lot of freedom with it. Everyone's otherworld is different, after all. It's a really interesting way to develop characters, playing off their fears.

This needs to be a thing ASAP. Who's going to GM it?

 

[Sidhe]

This needs to be a thing ASAP. Who's going to GM it?

I'm truly piss-poor at group role-plays. I might be willing to participate, but I certainly couldn't run it!

 

[Shokkou]

I'm truly piss-poor at group role-plays. I might be willing to participate, but I certainly couldn't run it!

I'm not too confident in my ability to run a Silent Hill RP either unfortunately. I could definitely toss up an interest check thread and see if someone wants to take a crack at running one. I just got really excited at the idea because I love Silent Hill.

 

[Krazaz]

I currently am running an RP about Metroid. I use the lore to full advantage in making a logical set up of an unexplored concept in the universe I.e. Metroid's natural growth cycle on SR388 combined with the unnatural growth cycle applied by phazon. Allowing me to explore possibilities (of Metroid variants) which I add in myself.

However it seems that Metroid fandom is uncommon among roleplay communities

 

[Diana]

Hey @Asmodeus, sounds like people want Silent Hill roleplay! 8D

 

[Asmodeus]

 

[Shokkou]

Yeah, I've been planning to post an interest-check thread but have been busy with classwork. I'm a little bleh at the moment, but I have nothing due Thursday so I'll post one up tomorrow.

 

[October Knight]

I like some fandom rps. Always the best with oc characters :)

 

[Shokkou]

So @Asmodeus does that mean you're interested in GMing? :P