R
RP gripes!
- Thread starter Big Goblin Bastard
- Start date
- Status
- Invitation Status
- Look for groups
- Posting Speed
- One post per day
- 1-3 posts per week
- One post per week
- Slow As Molasses
- Online Availability
- Usually when I'm not working, later on in the day.
- Writing Levels
- Intermediate
- Adept
- Douche
- Preferred Character Gender
- Nonbinary
- Transgender
- Primarily Prefer Male
- Primarily Prefer Female
- Genres
- Scifi, Modern, Urban Fantasy, Horror, Superpowers/Superheroes, slice of life with a twist.
I... have... a lot honestly:
- People who give their characters skills they wouldn't realistically have access to, or have no reason for getting. Such as growing up in the middle of the city and being a marksman, or simply tacking on martial arts to a character that has little reason.
- Going off the first one; people who don't even write the skills correctly. I know I'm guilty of this, especially when it comes to instruments (Cut me a break, the only instrument I played was a piano - and I haven't even touched that in years). But when you clearly fuck up something that your character is supposed to be an "expert" at, you're on my shitlist. That's why I'm not too keen on characters with martial arts, it always gets used as a "I know martial arts, that means I'll win all fights!" even though there's more to it than fighting. lol
- Sociopaths/Psychopaths, urgh. No one ever writes them right, almost all of them are one-dimensional, and they're almost always boring to read.
- People who go into non-combat, or interaction based RPs, with the intent to win. You can tell when they make fighting characters, or ultimate badasses. Just no.
- Characters who are tall, athletic, and super muscular (Bonus points if they're also street fighters, and triple if they're at an unrealistically young age!). I know I made these characters, but not a lot of people understand how much work you'd have to put into to get a body that good. They don't realize that body-builders only look that way for an amount of time (Specifically when they're on season), or that you can't get a body like that just by playing sports. Mostly these characters are there to fulfill their writer's fantasies.
- People who tell but not show. Yes, you can tell me that you're angry, but that isn't very interesting now is it? You can tell me that the guy attacked you. Seriously, it's annoying to read when you could easily show. It's not even advanced writing if you're good at descriptions.
- Characters who have dark and tragic backstories and no psychological repercussions!
- This one's probably going to be a middle finger to a lot of ya'll, but screw you: people who can't describe their character's physical appearance and have to use pictures. I mean, it's fine if you drew the picture your self. One of my favorite things about writing a sheet is describing my character's appearance - merely because I am putting how I imagine my character into text form. It makes it feel like my character. Besides, almost all the pictures used are by "super hot" models/celeberties/whatever. I also hate it when the GM makes it a rule to use pictures.
- But easily my biggest peeve is when people don't fucking read posts, then make blatant mistakes that they have to correct because they were too lazy to read (Bonus points if they bitch, and triple if there was nothing stopping from). Nothing pisses me off more than that.
Semi-rant brought you by Mr Allen J Enterprises™!
- People who give their characters skills they wouldn't realistically have access to, or have no reason for getting. Such as growing up in the middle of the city and being a marksman, or simply tacking on martial arts to a character that has little reason.
- Going off the first one; people who don't even write the skills correctly. I know I'm guilty of this, especially when it comes to instruments (Cut me a break, the only instrument I played was a piano - and I haven't even touched that in years). But when you clearly fuck up something that your character is supposed to be an "expert" at, you're on my shitlist. That's why I'm not too keen on characters with martial arts, it always gets used as a "I know martial arts, that means I'll win all fights!" even though there's more to it than fighting. lol
- Sociopaths/Psychopaths, urgh. No one ever writes them right, almost all of them are one-dimensional, and they're almost always boring to read.
- People who go into non-combat, or interaction based RPs, with the intent to win. You can tell when they make fighting characters, or ultimate badasses. Just no.
- Characters who are tall, athletic, and super muscular (Bonus points if they're also street fighters, and triple if they're at an unrealistically young age!). I know I made these characters, but not a lot of people understand how much work you'd have to put into to get a body that good. They don't realize that body-builders only look that way for an amount of time (Specifically when they're on season), or that you can't get a body like that just by playing sports. Mostly these characters are there to fulfill their writer's fantasies.
- People who tell but not show. Yes, you can tell me that you're angry, but that isn't very interesting now is it? You can tell me that the guy attacked you. Seriously, it's annoying to read when you could easily show. It's not even advanced writing if you're good at descriptions.
- Characters who have dark and tragic backstories and no psychological repercussions!
- This one's probably going to be a middle finger to a lot of ya'll, but screw you: people who can't describe their character's physical appearance and have to use pictures. I mean, it's fine if you drew the picture your self. One of my favorite things about writing a sheet is describing my character's appearance - merely because I am putting how I imagine my character into text form. It makes it feel like my character. Besides, almost all the pictures used are by "super hot" models/celeberties/whatever. I also hate it when the GM makes it a rule to use pictures.
- But easily my biggest peeve is when people don't fucking read posts, then make blatant mistakes that they have to correct because they were too lazy to read (Bonus points if they bitch, and triple if there was nothing stopping from). Nothing pisses me off more than that.
Semi-rant brought you by Mr Allen J Enterprises™!
Last edited:
W
Windsong
Guest
Well here we go then..
- Poor grammar and spelling, small posts with poor writing. Especially when I state multiple times; "Please have at least Intermediate to Advanced skills in writing". Then it looks like something I see in a kids middle school notebook about how she's an otherkin and has multiple people in her head that have extremely detailed sex. (Yes. I found a notebook at work with all of that in it. Left it on the teachers desk open on that page.)
- Ridiculous combinations. IE: Twins! One's a vampire the other's a werewolf. When asked how that works they get mad that it was so easily dismantled and everyone didn't just accept them as speshul.
- Overpowered characters. Everyone hates them unless they fit a setting, like the BBEG or a deity of some sort.
- Brooding or generally quiet characters. This is a gripe against me, I just can't seem to write them up well at all because, why would they want to interact at all?
- MASSIVE POSTS. The one's that are about 15 paragraphs? All that detail is amazing. But sometimes having to slog through all of it to try and find a place where my side of the story can fit in is a bit difficult. It also looks even bigger when reading them on my phone. Though that could all just be perception.
D
Dervish
Guest
Uber tier one for me is when somebody applies to your game and it's painfully obvious they didn't read the OOC post. This is a particularly common occurrence in fandom roleplays where the player in question sees the title and immediately goes to the character sheet and often ends up with a character that is not setting appropriate, no acknowledgement of the plot is made, the standards aren't what they should be, and they make it seem like their character is going to a location that has nothing to do with the plot, period, amongst other things.
Look, I get you like the source material, but I'd appreciate if you at least pretended to give a shit what the game is about.
Another runner up is when applicants try to plea bargain with you to accept their outlandish or otherwise inappropriate ideas. Case in point, if you're like the guy who asked if he could be a dragon werewolf hybrid, or the other guy who basically made his character immortal in the Kenny from South Park way, you need to reevaluate your life choices.
Other peeve is when people make characters for no other reason than to be powerful and end up trying to get top tier, overpowered equipment. In my Elder Scrolls games, for instance, I had to implement equipment restrictions to prevent things like a poverty suffering bandit running around with full Daedric armour and weapons (for those not familiar with ES stuff, it's pretty much top tier stuff that's basically made by demons). Instead of making an interesting or fun character, some people treat it like a video game where they want to win instead of tell a collaborative story with people. It's groan inducing.
Look, I get you like the source material, but I'd appreciate if you at least pretended to give a shit what the game is about.
Another runner up is when applicants try to plea bargain with you to accept their outlandish or otherwise inappropriate ideas. Case in point, if you're like the guy who asked if he could be a dragon werewolf hybrid, or the other guy who basically made his character immortal in the Kenny from South Park way, you need to reevaluate your life choices.
Other peeve is when people make characters for no other reason than to be powerful and end up trying to get top tier, overpowered equipment. In my Elder Scrolls games, for instance, I had to implement equipment restrictions to prevent things like a poverty suffering bandit running around with full Daedric armour and weapons (for those not familiar with ES stuff, it's pretty much top tier stuff that's basically made by demons). Instead of making an interesting or fun character, some people treat it like a video game where they want to win instead of tell a collaborative story with people. It's groan inducing.
W
Windsong
Guest
Fix'd that for you.
Also, GM's that put a tiny line somewhere that says 'put bananashitwaffles somewhere in your CS'. Yes, it's your thing and you want to make sure everyone reads it to its fullest. But when I'm skimming a page-long post about every possible rule that you can find and more fluff than a WH40K argument, it's a small detail to miss.
Cut me some slack, I like your idea either way.
- Writing Levels
- Adaptable
- Preferred Character Gender
- Male
- Genres
- Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Magical.
Mine again.
Fandoms that make absolutely no sense to play in.
This has to do with 1 fandom than I can think of and that is the Lord of the Rings. No one in my experience can do a LOTR game.
If it has to do with the ring: Can't do it.
Using Canon characters: can't do it.
Post War of the Ring: really can't do it because the epicness is gone.
Infamous example is one of the first rp's I was in, me practically with my forum RP cherry un-poped. It was a lotr game. that would happen post war.
The gm was an idiot in more ways than one.
His character was the 16yr old son of Sauron (While the lord of the ring wasn't even physical for over 100 years and the game taking 20 years after the war) who had his own one ring. AND he had WIZARDS playable.
I was inexperienced and I just wanted to have some fun but my god it was horrible and made literally no sense. ORCS ARE NOT FRIENDLY!!!
TL;DR
Point is, the gripe is Fandom that make no sense AND GM's that do fandom while they don't really know the fandom. Or basic math apparently.
Fandoms that make absolutely no sense to play in.
This has to do with 1 fandom than I can think of and that is the Lord of the Rings. No one in my experience can do a LOTR game.
If it has to do with the ring: Can't do it.
Using Canon characters: can't do it.
Post War of the Ring: really can't do it because the epicness is gone.
Infamous example is one of the first rp's I was in, me practically with my forum RP cherry un-poped. It was a lotr game. that would happen post war.
The gm was an idiot in more ways than one.
His character was the 16yr old son of Sauron (While the lord of the ring wasn't even physical for over 100 years and the game taking 20 years after the war) who had his own one ring. AND he had WIZARDS playable.
I was inexperienced and I just wanted to have some fun but my god it was horrible and made literally no sense. ORCS ARE NOT FRIENDLY!!!
TL;DR
Point is, the gripe is Fandom that make no sense AND GM's that do fandom while they don't really know the fandom. Or basic math apparently.
A
Aine
Guest
I hate it when people make a character and then they can't stick with their chosen personality for some reason. For example, I once roleplayed with a certain guy on my old forum and he created the 'cool, detached' type of character. It was a boring character, but whatever, I wasn't gonna criticize his choices. It's not like I don't enjoy character archetypes other people find annoying, right? The problem was that his supposedly quiet and shy character consistently kept talking more than all other people in the entire roleplay combined, and then he handwaved it with his charrie thinking something like: Wow, I'm being talkative today. I need to pause for a while. A+ roleplaying here.
I also hate super-obvious things like godmodding, boring Mary Sues and situations when people bring their RL problems in the roleplays.
I also hate super-obvious things like godmodding, boring Mary Sues and situations when people bring their RL problems in the roleplays.
D
Dervish
Guest
Well, just their demon hearts anyways... dude from Temple of Doom would have a field day in that universe.
Also, agreed. You should be able to tell if somebody read your stuff over or not without a password, especially since it's usually pretty obvious and easy to pick up on by glancing at other sheets.
D
dragonesper
Guest
Adding one more. It's not in RP but more a case out around it. If you're around, posting everywhere then why not in the RP where people are waiting for your reply!
If someone has to be away for a while or is simply stuck: Let us others know so we move on! It's really annoying how, with no notification at all, there's suddenly no replies. You don't have to write an essay detailing why you're stuck/away. Just a line will do.
If someone has to be away for a while or is simply stuck: Let us others know so we move on! It's really annoying how, with no notification at all, there's suddenly no replies. You don't have to write an essay detailing why you're stuck/away. Just a line will do.
H
Halo
Guest
I have a few, but as I'm a pretty shitty writer myself my particular gripes likely stem as much from frustration with my own flaws as with others'.
One big gripe for me is that really awkward scenario where someone technically meets the required level of ability for the RP, but still pales compared to everyone else. You can't kick them, because what they're doing/their writing is entirely reasonable, but it completely kills the flow when you're trying to immerse yourself and read through the RP. You have a bunch of fantastic writers and one who's... good. Nothing they're doing is inadequate, but...
I also hate - and I mean fucking loathe - really dark backstories. Unless the setting of the roleplay specifically calls for it - like, say, a post-apocalyptic wasteland where nearly everyone has lost people and seen some pretty horrific shit. But I was in an ME RP back on RPG and someone applied whose character was a quarian who'd been forced to be a sex slave and trafficked all around the galaxy and just... ugh. I mean, sure, that stuff definitely happens in the ME universe, but it was so totally unnecessary for the specific setting of the roleplay. The roleplay was about mercenaries, who could have come into the profession in any number of ways, many of them not that dark or harmful. This generally stems out of a loathing for unnecessary darkness in entertainment as a whole. I am fully, utterly behind any thoughtful or serious exploration of the darker aspects of the human experience, because terrible things happen and we shouldn't pretend otherwise, but far too often it's just gratuitous and, because of that, pretty disrespectful, superficial, and shallow. Shock factor is not a legitimate reason to have had your character been raped or tortured, and unless there's a good reason within the setting of the story to have had that happen, don't have it happen. It just trivialises it in the most appalling way.
Other gripes are just the standard ones - Mary Sues, incompetent writing, people not paying attention, etc. etc.
One big gripe for me is that really awkward scenario where someone technically meets the required level of ability for the RP, but still pales compared to everyone else. You can't kick them, because what they're doing/their writing is entirely reasonable, but it completely kills the flow when you're trying to immerse yourself and read through the RP. You have a bunch of fantastic writers and one who's... good. Nothing they're doing is inadequate, but...
I also hate - and I mean fucking loathe - really dark backstories. Unless the setting of the roleplay specifically calls for it - like, say, a post-apocalyptic wasteland where nearly everyone has lost people and seen some pretty horrific shit. But I was in an ME RP back on RPG and someone applied whose character was a quarian who'd been forced to be a sex slave and trafficked all around the galaxy and just... ugh. I mean, sure, that stuff definitely happens in the ME universe, but it was so totally unnecessary for the specific setting of the roleplay. The roleplay was about mercenaries, who could have come into the profession in any number of ways, many of them not that dark or harmful. This generally stems out of a loathing for unnecessary darkness in entertainment as a whole. I am fully, utterly behind any thoughtful or serious exploration of the darker aspects of the human experience, because terrible things happen and we shouldn't pretend otherwise, but far too often it's just gratuitous and, because of that, pretty disrespectful, superficial, and shallow. Shock factor is not a legitimate reason to have had your character been raped or tortured, and unless there's a good reason within the setting of the story to have had that happen, don't have it happen. It just trivialises it in the most appalling way.
Other gripes are just the standard ones - Mary Sues, incompetent writing, people not paying attention, etc. etc.
W
Windsong
Guest
I'm always ashamed to say I can't post because it got too hard to find reason for my character(s) to interact or be bothered with shenanigans.
D
dragonesper
Guest
*pats Windsong's back* Those kinds of moments bites, yeah. Because of it I've dropped entire archetypes myself over the years...
D
Dervish
Guest
If it's the game I was running, I'm pretty sure I tore that sheet apart and used it as asswipe. Doesn't help that you can't have a quarian as a sex slave because they'd literally get murdered by hot beef injection infection.
H
Halo
Guest
It is, and you did, as I recall! Which I was most happy about. But it just stuck in my mind as a particularly bad example of that gripe. I mean, seriously. Godnopleaseno.
- Writing Levels
- Adaptable
- Preferred Character Gender
- Male
- Genres
- Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Magical.
A
Asuras
Guest
My biggest gripe (currently anyways) are players who assume that because they've been given a degree of free reign over the control of NPC's, that they are entitled to portray them as buffoons, incapable, standing unanimously on a certain moral side, or pushovers, all for the sake of elevating their own character's status.
NPC'S aren't faceless mooks, especially when I TELL YOU that they aren't. All the same, it really irks me when players assume that because they're inherently players in the role play, that their characters automatically gain plot armor; worse still, plot armor that saves them from even danger.
NPC'S aren't faceless mooks, especially when I TELL YOU that they aren't. All the same, it really irks me when players assume that because they're inherently players in the role play, that their characters automatically gain plot armor; worse still, plot armor that saves them from even danger.
- Writing Levels
- Adaptable
- Preferred Character Gender
- Male
- Genres
- Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Magical.
N
nyther
Guest
When people don't tell you their expectations and bail when you don't meet them without a word. I had a romance plot go bad because of that. When I do romance plots, it's still "real life" romance, not harlequin romance and my partner wanted the latter. It was a vampire hunter x vampire plot and they left because I had my character, the vampire hunter, kill a vampire in the intro post.
T
Thought Manifest
Guest
@WitchChild, to be fair about the age thing, I always thought that ages meant to live a long time also took longer to mature. It's why you have ninety-year-olds still being considered pubescent.
In general, I have a couple of things that have bothered me during role-plays in the past though I have yet to encounter them to the tear-my-hair-out degree on this site that I've encountered in the past.
Years ago, I was involved in a role-play based in Tolkien's Middle Earth with OC characters. We all researched the lore and our characters and where they would come from, and we had a really solid cast. Then the GM decided to let one player (who was probably his friend or something because I really can't imagine how it was accepted otherwise) who was a dark elf samurai. Yeeeeep. I shit you not. A fucking Samurai. That wasn't even the worst part. We all decided to try to give this character a chance because the GM wasn't getting rid of him, and we kind of didn't have a choice. EVERY time we tried to interact with him, he completely ignored our attempts and basically had his character do things that made him look like the uberest badass in the entire realm, even if it completely conflicted with an action another person had written.
So basically, my grievances are characters who don't fit the universe, and players who ignore their partners' posts in favor of essentially writing their own novel. If you want to role-play, pay attention to world, pay attention to the other players. If you want to do your own thing, go write solo.
Another gripe I have is actually more of a personal problem, and it's more of a misunderstanding sort of deal than something that my partner(s) inherently did wrong that I found offensive. I hate when I go to RP with one or more people, and I end up realizing there's been a complete misunderstanding in what "level" we're both/all writing at. In most places, there isn't quite the detailed set of levels like there is in Iwaku. It's usually just Casual vs. Advanced. I always understood Casual to be two to four paragraphs while Advanced is meant to be four or more paragraphs, but that's not something solid that people decided on so much as what I go for myself. So sometimes, I accidentally end up with a Casual rp with one paragraph per post or an Advanced rp with like... two or three, and I end up realizing I've made a huge mistake. I always feel really guilty trying to back out at that point because even though I believe everyone deserved the opportunity to learn and grow just like I was able to do, I don't want to be their mentor or teacher. I want to play with people in games that are on my level that I've achieved... I don't mean to be elitist, I just feel like I've worked hard for years to get where I'm at, and I want to play what I've earned. I mean, I've been RPing for almost fifteen years and progressing all the while. I think that entitles me to some snobbery.
@Nydanna, so with Iwaku levels, is Advanced 4+ paragraphs? Fudge bucket. I thought that was Adept. Hm... Maybe I don't have a good understanding of Iwaku levels after all... It actually explains a lot, though... >.>;;
One more gripe... I was in an RP on another site where the characters were trying to organize a secret meetup at night, and GM made his character just go to bed and not join them. One of a GM's major responsibilities in an RP is to drive the course of the plot forward, and instead, he completely pulled his character from what was going on after all. It made me realize I wasn't right for that game, and I think the other players realized it, too, because there were no more posts after the one he made where his character decided to not join the rest. So the gripe is, if someone is going to GM a game, they need to make sure they're following through on their responsibility to the plot and to the characters. Don't just pull your character out of the game for a scene that is important enough that it would have driven the plot forward.
In general, I have a couple of things that have bothered me during role-plays in the past though I have yet to encounter them to the tear-my-hair-out degree on this site that I've encountered in the past.
Years ago, I was involved in a role-play based in Tolkien's Middle Earth with OC characters. We all researched the lore and our characters and where they would come from, and we had a really solid cast. Then the GM decided to let one player (who was probably his friend or something because I really can't imagine how it was accepted otherwise) who was a dark elf samurai. Yeeeeep. I shit you not. A fucking Samurai. That wasn't even the worst part. We all decided to try to give this character a chance because the GM wasn't getting rid of him, and we kind of didn't have a choice. EVERY time we tried to interact with him, he completely ignored our attempts and basically had his character do things that made him look like the uberest badass in the entire realm, even if it completely conflicted with an action another person had written.
So basically, my grievances are characters who don't fit the universe, and players who ignore their partners' posts in favor of essentially writing their own novel. If you want to role-play, pay attention to world, pay attention to the other players. If you want to do your own thing, go write solo.
Another gripe I have is actually more of a personal problem, and it's more of a misunderstanding sort of deal than something that my partner(s) inherently did wrong that I found offensive. I hate when I go to RP with one or more people, and I end up realizing there's been a complete misunderstanding in what "level" we're both/all writing at. In most places, there isn't quite the detailed set of levels like there is in Iwaku. It's usually just Casual vs. Advanced. I always understood Casual to be two to four paragraphs while Advanced is meant to be four or more paragraphs, but that's not something solid that people decided on so much as what I go for myself. So sometimes, I accidentally end up with a Casual rp with one paragraph per post or an Advanced rp with like... two or three, and I end up realizing I've made a huge mistake. I always feel really guilty trying to back out at that point because even though I believe everyone deserved the opportunity to learn and grow just like I was able to do, I don't want to be their mentor or teacher. I want to play with people in games that are on my level that I've achieved... I don't mean to be elitist, I just feel like I've worked hard for years to get where I'm at, and I want to play what I've earned. I mean, I've been RPing for almost fifteen years and progressing all the while. I think that entitles me to some snobbery.
@Nydanna, so with Iwaku levels, is Advanced 4+ paragraphs? Fudge bucket. I thought that was Adept. Hm... Maybe I don't have a good understanding of Iwaku levels after all... It actually explains a lot, though... >.>;;
One more gripe... I was in an RP on another site where the characters were trying to organize a secret meetup at night, and GM made his character just go to bed and not join them. One of a GM's major responsibilities in an RP is to drive the course of the plot forward, and instead, he completely pulled his character from what was going on after all. It made me realize I wasn't right for that game, and I think the other players realized it, too, because there were no more posts after the one he made where his character decided to not join the rest. So the gripe is, if someone is going to GM a game, they need to make sure they're following through on their responsibility to the plot and to the characters. Don't just pull your character out of the game for a scene that is important enough that it would have driven the plot forward.
- Status