Short-term RPs

[Minibit]

The (visible) majority of Iwakuans seem to prefer long term RP, but how do you guys feel about short side-stories?

Sometimes I'm jonesing for a roleplay but am having block or am waiting for a reply on all the ones I'm currently in, and can't take on another long-term one. Times like those I like the idea of just a one or two day short story type RP.

Where do you guys stand on this sort of thing?

 

[Diana]

This is why I like chat roleplay so much. O__O I can complete an entire roleplay plot in one night. Sequels and addition sessions totally optional!

 

[Kagayours]

Given the fact that I often post only a few times a week?

Just not my style. It's really only suited for the more fast-paced types.

 

[redblood]

Personally I don't do short term roleplays. I always go into roleplays with the mindset that it will be long-term. (Then usually it dies within a month, but that's usually not intentional xD) I've only made one exception, and that was with a person I already had two long-term roleplays going on with. The story was a silly crossover between our roleplays, which was kind of weird as one took place in a light fantasy medieval time period and the other was modern time light fantasy. We fixed that with a time machine that came out of nowhere xD (because of the trouble it caused to the main character, he destroyed it once he got back home... Sooo... We never got to know where it came from. o__o Great plot hole right there :D)

The only time I would be up for an intentional short-term roleplay would be if I am already roleplaying with the person and we either use the characters or the world to create a side story to the story we already have going on (or create a crossover between two different roleplays we have going on that would be more of a fanfic than a crossover that might be mentioned in the main stories.)

Then it can happen that a roleplay becomes unintentionally short, that we decide to wrap it up sooner than anyone would have expected (thought that has never happened to me), and that would be totally fine, but I wouldn't want to go into a roleplay with a completely new character and knowing that it would only be for a short period. All my 'God I wish these roleplays were revived cause I miss them soooo much T-T' roleplays went on for a year or longer, and I got the chance to fall in love with them because I had time to get to know the characters (both my own and my partner's) and the world. Those are also the kinds of roleplays I never could revive with a new person, because I know it wouldn't feel the same without my past partner. If a person disappeared within a few months, then I usually just revive it without caring much for its death, cause it can still be done again and get better. I might still find someone I click with for that particular story.

The shorter a roleplay is, the harder it is for me to feel anything for it. I guess it would work for fandoms, but I rarely do fandoms anyways, and when I do fandoms it is usually for something I love so much I would rather have it keep going for years cause I can't get enough of those characters or that world. So short-term is definitely not for me except for silly side stories with partners I'm already roleplaying with and with worlds/characters we have already made :D

 

[Kestrel]

The concept is fine, in fact I borrow from it in my long term RP's by splitting it up in shorter term stories.

 

[Zackymas]

I normally like to do little sub-plots (As I call them) within my RPs, just to encourage the other RPers to keep on writing. The main story isn't always the most interesting one ;)

 

[Jorick]

I like the idea, but I've never seen anyone proposing an intentionally short term roleplay that really caught my interest. I've got an idea for a nice short term game though, which I'll probably use to wet my feet if I ever decide to bother with GMing. :P

 

[Nemaisare]

I don't think I'd mind doing a short term roleplay, except that, due to my inability to let things go if we don't make a decisive ending, I'd probably wind up making it long-term anyway. Which defeates the purpose. I found myself reading and going, yeah, short-term would be cool, small scene of a bigger story, just pick and choose the parts you like and want to play out, toss the others... Then I realised that would be a lot more work for a supposedly shorter rp that could, potentially, go on for as long as either partner is ok with. Soooo, not really short term.

I have done chat rps, but I do prefer, again, that they have a wider context, which would require plenty of discussion and build-up. I like the fast pace, but I don't always have the time, and I find there's less connection between the characters and definitely more chance for me to mess up characterisation.

The one time I think I managed to do something short term, was my sister and I passing a notebook back and forth during exam prep(yep, we were totally using our time wisely, we also made father's day cards while we were there >.>). I think I was alright with that because I knew who I was writing with and we both knew each other's style and could quickly and easily guess what would and would not work with our preferences. So, I'd be down for trying a short-term again, certainly, but I'd probably want to know my partner, and I'd probably prefer that it be a quick little aside of a larger story we're working on. Maybe going, y'know what, I liked that NPC, can we flesh him/her out more in a little side thing when we've got the time? Just a day in the life?

An actual one-off, short-term roleplay where I don't already know my partner or what we might be writing, I'd still be willing to try, but I do definitely prefer long-term stuff. Investment-wise.