Post by Sivoncé™ on Nov 24, 2010 22:35:31 GMT -5
Howdy all! 
So, a few ideas popped into my head while I was putting this board together. Based on my observations of roleplay throughout the site, I came up with a short list of some things that seem to be a struggle for many members or things that all of us - even the oldest and most seasoned members - could use to make their roleplay experience a little more sophisticated. If you could share your thoughts on what I have to say, that would be great. Please add ideas and observations of your own!
In the old days, most members had enormous armies of characters that they roleplayed with. I personally still do, and another example of someone who has a heft stock of chars would be Wolfie. Over time, this changed so that most people have only handful of characters tops. There are pros and cons to both.
With more characters, you have a much vaster opportunity to develop the flexibility of your writing skill. What I mean by this is that by having more characters, you learn to write with all sorts of different personalities and how to express various types of characters throughout your writing. Furhtermore, you have far more opportunities to join threads and practice since you'd have more open characters to work with. Diversity within a mass of characters would allow for further development by writing in all sorts of different situations and places. However, 20+ characters can be hard to handle. Not all of them will get the attention that, perhaps, they deserve, and not all of them will get an important role, interesting storyline, or a lot of time being roleplayed. Most of the time, there are a select number of characters that are at the front of a roleplayer's focus when they have that many characters. For instance, I focus on about ten characters in my threads, and the others I throw in when they're needed or if there is an open thread. Other times, they are simply there as another body in a battle thread or an extra to kill off at the right moment to make it appear as if there is a great amount of violence in said battle threads.
With less characters, you get to really focus in on the character and their story. Each character can have some importance or catching story because they have more opportunity to develop moreso than in the case of having an army of chars. What I mean is that the competition for roleplay time is much less between 5 characters than 30, so there are more threads and roleplaying allotted per character in the smaller group than in the larger group. Therefore, no character is ignored, and each is purposeful. As a writer, you get to develop writing with specific personality types and learn how to explain things through a single character's point of view, which is an aspect found in a great amount of novels. However, because you only have a select group of characters, you might find yourself excluded from what may have been an interesting, fun, or plot-ful thread because your wolf simply doesn't fit or have a place there. Though you develop your characters far more as individuals, you miss out on learning how to adapt your writing to a more various group of personalities abd situations. You are tied to your characters' storylines and, though you may always add twists to their tales, without making a new character, you are also somewhat limited to what kind of stories you can write.
For some, one of these is preferable, and that's that. However, what is probably the "best" option as far as not setting limits on your opportunites to learn is by creating diversity amongst your characters. This can be done within a small group of characters; diversity makes chars managable and intimate, yet challenging and exciting. If you do chose to keep with a small coven of lupines, perhaps make one in each pack, alternate boys and girls, and make each personality and appearence stand greatly apart from the last; it will definitely help you get the most out of roleplaying.
Open threads are fun and all, but if it's the same-old same-old and the conversation between characters is sorta blah, then it's definitely time to mix it up a bit. Any wolf is capable of seeing something fishy, smelling something funny, or getting the heeby-jeebies.
What I mean here is think about a blah-boring thread. If it's taking a boring tilt, then it's time to add something new and potentially interesting. It doesn't have to be much right away -- like I said, maybe something smells funny -- but the point is to add something new and build off of it. When one character smells smoke, the other gets all defensive because they think it's a Hellfirian. Then, the first gets all panicky and thinks they're under attack. Upon further investigation, the two find out there's a forest fire and run like hay to tell their pack. The two end up caught in the flames and one saves the other's life. See? Now isn't that so much more fun than a blah-boring-flat-conversation thread? ^^
Other things that may spice up your roleplay is making a new character with a personality that is much different than what you usually rp, trying out a high rank or a new pack, or doing something, like with the forest fire, that could have a ripple affect over the entire plot. What happens in a single thread, if it is daring enough, can have a great affect over everyone else. (Ex: BurnNote was a captive in Blood Mist, found out Assyria wants to murder Fireflight, and let Fireflight know when she escaped. Now Fireflight is planning an enormous battle against Blood Mist.)
Go get em!
Sometimes, it seems people are hesitant to get involved with the greater plot. As I said under the last heading, a thread between two chars can lead to something affecting the greater masses. Everything is a lot more exciting when everyone has a piece in the plot, and our open-ended plot allows for this involvement. So, if you're looking to be involved in the plot and aren't quite sure how, ask Sivvy or Wolfie or try one of the methods mentioned under the last heading. Make a high-rank charrie and take the lead straight into the action
You can do it!
So, a few ideas popped into my head while I was putting this board together. Based on my observations of roleplay throughout the site, I came up with a short list of some things that seem to be a struggle for many members or things that all of us - even the oldest and most seasoned members - could use to make their roleplay experience a little more sophisticated.
If you could share your thoughts on what I have to say, that would be great. Please add ideas and observations of your own!Less Chars vs. More Chars
In the old days, most members had enormous armies of characters that they roleplayed with. I personally still do, and another example of someone who has a heft stock of chars would be Wolfie. Over time, this changed so that most people have only handful of characters tops. There are pros and cons to both.
With more characters, you have a much vaster opportunity to develop the flexibility of your writing skill. What I mean by this is that by having more characters, you learn to write with all sorts of different personalities and how to express various types of characters throughout your writing. Furhtermore, you have far more opportunities to join threads and practice since you'd have more open characters to work with. Diversity within a mass of characters would allow for further development by writing in all sorts of different situations and places. However, 20+ characters can be hard to handle. Not all of them will get the attention that, perhaps, they deserve, and not all of them will get an important role, interesting storyline, or a lot of time being roleplayed. Most of the time, there are a select number of characters that are at the front of a roleplayer's focus when they have that many characters. For instance, I focus on about ten characters in my threads, and the others I throw in when they're needed or if there is an open thread. Other times, they are simply there as another body in a battle thread or an extra to kill off at the right moment to make it appear as if there is a great amount of violence in said battle threads.
With less characters, you get to really focus in on the character and their story. Each character can have some importance or catching story because they have more opportunity to develop moreso than in the case of having an army of chars. What I mean is that the competition for roleplay time is much less between 5 characters than 30, so there are more threads and roleplaying allotted per character in the smaller group than in the larger group. Therefore, no character is ignored, and each is purposeful. As a writer, you get to develop writing with specific personality types and learn how to explain things through a single character's point of view, which is an aspect found in a great amount of novels. However, because you only have a select group of characters, you might find yourself excluded from what may have been an interesting, fun, or plot-ful thread because your wolf simply doesn't fit or have a place there. Though you develop your characters far more as individuals, you miss out on learning how to adapt your writing to a more various group of personalities abd situations. You are tied to your characters' storylines and, though you may always add twists to their tales, without making a new character, you are also somewhat limited to what kind of stories you can write.
For some, one of these is preferable, and that's that. However, what is probably the "best" option as far as not setting limits on your opportunites to learn is by creating diversity amongst your characters. This can be done within a small group of characters; diversity makes chars managable and intimate, yet challenging and exciting. If you do chose to keep with a small coven of lupines, perhaps make one in each pack, alternate boys and girls, and make each personality and appearence stand greatly apart from the last; it will definitely help you get the most out of roleplaying.
Don't be Afraid to Try Something Diff
Open threads are fun and all, but if it's the same-old same-old and the conversation between characters is sorta blah, then it's definitely time to mix it up a bit. Any wolf is capable of seeing something fishy, smelling something funny, or getting the heeby-jeebies.
What I mean here is think about a blah-boring thread. If it's taking a boring tilt, then it's time to add something new and potentially interesting. It doesn't have to be much right away -- like I said, maybe something smells funny -- but the point is to add something new and build off of it. When one character smells smoke, the other gets all defensive because they think it's a Hellfirian. Then, the first gets all panicky and thinks they're under attack. Upon further investigation, the two find out there's a forest fire and run like hay to tell their pack. The two end up caught in the flames and one saves the other's life. See? Now isn't that so much more fun than a blah-boring-flat-conversation thread? ^^
Other things that may spice up your roleplay is making a new character with a personality that is much different than what you usually rp, trying out a high rank or a new pack, or doing something, like with the forest fire, that could have a ripple affect over the entire plot. What happens in a single thread, if it is daring enough, can have a great affect over everyone else. (Ex: BurnNote was a captive in Blood Mist, found out Assyria wants to murder Fireflight, and let Fireflight know when she escaped. Now Fireflight is planning an enormous battle against Blood Mist.)
Go get em!
Don't be Afraid to get Involved
Sometimes, it seems people are hesitant to get involved with the greater plot. As I said under the last heading, a thread between two chars can lead to something affecting the greater masses. Everything is a lot more exciting when everyone has a piece in the plot, and our open-ended plot allows for this involvement. So, if you're looking to be involved in the plot and aren't quite sure how, ask Sivvy or Wolfie or try one of the methods mentioned under the last heading. Make a high-rank charrie and take the lead straight into the action
You can do it!