Roleplayers Bane

[Latex]

Whether you're new or old every MMO Roleplayer knows this issue.

 

Your character is created, you made what you think is an awesome bio, your costumes are hours long labors of love, you might of even hit max level and enjoyed the gameplay of City of Heroes. But now it's time to Roleplay! You have your backstory set and sort of figured out what kind of personality you want for your character, you don't know many Players and know no Characters at all so your best chance is to probably hit up Pocket D and see what happens.

 

You head there and emote away, no one seems interested in approaching you after half an hour of emote laden hints and enough hooks thrown out you give in. Everyone seemed busy within their own circles of people and weren't too willing to engage with a character they don't know even if some of your emotes were purposefully written to be eye-catching or raise a few questions (character hooks). The next day you try again but this time you're more... assertive? Instead of emotes you have your character approach and speak directly to others. Most of the time you'll be shrugged off by the cliques, sometimes you'll get a bite but it's so rare you may as well be actually fishing, hopefully you established some sort of connection to Roleplay again.

 

----

 

I have been in similar situations and have been outright ignored when I've tried to engage with a group of characters. My limited appearances in the game often means developing new connections and that can be quite a tiresome pain in the butt.

How do you break the ice and use the proverbial RP crowbar to establish and form new connections?

[TemporalVileTerror]

I start with OOC.

Communicate with other people as players first, find out if they're interested and available to having another character participate in what they're up to, or possibly even starting something new.

[Grindingsucks]

Just dip your toe in and test the waters.  If the fish aren't biting, move on to a new spot.  People in Pocket D are often there just to get their rocks off, so it may not be the best place to look for mainstream RP.  I rarely go there, myself, except to door sit for farms or make use of Null the Gull.

 

Joining new supergroups that are just getting off the ground is probably your best bet.  With everyone being new, it's less likely that the different members have developed long lasting, storied relationships yet.  This is often what makes it hard to break into RP.  It's not so much (IMO, anyway) that there are deliberate cliques that are trying to shut other players out, it's just that they have a lot of their own thing going on and are wrapped up in the stories around that.

 

Personally, I really enjoy playing support/color/sidekick characters, so I can just Rp an interesting addition to the team and I'm fine not being the immediate focus of the ongoing story and/or rp.  For people looking to helm stories or really be a primary protagonist, I can totally sympathize with your frustration, though.

 

My advice, is just be persistent and keep trying.  Eventually you'll click with some group or persons.

[decomposey]

On 1/31/2021 at 3:56 PM, Grindingsucks said:

People in Pocket D are often there just to get their rocks off, so it may not be the best place to look for mainstream RP.  I rarely go there, myself, except to door sit for farms or make use of Null the Gull.

Honestly I think this is particularly biased, elitist, an unfair of you. Yes, there are some people in the D there to flirt, but just as many go there because it s a centralized place where they can be sure to find other RPers. Not everyone in game is on discords or even the forums, so they don't know what groups are out there unless they see in game recruitment in one of the global channels, they don't know about bases designed for RP, and they don't have any contacts, so they have to reach out to random strangers -somewhere-.

 

I go there myself because I don't feel comfortable in VG/SGs, but I like to meet new people. It's also a good place to hang out there while I work on my AE arcs, sell/buy from the AH, or other account maintenance activities because that's where I know I can be found. And if someone approaches me, I make an extreme effort to include them. If I see someone interesting off in a corner I'll generally try to include them even if they don't reach out, and just sit there emoting to themselves.

The issue is -interesting-. Unless you are something that particularly stands out, like an eyeless rat eating sewer mutant, or a nine foot kaiju, you're going to just blend in with the crowd. Another fresh faced hero out to save the world, or demon trying to redeem themselves, or an angsty orphan from Kings Row isn't going to really to be something msot people haven't already seen 10 times already.

 

That's why you have to really make a point to sell yourself. Like the initial post says, you -have- to fish. You have to reach out, constantly, facing being rebuffed or ignored. And yeah, you're not going to get a lot of bites at first. One here and one there if you are lucky. But every person you meet will probably know someone else, and even with a few bites you can start building a networks for contacts and friends. It helps if you realize that all those people standing alone around the bar not talking to you ar eprobably in exactly the same boat you are. Try reaching out to them instead of the larger groups who are already occupied.

 

Now while I do disagree with the post above this about pocket D, I do agree with their closing advise. You have to keep trying. Its will be discouraging at first. It will be hard. But ultimately one bite at a time you can build connections. There is no crowbar to force your way in, you have to put in the work.

[Grindingsucks]

@decomposey It is biased, no doubt, as I am speaking from my own particular point of view.

 

However, it was not my intention to be either elitist or unfair, so if I offended you, I apologize.  Also, to be perfectly clear on the topic, for those of you that enjoy ERP, I'm not bagging on it.  I don't think there's anything wrong with it, and I don't think any kind of RP is inherently superior to any other.  It's just not my thing, personally.

 

My own experience in pocket D has been than most people go there for ERP.  If you aren't expecting that, it can be rather jarring and discombobulating.  I simply assume most people are looking for the non-erotic sort of RP  and was giving the OP a heads-up about what I felt they are likely to encounter there.

 

If your experience in Pocket D is different from mine, that's perfectly valid, and your opinion is every bit as relevant as my own.

[decomposey]

Oh I ain't gonna lie, people -do- go to the D for that, and likley any time you visit there will be one or two who are pretty blatant about the fact that that is what they are there for.

 

But to say -most- people go to the D for ERPs is inaccurate. Some do. Most don't, and saying that they do paints them in an unflattering light.

 

Most people I see there go in order to interact with and meet people, make friends, or just generally hang out.

[Coyotedancer]

I wouldn't say most of them are there for ERP... Not on Everlasting, at least. Most "BarP" seems to be tamer than that. They're more like people playing "City of Dating Sims". 😝

[Grindingsucks]

Anyways... to the point of the OP's post, I still recommend seeking out a newly forming SG for super-hero action oriented RP.  Otherwise, you can hang out by Miss Liberty in Atlas Park, and/or advertise roleplay radio/newspaper missions in LFG channel.

 

For flirting or boinking, any one of numerous bars/clubs (Pocket D or player bases) is fine, sure.

[Latex]

Some good advice - on SG/VG's I'm more Villain oriented, my character is more on the fence, I've not really seen one that fits the character or me yet!

As for hooks, what sort of thing might catch your eye? What would have you approach a character? Would you eyeroll at a player typing out a paragraph after arriving at the bar? I find a lot of people use fluff in intro's, like a paragraph about ordering a certain drink doesn't strike me as interesting.

[Moka]

On 2/12/2021 at 5:02 PM, Latex said:

Some good advice - on SG/VG's I'm more Villain oriented, my character is more on the fence, I've not really seen one that fits the character or me yet!

As for hooks, what sort of thing might catch your eye? What would have you approach a character? Would you eyeroll at a player typing out a paragraph after arriving at the bar? I find a lot of people use fluff in intro's, like a paragraph about ordering a certain drink doesn't strike me as interesting.

I understand the feeling! I'm more of a redsider, myself. I have a Rogue/Vig VG though, if you're ever looking.

[Sovera]

Happens all the time. I call the ice breaking stage and it is a sure thing that if I start a new character I may have one to two weeks of just hanging around while being ignored, be it standing on my own or try to approach groups and mingle.

 

I call it the acclimatization period. There are so many new characters parading in and out and then abandoned (or just plain eRP alts who only show up when their players want some text smut) that until a character has been there for a few days, steadily, it is accepted by the crowd.

 

Still need to make an effort at joining in, of course. A year after joining I still see the same person(s) who sits in the Pocket D and... waits. I rarely saw them emote anything and they aren't even AFK since the bubble does not show up. But they sit and waiting to be approached.

 

 

It's why I much prefer to make duos with a friend. The ice breaking period is much easier to go through while jabbering with the friend. Furthermore a new character needs to settle into our mind, personality need to be fleshed out, discovering or deciding on speech quirks, and this happens only through RP which the other side of the duo helps.

 

 

On 2/12/2021 at 1:12 PM, decomposey said:

Oh I ain't gonna lie, people -do- go to the D for that, and likley any time you visit there will be one or two who are pretty blatant about the fact that that is what they are there for.

 

But to say -most- people go to the D for ERPs is inaccurate. Some do. Most don't, and saying that they do paints them in an unflattering light.

 

Most people I see there go in order to interact with and meet people, make friends, or just generally hang out.

To the point, there is no other place that is used for RP. Back in the day we had the Galaxy Girl 9 PM meetings that were a nice change. I actually rarely set foot in the D and GG was my RP place. We had a nice crowd there.

 

But now, welp, is it fitting for my little barbarian paladin to be hanging out in a night club bar thing? Not really, but it's where RP is.

Edited March 4, 2021 by Sovera