How do you stay interested in roleplay?

[Ulala]

the title is what it is. if this aint the right board then move it forum mods please + ty

after doing this for seven years, I find it extremely hard to get into the mindset of trying to exercise the medium of rp in the setting we're in. it's difficult to find any semblance of emotional investment or character development that isn't just petty passive. where are the character rich stories? why is it impossible for me to go down an avenue of roleplay that i foresee for my character(s) (this is specifically attached to my unit, who, is difficult to rp as it is. i literally end up sitting afk in the plaza because there's nothing better to do. the citizen populace is in their apartment building or whatever else and i'm stuck in this ocean of inactivity.)

Before you say "take a break for a bit", let me remind that I took a five month break once and it didn't do anything but make me even more apathetic to the idea of being on here.

How do YOU stay invested? Where do YOU get rich character development?

 

[Wiz]

I mix things up or modify existing characters. Try a new type of character, new faction, new traits, etc. And I go from there.

 

[moatilliatta]

I like to play pretend.

 

[Scone !]

Gimmicks

 

[doog]

Taking breaks helped me. For example I can't play rn but I really want to

 

[Redford]

By making my own fun. Rules be damned

 

[Vegas]

Step outta ya comfort zone. Be daring, and dare to be stupid. I'm not a religious person in real life, but I play a guy who wants to become some kind of priest, have his own congregation and group of like minded believers, but not do it in such exclusivity that it doesn't create roleplay for anyone else. Stop playing it safe and risk the biscuit, so what if you're entering a precarious situation? Maybe don't stash all that shit, maybe roll with the punches or throw curveballs at every motherfucker you see.

If there's something you want to do, in the words of an immortal nutjob, just do it. Chances are by doing it you'll make a more original experience than like 80% of things seen before. Diversify your portfolio, stop playing Troy Baker clones, or typical male_07s the World is the biggest place you'll ever know, enjoy it. Give your characters vices, two good things to a bad thing. A past habit, an addiction, an usual mannerism. It is better for being remembered as weird than not remembered at all. The best characters you remember are weird ones. When it comes to RP, being hated is a good thing. Don't try and like everyone, or have everyone like you. I'd rather have people have opinions of me, than no opinion at all. Feel free to lose your temper, feel free to call people out and fight one another. You either make an enemy for life or a good friend. Set ideas, goals and traits for a character and follow them through, even if you say to yourself that you don't like it, or that about them. They're a character. Not you.

 

[K33f3!]

Look at other people's narratives and ask, "If X would it have gone differently."

Get in that mindset and what you can do is shift the weight of a narrative from your character to someone else. Ideally they do their thing, then shift it back for your input. And back and forth and back and forth until you tap dance into a bottle full of Windex.

 

[Symmetry]

Don't force it? If you're having trouble thinking of anything to do or finding a reason to do it, then just don't.

I only get on to RP when I've actually come up with a cool idea that I want to execute.

Just take a break until something comes to you, or doesn't.

 

[malina?]

1) figure out which setting works best for you. some rpers prosper in the city setting, others get better along with the outlands / canals setting. some feel better in the cca, others enjoy the resistance more.
2) think about your character. which concepts have you not explored yet? do you think you could pull them off? maybe you just want a clean slate, but a similiar character?
3) interact with different people. i've made it my mission to interact with as many new players as i can because those experiences are among the most character-building. with allison, i've taken up the blue cross and i'm rping with people i've never interacted with before
4) don't force it. if rp becomes more of a hassle than a hobby, why do it? if you don't feel like rping, give waiting longer a shot, or think about how long you've been rping & reconsider it as hobby i ngeneral. if you want to rp but can't get into it, try the other three.

i've gone ahead and deleted the shitposts bc i know how annoying those can be if ur down

 

[Wiz]

If you try to RP without motivation then you'll just burn yourself down even more. Save a bit of gas.

 

[Symmetry]

If you try to RP without motivation then you'll just burn yourself down even more. Save a bit of gas.

This is exactly what I mean. I find that taking time to read a good book can inspire more creative energy. And I mean like really dig into it, think about the themes and characterization and etc that the author is using. It'll inspire you to come up with something fun to do.

 

[bennet]

Staying interested isn't really the problem as much as actually managing or having enough time to actually pursue character development or new story lines, at least for me anyway. Any time I do have free time the server is usually off peak so I generally don't bother. I just don't really want to get into some new roleplay/plot when I know I won't have the time to keep popping in and making it interesting for myself and others, so it'd just be disappointing.

It's why I mostly keep to RR. I can pencil in a weekend far in advance and I know what happens won't leave that weekend so no one will be depending on my participation for future plot advancement, though generally for those I don't even roleplay as I'm more concerned in DM'ing scenes/progressing the storyline along.