[quote=Scout]
I don't think there's really a difference between plot-driven and character-driven. Character-driven doesn't mean it's all dialogue - think about how many real people or characters are drastically changed by conversation. It doesn't happen quite so often - especially when somebody is older. However, it seems to me that lately a lot of roleplays don't have that organic experience - either the GM is too focused on pushing their agenda, or the pairings are all far too planned out between players. If anything, people shouldn't discuss it before hand, and if you don't like somebody who tries to push the pairing on you, there's *always* a way around it. But too many relationships are forced and clearly rushed between two characters who don't have enough connection for it to work properly.To argue that "plot" or "character" is more important than the other is a bit counter-productive because they need one another. In roleplaying, the characters *are* the plot - otherwise the GM may as well just write their own story. ^^"Not that I'm not guilty of having been involved in it before, but it's just an observation. I think the characters are what make the story.
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I've always preferred to go sandbox, free form sort of RPs. I put more effort into the world and establishing the parameters and say, "Do whatever". That way people can explore their own characters and figure out how they're going to interact with others as opposed to pulling something shit out of nowhere because they're forced to right away. And then everyone also has their own incentive to doing what every agrees needs to be done, subconsciously or through a process of evolution in the RP itself.

This also sort of falls back to my general philosophy that if you're too reliant on everyone to post regularly and someone doesn't it's an easy way to trip a chain reaction and destroy the entire RP. From a damage-control standpoint if everyone's doing whatever and at the start not doing anything with anyone then the risk of one guy deciding to drop out without warning or a "goodbye" diminishes and maybe only effects one person, who then could be steered around the missing guy.

I've had a few cases where a guy doesn't show up to post. Even badgering him over his Steam chat to post didn't produce results. RP died before we could even get everyone to go off and do their own things. Letting everyone do whatever helps to identify those who'll commit versus those who won't.

Anyways, that's my tangent.