Let's B!tch. I feel it's a healthy release for our roleplay annoyances 2.0

[FantasyChic]

All right, I got another complaint.

Been reading up on the recents and I agree with them. One thing that irks me (and I'll be the first to admit that I've done this too, even recently) are Mary Sue Characters. Characters trying so hard to be unique and different.

I'm in a weekly game and there's this player (look to my previous complaint post) who made this character that just SCREAMS Mary Sue. It's like no creativity was given to them, instead she just took points from various games/shows/etc. and stuck them on to her character.

Now I am not saying you can't have some badass loner type, a princess who escapes from her castle to explore the world, or a anime-type young girl who does whatever, but at least spice it up and be creative. I speak from experience when I say I want a unique character. However, there's nothing wrong with being "common" either. The world is filled with common type people, we all have qualities that are different, sure, but we are all generally what could be called normal. There's rare instances, sure, and in RPs it's easy to make whatever you want and do whatever you like, but I cringe whenever I see someone striving to be the "shining star" in the game by having the most unique character.

I find, and I've noticed this in a few games I've played on here, that adding faults to your character is a good way to balance this. Everyone has strengths but we also have things we suck at. Making sure a character isn't some supreme overlord allows them to grow. I mean, if they are already the top of the top, then what else is there to do? Even superheroes have their weaknesses.

So yeah, again I've been there, done that, I've tried to stop myself from doing the Mary Sue bit, and I am not embarrassed when I am called out on it. I am also not saying don't create unique characters. Far from it, but look at who you make objectively. I find looking at other people's characters, going through ideas with players/gms, and gathering information is a good way to make sure that everyone gets to play who they want and no one is the "best".

Boy I like to rant. Just, this person irritates me to no end. I don't like playing with her but she seems to be in every game I join (no she's not on here).

[Thaddeus Dron]

I sorta agree with that last post, what I've started to do in previous rps is just make bland characters and then let the story dictate what I do or how amazing my character becomes. So far it hasn't let me down, except in combat-style rps which I rarely do anymore, because I try everything I write out on my kids first (I'm running out of them) and I realized most people who write in these type of forums are better and tactic thinking then my 14 year old. (He just sorta squeals and frowns at me)

Anyway, I digress. Mary Sue characters are often abandoned because there just isn't as much progression as people want- they get boring just doing the same thing over and over. It's like buying the last move in a progressive game first- then just playing the game using the same move over and over again. Sure, you'll beat most everything you come up against the repetition is just painstaking.

[Weird Tales]

I really hate it when players use the same generic type of character for every damn rp. I'm sick of always seeing the misandrist bitch female character that commits violence against men.

[AtlasRedfox]

@Weird Tales couldn't agree more!

Same with emotionless hard serious broody asassain killer types.... Where's the fun in that!

[Weird Tales]

@Weird Tales couldn't agree more!

Same with emotionless hard serious broody asassain killer types.... Where's the fun in that!

@AtlasRedfox

Yeah, seriously why does every strong female character have to be a man-hating bitch? It's like how all cool characters have to be douche bags

[AtlasRedfox]

Hahaha couldn't agree more :D

[Eklispe]

When school calls to say school is canceled for once in your life then calls back 5 minutes later to say its not. _{why you always lying :(}

[HaleyTheRandom]

When you're muse just decided to take a nosedive off a cliff and momentarily die for a day but you have absolutely got to post for an RP.

[vancexentan]

I hate it when you really want to play a certain type of fandom roleplay and you find one and then either the players or the gm doesn't follow through and leaves you wanting to roleplay that type of fandom roleplay but don't want to gm.

In other words I hate when players or gms want to make roleplays regarding roleplays that don't show up much anymore and then drop it leaving you with a desire to roleplay in a roleplay in a series but no one wants to do it. It's happened to me in a madoka magica roleplay and a couple others.

[Nemaisare]

I really don't like it when people are on and aren't replying to me. What could they possibly be doing that's more important ? But seriously, it annoys me, and then it annoys me that I'm annoyed because I am not the only person they have to write with and argh. I need to figure out how to stop getting antsy.

[Weird Tales]

I really hate bitch characters that people treat like their attitude is perfectly fine. Seriously it's just rather annoying when you see characters kiss up to assholes regardless of their race, gender or orientation.

[Nemaisare]

I like characters kissing ass until they hit the breaking point and then go no and stuff explodes and character development happens!

Whoops, that wasn't bitching... I mean, ummm, it's really annoying when you want to post but you also don't and it's not just with like, one rp but every single rp you're writing so it's not like well, just move on and come back later. It's every single freaking rp you want to post in you just don't want to sit there and write stuff, like, woah, that is totally what you signed up for when you looked for roleplay ideas. What is wrong with you, brain?!

[Rain]

What really burns me up is the hypersensitivity of students these days. The expectation that their feelings are of the utmost importance and that they have the right to "feeling good" and be "safe" from ridicule is ludicrous. The way someone "feels" does not constitute action on anyone else's part. One of the aspects of being an adult is to face adversity and OVERCOME it! Not demand its presence be removed altogether!

[Dolerman]

On online dating....

"I’d advise you that if you’ve tried meet girls, and giving both online and offline dating a fair shot during a long time, and always now gotten dismal results,..then delete your profiles and forget night game in bar scene. Better to try to seek love/sex by other means (i.e mail order brides if you have money, settle for a mordor orc, or maybe trying to find a good looking girl, but blind, something like that..)

If you’re hell-bent on online dating, make sure you’re one of the 5-10% of Chads (top ranked males facially talking) who can capture the attention of cute girls. Physical attractiveness, mainly face, is the only thing for mating success (online and offline). Online, if are a Chad, the rest of your profile can be in Swahili and it won’t matter. If you are not a typical Chad, and your facial looks are -7/10, then you will not be ignored by the vast majority of women."

-KnightCavill23

[Fillet]

I thought this was bitching about roleplay related stuff, since it's in the roleplay subforum.

[Sen]

I thought this was bitching about roleplay related stuff, since it's in the roleplay subforum.

Fillet

B-but the sjws are roleplaying related! They're ruining my rp!!
sorry

but in all seriousness: I know it's been said approximately 120 000 times in this thread, but it really bugs me when people just fall off the face of the planet for five weeks and then show back up saying they were busy. I know it's a hobby for fun, but it really doesn't take much effort or time to just quickly throw a "I'm gonna be busy for a while" into the OOC. Nobody's going to be mad if you are honest about your life taking priority. Quite the opposite.

[Punished GN]

Jesus Christ, some of the people on this site are complete basketcases. I get the blunt of it while GMing.

"No, you can't have this ridiculous ability, let me reiterate that in twelve different ways until you understand, okay?"

"Yes, totally say something that makes you sound like a massive tool. That totally makes me want you in my RP."

I swear, there's so many tools on this site that I felt as if I walked into Home Depot.

[Mirandae]

Nobody's going to be mad if you are honest about your life taking priority. Quite the opposite.

@Sen

Not entirely true. I've seen people react negatively even if you tell them that you're busy.

[NuttsnBolts]

Something I'd like to mention and I know many others will feel very differently about it, but I've come to really dislike Collab posts.

To understand my view I have to explain that this comes from a personal experience. So what happened was that I entered an RP that contained several people from a different timezone and since I have a daytime job that doesn't allow me PC access, I have to wait until I get home before I can post any replies. Anyways, many of the players were interested in collaborating together, which I though was fun at first, writing a joint post and coming up with interesting situations and writing eventful scenes between all their characters. It all sounds fine until you start to notice that your character seems to be the outsider to these situations, the side dish in a 5 course meal. All because you live in a different time zone and are unable to participate.

It feels frustrating when you do come online that evening and see a bucket load of posts with each player giving their perspective, writing longer than the expected replies due to helping each other out and you have to then read all that text and "Try" to slot your character into the fray so that they feel both important and a part of the situation at hand, all while avoiding errors and the accidental chance of holding the others up with a critical situation. What I did find that most of the time I was playing catch-up, writing from my previous post until the current event because all these characters had deep conversations, talked tactics, interacted with each other, all while my character happened to stand there next to them like a mute statue waiting for the hours of time in limbo to pass.

I know collabs have a time and place, but in this situation it really killed the enjoyment for me. I never felt like I was a part of the story all because I was that one outsider who was playing follow the leader.

[AlteredTundra]

Something I'd like to mention and I know many others will feel very differently about it, but I've come to really dislike Collab posts.

To understand my view I have to explain that this comes from a personal experience. So what happened was that I entered an RP that contained several people from a different timezone and since I have a daytime job that doesn't allow me PC access, I have to wait until I get home before I can post any replies. Anyways, many of the players were interested in collaborating together, which I though was fun at first, writing a joint post and coming up with interesting situations and writing eventful scenes between all their characters. It all sounds fine until you start to notice that your character seems to be the outsider to these situations, the side dish in a 5 course meal. All because you live in a different time zone and are unable to participate.

It feels frustrating when you do come online that evening and see a bucket load of posts with each player giving their perspective, writing longer than the expected replies due to helping each other out and you have to then read all that text and "Try" to slot your character into the fray so that they feel both important and a part of the situation at hand, all while avoiding errors and the accidental chance of holding the others up with a critical situation. What I did find that most of the time I was playing catch-up, writing from my previous post until the current event because all these characters had deep conversations, talked tactics, interacted with each other, all while my character happened to stand there next to them like a mute statue waiting for the hours of time in limbo to pass.

I know collabs have a time and place, but in this situation it really killed the enjoyment for me. I never felt like I was a part of the story all because I was that one outsider who was playing follow the leader.

@NuttsnBolts

Yeah, that's the negative/bad side of collaboration posts. As you said, they can definitely be fun for character relationship-building, but only if the people in said collab post are online at the same time. If not, you're right in saying that you would be considered the side dish of a lengthy course meal.

I, myself, have not experienced that part of collaboration posts, but obviously you have - and I'm sorry you had to. Collab posts are meant to be fun, not stressful.