It isn't that complex. The key is to just work around a specific story arc, and keep to one side of the spectrum. I've had many long-running RPs with all three races. Just have to take everything that makes it complex, and isolate it to separate parts of the story. It becomes much easier to micro-manage with character development when you branch it in stages, then build up into the world with violence and action, and then break off again into an isolate part to build back up on character focus.