Probably my biggest pet peeve is the roleplayer who always gives their characters the tools to succeed.

While it's good to make sure that characters don't have kryptonite style weaknesses that can be introduced to completely write them out of the story when they become relevant, more often than not people have the opposite issue. Many people struggle to show restraint with characters succeeding too quickly at tasks that should be challenging, or give themselves downsides that effectively aren't actually downsides.

It's the classic blind monk who can still see with sound. Like the downside could theoretically be relevant, but they already have such robust tools for dealing with their weakness that the weakness might as well not exist. Being able to create meaningful tension means creating situations where sometimes things go wrong, and the character must persist, invent, trust in the abilities of their allies, and maybe even have a bit of good fortune.

So, it really irks me when a writer cannot help themselves but resolve all that tension before the set-up can be paid off. Because it's not even like they have done something against the rules. It's ptp roleplay where anything we say happened can happen. There's nothing stopping you from merely deciding that your character is up to any challenge. But that's precisely why Axis wants to take the time to find people who enjoy sitting with the struggles, and characters using their strengths to get not everything they want.

Contrarily: when the character's "flaws" are irrelevant trivia which will never create meaningful (if any) conflict over the course of the story. "Scared of [animal that will never be encountered in this setting]" and "can't swim" being the classics

trying to get back into 1x1 (i know, joke's on me) and it's getting irritating how much of a document purportedly setting out to establish honest and explicit expectations and network compatible writers together is written in code, jargon, euphemism, and often just, lies? to wit

Good stuff.

I tried to get into 1x1 a long time ago and I've discovered it's not really for me. I think I've GMed too many games and I like receiving multiple small reactions from multiple players, even if they aren't as good as the single theoretical player I could be playing with in a 1x1 scenario. I try to talk myself back into it from time to time, but it never seems to work out. I really like that format you used and would like to present a few more.

@BrokenPromise Ah, yes, Discord. Where partners-to-be spend three weeks posting images, music, and quotes for the "aesthetic," then by the time they're obligated to sit down and write the first post they've already lost interest because they've already constructed the entire rp as a movie in their heads.

(Not that a 2,000 character word limit would have allowed for detailed, thoughtful posts anyway, but you were at least hoping to be disappointed in style, you know?)


LMAO

Man I've never done 1x1 and now idk if I will xD

@Qia If you're interested in it, give it a try. I have met a few interesting people in the 1x1 section and I'm not sure if we would have ever crossed paths in group RPs. That said, I'm a bit spoiled since I generally have great luck with my group RPs. The only RPs I do that don't ever really get off the ground are my April fool/experimentation RPs and, also, sometimes even they get off the ground. It's hard for me to humble myself before players that will ghost during setup or call things off a few posts in when I could just make a group RP. You need a lot of perseverance and thick skin to get far in 1x1, and maybe reasonable expectations.

Alternatively, and I've only tried this once, you could do a 1x1 RP with someone you click with in groups. At least that way both of you know what to expect from the other.

@BrokenPromise That’s really fair, and I appreciate the honest take. I’ve mostly done group RPs myself, so I definitely relate to having a bit of a comfort zone there, especially when the group dynamic just works really well. But I’ve been curious about 1x1s lately for the chance to dig deeper into character arcs without having to juggle too many moving parts, which is like...the biggest disadvantage for group rps to me.

The idea of investing time and then getting ghosted during setup is a little daunting for 1x1s though, so I think if I do end up delving into them it would be easier to start with someone I'm familiar with. I guess we'll see in time :) Thanks for the advice.

@Qia It’s hard to find a great long-term partner for 1x1 roleplays, but when you do, you don’t just get to write an amazing story—you often gain a lifelong friend. I’ve been doing one particular 1x1 RP for over five years now, and we never seem to run out of ideas to keep the story evolving.

1x1 RP used to be my go-to back in the day, even had a few go on for several years straight. I'd like to get back into 1x1s sometime, but the section here on the guild is boring. Too many MxF (with thread OP wanting to play as F only), 18+ romance/smut and/or canonXoc interest checks IMO. Most of the time people don't even bother with coming up with any ideas/plots and expect you to do all the work, too.

I have Roleplayed for nearly a decade in various places. My main issue with RP throughout the years is people having overly powerful characters and trying warp the plot to suit their Mary Sue type characters. I've experienced it many times and those types of actions have destroyed many RPs I've been apart of. I've also had a ton of situations where people bring in their personal conflicts with others into the RPs to act out against the other person. I've been on the receiving end of that and had to write my character out of stories many times because another person made it unbearable.

Discord RPs were my main go to for years. I was able to have a 1x1 RP last many years over Discord. I think I prefer 1x1 settings, as most RPs I've been apart of died out with no conclusion. When there were conclusions with groups, it often felt rushed with tons of Drama and Conflict around it. Most group RPs I've been in ended due to personality conflicts and conflicting views on where the story should go.

I haven't been part of a Group RP for years now. I don't think I'd be willing to go through it again unless something really strikes my fancy.

I have a bunch, actually. But recently, I’ve been more exasperated about Rpers who use AI to write everything for them. Now, I can understand using AI for spell-checking, as well as brainstorming, but letting it write the entirety of your starters and/or responses without them being edited? That’s an entirely different story.

I find it kinda odd, honestly. Like, what’s so fun about letting AI do all the stuff, anyway? It feels to me like they’re doing chores, instead of fully engaging themselves into something that they consider a hobby. Sometimes, I wonder why they chose this hobby to begin with if they’re not even into writing. Nobody even forces you to partake in RPs—it’s you who made the conscious decision to do so.

If the reason you use AI is because you don’t feel confident about your writing, then you shouldn’t feel that way. It’s just a hobby by the end of the day. Not every Rper is gonna judge you for every single typo or grammar mistake you make along the way. In fact, a lot of them just wants to learn and get better at writing (me included). If the reason is because you’re occupied at the moment, then take your time. Life happens, and nobody is forcing you to catch-up ASAP. Just take it easy and have fun, is that really so hard?

And... yep, that’s about it. That’s my biggest RP pet peeve as of now. Not that I wanna bitch, but these days, I’d much prefer Rpers who barely write a paragraph to those who merely generate longer responses just for the sake of “keeping the plot flowing.” At least, the former puts more passion and effort into the RP than the latter does, as they do everything by themselves.

Not sure if I ever brought up these points on my end:

Things GMs do/I've seen them do:
> Ignore (often significant) aspects of their own settings to hyperfocus/center attention on their character's personal matters. Like, maybe don't present an lore-filled fantasy/scifi environment just to play out a soap opera family drama. Really it's just the question of "why go through the process of setting up the lore and mechanics if those aspects aren't going to be meaningful in the grand scheme of things?
> Waiving the internal politics of their universe to enable their own (or select peoples' characters) while citing said politics to either deny or water down someone else's.
> In essence, wanting to be both ways about how they manage their RP. Establishing that everyone is on their own as far as creating plot points, yet policing how players pursue interactions between their characters and others; not having an official centralized storyline, yet more or less pulling people into their fold anyways.

Other Pet Peeves:
> People being salty because your post cuts in on a post they haven't even put up yet. I'm not sorry: if you haven't dropped your post in, then it's on you to either let people know what's up so they can hold off, or adjust your in-progress post accordingly.
> > In relation to above, not having an open, public plotting session so everyone involved can be on the same page with what everyone else in mind. Especially so in the absence of a unifying plot.
> Running multiple characters and either A) Only really giving attention to one or two of them, or B) Clumping all of them into the same IC circles/not extending into the different groups.

> In general, anyone or any character that uses Time-based powers/magic. Most of these characters bank on an idea that time is a material element, which, in application, creates an issue in terms of RPing rules. Most people apply such powers in the form of stopping/slowing the flow of time to halt or impede the world moving around them, and often don't elaborate on how Time in their context works... in itself, outside of a GM, this implies dictating the physics/metaphysics of the RP's universe to benefit the character/player, which can be problematic. To boot, the common applications of Time-based powers can be more appropriately/fairly achieved through means of Telekinesis and manipulations of momentum and/or kinetic energy. The alternatives are farm more amicable in the context of characters coming to blows, as most will be able to apply some skill or ability to work around such forces; in order to combat Time magic, you basically have to create a character specifically to combat it.

Not sure if I ever brought up these points on my end:

Things GMs do/I've seen them do:
> Ignore (often significant) aspects of their own settings to hyperfocus/center attention on their character's personal matters. Like, maybe don't present an lore-filled fantasy/scifi environment just to play out a soap opera family drama. Really it's just the question of "why go through the process of setting up the lore and mechanics if those aspects aren't going to be meaningful in the grand scheme of things?
> Waiving the internal politics of their universe to enable their own (or select peoples' characters) while citing said politics to either deny or water down someone else's.
> In essence, wanting to be both ways about how they manage their RP. Establishing that everyone is on their own as far as creating plot points, yet policing how players pursue interactions between their characters and others; not having an official centralized storyline, yet more or less pulling people into their fold anyways.

Other Pet Peeves:
> People being salty because your post cuts in on a post they haven't even put up yet. I'm not sorry: if you haven't dropped your post in, then it's on you to either let people know what's up so they can hold off, or adjust your in-progress post accordingly.
> > In relation to above, not having an open, public plotting session so everyone involved can be on the same page with what everyone else in mind. Especially so in the absence of a unifying plot.
> Running multiple characters and either A) Only really giving attention to one or two of them, or B) Clumping all of them into the same IC circles/not extending into the different groups.

> In general, anyone or any character that uses Time-based powers/magic. Most of these characters bank on an idea that time is a material element, which, in application, creates an issue in terms of RPing rules. Most people apply such powers in the form of stopping/slowing the flow of time to halt or impede the world moving around them, and often don't elaborate on how Time in their context works... in itself, outside of a GM, this implies dictating the physics/metaphysics of the RP's universe to benefit the character/player, which can be problematic. To boot, the common applications of Time-based powers can be more appropriately/fairly achieved through means of Telekinesis and manipulations of momentum and/or kinetic energy. The alternatives are farm more amicable in the context of characters coming to blows, as most will be able to apply some skill or ability to work around such forces; in order to combat Time magic, you basically have to create a character specifically to combat it.

Yeah... I've undergone that sort of experience outside of RPGuild.

As for Time Powers/Magic... I will admit to having made OCs who use it, although I am starting to regret having given them that sort of power.

I use Discord as an OOC Plotting place, btw.

<Snipped quote by IAmTheIsland>

Yeah... I've undergone that sort of experience outside of RPGuild.

As for Time Powers/Magic... I will admit to having made OCs who use it, although I am starting to regret having given them that sort of power.

I use Discord as an OOC Plotting place, btw.

The best application of Time magic that I've see was a character that could, for example, pick up a broken sword and rewind it to when it was newly forged. Basically they could reverse time on individual objects.

<Snipped quote by Letter Bee>

The best application of Time magic that I've see was a character that could, for example, pick up a broken sword and rewind it to when it was newly forged. Basically they could reverse time on individual objects.

Nice. As for me, I eventually made Time Magic a 'Forbidden Area' of Magic that requires a lot of blood sacrifices or a gigantic magical structure to even attempt.

People who act all excited to RP with you, make a character and then, as soon as you write the starter, they'll pretend to be excited but then ghost you. You see them active everywhere else save for the RP you started and, when you ask them about it, they just keep ghosting you. There's also people who lie about checking out the fandom you're into in exchange for checking out a fandom they're into and, after writing the starter, they give this confession about not only not checking out what you asked them when you are checking out what they want you to check out, they give this whole sob story playing the victim and get mad when you show no sympathy. I made a deal with someone once to check out My Hero Academia if they checked out Go Go Loser Ranger and then, after saying they fulfilled their part of the deal and making me write the starter, they gave me this whole sob story about how they haven't checked out Go Go Loser Ranger and had no intent to and whined about being a terrible RP partner. Needless to say they didn't get any sympathy from me.

This is gonna be a little long winded, and maybe a little out there to some, but I have two:

- Creative Suppression
- Ghosting

Creative suppression can take many forms, including argumentative approaches to controlling the other RPer’s/Character’s actions or outcomes, Godmodding, or banishing individuals or projects from a platform without just cause. These are just three of many. RP should be an exercise of collaborative creativity. You shouldn’t feel like you’re being stymied too much by your partners, DMs, or even moderators/admins. If you are, at best, have a conversation to address it. In the most extreme cases, its better to say “I don’t think this is gonna work,” and move on.

Ghosting is not just a personal pet peeve. It’s a documented online phenomenon with potentially damaging psychological effects depending on the context. Studies have been published since 2010 about this one, so it’s a named and documented contributor to a growing global epidemic of psychological distress (THAT IS NOT HYPERBOLE). Long standing RP partners are not exempt from this, especially if strong friendships or other close relationships are involved. Even early ghosting can build frustrations, so maybe we should be reconsidering those actions more thoughtfully.

Relevant PSA: I have the following advice built on experience. In RP, if you have a problem with the story or with someone, be open to discussing and working things out, even if it might get heated at times. Be wary that, when you ghost someone, you’re not doing it to an AI. There are thinking, feeling human beings behind those digital connections. Please try to be mindful when you engage with people online. Yes, be wary of ill intent, but if you forge a strong connection, maybe think twice before severing it, especially if you’re under stress that’s not the fault of the other party. You may cause them more severe distress than you realize… Got personal experience with this one…

Let’s build each other up instead, as much as we can, yea?

I've got another one. People who troll your RP ads for a laugh. Especially when you've been searching far and wide for your perfect RP partner and, no matter what you do, you keep coming up empty and then this random troll gives you hope only to take it away.

This is gonna be a little long winded, and maybe a little out there to some, but I have two:

- Creative Suppression
- Ghosting

Creative suppression can take many forms, including argumentative approaches to controlling the other RPer’s/Character’s actions or outcomes, Godmodding, or banishing individuals or projects from a platform without just cause. These are just three of many. RP should be an exercise of collaborative creativity. You shouldn’t feel like you’re being stymied too much by your partners, DMs, or even moderators/admins. If you are, at best, have a conversation to address it. In the most extreme cases, its better to say “I don’t think this is gonna work,” and move on.

Ghosting is not just a personal pet peeve. It’s a documented online phenomenon with potentially damaging psychological effects depending on the context. Studies have been published since 2010 about this one, so it’s a named and documented contributor to a growing global epidemic of psychological distress (THAT IS NOT HYPERBOLE). Long standing RP partners are not exempt from this, especially if strong friendships or other close relationships are involved. Even early ghosting can build frustrations, so maybe we should be reconsidering those actions more thoughtfully.

Relevant PSA: I have the following advice built on experience. In RP, if you have a problem with the story or with someone, be open to discussing and working things out, even if it might get heated at times. Be wary that, when you ghost someone, you’re not doing it to an AI. There are thinking, feeling human beings behind those digital connections. Please try to be mindful when you engage with people online. Yes, be wary of ill intent, but if you forge a strong connection, maybe think twice before severing it, especially if you’re under stress that’s not the fault of the other party. You may cause them more severe distress than you realize… Got personal experience with this one…

Let’s build each other up instead, as much as we can, yea?

In terms of being ghosted by RP partners: that's something that everyone could stand to take with a grain of salt. Life is like to throw curveballs. Holding someone that you only really know via RPing in contempt for falling off is a bit unfair, IMO; someone in one of my Discord servers has also expressed that ghosting by RP partners has turned them off of RPing as a whole, which I feel is a bit extreme. I would be inclined to contend that much of the ghosting that really leaves people scarred is that done by people then know IRL/Away from keyboard. I know for myself at least, it's the people that I've met and bonded with in-person whose ghosting really has me down. Granted, if it's someone who specifically ghosted on you, but otherwise stayed around and worked with other people, yeah, that's a red flag in my book.

Not being too headstrong with one's own ideas and plotlines is pivotal. Willingness to bend on world building and lore aspects (within what's established) to allow someone to get more meaningfully involved. Willness work scenes between one's own character(s) and those of another into what one is already intending to do. Just a few lines of thought.

I have one, and it relates to the tired old "friends to lovers" trope. Not saying friends can't become lovers, but being friends first is a terrible dating strategy! A one-way ticket to the friend zone.

I don't know your life, but I can say from lots of persona experience that this is 100% not factual.

I would argue that it is the best strategy, if one's goal is to have a positive relationship.. A sound relationship needs a strong foundation. If another person does not want to go beyond friends, then perhaps one or both people involved are no ready for that step or don't find the other desirable in that role in their life.

I have had friends become girlfriends and become friends again because we were both mature enough to both not want a One-Way Street and simply return to form instead of some dramatic end to the relationship entirely. Not all were mature enough to go beyond friendship yet and I had to find out the hard way, but perhaps they grew from it. I have even had such a person ruin into me at my job and apologize to me for how she was to me years ago.

Anyway, I have been with the same woman for a little over 7 years now, and we were mutual friends of someone for many years before we began our relationship as friends, which organically grew into more.

Best of luck in your endeavors! Everyone should have a healthy, loving relationship. Humans depend on it.