Hello RPG,

I would like to speak to you all of you about the current issue I am having with the site. For a long time, I have been pouring my heart, my time, and my creative energy into building stories set within the universes of Middle Earth, Halo, Fallout, Warhammer 40k, and Mass Effect. I have taken notes, refined my out of character details, and spent countless hours developing story and lore, all with the hope that others would find the same love in these worlds that I do.

The reality is that I am currently feeling quite discouraged due to the fact that when I create these roleplays, the turn out is always very low. When you put this much effort into a project, it is hard to not feel a sense of burnout or depression when your threads go unanswered, or when the projects that I care about so deeply do not gain the traction needed to take flight. Seeing other projects move forward while my own efforts remain dead in the water, has made me realize that my stories are perhaps not working out as they are currently presented.

I am not leaving, I am still here, and I still have many stories I want to tell. However, I am admitting that I am feeling the weight of the effort versus the lack of results. I value this community and would appreciate any honest feedback on how I might move forward.

Hmmmm, you could perhaps be putting them in the wrong place. I see you post a lot in general, but maybe casual or advanced would get more views?

I have [...] spent countless hours developing story and lore, all with the hope that others would find the same love in these worlds that I do.

Commendable as this effort may be, beware misapplying it. Players want to see that the GM has a confident, self-assured vision and the skill to execute it—yes—but the effort it took you to plan and write the thing should far exceed the effort it takes to sign up. If they have to research your hiders-nested-in-hiders to understand the story, they're not indulging a curiousity, they're not exploring, they're not engaging with the setting on their own terms—they're doing homework. And nothing kills this hobby faster than having to study for a fucking exam before you get to participate in earnest.

Joining your rp should have a low skill/knowledge floor, a high ceiling. Delving into its nuances should feel optional, yet rewarding.

You interested two people in your recent check, I reckon if you bumped it, you could get a third. That's already a good size crew for Middle Earth. Here's my opinion:

Maybe you could shorten the OOC notes a little bit. I really liked this paragraph,

This story is a tapestry of contrasts. You will experience the Slice of Life: the quiet hum of a tavern at dusk, the haggling in the markets of Staddle, and the warmth of a shared pipe by the hearth, interwoven with the harsh, visceral reality of a world under siege. Combat in this age is dangerous and decisive; when the shadows move, they do not offer fair fights, and survival will demand more than just a sharp blade or a strong arm, it will demand your wits.

I think I would have moved this paragraph to the top, just under the first paragraph then compressed the rest of what you wrote into a simplified third.

I didn't like this sentence, "This is a tale of transition: a slow, inexorable shift from the quiet, predictable warmth of the hearth to the harsh, unforgiving reality of the wild." I know what you want to portray, like the realistic drudgery of life but it read to me a bit sluggish or not fun.

Overall, your enthusiasm reads immediately, you seem to have a clear vibe for the story. Keep posting your ideas, just spam the interest checks until a l l s u b m i t t o y o u r g r e a t n e s s... IN PLACE OF A DARK LORD THEY SHALL HAVE A GM, ORGANIZED AND TERRIBLE AS THE MORNING AND THE NIGHT! ALL SHALL LOVE YOU AND DESPAIR.

@TokyoPewPew

Do you mean that there is the potential for complexity in my Middle-earth project, rather than what I have actually laid out?

@WardenCelestine I decided to look over your interest check. Here's what stood out to me.

- General is probably the worst place to post interest checks. It has a reputation for incomplete ideas or where people try to get players to secretly join free level RPs. Most users don't check on it at all. If you just want a few paragraphs per post, drop it in casual. If you want to write novella style posts or are feeling a little pretentious, drop it in advanced.

- You do not post a lot. You've made maybe six posts in the past six months. Two of them were in this thread, and two more were chat messages elsewhere. If I came across your interest check, I'd assume it was abandoned since it hasn't had a single bump since you posted the IC twenty-four days ago. This lack of posting has another problem...

- You aren't participating in a lot of RPs. I'm running something of a system beta test for an upcoming RP I'm doing in the form of a short RP. Even though most users hate short form RPs, I got ten players to show interest. The catch? One did little more than showed interest, and another one left. Eight sounds like a lot of players, but of those eight only one hasn't RPed with me before. The other seven have been in RPs with me before, be it as a fellow player, GM, etc. If you put yourself out there, people will be more willing to play your RPs just because they like your personality or posts. The better your reputation, the better chances your RPs will have of attracting potential players.

I know it sucks when you just want to make an RP and have everyone join it, but most of us have been around the block and don't want to risk joining something by an unproven GM. Establish that you can post on time and follow through on your commitments and the players will follow. Worst case scenario, you join something that lasts years and you end yup enjoying something that wasn't your RP. Best case scenario, you network with some of the other players and the RP dies in a few months, freeing you all up for your RP. Kind of a win-win.

I'm not going to say anything specific about the interest check itself because I'm not really in the mood to critique something like that right now. Though if the other problems are addressed I'd think you could net yourself a few more players.

@BrokenPromise - I appreciate the feedback. I do understand that making friends and building a reputation as a reliable writer is a huge part of what makes roleplays succeed, in fact, I really value the social side of this hobby and I’m definitely looking to build those connections. For me, though, one of the main reasons as to why I’m here is the story itself. While I know the 'how' of getting players to join often involves networking, my personal goal is to create worlds and narratives that stand on their own merits. I’m going to keep focusing on the quality of my work, and I’m hopeful that as I continue to share these stories, I’ll find those right people to write with and build those friendships along the way.