Apathy in roleplaying

[Malik]

Have you ever felt like you just don't care about what's going on?

I haven't been roleplaying for as long as some people, but in all the years I have been, I've never really felt excited about the roleplays I'm in. Specifically, I'm talking about other people's characters. Now, I'm not saying anyone's characters are bad, and I'm sure my own characters aren't all that interesting or engaging themselves, but I have never really read anything that gave me a good feeling. I clinically read over what I'm writing and check to see if anything is relevant to me. I don't get invested in what the character's doing, whether it's just day to day meandering or some hyped up emotional stuff. Even when it's stuff I know someone put a lot of effort into, I just can't bring myself to really care about it.

Once again, I'm not here to claim I'm the messiah that writes wonderful engaging characters and that people should follow my example, but facts are facts; I can count the number of times I've really cared for something in an RP on one hand. It makes me wonder if there's something wrong with me, cause I've met people that gush over stuff I could not care less about, calling one post out of so many good when it just seems like another brick in the wall to me.

So yeah, have you ever been completely apathetic in an RP? Or am I just making a big deal out of nothing?

[Punished GN]

From time to time, I feel pretty meh about the RPs I'm in, mostly the periods in between the action that get droll. The points where my writing feels like a chore instead of something fun - that I just force myself to write. However, I bear through it because I know things will get interesting eventually, and (most of the time) they do.

Because, let's be honest here, if I really didn't care about the Roleplay, I would drop out in a second.

[Innue]

Yes, I've been completely apathetic in some instances. It happens. Sometimes I just can't connect to the characters around me. Sometimes I don't even care that much for my characters, which makes me disengage from the roleplay even more.

Thankfully, I'm not in that phase and I'm currently participating with a great group that has characters that interest me. I rarely get super excited about roleplaying anymore, but I am right now. ^.^ I hope you can find a thread that provides you with that kind of feeling as well.

[Nemaisare]

I'm curious. If you don't and never have felt engaged by the characters, what is it that keeps you, personally, roleplaying?

I only ask because to me, if I'm not at least a little invested in the characters other than my own, I'm usually not interested in carrying on the story. Though sometimes it was the story itself I wanted to read about rather than the people in the story. So, I'm just wondering what keeps you invested. :)

[Genkai]

I can get apathetic when things get sluggish.

If it takes weeks to communicate back and forth (IC and OOC, both are important) then I begin to lose interest.

Even if the IC itself is inactive, the OOC should still be kept active to at least keep people on the same page with plotting and interest.

[Malik]

@Mr Allen J: How would you tell between a roleplay you really don't care for and one that's droll for now but you feel will get more interesting?

@Innue: Thanks. Hope you can keep up your excitement as well.

@Nemaisare: I did first say I have never really felt excited, but that's a bit of a half truth in retrospect. There have been a few times I've felt genuine excitement, but it usually fades very quickly. I usually start with a vague interest in the premise of the RP, but it gives way to the day to day drudgery and general disinterest I usually have. I know things have to get like that a bit, and I wouldn't mind at all if it weren't for the fact I see people gushing over some of the most generic things in my view.

Basically, I keep roleplaying in hope I'll find the right place for me, and I started this thread because I wonder if my disinterest is something uncommon or not.

@Genkai: I can sympathise with you there. If things get to a weekly basis, I usually write the RP off altogether. But personally, I've been in long running RPs with a steady pace, and yet found myself completely unengaged. Like, I sit there and watch for months as everyone goes through the motions of banal small talk and such, participating in it as needed. I know if I want more excitement, I should seek it out, but the big problem is that I don't know how to go about it because nothing inspires me.

It makes me a liability in certain circumstances because I end up sitting around with little idea of what to do with myself, but I just don't know how to make myself excited over what seems like such a lot of nothing.

[Innue]

Is it just that the interactions between the characters have taken center stage for now?

What typically inspires you though or at least what has inspired you in the past?

[Punished GN]

Malik said @Mr Allen J: How would you tell between a roleplay you really don't care for and one that's droll for now but you feel will get more interesting?

Simple my good friend...

... I plan. I come up with interesting plots with other players that get me excited for what's to come - at least enough to get me through the slow boring periods.

[Genkai]

Malik said @Genkai: I can sympathise with you there. If things get to a weekly basis, I usually write the RP off altogether. But personally, I've been in long running RPs with a steady pace, and yet found myself completely unengaged. Like, I sit there and watch for months as everyone goes through the motions of banal small talk and such, participating in it as needed. I know if I want more excitement, I should seek it out, but the big problem is that I don't know how to go about it because nothing inspires me.

It makes me a liability in certain circumstances because I end up sitting around with little idea of what to do with myself, but I just don't know how to make myself excited over what seems like such a lot of nothing.

Do you mean if you only get activity that pops up once a week? I'm having a hard time understanding what you write off and why.

At least you're aware of your tendencies. Some players tend to seek out more and more stories looking for some sparkle or shine but only end up wrecking RPs that they join and leave without much notice. If you're often on the fence with being bored or unsettled, I'd suggest taking the role of GM which allows you to control direction in a story and let's you move things along if needed during times of slow progression.

[Malik]

@Innue: They probably have, but I wouldn't say that's the problem. To me, the interplay between characters is always there, even if it's a "plot moment". But I always find it really dull. Even when it isn't just generic friendship stuff, it doesn't really capture my attention, and I just wait my turn if it ever comes.

As for what has inspired me, there's no real pattern. I've read plenty of stuff that's supposed to be emotional, but only once did I read something that actually made me feel for the character. And when I think back on it, I really can't say for sure why it was that one post stood out to me.

@Genkai: Like, if an RP reaches the point where there's a week or more between posts, IC or OoC, I start to think it's going to die. And usually it does. I don't necessarily leave entirely, but I've never made a larger effort than necessary for an RP that reaches that point. In retrospect, that probably doesn't help matters, but if it takes weeks to get anything done like you said, I'm not in a mind to make a personal effort for the sake of an RP with a low chance of survival. I'm just not that kind of benevolent superman roleplayer.

And yeah, I would take up the role of GM, but this usually occurs when I'm a player in a big RP. Can't really just take over when I feel like moving things along, can I? I have started my own RPs before, but they failed due to the usual reasons (players left, activity waned). Like I said before, I'm not such a great person that I can run around inspiring activity and getting things going, and I would probably just fail again as a GM.

[Innue]

My suggestion would to find a GM who works well with you stylistically. I share a lot of your sentiment about pacing (this is why I tend to run my own things). I also typically do plot things fast and furious, so conversation in some instances falls more to the backside and people are more about giving their reactions internally to the events unfolding. If there is commentary, it usually brisk given the dire-ness of the situation.

I will say that while I usually find interaction boring, it has been pretty entertaining for me currently mostly due to the strangeness of some of the characters I'm with right now.

[vancexentan]

Yeah I've felt apathy in roleplaying including one rp I am now because my character is so ill fit he may as well not be in there. I made him with the assumption the rp would have progressed faster and allowed him to get in faster. But besides the point roleplays tend to fit better with real life people than online. Online roleplaying lacks a personal element. I've only had two DnD RP groups i've been with for only a couple sessions each and I had generally MUCH more fun with the groups than the various people online. However online you can do anything without the need for equipment and find people are interested easier. For example if I wanted to set up a gundam group do you have any idea how hard that would be in the US? Or any other anime related rp? Super hero rp's maybe but for the most part it is much harder to set things up in real life.

But that's just me the apathy in online roleplays come from how impersonal they are at times and how you can't have person to person jokes unless they really get involved with the story. In real life it's less of an issue and the games are generally more fun.