What are some signs a roleplay is about to die?

[Darcs]

When it's first made.

@Ace of Hearts

Why are RPs born? Just to suffer?

[Multifarious]

<Snipped quote by Ace of Hearts>
Why are RPs born? Just to suffer?

@Darcs

Some men just want to watch the fictional world burn.

[Nevix]

I recommend putting this video into any RP you fear may be dying.

[Ace of Hearts]

<Snipped quote by Ace of Hearts>
Why are RPs born? Just to suffer?

@Darcs

Answering your own question.

Now apply this to humanity, and you're even more correct.

[AlteredTundra]

Real life responsibilities. Seriously, they are the major killer for ANY rp. Go ahead and ask anyone in this thread. They'll tell you I'm right.

[Rusalka]

@Altered Tundra Ditto.

[FantasyChic]

@Altered Tundra Yeah, I've seen good RPs die because the GM had too much on their plate in real life. I get mad when I see people comment like "Oh then why did you start the game?" and all that, when you never know. Life has a habit of dropping a sack of poop on your lap at any given moment. That's also a game killer, when the GM or even the players have stuff to deal with, but they still say they'll come back or whatever, and gradually the interest just dies.

Seriously, I have not had one single game on here yet that has lasted more than 2 months.

[NuttsnBolts]

Seriously, I have not had one single game on here yet that has lasted more than 2 months.

@FantasyChic

I can understand your frustration as I too have entered several RPs only to have them fall to pieces. Some before they start, others after a few posts. It's hard cause I do place a lot of effort into trying to create a new character and when the RP ends, I feel like I was taken on a bit of a ride and had my time wasted. :\

I'd love to start a fresh RP but I'm not confident to do one without a co-gm to help, and I can't find one sine I don't spend enough time with the others to get a feel of their style and skills.

[Wade Wilson]

<Snipped quote by FantasyChic>

I can understand your frustration as I too have entered several RPs only to have them fall to pieces. Some before they start, others after a few posts. It's hard cause I do place a lot of effort into trying to create a new character and when the RP ends, I feel like I was taken on a bit of a ride and had my time wasted. :\

I'd love to start a fresh RP but I'm not confident to do one without a co-gm to help, and I can't find one sine I don't spend enough time with the others to get a feel of their style and skills.

@NuttsnBolts

I completely feel ya. I spend a lot of time creating characters as I tend to struggle getting a concept onto virtual paper, but I've been told that when I get into the flow of it, I'm really good. I don't really believe anyone when they say that, though, since I think I'm like a Free-level roleplayer who joins Casual and Advanced roleplays, but apparently it's completely different.

And now it's for my contribution to this thread:

I think the worst sign when a roleplay is dying is when the GM leaves it up to the players to craft their own story, and will only pop in to advance the plot. It's happened to me twice, and I hope it doesn't happen again.

[Shin Ghost Note]

When I post on it.

[Frengo]

GM tomfoolery. If you're in an RP, and the GM comes out with the following nonsense, then you're doomed:

"I'm going to give some of the others a chance to post before I post again" Translates into "I've lost inspiration for my own idea and can't be arsed, but luckily there's 2 possible MIA players that haven't posted yet so I can use them as a stop-gap on the hopes my inspiration will return!"

"Sorry for not posting, personal stuff has come up, blah, blah" Translates into "Yeah I'm not feeling this, better hit 'em with the age old 'personal problems' excuse. No one will question it, and after a couple of days, I'm free!"

"I'm going to take more a Game Master role from now on, as [insert possible life interference] is taking up too much of my free time." Translates into "I'm bored and have lost inspiration but feel too ashamed to openly admit it, and will allow the RP to die quietly in the night." - Can usually be debunked by looking at their profile, and watching them shamelessly introduce themselves to other RPs.

GMs are the same as players, in the respect that they suffer from the whole "Quick Burn" excitement of an idea. They can't find what they want, so they make it themselves, float the idea, get the interest, and then after a couple of days they'll get bored and start making their excuses.

[AlteredTundra]

@Altered Tundra Yeah, I've seen good RPs die because the GM had too much on their plate in real life. I get mad when I see people comment like "Oh then why did you start the game?" and all that, when you never know. Life has a habit of dropping a sack of poop on your lap at any given moment. That's also a game killer, when the GM or even the players have stuff to deal with, but they still say they'll come back or whatever, and gradually the interest just dies.

Seriously, I have not had one single game on here yet that has lasted more than 2 months.

@FantasyChic

I've been there more times than I can count on my fingers and toes, both as a gm and a player. And yeah, having also been the one on the side where rl has gotten in the way, I can totally understand both sides of it. I have a game that I'm in right now that hasn't seen much activity because the gms - and players - have been busy with their real life. The GMs are in school and most of the players either have full-time jobs, are going to school full-time, or both.

I'm not holding any blame to them, but it kind of touches on the point of real life taking over big time, so I figured it was worth mentioning.

[Darcs]

@Mr Allen J My dude.

[Dervish]

@Altered Tundra Yeah, I've seen good RPs die because the GM had too much on their plate in real life. I get mad when I see people comment like "Oh then why did you start the game?" and all that, when you never know. Life has a habit of dropping a sack of poop on your lap at any given moment. That's also a game killer, when the GM or even the players have stuff to deal with, but they still say they'll come back or whatever, and gradually the interest just dies.

Seriously, I have not had one single game on here yet that has lasted more than 2 months.

@FantasyChic

<Snipped quote by FantasyChic>

I can understand your frustration as I too have entered several RPs only to have them fall to pieces. Some before they start, others after a few posts. It's hard cause I do place a lot of effort into trying to create a new character and when the RP ends, I feel like I was taken on a bit of a ride and had my time wasted. :\

I'd love to start a fresh RP but I'm not confident to do one without a co-gm to help, and I can't find one sine I don't spend enough time with the others to get a feel of their style and skills.

@NuttsnBolts

Suddenly I feel like a unicorn for having one of my games last shy of 3 years. Usually I can get a game going 6 months to over a year.

[NuttsnBolts]

<Snipped quote by FantasyChic>

<Snipped quote by NuttsnBolts>

Suddenly I feel like a unicorn for having one of my games last shy of 3 years. Usually I can get a game going 6 months to over a year.

@Dervish

What's your secret?

[TheEvanCat]

<Snipped quote by Dervish>

What's your secret?

@NuttsnBolts

It's a cover for a crack ring. Only explanation.

[Dervish]

<Snipped quote by Dervish>

What's your secret?

@NuttsnBolts

I throw away the key and have all the locks reversed so nobody can leave.

I think it's a combination of things. I find a lot of times simply screening players via character sheet quality, doing quick background check, and paying attention to prospective players' attitudes goes a long way, and getting lucky enough to have players who can stick with a project is something I think that comes along from actually befriending your players (I still chat fairly regularly with people I haven't RPed with in quite a long time), so having an active OOC that's mostly fun with the occasional business/ heads up is ideal, and I as a GM have to keep on top of things, so that means keeping the plot moving along, creating engaging stuff for everyone to do, and being able to juggle NPCs as well as my own player characters and the setting itself. Most of all, it's a determination to keep things going. I think a lot of GMs just kind of flake out as soon as things slow down or they get bored, and a big part of being a good GM is accepting that you're also doing the game for other people and not just yourself, so you owe it to them to try. A good mentality goes a long way.

<Snipped quote by NuttsnBolts>

It's a cover for a crack ring. Only explanation.

@TheEvanCat

I am not ashamed of my drug operations. Come by and try my Bring Your Own Meth Wednesdays!

[Nemaisare]

When you're wondering what the signs of a dying roleplay are... It's probably about to die.

[PlatinumSkink]

When that one idiot who thinks the perfectly healthy roleplay isn't going fast enough for his or her ridiculous standard and asks the question "Is this roleplay about to die?"

There is no question with as much negative energy. Usually it starts a cycle of negative energy making everyone not feel like posting anymore for varying reasons and then it dies... because that guy asked if the roleplay is about to die.

What I wrote may or may not be accurate, but I'm always so irritated when the hyper-active player suddenly asks if the roleplay is about to die when it was perfectly healthy and then IT GOES AND DIES STRAIGHT AFTER. Has happened at least two times. Three, I think. Geesh, that question annoys me.

Sometimes that hyper-active player is the GM. Then it's even worse. Because if the GM is the one feeling the doubt, it immediately spreads to everyone, no matter if they felt inspired by the roleplay or not.

[Nemaisare]

I usually ignore that or head it off to the best of my ability if I notice it soon enough. But that is pretty much why I mentioned it. It seems there's a pretty good correlation between wondering if an rp's going to die and then having it die.

Sometimes, this might be reasonable simply because it actually is going dead and you're hopeful but it's not turning out.

Other times, it's more likely a spiral that could have been avoided through the simple expedience of a bit of extra patience and not asking about it, so no one else winds up worrying or feeling pressured into posting.

Sort of like how just about every time someone says things couldn't get any worse in a movie, you start expecting rain....