Hi Everyone!

Since there are tons of people who really like the forums RP, I was wondering if there is anything that would make it better? I'm not saying I can make any of them come true but I would still like to know the moments where you are saying to yourself "this is fun, but if we had this minor change, it could really make it better".

I was personally thinking about adding dice rolls?

Please let me know your thoughts!

Thanks!
Spinwhiz

The only thing I feel could need improvement is the dedication of many GM's. Many fail to follow the guidelines of late, or even basic forum etiquette like spelling and using proper grammar. I don't know how we can make the forum guidelines more clear, but it stands obvious you get more time spent into your RP if you spend time into it as a GM, and that promotes motivation.
That aside though, me and fullmetalangel thought about posting a whole heap of tips for users who want to GM an RP early in their visit here. I think we could provide a lot of insight and help. Besides this, I always offer myself willing to help with advice or anything else regarding RP. Perhaps more people could do this.

Lately, there have been some RP's with, shall we say, less planning into them. This is fine, when the role-playing in itself calls for it and can make it work. After all, RP's are its participants. But formatting of the text (especially in the OP), proper language and grammar should be enforced a lot stricter. This goes, however, for all the forums, so it is not anything specific to the RP forum.

Edit: On the note of Dice-rolling, we had a Roll to Dodge in the works, but the user has not been online for a long time. 'Twas a shame, as I showed interest in a dead project. Dice-rolling works to add both structure, justice (by random chance) and a system, but it is only of them. It is being used in RP's now and then. It is all about the GM's preferences. =)

Dice rolling would help make things a bit more fair and apparent I think. Might get me a bit more interested. It'd also be cool if we could get a setup for online DnD and other setups going, fairly steadily.

Dice rolls are decent but it depends from RP to RP. Some GMs want them, some don't and either system works fine.

A system I personally like though that works well with survival RPs (and I'm going to steal this straight off of another RP website), is where inactive people (*cough* fullmetalangel *cough*) are executed after an arbitrary amount of time (say, 3 days for AWOL, or a week for an announced leave), and people are picked at random to die every once in a while (the RP website I'm thinking about set it to a month). It helps shake things up a bit and keep the RP from going stale, not to mention opening up new character slots, or not, depending on what the RP is.
Players should be allowed a brief period of time to figure out how they should die and post it, otherwise, the GM may have to take it into her own hands.
This system is very dependant on how willing the GM is to actually enforce these laws of course, otherwise, it's going to become meaningless.

I'm just throwing that up there for reference and a good idea I haven't seen being used yet. Keyword there is "I".

RPs in general should have all the rules written down in the OP: no godmoding, no trench coating, no Mary Sues, and any other rules the GM would like such as proper grammar and spelling, perhaps minimum post lengths, etc. Sure this is all mentioned in the forum guidelines thingy (I think...) but not everyone looks at that before they start.

And as Higurashi said, RPs should let the players be the focus, and my Dungeon Master's Guide 3.0 agrees with me.

This applies to all RPs of course, except the survival RP thing, that's just a neat idea I like.

Course, that's just my opinion, and I am in no way a veteran RPer, I can count all the RPs I've been in on one hand, but I'm throwing it out there just in case its mildly helpful.

Mostly, the GM needs to put thought,time and effort into the RP. Leave nothing to chance. But sometimes RP's fail due to lack of effort on the participant's side. Dice rolls might help. It depends how often they were used. You wouldn't be able to add them to absolutely everything and expect things to flow along easily.

Dice rolling sounds pretty cool.

However from the way alot of people are typing makes me feel like I'm doing it wrong, for the grand total of 2 rp's that I've ever hosted all I've done is simply be another character and if someone else makes a plot move then I roll with that, so the question is "Am I doing it wrong?"

Apart from that as a suggestion I would say a way where you can save long posts incase you get ninja'd or the computer crashes. Nothing worse then going for a five-page epic battle scene and the computer decides it's time for tubby-bye-bye.

(I realise you can use word or Notepad but having to constantly copy and paste and save, then delete and copy and past the new part gets annoying after a while)

Dice rolls would be good, it probably would certainly help situations like combat a bit; and it would allow people to have non-RP games.

Three things. Lenience.....how ever much control is needed Rp's should be fun. I think that there should be a higher power level in some RP's. Obviously there needs to be limitations but sometimes it would just be great to actually make that kick ass character you always really wanted.

Secondly....Dedication.......I was recently in an RP went the owner scraped it. Just like that told us it was over and that our posts so far where futile and a waste of time. Big no-no.

Third of all i think that the RP's so far are based around a Gm making one post and others responding to it. i think there should be a bit more character made plotline and that the GM's should leave a bit more of the plot making to the character. I think that a GM should only have to make as much effort as a single character and the people in the RP should make more contributions.

xXGeckoXx:

Secondly....Dedication.......I was recently in an RP went the owner scraped it. Just like that told us it was over and that our posts so far where futile and a waste of time.

That's because you were adding things without warning, and disobeying the rules. If he had kicked all the people behaving like you were, there would have been 3 of us left

Spartan Bannana:

xXGeckoXx:

Secondly....Dedication.......I was recently in an RP went the owner scraped it. Just like that told us it was over and that our posts so far where futile and a waste of time.

That's because you were adding things without warning, and disobeying the rules. If he had kicked all the people behaving like you were, there would have been 3 of us left

Ok I'm sorry...i get it...but there where better solutions like simply telling me make a completely new character or you are off the list. I would have come up with something good and we could continue.

Higurashi's got the right idea.

Perhaps this is a bit of a stretch, as far as "minor" changes go, but I'd like to see a separate forum for Roleplaying and Forum Games. Simply because the new RP's that are desperately in need of players get swamped beneath floors of "This + This=Game" threads.

Like a said, probably too much, but that's my two cents.

Flying-Emu:
Higurashi's got the right idea.

Perhaps this is a bit of a stretch, as far as "minor" changes go, but I'd like to see a separate forum for Roleplaying and Forum Games. Simply because the new RP's that are desperately in need of players get swamped beneath floors of "This + This=Game" threads.

Like a said, probably too much, but that's my two cents.

This.

I've also noticed RPs that get crushed beneath the feet of the unlimited amounts of "This+ This=Game. I think a seperate Forum section for RPs is a fantabulous idea.

Dice Rolls sound awesome, but I would be interested to see how it could work. I mean, unless the OP makes the roll, cheating will be rife in and RP that involves this.

As for improvements on the part of the RP section, am looking and taking notes of everyone's suggestions. You see, I am writing my own RP but its far from done, and with the effort I have placed into it, I don't want it to die.

I think that splitting apart the forum games and RP section would be a great help

both activities are growing, and I believe that they need to have their own sections in order to continue growing.

SargentToughie:
I think that splitting apart the forum games and RP section would be a great help

both activities are growing, and I believe that they need to have their own sections in order to continue growing.

Also agreed.

What is slightly more necessary, however, is some way to 'encourage' new users to read the Guidelines, I've noticed more and more people not paying them their due.

Lord Krunk:
Dice Rolls sound awesome, but I would be interested to see how it could work. I mean, unless the OP makes the roll, cheating will be rife in and RP that involves this.

As for improvements on the part of the RP section, am looking and taking notes of everyone's suggestions. You see, I am writing my own RP but its far from done, and with the effort I have placed into it, I don't want it to die.

Well, from what I've seen, RPs with that system have the GM doing all the combat calculations, like in Winds of Fate, the players in combat PM the GM all their actions and the GM meshes it together.

berethond:
What is slightly more necessary, however, is some way to 'encourage' new users to read the Guidelines, I've noticed more and more people not paying them their due.

Can't really force them so I think GMs should either write down the rules in the OP or provide a link. Most good RPs seem to do that already.

edit:

Flying-Emu:
Aww, shucks, you're using me as an example? I'm so proud of myself.

'Course I am, you deserve it :D

fullmetalangel:

Lord Krunk:
Dice Rolls sound awesome, but I would be interested to see how it could work. I mean, unless the OP makes the roll, cheating will be rife in and RP that involves this.

As for improvements on the part of the RP section, am looking and taking notes of everyone's suggestions. You see, I am writing my own RP but its far from done, and with the effort I have placed into it, I don't want it to die.

Well, from what I've seen, RPs with that system have the GM doing all the combat calculations, like in Winds of Fate, the players in combat PM the GM all their actions and the GM meshes it together.

Aww, shucks, you're using me as an example? I'm so proud of myself.

Flying-Emu:

fullmetalangel:

Lord Krunk:
Dice Rolls sound awesome, but I would be interested to see how it could work. I mean, unless the OP makes the roll, cheating will be rife in and RP that involves this.

As for improvements on the part of the RP section, am looking and taking notes of everyone's suggestions. You see, I am writing my own RP but its far from done, and with the effort I have placed into it, I don't want it to die.

Well, from what I've seen, RPs with that system have the GM doing all the combat calculations, like in Winds of Fate, the players in combat PM the GM all their actions and the GM meshes it together.

Aww, shucks, you're using me as an example? I'm so proud of myself.

You damn well better be! Most fun I have had in an RP for a long time. And the system works very well. That is why so many steal it from you. ;3

Higurashi:

Flying-Emu:

fullmetalangel:

Lord Krunk:
Dice Rolls sound awesome, but I would be interested to see how it could work. I mean, unless the OP makes the roll, cheating will be rife in and RP that involves this.

As for improvements on the part of the RP section, am looking and taking notes of everyone's suggestions. You see, I am writing my own RP but its far from done, and with the effort I have placed into it, I don't want it to die.

Well, from what I've seen, RPs with that system have the GM doing all the combat calculations, like in Winds of Fate, the players in combat PM the GM all their actions and the GM meshes it together.

Aww, shucks, you're using me as an example? I'm so proud of myself.

You damn well better be! Most fun I have had in an RP for a long time. And the system works very well. That is why so many steal it from you. ;3

^^;

Aww, stop, you're making me blush. Higu, Fullmetal, I love you guys.

I think there should be subforums within the forums, especially for a thing like this. There should be like forum games and video game/book/movie/ect roleplay, and rp recruiting

notoriouslynx:
I think there should be subforums within the forums, especially for a thing like this. There should be like forum games and video game/book/movie/ect roleplay, and rp recruiting

Can you explain why more forums means better RP?

wilsonscrazybed:

notoriouslynx:
I think there should be subforums within the forums, especially for a thing like this. There should be like forum games and video game/book/movie/ect roleplay, and rp recruiting

Can you explain why more forums means better RP?

It wouldn't help the RP, but it would help people find RPs.
As for making the actual RP better, this one website I goto has dice rolls and random number with their posts, that would be nice.

Flying-Emu:

Higurashi:

Flying-Emu:

fullmetalangel:

Lord Krunk:
Dice Rolls sound awesome, but I would be interested to see how it could work. I mean, unless the OP makes the roll, cheating will be rife in and RP that involves this.

As for improvements on the part of the RP section, am looking and taking notes of everyone's suggestions. You see, I am writing my own RP but its far from done, and with the effort I have placed into it, I don't want it to die.

Well, from what I've seen, RPs with that system have the GM doing all the combat calculations, like in Winds of Fate, the players in combat PM the GM all their actions and the GM meshes it together.

Aww, shucks, you're using me as an example? I'm so proud of myself.

You damn well better be! Most fun I have had in an RP for a long time. And the system works very well. That is why so many steal it from you. ;3

^^;

Aww, stop, you're making me blush. Higu, Fullmetal, I love you guys.

What the hell Emu?
Well then...
I see how it is
Dastardos runs into a corner and cries

I'd like to see a OOC section and a submit RP idea to get approved sorta thing to filter out all the crap. Also a recruitment thread to avoid people just poppoing in for no reason unless its some sort of open rp.

In short I'd like to see more sections dedicated to different parts of rp.

Dastardos:

Flying-Emu:

Higurashi:

Flying-Emu:

fullmetalangel:

Lord Krunk:
Dice Rolls sound awesome, but I would be interested to see how it could work. I mean, unless the OP makes the roll, cheating will be rife in and RP that involves this.

As for improvements on the part of the RP section, am looking and taking notes of everyone's suggestions. You see, I am writing my own RP but its far from done, and with the effort I have placed into it, I don't want it to die.

Well, from what I've seen, RPs with that system have the GM doing all the combat calculations, like in Winds of Fate, the players in combat PM the GM all their actions and the GM meshes it together.

Aww, shucks, you're using me as an example? I'm so proud of myself.

You damn well better be! Most fun I have had in an RP for a long time. And the system works very well. That is why so many steal it from you. ;3

^^;

Aww, stop, you're making me blush. Higu, Fullmetal, I love you guys.

What the hell Emu?
Well then...
I see how it is
Dastardos runs into a corner and cries

Hehe.. we love you too, man. And Dasta, you too. Join the group hug!

As for on topic, the opinions given pretty much summarize the needs of the community. We definitely need to separate the forum games and the forum RP's, as the RP's get shoved down by the amount of forum games and missed. This hurts even more when you have put a lot of work into the RP. This is one of the reasons why some users decided to make a new site only for RP'ing.

What freebiewitz is saying is perhaps a bit ambitious, but on the other hand, we are getting a LOT more RP's nowadays, and it will only grow. Not to mention it would explode if we separated in such a way, making the entire process so much smoother.

I am interested in what notoriouslynx is saying. Sounds useful. Mind linking us up, mistah?

Dastardos runs to hug Higurashi, and glares at Emu

Yeah though the games need their own forums. They push the RPs down to never be seen again, and I don't want to bump it to the top.

EDIT: Also people need to stop starting RPs before they have enough players. Examples are scattered around the forum.

I think dice rolling is a great idea, in fact I am sure some of us would be able to come up with a proper escapist RPG with rules and stuff...

Taking RPing less seriously always makes it better.

Myselfe:
Taking RPing less seriously always makes it better.

I would say the "always" should be replaced with a "sometimes". RP'ing is supposed to be fun, after all, so you have a point. Besides this, there could definitely be more RP's that have a bit of humour in them. Silliness, even. This would attract more RP'ers, like NewClassic. He once told me doesn't RP here unless the RP is really silly, because he always get really silly, and there have been no RP's of that kind really. There's a reason, of course; it's hard as hell to do right.
There's plenty of room for that in the Ratings War however, which is running on its second instalment now, and the third is in the works.

For one i suggest making this into two subforums RP and forum games. that would mean the RPs don't get lost under piles of crappy forum games. secondly i don't think that dice rolling is needed, as most GMs use either physical dice or other sites when rolling is required, hell most GMS don't even use dice and never would.

I would love the ability to sign up for an RP, and that threads maker could flag it for an important update.

So say you log on, and in your inbox is 'Mobius has flagged a post 'Blades of Retribution''. Better yet would be a menu in the profile, but that would be a pain to our non-RPing users. It would allow GM's to widely notify the players, make sure key plot points are not swept aside and for someone like me who adores overly convoluted RP's, saves me re-typing the same message over and over.

Another is a 'tailer post'. I have seen this on only one other site, but it equates to a post that is always the most recent. It inserts itself at the back and moves to accommodate new posts. Once again, a great way to keep players up to date and post important details and reminders. For longer games like a lyncher or the truly leviathan Queen of Hearts, it means a player doesn't have to look intensely for the latest news.

Both these features make RP'ing less of a chore, for both GM and player, and that means motivation stays high.

An ability to set deadlines would also rock, but i can see that being abused. How much do you trust us Escapians? Once again, just a feature to streamline the experience.

And as much as i hate to ask, a sort of Mod-ship in RP threads to GMs. I know it's a risk, but allowing GM's more control over their threads can help stomp out OCC floods and keep things on track. It would solve the riddle that plagues escapist RP's, that more players often shortens the life of an RP, rather than extends it. Nothing god-like, but perhaps the ability to flag a post as 'Bad Form' for the player and others to see. This could come with a 30 letter notice for things like 'poor spelling', 'no more OCC' or 'Too short'.

Better yet, a mod for the RP forum. Nil and Wil do great in Off-topic and Game discussion, but with blurred lines they don't have time to chase the politics of the RP forum and remember slack GM's for repeat offenses. With the addition of the aforementioned flags, they could act as a final word where argument erupts (As it should on a good RP forum, where passions are high and people care about outcomes. Not flames, but honest disagreements).

Just my thoughts. I will be back with more, be sure of it. I was planning a big PM anyway, so this saves me typing in a tiny box and 'sploding Tendo's inbox.

Higurashi:

There's plenty of room for that in the Ratings War however, which is running on its second instalment now, and the third is in the works.

To an extent, ratings war can also be a place for some more serious stories as well. I think provided the character is viable, i'd say what you do with them is up to you. Khedive Rex proved that you can do light-heartedness very impressively without descending into Stupid.

Ultrajoe:

Higurashi:
There's plenty of room for that in the Ratings War however, which is running on its second instalment now, and the third is in the works.

To an extent, ratings war can also be a place for some more serious stories as well. I think provided the character is viable, i'd say what you do with them is up to you. Khedive Rex proved that you can do light-heartedness very impressively without descending into Stupid.

Of course. There's room for both seriousness and silliness, as there is room for almost anything within the frames of decency. 'Tis what makes it great. The liberty that is under control.

Ultrajoe:
I would love the ability to sign up for an RP, and that threads maker could flag it for an important update.

So say you log on, and in your inbox is 'Mobius has flagged a post 'Blades of Retribution''. Better yet would be a menu in the profile, but that would be a pain to our non-RPing users. It would allow GM's to widely notify the players, make sure key plot points are not swept aside and for someone like me who adores overly convoluted RP's, saves me re-typing the same message over and over.

You can actually send messages to multiple users by separating their names with commas in the "To" section.
E.G: Ultrajoe, Darth Mobius, Higurashi...

I think it's a maximum of five though. There could just be a link to the post or possibly quote it in the PM, whatever the GM wants.

conqueror Kenny:

Ultrajoe:
I would love the ability to sign up for an RP, and that threads maker could flag it for an important update.

So say you log on, and in your inbox is 'Mobius has flagged a post 'Blades of Retribution''. Better yet would be a menu in the profile, but that would be a pain to our non-RPing users. It would allow GM's to widely notify the players, make sure key plot points are not swept aside and for someone like me who adores overly convoluted RP's, saves me re-typing the same message over and over.

You can actually send messages to multiple users by separating their names with commas in the "To" section.
E.G: Ultrajoe, Darth Mobius, Higurashi...

I think it's a maximum of five though. There could just be a link to the post or possibly quote it in the PM, whatever the GM wants.

That's the point, though. A 'broadcast to players' would be quicker than calling up the usernames with all of their wondrous spelling, and it means nobody gets left out. Once again, it's about streamlining the process so that games become more RP than Timekeeping. I know from experience what can happen when a complex RP goes a little off the wall, and you have to herd both goats and sleeping crocodiles back on track. That said, the restriction of the message contents to a link to the post would be an excellent idea, as it stops the abuse of the feature. Perhaps a limit between uses of the function would also be necessary. Better yet, require that player to be 'signed-up' to receive the broadcasts.

Things here aren't broken, but i don't think that's an excuse to not fix them. We can make an RP forum to rule above all!

Splitting the Forum Games and RPs into two subsections would be a good idea, methinks. Beyond that everything seems to be working fairly well.

What might be good is a sort of "GM Toolkit." Have a panel of tools the GM can use, like the trailer post and the broadcast to players and all the other stuff that has been suggested. That way if you think up a new tool you can just add it to the toolkit. It might take some time to set up and work out all the details, but once it is set up it would be easy to modify.

Does that make any sense?