The future of RP at SFO

[Andrew McCloud]

Chat-based RPGs are much faster and the story moves along a lot quicker than a forum one would. I was in a forum RPG and it took nearly a month of posting just to get 4 posts from each person. In a chat-based one, that takes about 5 minutes. So for every IRL year of forum RPing, in chat it could take roughly an hour XD Especially since most RPGs you atleast a on d20 die system in order to account for actions, this can be a large burden taken off of the GM and the other players.

Of course, you have to remember that in order to succeed at chat RP, you have to be -good- at roleplaying, so if you're just starting out it can be a bit tricky for some to be quick-thinking, but in the end you'll become better for it.

[Asper Sarnoff]

  Quote

Chat-based RPGs are much faster and the story moves along a lot quicker than a forum one would. I was in a forum RPG and it took nearly a month of posting just to get 4 posts from each person. In a chat-based one, that takes about 5 minutes. So for every IRL year of forum RPing, in chat it could take roughly an hour XD Especially since most RPGs you atleast a on d20 die system in order to account for actions, this can be a large burden taken off of the GM and the other players.

Of course, you have to remember that in order to succeed at chat RP, you have to be -good- at roleplaying, so if you're just starting out it can be a bit tricky for some to be quick-thinking, but in the end you'll become better for it.

But, the problem is that such a system only favors those who live in vaguely the same timezone as the mayority. And a couple of the roleplayers here don't.

Besides, I personally hate chats where I type down everything I need to say, only for someone else to post in the last second and have me rewrite it all. English is not my native language, and I'm thus quite a slow typist. :oops:

[DZComposer]

Lack of activity is not a problem we are having, it is the opposite: Our RPs are moving so fast that they are getting difficult to moderate.

[Guest Julius Quasar]

  Quote

Lack of activity is not a problem we are having, it is the opposite: Our RPs are moving so fast that they are getting difficult to moderate.

Well, like I said, DZ, I'll take that second Mod position if you need me to.

I myself don't care for chat based RP's.

[Andrew McCloud]

  Quote

Lack of activity is not a problem we are having, it is the opposite: Our RPs are moving so fast that they are getting difficult to moderate.

Of course, but the moderation is exponentially easier in chat format. It's that, or get more moderators I'm afraid-- I see no other methodology that can solve this issue.

As for different timezones, I've chat RPed with folks + and - 5 hours from me, leading to a 10 time skip for some. It's not impossible, it just has to be planned accordingly. Don't forget that in adopting chat RP, the issue of posting multiple days is eliminated, and put into a several hour block of one or two days a week or every other week, thus making it very easy to compromise to people's schedules.

[Guest Para Astaroth]

  Quote

Lack of activity is not a problem we are having, it is the opposite: Our RPs are moving so fast that they are getting difficult to moderate.

Well, how long should you recommend the initial RP to be if one is created?

[Kursed]

  Quote

Lack of activity is not a problem we are having, it is the opposite: Our RPs are moving so fast that they are getting difficult to moderate.

They don't seem very fast to me.

[Guest DRL]

  Quote

But, the problem is that such a system only favors those who live in vaguely the same timezone as the mayority. And a couple of the roleplayers here don't.

Besides, I personally hate chats where I type down everything I need to say, only for someone else to post in the last second and have me rewrite it all. English is not my native language, and I'm thus quite a slow typist.

That is true.

I mean, I go to night classes and everthing,

but seriously, when it's 2:00 pm to some of you

guys it is 5:30 AM to me.

[Kursed]

This is why I prefure forum roleplays peopel from anywhere on earth can get in provided that the people in the same country or timezone don't go too fast.

[Scott7]

  Quote

They don't seem very fast to me.

Agreed, i'm still waitning on someon to ask me about The Life stone

[Robert Monroe]

I think RPs should be more lenient, really. I read the rules, and they seem awfully strict. Are our RPers really so rowdy we need more moderators to tell them to play nice? I'm a pretty strong advocate of the GM being in charge of their own RP. If they need help dealing with a PC, they can get a mod to yell at them, or they can just kill the PC off.

I really don't see a need for such intense moderation of the RP forum as a whole.

[Asper Sarnoff]

Actually, there's been ages since we've had problems in the RP board now. Any trouble brewing is spotted immediately, and dealt with. Another roleplay moderator to keep track of the RP approval would be good, but apart from that, there doesn't seem to be much to improve.

Also, caution should be put into not approving to many roleplays at the same time either. We do have a couple dormant roleplays around even now, and there simply isn't enough players around to fill many more.

[Andrew McCloud]

This is why I recommend Moderators running set RPs. This way, the GM has the power to act on their own RP, and that GM is educated enough to make critical decisions with relation to the forum as a whole. Yes, this limits the number of personal RPs, but that's kind of the goal here anyways.

Not to mention, as I said, it forces people to be more creative with their characters when they are limited to a few of them. This ends up being -way- more fun in the end, trust me.

[DZComposer]

I think some of these issues will be less once I finish RPSystem. But, I need time...

The system will give creators some control over their RPs, which is impossible to do on the forums without giving users powers on the RP board I would rather they not have (permissions are not thread-granular).

As far as status, I have the OO classes laid out and the base functions for each class declared. I need to write the SQL for those functions, then tidy them up, before I move on to writing the remainder of the code, which will be dependent on the functions.

[Robert Monroe]

  Quote

I think some of these issues will be less once I finish RPSystem. But, I need time...

The system will give creators some control over their RPs, which is impossible to do on the forums without giving users powers on the RP board I would rather they not have (permissions are not thread-granular).

As far as status, I have the OO classes laid out and the base functions for each class declared. I need to write the SQL for those functions, then tidy them up, before I move on to writing the remainder of the code, which will be dependent on the functions.

GMs don't need moderator powers, they have GM powers. If they absolutely NEED a moderator, they can ask for one, but they would only be needed for such things as disrespectful or cheating PCs who harass the RP as a whole.

[Sabre]

  Quote

GMs don't need moderator powers, they have GM powers. If they absolutely NEED a moderator, they can ask for one, but they would only be needed for such things as disrespectful or cheating PCs who harass the RP as a whole.

What about hyjacks? The whole RP issue started way back and was coused by differing opinions on what is and isn't canon. Also certain members were hyjacking other RPs and turning them into romance RPs. Those arguments spilled over into the forum.

[Robert Monroe]

  Quote

What about hyjacks? The whole RP issue started way back and was coused by differing opinions on what is and isn't canon. Also certain members were hyjacking other RPs and turning them into romance RPs. Those arguments spilled over into the forum.

GM is god. That is the rule of RPs. If you don't like the GM's world, then don't partake in their RP.

Now, this does make a problem if we get alot of GMs who are unoriginal, but that can just be motivation for some of us to make GOOD roleplays too.

[Guest DRL]

  Quote

GM is god. That is the rule of RPs. If you don't like the GM's world, then don't partake in their RP.

Now, this does make a problem if we get alot of GMs who are unoriginal, but that can just be motivation for some of us to make GOOD roleplays too.

"GOOD roleplays"...

It is subjetive. Making a GM 'god' will allow

him to do anything he wants, even being disrespectfull

to the players. It also allows a must-avoid thing: Godmodding.

In other words, if he says 'you are killed instantly by a bla,bla,bla',

whereas in moderated RPlays the cretor will certainly NOT do that.

Additionally, moderated RPs prevent RP degradation/hyjacking,

that might happen if a GM takes the moderator's place.

And as I said before, 'GOOD' is subjective.

To what one is a piece of scrap,

to the other is pure gold...

[Guest DRL]

I already now-how-to-RolePlay, thanks.

All I am saying is that GM can be VERY DIFFERENT

from what you expect them to be. In addition,

most GMs, included myself, like to parttake in their

RPs.

[Robert Monroe]

  Quote

I already now-how-to-RolePlay, thanks.

All I am saying is that GM can be VERY DIFFERENT

from what you expect them to be. In addition,

most GMs, included myself, like to parttake in their

RPs.

There is nothing wrong with that. I partake in RPs too as a GM and as a PC. But because its MY RP, I have creative control. Flexibility should be encouraged and allowed (have several ideas you want to work at, and see how your PCs arrive to it), but in the should push come to shove, the writer of the RP is the one who should have the final say. Unless he's constantly Railroading or whatever, I'm not seeing a problem.

[Sideways]

OK, that's enough. This is NOT the place to bicker about who's idea of RPing is better.