How to Improve RP Activity, a Salon

[VampirateMace]

What is this?
This thread is for the identification of possible reasons for decreases in RP activity, and discussion of solutions. Some of the topics discussed are forum wide, and others may only apply to certain RPs.
~ In this context, a Salon, is a gathering of intellectuals to discuss important topics and increase knowledge.

~ This is NOT a thread for finger pointing, shaming, blaming, discussing blacklisting, bullying, debating, or complaining. These things are NOT productive and lead to hurt feelings. Many of them also fall under harassment, which is not permitted by SPPF at all.
~ NEW: Please also do not post one-liners that fail to contribute to the discussion.

~~~

Here's a couple example issues and my thoughts on them (please of course, discuss any additional activity issues/theories you have, there are many more issues then these):

1) Changes in Attitude:
~ If no one else is going to bother, why should I?
This is an example of circular thinking. Round about; if you don't bother, why would anyone else? I feel you should consider your SU a contract; you are committing to posting in the RP, and by accepting your SU, the GM is accepting your commitment.

~ I just don't have time.
Now, this goes 2 ways.

Stuff really does happen. People really do have RLs and get too busy to play, or the RP just isn't what they were expecting, and GMs we should be considerate of them. But by the same token, as a player you should let your GM know if you can't or don't want to play anymore, so they can resolve any situations your character is in, and possibly offer that shot to someone who can.

On the other hand, if you have time to SU for 3 RPs and don't have time to play in any of them. You may need to examine what you're really lacking in here, because it probably isn't really time.

2) Lack of Players:
~ There's just not a lot of active RPers on the forum.
True, but many RPs really would work just fine with only 2-3 players. However if you wish to help the issue, telling fellow/former SPPF RPers and RPers on other sites about RPs you're excited about, or think they might like couldn't hurt. (Keeping in mind that you shouldn't break any site's rules and guidelines to do this. SPPF has rules against advertising, so don't go PMing people unsolicited links.) You can also advertise your RPs in your signature, this used to be a thing, but a lot of people don't do it so much anymore.

~ The RP has plenty of players, but many players don't post or respond to requests to post.
This is where band-aid/quick-fix solutions come in handy. You can contact players letting them know you will be removing them from the RP, so that you can give their slot to someone that will be active. Either they will recommit to playing, or you'll be able to accept new players.

 

[Dragalge]

We live in the same age where people now have other means to RP such as Tumblr, Reddit, and Discord. Forums might have been a great source to RP back then but nowadays, they're starting to be slowly phased out in terms of being a place to RP.

Evolution stinks but that's what happens.

 

[VampirateMace]

We live in the same age where people now have other means to RP such as Tumblr, Reddit, and Discord. Forums might have been a great source to RP back then but nowadays, they're starting to be slowly phased out in terms of being a place to RP.

I don't think I really believe that. People have been doing quick RPs over message programs since at least the early 90s. This a completely different style of RP we are discussing. (Plus I'm on some other forums with very active RP sections, though I much prefer the rules here.)

 

[Monster Guy]

I love the first post. It covers a lot of the issues here. I especially like the comment about RPing being a commitment. I understand people have lives, and things happen, but that doesn't you should leave the other players hanging.

The only issue I have, is that I'm usually waiting on another character to reply to me before I can move along. Sometimes, my character is in some sort of interaction with another character. A while passes, and I tell the other player that I'm waiting for them. They say they'll post by a certain day. That day comes and goes, and nothing happens. I ask them again, with varying results, but it doesn't always result in a post. I end up getting stuck because I can't progress until the other person replies. Not every situation is one where I can easily get out if the other person vanishes. Especially if it's a situation where my character was in some sort of relationship with that character... It's especially difficult when my character is in some type of relationship with the other character. Then my character is pretty much dependent on them,

Please be considerate of the people you're interacting with. If you're interacting with someone, and you're not able to post for a while, give the other person a way out.

I'm sorry if this is coming off like complaining, I don't mean it to be.

 

[Dragalge]

I don't think I really believe that. People have been doing quick RPs over message programs since at least the early 90s. This a completely different style of RP we are discussing. (Plus I'm on some other forums with very active RP sections, though I much prefer the rules here.)

Eh, I'm not saying all forum's RP sections are slowing down but websites like Reddit and Tumblr are definitely creeping up as more popular resources for RPing (which do actually do the same type of RPs like forums) and will almost certainly overshadow forums in the future.

I love the first post. It covers a lot of the issues here. I especially like the comment about RPing being a commitment. I understand people have lives, and things happen, but that doesn't you should leave the other players hanging.

The only issue I have, is that I'm usually waiting on another character to reply to me before I can move along. Sometimes, my character is in some sort of interaction with another character. A while passes, and I tell the other player that I'm waiting for them. They say they'll post by a certain day. That day comes and goes, and nothing happens. I ask them again, with varying results, but it doesn't always result in a post. I end up getting stuck because I can't progress until the other person replies. Not every situation is one where I can easily get out if the other person vanishes. Especially if it's a situation where my character was in some sort of relationship with that character... It's especially difficult when my character is in some type of relationship with the other character. Then my character is pretty much dependent on them,

Please be considerate of the people you're interacting with. If you're interacting with someone, and you're not able to post for a while, give the other person a way out.

I'm sorry if this is coming off like complaining, I don't mean it to be.

Life happens. Even if one says they're gonna post the next day, the other person shouldn't assume that's a 100% guarantee that they will since anything could happen either the next minute, hour, etc. Now if someone said "I'll probably post tomorrow", then that's better since the other person won't take that as an 100% assumption that they will post the next day.

Not needing moderator approval for discussion threads could speed things up too. I get in the past it was needed but not so much today.

 

[Monster Guy]

Life happens. Even if one says they're gonna post the next day, the other person shouldn't assume that's a 100% guarantee that they will since anything could happen either the next minute, hour, etc. Now if someone said "I'll probably post tomorrow", then that's better since the other person won't take that as an 100% assumption that they will post the next day.

Not needing moderator approval for discussion threads could speed things up too. I get in the past it was needed but not so much today.

No, it doesn't make anything better, because I'm still stuck until they reply. Hence, if such a thing happens, give me a way out of the conversation so that I may continue RPing. It's not fair for me to be held up just because you're busy.

I agree on the last point. A place for RPers to discuss the events of the RP is necessary regardless of what kind of RP it is, and avoiding SPAM is a general rule anyway.

 

[InnerFlame]

I must say I'm quite guilty of just up and disappearing in a RPG for personal reasons, computer problems and boredom. But is also cases where I'm deeply into one and people just don't post and/or the GM themselves just seem to give up on it. I'm also a bit guilt of that in the couple of RPG's that I did.

But I must agree, I was once in a RPG that had lots of people and by the middle of it there just five people including the GM and we kept it going for a good while. So if people are willing even a small amount of people can keep it going. But in cases where people are team up with other person, it get really difficult. I was in a "The World Ends With You" RPG while me and my partner post back in forth there were cases of people whose partner never posted so there was nothing they could really do. So I feel people need to commit especially in those type of RPGs. Also the GM needs a plan in case something like that happens whether to be getting a replacement or helping the person out of a corner.

For me, I feel like there might be a decrease in RPGers because of the changing times. This is a Pokémon site and maybe people the amount of people who like Pokémon and RPing has lessen. I tend to occasionally drift away from this site but I've always comeback. Because I still really like Pokémon and this is my favorite place to RP. I tried one on DeviantArt but it's not really the same experience. Many people I knew, don't come here anymore. So I believe that people have found other places that they rather RPG at or simply just grew up and don't have time for this anymore.

It might be the new people who want to RP are intimidated by the veteran RPGers that remain and the rules. I don't know, I haven't been really active here until recently.

 

[Requiem's Eclipse]

I'm guilty for disappearing for months...or years...from the forum and coming back.


....For me, the reason was real life. I went off to college/ university. I only had time for education and my social life. I also go through phases of needing an escape from life and that's what RPing here provides me. However, SPPF is the only place I really ever RP'd...I joined like 11 years ago at this point. Seeing how this place is now compared to when I first joined is astonishing. Also new members looking at the literal TEXT WALLS we write for our RPs can intimidate them from trying rping out.

I remember a time when RPs had no issue of getting started, I remember when Sign-Ups were abundant. Now we're lucky if we get all the sign ups completed.

The main issue for SPPF RPing and the forum in general is just people left the site completely or moved to another, more active forum.

SPPF's Rping community is rather small, I see pretty much the same people signing up for RPs and then what happens is that so many of the same people are in multiple RPs they die because of commitment with other RPs/ just too much of a work load. This might've changed since the last time I checked the last time I was active....

A personal point: With the above being said, as a pseudo-veteran member, coming back to this place after a few years of college, it was hard for me to get back into the social part of the RPing section. I remember I had made a lot of connections when I first started, but after graduating high school in 2011, real life happened and I wasn't active for years. People forgot I existed, and then trying to break back into this tight nit community was.....intimidating? I don't know it's a weird feeling to describe, but I didn't feel as welcomed as I did before so I dropped off the map until recently.

Idk....just my thoughts.