Idea: SF RP-dedicated Discord Server

[A Random Player]

So topic. I've recently been part of a discord server dedicated to roleplaying and I must say that it's a great experience. Then I remembered how the community here also has an active roleplay community and thought that it might be a good idea to make one for SF. We could create our own lore, factions, and generally have a good time.

Before I go through with it though, I want your opinions. Would you be interested in  joining a RP-dedicated Discord server and if you do, what would you want to be in it?

For clarification, I'm not talking about a server to discuss existing RPs but a seperate roleplay contained within the server.

Edited March 22, 2017 by A Random Player

[Acacia Sgt]

Wait, do you mean hosting an RP in a Discord Server, of have a "Central Hub" sort of server for the RP's here?

[A Random Player]

The first one. 

[eclipse]

No.  My timezone is super awkward, so I wouldn't be able to do much of anything..

[Toyotasomi no Miko]

I've seen something like that before, and time zones don't necessarily break it. Whether I'm interested or not will more or less depend on what exactly the roleplay will be.

[Shin]

Most RPs happen here as play by post, it's incredibly unusual to see anything that's done via IM. It also makes things hard with timezones, you're either waiting a while on people or exluding them, so it might as well be play by post. What is slightly more feasible is an RP central hub. However, whilst a nice idea, I'm not sure what it would really accomplish. RPs tend to have their own dedicated chat groups and as shown by the roleplay chat section, there's very little discussion outside of specific roleplays. 

Edited March 22, 2017 by Shin

[A Random Player]

I do understand the problem with timezones. Though in our case, we have enough people from different ones to at least have *something* happening most of the time. And I also understand that most RPs in this forum are done by post which is good way of playing of course, but I believe that an IM-based RP will also be a unique experience.

For example while a fight in a by post RP can stretch to several days at a time, giving the participants the time to choose their moves carefully, that luxury won't be available in an IM-based RP since you'll have to take a move immediately or after several minutes at most, giving way to a more genuine reaction instead of one carefully calculated as if in a real fight. Same thing with regular conversations, while in a by post RP we'll respond after thinking about our character's personality and how they would respond to a particular situation in order to reach the best outcome, in IM-based you'd have to respond at the spur of the moment often being influenced by the player's own emotions, leading to unique consequences like in real world interactions.

Suggesting this idea doesn't mean that I want to replace the by post RPs present in this forum, but merely offering a different alternative roleplaying experience that can coexist alongside the already present format.

[Phoenix]

I would have preferred a general chat server to an RP, but there's not much point to that from the look of things. Also ...

1 hour ago, A Random Player said:

For example while a fight in a by post RP can stretch to several days at a time, giving the participants the time to choose their moves carefully, that luxury won't be available in an IM-based RP since you'll have to take a move immediately or after several minutes at most, giving way to a more genuine reaction instead of one carefully calculated as if in a real fight.

Spur of the moment actions aren't necessarily more 'genuine' than well thought out ones. It's easier to metagame with more thinking time, but it's also possible to have a character respond with more of their personality and the context factored in (if the effort is put in). With less time to consider a character's personality and the context of the situation, I think you're more likely to make 'errors'. At least, I think some people would see their posts that way in hindsight.

1 hour ago, A Random Player said:

while in a by post RP we'll respond after thinking about our character's personality and how they would respond to a particular situation in order to reach the best outcome, in IM-based you'd have to respond at the spur of the moment often being influenced by the player's own emotions, leading to unique consequences like in real world interactions.

This also rubs me like an overall negative. I prefer less player emotions in characters, not more. 'Unique' consequences can come about whether an RPer is portraying their character accurately or metagaming. In general, more time to come up with responses is a double edged sword; it's more time for coming up with ways to manipulate a situation, and more time for really getting in character. Anyway, I'm sure IMRPs have their charms, but they don't appeal to me personally.

[Erren]

I back this

[A Random Player]

2 hours ago, Phoenix said:

Spur of the moment actions aren't necessarily more 'genuine' than well thought out ones. It's easier to metagame with more thinking time, but it's also possible to have a character respond with more of their personality and the context factored in (if the effort is put in). With less time to consider a character's personality and the context of the situation, I think you're more likely to make 'errors'. At least, I think some people would see their posts that way in hindsight.

But you make errors in a real fight too... And correct me if I'm wrong but the metagame usually happens more often than the personality. An IM-RP would simulate a real fight more than a by post RP could, at least in my opinion.

 

2 hours ago, Phoenix said:

IThis also rubs me like an overall negative. I prefer less player emotions in characters, not more. 'Unique' consequences can come about whether an RPer is portraying their character accurately or metagaming. In general, more time to come up with responses is a double edged sword; it's more time for coming up with ways to manipulate a situation, and more time for really getting in character.

When on a IM-RP, you get in character at the beginning of the interaction and stop at the end. While in a by post RP you'd have to get in and out of character every time you say a line and wait for the other person to respond. I think that could make your character way less consistent than without breaks. I don't claim to have played enough by post RP to say this without a doubt though, so feel free to correct me. Also regarding the emotions, as I said above, the players get in character at the beginning of the interaction so their emotions should at least partially translate into the character as well, or that's what I think at least.

 

2 hours ago, Phoenix said:

Anyway, I'm sure IMRPs have their charms, but they don't appeal to me personally.

If you're saying that because of what I've said about it, then please reconsider. I'm generally bad at explaining stuff and I don't think I'm doing it any justice at all. It's a lot better than I make it out to be, really!

[Phoenix]

2 minutes ago, A Random Player said:

But you make errors in a real fight too... And correct me if I'm wrong but the metagame usually happens more often than the personality. An IM-RP would simulate a real fight more than a by post RP could, at least in my opinion.

Errors happen either way, but like I said, it's more likely if you don't have time to think. I don't know which happens more often, metagame or natural behavior, but I doubt time constraints would really address it, anyway. I also have to disagree on an IMRP simulating real combat better by default. It really all comes down to how much care and effort the people involved are putting in.

15 minutes ago, A Random Player said:

When on a IM-RP, you get in character at the beginning of the interaction and stop at the end. While in a by post RP you'd have to get in and out of character every time you say a line and wait for the other person to respond. I think that could make your character way less consistent than without breaks. I don't claim to have played enough by post RP to say this without a doubt though, so feel free to correct me.

Again, it depends on how much effort a person puts in. Getting in character at the start, then IMing all the way to the end would  probably work well for a single character, but that's one reason why IMRPing doesn't really appeal to me, personally. Anyone who knows me knows I sire a new NPC every other week. It wouldn't be impossible to juggle ten NPCs at a time in IM, probably not even that hard, but it's still not my thing.

21 minutes ago, A Random Player said:

If you're saying that because of what I've said about it, then please reconsider. I'm generally bad at explaining stuff and I don't think I'm doing it any justice at all. It's a lot better than I make it out to be, really!

I've done a few rounds of IMRPing, though it wasn't an actual RP, mostly just some short social theorycrafting sessions.

[WhistyRose]

this is a good idea ;3 go for it

[A Random Player]

Glad you think so. I'm gonna need someone to help run it though. And preferably someone good with discord bots.

[Erren]

I dont have any topics I am in, so thats why I am interested.

[Snowy_One]

While I would normally give it consideration, my work schedule effectively has me on near-Tokyo time so I would not be able to do much.

[A Random Player]

On 3/31/2017 at 8:53 AM, Erren said:

I dont have any topics I am in, so thats why I am interested.

You should try to join one. Even if this eventually takes off, I don't think it'll be for a while.

[Erren]

ill try