One Account per Member or Character?

[Kami]

Hi! I've done both on the same forum (though not at the same time) so hopefully my 0.02 will be useful.

1. The biggest thing I want to add here is that with the account switcher + global login system that PB has, it is *so* easy to switch accounts and create new accounts. All I have to do is, while logged in, click "switch account" then select the "create new account" option, and fill in in a user name. That's it! And if I'm switching to an already existing character, it takes two button clicks: switch account > select account. This may still be too many steps for some RPers, which is totally fine, but it's not the same as prior to the global account system / other forums where you constantly have to log out > input name and password every time you switch accounts.

2. There are pros and cons to both systems, really, but here's why I went from an APP (account per person) to an APC (account per character) set up:

- the ease of use with PB's account switcher / global account
- being able to assign member groups to each account
--- better organisation (i can keep track of what the faction populations look like, if we need more of x)
--- can set up group-specific RP events and can limit specific sections to specific groups
- easier to tell at a glance which character is posting
- less confusion overall; is this an OOC post? an RP post? which character is talking here (in multi-char threads)
- A lot of forums have the issue of people conflating OOC with IC actions. I've found that making a separate OOC account has helped prevent that. When I post as Suzy, even if Suzy is the world's biggest jerk, there's a much clearer divide between her and me posting as myself. There was a point in time where members of my forum kept confusing my personality with that of my 'main' character -- sorry everyone, I'm not that nice! Haha.

3. The biggest downside that I can see to the APC system is that it can take a second to get used to and it makes forums look like bigger / more overwhelming places than they really are. Personally though, I would rather have that and all the benefits of the above. Your mileage may vary though!

[Kami]

I think it's really different strokes for different folks when it comes down to it. I'm a bit of an old fart (TARP will be 12 in October after all) and many of our original users 'grew up' on an APP system and were really reluctant to change to APC. I think newer / younger RPers (which, obviously, is not necessarily synonymous) may just be used to an APC system because that's what's been the trend for several years now -- they may not think of an APP system, and it may just be the concept of having an APP system that is off putting.

I was a part of RP admin resource forum for a while and there were loads of arguments against APP systems because everyone wants to be Super Organised whether or not it makes sense for the actual RP. The people with APP forums were definitely in the minority and constantly told that APP was a huge turnoff for potential members for the primary (and sometimes sole) reason that having APP is more confusing than APC.

(As an aside, I don't see the point in having an APC system AND using posting templates. Posting templates are great for APP so you know which character is posting, but the APC has that.. built in...? lmao I don't know, I'm just an old butt set in my ways)

[Kami]

Sept 3, 2017 19:40:56 GMT -8 @komickong said:

Sept 3, 2017 19:28:46 GMT -8 Kami said:

I think newer / younger RPers (which, obviously, is not necessarily synonymous) may just be used to an APC system because that's what's been the trend for several years now -- they may not think of an APP system, and it may just be the concept of having an APP system that is off putting.

Really?  I hadn't really seen anything aside from APP roleplay forums up until the past one or two years of browsing.  It seemed to me the APC ones were the minority for a really long time and were a designated staple of "serious" roleplays that followed very strict guidelines for members to follow with very few exceptions, those exceptions usually being for monetary reasons or to keep track of the amount of "gold" or "coin" each specific individual had or maybe even experience points for those "in-depth" enough to have those sorts of systems in place.  They tended to be the forums that were more focused in creating a game for players as opposed to the ones where players joined, made their characters, and were set free into the world built on the forum to do whatever they pleased and have their "member driven plots." 

That's just another thing that bothers me with these latest trends.  Since when did it become okay for so many forums to not have a basic plot for their forum that the members/characters could progress through via their ic actions?  ...this might be going too off topic now that I think about it but I'm going to leave the question in.

Yeah, really. I started seeing a huge influx in APC forums around... 2010 or so. There were always outliers back when TARP started in 2005, but around 2010 or so I started seeing more and more of them. By the time I joined the aforementioned research forum about 2011, 2012, they were already the norm.

While the older APC forums tended to be the type you described, even in 2010 I was already seeing the less stat-based forums adopt the APC method -- it was especially common in Harry Potter RPs (or otherwise 'school' based RPs) where an individual would need to be sorted into Houses / Dorms / Greek Life groups / etc, but wouldn't *necessarily* need a point system. Animal RPs tend to have groups based on their clans / tribes / herds / whatever which might necessitate an APC system, or a slice-of-life forum might have groups based on profession or age group, or whatever.

As to the last question, I dunno, I think this line of thinking tends to be a little... prescriptivist. Like all forms of art, roleplaying is a living medium and will shift and adjust based on what people at the time enjoy doing. Perhaps it's not to your tastes (it certainly isn't to mine) but I've learned over the last decade and a half that being too concerned with people RPing the "right" way or the "wrong" way leads to cliques and stagnation. To be clear, I'm not criticising that you feel this way, but rather trying to offer an alternative point of view; sure it's not to your tastes, but it doesn't make it any less valid of an RP style -- I know several successful RPs of this nature, with varying genres, that the people who play there seem to really enjoy!

[Tanya]

I don't RP, no idea why I keep saying that, but Kami, outside of ProBoards, APP is still the norm on ZB for example. They have only began using APC for the past 3-4 years. The constant logging in and out being the exact reason why so many of them still haven't switched over. That and being set in old patterns, I'd imagine. Once their own upgrade is done, that will probably change completely.

The biggest issue I always had with RP's is character setup uses more of a forum than the actual RP does. I don't mean on ProBoards. I've only really looked at the half dozen or so pointed out to me. I mean on other platforms. Let's just say, seeing posting templates gets old after awhile but at the same time, APC is confusing when you try to remember who a character belongs to which can be a good thing if you stay within the roles being played. (sucks when trying to find friends, however. haha) A lot of old ZB boards went 'offline' in favor of PB's ability to switch accounts because members began requesting APC.

I never got into animal character or the like type of RP's but I can see the draw to them. Pretty much everything else I tend to read.

Kami pointed out the art and even detailed it a bit but there is even more details in there that go missing. Taking part in those 'plotless' RP's would be the only true way to understand them. It's not that they lack a plot but more like they have several going on at one time. That can get confusing, I suppose. But all RP's can really. There really is no wrong or right way to RP.

It's all about personal preference and there are a ton of RP's out there so at a guess, I'd say there is something out there for everyone or almost everyone. I don't like taking part in RP's because I write so different than most I know and just by talking, people tend to get confused by what i say, never-mind actually writing a story with others which is what an RP basically is. I did try it once. Once was enough. Embarrassingly enough. I do however enjoy reading them and I do have my own style preference as well as type. I suppose the best way to answer the topic question would be by deciding your own preferences. I've only seen APC on ProBoards so far. I have seen a couple of them that are mixed. I wouldn't have a clue where to begin setting an RP up even knowing my preferences except by following a couple of guidelines set up by members around here. (handy if I ever decide to dare a go at it, no... not in the cards anytime soon or maybe ever lol)

And Kami... I didn't even know what the word "prescriptivist" meant till reading the rest of what you wrote so thank you, I think I just learned something else new. (new for me. I hate big words lol) Informative as always. Keep it up.

Good topic KomicKong. There are a lot of RP people around so hopefully they see your thread and can add to it.

[Tanya]

No one is saying that about you. Just pointing out other thoughts to think about is all. Kami has her ideas based on her own time on forums which when it comes to RP's is longer than my own.She a stickler for details so which is why I actually teased her a bit in my own response here. haha. Mine was my own thoughts as well and none of ours match up hun. Everyone out there has their own mind and way of thinking. You know that. RP's work in very much the same kind of way. Many will look a lot alike but I bet if you look hard enough, you'll see subtle differences. Much like having different opinions.

I can relate to confusion. I bet Kami can too but I'll let her speak for herself. *innocent smile* As to my embarrassment, it was actually wrapped around the writing itself...to the wrong set of characters. I wasn't one for details back then so I missed something important. I never wanted to make that mistake again because people can be cruel even when they don't mean to be.

Hmm... ever thought admins might be boasting because of what their members accomplished? Not everything is so black n white as it might seem. Not for most. Some, yes do boast as if they are the ones who did something but not many and never for long. Lay the ground set.... in most cases, yes. But not all. Some RP's are set up with a general thought in mind and nothing more and honestly, that is how so many of those 'plotless' RP's came to be. One thought that members took and ran with or creating their own idea from. Out of curiosity, do these forums you mention have a guest area where you can ask questions? Sometimes RP's are created and the admin really doesn't have a full plan laid out so it gets rushed. Not an excuse per se', just sometimes happens and the other thing that happens is they've never created an RP before and really don't know how to create it and get it off the ground on their own. An open mind and asking questions solves most things or at the very least clears the cobwebs away for both an admin of said forum and the guest who can't understand or can't make sense of what was done. and 2 is a low number. Be glad for that. I can name about 6 Walking Dead forums that I've wondered about in a similar manner.

[Tanya]

Alright understood all that just fine.

New forums in general struggle along. You've seen it. Most RP forums are going to too unless they already had a set base of players upon getting started. No comment on the rest of that except I've ran across one or two forums much like you described toward the end of that first section. I learned it was also ran by teens. I could say new to writing in general but that isn't something I learned. I didn't stick around to find out.

I'd think with new forums that are fresh and just getting started, ideas would be a good thing. I understand if they already have their boards set up and in place why they might but most new RP's don't have all that much planned out. The little bit of writing... That i get when its all left up to the admin or even a plus 1 member. I wouldn't want to join a an RP that is fully loaded by the admin or even by only two people. Takes away from the overall affect. Just my thought on it.

Ah. I like Harry Potter... to watch the movies and read the books but an RP. Pass. I kinda get what your saying. Repetitive forums of any kind drive me nuts lol. RP's might be worse. Like I said, I've only visited a few and none of those few were anything at all the same except perhaps how characters are set up but that is nothing new to me to see.

RP's are the most popular and General forums are not all that far behind.
Why do you think I attempted to create a writing forum... I wanted something else that I don't see much of. It didn't work out that way though but you know that. I did start another. One of those.. no friends allowed deals though and I actually took some advice given early on and applied it within rules of the forum. I should have done that the first time around. Know what? no members. But then I don't mind either. I can write and be comfortable writing. No strings, no rush and while i do so, I can think of what it might be missing. Also without rushing. The opposite of an RP forum but still within the realm of writing.

A little birdy told me to never start a forum you know nothing about. A newish birdy also gave me a few warning on what pleasing members all the time could get me. I listened to the old bird but forgot to pay attention the new one. You want an RP forum a specific way or with certain ideals... the best way to get that is make it yourself or...find an older RP forum that is still standing and active that appeals to you. One is often enough. Several are only a need if you have too much time on your hands. Some questions will never have answers. I am sorry you ran across RP forums like the ones you did though. There are a lot of decent ones out there. No I haven't seen even half of the ones I've been told about but I was told a lot about them so I'll call them good till I see otherwise.

[Mandoli]

I like a "one account per character" forum. Having all of your characters under the same account is (and this is no offense to anyone else who's reading this) confusing for me. I want to see the other person's mini-bio, to see what their demographics are as I'm typing things up. With "one account per person", I'm not going to want to click on an app for what I want. Plus, I don't know who I'm RPing with character-wise if all of our characters are under the same account.

[nianaris]

My RP forum uses an inventory system, in order for it to work properly it needs to be APC. I had a member that was starting a new character over other week, his inventory would have looked bonkers. Since our OoC section is separate from the RP there isn't a rule for or against an OoC account.

[Kami]

I've kind of lost track of the conversation, but I don't think I'd agree about APP still being the norm off of PB. The resource site I mentioned I was a part of is hosted on Xenforo, and has forum submissions from pretty much every provider under the sun. They have repeatedly occurring threads where people voice their opinion on APC versus APP and the overwhelming majority has been APC. Obviously this is not indicative of all forums everywhere, but we're talking about a sample size of several thousand people.

[Tanya]

Sorry about that Kami, I tend to ramble a lot. haha. I know the forum you're talking about but never really paid a lot of attention so I don't really know. All I know is what I've seen personally. The average size forum was maybe 200. Those of larger size were the ones using APC. I don't even think it matters rather APC or APP are more popular in use. It's up to the forum, individually. (and also what members would prefer)

I find it easier to follow when I know who the characters belong to. It's nothing more than a personal preference. I haven't seen all that many RP forums, large RP forums that were organized well enough that, that wasn't a problem for me. To just go and read and not take part... its much easier to follow an APC setup. Keep in mind, I haven't taken part in an RP since your own forum was about 3 years old. It's been awhile.

[Kami]

Sept 6, 2017 16:20:38 GMT -8 Tanya said:

Sorry about that Kami, I tend to ramble a lot. haha. I know the forum you're talking about but never really paid a lot of attention so I don't really know. All I know is what I've seen personally. The average size forum was maybe 200. Those of larger size were the ones using APC. I don't even think it matters rather APC or APP are more popular in use. It's up to the forum, individually. (and also what members would prefer)

I find it easier to follow when I know who the characters belong to. It's nothing more than a personal preference. I haven't seen all that many RP forums, large RP forums that were organized well enough that, that wasn't a problem for me. To just go and read and not take part... its much easier to follow an APC setup. Keep in mind, I haven't taken part in an RP since your own forum was about 3 years old. It's been awhile.

I would agree with you on the ease of APC for clarity. I was really hesitant for a long time because of the extra steps involved in doing it but PB has made it easy soooo. I still dislike APC on other providers, but if they don't have a quick switch ability I deal with that by just making one character lmao.

[Tanya]

Sept 6, 2017 16:31:59 GMT -8 Kami said:

I would agree with you on the ease of APC for clarity. I was really hesitant for a long time because of the extra steps involved in doing it but PB has made it easy soooo. I still dislike APC on other providers, but if they don't have a quick switch ability I deal with that by just making one character lmao.

Now we are on the same page (for the most part)