Hi. Feeling a bit down.

[hpfreak02]

Hello, 
I have been rping for a long time about 10 - 15+. Lately, I have been feeling a bit down because I feel like I just dont fit in anymore. I love rp. I got banned from a few sites on jcink for stupid stuff and it was making feel disappointed. I regret doing that. Some of the admins and I didn't get along very well. I don't know. I'm slowly starting to feel like I want to take a break at the same time everything I have now is going great. I am on quite a few servers and sites. I just don't know why I can't get along with certain people when I was being so nice to everyone. -sigh- 
 _ feeling confused. 

[Caajscot (John)]

hpfreak02, you are better posting in here, Welcome   

Old members can then have a better talk with you if you are feeling down. 

[hpfreak02]

^ can someone move this post to that section? Sorry it's been a long time since I've been on proboards. lol!

[User 180565 is taking donation]

I'm not trying to minimod here but I feel as if this wouldn't go well in the welcome board be cause it's more of a suggestion thread on how to fit in better at other communities.

At op, you cant be liked by everyone, you'll learn this with life in general. Most you can do is just ask why there is a problem and if it escalates find a better area you're happy in.

This is basic life input, if you fail at one job there's many others out there where you maybe liked more. Other times you just have to swallow your pride. Dont argue with everyone. Pick your fights.

Another tip I may have is to really browse the forums before joining see how members are in the community, go over the threads before joining then ask yourself if you'll be happy there. Life is all about finding your own family.

[wildmaven]

Feb 17, 2020 3:53:07 GMT -8 User 180565 is taking donation said:

I'm not trying to minimod here but I feel as if this wouldn't go well in the welcome board be cause it's more of a suggestion thread on how to fit in better at other communities.

Agreed.

[wildmaven]

Feb 17, 2020 1:21:07 GMT -8 hpfreak02 said:

Hello, 
I have been rping for a long time about 10 - 15+. Lately, I have been feeling a bit down because I feel like I just dont fit in anymore. I love rp. I got banned from a few sites on jcink for stupid stuff and it was making feel disappointed. I regret doing that. Some of the admins and I didn't get along very well. I don't know. I'm slowly starting to feel like I want to take a break at the same time everything I have now is going great. I am on quite a few servers and sites. I just don't know why I can't get along with certain people when I was being so nice to everyone. -sigh- 
 _ feeling confused. 

Sometimes it's hard to figure out why one rubs others the wrong way. RPers can be very touchy beasts. I wrote the two posts years ago for my Star Trek board, but you might want to give it a read and see if there are a few behaviors you might want to tweak before joining a new RP.

Why Won't Anyone RP With Me? 15 Possible Reasons:



Sometimes it is hard to see the reason people are reluctant to RP with you. Even veterans of RPing can find themselves faced with this question. Below are several reasons.



1. Did you create a thread that no other character can reasonably find a way to get their character involved in it? This frequently happens when characters are in a thread in their room. Why would someone come visit your character there?



2. Are you constantly whining or complaining in the chat box or off-topic threads? If you don't look like fun, people are more likely to stay away.



3. Do you frequently write walls of text in RPs, but, when you look at it, all the other character has to reply to was your character saying, "fine"?



4. Speaking of walls of text, take a look at your writing style. If you are writing really long paragraphs, most people will skip ahead. Break it up a bit with some dialog. The eye hates long paragraphs. Take a look at how novels are written and you'll seldom see such walls of text.



5. Do you frequently post and then disappear for a week or longer? Why would someone want to start a thread with you?



6. Is your character always sad? Yes, every character will have moments of sadness or other emotions, but if the only emotion your character has shown is sadness or grumpiness, there is no depth. This is especially true in Star Trek RPs. Starfleet would not allow personnel of such blatant emotional unbalance to graduate. When graduating from the Academy, every officer has shown that they not only have the skill to handle the job, but the mental attitude necessary for success. There are no emo Starfleet graduates. Even if you're writing in a high school RP, there needs to be more to your character than bad emotions.



7. Do you constantly make mistakes about what has happened previously? If you are going to enter a thread, it is important to know where the other players are standing, what they are doing. I've been in RPs were one of my characters had a blaster wound to his leg, but when the doctor came in, it suddenly changed it to a minor flesh wound of the abdomen. Who wants to RP with someone who can't even keep something like that straight? Know what is happening.



8. Do you take things too personally? Remember, these are characters. If someone's character is mad at your character, that doesn't mean that character's writer is mad at you. You don't think Luke Skywalker's actor got mad at Darth Vader's actor for cutting off the character's hand, do you? Same goes for writing in an RP. It's not personal.



9. Have you shown a preference for only writing with certain people? Avoid a cliquish attitude and RP with many different writers.



10. Is your character only around when something romantic happens? Romance is fun to write, but gets old quickly. Show more depth to your character. Even the most romantic couples still have lives that take place outside of the love affair. Don't make your character into a bad romance novel heroine (unless it's a parody).



11. Are you overly descriptive? Some literary embellishment is great. However, we do not want to read that "her eyelashes were as fine as mink, long and supple, able to seduce with a single blink of the eye." I mean, come on!



12. Do you write bad dialog? When writing something that your character is saying, ask yourself if someone in real life would have said it that way. When was the last time you heard someone saying, "I lust for you, my angel." (ok... probably in a bad vampire book, but let's get real) If you're not sure about a line, say it out loud.



13. Do you think faster than your fingers can type? This can produce text such as, "he wanted to see if she could then he went to her and oh her eyes were like limpid pools of water was what he wanted." Er... yeah.



14. Spell check spell check spell check! We all make mistakes. However, if your post is filled with bad spelling and grammar errors, who is going to want to wade through that?



15. Do you step on threads? This can happen if there is an established thread going on and you suddenly come in and change the dynamic. Heck, I've done this on more than one occasion out of excitement. It is best to ask first if the other parties mind you joining, even if the Tag says "any", especially if you don't personally know the other writer well. This can eliminate hard feelings. As an "any" thread gets going, 'thread stomping' is more likely to happen than if you had joined right at the start. Once momentum gets going, it is probably a good idea to ask first.

Guide to RPing:



1. Perfect characters are boring. Make your character unique. Everyone has flaws, so create some for your character.



2. Don't make your character invincible or always save the day. This is no fun for the other members and is a good way to freeze a storyline.



3. Don't just hang around complaining you're bored. Do something! Join a story or create your own.



4. Don't describe everything about your character in your first post. Leave some mystery.



5. Always leave openings for the other person. This is essential to keeping a story going.



6. Don't just repeat everything that just happened. Write your characters responses to it, yes, but don't recap everything.



7. Always stay in the character of your creation. Don't forget their position on the ship. Remember, Starfleet hired them. They are supposed to be THE BEST at what they do. Usually.



8. Stay within your character's culture, unless there's a really good reason for them to fall out of it (Klingon, Vulcan, for example).



9. When creating a character, ask yourself if this character is self-limiting. Will there be opportunities for good interaction with the other writers? Or will this character be sitting around, waiting for something to happen most of the time. This can happen when you create a character with a very specialized job.



10. Read the other threads. You want others to read yours, right?

Metagaming and You:

Roleplaying is a fascinating thing because we often play characters that know far more than we do in real life. But what a lot of people fail to realize is that we also play characters that know far less than we do in real life. Sometimes, it can be hard to remember the distinction between what we know, and what our characters know, and as a result we write things in roleplay that aren’t consistent with our character’s knowledge. This is called Metagaming, and it’s something we should strive to avoid in our writing. It can be very tempting to want your character to get involved in a plot, or to have your character to be a “hero” of sorts. But the simple fact of the matter is that the most interesting characters are the ones with flaws. Speaking from personal experience, I know that I tend to be less interested in characters who are always right, who are always performing heroic feats, and who do completely implausible things just to get involved in the current plotline.



More and more frequently, I’ve seen the following three things happening:



1. A character who is not in a location knows something that happened in said location.



2. A character who is talking to another character knows things that the other character thinks, but doesn’t say aloud.



3. A character assumes that something bad is going on despite the fact that there are literally no signs that anything is out of the ordinary around them.



I’m going to give more specific examples of each to make it clear what is acceptable and unacceptable:



1. Crewman Bob is in the Mess Hall. The Talon has just approached an alien vessel, which they have hailed. It’s acceptable for him to look out the window and to see the alien vessel. However, unless Crewman Bob’s friend Ensign Jill sent him a message saying that the alien vessel had hailed the Talon, he wouldn’t have any knowledge of this. And if Crewman Bob was in an area of the ship where there were no windows, such as Engineering or Sickbay, he would have no knowledge of the other ship at all.



2. Crewman Bob is talking to Ensign Jill. He asks her how she is doing, and Jill responds that she’s fine. She then mentions in her character’s thoughts that she is dwelling on the fact that her mother just passed away. It is fine for Crewman Bob to suspect that Ensign Jill might not actually be fine, based on her body language, or her facial expression. It is not okay for him to jump to the conclusion that Jill is mourning for her mother and to begin comforting her, unless she (or a mutual acquaintance) told him that her mother had died.



3. Crewman Bob is in Sickbay. Meanwhile, on the Bridge, the entire Command Staff of the Talon has been frozen by a renegade Q. It is not okay for Bob’s Spidey Sense (or other premonition) to reveal to him that something’s going on. It’s also not okay for Bob to randomly decide to do a sensor sweep of the bridge to let him know that something is going on up there. If it is not in the normal, everyday course of Bob’s duties, Bob will remain unaware of the Command Staff’s fate until such point that he is told by another character.



In general, please keep these thoughts in mind:



1. Most officers don’t run random sensor sweeps of areas, nor do they notice weird power drains, nor do they assume that just because their department is unusually slow on a given shift that there’s something going on. There are some officers who will notice power drains, if they are on-duty engineers or operations staff.



2. Captains often have reasons for keeping what happens on the bridge limited to the bridge crew. Even when they don’t, it isn’t as though there’s an onboard Twitter or Facebook feed that tells the remainder of the crew what is going on. It is often difficult to get a good group of individuals to post on the bridge. If you would like your character to not always be in the dark, giving them a bridge shift is the best way to allow them to be more involved.



3. While people have varying levels of perceptiveness, it is unlikely that they will always know exactly what someone is thinking. If you assume that your character knows the deep inner thoughts of other characters all the time, you will find that people wish to roleplay with you less.



4. In many instances, it is more interesting to have your character misinterpret the meaning of something that is going on than it is to have your character know everything. Readers are much more interested in reading about a character overcoming challenges than they are in watching a character that always avoids danger and conflict.



5. Pay attention to where things are being discussed. There is a very active rumor mill with humanoids, so things that happen in corridors, Sickbay or the Mess Hall would likely be common knowledge. Things that happen on the bridge would trickle through the ship a lot slower, and things that happen in personal crew quarters would likely not be public knowledge.



6. If someone indicates that they have said something so softly that only the people in their immediate range can hear them, do not (by some miracle or racial advantage) overhear them. Assume that if someone is being cautious to avoid being overheard that they factor in the fact that some races hear better than others.



7. If you aren’t involved in an active story but want to be involved, please ask an story creator for a plausible excuse for your character to be involved, rather than just forcing them into a plot.

This one is more for Star Trek RPs, but some of the info can apply to any RPer.

1. Your character should know ONLY what he/she has encountered or specifically been told. There is NO Starship twitter or newsfeed. If a department head/other character wants your character to know something, they will say they sent your character a file or message. Do not assume that just because someone in another department knows something (and you're not around to hear it) that you know it, too.



2. Read carefully. It's very easy to want to skim quickly so you can get on with your post, but don't. In the past, we've seen people picking up objects that are no longer where they thought they were, saying we're in one location when we're not, inventing reasons for something when it's already been explained totally different in another thread, etc.



3. Do not start making up gadgets, computer programs, gizmos or technology/cures without first running it by the admin staff.



4. Cool the pips. A full Commander is someone who knows how to be reserved, how to read a situation, and how to respond appropriately. Manhandling the Governor of the station is not something a Commander would do without first gathering all the evidence, regardless of that Commander's race. No one makes it to Commander if they do that.


While Starfleet is an exploratory organization, it is also a military organization, and there are standards set for all Starfleet Officers. One thing that we try to ensure is that roleplay here is reasonably realistic. Going forward, we are going to be stressing the fact that in character actions have in character consequences. If your character is repeatedly doing things that would be considered unacceptable for a Starfleet officer, they will be punished in a manner that is consistent with a Starfleet punishment. This could include being relieved of duty, being demoted to a lower rank, or losing special roles and privileges.



1. Sensitive Information: If your character is volunteering sensitive information, you can expect to receive a reprimand from the local Intelligence Officer. Remember the old WWII adage: Loose Lips Sink Ships. Also, many functions of Starfleet Intelligence are not publicly known, such as Section 31. This division would not be mentioned casually in conversation, especially because, to everyone save a select few individuals, it does not exist.



2. Emotional Instability: If your character is emotionally stable, they’re not fit for duty. If they have one emotional issue, they will be relieved from duty until they’re capable of serving again. If they have frequent emotional outburst and there isn’t an extremely good reason for it, they’re likely going to be removed from the crew. If you desire to play characters that have complex emotional struggles and who do not always have control of their emotions, a Civilian is really your best bet. Honestly, a Civilian who couldn't cut it as a Starfleet Officer and dropped out would be a fascinating character to see. This doesn't apply to alternate universes. Please remember that both medical science and Counseling knowledge has progressed by leaps and bounds over the course of the past few hundred years. Also know that Starfleet personnel would have been trained in coping methods, and would have been selected from individuals who were capable of handling a dangerous vocation that will frequently take the lives of others. That’s not to say you aren’t free to grieve; however, if a grief period is extended, your character would likely have been assigned someplace else where they wouldn’t be a liability to those around them. If a Counselor suspects that you’re hiding something from them, all they would need to do would be to do a quick scan with a medical tricorder to see elevated levels of stress hormones, and other key physiological signs of emotional distress.



3. Inability to Perform Duties: This is a bit more clear cut. Simply, your character needs to be able to perform their duties. While we understand that no one here is an expert on Engineering, or Medicine, or even Security, there are numerous steps that you can take to ensure that you make reasonable decisions for your characters. Memory Alpha, Google, and asking an Admin are all viable strategies for figuring things out. However, the number one reason that things like this tend to occur is just from simple failure to read threads. I’ve seen several instances where a character has been ordered to do something by a superior officer and has ignored said superior. I have also seen issues where medical personnel have not paid attention to the symptoms described by injured characters, and have triaged in a thoroughly unbelievable fashion. While it is somewhat confusing, especially when characters are injured earlier in the story (you are reading the entire thing, right?), it is far preferable to just admit that you don’t know and ask, then it is to fix someone’s papercut while another character is dying on the floor.

[daniel]

Hi OP. Try to role play in real life for a while. Pay close attention to how you interact with people, especially strangers, and how they interact with you. When that gets boring look for a new virtual RP.
:-p

[Syko Nachoman]

Feb 17, 2020 18:11:50 GMT -8 wildmaven said:

This one is more for Star Trek RPs, but some of the info can apply to any RPer.

2. Emotional Instability: If your character is emotionally stable, they’re not fit for duty.

I'm not very familiar with Star Trek, but is emotional instability a prerequisite for crew members?

[hpfreak02]

it didn't have to do with a character but thanks for the advice! it's only to do with people in general in the actual servers. some of them are ok. but not all of them. I appreciate what you were trying to tell me. I do rp in jcink too, mostly and everywhere pretty much. I try all genres. Sometimes. Depends. I've done Harry Potter, Disney, Character Driven, (I dont do animal rp's.) forbidden rp's, real life rp's. etc. :]

thank you all for being supportive and boosting my mood a bit! <3 I appreciate that.