Super Annoyed!
This is mainly a post to vent.
So, occasionally I'll go to a room on im-chat.com to get in an RP fix. Most of the 'in depth' role-play there is found in old World of Darkness rooms, which is fine by me. I'm happy enough to go through literally hours of character submission process and backstory writing so that my characters can be approved. I understand that different ST's require different things of their players, and that in an online room where anyone can join, things have to be more strict. I re-wrote and added/subtracted one of my troll concepts about 5 times to grant her approval, almost to the point of changing the entire character concept and the direction I wished to take her. But, as mentioned, I completely understand that leniency would lead to chaos in such a broad, online setting.
So, after this, my characters are approved. Hurray! I can't really play that often (once a month, if that), but I like to get my collaborative creative fix in when I can.
I get in, and a couple people are friendly enough to say 'hi' when I state that I'm there. That's cool. Then, people become engrossed in talking to each other about their characters who have known each other for years. It's pretty much to be expected, although it's fairly intimidating for someone who's just trying to get into the swing of things.
So, I ask if anyone wants to RP, and get ignored. That's fine - the world does not revolve around me, after all. And people may have their characters tied up in other scenes, or may be too tired, or whatever. So, I quietly leave for the night.
Second attempt in asking if anyone wants to RP, about a month later, results in being equally ignored. So I write a solo, which a couple people comment on how amusing my character is. Hurray! Perhaps people will wish to RP with me in the future!
I post said solo on the message board (which is normal to do), and decide to just let myself be happy in entertaining a couple of people and spending the exp from it. The day after said solo is posted, experience for the room is posted.
My character doesn't get experience.
At first I think, "What? But I did something! I did the only thing I could do... I wrote a solo, because my attempts at trying to solicit RP have ended primarily in failure. I should drop a friendly line to the Host of the room and ask for exp in exchange for adding to the room."
Then I realize, upon looking at the exp post, that exp is distributed one of two ways. 1.) Players can vote on your scenes which will give you exp, and 2.) Staff can give your scenes exp. Oh. I see. So you're at the mercy of players and staff, who could just as well choose to ignore you, to determine whether or not your character actually grows.
I put a great deal of thought into my characters, and also my posts. Why should I waste my time only to get a chuckle out of one person and nothing else to show for it? I could just as easily write a book if I want non-interactive writing. I bet I could write things that Mitch or Amanda would chuckle at just as well.
It's just annoying that I've wasted so much time and creative energy on something that's clearly not going anywhere. I'm not dogging the website, but the room within comes off with a certain high school cliquishness as far as the role-play goes. I may yet attempt to drag Mitch into it all, just so I can pursue the story lines I have for my various characters in the interactive setting with which they were meant to be developed.
Heck, if anyone else I know wants to go through the rigmarole to do some online old WoD RP-ing with me, that's welcome, too.
In the meantime, I just had to vent.
So, occasionally I'll go to a room on im-chat.com to get in an RP fix. Most of the 'in depth' role-play there is found in old World of Darkness rooms, which is fine by me. I'm happy enough to go through literally hours of character submission process and backstory writing so that my characters can be approved. I understand that different ST's require different things of their players, and that in an online room where anyone can join, things have to be more strict. I re-wrote and added/subtracted one of my troll concepts about 5 times to grant her approval, almost to the point of changing the entire character concept and the direction I wished to take her. But, as mentioned, I completely understand that leniency would lead to chaos in such a broad, online setting.
So, after this, my characters are approved. Hurray! I can't really play that often (once a month, if that), but I like to get my collaborative creative fix in when I can.
I get in, and a couple people are friendly enough to say 'hi' when I state that I'm there. That's cool. Then, people become engrossed in talking to each other about their characters who have known each other for years. It's pretty much to be expected, although it's fairly intimidating for someone who's just trying to get into the swing of things.
So, I ask if anyone wants to RP, and get ignored. That's fine - the world does not revolve around me, after all. And people may have their characters tied up in other scenes, or may be too tired, or whatever. So, I quietly leave for the night.
Second attempt in asking if anyone wants to RP, about a month later, results in being equally ignored. So I write a solo, which a couple people comment on how amusing my character is. Hurray! Perhaps people will wish to RP with me in the future!
I post said solo on the message board (which is normal to do), and decide to just let myself be happy in entertaining a couple of people and spending the exp from it. The day after said solo is posted, experience for the room is posted.
My character doesn't get experience.
At first I think, "What? But I did something! I did the only thing I could do... I wrote a solo, because my attempts at trying to solicit RP have ended primarily in failure. I should drop a friendly line to the Host of the room and ask for exp in exchange for adding to the room."
Then I realize, upon looking at the exp post, that exp is distributed one of two ways. 1.) Players can vote on your scenes which will give you exp, and 2.) Staff can give your scenes exp. Oh. I see. So you're at the mercy of players and staff, who could just as well choose to ignore you, to determine whether or not your character actually grows.
I put a great deal of thought into my characters, and also my posts. Why should I waste my time only to get a chuckle out of one person and nothing else to show for it? I could just as easily write a book if I want non-interactive writing. I bet I could write things that Mitch or Amanda would chuckle at just as well.
It's just annoying that I've wasted so much time and creative energy on something that's clearly not going anywhere. I'm not dogging the website, but the room within comes off with a certain high school cliquishness as far as the role-play goes. I may yet attempt to drag Mitch into it all, just so I can pursue the story lines I have for my various characters in the interactive setting with which they were meant to be developed.
Heck, if anyone else I know wants to go through the rigmarole to do some online old WoD RP-ing with me, that's welcome, too.
In the meantime, I just had to vent.