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Hello there!

This is my first post to the site. I was searching for a different roleplaying site to express my troubles on since I'd prefer not to air my business in the same channel that my roleplay partner frequents, as it might cause a problem should she see it.

I'm looking for some advice on a longterm roleplay issue, specific to the technical aspect of roleplay and less of the plotting/actual structure of this specific roleplay.
So, to preface, my roleplay partner and I have known each other for a few years. Back when we first met, we were both pretty primitive when it came to our roleplay skills, and preferred the easy template of fandoms to guide us through whatever 1 on 1 roleplaying we did together. Things were pretty laidback, and I learned plenty from the mistakes I made in earlier roleplays.
Cut to this year. I'm not sure if it's because I've been more proactive in my reading choices but I find that our language and overall skills in roleplaying are now vastly different. Where I can train a character's stream of thought in a reliable, fun narrative, she struggles to maintain the same level and it shows. There is also a bit of godmoding and powerplaying that she doesn't seem to realize she's settled into. It has started to bother me since it kind of takes away from the story when your own roleplay partner constantly posts incomplete sentences and their dialogue is strewn with grammar-heavy mistakes. I don't know how to tell her, but I want to end the roleplay?

It always bums me out when I return to our posts, striving my utmost to provide something engaging and useful to the story and her writing rambles on to a point of incohesion.

So, my plight:
Do I attempt to guide this roleplayer in a more detailed form of roleplay and point out her mistakes, or do I let this thing die out? I know that she would be pretty offended if I started trying to 'edit' her posts left and right.

I am very grateful for anyone who can reply or takes the time to read this post!

All the best,
dirgeboy
Honestly, it’s about the time where you really should end the roleplay.

You’ve known each other for a few years, and if you guys are friends outside of writing, then you shouldn’t let that stop you from expressing yourself. You know her the best and would know how to bring it up with her, that you have concerns and aren’t particularly happy with how the roleplay is going. And if you guys aren’t close outside of RP, then all the more reason to end it.

It’s not worth keeping something up if you don’t enjoy it. Especially if it’s a hobby.

On the topic of guiding her…

Whether you’ve known each other for years or for a few days, trying to tell someone to change their style to be more entertaining to you is not going to end well no matter what form it comes in. If they don’t personally want to steer their writing in your direction, then there’s nothing that you can do.

Even more so, even if they do want to, it’s going to be very irritating to everyone involved anyway because it takes a lot of time to develop a style that feels natural and mistakes like that, especially when nurtured over years, are not going to just break. You can’t change her writing any more than you can change her personality.

If she’s levelheaded, she will understand that your preferences have drifted apart. Both in how you write and how you enjoy to read.
Marve (played by Outlands)

I completely agree with the advice above. I struggled with a very similar issue with a long term friend of mine. She started to... Quite literally, gain a god complex about her characters. I think something in real life began to effect her online and sure enough several years later she's got a terrible set of toxic people around her that validate that element of her role play and we are no longer friends to say the least.

This is just my personal example, I'm not saying it could happen to you at all. But agreeing again with Mayiamaru it can be very difficult to try and encourage change when people don't want to, something like that could be reacted to very defensively. When it stops being fun, it's just not worth it. Maybe your friend even feels the same in a different way. Writing styles change more frequently than you think.

RP is abundant on the internet, I'd leave the RP where it is and preserve your friendship.
Sanne Moderator

Welcome to the site! :)

I'm sorry you're dealing with an uncomfortable situation like this. I don't fully agree with the above posts, in the sense that after such a long friendship and involvement, you should probably communicate with her instead of just cutting ties straight up because you're not having fun.

Relationships of any kind - including friendships and roleplay partnerships - run into issues every now and then where things stop being fun and even turn hurtful or draining. Relationships take work to maintain. It sounds like your relationship with your friend needs a tuneup in the form of sitting down and having a respectful discussion about what you want, what you're getting and what your friend wants and is getting, and then working from there to either find a middle ground or part ways.

You might find these articles helpful in dealing with this situation, feel free to check them out whenever you want.

https://www.rprepository.com/help/responsibility-of-RPers

https://www.rprepository.com/help/godmoding

https://www.rprepository.com/help/drama/
SarietheFae

I agree more with sanne i have rp partners i been playing with for 23 years and one 5. I have had hundreds of long term partners. A few years ago my writing style declined due to what i now know is a dilbating condition that may stop my 23 years of roleplay. But also communication is key like with any relationship. I check in ever so often to see how everything is going and how they want to continue. There is a time when we have part ways but before you burn that bridge it would be best of you can mend it frist

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