Traveller's Cafe 3: Brainstorming, discussion, tea, advice

[Harbertia]

Same tbh.

Would an online chatroom where you can be anything suit you? Talk to cats or be a god no matter what you choose all other chat roomies must accept your choice; that up your ally?

[Unit 23]

all other chat roomies must accept your choice

Why would anyone accept the authority of anything without reason?

[Pax Nerdvana]

Again, would anyone be interested in an Ender's Game based RP?

[Shadowwell]

Right, but to my eye it's restrictive from the start, though.

For example, to participate in the story, the first thing your character needs to do is be involved with the space station GPOP-4321 in some way.

At a stroke, that disallows all but sci-fi characters. So just from the first sentence, it's already niche.

So, to you an rp is restrictive, if it doesnt let you be anything, regardless of how lorebreaking it is?

[Harbertia]

all other chat roomies must accept your choice

Why would anyone accept the authority of anything without reason?

In this case the reason is to be open to all players as if a majority can kick someone out it is mobocracy. I simply imagined like shadow assumes you to desire an open RP without character restrictions.

[Unit 23]

My thinking is more along the lines of genre being just one method to develop a system from.

If you're making an RP, you're looking to include as many RPers as possible, meaning you either need a broad appeal, or a specific appeal which everyone commonly values and understands, like genre tropes.

Genre is a holistic (illustrating from a big picture) method of construction, but it's possible to be atomic (illustrating from unrelated situations).

A familiar parallel may be worldbuilding: Holistic world-building starts with a region in space and then works down, defining details. Atomic world-building starts with event or circumstance and works up, connecting concepts necessarily.

It's hard to be atomic when you're using concepts like genre because they imply a world at a glance, which may not always be useful or interesting.

[Hatterleigh]

Hey, I had an idea for some sort of multiversal war, or perhaps a tournament, where each player roleplays as some sort of superbeing or metahuman fighting in a war of many worlds, nations, and lands. I just thought it would be a good way to merge a Superhero RP and a War RP, and would be like Captain America: Civil War but on a larger playing field. What do you guys think? It's a concept in it's infant stages, and i'm still pretty new to NS roleplaying, so if anyone seems interested, then just reply to this. Even if somebody else wanted to make this into a thread, that'd be nice since i'd rather it just exist at all and stay active

If there is already an RP that you guys think would fit the bill of this one closely enough, then you can respond.

[Unit 23]

A multiverse can definitely solve the genre problem.

For reference, I come from a community where all characters were persistent player avatars feuding in a metaverse where genre was secondary to things like deciding outcome.

I'm therefore definitely more a fan of function than of style, but both are important.

[The Land of Golden Blobfish]

Right, but to my eye it's restrictive from the start, though.

For example, to participate in the story, the first thing your character needs to do is be involved with the space station GPOP-4321 in some way.

At a stroke, that disallows all but sci-fi characters. So just from the first sentence, it's already niche.

I'm a bit confused by you're reasoning here. So, for example, If I chose to host a Star Wars RP, would you say there's a problem with keeping it canon? That every character has to fit in the Star Wars universe? If so, that's the issue. There's different RPs here because people are interested in different things. Each roleplay is specific because people want them to be. Roleplays are a means for a group of people to tell a story together. I'd argue practically most, if not all, popular stories out there fit a specific theme. Star Wars is sci-fi. Lord of the Rings is medieval fantasy. No one has ever gone "hey, these would be even better if we mixed the two together!" because they wouldn't be. A multiverse RP where anything and everything goes works for some people but not for most

[Unit 23]

I'm not denying genre's usefulness, especially when describing a franchise. Only permitting Star Wars characters for a Star Wars RP is clearly appropriate.

However, I think part of the reason why there are so many various RPs, each with only a handful of participants, is partially due to some perceived limitation.

I'm not suggesting freedom of genre is necessarily the definitive limiting factor preventing topics from having dozens of posters, but I'm pretty sure it's a factor.

For example, I notice a lot of RP takes the form of "similar to x scenario in popular media", which alienates people who aren't familiar with that particular flavor.

Why can't an RP revolve around something above prescription, like the expression of betrayal, solving a puzzle, or escaping conflict?

[Anowa]

Of the two times I've tried multiverse RPs on this site, they both died rather quickly. So from my experience they don't gel to well with NS' player base.

[Unit 23]

As I mentioned, people need to believe in common values. Tropes/genres are an example of this, which are descriptive. But there are also methods/systems, which are applicable.

[Main Nation Ministry]

I have a quick question. How long and effective do slice of life RP's work? As I explained before, I wished to have a slice of life type concept for my premise. Though, I still want to fill in some gaps.

[Shadowwell]

As I mentioned, people need to believe in common values. Tropes/genres are an example of this, which are descriptive. But there are also methods/systems, which are applicable.

For all intents and purposes though, Multiverse is a genre, and any sort of plot or rules for the rp would be restrictive by your reasoning.

So, basically what you are wanting is a multiverse rp, with no plot, where characters from anywhere and anything could do whatever they want?

I have a quick question. How long and effective do slice of life RP's work? As I explained before, I wished to have a slice of life type concept for my premise. Though, I still want to fill in some gaps.

Well, it depends upon the general setting, i have seen some slice of Life rps last years, though that was elsewhere.

Would slice of life just be a sub-concept with no other things influencing the setting, or slice of life with other aspects?

[Ithalian Empire]

As I mentioned, people need to believe in common values. Tropes/genres are an example of this, which are descriptive. But there are also methods/systems, which are applicable.

But no one here wants. If you want to RPs the.way you have been describing than you can make an rp like that here on NS, or go bugger off to one of the many other rp sites that exist, and if that doesn't suit you I here that servers aren't to expensive to rent and any Tom, Dick and Harry can us php and some make a web site.

[Unit 23]

For all intents and purposes though, Multiverse is a genre, and any sort of plot or rules for the rp would be restrictive by your reasoning. So, basically what you are wanting is a multiverse rp, with no plot, where characters from anywhere and anything could do whatever they want?

I was trying to illustrate my point by relying on figurative rather than literal language relations. If you analyze anything hard enough it starts to define itself alone.

So yes, there are hypothetical limits if genre is imaged as a scale, where form (genre) and function (plot) are at either end, and the concept of "multiverse" necessarily includes some degree of genre.

There seems to be a misconception that the type of thinking I'm trying to explain somehow has no rules. Rather, the focus concerns atomic cause and effect, as Main Nation Ministry is doing.

Edit: I should probably explain atomism is the concept where something can be divided infinitely into smaller portions, like an RP divided into events, into characters, into motives, etc.

[Plzen]

But no one here wants. If you want to RPs the.way you have been describing than you can make an rp like that here on NS, or go bugger off to one of the many other rp sites that exist, and if that doesn't suit you I here that servers aren't to expensive to rent and any Tom, Dick and Harry can us php and some make a web site.

I fully agree with this perspective.

Do you, Unit, believe that an RP like the kind you are describing will be interesting and successful? Well, then. Demonstrate. A successful demonstration will convince more of us than 500 pages of arguments on this thread.

[Unit 23]

I'm new, so it's not currently my intention to demonstrate anything.

[Anowa]

I'm new, so it's not currently my intention to demonstrate anything.

Then no one's going to be convinced.

[Camicon]

I'm new, so it's not currently my intention to demonstrate anything.

"I know I've been here less than a month, and I've never actually participated in an RP here, but let me tell you about some problems I think that your RP community has; then, I shall expound at length about how to fix this, as though I am a trusted voice, but do absolutely no footwork to backup my opinions".

[Unit 23]

It's not my intention to necessarily convince anyone, either, lol.

[Anowa]

It's not my intention to necessarily convince anyone, either, lol.

Then why make an attempt?

[Benuty]

It's not my intention to necessarily convince anyone, either, lol.

It does come off rubbing quite a few people the wrong way.

[Unit 23]

Take it or leave it. I don't think you can stop me from following the purpose of the topic.

[Ithalian Empire]

I'm new, so it's not currently my intention to demonstrate anything.

"I know I've been here less than a month, and I've never actually participated in an RP here, but let me tell you about some problems I think that your RP community has; then, I shall expound at length about how to fix this, as though I am a trusted voice, but do absolutely no footwork to backup my opinions".

The past few pages in a nut shell. Want us to take your idea seriously, than prove it to us. The burden of truth falls on you, that's how science works.