Lost Roleplays and the Unexpected

[zanzibar]

PlaneShift players are typically very good at picking up on clues connected to roleplay events and story lines.  But sometimes, stories and mysteries fall between the cracks, even when the pieces are there in plain sight.

My attitude is that when the targets don't pick up the scent, then it's best not to force it, even if there are significant consequences.  It becomes a part of the story of your character.  Roleplay is more immersive when things happen that you don't predict or expect.

Is anyone willing to share examples of interesting things happening in roleplay as a consequences of the unexpected?

[rakshak]

Yes.

An Enkidukai was spotted "selling dwarfs" by Harnquist's. Word spread like fire, and all the dwarfs of Yliakum forgot their differences and united together. The Enslaver was caught at Ojaveda gate and defeated to surrender.

Some 20 dwarfs were there, and even after the Enslaver left, RP was going on.

Nobody expected this, but it sure added fun to the game.

[Nykolai Raskaniov]

If you organize such events, you've got to strike a balance between letting the event too loose and risking that people lose interest, or controlling it too much and appear to be running a puppet show.

Basically, it depends on the story behind it all.

Say for example you have a murder mystery. Lack of clues might not be so bad as some players may be able to pick up the story and help out with ingenious ways, traps and so on.

But when you have a treasure hunt and people lose the clues once or twice or have to wait too long, the fun factor flies out the window.

[John80sk]

to be quite honest I think the problem is that people write the endings to rp's... the ending to any rp should be open, the story should be more of a jumping off point.

[Illysia]

I think expecting too much of the RP can hurt it. It may or may not attract a lot of attention or go the way you want it, to but as long as there is some quality RP it is still successful.

On the note of where such RPs can take you, of my characters that interacted with people regularly those grew beyond the relatively flat personalities they started with and became interesting people. Not to mention a mundane RP can become interesting if left open. My characters got into all sorts of stuff I never planned for.

At the moment, I'm doing a bit of a RP experiment. I created a completely new character with no ties to my other characters. I'm RPing differently than I normally would( kinda from the perspective of someone who could RP but is not familiar with PS) and trying to engage as many people as I come across. I'm purposely moving out of my comfort zone. Also, I'm writing an IC diary for the character to chronicle her adventures on the Dome. So far, I have had something to write about each day that I play with her. I eventually hope to post the diary, once it's got more entries in it. And it should be at least a little funny as it is written in true diary style. i.e. stuff she would think but not necessarily say out loud to anyone.