The "I'm Bored" Conversation Thread

[Illysia]

*readies the Wooden Spoon of Doom(tm) and looks back at Rigwyn*

<.<

I don't care necessarily but it is nice assuming that by story you mean some sort of plot being followed how ever big or small. I can content myself with everything being on the fly and not necessarily with a set destination as long as I get to observe interesting character interactions. A while back I had posted some bits of my favorite RPs here. I think the one with Marqsaynt and Ixala illustrates what I mean (you can use ctrl + f with Ixala to go straight to that one). I was literally sitting between them and yet I was a really just an observer and nothing "happened" per se, but I had so much fun with that RP. I loved watching the two characters bounce off of each other.

[Rigwyn]

I think that sometimes we seek things out but don't know know what it is that we hunger for. As a result, we try all sorts of things and are repeatedly left just as hungry as we were when we started. I think this is a very human pattern - and a very subtle one too. I know for me, there are certain things that I continue to chase despite not feeling fully satisfied. Could this be the case perhaps?

Currently, I'm just too tired to chase my own shadow.

[Zalya]

And yes, while it may sound like I'm just complimenting people here there is someone I have to acknowledge that does absolutely superbly with dealing in both realms without prejudice. Zalya. I admire this player, and I look up to them as someone to emulate in the way they deal with this situation. Zalya has always been supportive of both types of role play, and clearly seems to glean enjoyment from both.  He/she has always been cordial in any interaction I've had with him/her, and any interaction I have seen him/her having. They're perfectly alright with being involved in role play revolving around something more action-packed, and also contended with chatter about what kind of dress would best flatter my socially awkward klyros' lean figure. I give you, m'dear, a round of applause.

Aww I'm flattered. I really am. I try my hardest. I've always loved RP, any kind I could get. RP is a way to explore myself, and a community in a safe and fun environment, while putting an emphasis on creativity. I play and GM all sorts of P&P RPG's and I've done a few other online RP's, and a couple of LARPs, but Planeshift is still one of my favorite places for RP.

[Illysia]

I think that sometimes we seek things out but don't know know what it is that we hunger for. As a result, we try all sorts of things and are repeatedly left just as hungry as we were when we started. I think this is a very human pattern - and a very subtle one too. I know for me, there are certain things that I continue to chase despite not feeling fully satisfied. Could this be the case perhaps?

This is very much my problem except that I know exactly what it is I am hungering for. I just can't get it consistently or often, especially since there are not as many people that want the same thing. I try to make do with what I can get, but when all is said and done, the whole reason I keep coming back is that I keep hoping that this time  I will get what I am after.

[Rigwyn]

Do you think that perhaps perfectionism might have something to do with it?

I suspect that perfectionism might be responsible for some of the rp recline that we saw in the past. I know that I was happier when I expected less

[Illysia]

I doubt it. I compromise on my standards all the time. I lowered my expectations and it helped but when all is said and done, I want what I want. But, what I want to do other people think is boring when you try and lead them into it. If I can convince them to hang around a bit they often don't mind it but when I ask people to join me they pass up most of the time because they assume it is boring.

Sometimes it is but that's often because despite trying to find the right prompt it turned in "How's the weather?" or "How's your mother?" There is something to be said for character chemistry and not all characters have chemistry with each other.

For awhile I tried jumping people and dragging them in RP randomly so that they don't have time to think "this will be a social RP" and it works, but it is very time consuming and tiring to do it that way. It takes way more effort on my part to first chase people down.

[Rigwyn]

For awhile I tried jumping people and dragging them in RP randomly so that they don't have time to think "this will be a social RP" and it works, but it is very time consuming and tiring to do it that way. It takes way more effort on my part to first chase people down.

I know I read this the wrong way on the first pass, but to me it sounded like you were kidnapping folks and tricking them into participating in bar-rp.      That's more evil that chopping off their toes and threatening to douse their nubs with vinegar!


This is why I enjoy forum rp, collaborative writing and single author writing a little bit more. Its much easier to write something in vivid detail and not have to worry about the time constraints and visual limitations present in realtime rp.

[Illysia]

Nah, just hang out in places where people run by then Greet Snipe them to see who stops and can be roped in.

But I like the game better because it lets me skip some of which to me is somewhat extraneous. If I'm in the tavern that is one less bit of context that I don't have to spend time writing about. Anyone can look around and see it for themselves. Same reason I like custom items. I can make them in advance then I don't have to spend the RP time describing it to them.

I pretty much don't care, in most cases, what a character is wearing, what else is in the room, who walked past the door, what items is in someone's hand or anything. I really just want to see character's personalities bounce off of each other and how those character react to specific scenarios. For instance, how different characters would react to your smelly, rude Dermorian. To me, everything else is an accessory detail to that and if the other things become relevant to how a character is reacting then I care, but otherwise I really don't care what color someone's cloak is.

...until they take something of mine or owe me money. >.>

[Rigwyn]

I like to know all the details. I want to know what color and texture the cloak was, what exactly was dripping from the sack they held what it smelt like, and how those around that mysterious figure reacted. I like to have a picture painted in my head - something that will repeat throughout the day and nag at me. I don't know about you, but when I get really immersed in an rp, I literally see it happening.

[Mariana Xiechai]

I don't know about you, but when I get really immersed in an rp, I literally see it happening.

Yup yup yup yup yuuuuup! Same with me. And same with reading, really. It's why if I get really interested in what's taking place I get more and more longwinded and into what's happening. I love the imagery. If there isn't detail, it pretty much wrecks most of it for me. If it's just broken down into dialogue alone, it detracts from the level of enjoyment.

[Rigwyn]

Totally.

For me, imagery is huge. I'll see a picture - say Red Riding hood and then suddenly, my head starts to screw with it. I'll see her again in my mind but with a worried expression on her face this time. Perhaps she's biting into a scarlet apple as a huge, twisted shadow stretches over her. Suddenly ideas start to flow and change. At one moment, she has a bloody axe hidden in the other hand, and at another moment, her grandmother is running through the forest in her worn, cotton nightie - screaming at the top of her failing lungs as a pack of snarling wolves leap and tackle her to the muddy ground.

Uh.. where was I going with that?

[Illysia]

This is why I have to stretch and remember to add more details of that nature when I RP otherwise I will completely forget about it entirely. I know other people care about it more. My mind's eye is beyond fuzzy so I don't actually rely on it much or use it in RP much. I suppose that is why I enjoy the abstract more.

I get into it when two personalities clash and then I can sit and try to anticipate how the other character will react to a personal insult, how they will react if someone they know is insulted, what they will do if presented with a scenario they fear, what they will do when a matter of passion is involve, etc. Or piecing together behavioral patterns. When Zandral's (then) boyfriend spoke of some other woman, the first thing I did was review the list of females he had spoken of to Zandral recently, figure out which one Zandral would focus in on, and then toss out a line to see if he bit and if Zandral's assumptions were correct. She was only partial correct though.

Or later when figuring out how Zandral would Tell Illysia about her boyfriend, I imagined what Illy's take on Zandral having a boyfriend would be, what the general stance of their family would be on it, the state of Illy and Zandral's basic line of communication, and how Zandral would twist and turn to couch the infomation so that it would raise as few red flags as possible with Illysia. And I did all of this even though I controlled both characters, which in their case was rather fun especially when they argued completely opposing points. the two of them arguing from polar angles let me turn situations around in my head and explore both sides simultaneous in real time.

Now that I think about. To be fair, I actually get bored if I spend too much time reading about scenery and not enough about the character's internal motivations and battles.

[Rigwyn]

Do you watch TV and Movies much?

[Illysia]

Not really actually. I don't necessarily mind them I just often find it difficult to sit and watch for awhile. It has to have a lot of really engaging characters to keep me in my seat. Even an amazingly handsome actor is not enough to keep me in the chair. It's more fun at times to just walk off and imagine on my own what kinds of situations they get into and how they react.

[Rigwyn]

I read the RP logs that you linked. I do see where you are going as far as enjoy the social/interpersonal interaction goes. The first one had a nice flow to it. There was not too much writing, and you two seemed to have a pattern of letting some things out while holding back other things - creating a mild sense of suspense. I think that's what you would call it.  I'm more of a plot person. Perhaps if I knew the players in question, I might be warmer to the RP and enjoy it more.

Personally, I would rather RP with a "stranger" and be exposed to the unknown.