Food for Thought: IC Couples

[Illysia]

I have a mixed feelings about my own characters being in IC relationships, but at the same time it does present some advantages with the disadvantages.

For instance, it gives you a ready made RP partner and set of goals for your character to pursue. On the other hand, it often leads to getting into an RP rut. You get so comfortable RPing with that character that it can get harder to RP with characters you can't read as well.

One irritating side issue that usually comes with it though is other RPers running off just as soon as your character's significant other comes along. Not every RP between couples is a private RP , especially in a public venue. However, it is easy to slip into ignoring characters since you are already in the habit of your character responding to their S.O. first.

Other potential wrinkle is when the player behind the S.O. has to leave for RL reasons. That can put a strain on the story as you struggle to reconcile the loss. You are usually left with an off stage S.O. or a contrived break up. Nevertheless, it is sometimes unavoidable. It's one of the reasons I tended to avoid my characters being in relationships unless the connection between the characters was so compelling that it would be an obvious contrivance to avoid it.

As a side note, pre-arranging past relationships, or attempts at them, with other characters can also make for fun "in the present" RPs too.

Overall, I think it can be useful as long as it stays a facet of your character and not the grand sum total of their being. Relationships can be used for highlighting each other's characters and can lead to character development, even for periphery characters... just as long as the characters stay mostly inclusive.

What do you all think about IC relationships?

[MishkaL1138]

Blah blah well thought point blah blah a lot of big words blah

I'm sick of relationships in game. I can't seem to find anyone able to rock my socks off, and if I do they're taken, or just aren't looking for it or it's Kaerli

C'mon Illy, you've never been one for romance that I know of, are you becoming a softie now~? By the way I haven't seen you online yet.

[Illysia]

Most of my characters never do get into romance but when I left PS I grew as an RPer. I learned different facets of RP and picked up new skills. However, Zandral and Telnavi were in relationships for a while even in PS.

As for being in PS, who said I was going back? I just woke up the forum.

[MishkaL1138]

[...] when I left PS I grew as an RPer.

Tell the whole class about it  so we can learn how to thrive without depending on PS's quickly dwindling numbers.

[Illysia]

It's just a matter of picking a new game, googling their RP, then looking for those people in game. The hard part is finding a healthy and large enough community in the game you choose. However, once you find a healthy community, you are most likely to grow in your skills.

For instance, I learned how to form the backstories for my characters on my own. I learned how to make them stand alone characters that weren't dependent on the characters that helped to shape them. I learned how to run events better. I learned how to develop a character better.

But RP is like writing. The best way to get better is to RP more. To do that you need an intact RP community. For what it is worth though, all PS needs to reconnect RPers is a causal weekly event that runs at the same time each week. The problem is that no one wants to invest that kind of time and effort into PS, not even me. *shrug* It would probably take a year just to see significant results.

[Thoss]

For what it is worth though, all PS needs to reconnect RPers is a causal weekly event that runs at the same time each week. The problem is that no one wants to invest that kind of time and effort into PS, not even me. *shrug* It would probably take a year just to see significant results.

Might take a bit longer than that... how many years has the Explorer Booth been sitting there flapping in the wind... pretty sure some Explorers still pop in on a consistent weekly time to dust and trim the weeds... all to not much avail.

[Illysia]

You may be right, though I didn't know they logged on at a consistent time. They may need to advertise.

But I was thinking more like a social event for the purpose of getting people back in the habit of interacting. Before I stopped RPing, I had a character that helped staff a weekly cross faction social event. Before the Devs pulled the RP rug from under us, we consistently maintained a group of about 20 RPers through out the night each Friday. That's with people coming and going. It was a hotspot. People came to meet other people.