digibutter.nerr

[Francis]

Role-Play has been a big part of the site since day one. Everyone has a different idea of how Role-Playing should work and be organized. We have epic plots with clear guidelines and detailed character profiles, to quick banter between characters from popular worlds, and everything in between.

How do you feel about the current Role-Play system, and what kind of improvements, if any, would you like to make to it?

Nerrrrrr...

[Die4Less]

A couple of changes that we could try might greatly improve it. They would be to take RP, and put all the topics from both RP and RPOT into one convienient forum. RPOT, would become a forum for posting RP sign-ups, alt claiming, and discussion of alts and plots. A sub-forum could be introduced to allow for people to make their help pleas...

Example Help Plea...

[Spiny]

As is, the Role Play forum is dead as a skeleton.

And I think RPOT needs a little redefining.
The basic idea was Off Topic, but in character.
Doesn't that mean we should beat the fourth wall to pieces, and discuss things that go on outside the site?

So I would propose that actual in character RPing go in Role Play(Plot and Non), and that discussion of various other things go in RPOT(Like videos, flash games and such.)
All the pre existing rules still apply except for a slight redefinition of flame in RPOT, where it needs to be a direct badmouth to the user, rather than the character present.

[Gold Prognosticus]

I agree with Spiny on this subject - it's very name indicates that RPOT is a role-playing version of off topic. I doubt any member will dispute that it is not used for that these days. RP itself is little more than a dead shell, with very few posts.

I think clearer definitions of RP and RPOT need to be implemented, and a way be discovered to bring life back to traditional roleplays, while not disturbing the large number of 'plots' that are currently taking place.

[Super Hario]

This is the style I had imagined for the Role-Play forums:

Heavy Role-Play: This forum would be for clear-cut, intense Role-Play sessions that last more than a few days.

Standard Role-Play: This would be for quick Role-Plays that last a day or two. Basically what most people would currently post in RPOT.

Misc Role-Play: This would be for joke alts and extremely short, humorous plots. The miniature, serious plots that are in RPOT would all be moved to standard Role-Play.

As much as I'm against adding new forums to split activity between them, I strongly feel that this would be the best way for all the RP forums to work, keeping the plots defined on level of seriousness and flushing out the joke topics from the real RPs.

EDIT: On the topic of Roleplay Alts, I would try and make a system that would allow for up to 10 RP alts that could be used in any forum. However, you would only start with three; each additional slot would cost 100 coins. This would encourage activity among the forums other than Off-Topic and Misc Role Play (which you wouldn't earn coins in). Additionally, I would also try and get more features for alts, such as a bio page which would cost an additional 20 coins for each alt. This would also encourage activity.

[Almaz]

I never saw what the big deal was. So we have one role-play section, so what? Miyamojo was supposed to be a Miyamoto-inspired RPOT in its original light. Wanna know what happened?

It sank.

People just want to role-play, so let them role-play. It's at least a quarter of the site's heart, so altering it too greatly would lead to a lot of panic. But really, most of the non-"MOAR ALTZ" feedback coming from role-players...

AREN'T COMING FROM THE MORE DEDICATED ROLE-PLAYERS.

Yeah, some of them jump on the train, but it feels like more casual role-players (oh God, I feel like Cammy ILEIKPUPPIES now...) are the ones asking for more change; feel free to dispute me if I'm wrong. At the moment, Role-Play Off-Topic is a lot like Video Games were in the golden age; weird, unique, fun, and lumped together with all other types of geek culture.

Role-Play is really the least of my worries. There are much larger issues at hand than a section of the site that can, has, and will self-sustain itself. Yeah, it's kind of been going really slowly lately, with even less plots in RPOT and less fun and even less topics now, but I just don't think it needs a jumpstart at this time.

Really, I can't do anything to Role-Play or RPOT, and you all know how I frequent the sections. This is something I'm going to leave in the hands of those who love to Role-Play, as they've kept that particular section of the site self-sustained for over a year now with little outside support or influence. Heck, it's even been defended in flame wars! Those who are determined to keep that inventive spirit up in the section deserve their voice to be heard, and I'd be honored if it were through me.

Oh, and that more alt thing...yeah, that would need to go in soon. No more worrying about 'which alt here?' and 'I have four characters I want to use, but only two alt slots' topics, now only 'suggest me an alt', 'how good am I doing', and 'I've got a lov-e-ly bunch of coconuts' topics will remain in the OOC stuff.

[Lord Krump]

Role-playing is a fun way to spend time, and has always been a cure for the site's boredom. Unfortunately, although the current layout for the RP boards was spawned from a wonderful idea, the execution of those boards failed, as Miyamojo is a barren wasteland, and RP, although still living, isn't as popular as it could (And should) be. RPOT- a place for pure RP randomness and simple fun- is definitely alive and active; however, I believe it is only fair to give more "hardcore" role-playing a chance. Therefore, I propose a new board layout, and new features to restore balance to the world of digibutter Role-Playing.

We would have two boards, and two boards alone. Casual Role-Playing will essentially be a broader version of RPOT, whereas Heavy Role-Playing would be a broader, and slightly more intense version of our current RP board. In CR, everything that happens in RPOT would happen in there, but with a wider variety of plots and threads. Posts could range from in-character randomness, to laid-back plots. In Heavy RP, however, the threads last for far longer, and the thread creator specifies the rules. For instance, if he doesn't want non-original characters in his thread, he can specify it in the opening post with an OoC message; or, he could specify the number of people (Or which individuals) he wants in the thread. However, the general standards for this board would be that posts are generally longer than a single sentence, and the plots will last for several days; possibly months.

I also propose a revamp of our "Alt" feature. I propose that we have a total amount of six alts for any purpose, and each alt gets its own character sheet, detailing whether it is original or not (Or, if it is non-original, what universe it comes from), what its abilities are, and what its backstory is. And various other features, as well.

Further, I propose that a new "staff" needs to be created to help moderate and review plots. The RP boards, obviously, need their own set of special rules; therefore, an RP Council should be created to help regulate posts, determine if plots are in the correct place, and edit the rules, if necessary. They will also vote on a "Role-Player of the Month," to be displayed on the front page; this will be based on how well the member's in-characterness is, or how interesting his plots are.

These changes would make RPing more enjoyable for everyone, and allow for far more adaptability for both the thread-creator and the thread participant.

[Lord Vaati]

I along with others know that RP is a graveyard most of the time and it requires some more attention. RPOT already has plenty but could use a few changes like the ideas people have stated in this topic.

Being someone who enjoys RPing I have tried a few times to bring people into RP plots in hopes that they start making RPs of their own in RP.

Thats about it for now.

[Paper Peach]

Honestly, Mister I pretty much summed up my opinion on the subject.....

What matters most about the Role playing forum is what the people that actually role play there want. I have unfortunately drifted away from that part of the site, and I am no longer at a position where I can say what would be the best for it. All I have to say is this: It works as it does now.

Sure there could be improvements, and those will come in time with the suggestions that those in the RP section bring forth, but for a year, this section has self-sustained itself by the people who post there.

The Original idea and purpose of RPOT was to recreate the old digibutter days. It was to talk about things off topic, but in charactar. The community has changed that into a world where charactars jump from topic to topic to hide from each other, and the like. The overall view is a jumbled mess that is organized in its own unorganized way. (And I think I just lost myself in that statement....)

I'd like to keep that aspect of the RPOT as it is, if the RPers would like for it to be that way. It's always been special to me for it's unusual quirkeyness that's hard to find elsewhere. It truly is an original forum, and to me, changing that would be a crime.

The Role-Playing forum isn't as active as I would like. I've always been into the heavy roleplaying myself, but both casual and heavy rps can co-exist. They did at the begginning of Digibutter, and they can now. I think the RP section is for plots, while RPOT is just to be silly and have fun, and for very casual plots.

Now, just because I believe they don't need to be changed doesn't mean that there cannot be improvements.
Perhaps a special charactar profile section in the users page will be an interesting idea. Another alt slot may be in need, but it may come at the cost of another feature of the site.

To wrap it up, I leave the rp section to the RPers. What they want will be considered, and they will be the ones to choose what happens.

[lovegod703]

I don't RP much, but I think that the members who DO RP should be able to choose what they want. I would listen to them and tell Francis.