Forum Posting vs. Live Posting

[Lilian]

Does anyone else have this problem? It just seems a little difficult for me at times to continue on the feel and the essence of a game, or really carry on a thought when you're having to wait a few minutes, up to days for someone to get back to you.. if at all, and you're not even really with the person. It's really an indirect way of interaction.. 


What are all your opinions on this?   What do you do to really make forum-based posting work, or does it just go well with you?  Do you prefer live posting but cant really find anyone, or dont want to share your IMs? 


You know you want to add something to this conversation - don't be shy! 

[alahendra]

Well I find that I can get 'into' the story again if I read back through the past few posts when I'm forum posting.  Having said that, I have found that sometimes it clicks and sometimes it doesn't.  Also, it depends at least in part, I think, on whether the participants have compatible ideas about what they want in a story (e.g., does it build up slowly to the action, or is it rapid-fire back and forth type stuff?)  Overall, I have found that forum posting works pretty well for me.

I don't like IM roleplaying, particularly not of an adult nature.  The major reason why is I have met one too many weirdos (and I don't mean the good kind of weirdos) who don't believe me when I say that I want RP, not just cybersex.  Also, I think that the rapid rate of IMing makes it harder for me to be as descriptive.  For me, sometimes I read a forum post, think about it for awhile, and then come back to post my response, which gives me time to add more descriptive elements. And, I find forums work better for rules-based games, which I enjoy.

Just my 2.5 cents.

[Lilian]

That's an interesting view..  and definitely, forums work better for the rules based games. I usually only freeform via instant messenger types, but I use say.. OpenRPG for anything with dice.  It flows a lot better but also lacks that.. downtime where you can really kind of contemplate what you do next.


It's certainly easier to build up sort of a mood, experiment more freely with what you do with your partner, to see exactly what they'd like and dont like.. and of course have a faster mode to get in contact with them to see.. perhaps.. where the whole thing might go so you both would _really_ enjoy it.


I'm sorry you've met such wierdos.. I guess that's why there's Elliquiy. -chuckles- 

[alahendra]

<snip>

I'm sorry you've met such wierdos.. I guess that's why there's Elliquiy. -chuckles- 

Yeah, I pretty much stick to Elliquiy for all my adult gaming needs.  I play in and run non-adult DnD games on RPoL.  Of course, maybe my IM problem is I've never really looked in the right place.

Lilian--how/where do you find people to RP with via IM? 

[Lilian]

You don't look via IM. -chuckles-  I found all the people I IM with on places like WebRPG, OpenRPG.. you game with them there first, or at least meet them,. kinda know that they're really into roleplaying.. and into the erotic side of it, which can take time..


But after that it's just a mutual want to stay in touch with each other. On a place like Open there's no way to really keep track - it's pretty usual for people to exchange IMs.    Then from there.. well.. you know. <Grins>   

[alahendra]

You don't look via IM. -chuckles-  I found all the people I IM with on places like WebRPG, OpenRPG.. you game with them there first, or at least meet them,. kinda know that they're really into roleplaying.. and into the erotic side of it, which can take time..


But after that it's just a mutual want to stay in touch with each other. On a place like Open there's no way to really keep track - it's pretty usual for people to exchange IMs.    Then from there.. well.. you know. <Grins>   

Nah, I didn't make myself clear.  I was wondering if there was a website devoted to ads for people who wanted to play via IM.  I know PBEM.com used to have stuff like that sometimes, but it's gone now of course.  I have tried OpenRPG a couple of times for regular games but people seem to flake out after one or two sessions... :-\ Maybe it's just my luck.

[Lilian]

It's the nature of people, really. I have not run a single successful game since.. 5, 6, 7 years ago?  When I was 13 I could draw in a whole crowd for erotic and serious campaigns and have a blast.... now?... pah. XD  I wouldnt even get my hopes up.

As far as the ads you were talking about, I really do have no idea.. I've never really looked into it.

Elliquiy's been sort of my gold mine for talented, intellectual and.. well.. perv-minded people. <Grins> 

[alahendra]

<snip>

Elliquiy's been sort of my gold mine for talented, intellectual and.. well.. perv-minded people. <Grins> 

Heh, I'll second that.  :D

[GothicFires]

I’ve never had a problem loosing the feel or like of a game that I am writing with someone else. The feeling about a game in the beginning is usually the feeling I keep through out. I know the games I am going to loose interest in because I have to force myself to play them and generally make shorter posts. I am also one who thinks, probably too much, about what I want to say and do to keep the feel of the game going.  So I write slow… combine that with RL, other hobbies, GMing a game on RPOL and probably writing in too many game now; I simply would not have the time to RP in an IM. In the end it is the quality of the story that matters to me, not the speed at which it is written.

I do have to admit I wish I could find a happy medium between live and forum rp. I love the detail I can create in the Forum but miss the physical presence of people and the ability to create a story somewhat quickly.

[Ellyssa]

Nah, I didn't make myself clear.  I was wondering if there was a website devoted to ads for people who wanted to play via IM.  I know PBEM.com used to have stuff like that sometimes, but it's gone now of course.  I have tried OpenRPG a couple of times for regular games but people seem to flake out after one or two sessions... :-\ Maybe it's just my luck.

That's mainly what the adult-style muds-mushes do, really. ;D I've tried RPing around on IMs, but it's very difficult indeed and I fully agree with the weirdos bit.. it's not my thing, ugh. But clients let people congregate together and roleplay - whether one on one in a larger world, or many people in the same gathering place.. whether you talk about MUD/MUSH clients or IRC clients (the latter of which are a totally different breed.)

Live roleplay generally sacrifices post length for speed though, unless you're doing something where the post length is needed (ie the description of a special place, or a prophecy, or something). This is the first forum I've ever RPed on.. all my previous experience has been live roleplay, and I'm a big fan of it. As far as I'm concerned (or experienced) RP on MSN/AIM/YIM/ICQ/Whatever doesn't count as rp besides a short quickie most times.. there's no way.

Of course there're exceptions. :)

I do have to admit I wish I could find a happy medium between live and forum rp. I love the detail I can create in the Forum but miss the physical presence of people and the ability to create a story somewhat quickly.

Amen.

[Elvi]

Playing by instant message isn't for me.
I have tried it on, several occasions, with players I trust, but it is still too near the bone for me and still feels like I'm cybering.
There are other factors, I am usually doing something else as well as my role playing, when I am on msn I usually get inundated with messages from others on my list and it's hard to chat about what my 11 year old is doing at school to one, while reacting to have my breasts tweaked to another. 

As for play by post?
Well as you can see, by the amount of posts I have here, I like it a lot and if you pick your partners well for the games you and they are suited for, you can have the (almost) instant role play that you would get from IM's and the long running plotty ones as well.

[Jefepato]

I vastly prefer forum posting.  It gives me time to think.

[Mistiq]

With me isn't allittle different. I don't really know which I like better I only know why I enjoy each type.

With IMs, Elliquiy and there other site I used to roleplay on, there are lost of people with my instant messager service. Often times the only reason I use my IM is for conversation. I have been in roleplays over IM that have had major substance to them. And if not that I have wrote so poetically that I was in disbelief. The only godawful thing about IMs to me is I can't say an entire thought most times. And after it gets cut off even though I can see what I was writting I forget where I wanted to go with it. Aside from that I over think when I am roleplaying so it may take me ten minutes to reply with three paragraphs of some of my best as opposed to three minutes to reply with something I hate but is still good enough.

Forums I do enjoy roleplaying on but I am nervous about them. I worry that I am not doing the game justice most of the time. It sometimes will take me days to reply to something small because I over think what I want to post.Left up to me I would play a game by email, that for me would be better because I can devote one email account to just roleplay and not get it mixed in with the person emails I get from my sister Koko. Even though she is the only one who ever emails me.

[King_Furby]

I dislike live posting like in instant messages for example. I would rather be able to take a few minutes, relax, and make a good post then being rushed. In live posting i always feel more rushed then with e-mails, PM,s and forums.

Usually I am talking to a person in IM and we just tell each other when a post has been made. That way between posts i can chit chat a bit and get to know the person i am playing with.

As for time i don't mind waiting a day or a few hours. Once i play with someone for a day or so i get to know the pace and what to expect. I don't mind if an RP has to be a once a day thing as long as its a pattern i can adjust to.

[Swedish Steel]

I do have to admit I wish I could find a happy medium between live and forum rp. I love the detail I can create in the Forum but miss the physical presence of people and the ability to create a story somewhat quickly.

I've found that talking on MSN, planning ahead and exchanging ideas with your partner while you post at the forum is a good medium. I like it at least.