What ruins A Role-play the most for you?

Many of my peeves have already been mentioned. Joining a little later, it would be rather cumbersome to quote all instances. Or even repeat most of them. But I am going to be the unpopular person and say I don't like minimum word requirement.

Some say they don't like one-liners.

That's fine.

But sometimes a brief post is necessary. Even more poignant. I could do without padding in a pose just to meet a requirement, where a lot of extra description or introspection is there but not actually adding anything to the scene. Worse still, an entire pose of introspection that offers NOTHING for other players to respond to. We are not mind readers.

That isn't to say I don' like a look into the mind of the character. The narrative voice and a few clues to the character's thoughts or feelings invites us to become more invested in those characters. But please give people something to respond to.

Another is taking too many actions per turn. And I don't just mean too many combat actions. Long speeches when it's supposed to just be a conversation (natural conversation flow is so hard to emulate!), non-violent physical contact with the other characters, doing various tasks... don't do too much in one pose. Especially if the other person's player may do something in response to ONE of those tasks, which may have altered the other tasks YOUR character did in that pose. I would love to give an example, but as it is, I realised I have to uproot myself from this laptop and go deal with a matter. If interested, I may give some examples in a follow up post, or make a google doc or something explaining this further.

EDIT: Okay, decided to add more to this.

How the smallest interaction could throw a scene into a completely different direction if you let it. Please do NOT take these examples as being a good sample of my role play style or capabilities. I was grimacing a little typing it, but I didn’t want to agonize over this.

Lucien grinned upon being introduced to his partner’s sister. He took her extended hand and, rather than shake it, brought it to his face and kissed it gently. “Charmed,” he purrs softly, placing his hand over hers a moment before releasing it. Grinning smoothly, he goes on to add, “Old Clarkie here told me all about you - and by that I mean he didn’t even mention he HAD a sister. But now I can see why - he must be a very protective older brother.” Seeing a server passing by with a tray, he snaps his fingers to summon them over, grabbing two flutes of champagne, offering one to Clarisse.

Now, here we have several things Clarisse could have responded to that may have changed a many of Lucien’s later actions within this single pose.

For example, if Clarisse had withdrawn her hand or slapped Lucien, I doubt he would be saying ‘charmed’ or offering her champagne. And let us not forget Clark, the older brother, may have loomed or grumbled or elbowed Lucien, or even requested they have a ‘chat’ elsewhere before Lucien could get the attention of a server. Although it would make the post short, it really should have ended with bringing the hand close to his face, and let the other players decide whether to proceed. Oh no, but then THEIR posts are going to be short too! Goodness gracious! Well too bad. I like flow over word count.

Lucien grinned upon being introduced to his business partner’s sister. He took her offered hand, but rather than shake it as was likely the expectation, he gently tugged it closer towards his face with the intention of laying a brief kiss upon it.

Sure. Yes. It is short. But it offers more flexibility for the other players in their responses and generally helps maintain a certain flow. I’m not saying you need OOC consent for every little action, but don’t always assume even an innocuous gesture will be received a certain way.

Of course, Clarisse can still slap Lucien in her next pose. Clark can still clear his throat and glare. But imagine the scene as if it were in a movie, where that slap and glare happen only after everything in Lucien’s pose happens. You might think they were negatively responding to the champagne instead, which is possible, but very silly.

Or Clarisse can put in her pose that she interrupts Lucien with a slap before he can speak a word. But then maybe if a pose order wasn’t established (this more the case with chat-style than forum style play) and Clark was also writing his response and he responds to Lucien’s comment about being an overprotective brother - and the posts arrive within seconds of each other, you have some continuity issues! Well, pose order can fix that. Even so…

You don’t need to prove anything with word count.
 
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Normally I would edit a previous post, but felt the content was 'new' enough to warrant a separate post. If I am wrong, let me know, and I will correct my future posting behaviour.

I just remembered something else that ruins a role play for me, and believe me, in my younger years of role-playing, this did happen more than once. It isn't to make myself look good. In fact it is embarrassing. Ready?

When someone fashions a character specifically with the purpose of romancing one of your characters, and then getting mad at you when you don't play your character as falling madly in love with them almost immediately.

Also I DID (well will after I post this) edit my previous post with things I would have added were I not interrupted.
 
I agree with both your points actually quite strongly, Tachyglossus. Long posts have always been seen to me as like a clove of garlic. Amazing sometimes, just awful other times. Sometimes I end up just not reading and skimming through because my partner dotted necessary input in with absurdly long posts of upwards of several paragraphs.

I also agree with others making characters to fit your own in any way without permission. I once had a character who really wasn't even anything special yet one person made literally a dozen people who had the express purpose of kidnapping him for their special plot that I didn't even agree with. The person didn't even give me any reason why their ocs were so zealous in their task.
 
I agree with both your points actually quite strongly, Tachyglossus. Long posts have always been seen to me as like a clove of garlic. Amazing sometimes, just awful other times. Sometimes I end up just not reading and skimming through because my partner dotted necessary input in with absurdly long posts of upwards of several paragraphs.

I also agree with others making characters to fit your own in any way without permission. I once had a character who really wasn't even anything special yet one person made literally a dozen people who had the express purpose of kidnapping him for their special plot that I didn't even agree with. The person didn't even give me any reason why their ocs were so zealous in their task.

A close of garlic is always terrible for me, and right now I am experiencing 'garlic burn' so when you posted that I cringed. Garlic intolerance yay. ANYHOO, back on topic...

Character obsession? I know what that is like. Presently I am in a roleplay elsewhere and the head admin type person (not sure I would call her THE GM, since the role is loaned out to several different people within that world) seems to be intent on 'breaking the cutie', IE throwing plots my way with the express intent of psychologically damaging my optimistic, energetic character, or at the very least, make her do terrible things. She will even hold her own characters hostage, in a sense, knowing my character is a sap and fall for it every time and try to help them. That is how she got me to join a faction in a war in the RP when I had intended on keeping my character neutral for a while longer. I'm rolling with it and seeing where it will lead, but I do feel just a wee bit resentful. Especially since there was an ongoing plot someone else was running in this world I wanted to be more prominent in, but faction swapping sort of made that harder. But it's also my own problem for not saying "Hey, I'm trying to make way in this other plot, could you move your timetable for messing with my character's moral priorities and strong-arming her into joining a side she doesn't even fully believe in to after this is settled?" and just making smaller complaints or passive aggressive comments hoping she would get the hint despite knowing she never gets the hint. COMMUNICATION!

Lack of communication really can ruin a role-play.

Permission is one of those odd things in a role-play which can really break it. What do you need permission to do and what can you just wing? Is it cumbersome to keep breaking up the scene just to keep asking permissions? I think character permission is necessary, but I also believe in ICA=ICC (In-character actions equal in character consequences) wherein whoever is in charge of the game should have the right, if someone's character is really asking for it (and after several OOC warnings there will be consequences) the GM or moderator or whatever can revoke those permissions.

I just like it when I work so well with a person that asking permissions becomes a mere formality because we are thinking on the same wavelength with where we want to take our characters.

Thread has been hi-jacked!
 
But with the permission thing you're still going to have people who pick on small fry for little to no good reason.

In my first RP there was this guy who had one of the most powerful characters in the entire RP, guy was straight up overpowered. Yet he went after new characters even who were minding their own business or even midway through an actually engaging plot, forcing a fight then acting like a condescending jerk when they told him to stop killing off their characters, to which he'd always reply "it's in his character". Completely derailed at least half a dozen RPs just by himself.
 
Wow, that is annoying. Admittedly, I enjoy role-plays where you have to ask permission to engage in combat with another character. However, require permission to hit back is absurd.

Sounds to me like that player was a bully and just acting out that desire through their characters.
 
When characters fail to stay in character regarding their personality.

If you list a specific trait on a CS, I expect to see it in writing one way or another.
For example, if you say your character is stubborn or hardheaded, I shouldn't see them comply to every decision made within the plotline.

Or, more subtly, if your character was raised to behave a certain way, you need to have it affect their internal judgement. Hell, throw in a little emotional turmoil when confronted with a situation that tests their virtues.

Coming up with extreme, implausible, or humorous situations and gauging how they would react is one way to give a little more insight to the attitude of a character. Plus, it's fun, and it strengthens technique as well.
 
I'll judge that for myself when I stop seeing it happen.
Accepted, yes, but it ruins a roleplay because it occurs often.
 
Oh that was not in response to you it was in response to the one above, when I posted it your post was not on the page because I didn't refresh.
 
I really don't like when I start a RP with someone and we discuss a certain story line, but the person I roleplay with starts initiating smut scenes every couple of posts. Especially when it's unrealistic. If the characters just met each other, you're not gonna be bending her over (hopefully).
It's like OK are we writing an actual story or a porno? Lemme know.
 
I'd suppose I just don't like it when two people's characters start a fight and then it just becomes a full blown argument between the two players which lasts so many pages and it becomes toxic. It makes other players uncomfortable.

I get it, they don't want their characters killed or to lose - but it just becomes ridiculous.
 
For me, it would have to be forced relationships (hypocrite alert).

In all seriousness, I hate when a character can't exist without being in some kind of relationship, as if without another character to fill the void, then their own character is incapable of doing anything on their own. I can understand why a relationship is useful for character building but get utterly disgusted when it becomes a character trait.
 
For me, it would have to be forced relationships (hypocrite alert).

In all seriousness, I hate when a character can't exist without being in some kind of relationship, as if without another character to fill the void, then their own character is incapable of doing anything on their own. I can understand why a relationship is useful for character building but get utterly disgusted when it becomes a character trait.

I have to ask... why the hypocrite alert?

And I agree completely. If you didn't read one of my long posts on here already, I complained about a similar issue. It is bad enough when someone is always trying to push relationships with their characters, worse when they make one purely to pursue one of your own.
 
I have to ask... why the hypocrite alert?

And I agree completely. If you didn't read one of my long posts on here already, I complained about a similar issue. It is bad enough when someone is always trying to push relationships with their characters, worse when they make one purely to pursue one of your own.
Which relationship? Rivalry? Friendship? Love...ship?
 
Which relationship? Rivalry? Friendship? Love...ship?
You caught me there. Romantic relationship. I usually try to be more specific. I will not feel too foolish about it though, I am recovering from light dental surgery and am a little foggy.
 
You caught me there. Romantic relationship. I usually try to be more specific. I will not feel too foolish about it though, I am recovering from light dental surgery and am a little foggy.
Mhm. Nice. I am myself these days foggy when it's past 22:45 or so.
 
I would welcome more rivalry based relationships for my characters to be honest, so long as it isn't based on an out-of-character rivalry.
Amen. I will gladly accept a rivalry. I do appreciate romantic relationships, really I do. However, there is a certain satisfaction you get when rping with your character's rival-be it friendly, argumentatively, or even to the death. It builds on a character far more than anything else in my opinion.
 
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