After some years into both, roleplaying and my history major, I found out that almost every roleplay is based on fantasy, yet few are based on true historical events, considering that most of those are table top games. At first I thought that maybe that is because the previous knowledge needed about world history to start one, but as a science-fiction and fantasy fan I realised that the background and lore on most of these fantasy worlds is just as rich as many passages on world history, not to mention that the vast majority of these are actually based on world history. (GOT is based on the Two Roses war in England, for example) And, finally, that history itself provides us with a vast and rich world of possibilities for adventure, comedy, romance, drama, and tragedy. Yet few actually feel interest on it. Any thoughts on this? Or, maybe i've been just looking for this kind of RP in all the wrong places?
Why are there so few historical rp's out there?
- Thread starter Anarien
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Just speculating here, but I imagine a lot of it stems from peoples desire to create coupled with something you touched on regarding the need for previous knowledge to do a historic roleplay.
When you create your own world, with its own history, it's own lore, you're intimately connected to it. You know all the ins and outs, and you can patch holes as you go if they become uncovered. You're very engaged from day one.
For a historic roleplay to do it accurately you have to do a lot of preparation research before you even make it to the creation process, and there's always that concern of being judged for misrepresenting an era due to missing information.
Me, I'm fond of a mix of both. I like to take inspiration from real world locations, events, and history, but give them my own fantastical spin. It feeds into my desire to create, while allowing me a bit more flexibility and fewer feelings of restriction or tight lore that I might accidentally misrepresent.
This is just loose speculation though, based on my own personal difficulty with historic roleplays.
That said, I do know we have some users here that have expressed interest in historic roleplays, so hopefully you can find some interested roleplay partners
When you create your own world, with its own history, it's own lore, you're intimately connected to it. You know all the ins and outs, and you can patch holes as you go if they become uncovered. You're very engaged from day one.
For a historic roleplay to do it accurately you have to do a lot of preparation research before you even make it to the creation process, and there's always that concern of being judged for misrepresenting an era due to missing information.
Me, I'm fond of a mix of both. I like to take inspiration from real world locations, events, and history, but give them my own fantastical spin. It feeds into my desire to create, while allowing me a bit more flexibility and fewer feelings of restriction or tight lore that I might accidentally misrepresent.
This is just loose speculation though, based on my own personal difficulty with historic roleplays.
That said, I do know we have some users here that have expressed interest in historic roleplays, so hopefully you can find some interested roleplay partners
That is actualy what I intend to propose, the cmbination of both a historical era, event and contet, however combined with several elements to make it suitable for more players. A concept similar to an acrony, based on a true historical event, the outcome, however, may differ from the actual historical result of the events.
Myroxylon
Senseless Manatee
Alternate history can be fun, but the last site I was on was almost exclusively alternate history RP's by the end. I think there's a lot of creators on the site that want complete creative control over their worlds. Regardless, sometimes history RPs can be quite fun, and I wouldn't mind seeing one!
I'd enjoy a good historical roleplay - creating characters in context of a certain historical period. One would develop characters whose entire life isn't known in entirety, which gives one the potential to be innovative without simply following a script.
(This is probably easier the further back in time... Thoughts?)
(This is probably easier the further back in time... Thoughts?)
I'm a history graduate and I love history. I avoid historical RPs like the plague, however, because I get so, so anal about the details, how everything ought to fit into the timeline etc. that it swiftly begins to feel more like a chore than an enjoyable pastime. It's the same reason I tend to avoid stringent fan-fiction - I don't like being slowed down by having to Google/fact check constantly as I write. I think when you're operating within an original fantasy universe, even one with extensive lore that may not belong to you, there's usually a greater degree of artistic licence at play.
Just an example... me and a fellow forumer recently took part in a forum contest together where we had to write a series of letters exchanged between two characters. We opted for a man and woman during WW2. I can't even begin to describe how long I spent making sure all the dates matched up perfectly with actual events, that the time between letters took into consideration the difficulties in getting post across the Atlantic during the war etc. I wouldn't say it killed the fun, exactly, but it definitely took considerably more effort.
Just an example... me and a fellow forumer recently took part in a forum contest together where we had to write a series of letters exchanged between two characters. We opted for a man and woman during WW2. I can't even begin to describe how long I spent making sure all the dates matched up perfectly with actual events, that the time between letters took into consideration the difficulties in getting post across the Atlantic during the war etc. I wouldn't say it killed the fun, exactly, but it definitely took considerably more effort.
BramSigismund
Director
I expirienced the problem that when people get issues because they responded to an event in a similar way like it was done in reality, but they left out an elemantry part, that they start to argue "but in history it worked". Less an issue with historical RP, but yet a common issue I discovered in Historical Roleplays.
Another point is the dire need and demand of realism and realistic behaviour and actions. Players prefer to have special and remarkable characters, stronger, bigger and better than they could have been. This destroys much of the historical part. Even worse is the take over of real persons, like when a players wants to be Napoleon or Caesar, a similar argument like the one above arises.
"I'm a history graduate and I love history. I avoid historical RPs like the plague, however, because I get so, so anal about the details, how everything ought to fit into the timeline etc. that it swiftly begins to feel more like a chore than an enjoyable pastime." - Aye, same for me.
Another point is the dire need and demand of realism and realistic behaviour and actions. Players prefer to have special and remarkable characters, stronger, bigger and better than they could have been. This destroys much of the historical part. Even worse is the take over of real persons, like when a players wants to be Napoleon or Caesar, a similar argument like the one above arises.
"I'm a history graduate and I love history. I avoid historical RPs like the plague, however, because I get so, so anal about the details, how everything ought to fit into the timeline etc. that it swiftly begins to feel more like a chore than an enjoyable pastime." - Aye, same for me.
Well, something i've come to understand after a while is that free will has always a limitation on the context we live, yet most roleplayers want just to be thrown into an open world and be given freedom to choose their own adventure, yet in reality all characters in epic quests had no freedom to choose at all, many were forced to undertake a role in history by their conditions and context, but i still think it would be an interesting roleplay experience.
Still, it can be adapted and/or based on a historical event yet a new storyline can be adapted to make it more of a roleplay and less of a history lecture. Adding a story and yet maintaining the undergoing historical process. Another thing is that to provide players with the necessary information about the historical period in question, the amount of exposition may be bigger than other RP's yet this is not imposible to achieve.
ArQane
With blood comes life, with life comes death.
Altering history is something writers hate doing (as do I). But there is no point in completely following history either, because you have no leverage in bending the plot.
Realistic is much more optimal. You can create history without choking yourself of the on the bounds of the real world.
Realistic is much more optimal. You can create history without choking yourself of the on the bounds of the real world.
Well, that is mostly what I've tried for the last few years when it comes to RP, as it gives more liberty to the players, yet i think the achrony genre has a lot of potential when it comes to RP, just imagine a world where the axis won the WWII and it's possible to either play as an american resistance member or a fascist american hunting dissidents.
Joshua Raxter
Active Member
Another reason is that most people do not know enough about History to do a historical RP justice. It can be difficult if you have no idea what you are doing.
I guess we could rely on the classic strategy of exposition, both in prologues and during the plot.
M
Meliodas
Guest
I would have to agree with Joshua. Personally, I'd love to write a novel based in historic times, but it requires a lot of research to do genres such as this justice because you'll always have someone to show up and tell you how particular elements of the story are false for that time period, etc. It seems easier to just avoid it all together simply because of that. This is another reason I rarely roleplay in worlds based off of comic books, movies, etc. No one wants to be the one to butcher canon.
~M
~M
kookyGremlin
Member
The short answer is Research.. you need to do lots!!
Joshua Raxter
Active Member
Then you run into the problem of things that were acceptable 50 years ago that are not today. Like historical characters wearing furs as an example. PETA is throwing a hissy fit about Warhammer character wearing fur! Things like that drive me nuts...I bet those PETA people have had to use leather for something....
kribblefish
wiggles too much
It sounds sort of fun though, trying to make them as real as possible. <that sounds like a great way to study for an exam, if you had the time that is>
look into my posts, I have one I posted a few weeks ago, just in case you're interested.
Bishop
History Nerd
I joined this site just to talk about this.
As someone who staffs on a RPG directory I know well the pains of watching the historical sites go away. I pretty much blame Game of Thrones and the lack of a historical drama on the TV for most parts, and frankly the entire community as a whole when it was just bad. Thankfully I have watched a few beautiful ones pop up and I took charge of my own. So I hope that this gets things going!
As someone who staffs on a RPG directory I know well the pains of watching the historical sites go away. I pretty much blame Game of Thrones and the lack of a historical drama on the TV for most parts, and frankly the entire community as a whole when it was just bad. Thankfully I have watched a few beautiful ones pop up and I took charge of my own. So I hope that this gets things going!