What you look for in an RP partner

[Akito]

The title says it all. I will withhold my own discourse for now.

[nascent]

Personally? I look for someone who's fairly good at writing, with a strong sense of characterization and description. Tactical aptitudes are a plus too, but mostly in sparring or combat-based RPs. Still, I've RPed with just about every kind of writer, so there's not much that can surprise me.

[Akito]

Ho, I look less for descriptive power and more for story telling. Something fitting of the scenery, something that pulls me into a world of intrigue. Of course, a fairly decent writing ability is needed, but once that is met, if the person can come up with and express a good sequence of events; I will be sated. Unfortunately, I've had to take the lead in a majority of my threads. It might say something that I've always really RPed with female RPers.

[Iris|Kairi]

In the case in our thread, Akito, I have a hard time stepping up to the story telling and scenery points because I feel it is your story and I shouldn't encroach on that. Maybe that's how the others feel as well? Not so much because of gender, but because of the direction the thread takes.

That said, in my RP partners I look for originality and "realness" to the character. I love layered characters that haven't been generalized. I mean, lately if someone plays a serious character, they are constantly serious. And while that is fine, there are other aspects to expand on other than the dullness of stating over and over again that they are serious and have the same reaction to everything. Surely something will be able to break through and change that dull reaction and make a laugh or a snort or...something. There's just something missing in most characters nowadays, I and fear its starting to take its toll on my own characters. T_T

Also, it irks me when every little detail of a characters life is stated in a history. It takes away the mystery. It takes away that level of 'intimacy' that must be earned between two characters before everything (or at least important things) is revealed.

TWISTS. I love it when people pull compelling, freash twists out of no where. Sure, maybe it will hurt the character, or make them otherwise unhappy, but I like it when my partner stops caring about the characters' happiness and makes things interesting. Too much happy is boring, sadly.

Giving and taking with character plots is also a plus. XD If we go down a path, we should both have undiscussed input as we go along thread to thread. That's why I think too much planning is bad. If you have a flexible goal, it may turn into RP gold that is nothing like you planned. XD


EDIT: Holy Crap! >> I guess I had some rant in there I needed to get out. o.o I apologize!!! But I think I feel better..xD [/rant]

[Akito]

Haha, don't worry your lovely head. That is a special case. That is a plot with an already devised purpose (...Ish). What I speak of are the random threads where Random Person A drops in on Random Person B. A Titulary King was a good one, but it seems Shinn's direction didn't tide over very well. It excluded Meiser and I and focused too much on Iris.

[Iris|Kairi]

Shinn effectively TOOK IT OVER. Iris was totally taking the boys to the beach that I'm pretty sure that world doesn't have. xDD And Meiser was only about 1/12 interested. Ah, but it was a good one. I wanted to know what her whole...card image thinger meant.

Ah, that leads me to my last point. I want an RP partner that is happy and interested in finishing threads and continuing on with more. Thankfully FM is slowly getting better about that. :]

[High's .Valentine.]

Hmm. For someone who likes best to follow the leader, I look for someone who has some kind of plot mind who can nudge the thread towards a certain direction. Just having random 'encounter, chat, and hangout' threads leaves me in a boring loop. Of course, how I react is entirely up to me. No one wants to RP with a tyrant. XD Anything to keep the thread interesting would be fine with me.

A little pet peeve of mine is when the person I RP with don't actually read my post. When my character asks a question, or is doing something important that does not get acknowledged for whatever reason. I'm not looking for a reaction to everything my character did in my post but deliberately ignoring parts of my post really gets to me. >__>

[LEO LION]

Since I can usually never think of anything fun to do in thread, I look for leaders who take control of situations and can come up with some sort of drama. I've never been good with plots, so it's always nice to have friends that can think of them for you. xD That's not to say that I don't at least try to make things interesting myself, but I'm more of a go with the flow and this is what just popped into my head at the time kind of poster. I sometimes (if I'm really engaged with the thread) will take a day or two to think my character's reaction over, but usually it's very spur of the moment. I also look for people who can write a post that keeps me interested in the thread, usually I'm the only one still interested by the time the thread gets to page two though... I guess I'm a boring RP partner.

[ophelia]

A sense of humor, most def, Mos Def. I can’t abide an RP partner who zooms from action to action without a glimmer of mirth and who takes their character “completely seriously”. Seriously. (“FIRE-DRAGON-LEPRECHAUN-SWORD-ATTACK!” “Only I can save you!” “My love burns for you, like a flaming burning thing.” “My past is more angsty than YOURS!” “I killed my brother! TWICE!” “I was raped by my dog!”) And not only would I prefer self-deprecation, but I would also love this second party to mock my character. An exchange of jokes is better than just a steady one sided stream. (Like that horrible movie Juno. *shudder*) My characters deserve it too. I want to bully and be bullied. Kindness is not appreciated. XD The again...neither is complete and total randomness. I like silliness, sure, I probably overdose everyday. But when interaction consists of shouting out the names of baby animals and cutesy exaggerated slap-stick I’ll summersault out of there before you can say “wapanese” three times fast.

I also love detailed descriptions. I’m a sucker for literary devices. Please give me beautiful details. Wine me. Dine me. Don’t leave me starved for color.

[Iris|Kairi]

Ophi..I do believe what you have described is called 'wit'.

[angelous]

I like someone who doesn't post one or two liners. If they can post a decent paragraph, I'm fine with that. If they can post an awesome two paragraphs or more, I'm even more thrilled. I don't like people that post an essay's worth though, and most of it is just description, with which I can do nothing....

I like someone who isn't afraid to socialize, and someone who isn't afraid to do a little battle. And if we can get a story in there somewhere, I'm happier all the same, though there really doesn't have to be a reason for our characters to hang out or whatever. If the story is interesting, I'm crying with joy. And if it is with someone I enjoy talking to, whether it be in an OOC thread, in the cbox, or on IM or whatever, then I'm bursting with joy.

[Beaver Dude]

Show don't tell. =3

That says it all for me, really.

Also, if you don't mind the fact that my role-playing style (typography, syntax, emotional range, metaphors, etc.) can morph from thread to thread that's a big bonus.

[Myth]

I like people who don`t psot one liners, but don`t post essays. I can`t stand paragraphs upon paragraphs of useless description.

Plot twists. I love plots twists. Did I mention plot twists Oh yes and originality. Clichès aren`t bad, but at least mix it up a little to make it NOT look like a clichè. You know?

Sadness. I love it when people are able to make me cry with their characters or their posts. I dunno why. XD But happiness is great too.

Oh, I like being leader too, so I like people who suck at making plots. XDDD I`m just as good as not being leader but it`s something I just perfer, you know.

[servant]

Don't use purple prose.

Don't insist a big post is a good post.

Don't make a big post full of incessant, unimportant, trivial details.

Don't use a thesaurus.

Don't do stupid things in your posts that're completely and utterly out-of-character and sort of kills the RP.

Roll highfives or sixes on Initiative Rolls and seize opportunity like a naked woman yelling, "TAKE ME NOW, YOU SEXY BEAST".

Don't keep your character too static. A little bit of going with the flow's fun.

Don't be an accessory to the story, be part of it.