Animation Source Forums

To play devil's advocate:

First off, no part of this site was ever intended for roleplay. To be honest, when -I- first came here, I didn't even know what the heck a roleplay was. You can't exactly judge everything based on the examination of a single aspect of it. That's called GENERALIZATION, kiddies. So to say that this site sucks for its roleplays when that was never actually the main goal to begin with is just pointless. In fact, for time's sake, it'd probably be best to assume that ALL roleplays here will AUTOMATICALLY suck and never get finished. Because you're all horrible RP'ers to begin with. And horrible RP'ers yield horrible RP's. Duh.

Secondly, you're bawww'ing about there not being enough wolf/dog/canine RP's. and then you bawww about how all the plots are alike. I'd just like to say here that this site has MORE than enough wolf/dog/canine RP's and WAAAAY MORE of the standardized plot of "This is the world it's set in. Here are the characters. You're in a lab of some sort. WILL YOU SURVIVE?!? OMG!!! Ready, set, go!!" Canine RP's are so cliché now, it's no wonder why people get made fun of for being a wolfaboo here. On the last note for this point, keep in mind that RPs are stories, essentially. And every story needs a DIRECTION. Those RP's you're looking at that just set a world, a few characters and a general circumstance are never going to get anywhere. So don't defend the RP's that are so open-ended then complain about the plot sucking. Because you're all players in it. If the plot sucks, you've got no one to blame but yourselves.

[Also this has almost nothing to do with it, but I think it's really lulzy how everyone just uses a bunch of teen supermodel pics they probalby just found on google as their character profile. It's like yeah... you WISH you looked like that.] XD

We never mentioned it was. We are directing our annoyances towards the general roleplaying forum boards. We never stated that the site stunk because of the roleplaying. We said that the /roleplaying/ was becoming irritating. To add insult to your reasoning doesn't necessarily help the situation. I'd judge from the way you've written things that you've either barely or never joined in an rp yourself. Who are you to say that all role-players are terrible? Who are you to say that not all people have the potential to be great? Everyone who has posted in this topic is an excellent role-player, and for you to say otherwise is somewhat ignorant on your part.

We aren't saying there aren't enough canine role-plays. We are saying that there aren't enough of those with creativity. Creativity and originality is one of our primary goals to set straight on the rp boards, and the fact that more than half of the role-plays out there are about canines just wandering the street doing nothing is exactly the point. We are looking for more canine role-plays with purpose, not just more in general. If people call you a wolfaboo simply because of what you like writing about, then oh well. It's not really that big of a concern whether or not someone likes me because of how or what I write about. If they decide to call names because of something they are foreign too, oh well. Who cares? It's their loss in the end.

The plot and the characters are the main point. We are attempting to help those role-players who waste their writing potential by posting one-liners or making a perfect character or creating bad plots. Like I said before, everyone has talent in writing. Everyone has the potential to be great at roleplaying. The issue here is how to show them that so they can get to higher levels in roleplaying. Also, as for your last statement, most people choose pictures according to what they believe in their minds their character looks like. It's not necessarily who they wish to look like, but rather who their character is meant to be perceived as.

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Rose: I'm all for the tutorial idea. I'm not exactly sure how we are supposed to go about it, but count me in! I'd love to take part.

Suka, I never said this this site sucked because of the roleplaying, and if I sounded like that, I'm sorry. I actually love AS and spend a lot of my time here. Yes, I enjoy the roleplaying section of it more becuse I am a writer and am trying to increase my writing skills through interactive story writing. I actually hope to sell my own novels one day, so I do take offense that you think all roleplayers suck. I will be only one to tell you this is not true. Roleplays can be good. Just because they do suck lately doesn't meant the always do.

I am actually agreeing with a lot of your points. I am not "bawwwwing" about the lack of canine roleplays, just the lack of good ones. I fully agree that some plots, including the example you mentioned, are over-used and not at all creative.

I also pratically stated the same thing you did about open ended roleplays. Roleplays need to have more than just a setting. I am most definately not defending this types of open-ended roleplays. In fact, these are the ones that annoy me the most.

And the plot sucking doesn't have anything to do with the people who join. The blame should go on the creator of the roleplay who can't think up a suitable story. Now, after the roleplay as started, of course it is everyone's fault if it sucks, especailly if they are all posting one-liners. I, for one, try to stay away from roleplays with a bad plot, so don't say it's MY fault that they are horrible.

As for your last comment, other than what Moki has already said, what other pics are they supposed to use? I try to used professional looking pictures and yes those make the people look good. I do have to say I'm not a fan of using actors or models or famous people, but what Moki said is true. If that is what they think their character should look like, then who are you to judge?



Moki, I am so glad you want to help. I really think this is the only way to help, since I just tried to confront someone and, as predicted, I was basically told off and ignored. Oh well. I tried.

A. I'm not "bawww'ing", and I frankly don't see too much "bawww'ing" going on here that doesn't have a point. That is such an overused and idiotic term in any case, that it bears no real weight to anyone with any degree of maturity or real intellectual bearing.

B. There have been some good role-plays on here through the course of time, and there are some very good role-players on here. That you don't recognize that point is irrelevant, regardless of how many bad role plays and role players there have been as well. That you want to cast insults about to justify your own pisant attitude, or to appear snarky and pithy for laughs, is even less relevant than that.

C. I don't see any specific reference to there "not being enough wolf/dog/canine RP's", unless I've missed something. Just because a few people specifically referred to the Balto role-plays neither makes them wolfaboos or horrible role-players.

D. Whether or not this site was designed as a certain thing is hardly relevant. Being a fan site, it was bound to have role-playing on it sooner or later, as most fan sites do. Regardless of whether or not they are associated with Balto or any other thing...animated or otherwise. This site has grown (for better or worse) into MANY things it was never intended to be (or not initially so). Your slanted and sarcastic opinions about its original purpose don't seem to have changed that. I find it astounding that you seem to think it would be anything but.

E. Seems, for someone who's pretty quick to wag an accusatory and snide finger at the other contributors to this topic, you've thrown around some pretty judgemental and sarcastic garbage on your own behalf. Get over yourself.

Suka, that was rude and uncalled for. Granted, this is a fansite, and you are free to have your own opinion. But insults are unnessecary. Calling everyone horrible roleplayers can, and will, hurt someone. I know I have a long way to go, but I'm also doing the best I can. I have the confidence to know that if I'm doing the best I can, that's darn good enough, no matter what others say. Unless you're purposely trying to hurt someone, (in which case you should just leave, because NO ONE wants to hear it) maybe you could try to phrase things more politely?

And yes, we all know this isn't a roleplaying site. But, correct me if I'm wrong, it does have a roleplay section, doesn't it? We aren't judging the site, only one section, and we're just trying to help it. (If that also includes venting our frustrations here, so they don't come out badly in other places, then that's what will happen.)

So saying we're generalizing the site based on the one section is both incorrect and phrased with the (possible) intention of hurting us, the readers, the participators. And as Rose said, We aren't saying (or "bawwww"ing) about the lack of canine roleplays, merely the lack of decent ones. Which is what we're trying to fix.

If any of this came across as rude, I apologize. I just can't stand it when people are hypocrites. You say we're generalizing, and your tone implies it's something you frown upon. Yet you call ALL of us horrible roleplayers, based on what three or so people have said. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but isn't that generalizing it? Anyway, that wasn't meant to be taken as rude either. Just...don't judge harshly out loud. It hurts people, okay?

Alright, kiddies... let's see if we can break this down... into even SIMPLER terms...

First off, "good" is a relative term. So you can EAT IT when all you complain about there not being "good" RPs when you wouldn't even know "good" if it took the time to even fart at your general direction.

Second off, don't call ME rude when YOU'RE the one complaining about how RP'ers nowadays blow at creating simple plots and maintaining a story line. You know also, just because an RP reaches 50+ pages, even that doesn't mean its plot is great either. I bet you've wondered on more than one occasion how an RP whose plot has utterly sucked more than a $30 hooker could reach such a high page count and be so popular. I mean, come on. Just look at the Twilight series.

I know there were a lot more complaints than what I addressed here, but let's take this a little bit at a time... come at me.

First, no one else addressed specific people in this topic, "kiddie". YOU did. You were QUITE rude. Learn to recognize the difference.

And you know, just because a single RP post reaches 200+ words, even that doesn't mean its either all that good or moving the plot along in an efficient and entertaining way. Do you get that?

Frankly, I am certain neither the OP nor any other participant has the time or interest in arguing or "coming at" you. We were having a productive and civil discussion. YOU barged in and "came at" us. Don't come in here throwing your weight around and expect everyone to have some great epiphany on the order of "gosh, Suka is ever so right! What was I thinking? How terrible of me!"

Ugh. Move ON already.

So your first paragraph, I was like KTHX.

On your second one, you pretty much reiterated the last part of my second point.

Third paragraph, I think you're being as rude to me as you perceive I'm being to others. So when searching for the faults in others, try looking in a mirror first.

KTHX.

Because I am sick of arguing this, and because I really don't see you offering much of any value to this topic, I am ENDING my exchange with you thusly:


You're welcome.


Then you missed the point entirely, because it was directed specifically at you and your role-playing "skills" (since you seem hell bent on criticizing others' skills directly here). What's good for the goose...


Had you not come in here blasting everyone and throwing your weight around, none of this would have been necessary. Pretty nifty how that logic works, hmm? You want to act like an obnoxious jerk, expect to meet some resistance. You're not above it.

"Look in a mirror first"? LOL Interesting. Repeating an admonishment to the one admonishing you is hardly worthy of refutation. It's just inane.

This whole conversation has no point whatsoever. Suka, you're posts serve no purpose other than being insulting. I know I can't control your actions, but I can ask you to drop it. Please. This is meant for ranting, not for insulting. (There IS a difference between the two.)

Suka, how do you know we don't know what good is? I think we have a fair batch of wonderful roleplayers and writers on this topic, and I doubt you even glanced at any of our roleplays before you made the assumption that we aren't "good' at what we love to do.

And, no, we are not being rude. There is a big difference between saying that roleplays lack creativity and saying "RP'ers nowdays blow at creating simple plots and maintianing a story line." Now, guess which on of those is a helpful fact and which is just a rude comment?

"come at me." Really? Are we little kids in a wrestling match? This topic is a mature discussion about how we can help new, unexperienced roleplayers, and it has now turned into a project that will really help this site's roleplayers. All three of these other people are involved with it, and you aren't. Wonder why?

Besides, I really don't understand why you are insulting us when we seem to have the same view as you.









We all said this stuff long before you posted. Besides, you're not playing devil's advocate. That is when you take the opposing view for arguement sake's. It seems you are looking for an arguement, but the opposing view for this would be thinking that the current roleplays are good or even better than the old ones. What you are being is just a complainer.

And what you did one this topic was just plain mean. I would have been devistated as a new 11 year old member to hear this about my new roleplay from an elder member.

Anyways, I would really like to get back to what we were discussing before since it was actually useful and on topic. So, Suka, please just drop this arguement and let it go.

Suka, enough. We're done fighting, okay?
Back on topic, Rose has put up the discussion topic for the future tutorial topic in case you guys haven't seen it:
roleplay-tutorial-discussion-t33893.html

Enough with what? Clearly, I still have my head on. No one here's fighting but you. Lol. At any rate, if you people need tutorials for something as trivial as roleplaying, that should only serve as a testament to my point.

Suka, yes, what you said was true, but how are they supposed to improve when thats ALL you say. It's not contstructive critism, it's just an insult.

And it's not us that need the tutorial, it's new roleplayers. No one here was born just knowing how to roleplay, and some people don't even know what it is, just like you when you first joined AS. It's just more of an explanation than the rules and guides.

Anyways, I am done discussing this with you since we are just going around in ciricles.

Moki, thank you for putting that up. It's all fixed now. And here is the link to the start of the actual tutorial: /board/roleplay-tutorial-t33905.html

And underneath your poisonous comments and barbed words, what exactly was your point? We're all horrible roleplayers and need to get a life other than coming up with cruddy plotlines? (Still seems a bit rude to me...)

And forgive me if I'm wrong, but no one here seems to be fighting. We're fairly calm, even with you throwing insults and rude remarks every time we make a post. You're the only one complaining, Suka. No one here is fighting. Only you are flaming. Funny how logic works, huh?

And how should us making a tutorial prove your point? Our goal was simple to help new roleplayers by giving them a guide they can learn from. Just like the rules are a guide for people's behavior (excluding the obvious differences from the two, though). It's just a guide, Suka. We're trying to help people, unlike you, who seems intent on flaming.