Where do you find literate writers and roleplay, and why is it a stigma?

[Miami]

The way I see it is you write your emotes for other peoples’ roleplay experiences and they write theirs for yours. I already know what I want my character to do, so if I write it in a descriptive way it is to enhance the reader’s immersion.
 

When I roleplay with someone that likes long detailed emotes I make them nice long and detailed. When the person I’m with prefers and writes simple ones I write simpler ones. It also depends on the importance of the roleplay situation.
 

I know the way I want my character to cross his arms, for example, the person I’m roleplaying with doesn’t necessarily know. And if they don’t care or the situation isn’t going to develop (ergo me building my character and his mannerisms won’t matter in the long run), I won’t spend time writing detailed /mes. 

[subway244]

As someone who writes A LOT for my characters, I support OP 100% and I think this attitude should definitely be more popular on GTAW.

 

I've said it once and I'll say it again, GTA World is a text-based server, and what this kind of RP inherits is more than just the fact that we don't have VOIP. Text-based roleplay is an art form at this point, just improv writing.

 

Text servers have historically been, and are supposed to be breeding grounds for improvised storytelling/writing, worldbuilding and genuine character development - since the days of Garry's Mod RP, since the days of forum-based RP, as far back as MUDs and even before computers with 1970s D&D... it's all been the same principle.

 

What separates the idea of a server like GTAW from the reality of servers like Eclipse is the fact that we're supposed to do what they don't - focus on actual storytelling and embrace it. Instead, I see this kind of roleplay attacked by shitty faction RPers who exclusively RP clap crews... and let me reiterate, I said clap crews. If your faction is about making money, selling drugs and DMing people without any original, quality writing/character development? You're a clap crew.

 

It's honestly quite sad that creativity and originality is so stigmatized on GTAW, and especially paragraph RPers. The whole point of text-based roleplay is to have long-winded, descriptive paragraphs. Any mentality short of embracing people who put in effort toward writing is going against what this server is supposed to be, and you'd honestly have a better time on Eclipse or FiveM.

 

10/10 post by OP, godspeed.

 

EDIT:

And to clarify my opinion, I have nothing against short /me's and I think they're fine, I mostly do short /me's myself. But to stigmatize paragraph RPers for their style is wrong, in my opinion, and the division only hurts the server.

Edited May 24, 2023 by subway244

[Kankoush]

I think that balancing extensive writing and fast-paced gameplay in GTAW could be achieved by adapting your writing style to the scene at hand. Short and concise interactions work well during fast paced "action-packed" moments, while longer and detailed responses can enhance character development and dialogue-driven scenes.

I think the stigma around extensive writing and "literate" roleplay in GTAW arises from factors like the game's fast-paced nature, focus on action and winning, and diverse player preferences. Some players prioritize quick interactions over detailed writing, considering it time-consuming and what have you.

I'd say that scouring on the forums and in-game is probably your best bet in finding those players that you're looking for, good luck! 

 

 

[NickyW]

I could care less how people write, but I think it's really silly to say that people who write long ass /me's are any more "literate" than everyone else. It also comes off as smug, which isn't super flattering.

 

The key to communication is utilty. There is an objectively correct way to write /me's, and that's to write them in a way that most effectively communicates the idea you're trying to convey. If you can do that with longer, more descriptive actions, then that's great. But if not, then you shouldn't try to force it.

 

If it takes you 45 seconds to write a two paragraph limerick about picking up a coffee mug, you're a shitty roleplayer because you're a: being needlessly verbose, and b: slowing things down for everyone else. I don't care if you're a good "writer", if you're a paragraph RP'er and you're not RP'ing either by yourself or with other paragraph RP'ers, it usually means that you're unable to adapt your style to those of your peers, and are therefore a bad communicator...and hence, a bad roleplayer.

 

/me takes a sip from his coffee.

 

is a much better written /me than:

 

/me wraps his fingers around his mug, slowly lifting it to his chin as he places his lips on it, sipping a small bit of coffee before returning to the mug back to the counter.

 

That being said, you couldn't have picked a worse example in your original post. That /me is terribly written, and it has nothing to do with its length. It flows poorly, uses words incorrectly, portrays multiple things in one /me (which is actually against the rules), and is just generally clunkily put together.

 

TL:DR: I don't have a problem with good writers. I have a problem with shitty writers trying to flex their non-existent writing ability. Most people who write like you're describing are firmly in the latter category. 

 

 

 

Edited May 25, 2023 by NickyW

[Dante_Inglewood]

Can someone please explain what that /me line even means?

 

Why over complicate something so simple? 

[SaintBatemanofWallStreet]

8 minutes ago, Dante_Inglewood said:

Can someone please explain what that /me line even means?

 

Why over complicate something so simple? 

 

A lot of people who do that subscribe to the mentality that more is better. So they pile in a lot of over detailed stuff to make things look more technical I guess?

 

I think there's a lot to be said for detailed lines in some situations. But at the same time it can really disrupt the flow of RP. So I would say that unless there is just a scene where everyone is really doing the over the top detailed lines for a scene that is important to everyone there - just save it. But that's my opinion.

[RecycledGarbage]

Its a lot more engaging to RP with someone who writes more. Even if it wasn't high quality more is good. I say this as someone who's spent time going through a lot of in depth IC work interviews, and nothing is worse than having to wrestle one word answers out of the maw of someone who's just there to play GTAW like its an MMO. 

Even if it wouldn't be 'high quality,' it would give so much more feel for your character and make them feel so much more like an actual person rather than a robot. 

 

But of course circumstance always matter. If I am at a public event with dozens of players within chat range, I'm not going to write novels. But I think if people thought a little more about using /ame and /low, even public events would be more bearable and have room for more detail. 

And if you are in line at a venue, I guess its considerate either way not to make the ten people in line behind you wait fifteen minutes for a banger line about you paying for a coffee. 

Not to mention if you're getting robbed, you'll probably be shot dead for failure to Fear RP for not firing off instant one line emotes. Better pray they don't report you and get you CKd at the same time. 

 

Still, I think good roleplayers will always appreciate good roleplay. Keep writing fire and others who appreciate it will notice and engage. That is my experience in GTAW. 

Edited May 25, 2023 by RecycledGarbage

[Decker]

1 minute ago, RecycledGarbage said:

Still, I think good roleplayers will always appreciate good roleplay

Sorry to say but writing a 500 word /me doesn't make you a good roleplayer. 

[RecycledGarbage]

5 minutes ago, Decker said:

Sorry to say but writing a 500 word /me doesn't make you a good roleplayer. 

Well, good will always be subjective, so let me put it in a more considerate way: those who appreciate your roleplay style will notice. Of course people who write long emotes can be just as prone to metagaming and powergaming as anyone else, but that is not where roleplay quality begin and end.

 

I am myself not the biggest fan of purple prose and I might avoid roleplaying with those I feel engage in such, but at least their characters feel more like people than someone who barely writes anything at all. 

[taytay]

Better written example of this would be: 

4 hours ago, NickyW said:

/me wraps his fingers around his mug, slowly lifting it to his chin as he places his lips on it, sipping a small bit of coffee before returning to the mug back to the counter.

 

That being said, you couldn't have picked a worse example in your original post. That /me is terribly written, and it has nothing to do with its length. It flows poorly, uses words incorrectly, portrays multiple things in one /me (which is actually against the rules), and is just generally clunkily put together.

 

TL:DR: I don't have a problem with good writers. I have a problem with shitty writers trying to flex their non-existent writing ability. Most people who write like you're describing are firmly in the latter category. 

 

 

 

/me wraps his fingers around the mug slowly lifting it up to his chin as he'd take a sip out of it, he then places the mug back on the counter.

I think as long as the /me is not used with malicious intend with something on the line to gain, (Break-ins) typing multiple actions in a single /me does improve the experience for everyone around you, even if you yourself don't do it, when people do? It feels good to have that little bit of extra detail.

But yeah if you are shit at writing, stick to simple /me's.