So I notice this problem...and it irks me.

[outerlimits]

I'm not trying to be a kill joy here, because we have some damn good RPers on this site. Just look at the post lvls and it's obvious we got some interactions.

That said...I find myself being pushed out of some RPs because I can't keep up with the level of posting that goes on in them.

It mainly started with Fates. Stuff started happening real fast between 2 or 3 people that I lost track and, well, stopped trying to keep up.

It's kind of the same with Clank too, that happened next. It got revived, but I couldn't really do much so I just stopped trying to post since there was no point to me to post my characters talking to...my other characters.

And now it's going on in Final Fantasy. I just. Can't. Post. It's like, there's so many guys that are talking and doing stuff with each other at the same time in one person's post, only for the next person to have an equal amount of toons that interact with them. And then it repeats. Between just two people. Each who have, like, 15 characters in each post (I know that's an exaggeration, but it feels like that many when it's really more like 7-10).

I don't wanna be the guy who has to complain, but I know it's not just with me, and this problem is really starting to bother me. I just can't compete with two people who constantly post back and forth with each other, about 10 posts in an hour/hour and a half, with no room for me to interject or say anything.

I understand that yeah, sometimes my characters can't really contribute, or aren't there, or etc., but look at part 2 of Final Fantasy. It's just 5 pages of Inkshade and Dynamax...and maybe 1 post by Aura. I didn't really get a chance to post in there, because, well, for one, I have a job that's 3-11 until the end of Sunday, at which point it becomes a 6-3 job, and because there never was room for me to.

In the span of me being gone to work, a fight broke out. In fates, in the span of me going to Darien Lake for a couple days, Carson was found and brought back and all this other stuff happened...mainly between just 3 people. Ok, maybe it wasn't just a couple days and I did get more preoccupied with Nine Hearts, but still, no room for me to really do anything.

This isn't the first time this has happened either. In our "beta" RP, Miyazaki, CP and Isis kept being left behind in what was going on because we'd all post so fast and leave them in the dust. Ice doesn't do a whole lot in any of the other RPs because he just plain can't keep up with them (That and he works most days when you guys would be posting). Aura...well, aura is just never on, so I guess we'll ignore him

I never had problems though. I posted a shit ton. Probably when I should have been doing other things, but still, I did. And you know, I understand that sometimes only 2 people can really interact with each other. But this needs to be addressed.


Basically I've boiled down this problem to two (maybe three) solutions. Either:

A) A posting time limit is instated/enforced to prevent a massive amount of posting between two people in a short amount of time. I know I get excited to see a lot of posting while I'm gone, but it's becoming more of a problem for me now instead of how it used to be a joy.

OR

B) A limit on the amount of characters you can have at one time. It'd be different for each RP since the creator/admin of the RP would set it and probably be allowed to bypass it, but it'd still be a restriction. Just a heads up that I'm not hating on anyone with this next comment, but I find that Dynamax usually makes a craptastic amount of characters in RPs he really gets into, a thing that while I applaud the dedication and awesomeness that is his imagination, it gets sort of...overwhelming. Like I'm pretty sure he has 50 characters in Fates alone, and at least half that amount in Final Fantasy. Once again, probably an exaggeration there too, but you get my point.

All in all, I love this site. RPing is fun and it's something I check everyday. I hate it when nothing happens during the day. I love it when stuff DOES happen. But I really don't like it when a lot of stuff I don't understand happens that doesn't involve my characters and I get left behind by a wall of posts, and I know I'm not alone in this.

[Dynamax]

I would slow down where needed if asked...all it'd take is a PM...and heck I can also likely give cliff notes to catch people up.

All it'd take is a PM saying WHOA, slow down there.

Simple and not overly thought out.

I just go with the story as it flows and I roll with it. Yeah I'm like one of the most active guys here i know...but...I never hear any of this so...I don't know it's that bad of a problem.

PM me guys, I don't bite. I will listen, I can slow down or stop.

[Dynamax]

Sorry for suble posting but I do want to say this about myself:

Conversely though I do try to address people who I don't see active to get active. Kimoria went up to Clear just before the fight in FF2 and Gabriel addressed Aaron during the meeting in Fates: Chicago. Also I notice somethings are elft sitting there and I do try to post here and there to kick start them, like I did with Clank.

I do try to see who is not active and get them to post but...not posting because of the wall of posts that show up is not the answer. I mean...some things won't wait forever y'know? Someone is going to not want to wait anymore and the story will move on at some point by someone who is there.

Just wanting to make that counter point. Make a post asking people to slow down, send PM's, talk and communicate. by not posting anything or any request to slow down...that's not helping anyone.

Plus i don't see the character thing being an issue. I play who I play and I don't who i don't. I might have large groups but whoever needs to talk or do stuff will do stuff...and sorry but it kind of bothers me to be singled out in that regard. Plus to explain: I have like 30 guys in Fates but...don't expect some to be along for long. I do create people to be killed off. I just don't like having to explain that openly becuase if kind of ruins the mystique. Because I might as well just write GUY A.C,G, and I are gonna die soon and there goes the fun and drama as well as the point of it all.

Kind of the same for some of the others. I mean I do know restraint, look at 9 hearts. You know the particulars Outer and if not Ice does and I only made like...what 2 guys in a matter of months? That's one where I am not trying to bombard with guys. Trying to keep pace there. But for some I am kinda...gonna raise a body count.

I mean it's one of the reasons I said we can make Multiple threads in fates. So that we can have threads that can have people doing specific things. I am trying to get people going. I am trying to make it less of a mess where I can. I have threads where people can ask things or say things..I see nothing there. I can only do so much. It's up to others to get involved too.

[CrystalPrison]

Going to make a quick reference to that conversation at the fair....(re)join us......

And not going to comment about the ff bit...cause I know nothing. You peeps can sort that one out.

As for your suggestions, I quite honestly don't think your B option would work. We're a small site, so when someone had a bunch of characters, it can be a good thing. Maybe confusing at times, but that's why I have all Bio Threads bookmarked...

Because the world is not made of twenty people, and if most of the characters don't do something in every single post, then it's not all that bad.

And as for the A option, depending on Ink's opinion (almighty admin and all that) it could work. Might be practical too, so long as it's within reason. A method like that could cause confusion for others though

My personal opinion is that if I get ditched..I use my usual catch up process. A spazz of "OMG WHAT DID I JUST MISS!?!?" Go back, reread (twice) and then summarize...it generally works, and thus far I haven't gotten left behind too much, for too long.

But what might be a good idea is for those of us with jobs to post our working ours, with a polite request to not do much while we're not working. That way the others will at least know that if someone plot important won't be on for five more hours, so it's best not to push the plot too much.

And we could always invest in one of my favorite things which is dragging others along in the posts through physically grabbing them, mentioning them, orders or something. That way no one's left stranded....

Plus, the main thing I've noticed is that time thing. Noble's up late and so is Ink. Which is clever and all that, cause Dy is three hours behind the rest of us. Our bedtime is his prime posting hour. And unfortunately, the only way to fix that is pull a me and adjust your sleeping hours slightly, if possible.

And I realize that can't be fixed much...but it's still something to keep in mind.

So yeah, we've got a few options to fix this, but that whole PM thing might be simple enough. Or if there's general confusion, well you wouldn't be the first ask what just happened or clarify (I would know...t'was probably me)

But that's just my kinda-long opinion

[Dynamax]

Yeah, can't though, being an old timer married who is a stay at home dad I'm sporadic with my wife's sleeping habits and I got the house husbandly duties. And yeah you are right CP...my night is your beddy bye time...only reason I have been up now is my wife had to get up at 5 and I had to make food for breakfast and her lunch.

That could be why I'm so active, I try to get in what I can where I can as well I do see you active at certain times and I try to be here for that. But when I gotta go do all my shopping and running around during those times while the ladies are off yet it's prime posting hours...that's kind of...AARRGGHH...y'know?

[Inkshade]

I'm glad someone mentioned all this.


I know its a problem, and at least if FF, I've been trying to hold back so outer and noble can hop back in. that's my strategy, make situations where you can hop in.


but I don't think limiting character count or numbers of posts would help, because I've seen that done and it can be an RP killer. I've been on sites where there was a limit to the number of back and forth post between two people, and what would happen is two people would do that, then have to stop and wait for someone else to post, but no one would.


would it be beneficial if we made a sort of summary thread in each RP, where important events could be posted, so if someone did get left behind a bit, they didn't have to read everything? I know I sent nobel a quick summary of FF to help him out.


I think what we need to do is communicate more. we know there are certain times we all get on, be it schedules or time zones. and I think if we comunicate more we can help each other get back in, I know I've tried to set it up so outer can hop in with a few of his characters in FF, but the problem is in the mass of lengthy post between dy and myself, I think the opening may have been lost.


I know it does help to poke and prod at each other to post too. CP yells at me to post in Miyazaki a lot, and granted it gets me mad because I feel a bit lost in it, but it does get me to post and is ultimately a good thing.


there is one solution that might help, but it could also be bad. we have a lot of RP's, and I hesitate to sugest adding more of the ones in waiting, but if we did set a post limit between how many back and forths between two people, it would allow those people (ok, I'll admit my guilt, it's me and dy, we get post happy.) who are online at about the same times, to still have multiple places to post so it's not like "ok, I've reached the limit on all these places...now I can't do anything...."

like said though, I do hesitate to do that. because some people can't remember characters. I'm not going to limit character count, because I feel you should be able to have as many as you can handle. if there were more people, a character limit might be necessary, but frankly there are only a few of us who are consistantly online, and if we all only had a few characters that would limit the RP's a lot.


one thing I think that did help in Fates, is that dy split the Rp into locations. In fact I plan to do this in Fire emblem. but that doesn't work for all RP's, because some have worlds with made up locations. Fire Emblem works because aura and I put a hell of a lot of time into a map. Final fantasy might work for that, because we do have a map, but it's sketchy.



those were my thoughts.

[Dynamax]

It has been an RPG killer, I've been on many that have done either/or and it died fast.

If we're going to do that back and forth limit we also need a wait limit too. like Ink and i do the limit...and then a day or two goes by and nothing...kinda makes it unfair to us then too if we have to wait.

I mean I have my problems too. I'm kind of lost on what to do in Kingdom Hearts, totally lost in FE, kinda waiting on someone to do something the Passing as all I have in me is a yeah uh huh from what I got...and i'd rather not...and I'm waiting on anyone in Gundam...

And those are the inactive active RPG's....I only realized I could post in Clank because I found I missed a reply.

So is it any shock there too that I'm more active in FF, and Nine Hearts? Fates is to be expected, It is the one I run so i should be active.

Plus I don't want character limits in Fates, never believed in them where it is not needed.

[Dynamax]

On the topic of Fates, the shopping crowd will get it's own London thread while the current one will be fore the goings on at the base. Chicago will continue a bit involving the FBI looking into things if anyone wants to have anyone unused show up there. Slater and Gabe's group will be getting their thread with the DAA and the rest of out heroes will be having a thread for their trip to Eli's place.

That's about 5 seperate story threads with seperate groups and chapters. Some will be character specific. Others will be quite open, some slow, some fast, some more story driven others for character development.

Please feel partake in it and see how it goes, that might just be the better solution. Maybe dividing up the stories and characters with an overall gameplan is what we need. I'm hoping that might be a good vehicle for people to get back into things.

[outerlimits]

*Go to sleep for 8 hours*
*Wake up to see lots of stuff in response*
*Happy Outer*

Ok, so I read all this stuff, and I'm glad to see that I wasn't just shut down for complaining. This pleases me


In any case, yes, I understand that for people to get in they have to post and make that effort as well. Also dynamax, I sort of did single you out there, but I was mainly just saying something I have a problem with. But hey, you explained it, I understand now, it's all good, and even though I will forever be intimidated by your large character pool, I'll just leave bygones to be bygones (that's the correct saying right? I think there's something like that...can't remember right now...hmm...).

And if my suggestions are things that have doomed other RP sites, then by all means, DON'T DO THEM FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!!!

Lol, in all seriousness though, I probably should try to post more. But to help things out here, I suggest this:

*I've seen the same thing brought up by you guys, and that's a schedule/real life interference problem. So I suggest making another thread in Non RP Chat that pretty much is "Times I can post", where people basically put up prime posting time for them/events that prevent them from posting for a bit. Sort of like a heads up system, ya know?

That said, we do need more communication via PMs, and I think the main problem there is just laziness. I know sometimes I get on the site, check some things, could PM someone or post, but I just don't feel like it atm, so I don't and go play a video game or something. Is this a similar thing with others?

Either way, thanks for the response guys. Like I said before, I'm not trying to be overly negative or ruin the fun of this site. I just see this problem and I want us to work together to get rid of it.

[Dynamax]

No ti is a valid point.

Problems on both ends make it hard:

The active people shape the RPG and when there is inactive people they work to find waya round it. Playing up more characters or making more (not why i do but...hey I know some do. Though on occasion i might) and thus they also shape the RPG in time with enough free reign, this puts off the less actives.

The less actives feel denied. They try to jump in but they have a hard spot. This understandably causes frustration and some don't post or just quit. this creates a lack of presence, forcing the active to try to compensate by other means even if they do try to prod some activity.

Kind of a catch 22 that needs to be broken.

I think we will used Fates an as example and fromw hat i hear FF too. By making divergent threads and plot it will invovle certain people on specific spots, allow for those of us who are character heavy to share the love and have threads of various activities to allow for posting diversity.

My breakdown for Fates is liek this:

Eli plot thread and current london thread: The main plots for good and bad. The hub of everything. People will come and go but those will be THE plots.

2nd London thread: An outing with ink's guys and my own. We'll post the hell out of it no problems.

Slater thread: Ink, Cp and I thus far. Shouldn't be too bad.

Chicago thread: A test of and open situation involing my Interpol guys looking intot hings. Threads open for unused guys getting invovled (Keep in mind this si techncially a bad group so...yeah. Kinda need rogues or good guys to make things interesting) And that's only from me. You got a plot that needs it's own thread ask. I can allow i just need plot summaries.

Sound liek a plan?

[CrystalPrison]

Yay for communication! (maybe we need threads like this more often?)

Hey Ink, don't hit me for being repetitive, kay? But if we need communication....there's that whole chatango thing I mentioned that one time. It keeps the messages from before....and could be used so everyone gets the memo....Not private, but it does get the job done...(and there are private features)

And the thread outer just mentioned would be a good idea. That way no one sits around for hours, waiting for someone to post while they're not even home.

And idk Outer, I don't much have the laziness problem, I got my title for a reason. I am very impatient, and am fond of harassing Noble and Ink whenever I deem it necessary. That and most of what I do is on the computer, so I tend to multitask a lot like that. Fun stuff and all that.

Yay teamwork!

[Inkshade]

I like it.


also, Dy and I are throwing around ideas in pms right now for a possible Rp, dedicated to those of us who are post addicts (mainly him and myself *awkward guilty blush*) It would just be something we could go to town on, and serve as a vent so that we can wait for everyone else in the others, and still have something to do while we wait. anyone else could join, but it would likely go fast between me and Dy. but it would help I think.

[Dynamax]

I do the same thing...plus I'm slowly making a Transformer RPG site...>_> <_<...and I play my Farmville, watch stuff on youtube. I'm frigging overly active even sitting on my ass...LMAO...

[Dynamax]

Jul 31, 2011 11:53:45 GMT -5 Inkshade said:

I like it.


also, Dy and I are throwing around ideas in pms right now for a possible Rp, dedicated to those of us who are post addicts (mainly him and myself *awkward guilty blush*) It would just be something we could go to town on, and serve as a vent so that we can wait for everyone else in the others, and still have something to do while we wait. anyone else could join, but it would likely go fast between me and Dy. but it would help I think.

Yeah basically the opposite of the Gundam RPG. that one is for casual, this one for actives.

[outerlimits]

Works for me, so long as I still gots peoples that want to do the Megaman RP I'm starting up soon.

Speaking in that regard, I still haven't got any questions from you guys about the plot, character creation, or how the RP plays out, so I'll just assume I was pretty thorough and answered any questions before they were thought.