We all have to know the type- the really arrogant, 'intellectual' members who think they are the best thing to happen to RP since the creation of forums. They think they have the most original characters with the most original plots with the most unique traits. Granted, their RP may or may not be up to par, but in my experience with these members they can at least write decently; but never as well as their arrogances suggests.

Everything and everyone must conform to THEIR oh so super unique character when it comes to having threads with them. "Oh, well, if your character said that, the thread would end fast because my character would say this and leave otherwise it wouldn't be IC." Wouldn't it occur to the said member that if MY character said anything else, or did anything else, it wouldn't be IC for him/her as well?

Said member type needs things to be specific for their character and it feels like their character ONLY- even if they aren't starting the thread, yet asked to roleplay. For example, said member type saying something along the lines of 'well, this thread that you're making needs to be set at dawn because my character only goes out then. And your character needs to be standing here or there" ect. It's just blatant disrespect/ has no concern for the other member and their character, skills, and what not.

Am I looking at these members wrong? I know my writing skills are up to par, I've never had anyone complain, but when it comes to these types I feel like not only do they question my character, they question my writing abilities! It's like everything that isn't their character is unoriginal and its a privilege to be roleplaying with them. It gets tiring IC and, mainly, OOC. I'm ALL for staying in character, but this is just ridiculous when everyone else needs to conform.

Hopefully this wont come across as a rant, because it's really not: I'm asking for legit opinions and even advice on this type of member. I'd use a term verses my short examples, but I simply don't know how to describe the type without providing situations. So my question is, how do you deal with these members? Either IC and OOC [sadly, its OOC that matters most, oddly enough], or both.

I'd call them extremely inflexible.

While my characters may have their routines (as do real life people), routines can be disrupted and I can ultimately find justification for my characters to be anywhere as they need to be. :B Because I'm flexible and creative like that. ;D Similarly, I find there is never just one IC response available for a character. Whenever my characters need to respond to something, I usually find myself faced with a series of possible IC choices that they can make that, yes, will be completely IC for the character, each and every one of them.

Now, I can understand some things...like, for instance, if I played a vampire that would DIE in the sun, it wouldn't be unreasonable for me to be like, "Hey, can the thread take place at night? Because my character can only go out at night because the sun will KILL him." That's reasonable, see, because it makes sense--unless the other player has any ideas and wants to, I dunno, save the vampire from burnination in which case, awesome and we can go from there. That's just an example.

But dictating everything down to the wire and being totally inflexible and making everything ME ME ME ME is...bleh. RPing is collaborative.

If someone ever told me, "Oh, well, if your character said that, the thread would end fast because my character would say this and leave otherwise it wouldn't be IC," my response would be to shrug and have my character do whatever was IC for them. If it's then IC for their character to leave, so be it. The thread ends. P: It happens.

In short, these types of people need to be more flexible. But maybe after a few of their threads end short they'll get the picture. >:3

RPing is for fun. It shouldn't be a pissing match or a place where you try and prove how OMG ELITE AND AMAZING you are. xD No one cares, and I don't care how amazing someone's writing is--if they have a bad OOC attitude, I don't really want to play with them.

On my board which I'm rebuilding, I had one of those arrogant "intelligent" members. He is arrogant. The guy thinks he's a know it all. But, he is very ignorant. Like Rhi-Rhi said, I would say that the member is very inflexible. Again, it's the member named "Karl" that I have talked about in recent threads and posts. He expects everything and everybody to conform to his character and what he thinks OOC.

I certainly do not think you're looking at these members wrong. Karl is also the type of member that does not respect the other members. Yet, he goes about talking on how he is "respectful" towards their views. In RP, the boy is very rigid and inflexible. He constantly backs himself into a corner. For that reason, not many people want to RP with him. Karl ends up throwing a fit. My board is one of a few boards based off this 18-episode flash animation called XIN.

Karl's inflexibility and rigidness let to much godding and metagaming. In short, Karl BSed his way through everything. He should have gotten banned for his actions in RP and in the OOC. However, he had staff on his side. This took place on the board which I'll dub as "XIN 2." Karl is one of the core reasons that XIN RP let alone XIN 2 has gone down the septic tank.

He pulled the same stuff on my friend's board which I'll dub as "XIN 3A." Karl's stunts almost killed the board.

With my board Mugen Hall aka "XIN 5," Karl did the same thing. Nearly killed my member base and activity.

As Rhi-Rhi said, RP is collaborative. I do feel that RP is collaborative storytelling. Of course RP is a game. However, it is not one of those games you play on your N64, Wii, X-Box 360, Gamecube, Dreamcast, etc. Unfortunately, there are plenty of people that don't get it. Sadly, Karl is one of those members.

To me, there is a difference between a player and a role-player. Role-playing, means that you're playing the role of something or someone. I would compare it to acting. You're portraying the character.

I would also go as far to compare role-playing to improvisational acting or comedy. I took improvisational comedy in high school. When I look at it, those workshops helped me become very flexible.

Overall if not dealt with, those types of members will kill a board.

Question:

Are you staff or admin on that board?

If you are, keep a hawk's eye on that member.

Man that sucks. Not really sure what to say other than just get out of the thread. Tell them just as you have here. "My character has IC responsibility to themselves too and I'm not going do what you want me to do for the sake of pleasing you and your character." Nobody should be so high and mighty that their character is far too perfect to bend. Besides, if this person is only out a certain times of the day and can only talk to people who are instantly wishing they were them or really liking them or whatever it is this person wants from you, then he/she must have an incredibly dull RP experience. Surely the whole point of role playing is to try different things and expand your creativity with that character. If said person wants to control your character by telling them where to stand and what to say then tell him to write himself a story, then he can play all the characters and not have to worry about anyone disrupting his so called in character responses.

Sorry, but whoever you are role playing isn't worth worrying about. He clearly thinks himself better than everyone else and probably doesn't see anyone else as anywhere near worthy enough to role play with him.

I've never seen someone this bad, in the past I have come across people who tell me my character response isn't very fitting or I have had to tell them that what they have said to my character and expect back is going to be very different than what will happen. Characters have a mind of their own in some ways, they have personalities and sometimes those in character responses can be bent or changed in a certain situation. For example one of my character rarely has a nice thing to say about anyway, is very much her own person, she has one real friend but a run in with danger beside a girl she once hated had the two of them closer than was really possible for either character in any other situation. But that is what role playing is about, twists and turns that change and develop a character. Nobody in RL will only do one things or say one thing to someone, so why should an rp character?

If he is telling you that your response will end the thread just shrug and say something along the lines of, "I guess the thread is finished then." He'll soon get the picture that no one wants to play out his little fantasy of all hail him, if you can, try recommending others stick by their characters personalities and try prevent anyone else conforming to what he wants them to do. Nothing is more insulting to a writer than having some idiot tell them how to write out a character they created, that is beyond arrogant and you are very write in saying it is like he is questioning your abilities and your character.

Inflexible is a great term. And, like you said, if the character was a vampire or had any other odd issue, then yes, going out at a certain time would make more than enough sense. I've never had this EXACT circumstance happen to me [though regrettably close], but it seems like something this member type would say or do. It fits in with the small things that add up and make them...well, as you said, utterly inflexible.

Wow, xing, I've never even encountered a member to THAT extent! Granted, like you said- most of these member types DO have staff support, but they are generally good writers at the very least. Which is frustrating. And unfortunately, no, I've not been the admin on any of the sites where I've experienced such a fellow member. Now I look back to the boards I have admin'd and wonder if I, like it seems other admins have, overlooked this type of member because of their writing abilities and because no member ever stepped up and said something to us.

That is a GREAT way to put it, so I just had to quote this. Like Mischiefkayla said, some character's just...take off on their own.

I'm all for twists and turns, and I think things like that are apart of what makes RP. I simply don't get why a thread would just simply END. While it might be on the shorter side, I just can't comprehend why a thread would end all because my character said something that your character wouldn't respond to. Perhaps I'm always just willing to compromise, willing to move things along, that this is just beyond my understanding.

Again, I'm ALL for staying in character, I'm all for keeping it on the real side. But RL rarely happens like that, anyway.If someone asked you a generic question, you're not just going to walk away. You'd probably respond! And I do understand that sometimes, people ARE ridiculous and do try to force others into uncharacteristic situations. But, rest assured, this is NOT the case.

God, another thing that is just so well put! Thank you all, you guys have been very helpful and insightful.

Neither can I. O_o

Because for me, it's great fun when characters don't get along! xD One of the things I have the most fun doing is putting my characters into situations that they would normally walk away from but, for whatever reason, they can't. One of my favorite (and most prickly) characters is currently in a thread with a girl she utterly hates, but they're stuck together for the time being and it's hilarious watching the fireworks. ICly, my character would LOVE to kick the other character out and/or completely ditch her, but that would make for a short thread and not be nearly as much fun. Finding ways to force characters together where they can't easily get away from the situation is darned fun.

Plus, even if a character decides to try and leave--what's preventing the other character from going after them? xD

Characters don't always get along--and if they did, it'd be dull. But that's coming from me and I love playing out rivalries and arguments like nobody's business. :B And I can think up a reason/excuse for my characters to be in pretty much any given situation AND make it IC for them to be in that situation. You just have to be flexible and creative. :3