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I’m so sic of Discord

Sefirot said:
My major issue with Discord is that I can be on Discord a lot, but that doesn't translate into being always free to RP. Some partners can get a bit pushy if they see you on discord and I just don't like that kinda pressure. If i don't want to RP on a forum, I can just close the tab or log of and do something else, but I use discord to talk to other friends, game, shitpost memes, and even talk to RL Friends. So it's something a bit harder to just 'ignore' or what have you.
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This was ultimately the reason I decided to do an alt-account just for roleplaying on Discord before I realized that it really isn't my thing. However that brought opposite problem(s) for me, which were some of them getting irritated by the fact that I wasn't online to do back-and-forth with them or not logging-in frequently enough in their opinion (Though I never said that I will do back-and-forth or daily replies for that matter) and people stopping all the communication after I logged-out.

So yeah I can relate to this a lot.
 
Sefirot said:
You're right in that I can, but I don't like 'lying' so to speak. I'd rather just tell someone I'm not interested in RP at the time rather than ignore them and possibly exacerbate a problem. The only issue is when I say that a few times in a row and some partners get irate over that. Which is ultimately their problem and not mine I suppose. Some nights I just want to vibe and play Deep Rock Galactic instead of writing smut, you know? It's a bit of a silly thing though so I can understand not really jiving with that explanation.
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Do you get the same problem on sites like BMR? Because unless you've turned off the indicator here, they could also see that you are online (or posting in Gen Chat) and not responding to your RPs. Even more so, BMR has a last seen option. Do you consider turning off that kind of visibility as "lying"? I guess what I'm asking, is how does that make Discord any different from any other venue that has options to show or hide you being online?
 
Mitsu said:
I can only imagine this is an edge case. That's so much writing per post. That's around ten pages in word, per post at 12 font size and Times New Roman. I would not take what this guy is saying as typical and as a serious issue as to why it would be a hassle to post in Discord. I highly doubt most role-plays are written to such an extreme. It might be his issue, but that's like saying houses are bad to live in, because there's always a draft when you park your car by driving through the front door.

The concerns of others where you'd maybe have to post three to five different messages is far more likely, and a much better gauge for what the experience will be like.
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I hadn't counted up what the poster said before you made that post. Just mentally filed it as "a LOT". But seriously, if it's that much I greatly doubt that it could be done in site messages without similarly breaking it down into dozens of posts. I'd imagine with posts of this size they have to put it all in a document and attach it. Which... you can do in Discord.

As to the issue of pressure to reply / people knowing you're not replying, Murdergurl has already covered it but I'll add that there's also visibility of when your message was read on this forum. I'm not saying anybody has to use Discord. But I honestly don't see any objective reason why the same criticisms don't apply to messages on this board.

The only thing to me that I think is a significant and objective difference is that question of dual-use. Nobody is going to legitimately want your BM account name for any purpose other than BM RPs and conversation here. But a lot of people use Discord for purposes other than BM. For a lot of people that poses a privacy issue. Ditto that Discord requires a phone number whereas BM doesn't. And that also has implications if you want a separate Discord for RP because now you need two phone numbers!

Which brings back around (not deliberately) to my earlier comment about Matrix where you don't need a phone number and you can easily have separate accounts. For me, it's Discord but without the privacy risks. But anyway, this is the actual difference between Discord and BM messages, imo. At least the only one that isn't a matter of perception / expectation. Discord and Matrix are also both way easier to do images in as well for those that like them.
 
ƒeral said:
What really bothers me is the lack of a line between paragraphs when I'm forced to divide my posts up. Every other paragraph gap = line. That disparity irks me.
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One of my partners actually told me there's a specific shortcut for it, should be '_ _' or something similar IIRC. It bothered the hell out of me too with how tiny and mashed-up the font is already, but I have been finding it easier to read with it now.
 
Another thing I'd like to add that Discord lacks, is coding availability. Any kind of artistic expression that can be added into the post has to come as a clunky picture drop, with no other option. I mean, BMR isn't exactly tops for that either, but there is at least some kind of options in that regard, and you can link out words to pics, etc. But I like to use Google Docs for character sheets that come out beautiful (if I do say so myself), and there is absolutely no way I can even begin to mimic that on Discord.
 
Murdergurl said:
Another thing I'd like to add that Discord lacks, is coding availability. Any kind of artistic expression that can be added into the post has to come as a clunky picture drop, with no other option. I mean, BMR isn't exactly tops for that either, but there is at least some kind of options in that regard, and you can link out words to pics, etc. But I like to use Google Docs for character sheets that come out beautiful (if I do say so myself), and there is absolutely no way I can even begin to mimic that on Discord.
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Okay. That is an objective difference I guess. It's outside of my knowledge. But it's not something I've ever done. If I want a picture in Discord or Matrix, I just paste it in.
 
Murdergurl said:
Imagine trying to replicate THIS on discord. It just can't happen
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Wow! Okay, I see what you mean. No it couldn't.

I don't think you could on BM messages either, could you? What do you do - send people a link to it? Or can you actually do stuff like that on here?

EDIT: By the way, that kind of makes me want to RP with you. :)
 
NotWavingDrowning said:
Wow! Okay, I see what you mean. No it couldn't.

I don't think you could on BM messages either, could you? What do you do - send people a link to it? Or can you actually do stuff like that on here?
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No, can't really do that here, either. While the site has some very basic ability to add in images, it doesn't even come close to what Google docs can do. So I usually just link out to the CS like I did just now. But considering how you can divvie up discord channels for setting lore, it would be really nice if they had better formatting for things like character sheets. What's the point of linking out if you are trying to use Discord channels as a repository?

NotWavingDrowning said:
EDIT: By the way, that kind of makes me want to RP with you. :)
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Well, that character was made for a really specific pairing, or even more ideally a group RP. Neither of which I've been able to properly acquire. I'll send you a PM so we don't hijack the thread
 
Yeah I do agree with that. I like showing myself online so that my friends can see I am on, but I do not like feeling like I want to 'lie' and go invisible because I get nagged to play. Yahoo used to have the option for being invisible to some and not to others. Unfortunately discord does not have that option.
 
In my experience the issue has been people expecting a quick response - even after I've been explict about my response times. It might be due to where I've tried sourcing partners from, but it's left them and myself quite frustrated. Just means I avoid it all together now.
 
Bottle said:
In my experience the issue has been people expecting a quick response - even after I've been explict about my response times. It might be due to where I've tried sourcing partners from, but it's left them and myself quite frustrated. Just means I avoid it all together now.
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No, this is definitely a Discord thing. I've been in and out of all kinds of RP servers on Discord. And it's pretty much expected that you are going to reply quickly. The "Looking for RP" channels are filled with people just looking for a right here, right now kind of thing. I've been told many times on Discord groups that my multi-paragraph, once a day-thrice a week style/availability really won't jive with the rest of the server. I've also been told that I write "too much", and that I should go "write a book" from different Discord RPers. I've never been told that on a forum site.
 
I have had that happen as well, being told that I write too long a post. The worst part is in my experience people request a long term and vanish in a few posts?
 
Murdergurl said:
No, this is definitely a Discord thing. I've been in and out of all kinds of RP servers on Discord. And it's pretty much expected that you are going to reply quickly. The "Looking for RP" channels are filled with people just looking for a right here, right now kind of thing. I've been told many times on Discord groups that my multi-paragraph, once a day-thrice a week style/availability really won't jive with the rest of the server. I've also been told that I write "too much", and that I should go "write a book" from different Discord RPers. I've never been told that on a forum site.
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It isn't "expected" on Discord. Some people on Discord expect it, but it isn't some kind of unspoken rule. I understand that this thread is all about posting mostly irrational preferences for a medium of role-play that has total user control, but let's not start spreading misinformation. It would be like saying message board role-playing expects multi-paragraph replies and if you aren't the most "literate" of writers, then you need not apply to try.

From my personal experience, I can say that Discord role-plays have been absolutely no different than forum role-plays in length and frequency of posting. I still write around 1k to 2k character posts on average, and receive replies matching or exceeding, as well as shorter. It isn't the platform, but rather the people you are playing with.

People that have this real fucking weird concept in their heads that Discord promotes faster posting and the forums promote slower posting. At best it's slower, because you have to click like once or twice to read the message and then a second or third time to respond. However, that does not stop you from posting many times a day on BMR. You could even just keep a tab open on your PM and pretty much get the same experience as using Discord when it comes to posting feel-- except you won't have to deal with the pesky character limit on BMR. I have seen people on this message board expect multiple replies a day, a single reply a day, a few replies a week, a single reply a week, and very rarely even a single reply a month. It's almost like Discord and Message Boards are just tools to facilitate social interactions, and don't have any hard rules on just how they are utilized for those purposes. You type into the box and hit enter.

I've used both Discord and BMR. I prefer Discord in some ways, because I like using servers for organizing things. I can keep character profiles handy, and easily separate out sections for images, music and OoC chat without having to rely on multiple PMs. It's all personal preference, and very few of these preferences are rooted in some kind of insane hard fact.

This next part is a bit unrelated.

Most of people's problems with role-playing comes from shit inside their own head. They're too impatient, too picky, have unpopular desires, or just not talented in a way that draws their partners in. Another huge factor is what they want to play and how they present themselves. Guess what, guys, if you're looking for a lotta smut role-plays and present yourself on the forum as cool sex guy in a suit or bubbly slut, then you're gonna get the kind of people that are looking for quick, smutty, shallow role-plays.

You're advertising instant gratification, so that's what you're going to find. Even if you don't intend to, that's what you're signaling to people who are looking for partners on this forum. It just so happens that the type of people that like to role-play off site are often the same types that are looking for this instant gratification. They want to get you on a platform where they have more control and don't have to really answer to anyone. It's why this site has always had a problem with policing role-plays offsite and has various policies on it over the years. Luckily Discord is a platform where you have complete control over who you talk to and who can even send you a friend request. You can even block people in servers, at which point interacting with them is entirely on you.

If you have a bad time on Discord, then that is likely on your shoulders. If you have a bad time on this website, then that is likely on your shoulders. There are always exceptions, but let's not pretend like everyone here is the exception.
 
Mitsu said:
It isn't "expected" on Discord. Some people on Discord expect it, but it isn't some kind of unspoken rule. I understand that this thread is all about posting mostly irrational preferences for a medium of role-play that has total user control, but let's not start spreading misinformation. It would be like saying message board role-playing expects multi-paragraph replies and if you aren't the most "literate" of writers, then you need not apply to try.

From my personal experience, I can say that Discord role-plays have been absolutely no different than forum role-plays in length and frequency of posting. I still write around 1k to 2k character posts on average, and receive replies matching or exceeding, as well as shorter. It isn't the platform, but rather the people you are playing with.

People that have this real fucking weird concept in their heads that Discord promotes faster posting and the forums promote slower posting. At best it's slower, because you have to click like once or twice to read the message and then a second or third time to respond. However, that does not stop you from posting many times a day on BMR. You could even just keep a tab open on your PM and pretty much get the same experience as using Discord when it comes to posting feel-- except you won't have to deal with the pesky character limit on BMR. I have seen people on this message board expect multiple replies a day, a single reply a day, a few replies a week, a single reply a week, and very rarely even a single reply a month. It's almost like Discord and Message Boards are just tools to facilitate social interactions, and don't have any hard rules on just how they are utilized for those purposes. You type into the box and hit enter.

I've used both Discord and BMR. I prefer Discord in some ways, because I like using servers for organizing things. I can keep character profiles handy, and easily separate out sections for images, music and OoC chat without having to rely on multiple PMs. It's all personal preference, and very few of these preferences are rooted in some kind of insane hard fact.

This next part is a bit unrelated.

Most of people's problems with role-playing comes from shit inside their own head. They're too impatient, too picky, have unpopular desires, or just not talented in a way that draws their partners in. Another huge factor is what they want to play and how they present themselves. Guess what, guys, if you're looking for a lotta smut role-plays and present yourself on the forum as cool sex guy in a suit or bubbly slut, then you're gonna get the kind of people that are looking for quick, smutty, shallow role-plays.

You're advertising instant gratification, so that's what you're going to find. Even if you don't intend to, that's what you're signaling to people who are looking for partners on this forum. It just so happens that the type of people that like to role-play off site are often the same types that are looking for this instant gratification. They want to get you on a platform where they have more control and don't have to really answer to anyone. It's why this site has always had a problem with policing role-plays offsite and has various policies on it over the years. Luckily Discord is a platform where you have complete control over who you talk to and who can even send you a friend request. You can even block people in servers, at which point interacting with them is entirely on you.

If you have a bad time on Discord, then that is likely on your shoulders. If you have a bad time on this website, then that is likely on your shoulders. There are always exceptions, but let's not pretend like everyone here is the exception.
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I'm just saying that I've been on a ton of Discord servers for Roleplay, and a very VERY common thing across the majority of them is that the style of post that people are looking for is one of more immediate, faster/smaller replies. On forums, I see a lot less of that advertised. On Discord, I see it as a meta. And I've been on Discord for a bit. I joined back before they were mobile friendly, and honestly it seemed to have gotten more exacerbated once people could access it with their phone because it basically promoted that kind of interface (regarding roleplaying at least).

Keep in mind that I'm talking about Group RPs on Group servers, where the entire server is making characters and stories under the same setting. 1x1 RP on Discord is not much different than a PM roleplay on a forum website.
 
I don't find discord unworkable in terms of features: it has the basic italics, bold, linking capabilities needed to format a RP message properly. What I don't like about it, as a long-term roleplayer, is the online/idle/offline status icon; it's a distraction. A pressure to signify your availability. Low key annoys me.
 
I gave up on Discord a couple of years ago, I just got flooded with messages, usually not even role play related but merely assholes asking for nudes or to turn on my cam. That mixed with horribly bad partners, and impatient partners expecting replies within 15 seconds... I prefer PM or threads
 
Ive never had a RP I finished over discord. Most last only a couple days, some a few weeks. It's not worth it for me. I've even had people I started writing here or or E who asked for D, and... the game died.
 
I have a partner who I met on f-list that I RP with on discord. She is the rare exception for me when it comes to that. In this case, its a much better place to RP than on f-list.

For me, the character-count restriction is annoying as I do not write my replies elsewhere. I write them in discord, so its very frustrating hitting the limit and then figuring out where a good 'cut' is in the response to split it into two responses.

That combined with the lack of formatting - its very basic on Discord - lead me to prefer RP on the forum via thread or PM.
I do like being able to add 'channels' on discord - for OOC, Images, Characters and different locations (more so for a multi-character RP) but generally speaking, Discord isn't the place for me.

It does seem like a vast majority of people these days seem to prefer Discord RP for some reason. Even in On-Site request threads there are a lot of 'hit me up on Discord' lines in there.
 
Discord rps, when they happen, seem to be a one liner galore... YES there are exceptions, but...
 
They definitely have their pros and cons.
I mean it's literally impossible to have convos organized about a topic of RP convenient as Discord.


Discord Pros
Easy organization!!!! Holy crap.
Quick messaging. Some people love having a session of quicker RP's

BMR Forum Pros
Links are easy to edit!!! (Pictures, gifs, etc)
(You can't do that in Discord easily. So many hoops to jump through)
Text editing is easier (Size, color, bullet points, etc)


Honestly I want both of them together.
Discord's channels organization (With Instant Messaging) with forum editing! That would be my ideal atm.
 
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