Running it Back - Zero Frame's Request Thread

Zero Frame

Zero Frame

Planetoid
Joined
Sep 10, 2014
Introduction

Welcome to yet another RP Request thread. You'll get a sense of what I gravitate towards as a roleplayer as well as my perspective on the craft. I like to think of myself as someone who is accommodating, open to the perspectives and needs of my partner or partners, and ultimately someone who is understanding that you have a life outside of roleplaying. Below is a more comprehensive look at my approach to roleplaying and what I can offer as a partner.

My Perspective

There is no single way to have a good time when it comes to roleplaying, but there are definitely many ways to spoil the experience for both yourself as well as your partner. So long as you communicate and treat each other with respect, most snags and blocks can be overcome I believe.

Partner vs. Entertainer

Unless the purpose of your RP is to have a GM dictate the flow of the action and all scenes within the RP, I would like that we work together as partners. From the first message to the final scenes, I'd like to be engaged in a collaborative effort. If you come to me with an idea, I'd like to ensure that you are getting what you want out of it and that I can also contribute. Likewise, if I have an idea, its open to interpretation and expansion to accommodate some of your needs.

I'm all for hearing your input and your ideas in the hopes that we can synthesize something we can both enjoy. Granted, sometimes that doesn't happen, and that's perfectly fine. Sometimes, you and your partner are looking for different things.

Equitable Contribution

I am not asking for mirroring length in posts so much as I am asking for someone to put forth the effort to establish scenes, expand upon them, and to drive our story forward. I enjoy multiple paragraph responses and descriptive detail, but I will not hold it against you if you prefer shorter, faster responses. What I would like to see is that we are both interested in the scenario we've agreed upon, our characters, and generally seeing our story through.

Your characters have just as much influence as my own on the narrative. You shouldn't feel compelled to ask me what my ideas are as a condition for continuing to interact with me. You have ideas, your characters have ideas, so feel free to act upon them. Again, I love to discuss ideas for the RP and I welcome that at any time. However, being asked to constantly push or pull the scene and story forward is indicative of someone who wishes to be entertained rather than someone who enjoys cooperative and collaborative play.

Preferences, preferences, preferences

We all have them, none of them are particularly original and we would all like to indulge in them with another. I am keenly aware that my preferences are not what are en vogue at the moment--and some are more played out than others. If something seems cliche, boring or otherwise uninteresting to you, I feel that the more productive activity is to create scenarios that do not feel as such to you. I personally see workaday premises as a challenge. If the scenario is unambitious, is it the characters that make it interesting? Perhaps the richness of the setting? Maybe its the manner in which the characters tackle the dilemmas of the narrative that makes it more engaging?

That said, I do maintain an f-list and ask that you take a look.

f-list

Gender, Players and Characters

I get that some of you want to play with "real" men and women or others behind the keyboard for reasons relating to preference and authenticity of character. I don't doubt that a player's gender plays a role in how one approaches role playing, but I would argue that it is not the only factor, even if someone else might think that it is. For me, player gender is of no concern. I value your commitment and willingness to collaborate as a role player above all else.

Tying it all together

So, what I am really trying to get at here is that we're all trying to harness the right tools and talent, both from ourselves as well as others. I feel that you are doing a disservice to yourself as well as other players when you place your preferences before your engagement with your potential partners. If you give up because someone has not delivered a hand crafted experience that caters to your every need, you would be better off searching for literature rather than a role playing experience. Maybe commission a short piece from a self-publishing writer?

Roleplaying

I will play through threads, PMs and Discord primarily. If you prefer to play via Google Docs or some other platform feel free to ask and we can work something out.

I tend to play cis female and cis male characters, but I am more than happy to double up with anyone so long as the favor is returned. Upon request, I will attempt nonbinary characters as well.

I prefer multi-paragraph responses, as I have found that I do enjoy the description and detail that comes with that format. I do not expect that every exchange be of a certain length, as there are times where shorter responses flow better than longer posts, especially when bridging between scenes or when trying to create a sense of urgency. Above all else, as long as we can maintain a pace that works for the both of us, I consider that a success.

I am online sporadically throught the day, thiugh I tend to be most active in the evenings. I try to post a few times a day, and will do my best to keep you informed of any extended absences or if my availability is limited for some reason.
 
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Interests, Scenarios and Themes

General Interests​

At the moment, I am looking for a MxF roleplaying experience and playing the male character. Granted, I am accommodating and have no problem doubling up or playing secondary characters--as it is not a great leap to take a supporting character and to flesh them out.

All in the spirit of cooperation, collaboration and compromise. If you aren't sure or have questions, please ask!

As for scenarios that will always interest me, I am always interested in exploring the relationships of normal, everyday people. They can exist in a setting that his just as normal--and boring for some of you--as they themselves appear to be, or we can open reality up to interpretation. Exaggerating and expanding upon everyday reality can be a lot of fun, whether that means top loading the setting and world with strange events or simply making the circle of characters we have at our disposal eccentric even by the standards of eccentrics.

There is nothing more fun for me than a world that can best be described as "like our own world, but with X", as it is my expectation that we will make that world interesting together.

All Hail the New Media​

Video games, popular fiction, streaming-on-demand, anime, film, and whatever is making the rounds in the news cycle. All of this and more serves as kindling for my imagination and with your experiences we can craft wonderful experiences for ourselves and those we choose to bring into our little worlds.

If you have a favorite series, a show that you've burned through over the course of a weekend, or just happen to really like all things involving wizards, I'm more than happy to hear about them and to help you create an experience that does your interest justice. I have my own pet themes and guilty pleasures that I have detailed in brief below.

That said, there's no harm in asking and the worst thing I can say is: "I'm not familiar, but let's see what we can do."

Themes and Motifs​

I often find my favorite things to explore come up time and again whenever I sit down to write, daydream or roleplay. Coming-of-age stories are a classic, as are my aforementioned affinity for taking everyday circumstances and making them more than what they appear to be at first glance. I also enjoy a good tug-of-war between two characters, seeing them butt heads, refuse to cooperate with each other for no reason other than spite and ultimately resolve their differences in some way.

I have a bias against "darker" themes and elements, primarily because I myself find little interest in playing in a static dumpster fire of a setting where all character development is dialed squarely on the "gut punch your characters until they understand that bad things just happen to people" setting. Granted, dark themes are interesting when they are used well--just like all of the cliche tripe that I endorse and enjoy. In fact, chronicling a character's spiral into personal oblivion is very interesting when handled with even a middling level of interest in the subject beyond how it gets one off for the barest effort on your part.

So, with that being said, I trend towards elements that have a touch of heroic or personal triumph, narratives that are packed to the gills with folksy character archetypes, light-hearted and even comedic story arcs, and definitely a healthy dollop of melodrama for good measure. It doesn't mean I won't consider ideas that involve darker elements, as I like to consider everything that comes to my inbox, I am simply offering a degree of transparency concerning my own hang-ups.

Starter Concepts​

I'll list a few starting concepts and ideas here, along with a brief summary for those who either have short attention spans or trouble with the English language but a strong desire to roleplay.

Anything that is stricken through like so is a concept that I am not feeling so interested in at the moment. I will still hear you out, but please understand if I ask if you have other interests or present another idea to you as a counter offer of sorts.

Harem and High Fantasy

[[A fantasy setting where an Adventurer and their Harem experience adventures great and small.]]


A world where all manner of people and creatures coexist, forging ahead with their lives as they aim to tame, claim, or preserve the wild lands and places that make up the lands between cities, settlements, and villages.

People gain influence in many ways. Some people are born with noble rank and land of their own, others earn the confidence of their fellows and are selected for leadership as first among their peers, and others amass power and influence via any means necessary.

Still, there are those who seek their fortune via building a different sort of group, a harem to be exact. Men, women, and others who forge a harem often find that their charges are a source of power unto themselves, be it through a network of skilled people with political and economic power, or in the very real sense in that their own skills and abilities are enhanced by the presence and care of those who would join them.

I see the dilemmas of the RP being split between the bedroom escapades of our characters, their lives in town/on the road, grander adventures that involve the world around them, as well as character drama regarding the challenges the characters face as they grow closer.

Gambler's Luck

[[A scenario where our characters attempt to find a way off of an island paradise that is more prison than vacation destination]]

There is an island paradise that is sought out only by those who are in the right--or wrong--places. It has been carefully maintained to preserve the natural beauty of the island itself, while developing a thriving economy based around tourism and some light industry, providing needed services and goods to other communities only a short journey by boat or plane away. Our characters may find themselves washing up on the shore, with hazy memories of their arrival and no recollection of their purpose. A short time into their stay on the island, they find that they cannot leave the island of their own free will. They are free to enjoy the pleasures the island can offer to them, but this also counts against what can be best described as their debt--an abstract figure that is applied to many of the island's visitors to represent what is "owed" in payment for their stay.

There are ways to work off one's debt, though some of the methods are not what one would describe as safe or even legal in most parts of the world. However, there is at least one way to earn one's keep on the island that promises not only to purchase a return ticket home, but may even allow the right sort of person to buy the whole operation outright. Or at least, threaten to ruin everything that has been done to make the island what it is today. Working the games of the casino promises great payouts, and while many visitors indulge for a few nights and go on their merry way, others have become indebted far in excess of what they would have normally payed for their stay and now linger as a second form of entertainment for the island's visitors.
Good Girl Meets Not-so-Good Boy

[[A detailed take on a familiar match of a young man with some issues and someone who lives a more socially acceptable lifestyle.]]

A classic for sure, where a girl everyone wants to know associates with a boy most people stay away from if they know what's good for them. My character would be that young man, someone who doesn't really see the value in trying to impress people whom he sees as part of a group that sees what they wish to see. It doesn't help that he stubbornly refuses to explain himself even when he can justify his actions, and it really isn't great when he does something that doesn't have a valid excuse at all.

He is someone who has that sort of look, one that intimidates those who are familiar with the stories and rumors surrounding him, and simply puts those who don't know the rumors on their guard. While he isn't a chronic absentee from school, he does not have the best academic record and even most teachers have given up on improving his standing compared to his peers. When your character reaches out to him, either as someone just trying to brighten his day, or perhaps seeing something in him that runs counter to the rumors, he is initially suspicious. However, he doesn't reject your character and over time comes to see some of her good qualities as well--even if he thinks she's a bit of a meddler for fussing over him.

He still has a hard time making the right choices, too given to acting on his impulses and what he assumes are the ulterior motives of others, and that can strain their relationship. After all, he has to learn how to control himself sometime, otherwise he'll always be a trouble maker on the fast track to a life of zero prospects.

As for what makes your character think differently of my character, if could be memories from when they were younger--when he was a much nicer and happier person. It could also be catching him breaking up a scuffle between children and mediating their problem in a manner unlike his persona when he is in class or among peers.
This War of Ours

[[A fantasy war story where our characters are caught in the middle of a conflict between nations.]]

Mercenaries, royal dignitaries, knights, sorcerers and everyone else all need a few things in life to make things work. A way to feed themselves, a roof over their heads, and a nation to call home when things go from good-to-bad-to-worse. Our characters are two such people who become thrown into the maelstrom as their nation is brought low by two other rival kingdoms. Granted, our own kingdom wasn't a shining paragon of right values, right teaching and right methods. In fact, this can almost be described as a net positive, as these two other kingdoms both manage their own internal affairs quite well.

However, seeing how the common people feel about this partitioning of their nation, and how both of these other nations appear to be gearing up for an even larger conflict, our characters have some tough choices to make. Will we sell our services to the highest bidders? Seek out any remaining relatives of the king who might serve as a better leader than what we had? Perhaps our characters will just do what all of the other refugees are doing and head for the other nations that aren't trying to divide up the best parts of their country for themselves?

Maybe our characters could do a better job of it than all of them?
A Scrap Metal Adventure

[[A light-hearted turn-of-the-century adventure...with robots]]

The Industrial Age is in full swing, creating seemingly limitless opportunities for those with an eye for innovation or the means to produce the things that people want and need in their lives. While there are many wondrous inventions and innovations that have made life easier, none can boast to have transformed the fabric of society quite like that of locomotive robotics. A marriage of the industrial capacity of the locomotive and the portability of the automobile, this field brims and bursts with innovation that allows for machines designed for commercial construction, agriculture and personal transport. More than automobiles with arms and legs--Workers as they are often called--are a revolutionary technology that disseminates the wonders of the modern era down to the common man. Relatively affordable and essential to sustaining the expansion of both cities and serving a growing populace, one is hard pressed to imagine a world without the automobile, locomotive or the Worker unit. Entire sectors of the economy now support the technology that drives Worker units, with public garages and factory storehouses in the most rural villages.

As for the world itself, it is very much like our own, though the road between cities and towns is often fraught with danger, as while technology enables and encourages the best in us, it does the same for our darker and self-serving impulses. Banditry appears to be on the rise, along with new crimes for a new age. Organized bribery of officials, extortion of merchants and business-owners, the proliferation of weaponry and technology more suited to a battlefield than a corn field, and other crimes best not mentioned in polite company. Where some see danger, others see adventure and there is good money to be made in resolving the problems of people one barely knows. Never before in history have people been more willing to travel away from the places of their birth, and for those that are willing to accept the risks of living in interesting times the rewards are immense.

Perhaps our characters come from different strata of society, an odd couple? Maybe they are from opposite sides of the tracks? Maybe they are just buskers trying to make a living in a world where one's voice can reach across vast distances and turn one into a household name over night?
 
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Bump. Trying to get some more details scenarios together.

Insomnia is a wonderful thing.
 
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