One thing that's certainly not helping is that while Discord RPs have relatively low barriers for entry (which have only gotten even lower as the software gets more and more features with each update), while by contrast, forum RPs have become increasingly walled off over the last decade, having more and more entry barriers. With the main ones being technical skills (coding for skins and Photoshop for graphics), money (if you can't code your own skins or make graphics, you will need to commission them), and age (it seems that these days there are disproportionately more 🔞 sites than all-ages sites, when it used to be the reverse).

On sites that allow usage of original art, I take this to the next level. Face claims are just a placeholder for my character appearances until I can commission official art of them. XD

A space opera forum RPG with superhero elements, loosely inspired by works like the Star Power webcomic series. Ideally, it should be a more campy, kitschy kind of setting that isn't too hard on the 'science' part. I.e. Interstellar travel via FTL is readily available, playable alien species are predominantly humanoid in their physiology and psychology, psionics and/or space magic like The Force or Green Lanterns are a thing, etc. With the narrative being more focused on trope-y space opera stuff like over-the-top space adventures and political intrigue rather than scientific accuracy. (aka. Bring on the space catgirls, green/blue-skinned space waifus, rather than incomprehensible starfish aliens or inscrutable transhuman AI Gods)

Despite being a large setting, it would very much be preferred that the narratives should be revolve predominantly around a single planet, that's some sort of galactic Antioch, a world that sits at the hub of several major interstellar trade routes, giving it much political, economic and cultural significance in the wider galaxy, a-la Coruscant. Keeping the narrative constrained to a relatively small location also gives more impetus for members to plot with and bounce ideas off one another, rather than get spread too thinly each doing their own self-contained thing.

I've always wondered if certain rules in the greater RPC are just tolerated by people as a necessary evil for their site? Like, I've seen quite a number of folks rail against the concept of face claims, but nonetheless still implement FC rules on sites they run. Makes me wonder if they do so as a necessary evil? I.e. They don't like it, but they feel their site ultimately still needs if it if they are to have any chances of getting people to join.

Like, if I could have things my way I'd run another site that's similar to Hyakuji High School in spirit, where canon characters (provided they can be tweaked and balanced to fit the setting) from established media can rub shoulders with OCs, but chances are it's probably going to be just me and a couple of like-minded close friends who'd end up playing on such a site.

Just dipped my toes back into forum RPing for what might've been the first time in nearly 3 years. Excited, yet at the same time also kinda nervous.

"Are you so busy that you can't at least answer my call!?" Is one of the most brain-dead rhetorical questions one can come up with. Like, no shit, sherlock. Of course I'm busy. Do they think I'm instead giving them the silent treatment? Though the attitude of some people makes giving them the silent treatment a very tempting notion.

It annoys me to no end that purchasing from vending machines can feel like pulling on a goddamn gacha because there's always the chance (however slim) that you end up getting screwed out of your money due to physics deciding to be a dick and have your purchase get stuck on the way out.

Something post-post-apocalypse, cause it's a criminally underutilised genre/setting, IMO. Sure, playing the struggles of humanity clawing its way out of the ashes of the old world has its fun moments, but therein lies the question of "and then what?"

Equally interesting to me is what kind of world lies in store once the dust (eventually) settles. I.e. When the descendants of the survivors move on from picking through the bones of old world cities, to having reestablished some semblance of a functioning civilisation.

Ergo, give us something like Fallout 2 or New Vegas, where we can see some semblance of civilisation returning, rather than the "scavenger world" aesthetics and themes of Fallout 3.

I feel precisely the same on this. Been regularly working out intensely for over 2 years, and still sporting a Buddha Belly despite now being able to perform multiple reps of chest dips in a set and do 20+ minutes of Tabata. (Though these days, if I brace my core and tuck my belly in I can make out at least a hint of a six-pack and obliques)

It sucks to hit up someone on my Discord friendlist for some friendly small talk, only to have him use me as a verbal punching bag to take out his non-specific rage towards the world and humanity in general. I was only being nice, and somehow he says it's a prime example of "shallow affections/hollow sympathy"... Now ain't that a real punch in the nuts?

I guess for me, creativity flows more readily when I am enjoying the process rather than aiming for results.

Case and point: I have no problems hammering out RP posts or writing page after page for a pet project fic (that probably won't get read by anyone other than myself and a handful of close friends), but struggle to even write a paragraph of a web novel...

I hope I'm not being toxically positive by telling a friend (who can be somewhat of a complainer at times) not to cast a dark cloud over my day with his negativity.

Workplace pet peeve: When coworkers expect me to put aside everything I'm currently working on to help them with their stuff, but won't necessarily do the same for me in return.