Thread: Why Original Over Fandom-Based RPs?

I. Worlds While not all canons use different established worlds, some do. Some actually invest a lot of lore within their worlds. Sometimes not all people are familiar with the lore. Somecanon works actually care about the world that was built and there in lies problem. It involves too much research depending on the extremity or complexity of world. Fantasy examples Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and certain Light Novels of JapanOverlord, ReMonster among many others in both regards of american novels or Japanese light novels. As a World Builder I am not going to go blind into a RP world that I have little common knowledge about. I know some can easily scream 'research,' but it isn't that easy. You know the buttloads of various wiki information divided about these worlds that are dedicated to said worlds? Original concepts are lesser broad in nature. Original concepts can make their world their way, even by borrowing various ideas and shaping and reforming them into something less challenging for people that don't want to waste or invest time trying to get familiar with something. Of course it is different strokes for different folks. You will have your groups that may be fixated more on canon works and have knowledge and don't want to bother with original world. You have your people that just as much don't want to waste time learning a canon work or maybe they do not want to spoil a canon work depending how events are going in the world. It just seems more complicated to me using canon worlds because that also in lies the question at what point in history within that canon world is the RP taking place? From the start? After x amount of chapters or series in? Somewhere in the distant future? II. Characters I. Hate. Canon. Characters. This is my personal intake on it, but this is another issue within itself. Canon characters revolve around a players knowledge of how that character operates and how to play them out to fit what their character may do or be expected to do. As some list above, this can cause conflict within itself.f I know a lot of folks want to do this canon character paired with that canon character on the site, fanfic is fine and all but it isn't everyone's cup of tea. As a writer I find it rather restricting, I have to play with the mindset of someone else's character in mind. As a roleplayer, I write all my characters with diverse identities within themselves, they have their own 'skin,' conjured from my mentality. These are masks that I made and played but asking or expecting me to play a canon character is just as easily telling me to wear someone else's ballroom mask. I am sure other people have various reasons of why they don't play canon characters as well but in RP I do not want to play or touch something I didn't create. The only raw alternative is if I play something to just make fun of canon in itself like some world recruiting canon characters from various dimensions where I chose something or someone 'lame,' that I am familiar with. Original characters are easier to make and get involved with. I suppose a point of creativity challenge can arise here. I know a lot of fandom players will claim it takes a lot of creativity to play in an existing character. Yes. I am sure it does, not to sound sarcastic or anything there. Though original characters have their own identities about them their own personas that just as much makes them-them. Canons are borrowed identities that someone else made. A lot of people often have similar issues or just don't want to play someone or be paired with someone from some existing 'whatever known works.' Sometimes even I question what is more creative? Sitting down and spending time making a character from scratch and playing it out or just resulting to using someone else's premade character out there in whatever known fiction? Though I often believe those players that actually sit down, take the time in investing in creating their character, are generally more concern for that creation and are a more promising partner depending on the effort put behind in the character. As I have a solo PM game where characters have sheets, backgrounds, personalities, and all manner of written things with a partner. Yes, characters, plural, multiple roles between me and partner with complex sheets behind them for main roles. III. Concept I suppose this can reflect towards both former established points I made but I feel like it is a premise of its own accord. There are various ideas spun from Canon works that people want to do fanfic about. You know, I been on many RP sites where all I seen was a flood of all sorts of fanfic group games to the point hat it has left a bitter taste in my mouth. Yes, in this day and age it is hard to really be 'original.' This is just an equal problem that those invest time in preference to original characters and worlds have as well. Still, the concept of approach to a canon world is a factor of its own. What makes this canon pairing stand out more than anything? What makes this canon project special? Just exactly where are you going with the idea you have for so and so? Etc, etc. Though from what I seen in solo requests it is usually geared more towards this pairing with that pairing so I am sure the concepts aren't anything at large and probably just some dirty kinks to iron outbut hey, this is an adult site. The main point of concept was geared more towards those that cared about group projects as oppose to solo works. Like, did they have a real direction or are they just borrowing established plotlines and rolling with it? Which brings us back to original concepts. The thing is. There are no original concepts and very little these days. You will see x amount of school settingsslice of life settings and all that going on. Even different games of different genres had still been done plenty of times. I haven't really bothered looking at the 'group requests,' to see what is 'mainstreaming,' now. Though in my former experience I seen countless fantasy ideas. I seen ideas where someone hosted a concept then bam, other people host different concepts of the same general genre and idea when it wasn't a thing. Such as a Sci-fi group request rising and then five more hitting a similar page shortly afterwards when it wasn't 'mainstreaming.' I have seen very few concepts that are as probably original as one can get. I did remember one idea of a game revolving something around a world where everything was literally black and white. I was interested in that, but as roleplayer, I wasn't sure how well I could play in it given I heavily rely on color itself to paint my surroundingsI just can't fathom a world without it. Though I suppose it is less different than playing a blind character. Which also is another problem. The more original the concept, the less likely it is going to get interest and become a thing.