[Discussion] Is combat necessary?

[Mr. Hyde]

Let it be clear, I am not bashing the use of combat in RP's.  Hell, most focus of Rp's here are superpowered tweens fighting against [insert obvious antagonist here], of course there would be combat.  What i'm saying is should it be a constant focus of Rp's.  

 

I get it, you can't think of a good way to transition from a walking cycle into a town, through a forest, without losing player interest, so you throw some rando bandits at them.

 

SHOOOORE

 

But why is it a constant thing where when nothing is going on, there must be a fight thrown in.  It's almost like someone trying to dangle keys in front of a toddler.  

 

I just wonder why there can't be deviations from the ever so boring fight encounter.  Maybe some natural disaster happens, or maybe an unforeseen impediment stops the protagonists, and a puzzle must be solved.

 

Heaven to Betsy should anyone stray from the overused cannon fodder encounter.   

[Super Chaos Sonic]

My thought on this: the RP applicants.

 

Grant it, some might enjoy the brain puzzles as it might just be the break from the norm that people are looking for. I've seen a few detective like RPs back in the day, however they didn't truly last long. This brings in my main reasoning: if the story and or plot of something like that, especially in an RP with puzzles and investigations are the norm, if they drag on for to long...people lose interest. ...At least that's how I see it.

 

I believe that some RPers tend to enjoy the overused fighting style in order to keep things interesting and make sure people stay engaged and invested in the RPs. Should it all be fighting? Never said that. However, if one can blend elements of each one into an RP to where the participants can enjoy, be engaged, AND keep interest, things might be a little bit better.

 

I honestly think of one RP that seemed to have those styles: :Alive: (originated from Yosuke-kun, and now has a continued legacy via Hi I'm Dad). Both of them had the right idea: post-apocalyptic world, group of lone survivors, huge monster threat, etc. The idea alone had people flocking to it (myself included). However, one of the defining points in that was this: the participants were not only fighting to survive, BUT were also trying to solve a mystery of what happened to their world. Myself, I was in love with the idea. A mystery that would, in due time, reveal itself. And now via the fic started by Hi I'm Dad, it makes me even more anxious to see how it goes.

 

In short, I agree with you, Hyde. Yes this is coming from the type-casted Shonen of YCM (nickname pending xD) but breaking out with things like this isn't a bad idea. It's just trying to keep our applicants from straying too far and losing interest.

[Wind Rider]

I mean, not everything should be combat oriented, but like Chaos Sonic said, combat is there to keep rpers interested. I wouldn't mind a puzzle solving type of rp, it'd be a nice change of pace, but you would have to make it interesting in some way to keep people in the rp.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Coming from a host perspective I will say...no, it's not needed all the time.

However, especially on YCM, RPers tend to really not do good with more open-ended things. Puzzles, natural disasters, and negotiations, are all things that can be really fun...however many people blow right past them or get stuck on them. It's really difficult for a host to come up with new ways to engage people only for the RPers to not do anything or to blow past it.

 

It's always good to include those things but the sad truth of YCM Rps is that combat is the only way to be sure that the players will actually do something.

[Super Chaos Sonic]

It's always good to include those things but the sad truth of YCM Rps is that combat is the only way to be sure that the players will actually do something.

 

And that's the sad truth of it right now.

 

Oddly enough, the RP section of YCM might be it's shonen side if that's the case. Jus' sayin'...xD

 

What we really need is an RP that utilizes those elements together and will keep the participants fully engaged. If it's good (story, premise, style, etc.) you can count that I would definitely join in, just to help it along.

[Sethera]

Funnily enough, I'm not a big fan of combat scenes, which is why I didn't join a few RPs that a lot of my friends joined, because I knew they'd be mostly combat. I think it's probably a side effect of my RP experience outside of this forum, in which I've come across power players, people who just HAD to win all the time with their superpowered one punch dinosaur masked avenger. Let me tell you. It's not fun RPing with those people, the ones who just have to be the strongest, the best, the most powerful, the most OP. So yeah, that soured my liking for fight scenes in RPs.

 

Currently hosting an RP where fight scenes are kind of the bread and butter of the game it's based off of, however I've been trying to integrate more besides that. Stuff like intrigue, diplomacy, adventure, etc. And the RPers have seemed to take to it, even adding in nice little character bonding scenes. However, the next fight scene was actually instigated by one of the RPers themselves.

 

So yeah I agree that YCMers themselves are probably the reason fight scenes are so relevant. I think supernatural powered characters are especially susceptible to that, because the players want to make use of the powers that they put in the app, and a fight scene is the easiest way to show that off. So in addition to the player, it's the flavor of the RP itself that determines that. Best way to fix that is to specify from the get-go of an RP that it's not going to be fighting-based, but those kinds of RPs tend to garner little interest, unfortunately.

 

I don't really see a way to solve that, or even if it needs to be solved. It's just the way YCM works.

[LordCowCowCowCowCowCowCowCow]

Funnily enough the next RP I have planned is one of two SoL RPs so look out for that if I find myself with the time. ;)

I think it'd be interesting to try to come up with new ways to do SoL to make them interesting. One fantasy inspired and one Gijinka based cause...obvious reasons for those who look in the RP section ;P

 

Hell yeah I'll advertise if it's relevant to the discussion. More/less I don't see non-combat RPs at all so perhaps it's time to try it.

[Dad]

Thank you for this.  Cuz I know I am one of the BIGGEST offenders to COMBAT COMBAT COMBAT.  I need to find other ways to get my players to engage.  And this thread should be stickied IMO.  It's a great "Tool for RPing"