Another difficult type: the hyperactive player
(I hope you don't mind me interfering?)
The over-anxious player:
Description/Definition:
He (or she) has little work to do IRL and, besides, is used to rp on-line, through YIM, AOL, ICQ, muds/mushes, IRC... Or so simply as he plays in some boards where they play on line (really, in some boards, a player can post between 50-100 times daily). It means, basically (and usually), that he is used to post *quick* and *short*, so he expects to get a reply to his post in the next hour, and this as much. He’s pretty addict and the waiting is unbearable for him.
Before to do something, you should try to know how is this player, and you might get a few hints through his application and how much he worked it. If his description is (for example) something like this:
“He is very very tall. He wears a mithril armor, a claymore, two daggers and a quiver filled of lethal arrows. A large scar runs from his brow down to the neck. His hair is long. He is dark haired. His eyes are blue.”
and when you asked him to write a bit more he claimed he couldn’t because, mind, there is not much to add, what else want you to know, heck, there’s enough with that, you want him writing a book? -- then, give up. He is an on-line player and hardly will have room and fun in a (“normal”) PbP RPG. But if you could convince him to write a more fitting application, hang on, there is hope.
How to deal with him:
Speak to him and try to make him realize how are things in your board. Yes, the rp is slow but there is a lot of quality because players take their time to write and they do carefully, you can write wonderful posts too, wouldn’t you like to (put here a few examples of posts, applies, scenes...).
If you have another “anxious” player around, make them play together, even if NPCing, or build a scene so that they could meet ICly. And if he joins a “slow” scene, make him understand that the scene is right so, slow... and cross your fingers and pray the Valar, just in case one of the players vanish for a week (you might sort out this too making him “deal apart” with another char, so he would have something to do).
(Comments will be welcome and appreciated) Edited by: Lenove at: 9/14/05 10:26 am
Re: Another difficult type: the over-anxious player
( Oh, I don't mind the interference at all. Thank you for the good summary.
I just had a thought that possibly a more descriptive word for this kind of player would be "Chat style" player or "Hyperactive" player.
The description is very good. I only would like to add that this kind of player is not generally a problem on roleplaying boards - or at least less than Divas and Trolls and such. It depends on the kind of group. There are some roleplaying group out there that are based on many one-liner posts and quick replies, and then others that go for more detailed and longer posts.
So, it really depends. But having both styles mixed in one group, as Nolendur pointed out, will lead to problems.
Re: Another difficult type: the over-anxious player
Quote:possibly a more descriptive word for this kind of player would be "Chat style" player or "Hyperactive" player
Oi yes! "Hyperactive" was the word I was searching for (and can't find it!).
Of course, and depending of the board, they would be a problem or not -- actually, in one of those boards where people RP on-line I would be the problem... but I must to say I never understood them. Where's the point to rp like that? I mean, letting aside personal preferences, being a person that has played on line too (and, guess what, I was spammy too :P), I find that to rp on-line in a board is a waste of time due the lag and how much slow are many sites etc. But I never claimed to be shrewd.
Nolen
Btw, in some boards Divas are very welcome, believe me, I have seen them. Problem comes where some Divas clashed each other. As Mary Sues are welcome also in many boards, so simply as 90% of the chars are MS :)
In fact, now I realize, many books and movies are filled of MS too! ;)
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