What do you look for in a Wolf Rp Forum?

I'm curious. For me its...

1. Friendly, understanding, and collaborative community. + Active staff
2. I think I prefer a sand box over a plot, since most plots seem to revolve around a war of some kind. Typically, when it comes to realistic or semi-realistic wolves... or any animal rp forum for that matter.
3. Where member surveys are a thing. I always like it when the members can have some input even if nothing ever gets used. At least someone is reading it. But I also get tired of members thinking that they should run the site themselves and change everything. Just, no. There are reasons for certain rules and reasons for the way things are (if there are systems in place that is).
4. Lately I'm also thinking of a different way for winners to be determined when hunting or fighting. Because judges? Yeah still people going to be butt-hurt if they don't win and then say its a bunch of bs and bias. How does the dice system work and is there even a plugin for it on icyboards or jcink?
5. Oh yeah and hopefully people who wont blow up at you if their character challenges their character whatever their rank is, alpha, beta, loner, etc.
6. Staff that doesn't keep making excuses for others. Just stahp.
7. Generally just somewhere I can enjoy without worry. Where I can play my characters the way they were intended without someone getting butthurt oocly at me. Stahp making me do all the plotting oocly and just let stuff happen organically otherwise its not even fun anymore. Its a chore. Because then you're catering to someone else all the time. Some ooc planning? Okay, I can deal. But stop making me come off as the jerk because of what my character does. And no, I'm not going to hide in my shell completely just because I ticked you off over something my character did that was in-character. And stahp saying it was ooc, when it wasn't.
8. A place where females aren't treated like chattel throughout the entire site and doesn't have a required death-match. (I don't mind that in a human historical, the chattel thing, but not everywhere)

 

With most of the points I'm okay with, but survey, no. Just no, because it can also act as annoying and scare members away. Plus some kind of story would be nice..

 

I haven't played around in a wolf (or any animal) setting for a long time, but I don't see why my demands for it would be any different to the ones I have for any other genre. That basically boils down to a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, skilled (or trying) writers, and a focus on story and character development.

2. I like sandboxes more than I like strict plots that need to be followed. I like being able to change the world through the course of RP. However, I want that sandbox to have a detailed and interesting world to play around with and shape. I guess what I'm saying is I favour lore over plot.

3. I don't really know what you mean by surveys. Surely, an active administrator will already know of any difficulties people are having? At least, that should be the case in a communicative group. I definitely believe that leadership means taking on advice but being strong enough to have the final say. If anyone doesn't respect that, they should go elsewhere.

4. I like dice systems a lot. Drama aside, they also help to curtail the "character is doing more than they should be able to because they're trying really hard!" effect.

7. I really enjoy OOC plotting, or even playing through entire scenarios off-site. I do, however, see that it would be stupid to get too precious about plans. Half the fun of RP is the things that you can't predict. That's why we do it with other people. People should never get angry because characters do things that are in-character.

8. That kind of sounds like a trapping of the genre. I could be wrong, of course, but the animal kingdom doesn't know universal suffrage. Maybe try something else if it keeps bothering you. :P

 

What I look for is mostly the welcoming atmosphere, but I have had bad experiences with the strict admins.

1. I would look for the stern but loose roles that the rpg has. I don't want to go into the site and be criticised by how I write or how long my posts are. Maybe the current story I'm writing with my friend is dying, but we have to wrap it up. I don't want an admin breathing down my neck because of anything related.

2. I really need the main plot, allowing my characters to have room to create themselves and fight in different situations. If there is no plot then I have no reason to make my character do things. It's like I'm creating a book based on nothing, and that frustrates me. The main plot doesn't have to be huge mind you, but it has to bring the community together at certain points, like a plot day where you are all present and rping together.

3. I think it's important to have the surveys, then the admins don't choose everything, electing themselves into high positions all the time. I think even the little guys should hold big positions, otherwise, it's just a power play and we don't get a say in anything.

4. If you want to have a winner/ loser for a competition situation I suggest you make a scavenger hunt, or at least on a non-forum website. If you place hidden words around the site, creating different groups of the rpers, then you can have them look around for different clues. Then this is no longer a judgment call, but a race to who finishes first.

7. I think to avoid this problem you should talk with the other members of the rp in an OOC chat, this will get you both on the same page where you can create a safe and clean rp with no hiccups.

8. Honestly, I have never once seen this. Most of the people I rp with are a mixed group, and I don't see a lot of that. Some people are just mean, but you don't have them everywhere. This is also why I like chatbox rp, you can block someone who is being a bit too much, meaning if they cause problems, then you can have a talk with them, if that doesn't work, block them for 15 minutes. If it still doesn't work, block them indefinitely

 

What I look for in a wolf roleplay?

Just an overall friendly community that invites newcomers well enough. I feel that some community are lacking at that field even if their plot and site features are amazing, and there are some that actually try to include everyone in the site's roleplay drama.

 

For a long time, I wasn't very interested in wolf roleplay, as mostly they were the same things happening in the same ways, and nothing much that was very new as far as ideas and plots go. I was also trying to find a more mature player-base to jive with, since at times it can feel like a younger roleplayer's turf more than someone like me (I'm like 24 in a sea of teens still digging pack life) But, I think my age has also helped me realize how to do things differently.

Basically, I find that having new ideas and players that care about character development and plot movement more than the 'my wolf is so cool and edgy/I need my wolf to have a mate or she isn't pretty' type stuff that I used to see on a lot of places I would drift through.

Some of the reasons you list are exactly why I made my own site, though, Trinket! I never liked how much emphasis war plots got, so I made three separate packs that would have different overarching conflicts, ranging from infighting and possible civil war, to supernatural scary stuff, to straight up survival in a harsh condition. However, sandbox is so important in these, so I think most plots I'll be running will be optional to take part in, and are mostly there to enrich sandbox experiences. As far as fighting, contests, or races are concerned, I made a simple Strength/Speed/Stamina bar for when characters are first made, which can be alterred over time and playing the character. That way people know where you stand comparitively to one another, and it makes decisions a little easier. I also didn't like the way most sites were run, as the age-gap tended to show there as well. It was usually very cliquey, and I didn't like the fact that most of the time no one would contest or speak out when others were being abrasive or doing nothing but sharking/starting fights and GMing. There were honestly so many reasons that I got fed up with it, and knew I could potentially do better.

Also, I dislike how much OOC plotting has muddled actual progression through a plot arch or just basic interaction. I know that sometimes a plot is needed, and I'm alright with plotters, but when that's all someone wants to do, or skips over important development in actual play, it really irks me. I'd rather play it out!

Overall, I just want a fun, fair, and laidback experience to wolves, which also has some new life to it!

 

Usually a nice layout and easy application.

 

I haven't rp'ed animals in ages. I guess if I was to look again, good layout, lots of unique character options and talkative community. I like a bit of noise so seeing those dead spaces makes me worry the forum is dying. I also don't want to see mods/admins being the only ones with the strong characters.

 

Maybe because I am new to RP... but what I want in any RP is the following -

1. GOOD lore/history/current events, I want to know what has happened, what is currently happening and where I can join in the fun.

2. Clean set up, clear packs and species list with dos and donts (yay and the three tails, nay on the pink spots sort of thing). I must be able to quickly and easily find information myself so that I can be as active as I can be as quick as I can. I don't want to need to keep on asking stupid questions because I just can't find the information anywhere.

3. Active posters and good mods.

4. Consent only threads. I don't want to put the effort into making a character only for someone to think it would be fun to off them as soon as they step into a thread...

5. Plots!! I like plots...I like helping to build the world and leave a mark on the events going on.

 

With all the RPs I make, they all have a structured plot which allows new members to know the basic on what happened before and what has caused the site/pack to be made. We allow members to have their own subplots as well and join in with things that happen in relation to the main plot.
Never join a site that doesnt allow freedom with RPing posting and charater development.

 

Some sort of in character way to differentiate my wolf from others on the site. Clans, half-breed options, star signs? All good options. There are probably more. Also, overall usability of the site is something I look for.