[Jupiter_Storm]

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With that out of the way. One of the problems stated in these threads is the state 'of' roleplaying. The 'community' is blamed countless times for this, and while I've a bone or two to pick with it myself about taking opportunities that present themselves for granted, none of us can ultimately blame people for what they enjoy - and you definitely cannot 'fix' a community. But you can try to understand it - with a little group introspection.

The purpose of this thread is to reach out to all of us, to challenge each and every one of us to look inwardly and ask ourselves the crucial question. I know, you might be thinking: "Jupiter, that's stupid, we obviously know what we want." - Knowing it and putting it into words are two different things. This is a technique that many counselors use to help others to better visualize their own problems and therefore take positive steps.

Before you say, "I don't have a problem," the last fifty threads suggest otherwise. It's not a sickness, no, but our needs are not being met - by others, and ourselves.

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DISCLAIMER(S):

1. The purpose of this thread is NOT to ridicule others for what they personally enjoy, NOR is it to shame others for being 'casual' or 'elitist'.

2. Please do not post what you want others to do for you. Explain only what you log onto the game for, what goes through your mind when you make a character, and what you hope to do with them whenever you head out into the big wide world!

3. Eventmins, GMs and Non-Staff Event Managers (hi) are encouraged to read this, however you should be aware that it takes a lot of work to set such things up, and generally writers will go for what they themselves are passionate about, first and foremost - we need to get something out of our stories too (i.e. sharing our creativity with others and seeing them interacting with it). So it's not always possible for somebody to address your needs exactly, but they can get a general sense for what aspects of the story are worth investing the most into, in order to make it as accomodating as possible to you guys.

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With the third part aside, I'm hoping that in writing down what we ourselves want, we'll be able to identify (individually, for ourselves) exactly how we can achieve that. As well as get a feel for one another, and the community at large, in order to better connect with each other and find common grounds and common interests.

Some examples (add more of your own if you think of them, also you don't have to follow a structure here, I'm just shooting ideas at you):

1. Writing Styles - Novella (multiple posts describing actions and scenes in detail, usually between fewer people) / Narrative (long, descriptive posts - usually 6-10 lines) / Para (short, descriptive posts - about 1-5 lines) / Chat (conversation, actions represented mostly by mechanics)

2. Genres - Horror / Action / Adventure / Romance / Comedy / Realism / Slice of Life / Suspension of Disbelief / School / War / Mystery etc.
 - Again, DO NOT ridicule anybody for their choices and preferences. I love me a good bit of Romance too. And Slice of Life is wonderful for chilling out with friends.

3. Development - Do you prefer to grow with a group of others, sharing your story with them and in turn immersing yourself in their story? Do you prefer to set yourself specific character goals to achieve? Do you feel shy about being in control of your own development, and prefer to make a name for your character in events and campaigns?

4. What do you want to be known for? - When you make a character, when you play the game. Do you want to be known as a hero? Do you want to be feared? Do you want others to value your intellect and come to your character for advice? Do you want to be admired? Do you want to be a respected businessperson who provides a valuable service to others? Do you want to follow behind others and share in their experiences without having to stand in the spotlight if that's not comfortable for you? Perhaps you want to enjoy simply chilling with friends and having conversations as somebody else?

These are all just some ideas. Try to have fun with it, and more importantly - try to learn something about yourself, from it!

Peace out, cub scouts.

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EDIT: Sorry for the double post - I probably should have posted my own as an example, too, so here goes:

I play this game because Sigrogana Legend 2 has an incredible amount of potential for you to be, by and large, exactly what you want to be. The ambiguity of a lot of the game's lore leaves so much room to fill in the gaps provided you don't directly contravene the canon lore. It has an unparalleled amount of tools that facilitate RP (even if the game doesn't 'reward' roleplay per se - for me the reward is in the act of roleplaying).

What do I want from my roleplay? When I create a character, I put something of myself into that character, something I find cool and want to run around as. My personal preference in roleplaying campaigns and scenarios is to be regarded as a problem-solver, somebody who can address issues that can't be answered with fire and steel alone. Generally in Live Action Roleplay (yes, I'm that kind of nerd) I tend to play a Druid or Wizard - the sort of people who can handle wardings or commune with spirits, and solve interesting puzzles. I like to be regarded as a hero for the things that I do, but I'm uncomfortable with being the 'only' one.

I get demotivated very quickly if I don't feel like my concept is interesting to others. I don't get very much from casual conversations that don't really explore a character's background or 'lead' to any sort of development. This probably sounds snobby. I actually really enjoy joining others' stories and helping them in some way. My dream Roleplay scenario is adventuring with a group, and becoming recognized for the group's achievements. Who doesn't enjoy a little fame?

With genres, I'm open to anything and everything - around a staple diet of Action, Adventure and those in-between moments where you bond with your adventuring companions over a flagon of Morrisons' Mead and a Domino's Pizza. The other genres mix it up nicely, with themed adventures, making no two the same. But I quickly get bored if roleplay doesn't appear to "lead" to anything - for instance if I don't really feel like the conversation I'm having will bring me any closer to another character or it isn't relevant to the plot, lore, etc.

If interactions like this lead to a blossoming Romance with another character I really click with, I do enjoy that too. I think we all do. It's nice to feel valued.

My preferred writing style is generally Paragraph - Narrative, purely because it helps me to feel more immersed in the character and the environment around, as well as connect with the actions performed by other characters. It's a very mutable thing - not always appropriate if you're just chatting after the scene has been established. If I'm the one creating a scene, I'll switch to Novella-style, but only for a teeny-weeny bit, in order to 'set' the scene.

I don't generally set myself personal character goals, because I find it hard to visualize what is feasible for the character to achieve. I prefer to develop with a group of others or through events, because I am very self-critical and feel as though I have to 'earn' every stage of my character's development in the eyes of other people.

Again, sorry for the double post. You really don't have to make it this long either, if you don't feel comfortable doing that!

[Deja Vu]

Hello, juppy.

For me, what I log on for has changed greatly over the years, and I'm glad I can say now I'm fairly sure of what I enjoy and why. Through trial and error, I've sort of hit my peak in recent months with my new main, Torah, who is essentially the embodiment of all I enjoy and search for in my own characters and interactions.

That being said, I'll go down the list. Firstly, my most common type of writing style is paragraphs, though they range depending on how much has already been described, and how many people are present. I personally hold myself to a grammatical and literary standard that I don't expect of others, simply because I find that fun. Though I absolutely make very short, simple posts when there's a lot of people, lest I make them read too much for something simple.

My favored genre is slice of life, with action to support it. War as well is something I'm interested in, but I'm fairly emotionally sensitive so there's a lot I refuse to participate in based on my own preferences, like arcs about betrayal or suffering.

In terms of development, my characters sort of have a pre-written path they follow that blossoms based on what I want to roleplay as, and what sort of things they encounter. My character having their own abstract goal, like self-improvement and experience, along with maintaining freedom (using Torah as an example) keeps me very motivated to play the character, as I always have a reason to participate in things.

Finally, I want to be remembered as calm and accepting. This is a stark contrast to my younger self, but I'm quite sure of myself now. I want my characters to be side-characters that people enjoy speaking to for the sake of their own development. I like playing a supporting role, and I often see my favorite characters like Torah as members of a party, or interesting NPCs that have a lot of story and development potential in them. Someone who is trustworthy and loyal is my favorite type of character to play, I.E. Dakota, Torah, Tuja, June.

To summarize cleanly, I made my current favorite character, Torah, to be someone who is following her own path and has her own set of motivations, while still being able to communicate and participate in things that aren't her typical environment, like relaxing in a bar. I enjoy making memories of hardship, like battles and campaigns, with friends and tightening bonds through said hardships. Though too much pain and suffering messes with my empathy, I don't mind violence at all. My favorite moments in RP are before a fight, the peak of the battle, and the aftermath of said conflict. Also speaking and reminiscing of such things are interesting, and it gives the slice of life a unique contrast that makes those quiet moments pop and makes them enjoyable. I don't like just having peaceful things.

I hope this helps, Jup!

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Edit: I totally forgot to mention Romance! Romance is, I feel, it's own category. But it likewise partners well with occasional action to strengthen those bonds. But I didn't make Torah with the intent to seek romance. In fact, I find that when it's spontaneous, it works the best. Though I sometimes plan out such things with my close-close friends, for the sake of it, and it works well. But spontaneous is best for me, and it isn't a goal nor is it something that my character should rely on.

[Turadis]

At this point I have a lot of experience with RP-centric MMOs like Sigrogana Legend 2 or otherwise playing MMOs in an RP-centric way. I've found that it helps to think of it like it's own storytelling format with it's own suite of strengths and weaknesses. What's good for a book is not necessarily good for an MMO-RP character, or film, or video game stories, or even other forms of roleplaying like the Tabletop RPG.

To that end, what am I looking for? I'm looking for what I feel like MMO-RP narratives are strongly suited for compared to their alternatives, long term character development. The sheer scale of time over which this story can take place is an element that can be exploited for unique storytelling opportunities that other mediums/formats cannot easily match. 

I mean character development in two broad ways. First, the traditional narrative way, in which a character starts their journey believing a central lie or group of lies and over time comes to change as a person, most often for the better but not always. The sandbox-y format of MMO-RP lends a unique possible spice to this traditional trope: The end point does not need to be mapped out at all. If one creates a character with a flawed worldview, their interactions with others can develop the character in a number of directions.

The second type of development I mean doesn't have any specific title, but I'll call it a developing backstory, and it's far more uniquely explorable with this storytelling format. When you think about it, anything that has happened to your character becomes a part of their backstory once it's over with. Once a character's playtime begins to stretch into the years, they'll have collected a colorful assortment of experiences to look back on, all with a far more organic 'feeling' than a prewritten backstory. Endured the tragic death of a lover in your prewritten backstory? Passé, Cliché. Endured the tragic death of a lover, played by a real player through organically developed means in a sandbox narrative? That's electrifying. Even a character not specifically designed to undergo character development is going to be affected by several real years worth of history, and in the annals of time, even bad RPing experiences and events can prove to have value as they become embellished parts of a character's history.

A few miscellaneous points regarding Jupiter's original post. I don't strongly feel about any particular writing styles or post lengths, whatever most efficiently suits the needs of the narrative. This specific game has several types of visual tools to communicate storytelling that can aid in evocative efficiency. Typically, excessively longer is not better, just bloated and inefficient, lacking in evocative qualities.

Regarding genres, for this MMO-RP sandbox-y format, I think it's important to write a character who can handle and find a role in as many genres as possible. Naturally some people are just going to loathe certain genres of storytelling, and this is going to impact the amount of the game they can enjoy. I have favorites, of course. But the way I approach writing in this format disincentives acting on my genre-favoritism. Every type of genre can have an equally important impact on character development, if not equally dramatic. Part of why I can get away with this is that I do not specifically dislike any type of genre, just have a list of least to most enjoyed. If I could advise someone, I'd definitely say to approach character writing with as many types of scene as you can handle in mind as possible. Failure to do so in the past has messed me up big time.

One more thing someone might be inspired by. I've found extraordinary success with my current main character, and as of now I believe the secret ingredient to be her active investment in other people. She's the sort of person who will confront people over their backstories, interests, or traumas. The sort of character who is similarly invested in other characters' development as I am. Thus making a lot of meaningful relationships, and exposing me to the type of narrative I believe this sort of story can do better than other mediums. In a sandbox narrative, assertiveness is key.

[Snake]

First, I was about to go to your house to torch it if I heard that word one more time, then I realized it was well-weaved into an optical hypnotic illusion that afflicts cerebral waves in a neutralizing way by afflicting the M spot, E spot, M spot again, then back to the E spot, and such soothed my crippling hatred for it so you're spared. Now moving on!

I don't care about post length, if I get in the right mood I can write a lot, or if not and I'm in a more casual situation, merely write two or three lines and solely revolve around 'sayplaying', which only utilizes emote to describe actions, not every line of dialogue and how sensually my lips move.

I care about quality and the other person's willingness to engage. I also care about grammar on its bare minimum acceptable ways, because I'm a 'forasteiro' of English. Yes! It's no news I'm a Brazilian. And I had to spend seven-minus years interacting and reading about English to properly learn it, just to see other people being sloppy with their native language, or worse than me?
People who have to omit-correct too much often will feel like they're testing my infinite patience, because for me it shows their lack of basic respect for the scenario they're in due to carelessness while typing. Typing fast doesn't matter if your outcome's going to come out crappy and in need of corrections.

The genres I like are well, any as long as it's not romance or sappy shit that makes me vomit while sneezing simultaneously, anything and everything, from casual and happy to mature and dark! Though I'm a bigger fan of hype, anime moments and raw shounen thanks to some people showing those off done right, like Vaxel and Ignatius for examples, Kyro too has shown some brawn. Back in MR days even Pinny, Bready, Fern and Lonestar have shown those moments and every single one of these people made me figuratively moist. I treasure these past days so much.
These moments where the whole world is against you, you're aware you're just a single, disposable unit, but you got to make a difference no matter the cost. For your friends and your future! Even if you lose or die, you'll leave a mark. Be it a damage, or an ideal for others to follow in another attempt. There's nothing else in stories that makes my pp upper.

Anyway! Development for me is something that I also surprisingly prioritize but rarely have the chance to do because in the middle of any roleplay I feel like the char I have on the moment is not worth to be developed compared to another. Just a personal issue, but I NEVER had the chance to get a character properly developed thanks to alting, atleast in SL2, it kind of sucks how this is a boon and a curse simultaneously. Good access to be more than one person, bad because you lose focus as fast as a candle in the midst of a windy storm.
Thankfully! All it took for me to backhand this, was to get a prolonged break from the game, and start anew with another character who I'll try to devote my full towards.

Known for? Ehhh... I don't really care much about my own fame, but I should. Lately the game's been all about cliques and famous people gathering some 'worthy chosen ones' under their wing and hosting events solely for them. Maybe if I was more famous or desirable they'd take me too. But again, it's my lack of care that made this situation unlikely so shrug. It's just a game, there's no need to think too deep into it, lest it will just make it stressful or too 'mechanical' to think about.
And by default, I believe being so long and consistent in the game has given me a name by myself. Good ol' 'Kuan/Koonie' who's a funny meme or monke that everybody loves, who sometimes makes sense while fooling around or definitely makes sense when serious.

Ultimately, and tl;dr, I'm a simple person of low scrutiny who likes hype, action and situations of IC stress and fear where you have to prove your mettle. This is why I'm so into ideas of making Sigrogana in general a more dangerous place, or wars happening between the countries or between Sigrogana and a major villain.
We have too much slice of life and rules against harm to prevent griefing. Sadly this only overall makes the game static... And hell, I've been at this static for five-plus years now. Kinda cringe to live in a perfect world full of unicorns, rainbows and cellsvich shittalking, bro.

[Jupiter_Storm]

I'm really grateful for the replies so far, and I'm happy to see people talking passionately about what interests them. It's helping me, for one, to better understand other points of view and other approaches to writing characters.

For example Deja's post highlights the point that sometimes it's not about people simply 'not enjoying' a particular style of RP. Sometimes it's the case that when you're fully immersed in the game a lot of the emotional trauma can affect you as well (I've seen this in LARP, actually, with people crying over the loss of a friend after a long campaign). There is a place for darkness and suffering, but it can be toned down by necessity if we wanted to be more inclusive.

Turadis perfectly sums up how I feel about my own characters - if I put too much of a backstory on them, it starts to feel 'rickety' and mechanical and I cannot get into them, no matter what I do. (Gwaine and Brent were reworked how many times???) Organic development is really meaningful and it's this reliance upon other characters to enhance our own experience that means we should try to come together more, in roleplay.

And I think that the point about investing in other people being a great start is spot on. This is easier to do in guilds, for sure. Something I've avoided a lot and wish I hadn't.

I also agree with Kunai in that it can often feel like there's cliques (and sometimes, that might be true) due to popularity and fame that revolve around the "worthy chosen few" but at the same time, as crazy as this sounds, we need people like that who are prominent individuals to serve as living reminders that long-term organic development does pay off. And they're not as unreachable as it may often seem, even though we (me included) can allow ourselves to get bitter about it. People are always happy to make new friends, ultimately.


Kuan's point about your actions having an effect on the world or story in some way is a really big one. That's a bit of a goal for me, to affect some sort of change on my characters or for others to affect change so that I have something to gossip about with my companions. Part of the whole 'dynamic world' feel.

I'm excited to see what else others come up with!

[WaifuApple]

Alright, might as well get a post in here. I'm Appo, one of the (current) event runners, though a bit of a somewhat reserved, shy individual. God knows how those two things match up well together, but I guess I haven't done all too bad, really...

Writing Style: Honestly I find myself varying quite a bit depending on how much I'm invested and the amount of motivation I have at a particular time. I hover somewhere between para and narrative normally, though can push to reach the longer end, novella, with a single partner or small group, and similarly the shorter end if there are just too many people to keep up with. Could say that makes the situation kind of dynamic, but I much prefer being in the middle ground, where there's not too much text on the screen to process, but just enough to be properly engaged with.

Genre: My calling in this regard... varies. For my own characters, I usually find quite a bit of enjoyment in the more romantic side of things because of how much I like playing cute characters that are just made for adoration, practically, saddled with some action sometimes (though I don't indulge in this nearly as much, unfortunately, due to the pain of getting operating builds for characters making it usually out of my reach, least for me). I'm no good with general slice of life - sometimes it can feel like a wheel of whether you're going to mingle with someone good or somebody you might not engage with. Though, to be honest, it can also be nice sometimes. It can just be... stressful, at other times.

In my position as an event runner, I just like putting out action for people - things that challenge characters to be scared, intimidated, or to take things seriously. I like to do things that may make an impact. Leave other people to depart with something to remember. So for bigger things I try to go for stuff like that.

Doesn't mean there probably aren't fun ways to enjoy another genre for me, of course.

Development: I honestly will usually plan specific character goals in the first instance. Something to strive for that gives me a reason to log on a character. Something that one can progress to - something they can achieve. I don't like playing characters that don't exactly go anywhere whatsoever, or can't because of restrictions. But usually, this comes in the form of mental development, like confidence being built up. Course, I like to develop alongside others, and often reach out to others people have pointed out to me as friendly, approachable, and fun. As such, I tend to explore development around people like that. There's also a large part of me that has little confidence in my pace in development so it's nice to have these people keep me in check.

What do you want to be known for?

Honestly, I just want to make the people I enjoy spending time with smile. I want to feel like I'm making people happy, and just in general being viewed positively. To be honest, I like having the adoration of the people around me and feeling as if people appreciate me and what I'm doing, if anything. Not everyone will, but being able to hear people patting me on the back and telling me "You did good, honestly" is nice. Course, that extends out to my duties as an eventmin. I want to see people happy. I want to see people enjoy themselves. I want to look out for what's best for people, even if I might be misguided or have a bad way of showing it at times.

And honestly, that's it. I mean, I guess this is just a bit about myself as an RPer at this point but it seems like that's what this is all about. Course, what I say about myself and how I am, and what others say about me might be different. I don't know, I can be a little bit self-deprecative sometimes, and get myself down.

I play this game because despite all it's flaws I enjoy it. I enjoy the locations, some of the people I've met, some of the classes there are... I like this game. I like the people I RP with on it. I know it's not perfect, and has some glaring flaws... but honestly, there's no game I'd rather be RPing on. I've had my good moments and my bad moments on the game, but have always returned to make another attempt if I found myself losing heart with it or falling down.

Thank you.

[Balor]

I tend to just run with whatever I feel vibes with me at the time. Usually I try to pick out a theme and stick with it until I might resolve the storyline or adjust it until I feel satisfied with the conclusion. Sometimes characters don't land, fall, but my creative process exists for the attempt, and lingers if I can stick the execution.

I genuinely don't care to be known for anything. However I would like it if people got some form of development from interacting with me. Or enjoyed me bringing wrestling memes into SL2. Otherwise it's just vibing.

[Shujin]

1. Writing Styles 
 I personally can go anywhere from 1 liners to 12 000+ characters. It all depends on mood, setting, number of people and...Most of the time I am something one would call "mirror". If I see people putting in effort, I put in effort and usually without really thinking about it, we increase in size of the posts. Othertimes I just sit around and be casual and barely use anything more than say-play, simply to increase the flow of the moment. 
Looking at the amount of people currently in a scene, and what is truly needed of you at that time to benefit the RP varies alot. Sometimes its just some nice fluff, which I for one can appriciate if there is a little more description of someones mood used, othertimes it just feels like you just make people wait for no reason.
I guess thats why I usually prefer smaller groups, so everyone can put in more effort and has more "Spotlight" time. Or well, Discord RP, cause thats where I usually write alot cause without graphics/gameworld etc. I try to explain as much as possible so people can properly use that for their own posts and we build something nice together.

2. Genres 
Genres can vary on my mood of the day. It needs to be balanced and realistic in a sense. I originally came from a VERY dark fantasy RP, which mostly played mature (I do not mean ERP), dark, war- themes. Focus was always though on Character progression and advancements as well as Worldbuilding. I loved that. I like stories of Betrayal, suffering, hardship, real fear...I get attached to characters, and I get sad when those characters die. But when I feel like the end was "with purpose" and fun till there? I gladly think back to it. A fair system around it, that also doesn't make you start from Zero, after a couple of years is also helping the mood without taking away from the impact.

I like Slice of Life at times, but if its all I get for years I grow bored of it. Romance is also fine, if done well and believable. But all of this matters very little when overdone and there is no->

3. Development
Developement is probably the most important part for me. Probably the thing that keeps me hoping and bringing back here from time to time. And at the same time the most glaring issue SL2 has, for me. When I first started SL2, in its freshly released state, I played a young Hero, your standard boy, who dreamed to become more, compete, makes friends and one day be a Hero and defend the people against-....Who? I had played the game for a bit there and realized that basically everyone was good, so all competing had basically no emotional weight behind it, no real stakes. So I deleted that Character and decided to make something else. That Character was Shivania, designed to be controversial, competetive and most importantly flawed.

When I create a character I think about a lot of things. Philosophy, what I want with them, what do I feel is lacking in the world, What traits fit to that character, what element fits to that, what playstyle is fun for me, Name with a meaning or reference...In theory I create the perfect image I have of a charatcer...Then I grab the sledgehammer and break it down, add flaws, struggles, a bit of backstory to explain it rooted in the lore and give them maybe one or two traits of myself so its more relatable for me and easier playable/easier to immerse into. Then I let it go and try to see how the world influences them, how the world reacts to it and see if it needs some adjustments (Shiva had a couple before I fully knew what I wanted with her.). But once I am set on it, I only let RP really influence them and this is what I had the most of on her.
Most of those stories were actually really sad. Misunderstandings/disagreements that broke long lasting friendships or atleast made them part ways. Stories of Betrayal and backstabbing/double crossing of people she deeply cared about, leaving her vulnerable because she trusted too much. Plots she herself didn't agree off, but had to do for the sake of someone else. The feeling of being powerless, when she predicted someones death happening, Her standing at some nameless grave and mourning her own inabllity to have stopped their death, even though she fully predicted what would happen when they continued that path. Broken promises, etc.
These stories stuck with me, they made me even sometimes sad OOCly too, but I think overall these things made some great impacts on the character and I can relate to it, cause I "lived" through it with the character. The lessons she learned weren't the ideal ones, not where I wanted her to go originally, but they were believable in her context and formed her. While she also had many good things happen to her, I think those that mostly effected her as a person were the emotionally heavy ones and thats why I like writing characters that are designed to NOT make friends...Cause a friendship that ICly pops there is so much deeper and natural.

So yeah development I think has different aspects to it.
Personal growth: mostly as described above, the stories between characters and slice of life is indeed welcome there.
Characters growth within the world: As in basically making a name for yourself. Be it adventure, warrior, Muscian, blacksmith or whatever. Becoming famous for something, maybe earn a title...Create an army? What have you, but your name is known in the world one way or another, and the WORLD reacts to it too. You hold weight in that area, not by just players you actively engaged with during that path, or by just writing it in your backstory.
Growth in skill:  so basically everything that relates to your characters stats in a sense. I do not mean just "Stronger" however, though that is certainly one path of someone who actively seeks strength. But I also mean that someone who RPs wanting to be the best blacksmith in the world, having advantages over people that just do it by the by. An alchemist being able to come up with their own crazy potions? Someone who wanted to play an Idol, earning maybe money once a IC month without ever needing to step a foot inside a dungeon. Things like this. Nothing davalues your whole character developement more than having RPed something for 8+ years, just for someone else to show up, created two days ago and being on the exact same level than you, or better, because they just made an OP build instead of your IC build that developed with you in time. Best part is when that person is also just like 15 years old or younger ICly and claims to not be a fighter. Thats when you check all the boxes of me hating that character. But thats more an issue of the system.

4. What do you want to be known for? - 

I do not think I want to be known for anything, OOCly. ICly that depends on the characters that I am playing at that time.
There was a time where I was just happy, making stuff for other people to enjoy and just having a good time RPing, no matter if that costed me all my resources that I worked hard for in the game. But people usually try their best to kick those efforts over for OOC reasonings and griefing. Or are just unthankful and complaining little dorks. That ruins the fun of it.
So I just RP for fun and try to create good stories. I have often received compliments from people like "Wow, thats the best RP I ever had in SL2" or similiar, that showed their great enjoyment of the scene or story I prepared/took them with me on. That honestly feels really good, and I enjoy those things. Even if it rubs the whole community wrong, the moment one person tells me "That was a great RP!", it was worth it in my book.
Sometimes I get a compliment like that after a scene I do not feel anything special about. Scene that I used to have in masses in the past, with far more depth and story. I feel thats evidence of the decline we are currently experiencing in the state of our (accesible) RP, and just how many good RPers we have lost over the time.

[SevenHaven]

The time has come.

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So, I've been playing SL2 for almost a year now, and am mostly pleased with my experience in the game. It's far from perfect, but the good moments I got out of this little community are something I relish. A lot. Mostly because when I see writing tropes and things like CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT I fawn over it and love it to death. But anyway, let me go at this one at a time.

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Writing Styles - I take what I can get, depending on the situation. I'm going to echo what's been said here before and say that I adapt to the number of people present, with text length lowering as people present rises. There is one exception to this, and it's when someone challenges me by whipping out their big weewee and fill my entire chat box with a post. I will respond in kind, do not test me. That said, I usually prefer longer posts when I can help it, even if a one liner is needed sometimes. Sometimes you just gotta go;

"That's kinda sus, homie."

And boom, you've successfully instigated a barfight between two people in a shady Law's End bar. Fun stuff.

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Genres - Yes. Give them to me. I take any and all genres, and enjoy them more or less depending on my mood. That's not to say I don't enjoy all of them, of course; but if I'm depressed and someone comes at me with the most happy-go-lucky innocent bean, something in my brain decides it doesn't like that. Why? I dunno. I'll still enjoy it anyway.

That said, I do have a soft spot for both romance and mystery. When I tried (and spectacularly failed) at getting my first event chain going, I had (and still have) a little notepad file FULL of everything I'd ever need to know while people investigated my mystery. Which was great and all until I figured out it had a massive plot hole. Oops.

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Development - I live for character development. When I first started playing SL2, my personal character development in writing was absolutely abysmal. Since then I've learned way more than I bargained for when I came here to improve my writing; which was, of course, one of the reasons I decided to play SL2 in the first place.

I absolutely love watching both my and other characters evolve. I often have those moments of "Oh shit, that's some good ass character development right there. Oh yeah. Fine piece of work." and then proceed to ogle at it for extended periods and try to commit it to memory. Did I mention how much I love character development?

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What do I want to be known for? - I never planned on becoming much of anything when I joined the community, for better or for worse. I just wanted to improve my writing, have fun while doing it, and meet some new friends. Learned a hell of a lot more than that in way more areas, but I welcome it. Though, now that I think of it, and given the chance? I'm the semicolon guy now. No one can stop me. Why semicolons? Why, you fool! These things are gifts from god, given you know how to use them. Say, you want to keep something going, but have used too many commas and can't write your way out; just throw a semicolon in there. Fixes everything, or your money back; guaranteed. 

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TL;DR Semicolons are gifts from god himself and I learned a lot playing funni byond rp game, getting more than I came for. Also I learned  how to put long funni bars in my forum posts. Have fun.

[Aqua]

So I've been playing SL2 for a few years (2 I think) and it's had its ups and downs really. at least for me.

1. Writing Styles -  I take what I can get based on the Situation or the opportunities presented. Nothing else to say on this part. A lot of my characters take the role of some of my IRL dominant traits which make it pretty easy to determine their writing style for the most part.

2. Genres - Aye man, surprise me. I do love a good horror though. Romance is all fine and dandy from IC experience on a few characters but it can become a little boring or you can be often left without a clue of what your in romantic relationship characters are doing if nothing is going on.

3. Development - As someone who doesn't really do well in large groups of people due to OOC stress. If it weren't for certain people, that I will not name for personal reason, I wouldn't really be trying to break such comfort zones. Do I prefer to develop on my own or with a group? Depends on the character but hell if people wanna influence their actions? Sure why not. I ain't against that type of thing. As for making a name for themselves, at this point that kinda feels more like a chore than something I would actively do. There are very few Exceptions amongst my characters that try to make a name for themselves and that's because that's how their IC is. Again events are a tricky thing for me to handle give the OOC stress, only recently has that changed purely due to how things are with certain characters.

Development as a whole as far as I'm concerned is at the point of if you wanna develop X person, you're gonna have to put the work in. One or another the work put in is something to be proud of.

4. What do you want to be known for? -  At this point? I'm more or less Known for one of two things. Too Many Alts or that one time at the Arena where a character of mine was Overloaded killing a child said character was carrying (Yes I still remember it and it Haunts me every time it's brought up) and this was in my early years of SL2. I don't really want to be known for these types of things and would much prefer it to be for nothing at all. I'm not the type of guy to enjoy being known for the things I do in-game or out of the game but Hey man If I had to say anything if nothing wasn't a choice? I'd have to say the things my characters do that helps others develop really.