How Do You Get Your RP Guildies To Engage In RP and the Guild?

thegreatme · December 2018

As a guild master myself, I'm curious to know how other GM's make their RP guilds successful and active. I've had my own RP guild for several months now and been working diligently at trying to set good foundations for the guild. Have a guild hall with crafting stations and a few other solid RP locations (I've easily spent at least 2.5mil in gold on just this), recruit new people, maintain a steady population of users, and pull people into RP whenever possible.

The one problem I often run into the most is actually getting RP events into swing, mainly because I can usually, hardly get others to even give me a simple greeting or response through guild chat or whisper. Sometimes I try simply asking if people are busy, sometimes I ask if others would like to participate in an RP event, sometimes all I say is "good evening", and get total radio silence.

At one point I even sent out mails to every guild member, asking them to mail back what their availability looked like and what would best work for them for planning events that would best fall where as many people as possible could participate: not one person sent me a single mail about it. Very frustrating.

It doesn't seem as if the events themselves are anything terrible. Everyone I've managed to pull into events says they enjoyed them.

I realize a number of responses are probably going to be to the effect of "bribe your members with rewards" like gold and items, and while that is in the plans for my guild once I can actually get it running (and not be expending all my resources on building up the guild's foundations), a lot of the time I can't even get people to participate long enough to do their first interview/initiation.

Sengra · December 2018

I'm not sure I really understand the situation - are you sure these people are RPers or are you still trying to get them to start RP? Because when I'm roleplaying in the evening I usually write 'hello' in guild chat and then switch to a Say/Emote/Yell/Group only tab. But our guild isn't that big and people usually know why I'm busy. And I will sometimes look at guild chat when it's a little slower in RP.

I'm not a GM, but events are usually organized in our forums where everybody can always read.

One piece of advice I got when I started RPing is: If you want to organize something, don't ask people what they want and who would like to participate (and then sit around waiting for feedback). Just say what you want to do when (regular RP nights, events) and if anybody disagrees or can't come that particular day people can say so. A lot of people are not interested in organizing things but they will nevertheless come if something is happening. IF they are interested in RP.

I would still recommend finding at least ONE person who is just as much into it as you are - it would be much less frustrating for you that way. A "good foundation for a guild" isn't one person being the fun provider for everybody else - it's a group of people with the same goals who get along and have fun together.

paul_j · December 2018

Rp is a lifestyle.

You can’t just turn it on or turn it off.

🤔

Saturnana · December 2018

It sounds as though you've got a whole group of people that joined a RP guild without the actual intent of regularly RPing (or even being comfortable doing so). Either that, or they're all - or mostly - new to the entire thing, and joined in hopes of being able to tag along with experienced RPers and be shown the ropes - they just never let you know, and are still keeping silent.

The first.. I wouldn't know how to deal with honestly. xD I mean, if people don't want to then they don't want to. Maybe they were just looking for a place to sell their wares, and if that doesn't bother you then you could let them hang out? If it does, though, maybe just clear the ranks and start over?

The second category could be a world of fun if you get them to crawl out of their shell. Maybe send a final guild mail and call them out, see how it goes? Just a hey, peeps, so here's the deal. If you're AT ALL interested in being taught/learning with each other, let me know and I'll put some things together(or w/e). Sometimes people just need to be told it's okay for them to be totally new at something, and that there's a whole group of people around them in the same boat. Maybe they really do want to see more experienced RPers go at it, and you could invite some of those for a casual session some time?

Greystag · December 2018

I suggested using the "Do not Disturb" status as a "Looking for RP" or "RPing" status instead (DnD heh), so people wouldn't be asking "Yo who want's to roleplay" 24/7, but it didn't catch on because some people already used the DnD status when they were AFK and overall not everyone liked it. It also isn't guild-specific so friends and other guilds would see you as AFK too. It could be pulled off but you need all of your guild to agree to using this system. Just throwing my idea out there to see if someone actually finds it useful, even if it really isn't the best idea. Notes could also be used but not everyone will enjoy going through everyone's notes every time they want to RP.

It'd be cool to have RP instances that only people IC could use, but the world would feel dead in my opinion (at least on EUPC, because people don't tend to RP on the streets for long periods of time).