The following conversation is between myself and Supernova, founder of SWR, on the topic of whether or not roleplaying is good or bad. The quote from the beginning about comparison of artists was originally something Gash had told me, and that I had paraphrased too much out of forgetfulness to bother giving credit whoever originally said it (whom I also forgot because of forgetfulness).

Z a r k E k a n: Roleplaying is pretty much a dead end hobby, writing-wise.
Heated Supernova: Yeah.
Heated Supernova: One could be using writing talents to write novels to bring in money.
Heated Supernova: Or waste life away on a message board.... yeah let's go with the latter for osme reason, lol
Heated Supernova: some*
Z a r k E k a n: Most artists take joy in constructing their masterpieces. Painters enjoy painting more than having painted, sculptures enjoy sculpting more than having sculpted, but writers are different.
Z a r k E k a n: Writers enjoy looking upon a finished project and saying 'There. Its done. I've done something. Its finished.' Something that is impossible with roleplaying because the story is neverending.
Z a r k E k a n: There is never a sense of accomplishment because, in the end, nothing is really accomplished.
Z a r k E k a n: At least, thats my take on it.
Heated Supernova: Yeah, that's an interesting way of looking at it. In roleplaying, there is no climax, and no conclusion.
Heated Supernova: It's just a never ending series of events
Z a r k E k a n: I mean, imagine how Tolkien must have felt when he finished writing Lord of the Rings.
Z a r k E k a n: Pretty damn good, wouldn't you say?
Z a r k E k a n: But there'll never be any epic completion of TRF. No conclusion to TGC, SWFans, SWURP, SWRPG. They will all go on forever until they die out, and in that case the story will NEVER be finished.
Heated Supernova: Yeah, you're absolutely right.
Heated Supernova: I guess roleplaying is down more as just to write, instead of liking the final product, because it's enjoyable to fantasize about being in the star wars universe
Z a r k E k a n: I suppose one could look at it that way, but I do think it would ultimately be better to write with the intent of finishing something than to continue on in a neverending story, because eventually it will become boring and everything contributed will look useless.
Z a r k E k a n: Its like a song. If you like it a lot, and you hear it enough times, the song becomes annoying, and eventually you learn to hate the song. You've forgotten what it was once like to enjoy it.
Heated Supernova: Interesting view on it

Well, does anyone have thoughts? Speculations? Anything to add? Insults? Flames? Drunken ramblings? Etc.?

I don't consider TRF a 'roleplay', but as more of a publishing platform for stories that happen to be themed in the Star Wars universe, and tend to be connected.

Well, even when an author finishes a book, that doesn't really mean its the end of the story. Take the Star Wars books for example. Each author might be relieved they've finished their current book, but that isn't the end of the story (especially in the case of the NJO series, it as what, 20 books, all for one series). Even then, NJO isn't the end of the Star Wars story, it is just one part of a story that will never end until no one likes it any more.

Roleplaying is much the same way. When yoo complete a roleplay, that is kind of like finishing a book, so you feel some happiness for that accomplishement, but yes the story is not done. Your next roleplay will continue that story. Same as where the Star Wars story will never end until no one reads it anymore, your story will never end until you stop writing it.

I also disagree that there is never a completion to one roleplayer's story. The completion would be when you character dies, and you choose not to complete the rest of the story. Yes you may wonder what happened to the NPCs, but you wonder that for every book, unless they end with the world being destroyed by the sun blowing up, and nothing is left.

TRF and other roleplay boards probably won't die until everyone (or the majority) gives up, but even then, if one person doesn't give up, they could write the conclusion to the board, where some natural catatrophe happens, and the whole galaxy is destroyed.

And this probably makes no sense to anyone but me, but oh well, I'm tired, I woke up way too early today, and haven't had much sleep since thursday.

I am not about to try and convince people who enjoy roleplaying or who enjoy creating and writing stories (set to a particular theme) that they are wasting their time or that they will gain no satisfaction from such efforts.



If you do not like writing, if you do not take enjoyment from writing in this type of forum or in roleplaying, then don't do it. Turn off your computer and go play outside. Go take your girlfriend to the movies. Go play Starcraft or whatever the heck it is you LIKE to do.




There is an accomplishment to "finishing" something. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I finish a story and I don't expect that story to be the end of TRF.


For however many there are that want a story or "universe" (for that matter) to end, there are more that want it to continue. Why are we here? Because 6 movies in the Star Wars Universe is not enough. We wanted Star Wars to continue and so we got the novels. We wanted to go beyond the novels and now we have fanfiction and roleplaying.

There are books where you engage your interest in the unfolding of a story. But, with whatever way that book ends, there is always the question:

What happens next?


End a life, end a planet, end a universe, end time... there is still the question:


What happens next?


My advice, if you do not enjoy roleplaying, what the heck are you doing here? Go do something you enjoy and gain from the action.


But to say that you think roleplaying is a "dead end hobby" absolutely does nothing to detract the enjoyment I get from roleplaying. In the end, I simply pity the person who, while they feel that way, continue posting on a roleplaying board.

I don't consider writing in a roleplaying enviroment to be a dead end occupation, as far as looking at it from a author's perspective. I mean, where else can you practice your craft with no hassles? Certainly not in any writing class I've ever taken, where I've found it to be almost impossible to deal when you like to write in a genre the teacher doesn't personally like, and definitely not when you've got a deadline breathing down your neck.

There isn't any problem on a message board that should be bothersome enough that it interferes with your using the place to practice at.

Or at least, that's how I look at it...

I love roleplaying, and I think it's really helped me learn how to construct a good story. I knew the parts you needed - but in RP I've seen them go together *so* many times it's like plotting stories has become second nature to me.

Of course, RP does take up all my creative writing time, and if I'm going to get that first novel written I'm going to have to make some sacrifices.

So, I'm quitting my day job. ;) Ha! I wish. :)

As far as this being a "dead end hobby" what hobby *isn't* a dead end? Model airplane making? What sort of open door is *that* creating?

I'm with Lil on this one. Writing has drastically improved my story creating, but lately I've been devoting less time to RPing and more time to getting my novels written and out there on the bookshelves.

The quote from the beginning about comparison of artists was originally something Gash had told me, and that I had paraphrased too much out of forgetfulness to bother giving credit whoever originally said it (whom I also forgot because of forgetfulness).

Thank you for the credit. Just letting everyone know that the intellectual portion of this thread came from me.

The quote, by the way, was none other than Vonnegut.

And I absolutely feel that it is true and it renders TRF little more than a series of dead ends. For me it is a testing ground only. A diversion when I'm not on drugs and something to try out ideas I want to use later on.

I'm mostly just here to hit on Vega.