#rpca

1. i would say the first step in this is to do your research. the good thing about an established rp is that there’s lots of pages and character blogs and such that you can check out to see if this game is a good place for your muse. you can check out the character blogs to see how active the group is, check the starter tags to see if people get replies, and check the intro tag to see if new characters are getting likes. you can also go through and see how the admin has responded to certain questions and issues and if the group seems to have a lot of drama, just stay away. i know not every group with recent drama on the main is going to die, but generally i let them get their shit sorted and don’t introduce myself to the rp right then. if the group is smaller, i might even take the time to check out a few of their characters intros and notice what types of characters they might be missing if i don’t already have a muse in mind. or if there’s a muse with a really similar plot to my character, that’s always good to know too. idk this might be excessive, but honestly if that stuff is available to me, i’m going to creep. i can’t help it. 

2. have ideas in mind and go for what you want! if the group is established, it’s likely that a lot of members have #1 on their plot wishlist filled – but YOU don’t. so don’t be afraid to ask for it, to point out what you really want to do on your intro. if you don’t get those key connections filled right away (i.e. “the best friend”), don’t worry about it. new members will float into the group that need those types of connections too, so stick it out and don’t be nervous to point out plots you want because often times, members will be very receptive. if they love their group, they’ll want you to stick around and develop their muse too, and usually when i see a new member, i try to do everything i can to fit my character into the essential bits of their story that they need.

3. don’t be afraid to reach out! one of the biggest things i see in rp is someone new joins, they post their intro, and then they never log on again or message me back after i say hi. i know it can be intimidating to rush headfirst into a group of people already rping, but SLIDE INTO THOSE DMS. anyone who likes/reacts to your post, message them! this is basic rp 101 at this point, and it’s definitely newer in the past few years, so if you’re returning to rp after a break, you might not know this. but you’re totally good to message anyone who likes your intro. also, if someone posts a starter but you don’t know how to respond, feel free to message them like, “hi, i want to reply to your starter, but i was wondering if we could plot something first?”...also, sometimes in an established rp, the dash can move really fast. don’t be afraid to reblog your intro or your starter or message the main to post the link, especially if you’re not showing up in the tags. admins are there to help.

4. don’t give up too fast. if you feel unsure, give it a couple of days. try a few threads. having established plots and intricate connections take time to build on, so you have to give it that same time and effort back. you might feel discouraged seeing other members with intricate plots several threads deep, but if you stick it out, you will get there too. sometimes it really doesn’t work out, yeah, but that can happen in a new group too. so, give it a chance for a while and give yourself some time to get comfy. established plots take time.

5. don’t expect to ship right away! just like established plots, these things take time, especially in groups where there are a lot of plots going on. sometimes people have chemistry right off the bat and that’s dope, but all of my best ships have happened a month+ into the group. once i was in a group for six months, rping and doing threads with this person, before we realized...yo, they might be...something...and it was a slow burn friends to lovers but it was the cutest shit i’ve ever done. if you really just want to do ships, i would say focus on 1x1s, because group rps are about multiple plots and you might not get all your wanted connections at once.

HOWEVER, it is a huge pet peeve of mine when people enter a group and i see other members fail to greet them, or you join a group chat and no one stops talking to welcome you. that shit is so disheartening and it’s common sense. if you like your group and want it to last, you have to be super inviting to new members and new characters. otherwise, you’ve just got a slow death on your hands. 

fucking! 

welcome someone when they enter your group chat. 

like intros and realize that people might be shy, so don’t be afraid to message them first

try to wrap them up in your storylines and fill their connections as best you can

feel free to message them things like “i’m going out, but welcome to the group! i’ll message you about plotting tm!” 

i feel super passionate about established rps and i think a huge issue in the rpc is the hype around new rps...hype that dies very quickly because people are intimidated by an established group. don’t be afraid of that shit, embrace it. if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work, but the odds of getting to develop your muse in a lasting rp are better that way.