Watervoir
Hey crew, how do you liven up a long term RP that has gone stale? O_O; Whoa, this was posted a while ago.
Okay, let's see if I can help.
RPG's go stale for a number of reasons, so there could be a number of solutions to reviving things.
*Communication: Communication is key to all RPGs. Find out what's causing it to go stale, ask fellow players what happened to excitement. Once you know what the problems are, then you could work out a solution.
*Story-line running into a dead end? I recommend plot sessions; players dish out anything and everything off the top of their heads. Then they select the best ideas and try to flesh out something from there. Also ask the players if there's anything they'd like to happen within the RPG (subplots, plot-points, etc). Usually getting player interaction outside of the IC thread is a good way of getting people excited.
Story-line still hitting that wall? Get together and figure out a plausible plot-twist and take the story in a different direction.
*Players just not posting, whether it be real life or they're just plain bored with the RPG? If you've exhausted your plot sessions and your players just don't seem into it, ask them if they
honestly would like to continue. If they do, ask what may be causing things to slow down on their end and try to work with them individually. Like a stale RPG, there could be a number of reasons behind their lack of motivation: it could be writer's block, characters just not developing, real life, etc. If they're not interested in continuing, ask if they're willing to hand off their character to another player.
*Create an input thread: Creating an input thread allows players to come in with helpful suggestions and ideas to boost the moral of the RPG and keep the energy levels high. After all, the RPGs are only exciting for as long as their players remain excited.
*Create an OOC thread: I keep my OOC threads separate from my Plot threads. In the OOC thread, my characters and I all gather with my fellow players and their characters; my OOC threads are strictly for silliness and relaxation.
(This one's actually for more advanced RPs and totally optional.) Create a Literary Analysis and Character Development thread: I love reading, I love writing. So it's easy to say that I use RPG as a means of perfecting the craft. For me personally, I get bummed out when a post doesn't read out well and I always wonder whether or not my post may be lacking that extra something. So I create a literary analysis thread and get critique from fellow players/writers, then I can go back to my post and rewrite it (without adding anything to change the scenes or outcome); I feel better after. Sometimes excitement stems from knowing that you've done well.
Hope this was of some help.
