Jul 23, 2021, 3:00 PM

@lotherio

I'm not saying that I don't like social RP. I'm saying that many games make social RP difficult by creating themes in which no meaningful interaction can happen because the day-to-day life of your character is just a meaningless mask they wear to relax when not out being a more awesome person.

Take super-heroes for example. Clark Kent only ever talks to people he works with because he has ZERO in common with other people. He has family and 2 groups of work-friends. The JL and the Daily Planet. If he meets some random stranger in the coffee shop there is zero reason to engage with them because they will have no understanding of the two major aspects of his life, one of which is a secret.

Batman is the same. He's got Bat-friends/family and he's got a lose group of practical strangers that like to be seen with the elusive Bruce Wayne in public.
Non-Elite strangers need not apply.

World of Darkness is even worse because you are literally trained ICly to see everyone as a potential enemy who isn't in your click.

Battlestar and Star Trek give you more opportunities for social RP because you forced to be work-friends, like it or not. There are no strangers in those games. There are only people from your job you haven't met yet.

All these setting create systemic isolation. That's what I'm saying. Game designers and people who run games need to be aware of this if they want to address it.