UltraLongTerm Roleplay

Long Term vs. Short Term vs Ultra-Long Term

Long term and short term are two phrases you’ll hear tossed around a lot when looking for partners. Generally people will specify “looking for a long-term 1x1” in their search. I’m not entirely sure why, as in my experiences as a roleplayer, long term is the rule, not the exception. But before we get into that, the two need explaining.

Short-Term

Short-term roleplays are not necessarily short. Rather, they are planned. A short-term roleplay is more structured than most roleplays, with a defined start and end point. Short-term roleplays can go on for a quite a long time, but once the plot is finished, it’s done. The partners close the plot, put the characters aside and move on to other things. If you’re trying to co-write a story, making an outline and working a short-term roleplay with the guidelines is a very good way to work on it. It is a good way to get a story written, but does not have a lot of freedom- the plot must stay within the guidelines set out at the start and be guided to the end point.

Long-Term

Long-term roleplays, similarly, are not necessarily long. Long-term roleplays are not planned like short-term roleplays. While many long-term roleplays start out with plots in mind, there is never a defined end point. The roleplay lasts as long as the roleplayers keep forming new ideas and situations for the characters to be in. Long-term roleplays can last for years on end.

Long-term roleplays are more flexible- much more flexible. Ask anyone who has a roleplay over a year old and they will tell you that long-term roleplays get really weird. Players in long-term roleplays come to learn each others tolerances, limits, and expectations, and can determine roughly how many shenanigans their roleplay can handle. The answer tends to be surprisingly high.

Ultra-Long-Term

Ultra-long term roleplays,are similar to long term roleplays, except you were likely not there for the beginning, and will unlikely be there for the end. It is usually started by a group of long term roleplayers. They will welcome your new character, but it may be difficult for you to acclimate. They have a very long backstory, well developed and defined characters, and know each others strengths and weaknesses. Joining an ultra-long-term roleplay can sometimes be likened to dropping fresh meat in a tank of piranhas

That being said, and ultra-loong -term roleplay is probably the most fun you will ever have roleplaying, if you can handle it.