RP Grammatical question :)

[Arthuro]

Hi people!

So, English is not my first language and I'm wondering why everyone uses the third person while "text role playing" (public chat or bedroom)... *comes behind her/you and pinches her/your buttocks*, *he unzips his fly and lets his pants drop*, *grabs handcuffs...* etc... you know what I'm talking about

Seeing this everywhere I quickly adapted and now use this form myself... but I still don't understand it and to me it feels strange (I would have used the first singular person myself...)

So, as a non native speaker and a curious person by nature, can anyone enlighten me and help me understand?

Does it have some sort of literary roots that i'm not aware of?
Is this some grammatical form that just seems obvious to you because you've been using it since you were kids?
Is it just something that appeared on the internet without anyone knowing the source of it?
Is this for a completely different reason that I'm not seeing at all right now?

Thanks in advance
Keep having fun!

[Tao]

Hmm That's a good question. Personnaly I think it's more a psychological matter. As the kind of RP we practice here is essentially about sex (wich is, by nature, private) it's a way to keep some distance with the game and to not involve ourselves emotionnaly.
It could be considered as a mistake due to the fact the, usually, a role player HAVE TO keep distance from the game whatever is the subject of the RP. But well, as you said we are a lot to do that! I think it's a sort of automatic shield from our inner self, maybe... Just a personnal opinion ^^"

[Benny87]

I have always used the first person. I thinks it makes me more involved with what's going on and it makes me hornier :-P

I have never had any complains.

[Maryannae]

(12-14-2015, 11:17 AM)Tao Wrote: Hmm That's a good question. Personnaly I think it's more a psychological matter. As the kind of RP we practice here is essentially about sex (wich is, by nature, private) it's a way to keep some distance with the game and to not involve ourselves emotionnaly.
It could be considered as a mistake due to the fact the, usually, a role player HAVE TO keep distance from the game whatever is the subject of the RP. But well, as you said we are a lot to do that! I think it's a sort of automatic shield from our inner self, maybe... Just a personnal opinion ^^"

I was thinking about it, and I realized that the more I get exited, the more often I tend to switch back to the 1st person.

Using the 3rd person is certanly a way to keep distance and protect yourself, but since we're in a sexual environment, and I play for the arausal and to accompany self-stimulation, it requires concentration to keep the distance, and sometimes you drop the sitance to harness the pleasure of the moment.

So: try to be more romantic/exiting, and you might see a change in your partner...

[Tao]

(12-14-2015, 04:11 PM)Maryannae Wrote: So: try to be more romantic/exiting, and you might see a change in your partner...

I already tried the 1st person in order to have a more natural interraction and honestly I didn't see a real evolution yet. But thanks for the tip, I'll try and let you know

[RP_RICK]

I actually tought about it, and despite still having bit of that crtuch, i decided to drop it and use first person mostly

But yeah, i think its to keep a certain distance

[Arthuro]

Hey again,
Great replies everyone, thanks! (keep them coming if you have more :)
I hadn't thought about the psychological detachment aspect... makes sense.
Now that I know it's not a grammatical rule nor an internet convention, I think I'll go back to using first person ;)

[Vrook]

To be honest, I think an important aspect in this all RP experience, and 1st or 3rd person use is the chemistry between the participants. If you really enjoy the company, you tend to get more involved, so it will be more likely to use the first person.

[Silvyraven]

There is a certain story telling aspect to RP which is why many people use 3rd person, because you are playing a character. The character is not yourself. You can also read it like a story that you are building with another person.

There is also the psychological aspect of helping create distance and separation as well. Many people RP in 3rd person because that is what they are used to from other games or forums they have played in.

1st person is far more intimate and some people may struggle with this if they have no experience. It is less of a story and fare more personal. You are no longer writing about a character, you are the character.

For most people it is a preference thing, for others it is just what they are used to. I adapt my style to fit whoever I am playing with.

[Sharp]

In public I always refer to the other person in third person, typically by name, to ensure there is no confusion as to who is involved. In private or 1-on-1 situations, I will switch it to first person, to be more intimate with my partner. However, if my partner uses entirely third person, I may try to do so also, to keep things tidy in the chat.