What is ERP?

[DreadCrow]

It's the quickest way to get Chris Hansen knocking on your door, that's what it is.

I will say if nothing else, ERP'ers are brave. You have zero clue whos behind that other character and it just seems like rolling the dice every time. Which also kind of makes this whole erp movement on the forums atm a little weird. Of course I'd never be so disingenuous as to say others are actively advocating for this specifically, but basically a bunch of people on here are indirectly fighting for the right for 15 year olds to be catgirl escorts to promote themselves on PF... and it's kind of creepy when you think about it.

edit- I'm sure this will make some dedicated RP'ers upset. Again, nothing against you and I'd hope and assuming you don't want kids mixed in this. Obviously. But the issue is you have almost zero way of preventing or knowing kids are getting mixed in this... and that's kind of an issue with the whole subject in general. It's no wonder the GM's are trying to find indirect ways to get rid of this stuff.

Most of the people I know that ERP would absolutely not play with a minor. If they found out they did, they would tell them when what they did was unacceptable and block them. I don't ERP but wouldn't anything long-term with a minor since I don't necessarily think the themes I like (war, crime, trauma, horror) are things I really thing kids should be deeply immersing themselves into. And you are right, you absolutely can't tell if kids are going to get involved in it... Sometimes, kids absolutely lie about their age. But should role-players get punished? I don't think so...

It's the same reason why most of the time, bars won't actually get in trouble if they sell to someone with a fake ID. You shouldn't punish people for lying kids. You absolutely can and should punish someone who is deliberately preying on minors though. But let's not pretend that even the average ERPer does that.

I think it'd be better to not have adult, or rather explicit, content on any of the in-game channels. As I said previously, I think SE is too lenient. ERP will exist regardless, but none of us should have to see it. Definitely not on the party finder of a game. Out of sight out of mind.

To be fair, until recently, most of the ERP venues weren't advertised on the Party Finder. And from what I've heard for some people, second hand (so I can't really state if its true), is that the biggest "promoter" you'll see on Party Finder (at least on Primal) wasn't even originally involved with the community; they basically read the Kotaku article and shifted the focus of their FC to providing ERP, for the lulz and gil... Even alienating old members. I.E.: They are absolutely grifters, on all accounts.