What attracts you to a forum?

the most important thing for me is community. i'm not someone who has every really gotten into playing on a site with a plot that everyone writes under (maybe i should try it sometime). i prefer sites that let me find a partner and create our own plot together while letting me engage with the community OOC. i want the community to be welcoming, and lgbtqia affirmation and inclusivity is very important for me. i've been on sites in the past that were very clique-y and judgmental of newcomers, so it's also important that the site doesn't have that kind of atmosphere. i also look to see how active the site is. i don't need a site with hundreds of active users, but i need to know i won't be posting into the void.

i also look to see if i fit the general vibe of what kind of rp is common on the site. i joined and abandoned a site pretty recently because the style of rp that i found to be commonplace just wasn't at all my thing. the people were very friendly, so i felt bad about it, but i just knew my style wasn't going to fit in there. the look of the site isn't too important as long as it is easy on the eyes and not full of overwhelming awards and tags and badges and ratings and upvotes and whatever else all over everyone's posts and profiles. and as long as the layout makes sense and it is not difficult to navigate. i've been off forums for a long time, and going back to them now, some of them still look very reminiscent of the early 2000s. i'm not really used to that anymore, so i tend to like a site that looks a bit cleaner and more minimalistic. dark mode is a must, although i have an extension that makes pretty much any site dark mode for me, so that's not as important now

 

The first thing that catches my eye is obviously the layout/color scheme, but activity is something else that I look for.

 

Really good lore and a nice aesthetic layout. The community has to also be there though, and I like to stalk through old posts in announcements and such to really try to figure out the overall vibe.

 

I prefer Original world forums that are fantasy-based. Leveling systems and quests are also things I look for. In terms of asethics, a forum site that doesn't have a ton of flashing lights or eye strain is a must.

 

Overall, the first thing that I'm looking for is a welcoming community. For me, forums aren't just about what happens in IC but also what happens OOC. I want to be in a place that I feel wanted and welcome. Where you drop into the cbox (or discord these days) and you're instantly welcome by at least one person. Where everyone seems friendly and is willing to reach out and speak with you and plot. That's the sort of thing I'm looking for when I join some place.

I can truly work with everything else.

 

Appealing graphics, clean layout, compelling lore, active playerbase

 

Premise: I generally look for supernatural themed, sci-fi, or post-apoc themed. Skin: If it's too bright/dark or the font is too small I won't join. This has made me very sad sometimes, because the premise seemed fun/awesome. Community: Fun friendly folks who don't clique up and shut new people out.

 

Probably people want a forum that looks sleek and up-to-date. Also a lot of activity, where people can easily find people to chat with about their interests. This could include features like polls, quizzes, or even online games within the forum.

 

Definitely activity and the skin (the latter, I have learned, is tricky haha!)

 

A clean and interesting looking site. Generally an active discord and an active chat. It can be hard to tell how many people are really active but chats are a promising sign.

 

A dark skin that is easy to navigate. A fair amount of wanted ads. A good amount of members but not too many.

 

a clean forum list. this makes all the difference in the world. i love a beautiful theme, tags, prefixes, etc. but the MOST important aspect of a writing site is it's navigability and readability. there's such a thing as too much of a good thing and all of the above can make a forum list feel very crowded and cluttered.

 

I'm simple. I know what I want to play before I look. From there as long as I can read it and do the app reasonably I am likely to join.

 

I look for a level of activity that works with my schedule. If a forum will let me get to my writing when I'm able between the life of work/family. Then it's a 100mph go for me. But when it becomes a little more demanding then it's a hard pass.