I'm curious why you think this method of social play has to exclude solo play, and can't exist alongside? Or am I reading this correctly as being mournful that people are turning to solo play? The thread is about solo play. It is starting, though, to seem like there's quite a bit of projection and look-how-social-things-can-be clouding out the fact that it's a perfectly great hobby to do this solo.

Social play is nice but solo RP is also nice...solo is also the underdog, as are many solo hobbies. So projecting the "that's too bad" onto it is not really looking very triumphant or self-secure or whatever it's supposed to be.

Could we even set aside space for considering the coolest things about solo that people aren't talking about, maybe out of embarrassment?

- One's imagined fantasy-self can help day-to-day self feel relief from the grind

- In solo RP there's no need to converge on a single best-self model in the same way social frameworks push people to do (sometimes dangerously so)

- Imaginary friends are cool, even awesome

- Playing with yourself is as fun as you make it

Any other embarrassing stuff to get out here?

I was trained by some awesome psychologists and made a career out of coaching extroverts and introverts--there's really no reason not to put this silly social-private dichotomy behind us.

(Some of the highest-CHA socialites you know are also dying to be more introverted...)