I’ve been relying on Async RP a lot in the last year. And I’m glad for all the people who’ve put up with the stop-and-go pace of my life. Their RP has been super valuable to me. And the odd public or group scene that I’ve actually been able to make have been like pit stops on the way.
But there are definitely limits to the format. One of which, is group scenes. Gathering disparate people on competing schedules and differing time zones into the same virtual room at the same time can be like catching lightning in a bottle. But passing a pose baton between those same few people whenever works is more like powering a house party with infrequent bolts of static electricity.
So, it’s totally not a replacement for traditional pacing. But it is a huge relief when it’s all that I have time for. I do keep other peoples’ tastes in mind though and don’t tend to reach out, answer requests, or cold call for RP as much as I otherwise would. Because, while asking for RP can be awkward in general, asking with the caveat of ‘hey - I just met you, would you like to RP in a private scene with me over the course of several days?’ feels a little extra.