This post is inspired by " What Roleplay is, wisdom from Kingdom Alfheimr" yet is specific to the general divide of these 2 types of play…
Written RP – as in Text Based WRITTEN Roleplay – typing words to describe happenings within and around your character/avatar; descriptions which elaborate and further define the visual aids… can be considered co-creative immersive storytelling…
Gaming RP-- as in Video-Game like Roleplay – maybe typing words to describe happenings, most likely more typing words for dialogue and some emotive cues; e.g. “smiles softly”, “laughs”, “grins”, etc… can be considered socializing/playing through the avatar…
To the points made by Kindgom Alfheimr, you can incorperate the many aspects of Role Play (playing a specific role in a specific setting to achieve specific things or explore them) in Written RP and Gaming RP… they’re both Roleplay, and yet, they’re not really executed the same way, even if they’re using the same system-- like SLC’s – the biggest difference being time.
Gaming style RP is much faster in its pace, in part because less words are being typed in exchange along the way, if any at all. The bulk of the reality for the character/avatar you play, is what you’re making of it in your own mind as you go, using the settings and other avatars/characters and their output as catalyst for your imagination having fun; gaming.
Written style RP is much slower in its pace, mostly because more words are being used to paint a more defined picture for the other readers/players. The bulk of the reality for the character/avatar you play, is what other players write of it and you accept/include in your own return writings as you go.
Combative RP with the SLC system is a Gaming RP example, where your character/avatar is in motion… you-- the player-- are too busy moving your avatar and making them swing/shoot your target to actually write out some storytelling about what is happening as you make your character/avatar fight.
Even so, before and after a fight ((some call pew-pew)) is prime time for Written RP, for those who may be so inclined to indulge in those offered details.
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Crafting stations which lock-in your avatar/character (butcher station, basket weaving, coin minting, etc) are ideal for Written RP, especially once you get the flow of how to use them and enjoy the time frames they create… They’re ideal opportunities for the evolving writer to consider how to describe the experience of what their character/avatar is doing… the feelings, smells, passing thoughts, observations etc… yet are also easily prime for Gaming RP, where let your imagination fill in the blanks as you need, and otherwise accept it as this thing your character/avatar does in their daily life-- like a meditative/mindless/thoughtless task!
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IT IS 100% POSSIBLE (and likely) TO HAVE BOTH! On Sim & As a Player playing…
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A sim/playground that openly supports both, may have “para/semi-para” and/or “Paragraph Roleplay” in their description along with the likes of, “craftables”, “huntables”, “monsters”, etc.
*— they may also have, in world on the sim, triggered “RP prompts” which offer written descriptions and information in Nearby/Local Chat as offered storytelling to react off of!
*— some of these triggered prompts may also be indicators of when RP should be done before moving forward, where Gaming RP, like Sword-swinging Combat wont really allow for Written RP without severe risk to your character/avatar’s stats… -
A Player that openly supports both, may have “para/semi-para” and/or “Paragraph Roleplay” in their profile along with words or “picks” about “gaming”, “craftables”, “huntables”, “hunting”, “collecting” etc.
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More may be added/edited later… or included below by others! xD