This is something that has been bothering me for a while now, and I wanted to get some opinions on the matter.

I know that PbP games are immeasurably slower than face to face play, and that this frustrates most gamers. I get that people want the fastest posting rate possible so as the keep the game going and resolve actions more quickly. I know this and understand this.

But play by post is not face to face. In a face to face game, players usually gather for a few hours at a time (sometimes several, but more likely a few). The time investment is just that. But when I see an RTJ asking players to check the game multiple times a day and requiring more than one daily post, I just walk. See, If the game has 4 other players, all posting twice per day with any amount of length, I would need to read and internalize 10 posts of maybe 2 or more paragraphs each on top of choosing and writing about my own actions. This is literally hours of daily investment, far exceeding the time investment of a face to face game or any other activity that I take part in outside of work.

I know that everyone wants a fun and active game, but I find these requirements to be completely unrealistic. Are others seeing this as well? Am I the only one that doesn't want roleplaying to literally become a job? I'd like to know what a realistic posting/reading rate is, and how this section of the hobby can be nurtured. Roleplaying is full of all of these ridiculous, self-defeating requirements that can only ever exist in a perfect storm. Does PbP really need to add to that by piling on even more unrealistic expectations?

There are a lot of games here that I'd like to take part in, but I'm just not interested in spending every moment of every day checking, reading, and posting. I have a job. I have other hobbies and other games I play in. I have other commitments. And I one day hope to have a family. I don't want to have to leave this section of the hobby because I can't meet some fantasy ideal that keeps popping up because I have other things that need to be done.

So how about it? What do you think is a realistic posting rate? Do you think multiple daily posts is unachievable and unsustainable? Or are they a necessity with this form and the norm?

I've stopped using post rate requirements because you can't make everyone happy. Instead I post that I require applicants to avoid complaining about post rates. Sometimes I get responses multiple times per day, sometimes I get maybe twice a month. I'm less content with twice a month, but people don't complain about post rates anymore.