This isn't a robust era, because I didn't even really know what RP was, but...
Characters I played during this era:
Uh...I can explain. Kinda.
Other than that; I goofed off on Neopets but didn't really roleplay, and played Unichat which was amazing but long-lost. I didn't
Somewhere around 2004, my online friend group (who I met on )
It got A LOT better once a particular friend and I started RPing alone (basically kicking out the horndog guys in the group, in retrospect) - really just a few months in, if that. We still had our drama now and then because we were both just in way too deep, but we developed our writing and character work for years. It was honestly a great and educational experience, albeit very indulgent. I still remember all of our characters, both hers and mine have a special place in my heart! At this point I did sometimes branch out into Zelda, or Zelda inspired roleplay on various forums, again using a lot of blatant ripoffs (though surprisingly, not of Zelda characters, mostly other similar enough franchises like Breath of Fire). I did create a few cool actual original characters, however, and the Zelda brainrot really helped form my worldbuilding sensibilities.
Some characters I remember in particular:
She and I roleplayed for like 10 years (we still talk, don't worry!) - but in the later 2000s I became kind of interested in giving canon characters a try. She wasn't too interested, so we still maintained our own RP, but sometimes I went on forums and burgeoning social media until...
...I almost immediately got bored, haha. Okay, well - it wasn't the fault of the subject material. It was the fact that this new era and these new platforms of roleplay put everyone's RP, history, and most notably, drama on display in real time. And I could NOT resist trolling, just like in my Jimmy Neutron era. This era consisted of me making a lot of fake character profiles and fucking with people. I met a little group of likeminded trolls and we were just relentless. It probably sounds worse than it is, though we did sometimes go way too far with our pestering, but mostly it was joining roleplays of people we found obnoxious and godmodding them; saying they peed themselves or a satellite fell on them or whatever. I did dip my toes back into original RP, but by then my friend had graduated and enlisted so couldn't RP - but I did join a very fun and creative but sadly short lived community also based around vampire shenanigans. It was less Buffy and more Being Human, and while it was great thanks to a combination of likeminded players (they were WoD and Supernatural fans which is why it worked) slice of life just couldn't hold my attention that long. I did also enjoy a Castlevania style RP, but that community died after a few awesome months.
I don't really have characters to post here! The troll profiles I made were mostly weird bastardizations of canon characters. But my favorite to play was probably C.C. from Code Geass, she's my girl. I think there was also Kirakishou from Rozen Maiden, Stocking from PSG, and Twilight Sparkle; all to mess with people. Imagine a purple unicorn repeatedly interrupting the hijinx of Jesse from Breaking Bad, and that's basically this era. That, and I graduated and moved.
I do have some stories from this era, but some of them are pretty rough and very cringe, so be warned:
LARP era
Newly a real adult and in a new city, I wanted to finally participate in things I'd always dreamed of as a teenager...like LARPing!
What seemed like the perfect alignment of my interests presented itself: a World of Darkness LARP at a local goth club. Don't worry, this doesn't get truly dark - though I did catch the attention of some real stalkers because of this place, it had nothing to do with the game. The game was just...bad, haha. The manager of the club was trying to run it while managing the club and though he had a competent co-GM, he could only do so much. The manager was always contradicting him, making stuff up, forgetting things that just happened, and just kind of only letting things resolve randomly/when he felt like it instead of because of any player's actions. He would bring on more and more admins (or 'Storytellers' as they're called in WoD) but it only muddled things more. Also, the music was way too loud all the time to hold a conversation so most of the time we had to step outisde onto the sidewalk. It was really just to vibe and while that was fun in theory and it was VERY fun to dress up and I did make friends, there was no real story let alone campaign. On top of that, there were similar pitfalls as online RP but way worse: like people only caring about or wanting to discuss their own character or admins favoring each other and their spouses/friends. Even as someone who 'broke through', it just wasn't a very good experience.
Worse, the experience that followed after when I somehow fell into running a LARP of my own. I think I just really wanted it to work, I'd been made to feel weird for having online hobbies and friends all my life by my family. This way I could roleplay and not do that! Thankfully, I eventually got over that mental obstacle.
I did, however, still participate in some online roleplaying though: Pryce High. It was an awesome but very product-of-its-era death game style RP game on BYOND. Every round you played a ground of students trapped somewhere (usually a school but there were tons of maps) with a killer. I would happily lose sleep over this game! You were supposed to roleplay and in addition to different maps, there were different modes. Most of them were based off of contemperary anime and my favorite was 'Shiki'. My favorite roleplays came out of that one, but Doppelgänger was incredible too. Unfortunately, the game eventually dissolved due to drama and mismanagement.
A memorable RP from there for me was when my character, a shiki, befriended a hunter - unknowingly on both sides. They were doing everything they could do to protect each other without the other finding out, but ultimately my character died tragically and he went crazy and killed everyone else (lol). In another, my character was the Doppelgänger and when it was only me and one person left, turns out he was delusional and menaly ill and had 'predicted' the arrival of some eldritch god all his life and became convinced it was me and joyfully let me kill him. Oh, also I had a toxic yuri arc over many rounds with someone who kept getting Golden Witch in Umineko and made me her 'familiar'; but that OOC friendship was funny and stupid as he tried to pretend to be a girl though I always somehow knew he wasn't; but I eventually told him it didn't matter when he confessed. Thankfully, if he was into me, he never admitted it.
I did, however, make 'real life' friends who like roleplaying (well, sort of - tabletop) and that's almost all I do now. Don't get me wrong, I love it but it's absolutely a different experience. My friends sometimes gently tease me for my online hobbies but between roleplaying and fanfiction, that's where I got to be really creative in some indulgent and/or involved ways that tabletop just isn't about. I love character study and analysis, esecially of dark or villainous characters and ones like that would make a terrible party member! Conversely, tabletop will keep your improv sharp and can be engaging in totally different ways.
My current compromise is...writing a million scraps of fanfiction/AUs/crossovers that never get posted anywhere, 'popcorn' RP as one of my online buddies call it via Misuterii High (Pyrce High's spiritual successor), and tabletop with my in-person friends. GMing can be a little more of a creative flex, so that can be my main or only focus sometimes when it's my turn to run. My favorite system is Double Cross (DX), followed by Tenra Bansho Zero. I need high octane fixes sometimes. I really miss roleplaying the way I used to, but between the way my friends keep me busy with tabletop games (I'm in three which is too many for me; after this, two is going to be the MAX), and having to work full time, I don't think it's feasible anyway. Besides, Misuterii and real life roleplay are my favorite platforms overall so it's not a real loss.
Very, VERY rarely, I'll join someone's discord RP. Normally someone I know from Misu. But my characters tend to be ones that are best
My favorite characters from this era who aren't already in OCs (all 'hybrids') include:
