If you’re saying that my views are entirely shallow, then, in my mind that’s a pretty big assumption to make.
Oh no, my points were largely about the reasoning put forward and the general presentation of your guide.
However, I maintain that some of the points, specifically the ones about titles and information about your character’s appearance, aren’t very applicable to characters which have undergone sufficient development so as to require additional information exceeding what some people (and this guide) might find acceptable, and that the names of the fields of an RP addon’s editor shouldn’t be taken as the word of God, especially if you are able to maintain the concise format some people prefer.
I get this point, I don’t think you have to follow everything TRP says all the time. But the post is a guide, not a set of rules, the guide just advises against it. The post also is geared towards newer rpers, so I don’t think it needs to account for heavily developed characters.
I would also wonder why a characters appearance needs to get more complex the more the character develops. I think if your character has too many scars to describe in a few sentences then you could just say “covered in scars.”
The post also is geared towards newer rpers, so I don’t think it needs to account for heavily developed characters.
I don’t remember reading this, so I assume this must’ve been posted as an addendum somewhere in the thread, in which case fair dues.
Scars are just one example. There’s tattoos and bodypaint, crippled body parts, missing limbs, significant jewelry and trinkets, special weaponry, apparel that can’t be shown in-game such as glasses and hair bracers, etc.
Yes but to maintain a deeper level of immersion, I want to be surprised! If I go in, knowing what to expect, then I’m not going to enjoy myself as much. It’s like a minor movie spoiler that itches at the back of your neck when you’re watching it.
It is a bit dark but it’s suggestive and a subtle indicator that her character is on the ‘darker’ side of the fence. I like use of colour to define what a character’s nature may represent; for example, Mion is very wild, vibrant and adventurous and I think that green represents this relatively well.
It’s also somewhat suggestive that unlike a lot of her Gnome peers, she’s spent a lot more time above ground. It’s also because I wanted to break away from the generic use of purple.
Fair enough! I’m of the firm belief, however, that no matter how developed a character is, this isn’t as relevant to people who are going to be reading that profile in the event they’re thinking of approaching said character.
In my experience, when people are bombarded with what they’ll regard as superfluous information or potential clutter, they’ll be less likely to engage.
For many of my characters, I have independent journals, additional supplemental profiles and other various information I keep for my own memorisation or to exchange with people who already role-play with me or are involved with that particular character.
If I crammed all of this into my profile, which is designed to attract people who aren’t familiar with me, I would think it would make me difficult to approach.
My opinion regarding titles is more to bring attention to the possibility that there are those out there who may, potentially by mistake, be advertising their characters as walking swiss army knifes that have an answer to every problem or situation, thus destroying potential character development.
A friend of mine put it like me to this recently when I bombarded them with a string of supplemental ideas regarding my character, and that was not to mistake character depth for over complication.
There’s beauty in simplicity.
I’ve seen profiles that go on for paragraphs, explaining every single intricate detail of an individual scar including not only its positioning but its angle and the skin texture beneath.
I have also seen profiles where-in the character has had all of the above and more to the point it becomes quite frankly, rather convoluted to the point I find it hard to follow.
One of my personal pet peeves which I’ve not mentioned anywhere in this guide, are extremely intricate and unlikely piercings that form a literal maze of chain complexity around your body that realistically would never work in any safe context.
I didn’t read it anywhere, I just gathered it from the context. Most guides are for inexperienced people and after reading this guide, I think it is.
Yes the one example I gave was just one example, wasn’t really my point though. I was trying to say that character development shouldn’t just be visible stuff, like they could learn a skill or change their viewpoint, neither of which needs to go in a “first glance.”
On that note. I find it’s useful for people who suffer with aspergers syndrome or lack theory of mind as I know from experience with said people that they find it hard to read books or follow stories without first envisioning a character’s voice.
It would be nice, however, if people looked for more obscure voices or didn’t all sound like Sonic the Hedgehog or a generic RWBY character, or at the very least used a voice actors name and not just the character.
In my own personal experience, I have usually gone out of my way to provide an idea of what my character’s voice sounds like when it’s been requested.
I don’t think anyone truly hinges their RP on the voice of the characters they interact with, it’s merely some icing on the cake. I guess it becomes more of a leftover product of the initial concept of a character, like a moodboard that’s somehow found itself into RP.
But yes, if people are going to use voices, being specific R.e. who’s voice is a big +
I also agree on the voice actors part - if you’re going to use it, do it correctly. Some voice actors are quite varied though and have a range of voices, you may have to use the context as well. But crediting is still important!
To maintain a deeper level of immersion, you need to omit all usages of titles, names, or anything that does not pertain to what you see on the character. Everything else will be a spoiler. Yet we don’t do that, do we? Even more personal titles, such as Elyza’s, are completely fine as it is. You don’t know how she got the title. It is up to you to find that out.
It is such a minute detail that can become very obnoxious. If someone is a super cheerful and colourful person, or maybe fabulous, is having the name in rainbow colours fine? Readability is the most important when it comes to the profiles.
And furthermore, wouldn’t adding colour be a spoiler to the character’s personality as well? If you’re using a vibrant green, you’re already telling me your Gnome is very wild, adventurous and that she’s spent more time above ground…
I do believe Elyza was referring to changes that are visible to the character, when she spoke of developments. I don’t need to know about your journals (unless visible on the body for some reason), your profiles or whatnot. She specifically brought out things like tattoos, piercings, scars and body part losses, etcetera. Those should be noted down, and you can do it very briefly without much harm done to the character.
You can even bring it to the Glances part - with just a few words say what the amputated limb or tattoo is like / where it is! And go into more detail in the actual description. No need for long paragraphs for every single thing either, unless it’s really really meaningful and important (and in most of the cases, it isn’t).
There’s beauty in simplicity, and you can very well add the developments into your description both beautifully and succinctly.
Haha, touché! I’m glad it would be obvious to at least some people, but I doubt everyone is as, you know, what’s the word I’m looking for? Bah, it’s late and I’m tired.
And yes, I pretty much agree with everything you just said. Now. Zzzzz.
Its a shame you too started fighting over your points because i am sure you both have interesting things to say but most wont be bothered with following your back and forth which seems rather personal from my quick glance.
Would you both mind simply summarizing how you think it should be done and let the reader choose for himself what he feels right? In the end you both advocate for a certain type of profile, so it stands to reason you will address “the crowd” rather than proving who is right (especially on the internet)
character profiles are unnecessary. if ur a new rper reading this thread don’t worry bout writing one, just jot down in notepad or something anything you want to remember about their backstory/relations or whatever and go rp.
I…wait…
You reply to me without adressing my point and instead solely replying to Mion?
We don’t even look the same in the slightest. grumbles about racism
Also
Nowhere does she do that.
Which is clearly the point of the guide. Not what is right or wrong but what is most likely - in Mion’s opinion - to get you positive attention from other RPers.
I’ve really learned over the years that less is more when it comes to TRP profiles- Because the interest towards a character doesn’t come from your written TRP profile, it comes from the way how you interact with your peers in the game.
I’d even go as far as to say that the TRP is mostly for you as a player, to lean back onto “Oh yeah he got this and that and this on his person/this makes him distinguishable”, as well as other quick information to the other party to read if they are why for example your character is squinting their eyes- Turns out thei TRP states they have a bad eyesight!
Also, add pictures. Pictures really do tell a thousand words.
Ah. To summarise; it’s my opinion that less is more, profiles are a means to attract other people for role-play and not novels. I also personally think that a less cluttered profile and one that’s designed with the editor and presets in mind, is more ideal for concisely depicting your character for someone else’s viewing.
For example: using your ‘about’ section or ‘first glance’ sections for their intended purposes.
Just going to add this since I’ve encountered it a large number of times today to the extent I think it’s a bit silly. Why would anyone use a ‘former’ title in their title, especially if they’re numerous? I don’t know want to know what your character ‘was’. I want to know what they ‘are’.
