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tenshinoakuma) wrote2007-08-13 08:40 pm
tenshinoakuma) wrote2007-08-13 08:40 pm
Entry tags:
General RP thoughts/notes post
Iunno, tell me your opinion on these, because this is how I see it, but my lack of RP experience is kind of...making me wary of speaking up and objecting. And iunno, it seems rather controlling of me to be saying how someone should/shouldn't be playing.
Also, what would be an appropriate title for a mage? Like, how doctors get Doctor Something, and lawyers get Something Esq.
If it's a bit confusing or rambly, it's because I have a test and a lot of this is copypasta from an MSN chatlog.
I object to arbitrary descriptors. Arbitrary descriptors say a character's doing something in a certain way, but it doesn't leave much choice for the other RPer to refute it?
e.g. A lock of thick black hair hung enticingly over his forehead
The enticingly seems kind of subtly modding, since it's up to the other character to judge whether it is or isn't. It's positioning to other RPer to make their character think the way his hair hangs is enticing?
Problem with ojecting to this: most descriptors are arbitrary in nature, and also it means metaphors can't be used to describe things, unless you're describing something internally (like internal monologues, or dreams). I think adding maybes and perhapses makes it less arbitrary, but it still is positioning the other RPer to see something in the way you do.
e.g."With a light laugh that could be interpreted as either very happy, or positively evil (or perhaps a combination of both), ..."
compared with
"With an ambiguous light laugh that could be taken any way, ..."
For the record, this doesn't mean I don't do it at times either. If I checked my posts, I'd probably find I do it a lot without meaning to.
Playing subtle characters: How to avoid players picking up on subtleties/Making sure subtleties are just that, subtleties.
If you have a character who...uh, isn't very...expressive? ...as in, changes in mood are indicated by subtle changes in expression, so it's not always obvious, or, the character doesn't...really move much unless it's for something important? Which mean there's often not much description of actions. There's a kind of problem where the other RPer begins to pick up that every action that does get described is important, which sort of puts a crimp in doing subtle movements.
You want to describe these subtle movements because you kind of...have to have it there or else people will accuse you of pulling BS from your ass. e.g. Trian casts by gesture as well as verbally, so when he was talking to an enemy vampire, he was actually casting at the same time. And I actually have to indicate in some way that yes, he was actually casting or else people would object, since when I apped, I stated that his biggest weakness in terms of spellcasting is that he can be interrupted. And he knows that, and logically makes moves to avoid it happening in the first place.
However, since other RPers can read posts, they'll start picking up on that, and it's possible that they will use that knowledge in order to gain an advantage =\ (lol, you can kind of tell I don't trust other RPers? =\ )
Neither can I say "Making subtle movements with his hands" because that brings us back to the arbitrary thing. While it may be ok for dense(?) characters, I do want to keep it possible for sharper characters to pick up what he's doing (but it seems we're not getting many of these, despite what RPers say they're characters are like. I'll only believe they're manipulative when I see it).
The only way I see to solve this is to describe EVERY.SINGLE.MOVEMENT. That way, subtleties get lost in the description, but are still there. Which means sharp characters (who should have sharp players, since it's hard to write a sharp char when you're not haha hypocricy? D: ) will pick up on it, and denser ones won't. Hopefully this'll make reading Trian even harder for the general populace, since I...don't internal monologue much (or at least, nearly as much as other RPers?)
e.g. A lock of thick black hair hung enticingly over his forehead
The enticingly seems kind of subtly modding, since it's up to the other character to judge whether it is or isn't. It's positioning to other RPer to make their character think the way his hair hangs is enticing?
Problem with ojecting to this: most descriptors are arbitrary in nature, and also it means metaphors can't be used to describe things, unless you're describing something internally (like internal monologues, or dreams). I think adding maybes and perhapses makes it less arbitrary, but it still is positioning the other RPer to see something in the way you do.
e.g."With a light laugh that could be interpreted as either very happy, or positively evil (or perhaps a combination of both), ..."
compared with
"With an ambiguous light laugh that could be taken any way, ..."
For the record, this doesn't mean I don't do it at times either. If I checked my posts, I'd probably find I do it a lot without meaning to.
Playing subtle characters: How to avoid players picking up on subtleties/Making sure subtleties are just that, subtleties.
If you have a character who...uh, isn't very...expressive? ...as in, changes in mood are indicated by subtle changes in expression, so it's not always obvious, or, the character doesn't...really move much unless it's for something important? Which mean there's often not much description of actions. There's a kind of problem where the other RPer begins to pick up that every action that does get described is important, which sort of puts a crimp in doing subtle movements.
You want to describe these subtle movements because you kind of...have to have it there or else people will accuse you of pulling BS from your ass. e.g. Trian casts by gesture as well as verbally, so when he was talking to an enemy vampire, he was actually casting at the same time. And I actually have to indicate in some way that yes, he was actually casting or else people would object, since when I apped, I stated that his biggest weakness in terms of spellcasting is that he can be interrupted. And he knows that, and logically makes moves to avoid it happening in the first place.
However, since other RPers can read posts, they'll start picking up on that, and it's possible that they will use that knowledge in order to gain an advantage =\ (lol, you can kind of tell I don't trust other RPers? =\ )
Neither can I say "Making subtle movements with his hands" because that brings us back to the arbitrary thing. While it may be ok for dense(?) characters, I do want to keep it possible for sharper characters to pick up what he's doing (but it seems we're not getting many of these, despite what RPers say they're characters are like. I'll only believe they're manipulative when I see it).
The only way I see to solve this is to describe EVERY.SINGLE.MOVEMENT. That way, subtleties get lost in the description, but are still there. Which means sharp characters (who should have sharp players, since it's hard to write a sharp char when you're not haha hypocricy? D: ) will pick up on it, and denser ones won't. Hopefully this'll make reading Trian even harder for the general populace, since I...don't internal monologue much (or at least, nearly as much as other RPers?)
Also, what would be an appropriate title for a mage? Like, how doctors get Doctor Something, and lawyers get Something Esq.
If it's a bit confusing or rambly, it's because I have a test and a lot of this is copypasta from an MSN chatlog.