Custom Descriptions

[SekoETC]

You wouldn't necessarily know someone was a foreigner if they for example changed their description to be in the language of the majority when traveling to foreign lands.

Having some preset options would keep major details unchangeable (or possible to be inherited by newspawns later on if we get genetics) but I think Dudel's idea simplifies it too much. Seriously, who would it hurt if there were 3 or 5 or 30 hair colors instead of just two?

But things like hair length shouldn't be set in stone since they can change. Three of my characters have experienced balding due to old age and some others have cut their hair either to look neater or as an expression of grief. There are some reasons for having descriptions that can be changed. People might also want to add new scars. Having them vanish later on wouldn't be an utter breach since I've seen people rp loss of limbs only to have them grow back later on, and since currently characters can heal back up to 100% no matter how much damage they sustained, that supports the ability to recover from any wound.

[Cogliostro]

No guys, the idea was to make it a free-edit roleplay aid, not some set in stone description for all time. It's just a convenience, I can definitely see most players ignoring it anyway, but some who don't might really make good use of it to touch up their character with unique features that don't break any roleplaying traditions.

Since it only appears in the character description page, and is basically a short message from the player to other players (not a part of the Cantr-mechanics world), it can be safely just ignored by other language groups.

You're considering it to be a kind of "sign" that's plastered on top of every char and is their inherent property, but it really isn't. It's a message from player to other players, and similar to emotes in that it doesn't exist in the game world itself.

[Dudel]

While I like the idea, and I didn't once say I didn't, I foresee problems.

If somethings like the language issues being breached constantly can't be kept up on, then without CONSTANT PD interference and/or monitoring, this "free range box" will be a clutter of CRBs.

[Ruby]

In my opinion, people are blowing the effect this box is going to have on the CRB way out of proportion. Acting like suddenly having a text field on the character page is going to provoke people to suddenly forget all the rules of the game.

The text field does not offer the player any way to break the CR that can't be done already. What is everyone so afraid of? That the box will contain a person's name? That suddenly a shiny white area amongst the green will cause people to start describing their characters as having laser vision?

It wouldn't change a thing except keep characters from constantly having to describe themselves all the time with emotes. It's purely for player's convenience.

[FiziKx]

^ What they said ^

It really shouldn't hurt anything more than they can already be hurt.

[Joshuamonkey]

And then someone says "Well I want fiery red eyes"

If this were to be implemented, it would be limited to characteristics that humans have on Earth, not including rare mutant people, similar to how it wouldn't be appropriate to emote having fiery red eyes. Having red eyes from being albino, however, I think would be acceptable.

[Ruby]

In all seriousness saying you have red eyes I don't think is going to make anyone cry. So long as your eyes aren't actually shooting fire.

These kinds of arguments are the one I wish to avoid and which will undoubtedly appear under a multiple choice type of system. Where different people have different opinions on what is acceptable for a Cantr man or woman to have.

[Dudel]

These kinds of arguments are the one I wish to avoid and which will undoubtedly appear under a multiple choice type of system. Where different people have different opinions on what is acceptable for a Cantr man or woman to have.

And there is the main problem with Cantr descriptions, period.

[Cogliostro]

It's not a problem if we can hold ourselves from anal-yzing these things to ridiculous excess.

[FiziKx]

It is like the controversy in-game about spawning.
Are you born and then live for 20 years unnoticed?
Or do you just spawn into existence at age 20?

Either way, most people deal with whichever a person chooses.

[Piscator]

Actually, the additional work should be quite manageable. After the first rush when everyone gets a new description, there shouldn't be more than a few description changes per day. As I said, the resulting report should not take more than a minute per day.

Why should descriptions change? You set it in creation and that stays.

Because characters change, on the outside as well as on the inside.

Sure, there would be ways to abuse it, like using it to talk with another without generating any "You say" or "You whisper" events, but if it's a problem we can put it an automatic delay.

That wouldn't be a problem if changes ended up in a PD report. People could of course cheat in this way, but not without knowing someone about it.

PS

These kinds of arguments are the one I wish to avoid and which will undoubtedly appear under a multiple choice type of system. Where different people have different opinions on what is acceptable for a Cantr man or woman to have.

And there is the main problem with Cantr descriptions, period.

That's not a problem with a description box though, but with descriptions in general whichever medium is used.

[Joshuamonkey]

It's not a problem if we can hold ourselves from anal-yzing these things to ridiculous excess.

It's simple, we just need to not have our descriptions as something that humans wouldn't have. This applies with "any medium" we choose to use.

[Dudel]

*bump*

Hey I still like this idea, despite it's possible irritations... and I can't be bothered to find the old thread.

I had a thought, though. Perhaps giving the box a character limit would assist with my own personal gripes? Er... Iuno.

[SekoETC]

I just found a bug that explains why you can't see your own name when viewing your character description, even though you can change it. I can make it so that you can see your name in the box and you can also write private notes about your character just like you can write of other characters.

I think adding a public description shouldn't be too difficult to implement either but I would have to look into how reports are generated so that PD would have the changes logged.

[AlchemicRaker]

I like the idea of self-descriptions. I also think it could be nice for someone to describe their current state of action. Like where they are, what they're actually doing, etc, so you can know stuff by looking at people, rather than waiting for them to explain once you enter the area. I realize that some things can be assumed just by looking at what project they're working on, but w/e. It may enhance RP a bit.