Character Descriptions

[Pure_Dunga]

Should Character Descriptions be a part of the 'create a new character' process? I know it may be slightly off putting for some if they have to do this, but if a small example page is put up then they can see how to go about creating an imagine for people to put along side the characters they are talking too.

I find it a lot easier to interact with characters who have a description that I can play on, e.g if they are tall, skinny, bald, ect ect.

Or opposed to that, for character's that don't have any description is it bad 'play' to make comments about their appearance?

[SekoETC]

I think a lot of people just haven't noticed the box or don't know its purpose, otherwise they would write something in it, although at the same time a lot of people don't seem to understand that you should only write things that are obvious to an observer and not details like the character's name and private desires and plans for the future.

[Pure_Dunga]

Yeah I know what you mean, could be confusing enough. But would a small simple example fix that problem?

e.g. He is slightly taller than normal, standing at just over 6 foot. His hair is a dirty blonde, and sits above his shoulders. He has dark blue eyes. His jaw is well defined, and a short stubble sits over it. He has an strong athletic build, which suggests he is stronger than most.

Then if you wanted to encompass skills after a while and whatever else you could add -

His hands show callouses from working on weapons, by how he holds his tools you can see he is extremely skilled at what he does.

I'm sure someone who is better with their words could do a much better job, but you get the general idea.

[Addicted]

So many dirty blondes

[The_Pagan]

Pre-spawning wouldn't work for me: I base my look on the location spawned and their strength. If it's a weaer than average desert dweller, he could be dark skinned or naturally tanned and weedy and from that I get a mental image. I either go with that or leave it just the basics to add to the more I get to know the character.

[Miri]

I'd hate to see it mandatory, as it actually was in FTO, but I have to admit I prefer it when other characters have them. They help me much in getting to feel the characters.

Most of mine has got descriptions, but there are one or two that don't. I may add them later on, but for those characters I don't find them that necessary.

[Pure_Dunga]

@Addicted Far too many dirty blondes and not enough bald people.

@The_Pagan Yeah I agree that location and strength ect will play a part in what they may appear like, but I suppose a nudge toward writing a description after someone spawns is all we can do

@Miri Agreed that now in hindsight mandatory probably isn't what I really meant, strong encouragement would be more what I mean. And I'm glad someone agrees with me in that it is easier to relate to a character with a description.

[SumBum]

I appreciate the descriptions and agree that they do help. Some are just too ridiculous for words, but at least I get a good chuckle out of them. I would not want it to be a pre-spawn requirement. I don't even give my chars a name on the create screen, just mash keys to fill in the blank.

[Snickie]

So many dirty blondes

Out of the eight characters of mine that have descriptions.... (details in tiny camouflaged text)

Four of my chars have primarily black hair.
I have two with brown hair. And I imagine another one of mine with brown hair, but I let people think of what they want for that char.
I have one blonde, a white-blonde.
No dirty blondes.

What I see a lot of is green eyes.
I have one char with green eyes, and they're not even completely green. They're yellow-green.
I have two chars with blue eyes, and they vary from each other in hue.
I have one char with light grey eyes.
The rest have dark brown/black eyes.

I've only seen one other "fat" character. Like, outright fat. Not just "stocky", but "fat". And I LOVE the player for that!
I have one fat character.
Two or three stocky characters.
The rest I imagine as fairly skinny.

I had a hard time with Snick's description the first year or so I had her, especially since it contradicted her skills and whatnot. I fixed it.
My first two chars, one of them I had personality traits in her description that I didn't even roleplay. But I know better now, and those are gone.
I base a lot of my chars' descriptions on their strength and the way I imagine the location they're in. For example, beaches and grassland I imagine being very sunny with maybe a few clouds. Most hilly areas are cloudy, and mountains are mostly cloudy with snow. Forests are...it's just dark. And deserts...I haven't been in enough deserts to be able to tell, but I assume an increase of melanin whenever my chars are there.

I'm rambling now...

[Armulus Satchula]

...sneaky text.

[Marian]

Pre-spawning wouldn't work for me: I base my look on the location spawned and their strength. If it's a weaer than average desert dweller, he could be dark skinned or naturally tanned and weedy and from that I get a mental image. I either go with that or leave it just the basics to add to the more I get to know the character.

Yeah this would be an issue for me too. Maybe an automatic reminder popping up on the character list page right after you make a new one?

although at the same time a lot of people don't seem to understand that you should only write things that are obvious to an observer and not details like the character's name and private desires and plans for the future.

I will never, ever understand why so many people find this such a hard concept to grasp.

[Pure_Dunga]

I don't know how to quote but I agree with what Marian wrote in the last comment. Perhaps a little box underneath the confirmation of your new character encouraging people to write a description may be all that's needed!

[Cdls]

I've only seen one other "fat" character. Like, outright fat. Not just "stocky", but "fat". And I LOVE the player for that! :mrgreen:

Haha you would have liked Beauford then, he was quite...large.


On topic:

I am mixed on this. On one hand, forcing something like this can make people resent it, and therefore create horrible descriptions. On the flip side, it is nice to see characters with descriptions, as it does help with the immersion and feel of the game.

[Indigo]

Haha you would have liked Beauford then, he was quite...large.

One of my chars met him briefly, and she found him quite... interesting

Maybe I'm a Cantr "snob", but I rather rp with a character with a description, than without it. Maybe it's a silliness, but I believe that, subconciously, my mind thinks "he/she has a description. The player cares about him/her enough to think about how he/she looks like" I've read awesome descriptions, so detailed that you can picture the character perfectly in your mind. Another ones are short, but still they give you a general impression of the character, as in real life the first time you meet someone.

My vote for encouraging characters' descriptions.

[Alladinsane]

If you make them mandatory, you run the risk of people judging or complaining that a description is 'not descriptive enough' or of people pushing the envelopes of taste and structures...for the most part the descriptions would be well received and people would make an effort, but then the 'huge bulge in the pants' person(s)would start causing controversy. Would it be wrong to be that descriptive? Would it be wrong to have looks that are 'nothing worth mentioning'?

I like descriptions and copy them into my own descriptions of other characters and try to RP it when I notice that they have changed their descriptions. I agree that its a good conversation starter. Do we really need those kind of rules for cantr to survive, prosper, or anything?

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It would be a rule of preference, not a rule that is necessary for the game to be played.
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We must also think about, when we make a rule like this, how do we enforce it? What is the penalty? I use descriptions myself, but just can't see forcing others to do so if they don't prefer to.

Nice idea, but not as a mandatory one.