Semi-Permanant Character Descriptions

[toon]

Ok, So due to recent occurences with my characters I started thinking about how hard it is to identify characters and describe them to others especially over radio. Well my first thought process was maybe cantr should require Character descriptions for all characters from creation. About two seconds later I realized the problem that characters can change their descriptions any time they want to whatever they want, so that wouldn't really work. This lead to me to my full suggestion, and please hear me all the way out:

I suggest we make character descriptions a requirement for all characters from creation. Not only this, but I would like to suggest that character descriptions will be moderated and must be approved before they can be changed.. Now I know some of you will say that the Moderators already have their work cut out for them and might not be able to handle more, which leads me to my third part of the suggestion: I suggest, if needed, a new Department be made to handle this area. I know we are short enough on Moderators already, but the thing about this job is that, if the Programmers for the game can make it possible, it shouldn't require and technical skills for the moderators and it shouldn't be too time consuming. Maybe it's something that these Moderators could due on the down time in cantr. What these Character Description Moderators would do is to make sure that the character changes are accpetable and not outrageous. For example, an unacceptable change might be, " So-and-so is a scrawny, blue-eyed man with blonde hair. He is often seen wearing a stupid grin," changed to "He is a built guy with muscles the size of saturn and eyes as dark as midnight. His scowl tends to give off the message that he hates the world." This kind of drastic change is a complete switch of character and would be denied unless the player offered a good explanation as to the reason of the change. The only real qualification for this position would be that the person be trusted to make good decisions

Reasons this suggestion would help:
This would make it possible to identify characters over radio and personally to others whether they be thieves and murderers or legends and emporers.
Might provide the chance for bounty hunting by allowing for people to track down people who have identifying marks.

Edit: As a side note, I had to type all of this up twice... Darn internet connection.

[the_antisocial_hermit]

I thought descriptions were already moderated to some degree?

It says this right above the description box, so I know that the changes can be seen by staff members with the correct privileges:

"Please keep them consistent - for example, if you write that your character has black hair, it shouldn't suddenly turn red later on. Changes are logged so misuse of the feature will lead into removal of your ability to use it."

[toon]

Well, I guess I should have looked into it a bit more, but how about making it a necessity and watching it closer?

[SekoETC]

The report is only sent to PD and me (since I took the liberty of adding my own address there when implementing it) so very few people are reading the reports. If someone notices a character changed their appearance in an unrealistic manner and reports it, it'll be easy to check from the message history if it was a breach. But as far as I know, even though it's possible to block people from editing their descriptions, no one has been blocked so far.

[Vega]

I don't like it. I use the description page a lot of times to describe my char's state: He/She is seriously wounded, He/She is speeping under the table, He/She seems sad... If someone needs to control it every time I change it, when should be accepted, that state will be changed for sure.

And what about things as hair lenght or clothes? I RP cutting my hair and then I need to wait a day or two to have it changed on my description?

In other hand, that should be a lot of work for people to "control" that. And, I least me, I sometime had changed my description 3-4 times on the same hour because it was too long or I had grammar/spelling problems...

[Doug R.]

The only way descriptions would get reviewed in any timely manner is if they were open for ALL the players to review. Making another department isn't an adequate solution.

[Ronja Rotschopf]

I suggest we make character descriptions a requirement for all characters from creation.

I doubt that new players would know what they have to write into a description for their first characters before they even started playing.
Additionally a good description needs some basic knowledge about the character (strength, certain skills).
Then there was the discussion that the language of the description could be enough reason for other players to kill that character.

IMO no player should be forced to describe the characters. Regarding changes I agree with Vega.

[masterekat]

I'm also with Vega on this one.

I guess the best way to regulate it is to paste the character's description into your custom description of them, that way if the player does anything crazy with it, you can report them.

[Pilot]

This is a free text base game. I have ONE character description. I don't want to control others activity, pay more atention to rp and enjoy the game by playing, not playing to control others in their gaming.

[NancyLee]

I totally agree with Vega and Masterekat; I also use a lot the description page to indicate some temporary things and it'd be some kind of crazy if someone has to control each change.

And, as Ronja said, it'd be useful sometimes "knowing" some stuff about that char before attempting to describe it.

[Indigo]

I think the only things that shouldn't be allowed to change in a description are eye colour (since there are not contact lenses in the game) and body marks (such as birthmarks, beauty spots or tattoos once they're made). I see this very difficult to control in an "open free description" but maybe, in creating a new character, there could be a short form to write this (for eye colour and birthmarks, at least). I also think that making tattoos should be a project such as, say, naming a building, in which you describe the tattoo and where it's placed, and which couldn't be removed once it's done, staying permanently in the description page.

[NancyLee]

[...]I also think that making tattoos should be a project such as, say, naming a building, in which you describe the tattoo and where it's placed, and which couldn't be removed once it's done, staying permanently in the description page.

+1

[RedQueen.exe]

Perhaps certain identified statics should be assigned when creating a character, having fields for eye color, hair color, and height. They could be left as text fields so that the player can make unique entries, but just won't be able to change those particular details later on. Additional description of these features could still be done in the rest of the character description, if the player chooses.

[SekoETC]

But hair can go gray or get shaved off. And once somebody had a tattoo or some sort of a marking and my character sliced it off with a knife. It did get infected but got rid of the tattoo.

[MelloYell]

the same char also "bleached" her hair to some extent using lemon juice.