Things that annoy or puzzle you about Cantr

[Marian]

It's not an emote I use much, I have my own preferences. But to me a 'soft smile' has always implied more about the whole of the person's expression than the actual state of their lips. 'Gazing softly' or some variation is a pretty common expression.

[Wolfsong]

It's a fairly well-used turn of phrase in popular fiction, for better or worse, and even pops up in classic literature. A smile can be soft in the same way words can be sharp. It's not supposed to be taken literally to mean texture or turgidity. (Hurr hurr.)

My own pet peeve would have to be the word "smirk" - a few years ago (not sure if it's changed since then) nobody had any idea what smirk actually meant. People would throw smirks around IG as if they're just grinning playfully at people, when in reality a smirk is that sort of self-smug, assholish look someone gives somebody else when trying to specifically insult, mock or disparage them.

[Breezy]

Well, yes, it's obvious what the intent is, but there are other words that convey the same meaning but actually make sense when applied to a smile.

More things that annoy me: character descriptions that go on and on about how hot the character is and "cute" girls who are RPed like mentally challenged children. I usually dislike things that try to be cute in general, which of course is a personal preference, but I think it really is weird in a game like this where you have women in their 50's acting like eight-year-olds.

This. One thousand times, this! I've walked off from a town with characters like that because they irk me so much. I really don't know why I don't like these child-like character types.

[Marian]

They're fine just as long as they're not getting up to any creepy sex stuff.

...they're always getting up to creepy sex stuff. 70% of the time that's like the entire point of the character.

[Father Brian]

I think people just do it at this point because it's a thing, but WE CAN DO BETTER!!

My characters smile softly fairly often. I don't see anything wrong with it grammatically, and I don't see that anything will 'do better' than it.

[Moonflame]

Then why not smile tenderly or gently or affectionately or faintly or whatever? Why does it have to be softly?

Yes. I am also a native speaker, and this would avoid the creepy ambiguity between flaccid lips and tender heart.

I've used faintly but only when a character is unwell really because to me it suggests that they would smile more but something is holding them back. I also use gently more than softly. Affectionately and tenderly usually portray more emotion than my characters feel at the time, I couldn't use them as a substitute for softly.

Softly is sometimes the word that comes to mind to me, as the word I'd use to communicate to other characters and their players. But as a lot of people seem to take that word differently to the way I do, I'll use gently more as it's the nearest I can get. I'll also pay more attention to my smirks. I use a smirk when a person says something that my character can't help but automatically smile at, but it's not a happy smile, it's a kind of inwardly-amused-at-your-expense smile. It doesn't always mean that my character feels smug or has a negative feeling towards the other person.

*raises hands in surrender* I have a cute character. However please don't shoot me. They're surprisingly easy to roleplay and get a lot of attention. I don't like cute characters who get a lot of attention and latch onto a small number of people. I think this can make the game less enjoyable because it shuts a lot of other characters out of the main goings on in a town. It's easy roleplay for the cute character but difficult for those who aren't involved, and you can only have so many best friends. So I aim to not let my character rule the chat, and my character description isn't fluffed up either. I aim for my cutesy to become less kid-like and cute because they have ambitions and we all like character progression. Romance is something that they block out due to immaturity, but it looks like there's something in the future.

[hyrle]

More things that annoy me: character descriptions that go on and on about how hot the character is and "cute" girls who are RPed like mentally challenged children. I usually dislike things that try to be cute in general, which of course is a personal preference, but I think it really is weird in a game like this where you have women in their 50's acting like eight-year-old.

This is likely going to out one of my characters, but I wanted to chime in. I play one of these characters, and so I wanted to give some perspective on her development. When I spawned her, my idea for her was "innocent" and "sees the world as a child would". The language and culture of cute actions developed after she met and clicked with a character who later became her best friend and sister. This other character was a "cute one" and my character idolized her, so she wanted to be cute too. She loved that character very much, and that character shaped much of who my character is now.

My character is not "mentally challenged". But I've given her lack of ability to learn certain adult concepts, even when they are explained to her. They confuse her... it's like a mental block for her, because if she learned these concepts, she'd lose her innocence and child-like view of the world. I do not, however, play her as if she was mentally underdeveloped... she can trade quite well, for example. Her clumsy speech, her "cute acting", her lack of understanding social taboos and sexual concepts - that's all part of a well-developed set of character personality traits. She has, in fact, been exposed to and explained some pretty messed up stuff... more than my more "adult acting" characters ever see. It's actually quite fascinating to play her.

I can understand not liking the overly sappy "cute" factor, but I just wanted to clarify that - at least in my case - my character is not mentally challenged, nor do I play her as if she was a child. If someone asked how old she was, she'd gladly respond with the correct age. She would have no idea what you're talking about if you said the word "child" or insinuated she was 8. I'd imagine she'd say something like "No, silly... no one is younger than 20!"

[Marian]

I'll also pay more attention to my smirks. I use a smirk when a person says something that my character can't help but automatically smile at, but it's not a happy smile, it's a kind of inwardly-amused-at-your-expense smile. It doesn't always mean that my character feels smug or has a negative feeling towards the other person.

I think a wry smile or a rueful smile works decently in that kind of situation. A couple of my characters do smirk quite a bit, but usually when being sarcastic or in other situations that would fit the Merriam Webster definition of 'to smile in an unpleasant way because you are pleased with yourself, glad about someone else's trouble, etc.;

It's used when messing with friends just as much as anyone else though, and doesn't always have to be in a mean way. I've seen it in fiction too and it may just be another one of those words that's changed it's definition a little with usage.

Player A: "What are you working on in there?"
Player B: *throwing a cloth over the worktable and smirking* "Hah, now wooouuuldn't you like to know."

[Kyriel]

She would have no idea what you're talking about if you said the word "child" or insinuated she was 8. I'd imagine she'd say something like "No, silly... no one is younger than 20!"

I'm sure we're speaking of these comparisons in an OOC manner in an OOC medium, and would not be generally using them in-game.

I had a character who was supposed to be innocent and naive, but was very intelligent and a quick learner, curious about everything without restraint. She might've stayed innocent if circumstances hadn't conspired against her, one thing after another to break her of that. "Don't trust people. You can't have friends. You can't care about anyone. Even your allies might turn on you." She's... not a happy character.

[Auryn]

I actually played a very child-like character for the first time recently and was surprised to have such a negative reaction. I literally had a character tell her he saw her as "only a child" yet attributed very adult motives to her behavior.

[Marian]

I'm sure we're speaking of these comparisons in an OOC manner in an OOC medium, and would not be generally using them in-game.

It's a little annoying though when the character is deliberately RPed to invoke OOC ideas of a child. Dressing like a child and playing with stuffed animals and giggling and talking like a two year old. They know exactly what they're doing and so does everyone else and yet nobody can say so.

[Axiom]

@hyrle: I understand where you're coming from, but as far as I'm concerned, an adult who behaves like a child is either mentally challenged or suffering from some serious developmental problems. Even if that isn't your intention, it still reads that way to outside observers who expect human-like characters (fungal spores aside) to follow normal human behavior patterns. What would you think if you met someone irl who was your character's age and behaved like your character? You'd think there was something wrong with them, right? You're perfectly entitled to play your character however you want, but I'm pretty sure I know what character you're talking about, and I left the town you were in specifically because I found you and your friends really obnoxious. I mean, I'm sure lots of people think I'm obnoxious too, and I'm not gonna hold it against you, but I just really don't like that kind of character. :shrug: Takes all kinds, I guess.

[Marian]

And that's another of those little contradictions about Cantrian behavior. So many people will just shrug and completely accept any kind of weirdness as normal, even if their char had never encountered anything like it before. (I'm guilty of this too) And yet at the same time people are hilariously overprotective of these kinds of characters, to the point where even pointing out there's anything off about them gets everyone all angry and defensive.

And at the same time, there are chars deliberately described or RPed to get a reaction and it's just ignored in favor of the usual bland smiles and how do you do's. How often does Elyos get a proper response to his extreme grossness, for instance. (Haven't been around him that much, I'm honestly curious.)

[SekoETC]

At least Emerald hates Elyos and doesn't hide it.

[hyrle]

I had a character who was supposed to be innocent and naive, but was very intelligent and a quick learner, curious about everything without restraint. She might've stayed innocent if circumstances hadn't conspired against her, one thing after another to break her of that. "Don't trust people. You can't have friends. You can't care about anyone. Even your allies might turn on you." She's... not a happy character.

It's funny how that happens with innocent characters - others seem to want to ruin that. Mine just happens to not understand those concepts... she cares and trusts - too much in some cases. She's been impacted by several deaths that have taken some of the joy and happiness out of her. I honestly wouldn't mind seeing how she develops if she was truly betrayed in a way that she cannot understand, but the people around her seem to shelter her from being exposed to too much evil at this point. In fact, I think that's part of why I enjoy playing her so much - really none of my other characters have the kinds of interactions she has.

@hyrle: I understand where you're coming from, but as far as I'm concerned, an adult who behaves like a child is either mentally challenged or suffering from some serious developmental problems. Even if that isn't your intention, it still reads that way to outside observers who expect human-like characters (fungal spores aside) to follow normal human behavior patterns. What would you think if you met someone irl who was your character's age and behaved like your character? You'd think there was something wrong with them, right? You're perfectly entitled to play your character however you want, but I'm pretty sure I know what character you're talking about, and I left the town you were in specifically because I found you and your friends really obnoxious. I mean, I'm sure lots of people think I'm obnoxious too, and I'm not gonna hold it against you, but I just really don't like that kind of character. :shrug: Takes all kinds, I guess.

It depends on your point of view. My character is human-like, she just has an inability to learn certain concepts because of my desire to keep her innocent for the most part. It's no different than people who can't seem to wrap their heads around math or reading comprehension. In my character's case, for her - she can't wrap her head around concepts like sexual concepts, sexual taboos, and parts of speech. Whether that seems like developmental problems or mental challenges - well, that's a personal perception. If I met a fifty year old who didn't understand sexuality or parts of speech, I'd likely think it was strange but tons of folks (and yes - many are considered to be "on the autism spectrum") have trouble with certain concepts that adults typically understand while being uniquely talented in other areas. I suppose one could think of them as "mentally challenged", but a better solution is to find out where their unique talents lie. (For example, Temple Grandin and her talent for understanding animals.)

By choosing to focus on a character's flaws, you fail to see their strengths. For my character, she has a strong capacity to love and care about others, and a complete lack of guile or deception. She has really strong gathering skills and a good sense of business to be able to determine what her town leader needs. She has fears, but she doesn't let them cripple her because they are existential threats at this point. And she's playful and likes people around her to be happy. She is also - by the way - my only "cute character" - and I enjoy playing one like her. I wouldn't want to play too many characters like her, but I can see where the proliferation of them can be annoying. However, I do find them funner than towns where everyone is so "normal" and sleepy