Character Profiles Etc....

[Missy]

I believe we had some sort of discussion like this before. As well
as a poll about which way pictures should be used to portray our
characters. I have come up with an idea that would deffinately work
for me. When we role played in Chat rooms many moons ago, people got yahoo
screen names. They chose a name that fit the character they were
trying to play in the chat room. IE I had a character named
Shandra_vampiress...She was a vamp of course...hence the name Once people got their screen name they added a picture of what
they suspected their character looked like. It was anything from
drawn portraits the players made themselves, to pictures they found
on the internet and copied.
As some will notice on yahoo profiles you find a place to post
your interests and hobbies wheather you are married. When rp'ing in
chat you now filled those spaces with your characters interests your
characters personal relationships and hobbies. Not the players
interests or hobbies, the characters. For example....my characters
profile would have been filled with Enjoys coming out at night
playing the piano and sometimes finding a human snack. (LOL
something like that)
My idea is that we set up profiles similiar to yahoo profiles.
Should be able to click on a persons name in game (in cantr) and be
taken to a page that shows the persons picture
I would suggest that we do the whole interest thing for cantr
character profiles but it would not work! It would defeat the
purpose of the capital rule....As...if i had a profile in cantr and
had my interests for my character listed someone could click and
read it then know everything about my character without actually
speaking to my character. (that wouldn't be idealistic for the kind
of envisions jos has..or at least I don't think it'd be)
What I do suggest, is we replace what would have been set up to
look like yahoos interests....with a place for characters to write a
diary. Peoples characters can, but don' t have to take advantage of
the space provided and write about themselves what they have done.
This way, it would not be the same as what would have happened if it
were just and only interests where someone could know you without
talking to you. having a diary for characters on their profile would
be the same as picking up any given note someone wrote and wouldn't
defeat the purpose of the capital rule.
Perhaps it should look something like...
You click on someones name, see their picture and their age, the
project they are working on, their health.
Then below the picture there should be another link that says...
(characters name)'s diary that you click on and it takes you to
his or her diary. Wheather or not there would be anything written is
ultimately up to the character....if they desire to write in their
diary or not..
But the option to add the picture should ultimately be up to the
players in my idea. I IMAGINE what my characters look like. If
people on the boards/staff provided pictures for what our characters
should look like, it would not work. (At least for me) Because I can
guaruntee my characters don't look anything like ....what anyone
else imagines.
I'm sure there are ...boundries though in which jos would like to
see. ? I'm guessing that he wouldn't like to see nude porn
pics ....or ....pics of people adorned in modern clothing.
As for loading the pics to persons profiles ....we could either
A ...just do it like yahoo....let people upload them themself.
or B the player decides on a pic that suits his/her character and
uploads or sends it to a staff member for approval...
> (Thus...the staff could decide wheather it was appropriate in
which would do away with later problems of people not choosing
appropriate pics..) then it is uploaded to the profile.

[Meh]

This would speed up getting to know people.

I would only add one suggestion.

A flag that says who you've "opened your profile" too. In other words the people who you feel comfortable talking too. The picture would always be avaialble regardless but the rest wouldn't be for stangers popping into town. An event that says "Missy has a <converstation> with you" where <converstation> is a link to the profile would be helpful. The profile would be listed on the "people" page as well?

[Solfius]

I'm not so keen on this idea. Certainly some description of the characters appearance, but giving out details like interests etc might make it harder for less experianced role players to role play as well as they might. Pictures are also, as I think you said, hard to deal with, but if you can find a good one not a bad idea, except maybe all different styles? that would be something for the staff to filter out a bit though?

hmm, not sure: I think character descriptions should be expanded, but not sure if totally in this way

[Missy]

I'm not so keen on this idea. Certainly some description of the characters appearance, but giving out details like interests etc might make it harder for less experianced role players to role play as well as they might. Pictures are also, as I think you said, hard to deal with, but if you can find a good one not a bad idea, except maybe all different styles? that would be something for the staff to filter out a bit though?

hmm, not sure: I think character descriptions should be expanded, but not sure if totally in this way

I don't believe that there should be a description of the interests of the character as I said. I said i believe there should be a link on the characters profile to a diary...in which the character has a choice to write in.
Perhaps what you mean is it shouldn't be possible for others to read it because it would give so much info? That could easily be solved by adding an option ...an option like there is in a note on the ground. People can seal notes they don't want read. A diary should be able to be locked by the character who wrote it. Perhaps an option that says...."Click this box if you want to allow other characters to read your characters diary" if you don't click it ....noonoe will be able to read it.

[Missy]

Also...
another idea for adding pictures is you take idea A. that I had. Allow the players to upload their picture. You just have someone looking at the profiles in their free time to report any negative/ sexual/ non fitting displays. Perhaps it would mean another person on staff?
Perhaps the person in charge of the profile section would get notified when a player has uploaded a characters picture by some sort of auto e-mail. ....Then the person in charge would go and look at the picture to decide....and write to the player letting them no weather it was ok or not.

[Rob Maule]

But about when your characters age? Wouldn't you have to find a new picture? I would think it'd be really hard to find one that looks like an older version of your characters.

Even my old idea of the database creating an image from random facial features would be really hard. Characters' faces would have to age. Plus you can't have fat or skinny characters because we all eat the same amount of food.

The only way I can see is that facial features are text-driven and created randomly, when the characters are spawned. Something that wouldn't change through age. Plus, of course, you could see their approximate age still.

And you'd be able to see what people are wearing when everyone gets clothes. I think as an option, you could put pieces of cloth, or badges, on your clothes. And you would see jewelry, of course. No use in having it if other people can't see it.

So I think those things should be in someone's description. Only what you can see. No option to read their thoughts. I don't see anything wrong with you sharing your diaries as it is now.

[Missy]

As for your age topic...I feel that just because a picture is posted of the person being young does not mean they do not age. It is meant to be a picture.
People do have imaginations no? So i put up a pic of a young woman for one of my characters.....she turns thirty some odd years later. People can imagine the wrinkles and what she'd look like since she's gotten older. Yes the whole point of having profiles is so that people don't have to imagine any more. But at the same time....not having age changin pictures would allow for some imagination to stay. People would have a general idea of what my character looked like..even if she had aged and got some wrinkles. Don't you think that my idea would be easier to implement than yours? - to have profiles change as the people get older?

As for the diaries? I don't care if that part is completely done away with..cuz as it stands my chars can have diaries anyways because of the writing note ability.
How hard could it be to go to the people page, click on someones name, and get taken to a place where someones characters picture is?
How hard could it be to implement something like that? It is no differant than clicking on the persons name and finding their age health etc...except now there will be a picture.


As for the pictures being generated-picked by staff...that totally defeats the purpose of origionality in the game as well as the players ability to define their character and its personality' characteristics. I've always been in control of them before.......When I say..."Janette flicks her brown hair with a daintly little hand" Noone else picks that color but me. And I've always done so. How can you or anyone else change that? After its already been done this way for so long? For example someone has a character that has had brown hair since they started playing the game. Then you implement generation.....What does that do to the individuality of the game as well as ...as said before the players ability to define their characters own characteristics. Also...how is that person going to explain how their character ended up with blond hair when all along they were saying their character had brown?
When characters are formed and begin to define themselves...(At least for me) i see what they look like. I have always. And I have always tried to describe as best I can what they look like. When character profiles are made...if generation is implemented....That takes away from all the work i've put into them. Does it not?

Not to mention...People keep saying "I feel they should be generated...the looks of the characters...after all when humans are born they don't get to pick how they look"

I hate to say it but nowhere in that statement is anything correct. Because our characters are NOT the ones picking what they look like. It is the players and the players imagination. In a certain sense....when everyone says Jos is god for cantr....I believe we all are. We make our characters what they are. So shouldn't we in an alternative sense be aloud to make them look how we want as well?
When I first started playing this game i was given the freedom to make my characters what they are. And was never told i could not imagine what they looked like nor was I told they couldnt have looks because in the future there would be profiles wherein characters pictures would be chosen and displayed by the game administrators etc.

[Rob Maule]

I've obviously offended you in some way, and I apologize. I just don't think people need pictures to see a person. The picture idea I had before was an old one. I've since decided against it. People can just read a description and use their imagination, like you said.

And I edited my last post. I meant to say that making diaries like we already can is a good idea. Having an automatic sharing system takes the fun out of telling someone about yourself.

For existing characters, I think picking features yourself could be possible. And characters spawned afterward could be generated by the computer. I'm not sure why the looks of a character are so important, but you have every right to think so. So I now favor the idea of picking attributes at the time of spawning or letting the computer do the work.

By the way, I may be on staff, but my opinions are only as great as yours. I'm just making suggestions as you are. And I don't have any more say on how things are done. Sorry if I made you think that.

[Missy]

I've obviously offended you in some way, and I apologize. I just don't think people need pictures to see a person. The picture idea I had before was an old one. I've since decided against it. People can just read a description and use their imagination, like you said.

And I edited my last post. I meant to say that making diaries like we already can is a good idea. Having an automatic sharing system takes the fun out of telling someone about yourself.

For existing characters, I think picking features yourself could be possible. And characters spawned afterward could be generated by the computer. I'm not sure why the looks of a character are so important, but you have every right to think so. So I now favor the idea of picking attributes at the time of spawning or letting the computer do the work.



By the way, I may be on staff, but my opinions are only as great as yours. I'm just making suggestions as you are. And I don't have any more say on how things are done. Sorry if I made you think that.

In no way have you offended me. This is just one of the things I'm very verbal on...If you think I was offended I'm sorry that I came off that way. I was just trying to be clear in the way i think.
And...I never said anything about you being on staff. Where did you get the impression I thought your opinions had influence? I suppose i did say staff quite a few times before. However it was only cuz thats the way i feel/needed to put it. And I meant as a whole not just you. Because I present this idea in front of everyone including staff and those who play the game. I didn't mean to make you feel as if I was being mean or hateful for the way you felt. You can feel that way. lol

But to answer your question- why my characters looks are important. Say you have a character who you've made for a long time...put all kinds of work into it. Then find out later a new implementation in the game would erase it all. How would that make you feel? Although looks don't seem to be one of the things you feel is important to your character. It is to some people. My characters looks are a part of my character....and part of the work i put into them as well as thought. Although I do have a life......It's not always that busy..I have sketches of what I feel a few of my characters look like. (I'm probably one of the only people who has done that) But I do know for sure there is at least ONE other person who imagines what their characters look like. That person being Susie. She has also used description words INSIDE of the game to define her character(s). I just don't feel you can erase something that is already there!

[Solfius]

if random generation was implemented I think it might be possible to email the Players dept. and get them to put your chars details inline with your roleplaying to date.

Personally I prefer text based descriptions over pictures, don't know about random vs chosen though. what about a compromise: players can pick from a list of attributes for their chars on creation? some people don't like this idea, but as compromises go i think this is a good middle ground for the two "extreme" views (extreme as in opposite, not crazy or radical )

[swymir]

I don't think a picture is needed. Maybe a couple lines of text that can be changed by the player. Something you can edit. There should be a rule that says you can only write about obvious visiual appearances. Anything else would be breaking the capital rule.

An example would be "(so-and-so) is 5'6" tall has long shaggy brown hair and a scar on his left cheek. His hair covers his eyes making them impossible to see"

You wouldn't be able to write " (so-and-so) likes to farm carrots and mine for stone in his spare time. He feels awkward about the scar on his left cheek and even though you can't see them his eyes are light blue that seem to put women in a trance."

Writing anything about the characters thoughts or anything that can't be seen should be a breach of the capital rule. As for pictures I don't think they are nessesary.

Then maybe a couple of lines that say what the charaacter is wearing when clothes and such are implemented. These could not be changed unless the player changes the characters clothes.

[Solfius]

Clothing descriptions will change automatically based on what the character puts on, no need for the players to do that.

The only trouble with that is policing it. It would be very very hard I think, unless the Players Dept. would look at the database ad randomly check profiles, but that's still alot of work without any garuntee of catching the people who are breaking the rules.

[griogal]

Just to check: as long clothing is not truly implemented, are we running around naked or do we wear some kind of default clothing of some undefinable texture and colour?

[swymir]

Well the players department doesn't have to check. Regular players can. It would have to be reported like you do with any breach of the capital rule.

[Solfius]

well, possible then

@griogal: it's the second one, a set of default clothes of undefinable texture or colour