Viewpoint Unpopular roleplay opinions?

[still watching fma]

1 sentence is ranting?

 

[ashwynne]

peritwinkle Jannah
Any time it comes up I will always reiterate my support for ditching character sheets and face claims as much as possible--at least public ones. There can be a benefit to them to some extent if it's for personal use to get to know the character (though I personally still prefer diving in and getting to know them as I write) but having your writing partner(s) know everything about your character from the start takes out so much of the fun and suspense.

 

[Crayons]

peritwinkle Jannah
Any time it comes up I will always reiterate my support for ditching character sheets and face claims as much as possible--at least public ones. There can be a benefit to them to some extent if it's for personal use to get to know the character (though I personally still prefer diving in and getting to know them as I write) but having your writing partner(s) know everything about your character from the start takes out so much of the fun and suspense.

If it's a 1x1 I don't see the need for it, although I would probably still make one for my own use. If it's a group there are so many good reasons to use a CS. It doesn't necessarily need to be massively detailed, but if you are a GM they are useful for a) checking people are making decent characters and know how to string words together b) judging power levels and balancing the group c) making sure there is no overlap between roles, and also d) and this is for the players too and I think it's pretty important: if the characters would know something about each other - same court, same team, same school, etc then a CS not only gives the players information that their characters would know but also helps them build relationships within the rp.

A CS is also useful if it contains basic info about the character so that you don't have to keep repeating yourself in description every time your character enters a room.

So, I'd go with optional for a 1x1, hella important for a group.

 

[Jannah]

If it's a 1x1 I don't see the need for it, although I would probably still make one for my own use. If it's a group there are so many good reasons to use a CS. It doesn't necessarily need to be massively detailed, but if you are a GM they are useful for a) checking people are making decent characters and know how to string words together b) judging power levels and balancing the group c) making sure there is no overlap between roles, and also d) and this is for the players too and I think it's pretty important: if the characters would know something about each other - same court, same team, same school, etc then a CS not only gives the players information that their characters would know but also helps them build relationships within the rp.

A CS is also useful if it contains basic info about the character so that you don't have to keep repeating yourself in description every time your character enters a room.

So, I'd go with optional for a 1x1, hella important for a group.

That is true, but I rarely GM group RP's. Mentally, I just can't handle it and my ideas seem to rarely take off.

 

[Crayons]

That is true, but I rarely GM group RP's. Mentally, I just can't handle it and my ideas seem to rarely take off.

Me neither but I do read the CSes of everyone in the group.... sometimes they tell me whether the group is for me or not. Yes, I judge.

 

[rae2nerdy]

I use CS to ensure my partner understands the setting/plot. I’ve had people claim their following along only to make a character that doesn’t fit into the plot/setting at all. Sometimes it’s because I didn’t describe things well and sometimes they just flat out weren’t paying attention.

 

[ashwynne]

Crayons
Groups don't really need them either though. It's just become something that's expected for whatever reason. Like, those things you mention are all valid and necessary ahead of the RP but none of them require a player to divulge intimate personality/history/description details that take away the ability to naturally introduce a character.

A GM can easily ask for writing samples to determine whether players are a good fit for the RP, can make it mandatory to request/describe desired powers ahead of time, and select a role if that's pertinent. I wouldn't consider those to be character sheets as much as they are basic "housekeeping" things.

As far as pre-existing character relationships go... I feel like that's something that's either obvious in the premise of the RP itself, or would come about from OOC chat anyways? Like, if it's a school RP and Person A has a character whose role is a typical jock, then Person B with a cheerleader character is obviously going to know the other character. That shouldn't need to be explicitly said. In fact, any RP premise that is set in a closed environment like a school is going to be pretty likely to have the characters knowing each other. But even then... over the years in the group RP's I've been in, having pre-existing connections to other characters is never something I just assume based on the CS? It's either a part of the plot (those classic ones where the GM has specific character roles for people to choose from that already have connections to one another) or else something decided outside of the RP itself. Basically, I don't see how a character sheet influences relationships... and if it enables people to just arbitrarily decide without seeing what kind of natural chemistry the characters have then I'd argue that's another point against sheets like that lol.

Finally, when it comes to description, I just have to flat out disagree. Real books don't have character sheets with detailed descriptions and visuals of the characters and they certainly don't re-describe the character every time they enter a scene (and if they do then I'm not going to finish reading it lol). If that's something someone in a group RP requires then I'd be very concerned about all the other details they're likely missing. A single detailed description at the beginning when first introducing the character should be all you need (and when I say detailed... it doesn't need to be a paragraph, something like this works just as well: "Her face was angular with permanent scowl lines between her eyes. She was short for her species but boasted ample curves, hazel eyes, and mousy brown hair that hung limply to her waist"). After that, doing callbacks to small details like hair colour, eye colour, and body type/size where applicable keeps the image fresh in the reader's mind.

But hey, it's an unpopular opinion for a reason xD Character sheets have become really embedded in RP culture for some reason and many people are too nervous to try without them. If it's something you like/want/feel you need then that's fine, I'd just argue that there's no actual rational reason to feel that way other than it being "the way things are always done."

 

[SP3CT3R]

-Faceclaims! I really don't like using faceclaims! Many times I've seen a roleplay I'd really like to join, but I leave as soon as I realize a faceclaim is obligatory. Simply put, I don't feel comfortable using images for my characters. Not only for the artist's rights, but also because I feel it like just an unnecessary step that really doesn't add anything to the roleplay in my opinion. I prefer writing my character's appearance if needed, but I mostly prefer to just imagine in my head what the characters look like. I usually tell my roleplay partners that I'd prefer skipping faceclaims when I make character sheets with them. The good thing is that this doesn't seem to bother most of the people I roleplay with.

Oh my god? This, right here?

Like, I've never understood why face claims are so popular here, when I've never seen people use them for roleplay characters anywhere else. I usually design the characters' appearances along with the other stuff as I make them, and it's such a pain in the ass having to scrap the image I had of them and use a generic anime character or celebrity. And then I worry about my character being associated with whoever the face claim is and having unwanted implications, feel guilty over using artwork without permission from the creator, and have to change aspects of my character to reflect their appearance. Or scrap the character entirely, because I'm horrible with google image search and often can't find anything close to my character's appearance unless they looked like a generic anime character or celebrity to begin with.

I complain about this constantly, but the website dedicated entirely to roleplaying really needs to take a leaf out of the books of literally every other roleplaying community on the Internet and start being more open to people using written descriptions for their characters.

 

[Lorsh]

making group RPs is futile and will almost always die

 

[Jannah]

making group RPs is futile and will almost always die

That does definitely seem to be the case.

 

[Aerynth]

I dislike character sheets, too, for the sole reason that I find writing them to be boring. I don't enjoy writing about my characters; it's more fun to see the world through their eyes, so to speak, and influence the plot. Like, I want to get to the good stuff right now. It has also happened to me way too often on other roleplay sites that I created a detailed CS only for the DM to disappear, so I don't want to put work into anything that may not come into fruition.

 

[Jitterbug]

Not ever on this website, but on another website that I have abandoned because of multiple incidents like this.

If I'm vanish off this website for long periods of time, it is because I am sicker than you will most likely ever be and sometimes going through chemotherapy makes you just want to sleep for a week, a month, two months.

When I come back and apologize, I don't expect you to want to start the role play again, but I expect you to forgive and forget.

If you bitch and whine at someone about them dropping an RP because of medical issues (or even with no reason at all! This is a hobby, not a requirement), you should log out and forget your password permanently.

But that's just MY tea.​

 

[Fluxbauble]

Maybe this is just me since I only ever play in group RPs, but I fine a simple CS to be a good compromise for most RPs I find myself in. Most of the RPs I find nowadays don't even ask for my character's personality. A nice change of pace from others I've stumbled upon. I don't even ask for personality unless the writer really wants to provide it. Though I will admit I still have the option on the CS just in case out of habit. This may stem from my RP roots being things like Dungeons and Dragons, FATE, and other table top roleplaying games where you tend to make your characters with everyone at the table and there is usually a section on the CS where you can write out a very basic idea of your character's personality. Depending on the setting I feel like a CS is necessary, but most of the time I use one simply because it's what I'm used to. I find that in certain cases a CS doesn't really add to anything other than as a reference sheet for both me and the others in the group to understand what a character looks like and what their powers are if the RP has such a thing. Even now I still make characters for campaigns I'll never play. It's just fun to make characters.

Faceclaims: I'm not exactly sure what they are, but I'm gonna take a wild guess and assume I've been doing it for years without knowing what it was called based on what everyone has been saying. I'm gonna assume it means using a pre-established photo or work of art as your character's image? If that's the case then yeah I can see the problem with it, especially if the original artist is either hard to source or has stated they do not wish to have their art reposted in any way. But I've never felt forced to have one before. A description of my character is easier for me to come up with than finding an image most of the time and I believe I've never stated that players had to have a faceclaim in my CS before. But there are times where I use one to help me come up with a character which in of itself could be deemed as a useful tool. But there is a fine line between a creative tool and outright ripping someones art. I can't say I've never done it, but I can be more aware of it now.

Post requirements: I don't personally care for smaller post requirements. I'm perfectly capable of 1-2 paragraphs of text when I have the free time to post. But things like coding, essay levels of texts, and high post frequency can be a little demanding if outright taxing. Life tends to creep up on ya when you least expect it and sometimes you can't always post as frequently as you wish. I just feel like people need to have more reasonable expectations regarding posting. Especially around this time of year where the holidays are creeping up and people are traveling a lot or are working extra hours. At least that's how it is in my neck of the woods.

I don't think I have an unpopular opinion to share. More like I just wanted to be a part of the conversation and felt like adding in my two cents.

 

[Jannah]

Not ever on this website, but on another website that I have abandoned because of multiple incidents like this.

If I'm vanish off this website for long periods of time, it is because I am sicker than you will most likely ever be and sometimes going through chemotherapy makes you just want to sleep for a week, a month, two months.

When I come back and apologize, I don't expect you to want to start the role play again, but I expect you to forgive and forget.

If you bitch and whine at someone about them dropping an RP because of medical issues (or even with no reason at all! This is a hobby, not a requirement), you should log out and forget your password permanently.

But that's just MY tea.​

This applies equally to mental health as well. Because of my unpredictable mental health my posting frequency tends to fluctuate. Sometimes I'll post multiple times a day, but then other times I'll go weeks without writing anything.

Ultimately, RP'ers need to understand these things before deciding whether they really want to write with the person they're proposing. I usually make it pretty clear in my own interest check threads that my posting patterns are erratic.

 

[Crayons]

I complain about this constantly, but the website dedicated entirely to roleplaying really needs to take a leaf out of the books of literally every other roleplaying community on the Internet and start being more open to people using written descriptions for their characters.

I've been RPing for twenty years all over the place, and I've never been in an RP where it isn't expected that you have an image to represent your character. It's kind of bizarre that you think RPN is a one-off for this.

 

[Lorsh]

Yeah, where I first started roleplaying, you only used text descriptions for appearances. One thing I don't like about faceclaims is that I'll sometimes join a roleplay and see they're filled with anime shit, or otherwise just really silly-looking pictures, and it turns me off.

 

[Jannah]

Yeah, where I first started roleplaying, you only used text descriptions for appearances. One thing I don't like about faceclaims is that I'll sometimes join a roleplay and see they're filled with anime shit, or otherwise just really silly-looking pictures, and it turns me off.

I can't do anime or cartoon FC's in RP's that are meant to be realistic and serious. I just can't. I may let them slide in fantasy settings, though, depending on the plot and atmosphere.

 

[Lorsh]

I can't do anime or cartoon FC's in RP's that are meant to be realistic and serious. I just can't. I may let them slide in fantasy settings, though, depending on the plot and atmosphere.

Yup. Years ago, I was planning on joining a zombie roleplay which I was pretty interested in, then literally everyone posted a CS with an anime FC. Feels bad man.

 

[Jannah]

Yup. Years ago, I was planning on joining a zombie roleplay which I was pretty interested in, then literally everyone posted a CS with an anime FC. Feels bad man.

Idk, something about it ruins the immersion for me.

 

[BakaTheIdiot]

-Faceclaims! I really don't like using faceclaims! Many times I've seen a roleplay I'd really like to join, but I leave as soon as I realize a faceclaim is obligatory. Simply put, I don't feel comfortable using images for my characters. Not only for the artist's rights, but also because I feel it like just an unnecessary step that really doesn't add anything to the roleplay in my opinion. I prefer writing my character's appearance if needed, but I mostly prefer to just imagine in my head what the characters look like. I usually tell my roleplay partners that I'd prefer skipping faceclaims when I make character sheets with them. The good thing is that this doesn't seem to bother most of the people I roleplay with.

Oof, I feel you here. I actually like Faceclaims, but I tend not to use them. Why? Because it's hard as hell to find one that actually fits my characters. As a mercy to spare my comrades from this horror, I almost never require a FC. Seriously, I can write an 8 paragraph CS with Backstory and appearance in the time it takes me to find one face claim. Even when I do, I pop a credit to the artist/photographer, just to be on the safe(ish) side.

 

[Jitterbug]

Here's a few more, Hot Take™ version.

-If someone wants to only play a certain pairing, then you have no right to get annoyed about it. New's flash ya'll! This is a hobby! This is what people do to have fun! It ain't fun if they ain't playing what they want to so get that stick outta your ass with all ya'll's "ItS So AnnNoYiNG WhEn THeY OnlY WaNT To plAY FemAleS" because we all damn know that no one is here to cater to anyone but themselves. Like damn! Don't like it? Don't play with them!

-Listen here ya little shits (none of ya'll are little shits unless you do this, then heck, yes you a r e), if you (a hopefully healthy person) come to me (Someone with stage3+ cancer) and ask 'hey, do you mind if I give my character cancer?', that's fine. I don't mind that at all. What I DO mind is you little wacks taking your character and making them go through things romantically. Do you know how it makes me feel when your whimsical character is going A++ while I'm stuck in a wheelchair, throwing up everything I eat, having severe depression that can't be treated, can't go to popular places because I'm immunocompromised, etc etc?
I get it, you won't know anything about it and I don't expect you to be an expert. I don't expect you to google anything at all! I do, however, ask that if you have a character who is severely ill, to use some common sense. Cancer patients going through chemotherapy will most likely not dress up to go to chemotherapy. We don't skip out of the hospital. And honestly, it kinda makes me feel like shit.
SO basically know your audience and don't be a fucking asshole. You can do that with almost anyone else on here but if you know your partner is sick/has depression/eating disorders/has any issues, don't mock them like that. Find someone else to RP that character with. Fuck that. Fuck you. Throws a chair.

-I don't mind overpowered/perfect characters. I dont like playing them but lots of people do, especially younger kids on here who are just getting into the RP scene. As long as you can give me a few decent paragraphs and help me carry on the story, I'm happy to cater to your desires as long as my needs are met and if that means letting your 4'8 pink-haired-purple-eyed OC throw the empire state building, then so be it. Have fun and go crazy!

-Again. This is for f u n. This is a h o b b y. If you get pissy because someone can't respond as often as you can, it's not their fault if they drop you like a hot potato. No one owes anyone on here anything. Unless you Paypal me and in that case let's go.

-If you're new and have a questin about the site, RPing, world building, etc, I will ALWAYS be happy to answer questions in OOC. Some people don't like to but I don't mind at all because we've all been there. Actually I think this is a pretty common mindset but fuck the dude I first RPed with on here who sneered at me for asking questions. You're a jackoff, sir.

-Faceclaims. Nothing wrong with them, I use them a lot when I can find a decent one. But they should never be required.

-STOP! ASKING! FOR! SMUT! OVER! DISCORD! I will FIGHT YOU!!

And that's the tea today. ​

 

[ShifterOfShapes]

If you can only find time to post once a week you should probably not RP.

That could be true, however I disagree. If you can only post once a week, then that could mean you're waiting for that one moment of escape... Why label posters like that.

 

[peritwinkle]

That could be true, however I disagree. If you can only post once a week, then that could mean you're waiting for that one moment of escape... Why label posters like that.

Or that simply not everyone has the time or inspiration to write more often, especially when it comes to novella-style RPs. To add to it, usually I only have free time in the late evening, and I can’t always sacrifice an hour of sleep for replying.

 

[ShifterOfShapes]

Or that simply not everyone has the time or inspiration to write more often, especially when it comes to novella-style RPs. To add to it, usually I only have free time in the late evening, and I can’t always sacrifice an hour of sleep for replying.

Exactly! The person who made that post made a hasty generalization, imo... Sadly, we all have our real lives.

 

[SP3CT3R]

I've been RPing for twenty years all over the place, and I've never been in an RP where it isn't expected that you have an image to represent your character. It's kind of bizarre that you think RPN is a one-off for this.

I'll admit that I've only been roleplaying for six years or so, but the only other time that I've seen people use faceclaims is on Flight Rising, where the players can insert pictures of the dragons they're using. Otherwise, people used descriptions even if they were roleplaying canon characters.