Viewpoint Unpopular roleplay opinions?

[Epiphany]

Another unpopular roleplay opinion that I've expressed before but feel compelled to express again:
Personality writeups on character sheets should be deleted (or never written in the first place).

1. Personality sections of character sheets are the ultimate RPing crime of 'Telling rather than Showing'.
2. It's either too simplistic because how people behave varies enormously depending on who and where they are, or they're so detailed no one will ever read much less remember it.
3. A well written backstory will tell you plenty about what a character is likely to be like anyway*.
4. It creates OOC friction for other players, because of that telling vs. showing issue. Someone whose sheet says "I'm shy but deeply loyal" creates logical dissonance if how their character comes across to me is as a bitch**. I'm put in the position of either ignoring their personality section (my usual default) or if they call me out, they're asking me to ignore what their character says and does in play and instead react as if their character's speech and actions actually matched their personality section.

*Addendum #1: "Why not ban backstory/history while you're at it?"
Yes, it's also a case of showing rather than telling. However, it has the additional utility of helping roleplays to not end up with three mercenary swordmaster orphans with a grudge to settle against three different kings. Or otherwise end up duplicating elements that steal the niche an earlier-posting player claimed as their own. But if I saw an Interest Check with character sheets that had no public backstory/history listed, that's not a deal-breaker for me.

**Addendum#2: "What if I'm not trying to play a bitch?"
That's where good OOC communication solves the issue and helps you write your character in a way that better conveys what kind of character you're trying to portray. An incredibly underutilized (or occasionally overutilized) tool is writing body language, mentioning tone. Text lacks the visual cues we're used to. For example:

"God, you're such a bitch", Angelica said, shaking her head and visibly struggling to repress her laughter vs.​

"God, you're such a bitch" Angelica said flatly, hands on her hips, followed by two seconds of staring before pivoting on a heel to turn around and walk away.​

Bonus Round: What's so bad about a character and/or a player misunderstanding what your character's intentions are, occasionally? People should misunderstand each other, now and then. It happens all the time in real life. It happens at least five times an episode in every CW show, for that matter.

If I write something that's meant to be sarcastic, and another character takes it seriously, that's not a flaw, that's a good complication and it sets up some great character-defining moments.

 

[SP3CT3R]

i wasn't agreeing about the long posts, just the profiles : P

This is a long post which is meant to integrate every bit of neccessity, the same way long posts as a strong start are used to establish a lot of background details and stuff. Short posts are of better quality if they have long posts to build off at the origin.

I was being obnoxious because I have nothing to contribute to the discourse.

 

[Crow]

Another unpopular roleplay opinion that I've expressed before but feel compelled to express again:
Personality writeups on character sheets should be deleted (or never written in the first place).

1. Personality sections of character sheets are the ultimate RPing crime of 'Telling rather than Showing'.
2. It's either too simplistic because how people behave varies enormously depending on who and where they are, or they're so detailed no one will ever read much less remember it.
3. A well written backstory will tell you plenty about what a character is likely to be like anyway*.
4. It creates OOC friction for other players, because of that telling vs. showing issue. Someone whose sheet says "I'm shy but deeply loyal" creates logical dissonance if how their character comes across to me is as a bitch**. I'm put in the position of either ignoring their personality section (my usual default) or if they call me out, they're asking me to ignore what their character says and does in play and instead react as if their character's speech and actions actually matched their personality section.

Oh god, I feel this way too much sometimes. Not completely, but it's definitely in the 'no one reads' or 'people have a hard time coming up with something because they're better at showing than telling' territory. I for one have difficulty writing personality profiles, but I can write the way a character acts and reacts just fine, even the niche situations that a character might act different, and how a character may act differently around different people.

 

[Grey]

three mercenary swordmaster orphans with a grudge to settle against three different kings.

Unironically this sounds like a fun plot, though.

 

[BackSet]

DISCORD OOC S U C C

*politely* Thank you.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Epiphany also a lot of people apparently don't know what a personality is. I've seen people put personality traits in the weaknesses section :

ie. My character has laser vision and his weakness is that he's antisocial.

Or the reverse where they put physical traits in the personality section.

ie. My character's personality is shy and clumsy.

In both cases it's like... do you not understand the question? I do elevator pitches personally so it's kind of up to the individual what they add in. I'm like look I just need a paragraph or two describing your character. If you use that space to tell me about their personality fine. If you use it to describe their backstory also fine. If you use it to describe their outfit, I mean you meet requirements but probably not gonna roleplay with you.

 

[defenderofberk]

Epiphany also a lot of people apparently don't know what a personality is. I've seen people put personality traits in the weaknesses section :

ie. My character has laser vision and his weakness is that he's antisocial.

Or the reverse where they put physical traits in the personality section.

ie. My character's personality is shy and clumsy.

In both cases it's like... do you not understand the question? I do elevator pitches personally so it's kind of up to the individual what they add in. I'm like look I just need a paragraph or two describing your character. If you use that space to tell me about their personality fine. If you use it to describe their backstory also fine. If you use it to describe their outfit, I mean you meet requirements but probably not gonna roleplay with you.

Admittedly I'm clumsy as hell and it has nothing to do with my personality.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Admittedly I'm clumsy as hell and it has nothing to do with my personality.

That's my point. It isn't a personality trait. It's a physical trait.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Also something the whole feminist spiel has reminded me of is another unpopular opinion:

Words do not have universal meanings. I know a lot of roleplayers struggle with this but I would say that if you have been in this game long enough you can name half a dozen words that have different meanings based on who is talking.

A good example would be Muse. Some people think that means "Inspiration to Write" others think it means "A Character" and others think it has something to do with mythology.

I have definitely run into situations where it doesn't occur to me that the word my partner is using has a very different meaning to them than it does to me until we're well into the planning stage.

 

[BackSet]

Okay but it's only two of those things, like, officially.

 

[Nisurasyn]

It's the rule of moderation in post length, for me. I prefer roleplays where the posts have substance and it's not only dialogue; I want to know what your characters are thinking and feeling. But I also don't like when people think that droning on with overwhelming, unnecessary details to lengthen their posts is what makes it good writing.

I also don't like the "amnesiac/unknown history" trope unless it's for a good reason.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Okay but it's only two of those things, like, officially.

That’s my point though. I have met people who fully believe one or two of those things are common knowledge. That officially they mean X definition.

And the definition is never the same. It’s why I said it’s like feminism.

what it “officially” means is going to vary wildly depending on who you are talking to.

 

[defenderofberk]

That’s my point though. I have met people who fully believe one or two of those things are common knowledge. That officially they mean X definition.

And the definition is never the same. It’s why I said it’s like feminism.

what it “officially” means is going to vary wildly depending on who you are talking to.

Well yeah that's why I say you have feminism and modern feminism. I agree with feminism but disagree with modern feminism, as there is a huge difference.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Well yeah that's why I say you have feminism and modern feminism. I agree with feminism but disagree with modern feminism, as there is a huge difference.

No offense but I have a feeling that all your definitions of feminism are pretty idiocentric. Like your using feminism in the same way someone using Muse to mean "a character". So it's clear enough what you mean based on context clues but it's also a pretty niche definition.

 

[Nisurasyn]

Another one now that I think about it is when a roleplay partner tries to control my characters rather than interpreting/assuming how they might react.

i.e. "to your character's shock,____."
and of course in battle scenes the cliche incapacitation of your character due to their oh so powerful, unstoppable mary/gary sues.

I'm completely off topic here but my gosh that is a pet peeve of mine Dx

 

[defenderofberk]

No offense but I have a feeling that all your definitions of feminism are pretty idiocentric. Like your using feminism in the same way someone using Muse to mean "a character". So it's clear enough what you mean based on context clues but it's also a pretty niche definition.

You're the one that said the two are similar and reraised the issue?

 

[rae2nerdy]

Another one now that I think about it is when a roleplay partner tries to control my characters rather than interpreting/assuming how they might react.

i.e. "to your character's shock,____."
and of course in battle scenes the cliche incapacitation of your character due to their oh so powerful, unstoppable mary/gary sues.

I'm completely off topic here but my gosh that is a pet peeve of mine Dx

Actually using the "might" react tendency is kind of unpopular. I think most people just sort of - do action - okay now you post your reaction.

 

[Franklin]

Um, I'm very sorry but I really disagree with the feminism talk in here. I just really have to put my two cents here. There is no "modern feminism". The feminism you see in media or what a lot of people refer to feminism is not. I can sort of grapple with what I feel defenderofberk is trying to get at. This is backlash effect. Something completely different and often comes about when there is a grotesque abuse of an ideal.

Feminism is not just for women. It encompasses the whole dynamic of community.So, that means men and women. Feminism is merely a word for a movement that happened when it was needed. It just really makes me cringe when there is a sort of false perception of what feminism is. It's not a strong bad ass women character, it's not a woman who puts down men, it's not a woman who is comfortable beating a man or falling into male gender stereotypes. It's none of those things so I mean as a feminist raised by a feminist. This makes me really want to vomit. The feminist ideals are drowning in the ego of people who think they know what their talking about. Okay, fewf, that sort of relieved the dead weight on my chest.

Feminism is the want to transform the world into a place both sex's can be valued equally. Feminism was also brought about the suffragette movement when you know women were not allowed to vote or were ostracized for having modern views.

Great feminists that come to mind are Alexandria the Great, Harriet Tubman, Lily Thomland or Jane Fonda. I mean not some flashy character in a book or on screen.

Please, please please, please please stop using the word feminism to describe things that are completely against the feminist ideals. A true feminist would be passionate about domestic violence against men as much as women.

Just gah, sorry lol long vent. I see this on multiple threads actually.

 

[Nisurasyn]

I see it more commonly in the one-liner, dialogue-based roleplays and generally with younger writers that are very excited about their characters and creativity. Of course, not to generalize and say that every young writer or short-post roleplayer is this way! It's just not my preference and I can only speak from my experience.

 

[rae2nerdy]

Franklin honestly at this point the word has as much meaning as "agenda". So I hear someone start ranting about "feminism" I know I'm in for a "there is a krimpet agenda and they are tied into the capitalist illuminati who control society." level discourse.

It's a gotcha word used by people of bad faith to punish people they don't agree with. It's gotten to the point I don't trust anyone who calls themselves a feminist online. If you have to give yourself the title then it's because your actions aren't enough to show you care about equality. And anyone who needs a word to show how great they are isn't all that great to start with.

 

[rae2nerdy]

I see it more commonly in the one-liner, dialogue-based roleplays and generally with younger writers that are very excited about their characters and creativity. Of course, not to generalize and say that every young writer or short-post roleplayer is this way! It's just not my preference and I can only speak from my experience.

Yeah I think a lot of first timers struggle with sharing control. I started at eighteen so fairly old by most roleplayers standards and I did a lot of the same thing. I think it's because a lot of us are coming from a book perspective. So it takes some getting used to to realize that we don't have sole control over the narrative, we gotta share with our partners.

 

[defenderofberk]

Um, I'm very sorry but I really disagree with the feminism talk in here. I just really have to put my two cents here. There is no "modern feminism". The feminism you see in media or what a lot of people refer to feminism is not. I can sort of grapple with what I feel defenderofberk is trying to get at. This is backlash effect. Something completely different and often comes about when there is a grotesque abuse of an ideal.

Feminism is not just for women. It encompasses the whole dynamic of community.So, that means men and women. Feminism is merely a word for a movement that happened when it was needed. It just really makes me cringe when there is a sort of false perception of what feminism is. It's not a strong bad ass women character, it's not a woman who puts down men, it's not a woman who is comfortable beating a man or falling into male gender stereotypes. It's none of those things so I mean as a feminist raised by a feminist. This makes me really want to vomit. The feminist ideals are drowning in the ego of people who think they know what their talking about. Okay, fewf, that sort of relieved the dead weight on my chest.

Feminism is the want to transform the world into a place both sex's can be valued equally. Feminism was also brought about the suffragette movement when you know women were not allowed to vote or were ostracized for having modern views.

Great feminists that come to mind are Alexandria the Great, Harriet Tubman, Lily Thomland or Jane Fonda. I mean not some flashy character in a book or on screen.

Please, please please, please please stop using the word feminism to describe things that are completely against the feminist ideals. A true feminist would be passionate about domestic violence against men as much as women.

Just gah, sorry lol long vent. I see this on multiple threads actually.

I agree with you actually, but unfortunately with these films of 'badass strong women putting men down' the directors/producers/actors will say "this is a feminist project" which obviously tarnishes the view of feminism.

 

[Crenando]

Really, where are all these all-powerful Mary Sues at? People bring them up all the time in threads like these, even if it's the opposite of an unpopular opinion.
In my experience, if anyone posts a CS like that, RP-runners normally turn them down immediately.
I see more underpowered angsty boring characters nowadays because people completely misunderstand why Mary Sues are disliked.

 

[defenderofberk]

Really, where are all these all-powerful Mary Sues at? People bring them up all the time in threads like these, even if it's the opposite of an unpopular opinion.
In my experience, if anyone posts a CS like that, RP-runners normally turn them down immediately.
I see more underpowered angsty boring characters nowadays because people completely misunderstand why Mary Sues are disliked.

Honestly I prefer Mary Sues over "underpowered" angst filled characters.

 

[Franklin]

I agree with you actually, but unfortunately with these films of 'badass strong women putting men down' the directors/producers/actors will say "this is a feminist project" which obviously tarnishes the view of feminism.

Which is why its our responsibility to point out when the ideal is being used incorrectly.