What trait(s) annoys you most in characters?

[Umbrie]

lol I'm not asking for a definition of Telepathy. I am stating that I don't like people using telepathy as an excuse to metagame which is a different problem entirely. 

i was explaining why using telepathy to metagame is a nonsensical sack of horse bile. because using the ability to pick up metagame knowledge requires a lot of active effort, meaning you aren't reacting to the knowledge. Telepathy as an excuse to metagame shows a lousy understanding of telepathy. 

 

[call me rae]

i was explaining why using telepathy to metagame is a nonsensical sack of horse bile. because using the ability to pick up metagame knowledge requires a lot of active effort, meaning you aren't reacting to the knowledge. Telepathy as an excuse to metagame shows a lousy understanding of telepathy. 

Which is basically agreeing with everything I said. I was never saying I as a person was misusing telepathy I was saying That it irritates me when other people do it. 


I am am not using telepathy nor do I have any desire to do so.

 

[Umbrie]

Which is basically agreeing with everything I said. I was never saying I as a person was misusing telepathy I was saying That it irritates me when other people do it. 


I am am not using telepathy nor do I have any desire to do so.

i actually had a Telepath who used Telepathy for interrogation in a Tabletop Roleplay as a Psionic Detective. i mean, she had other psychic powers as well, but she wasn't a combatant. she was Telepath that also happened to be a Seer and an Empath.

 

[call me rae]

i actually had a Telepath who used Telepathy for interrogation in a Tabletop Roleplay as a Psionic Detective. i mean, she had other psychic powers as well, but she wasn't a combatant. she was Telepath that also happened to be a Seer and an Empath.

look i'm sorry if this sounds rude but to be perfectly frank i could care less what characters you play. you and i work in vastly different genres so chances of us ever actually having a roleplay together are pretty much zip. that being the case it shouldn't matter to you what my general opinions are about specific character traits that bother me. 


i don't like telepathy because it leads to metagaming. i shouldn't have to justify my opinions on the matter as the entire purpose of this thread is to talk about character traits that bother you.

 

[Aphnex]

For me it's the generic: "My family died. Now I'm a corresponding Sasuke wandering the world for vengeance in no original way whatsoever." There's no image to their character at that point. In my opinion, it's not a bad reason to use a death for "insert plot advancement here", but it shouldn't be the defining characteristic at the start of their character arc. 

 

[Lord Pug]

.... Martial arts, bad for you. Nonsensical fiction allowing you to manipulate the situation in drastic and impractical ways, good for you?


Maybe I'm reading it way wrong, I dunno, lol. Either way, you just said practical strategy is bad for you, at the same time over simplifying to make your point. Sounds like you just hate realistic combat. And almost any highly trained fighter or soldier will not have too much emotion during combat. Remaining clam and focused is the key to success and victory. But I think I know what you mean,  subtle emotions and realistic reactions.

• I hate characters who are overtly edgy or confrontational to a fault. Like that impossible character who never seems to be able to oblige, agree, or cooperate. They are always upset, pursuing ulterior motives, being difficult and combative about the most basic things.  Usually the will meet everything with resistance or complications of some kind. When they do happen to just go with the flow, there's always a catch.
  

"I will disarm that bomb... But only because that timer is annoying me.. So you're lucky. Otherwise I'd gladly let you all die."


Go see a good therapist, join a support group. Work on yourself, because your deep mental and emotion issues are so obvious you look like a Metroid boss.

• Characters that consistently contradict themselves (not little things driven by plot or development) because they weren't properly developed, or the writer is just flying by the seat of their pants.
  

• I hate characters that refuse to show any form weakness or vulnerability unless it's initiated by the writer (not an outside force or other character), and usually minor things that don't even count.
  

"I'm too angry."


"I hate everyone."


"I don't care about right or wrong."


"An old injury from when I killed a legion of greater demons keeps flaring up (but it's nothing I can't manage when it comes time to fight )"


"I'm too damaged from my haunting past to do what I know deep down is right..."


Amateur hour is happening at your own damn RP, why don't you check that out.

• Needy characters who do nothing but stall the plot and attention seek.
  

"Come on, we have to kill this guy before he destroys the entire fucking world!"


"I can't...   I'm not strong enough. I'll only get in the way....  "


Then why the fuck did you join the RP? Write a solo work in the Creativity section you fucking weirdo!


"Bella! We gotta get the fuck outta here! Those zombies will be here any minute, and we'll both be ripped to fucking shreds!"


*Falls, snapping her ankle* 'Help, Cody! I cna't get up!  (Babysit me until my ankle heals or I die )"


You're on your own bitch, I didn't sign up for a fuckin' Lifetime movie!

• I hate people who don't know their head from their ass and their ass from a hole in the ground when in comes to combat. Unable to sell the fight when it comes to their own character. NO knowledge of practical combat dynamics, physics, or the human anatomy, fantasy or not. Refuse to accept losing the advantage, even though they made an objectively bad choice.
  

*Throws wide, looping strike against a trained fighter (instead of a linear strike)*


*Has arm caught and placed in joint lock*


*Throws hissy fit in OOC or PM*


You're right, bro. I should downplay and short my character because you have no idea what you're doing.


And I'm not against magic or special abilities, but creative responsibility is always watching and judging you. Even magic can be executed practically.


"I just got stabbed..."

"... But my body, doesn't know what going into shock or blood loss even means... *snickers* I've still got 10 good posts of wide-open fight left in me."

• Tacky Japanime kids in general.
  

This is so me.


The typical character I come across in RPs (especially Undertale ones, which is why I have a 'no OC' rule for Undertale RPs) is:


My parents are both dead and I killed the people who killed them. I also killed a whole ton of people who weren't involved in any way. I have a variety of different diseases but I can fight like a trained martial artist anyway. I have no soul even though I can love somehow. And don't forget that I'm devilishly handsome and my eye color changes with my mood but it's always black anyway. Did I mention that I only have one eye because I lost the other one but I'm not going to tell you how? I have a billion different magical abilities but I'm not going to tell you about any of them, I'm just going to reveal them when you try to attack me so that I can counter any of your attacks. And don't forget that I'm super suicidal but I never end up actually doing it because that would end the RP.

 

[Thief]

Most of my annoyances have already been said, but here's another one:


Characters (well, the players behind them) who have to make everything about them. They always have to have the spotlight/focus, every action scene has to star them, every emotional scene has to be about them/their problems, and so on. They hijack everything they're part of.

 

[DrTrollinski]

13 hours ago, Thief said:



Most of my annoyances have already been said, but here's another one:


Characters (well, the players behind them) who have to make everything about them. They always have to have the spotlight/focus, every action scene has to star them, every emotional scene has to be about them/their problems, and so on. They hijack everything they're part of.




 

Very true; although it doesn't directly relate to characters, another thing I don't like is when the character bonds and so on get taken OOC, and suddenly you've got someone latched onto you. I don't mind RP'ing with people, obviously, and generally the stuff I RP is pretty open-ended, but when people get clingy it just makes it creepy.

 

[minerva]

Depressed characters. Don't get me wrong, let me explain: I understand depression and self-harming (generally stuff like that) are a common problem, and I do get it that sometimes fictional characters like that are necessary in a roleplay. But if a character is depressed and suicidal because her mother died and father used to beat her, so she had to run away; therefore she was homeless, then she got pregnant, murdered her newborn and ate it, and now she's alcoholic. Well... first of all -- that's too much. And there truly are many characters with a freaked up story. But what is even worse is when their story doesn't affect them at all. That's what a background is for -- to explain the character's values and show what formed their character, isn't it? But if a character that got kicked out of their house and had a toxic relationship with a pimp, acts as if nothing ever happened, as if they're just a typical girl next door with problems like no time to go shopping rather than their past haunting them... People like that don't act like "normal" people. Then why would you give a character such a story if you're not planning on linking them with their personality whatsoever?

 

[TheCarolean]

Depressed characters. Don't get me wrong, let me explain: I understand depression and self-harming (generally stuff like that) are a common problem, and I do get it that sometimes fictional characters like that are necessary in a roleplay. But if a character is depressed and suicidal because her mother died and father used to beat her, so she had to run away; therefore she was homeless, then she got pregnant, murdered her newborn and ate it, and now she's alcoholic. Well... first of all -- that's too much. And there truly are many characters with a freaked up story. But what is even worse is when their story doesn't affect them at all. That's what a background is for -- to explain the character's values and show what formed their character, isn't it? But if a character that got kicked out of their house and had a toxic relationship with a pimp, acts as if nothing ever happened, as if they're just a typical girl next door with problems like no time to go shopping rather than their past haunting them... People like that don't act like "normal" people. Then why would you give a character such a story if you're not planning on linking them with their personality whatsoever?

I like it when people have a fucked up backstory but rather than being depressed, they are just very fucked up. Not the stereotypical insane, but genuinely evil characters. Like they have no morals, only care about themselves and view others as tools, nothing more, and they get pleasure from doing what they do. 

 

[DrTrollinski]

Just now, TheCarolean said:





I like it when people have a fucked up backstory but rather than being depressed, they are just very fucked up. Not the stereotypical insane, but genuinely evil characters. Like they have no morals, only care about themselves and view others as tools, nothing more, and they get pleasure from doing what they do. 




 

Depends. A lot of people do this very wrong, but I do agree.

 

[Esper Alucard]

The violent one: Violence, violence and more violence. Its hard to tell if these characters even have emotion, for it is masked with constant physical or verbal violence. Accidentally tripped by a nerdy kid thats saying sorry? Beat him to death. Someone's in your seat? Kick them off. Dropped your ketchup packet? Throw the person next to you into the wall. These characters are commonly beyond mary sue and never try nice things like a hug or kiss.

 

[DrTrollinski]

3 minutes ago, Black Susano'o said:



The violent one: Violence, violence and more violence. Its hard to tell if these characters even have emotion, for it is masked with constant physical or verbal violence. Accidentally tripped by a nerdy kid thats saying sorry? Beat him to death. Someone's in your seat? Kick them off. Dropped your ketchup packet? Throw the person next to you into the wall. These characters are commonly beyond mary sue and never try nice things like a hug or kiss.




 

Yeah, I hate this, too.

 

[TheCarolean]

Depends. A lot of people do this very wrong, but I do agree.

Well when it is done wrong obviously it is terrible, but it's good when done right.

 

[M.J. Saulnier]

Oh, I see. That would be really annoying if someone did that. Thankfully, I haven't come across someone like that yet.  

Some people are more clever with metagaming, and since they can't resist drawing attention and esteem to their character, hey will try to justify it by good deductive skills, or some past affiliation or privileges to that information.


"You're a former soldier aren't you? Worked for _____? I can tel by your mannerisms, the way you handled that weapon. You can always spot a ______ man, because __________."


"I knew your father."


"I've been researching you for quite some time."


It's really annoying.






I detest godmodding.


I'm not talking about 1 character having the number of another, or a distinct advantage, that's realism. The character limited to martial arts can probably give a warrior using melee weapons a really good fight, but is probably going to have a very hard time fighting a magic user. That's common sense, and I would hope we all understand and abide by that. But when people just plain refuse to allow their character to be touched or gotten the better of, it becomes asinine, pathetic and annoying. An ultimate antagonist doesn't exactly count. Sometimes a villain is really powerful by design.


There's nothing worse than watching someone caught like a deer in headlights against a textbook godmodder.


'Well... It didn't even want to have this page 1 post 3 fight with you in our mutual friend's RP.. But now the town we were doing something important in is nothing but a smoldering ruin, I have several fatal stab wounds, 3rd degree burns over 60% of my body, you're summoning demons and shit, we're both supposed to be protagonists, and I'm thinking about quitting RP all together..."


What's even worse is having to fight a godmod kid.


*raises index and ring fingers extended vertically along the bridge of nose*


Super ultra-sonic Japanime attack negation ability!


I tend to humor these people and best them by conventional means of being more dynamic, clever, and knowledgeable, but sometimes they just want to be an invulnerable little nuisance and dominate every conflict they encounter throughout the course of an entire RP, as if they've been given the monopoly on combat superiority even when to look at their CS, or see them fight, it's completely unwarranted on general grounds.


I tend to humor these people as they desperately project their real world issues on the RP. But sometimes it gets a little too out of hand and you can feel it from everyone else involved. That's when I get on their level, and drive them bat-shit crazy because 1: There is nothing their character can do about it when I match their level of force and resourcefulness, and 2: the whole thing becomes a pathetic, juvenile display of bad form that leaves them feeling exposed and made a mockery of.


It may get me in some trouble with the odd GM on principal, but more times I get pleasant PMs because people were waiting for someone to administer a dose of their own poison.

 

[Esper Alucard]

Some people are more clever with metagaming, and since they can't resist drawing attention and esteem to their character, hey will try to justify it by good deductive skills, or some past affiliation or privileges to that information.

The only way i see this possible is if theres some type of Antagonist where they have all the information in the world, and tries to use it against the protagonist. I have trouble with combat when it comes to these people, but i do find it fun (only because i pull off a godmod and use a hidden Summoning Statue to swap my item set for Leonardo, i always get away with this). And "all info in the world" was an exaggeration, i meant all about your character, other than history MOST OF THE TIME

 

[Umbrie]

the Pervert. i don't necessarily mean perverted characters, i mean the roleplayer who can't even go 5 minutes with their character losing her clothes or flashing somebody her panties. please, don't try to perform Acrobatics in a fudging miniskirt just to show off your character's extremely lewd and tasteless choice in lingerie. i don't mind the school uniform on a student or the nightingale nurse getup on an actual nurse; but when your character is walking around dressed like a French Maid for no reason but the sex appeal in the fudging mall, literally doing handstands in that short maid skirt and constantly tripping left and right like a klutz,  and literally bumping into random girls to get your face full of boob or your crotch full of face, the problem is with you as a roleplayer.

 

[Esper Alucard]

the Pervert.

*Hides*

 

[DrTrollinski]

the Pervert. i don't necessarily mean perverted characters, i mean the roleplayer who can't even go 5 minutes with their character losing her clothes or flashing somebody her panties. please, don't try to perform Acrobatics in a fudging miniskirt just to show off your character's extremely lewd and tasteless choice in lingerie. i don't mind the school uniform on a student or the nightingale nurse getup on an actual nurse; but when your character is walking around dressed like a French Maid for no reason but the sex appeal in the fudging mall, literally doing handstands in that short maid skirt and constantly tripping left and right like a klutz,  and literally bumping into random girls to get your face full of boob or your crotch full of face, the problem is with you as a roleplayer.

This annoys me beyond all extremes.

 

[Umbrie]

*Hides*

Perverts are Scary. not that i intended to call you one

This annoys me beyond all extremes.

truesies

 

[Esper Alucard]

Perverts are Scary.

rawr 

 

[Umbrie]

rawr 

Robot Girl is cute. is Robot Girl Secretly one of them?

 

[AtlannianSpy]

Characters who are clearly supposed to be the protagonists of some other story. Like they have some backstory element or all of these relationships that are clearly way outside the scope of the rp.


When exactly in this mission centric rp focused around a single small town do you think you're going to get to resolve the issue of your villainous half uncle who murdered your father and usurped his corporate Empire? 


In general it's way more obvious than people think when their character is some precious darling they've had in fifty previous rps and can't let go of or improve even if they don't really fit the current project. Probably the reason this irks me so much is that I used to do it a bit. Once I started running my own rps and realised how much work it is to do well I startes trying to make characters that mesh with and support the world instead clashing with it.

 

[Umbrie]

Characters who are clearly supposed to be the protagonists of some other story. Like they have some backstory element or all of these relationships that are clearly way outside the scope of the rp.


When exactly in this mission centric rp focused around a single small town do you think you're going to get to resolve the issue of your villainous half uncle who murdered your father and usurped his corporate Empire? 


In general it's way more obvious than people think when their character is some precious darling they've had in fifty previous rps and can't let go of or improve even if they don't really fit the current project. Probably the reason this irks me so much is that I used to do it a bit. Once I started running my own rps and realised how much work it is to do well I startes trying to make characters that mesh with and support the world instead clashing with it.

this is where you have to treat each roleplay the character is involved in as a separate timeline. i Recycle Umbrie a lot, but the Umbrie in one RPworld is different from the Umbrie in another RP world. they might have similar mechanics or character builds, but they diverge on different paths based on what they experience in the roleplay. so the little friendly and wealthy childish assassin might go on different paths as a response to different things, or features about her species might have to be altered to suit the setting. maybe the verse doesn't have nymphs or nyxads, but a pale drow or simply a nocturnal human could fill the role. at her core, she is sweet, friendly, smart, and plays an innocent persona but also physically small, frail and light, which could fit in any universe. she might be an assassin in one universe, a noble scion in another, an otaku in a third or a pokemon trainer in a fourth

 

[AtlannianSpy]

this is where you have to treat each roleplay the character is involved in as a separate timeline. i Recycle Umbrie a lot, but the Umbrie in one RPworld is different from the Umbrie in another RP world. they might have similar mechanics or character builds, but they diverge on different paths based on what they experience in the roleplay. so the little friendly and wealthy childish assassin might go on different paths as a response to different things, or features about her species might have to be altered to suit the setting. maybe the verse doesn't have nymphs or nyxads, but a pale drow or simply a nocturnal human could fill the role. at her core, she is sweet, friendly, smart, and plays an innocent persona but also physically small, frail and light, which could fit in any universe. she might be an assassin in one universe, a noble scion in another, an otaku in a third or a pokemon trainer in a fourth

Or you could just make a new character instead of limiting yourself. Characters aren't precious jewels that need to be protected and put on a pedestal, they're tools for exploring that should be used roughly, experimented with and tossed aside if you need a new approach. New worlds, new stories deserve new characters not a slightly refurbished hand me down. The more a character is connected to the world around them the more authentic and three dimensional they'll be and the more a world influences and affects the people in it the more realistic and alive it's going to feel. Importing characters with a "What should I change to make them work in this rp" is always going to lessen that synergistic effect.