Experiences Whats making you angry today? Rp pet peeves

[Bells of Nevermore]

As far as what pissed me off today - and this isn't an attack on anyone - but if I get sent one more character sheet of another generic shy princess that's loved by everyone for no reason whatsoever, I'm leaving RPNation. Please just stop.

I have... a psychotic princess, a princess that is a career soldier, a princess with all the lace, frills and golden curls, who is loved by everyone... and who is a sharpshooter that can shoot the nuts off a housefly! I don't do the whole 'nothing but fluff' princess. They boring!

 

[Lenaara]

I have... a psychotic princess, a princess that is a career soldier, a princess with all the lace, frills and golden curls, who is loved by everyone... and who is a sharpshooter that can shoot the nuts off a housefly! I don't do the whole 'nothing but fluff' princess. They boring!

Exactly! I don't mind if the character happens to be shy and a princess, but the people will not love her solely based on the fact that...I'm sorry, I can't think of anything she can contribute unless she's somehow an amazing politician. How is a character like this interesting to write?

 

[Bells of Nevermore]

Thank you. Tropes have their uses, and I find my favorite use is to stand them on their heads. Like... Orcs that are technological, Elves that are sunk in hubris and are downright villainous, and so on. One you might like: were-megalodon. But he is deeply honorable, and he is a hero. :-)

 

[Crayons]

Exactly! I don't mind if the character happens to be shy and a princess, but the people will not love her solely based on the fact that...I'm sorry, I can't think of anything she can contribute unless she's somehow an amazing politician. How is a character like this interesting to write?

I'm assuming you don't live in a country with a monarchy. XDDD People ... love princesses ... solely because they are princesses. Why, I don't know. But damn, that mass hysteria when Princess Diana died tells you something about something. Every time a royal baby is born, we're expected to rejoice in the streets according to the news media. That said, they should definitely NOT expect the other player characters to love them.

Which reminds me of another peeve. When people write in their CS or character description how other people feel about the character. So something like "He is an authoritative man who commands respect from everyone when he enters the room. People feel compelled to respect him." or "Whenever anyone sees her, they want to protect her because she's so cute and shy." Yeah, no. This is god modding from the get-go. Don't tell me what my character is going to think of your character. Let them make their own decisions based on how you RP them ffs.

 

[Bells of Nevermore]

Don't tell me what my character is going to think of your character. Let them make their own decisions based on how you RP them ffs.

There's a flipside of this that drives me just as nuts! Like... if you are a tiny little virginal Elven maiden, and I march my 6'10" Orc King into the room... there are believable and not-so-believable reactions. A believable reaction would be to be really damned scared, whether she shows that or not. Another believable reaction would be 'I need to get myself out of here with my hide and cute pointy ears intact', and attempt to ingratiate myself in some way'. Not believable is looking over and making a point about how not-impressed and not-afraid they are.

 

[Gowi]

Public perception or presence of personality is not godmodding.

 

[Bells of Nevermore]

Public perception or presence of personality is not godmodding.

But there is a huge diff between 'this man wears a natural authority that one cannot fail to perceive' and 'when he walks into the room, people tremble with terror and seek to appease him'. Noticing that the person is really intimidating or charismatic doesn't demand that a character act or react in a given way. Like... my princesses from the example above. The soldier is going to watch the guy in silence and size him up, in case he decides to be some sort of threat. The marksman-princess is going to surreptitiously unsnap her holster and keep her sidearm loose. The crazy one might do anything from attack him to try and seduce him. All have noted that he is really self-assured. It's what they do with that information is different.

 

[Crayons]

Public perception or presence of personality is not godmodding.

It is when they say it applies to "everyone". XD "his men respect and fear him" is different from "everyone respects and fears him." If you want my character to fear and respect your character, have him act in a way that inspires that. Don't just write it as a fact and then play him like an arrogant ass. Show not tell is the first rule of good writing.

Bells of Nevermore ha ha yep this is super annoying too. One of my friends plays a ten foot tall ogre in a low magic, human setting, and it's hilarious when people just don't react to him at all.

 

[Bells of Nevermore]

One of my friends plays a ten foot tall ogre in a low magic, human setting, and it's hilarious when people just don't react to him at all.

There is this badass thing called a 'middle ground'. Another badass thing is 'nuance'. And there are sooo many players that need these things!

 

[Gowi]

Very true. Posture, presence, etc have no indication how another character will react. They are just descriptors. An irreverent character won't care much about those things.

 

[Crayons]

There is this badass thing called a 'middle ground'. Another badass thing is 'nuance'. And there are sooo many players that need these things!

On the flip side, people whose characters grandstand constantly and you get so bored of it your characters stop reacting. XD

 

[Bells of Nevermore]

An irreverent character won't care much about those things.

Some people abuse that concept because they want to be edgelords and pee all over someone's character concept. Know what I mean?

 

[Bells of Nevermore]

On the flip side, people whose characters grandstand constantly and you get so bored of it your characters stop reacting. XD

OMG, this!! Freaking drives me bugshit.

 

[Bells of Nevermore]

(And I think the bunch of us just in this little section should start a group RP or something!)

 

[Gowi]

It is when they say it applies to "everyone". XD "his men respect and fear him" is different from "everyone respects and fears him."

That doesn't appear to me as a literal everyone but a generalization started figuratively. Your character isn't included in everyone there.

Show Don't Tell is a writing principal misused too often these days to belittle and devalue descriptive writing. There is balance in principles.

 

[Bells of Nevermore]

Yup, in all things, moderation. And RP is a little unusual in that it does require some 'tell' in the form of things like bios and character descriptions.

 

[Gowi]

Some of the greatest novels of all-time "tell". Others "show". I think this is forgotten in our medium due to the narrative of purple prose and such.

 

[Crayons]

That doesn't appear to me as a literal everyone but a generalization started figuratively. Your character isn't included in everyone there.

Show Don't Tell is a writing principal misused too often these days to belittle and devalue descriptive writing. There is balance in principles.

You say that, but I think a lot of people genuinely expect all characters to react in a pre planned way to their character. People should stay away from preempting reactions in their descriptions.

Descriptive writing is showing. XD

 

[Bells of Nevermore]

I use whatever is needed for the scene, whether it be in a book I am writing or in RP. Hell, even post length has no meaning in soe cases. One of the most impactful posts in an RP I was in, was this.

He stepped out of the room, ashen, beads of sweat glinting on his brow. "She's dead," he said.

 

[Gowi]

You speak in hyperbole and presumptions. Good role-players don't want set reactions; bad role-players do.

 

[Crayons]

You speak in hyperbole and presumptions. Good role-players don't want set reactions; bad role-players do.

Yeah, and my peeve is about those bad role players

 

[Gowi]

Roleplaying should focus on developing interesting and complex characters that become part of plot-lines which catch the imagination and inspire the writer behind them to exercise creativity. It is mature, humorous, imaginative, tragic, terrifying, passionate, and rife with descriptive language and characters with real personality and relatable cares. Quality posting is far better than needless novels, yet one should never neglect detail when one feels the need. However, while word and paragraph requirements ought to be unnecessary, single paragraphs cannot contain enough detail to suffice.

 

[Gowi]

Though sometimes single paragraphs are all you need. Every mantra has exceptions I've found.

 

[Bells of Nevermore]

That one line stalled the chat room. No one quite knew what to do. I found out later that two people were in tears. But then... there had been a lot leading up to the death of that character, too, though.

 

[Gowi]

Yeah. A good bookend or zinger can do that.