I am a pessimist, so we will start with what this topic is not. It is not a topic requesting the ability to write custom description. So don't winge at me.
What it is, though, is an idea, and a possible repository for people to dump ideas. We don't get a lot of description choices in Chargen. People look the same in a lot of cases, and it makes me sad. why not have more, optional, things that you can fill out, preferably at any time. Things you could change, like hair-style in limited capacity. Things that might not change except in extreme circumstance, like one's general bearing (grim, hard, severe, playful, etcetera just examples don't winge at me).
Put in ideas? Please? I want to see people and what they look like without having to resort to uncommonly used colors, specialty GM specific description changes or rarely available merchant custom strings. And yes, I want to be special. Don't winge at me.
Suggestions Needed: Describe Up!
Re: Suggestions Needed: Describe Up!
I think the addition of things like the ability to fiddle with your hair, put on stuff like kohl and whatever other sorts of make-up might be setting-appropriate (though probably rare in the Lost Lands), and more clothing options (like hair ribbons that appear in your look description) might alleviate this a bit but... maybe... yeah, I'm a little low on ideas, I admit.
Re: Suggestions Needed: Describe Up!
In my opinion, if you want to RP a hairstyle, nothing should stop you from including it in your emotes. If you haven't been sleeping well and have bags under your eyes, include that in your emotes as well. If you got into a bar fight and now have a black eye, include that. If we start making these kinds of things permanently available, My fear is that players will latch on to a single appearance, and will rarely deviate from it. In short, more mechanics and effort will need to be expended in order for us to be exactly where we already are.
If you think this is wining, my apologies. My opinion stems from the idea that content trumps narrative. What that means is how you portray your character comes down to their actions and words, rather than how they are physically portrayed. Are you a bad ass who shouldn't be trifled with because you've slayed anyone who's crossed you? Or are you a bad ass who shouldn't be trifled with because your hair is always spiky.
If you think this is wining, my apologies. My opinion stems from the idea that content trumps narrative. What that means is how you portray your character comes down to their actions and words, rather than how they are physically portrayed. Are you a bad ass who shouldn't be trifled with because you've slayed anyone who's crossed you? Or are you a bad ass who shouldn't be trifled with because your hair is always spiky.
wander without wanting, thrust into lands unknown. the shadows shift and change, and the worlds with them.
I'm not a soldier but I'm fighting
Can you hear me through the silence?
I won't give up 'cause there will be a day
We'll meet again
I'm not a soldier but I'm fighting
Can you hear me through the silence?
I won't give up 'cause there will be a day
We'll meet again
Re: Suggestions Needed: Describe Up!
Well the idea is that something like hair style could be minimally changeable anytime, as in, you going in and restyling your hair, perhaps with more complicated strings from fancy merchants or soemthing (riln sink), but I get the spirit of your suggestion. I agree with the point of it, but not the placement.
If we add more content to descriptions, how will that trump roleplay in any way? People know more about you at a glance. It just seems like a win win to me, especially if not every extra piece of the description is mandatory.
If we add more content to descriptions, how will that trump roleplay in any way? People know more about you at a glance. It just seems like a win win to me, especially if not every extra piece of the description is mandatory.
Re: Suggestions Needed: Describe Up!
Apologies, I probably wasn't super clear with what content vs narrative meant. Not content as in game content, but the content of your RP, and the narrative meaning the story you are writing. Only you get to see your character at all times. We, other players, only get glimpses.
If you design your character to look like a sinister villain with the intent to get up to some evil stuff, but all you do is make courier deliveries because you want a sinister looking horse and sinister looking clothing, and just look sinister all the time, are you actually being evil?
You asked if more things are added to descriptions, how would it trump role play in any way, and for the most part I can't say it would trump role play in any way. However, The inverse is also true. If things are added to descriptions, how will they support role play? Are people really being obstructed by the lack of choices in character creation? I'd wager not. Like with most things, a certain suspension of disbelief is in order. If there is a character who normally has disheveled hair and who generally looks uninterested in partaking in formal events, but then makes an effort to dress nicely and shows up to a ball, just because normally their hair looks disheveled, we wouldn't then think they omitted that detail from their preparations for the ball, would we? Especially not if they included something like, emote turns to face @woman, their normally disheveled appearance contrasting dramatically with their now very proper attire.
The minimalist approach in character creation is appropriate to foster role play among a diverse group of individuals. However, more options would not be terrible. It can improve player's sense of immersion, creativity, and inclusivity. I think it's just important to keep this in mind. As an olive branch to show that I'm not completely against the concept of more description mechanics, I have a suggestion for hair at least.
Currently, you have one set hair description, but there's a mix of styles and types in character creation. My suggestion would be this, in character creation you select the type of hair, wavy, curly, straight, and then the length. These two factors generate a list of hairstyles you have available to your character. A new item can be created called a hairbrush or comb or maybe even a beauty kit sold in Mistral or some such. When held, you can then alter your hairstyle.
Here is a list for curly, wavy, and straight hair types of various lengths that don't require permanent alterations. The character description would follow this template
When a style is selected versus having none set:
They have (type) (color) hair styled into (style)
When no style is selected:
They have (length) (type) (color) hair
Styles
Curly short hair:
1. Tightly coiled curls
2. Ringlets
Curly long hair:
1. Layered curls
2. Voluminous curls
3. Half-up, half-down curls
4. A ponytail
Curly very long hair:
1. A cascade
2. A braided curly updo
3. Side-swept curls
4. A long ponytail
Curly shoulder-length hair:
1. A lob with side-swept fringe
Curly mid-back length hair:
1. layers with fringe
2. A waterfall braid
3. A half-up bun
4. A side fishtail braid
Curly waist-length hair:
1. Long cascading ringlets
2. mermaid waves
3. A side braid
4. A low bun
Wavy short hair:
1. A fringe
Wavy long hair:
1. Long beach waves
2. Side-swept layers
3. A half-up, half-down style
4. ponytail
Wavy very long hair:
1. Flowing locks
2. A fishtail braid
3. A low bun
4. A side braid
Wavy shoulder-length hair:
1. A lob
Wavy mid-back length hair:
1. layers with side-swept fringe
2. A waterfall braid
3. A half-up top knot
4. A side fishtail braid
Wavy waist-length hair:
1. Long layers
2. mermaid waves
3. A side braid
4. A low bun
Straight short hair:
1. A fringe
Straight long hair:
1. Sleek layers
2. a side-swept fringe
3. A half-up, half-down style
4. A ponytail
Straight very long hair:
1. Long, sleek locks
2. A fishtail braid
3. A low bun
4. A side braid
Straight shoulder-length hair:
1. A lob
Straight mid-back length hair:
1. layers with side-swept fringe
2. A waterfall braid
3. A half-up top knot
4. A side fishtail braid
Straight waist-length hair:
1. Long layers
2. mermaid waves
3. A side braid
4. A low bun
HTH
If you design your character to look like a sinister villain with the intent to get up to some evil stuff, but all you do is make courier deliveries because you want a sinister looking horse and sinister looking clothing, and just look sinister all the time, are you actually being evil?
You asked if more things are added to descriptions, how would it trump role play in any way, and for the most part I can't say it would trump role play in any way. However, The inverse is also true. If things are added to descriptions, how will they support role play? Are people really being obstructed by the lack of choices in character creation? I'd wager not. Like with most things, a certain suspension of disbelief is in order. If there is a character who normally has disheveled hair and who generally looks uninterested in partaking in formal events, but then makes an effort to dress nicely and shows up to a ball, just because normally their hair looks disheveled, we wouldn't then think they omitted that detail from their preparations for the ball, would we? Especially not if they included something like, emote turns to face @woman, their normally disheveled appearance contrasting dramatically with their now very proper attire.
The minimalist approach in character creation is appropriate to foster role play among a diverse group of individuals. However, more options would not be terrible. It can improve player's sense of immersion, creativity, and inclusivity. I think it's just important to keep this in mind. As an olive branch to show that I'm not completely against the concept of more description mechanics, I have a suggestion for hair at least.
Currently, you have one set hair description, but there's a mix of styles and types in character creation. My suggestion would be this, in character creation you select the type of hair, wavy, curly, straight, and then the length. These two factors generate a list of hairstyles you have available to your character. A new item can be created called a hairbrush or comb or maybe even a beauty kit sold in Mistral or some such. When held, you can then alter your hairstyle.
Here is a list for curly, wavy, and straight hair types of various lengths that don't require permanent alterations. The character description would follow this template
When a style is selected versus having none set:
They have (type) (color) hair styled into (style)
When no style is selected:
They have (length) (type) (color) hair
Styles
Curly short hair:
1. Tightly coiled curls
2. Ringlets
Curly long hair:
1. Layered curls
2. Voluminous curls
3. Half-up, half-down curls
4. A ponytail
Curly very long hair:
1. A cascade
2. A braided curly updo
3. Side-swept curls
4. A long ponytail
Curly shoulder-length hair:
1. A lob with side-swept fringe
Curly mid-back length hair:
1. layers with fringe
2. A waterfall braid
3. A half-up bun
4. A side fishtail braid
Curly waist-length hair:
1. Long cascading ringlets
2. mermaid waves
3. A side braid
4. A low bun
Wavy short hair:
1. A fringe
Wavy long hair:
1. Long beach waves
2. Side-swept layers
3. A half-up, half-down style
4. ponytail
Wavy very long hair:
1. Flowing locks
2. A fishtail braid
3. A low bun
4. A side braid
Wavy shoulder-length hair:
1. A lob
Wavy mid-back length hair:
1. layers with side-swept fringe
2. A waterfall braid
3. A half-up top knot
4. A side fishtail braid
Wavy waist-length hair:
1. Long layers
2. mermaid waves
3. A side braid
4. A low bun
Straight short hair:
1. A fringe
Straight long hair:
1. Sleek layers
2. a side-swept fringe
3. A half-up, half-down style
4. A ponytail
Straight very long hair:
1. Long, sleek locks
2. A fishtail braid
3. A low bun
4. A side braid
Straight shoulder-length hair:
1. A lob
Straight mid-back length hair:
1. layers with side-swept fringe
2. A waterfall braid
3. A half-up top knot
4. A side fishtail braid
Straight waist-length hair:
1. Long layers
2. mermaid waves
3. A side braid
4. A low bun
HTH
wander without wanting, thrust into lands unknown. the shadows shift and change, and the worlds with them.
I'm not a soldier but I'm fighting
Can you hear me through the silence?
I won't give up 'cause there will be a day
We'll meet again
I'm not a soldier but I'm fighting
Can you hear me through the silence?
I won't give up 'cause there will be a day
We'll meet again
Re: Suggestions Needed: Describe Up!
Again, I see your point. Mine and many of the people who have spoken to me on this subject (I rarely make topics without actually thinking them through) have experienced having a character with one or more deticated features, descriptors etcetera who have to place them into emotes at nauseum to feel like people understand it. it comes to the point where some of us will just stop, because we feel like people are either getting it and further getting and thus getting annoyed, or aren't really caring; which is totally fair.
But fair enough. I will try to come up with some other things to pop into descriptions later that keep with the style of non-transformative changes.
P.S. Creepy villain on creepy horse doing deliveries. So what? I don't really understand what the problem is, here. Maybe I'm misreading your point here, but it seems like you are saying that this sort of idea should be portrayed in roleplay, rather than static description, which is fair, but also, why? It doesn't add to your delivery RP, but it might add to your villainous RP by virtue of you having that backdrop to play off of. Think of it like a book. We learn about the characters, usually by description, and then build opinions on them based on that, and then further build as they take actions.
But fair enough. I will try to come up with some other things to pop into descriptions later that keep with the style of non-transformative changes.
P.S. Creepy villain on creepy horse doing deliveries. So what? I don't really understand what the problem is, here. Maybe I'm misreading your point here, but it seems like you are saying that this sort of idea should be portrayed in roleplay, rather than static description, which is fair, but also, why? It doesn't add to your delivery RP, but it might add to your villainous RP by virtue of you having that backdrop to play off of. Think of it like a book. We learn about the characters, usually by description, and then build opinions on them based on that, and then further build as they take actions.
Re: Suggestions Needed: Describe Up!
This is tough because it really has to be strictly, objectively physical. If my descriptions says I have a playful bearing, how does that translate to when I'm dead and you're looking at my corpse? Or if I've posed that I'm asleep under a bench? No, I don't know why I'm under the bench instead of on it.
But I would very much like to see more appearance customization! There are certainly other features we could include: face shape (angular, square, round, long, heart-shaped, broad), nose type (slim, wide, snub, pointed, straight, crooked, bulbous, upturned, hook), skin quality (freckled, scarred, rough, blotchy, lined, sunburnt). The ability to add one thing from a list of other features - maybe your character has arched eyebrows (or no eyebrows!), or high cheekbones, or a wart, or a hunched back or long limbs. Make everything optional, so that if someone wants to have an extremely simple description they can still do so.
Hairstyles, period-appropriate cosmetics, war paint and other temporary modifications would also be extremely cool, maybe added in a line just below the description. Let me smear my face with the blood of my enemies! Or some rouge. That sort of thing. Your description should be able to communicate something about your character if you'd like it to. I could constantly emote that I have a fat head, but for ease of use it would be nice if my description could just say "He has a fat head."
But I would very much like to see more appearance customization! There are certainly other features we could include: face shape (angular, square, round, long, heart-shaped, broad), nose type (slim, wide, snub, pointed, straight, crooked, bulbous, upturned, hook), skin quality (freckled, scarred, rough, blotchy, lined, sunburnt). The ability to add one thing from a list of other features - maybe your character has arched eyebrows (or no eyebrows!), or high cheekbones, or a wart, or a hunched back or long limbs. Make everything optional, so that if someone wants to have an extremely simple description they can still do so.
Hairstyles, period-appropriate cosmetics, war paint and other temporary modifications would also be extremely cool, maybe added in a line just below the description. Let me smear my face with the blood of my enemies! Or some rouge. That sort of thing. Your description should be able to communicate something about your character if you'd like it to. I could constantly emote that I have a fat head, but for ease of use it would be nice if my description could just say "He has a fat head."