Epiphany
Proverbs 17:9
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:
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.
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.