Discriptions Optional?

[brian333]

I realise discriptions, (bios,) are optional in FRC, and don't wish to make anyone feel I'm picking on him. Nor am I advocating any rule compelling discriptions be used. Having said that...

I use the discription box. I read others' discriptions and use them in roleplay. For example, if a PC's discription says, "... has horrid pustules rupturing all over his body..." I'm very unlikely to emote hugging the guy. I also use it to discribe my own character's physical appearance.

I can usually tell if a player has read my bio by the roleplay that follows. Rulla, for example, is one of the minority of half-orcs that could almost pass as human. There are no 'almost human' heads available for half-orc characters during character creation, though. The model on your monitor is just the best I could do with what was available, so I filled out the discription box to give players a better idea of what they are seeing. To date only one PC has said, "You're not as ugly as your kind usually are."

It would help my RP, (and I humbly suggest yours as well,) if players who had the interest in doing so made more use of the bio. Rest assured, I'm reading yours, even if it's just the default bio written in French.

For those of you who blank out the bio, I'm curious: why? It shows me you're aware of the box in the character creator. Even a plain discription, such as height, weight, and anything else noticeable at a glance would be helpful.

Thank you for reading and considering this.

[Grozer]

brian333 said:

For those of you who blank out the bio, I'm curious: why? It shows me you're aware of the box in the character creator. Even a plain discription, such as height, weight, and anything else noticeable at a glance would be helpful.

Well since you asked.... for me when I first created Ranan, 3 years ago now, Bioware made visible all enchantments and enhancements through the description window, so in trying to make it harder for people to use that information I blanked out the description and added a ton of space to push it way down on the screen.

As far as just including simple appearance, well that changes ove time as well to some extent. Initially Ranan would have had pitch black hair... now there are hints of grey showing through.

Since we can't go back and change descriptions I for the most part leave it completely blank.

[Xerah]

I try to always create a description of all my characters, however there are those people that really don't put much thought into their characters at first and let them develop in game a bit before really understanding how their character looks.

With my character, the concept and look have changed quite a bit from when I originally created her but I am now stuck with what I put. Luckily, 1.69 will include a SetDescription function, so players can modify their descriptions (if a sutible script it added - and some scripting skills are used to allow more than one pargraph ). This will help a huge amount as those people can finally add a new description or modify an outdated one.

[Panros]

My problem for a while is wanting to update Torgeir's description. He's not so young these days. If the 1.69 update will include the scripts to change the description via widget then I can't wait to change it.

[EDM Neo]

torgeir said:

My problem for a while is wanting to update Torgeir's description. He's not so young these days. If the 1.69 update will include the scripts to change the description via widget then I can't wait to change it.

Ugh, likewise. Celith's description (and voiceset) are both completely wrong at this point.

[Xerah]

For completeness sake:

Brian Chung said:

By Brian Chung from Bioware:

ID and WCoC art content, including but not limited to:
- 2 tilesets from PotSC (Seacaves, Tropical)
- 5 tilesets from WCoC (reskinned Castle interior, City Interior, rolling rural/castle exterior, barrows, fort/dungeon interior)
- Creatures (wereboar, mist dragon, satyrs, HORSES)
- VFXs
- placeables (trees, ballistas, trees, flags, trees, more flags, trees, wagons, market stalls, joust lance racks, more trees)

Misc. bug fixes for code and art
- like VFXs not orienting properly on male humans

Misc. tileset additions
- amphitheatre to City Exterior
- a ship to Caverns for a pirate cove setting

- Get/SetDescription()
- fix for phenotypes >9 not displaying textures properly in the toolset

So, with a convo and a set of scripts, you could potentially make or redo your description without needing LETO.

You could have to options to
1. Clear Description
2. New/Append to Description

Since their is a character limit that you can type into the text box, appending to your description will be invaluable. I do not know if you can insert a line break without getting those stupid squares that happens when you paste into LETO. Worst case you'd just add a few spaces at the start of each paragraph.

[ancientempathy]

Or, you could just post a small bio/description of the forums here, and update it with time, under "Adventurer's Registry".

frc.proboards37.com/index.cgi?board=adventurer&action=display&thread=1144230600

It can not only help players out, but DMs too. =)

[Toreavamp]

xerah said:

Since their is a character limit that you can type into the text box, appending to your description will be invaluable. I do not know if you can insert a line break without getting those stupid squares that happens when you paste into LETO. Worst case you'd just add a few spaces at the start of each paragraph.

You can, and if I recall correctly you have to use notepad (think it's the english name for it), not wordpad to type up the description and then copy/paste. It's been a bit to long since I played around with this.

ancientempathy said:

Or, you could just post a small bio/description of the forums here, and update it with time, under "Adventurer's Registry".

frc.proboards37.com/index.cgi?board=adventurer&action=display&thread=1144230600

It can not only help players out, but DMs too. =)

This is a great tool, indeed, it does have a flaw compared to an IG description as in it'd take a very long time each time you meet a new character and then have to find them on the forum.

Love
Hanne

[Munroe]

toreavamp said:

xerah said:

Since their is a character limit that you can type into the text box, appending to your description will be invaluable. I do not know if you can insert a line break without getting those stupid squares that happens when you paste into LETO. Worst case you'd just add a few spaces at the start of each paragraph.

You can, and if I recall correctly you have to use notepad (think it's the english name for it), not wordpad to type up the description and then copy/paste. It's been a bit to long since I played around with this.

I'm pretty sure that with the tool they're talking about, you would be editting the description through the chat line, which does have a character limit, one which I have not managed to exceed with copy/paste.

The actual description box at character creation does not have a character limit. I once examined a character on another server that caused my game to freeze for a solid minute because he had put so much empty space in his description.

(BTW, filling your description with whitespace to hide character properties is usually pointless since the viewing player can just grab the slider and drag it to the end in an instant regardless of description length.)

[shimmerxxx]

I usually use a short description in my bio, and make a habit of checking other people's bios when I meet them.

It seems to me that if someone has written even a couple of lines in there then they have put some thought into the character.

However, you can put too much in, I just want to read a quick bio to help with RP. A couple of times I've met someone on the road and started reading their bio, and they've buggered off by the time I'm half way through.

I'm looking forward to being able to edit my bios as they do go out of date as the character evolves. I didn't think that Grumm would be using wands and trying to figure out scrolls (or even have his int raised) when I wrote "me no like sparkly man, sparkly man bad".

[wynter]

is there a way to change your voice set? im sooo tired of hearing "for neverwinter" as im killing someone

[Charon's Claw]

Yeah.. I'm looking forward to description changes too.. I'm just awful at names and the like.. and I usually think of a good one after the character is made

[Toreavamp]

wolfmunroe said:

toreavamp said:

You can, and if I recall correctly you have to use notepad (think it's the english name for it), not wordpad to type up the description and then copy/paste. It's been a bit to long since I played around with this.

I'm pretty sure that with the tool they're talking about, you would be editting the description through the chat line, which does have a character limit, one which I have not managed to exceed with copy/paste.

Sorry my bad, I meant that you could do it in leto.

Love
Hanne

[Xerah]

Notepad will fix that stupid square problem, eh? I had no idea.


Of course, this is all contingent on if the module is updated to 1.69 and some scripting is added despite the post made in the past about no more updates aside from minor changes.

Another neat benefit of this is that it can be applied to items. It would be a great way to bards to produce IG reproductions of their work *is not thinking of his own character at all!* Oh, and, uh, it would be great for DMs turning standard items into something a bit more personal without having to go into the tool set, yah!

charonsclaw said:

Yeah.. I'm looking forward to description changes too.. I'm just awful at names and the like.. and I usually think of a good one after the character is made

If you're referring to changing the name of your character, that's unlikely to happen. 1.68 added a SetName() function, but it does not work on PCs. I'm not sure what kind of database FRC uses, but character name changes would screw that up anyway.


I do find it a bit odd how little the description field is used. I'd say it's probably used the least out of all RP PWs I've been on. It's probably just a case of "doing what the vets do".

[Munroe]

The ones that annoy me are the ones that say "RP for Info". I have always found it somewhat insulting. I prefer a blank bio to just that. So I will usually emote something like *looks at the character* and wait to see if they give me any info.

[vulpex]

People often write splendid stories in their description, but i do not want to read it untill i know this character better if even then.
This is bit like assuming you go and DL your personal portrait and are excpected to react to that.
For my part i put there obvious things to notice and things i hope wont change. If i leave it blank, one is to assume i look pretty much like portrait, avatar and gear shows.
Now, if one was able to change it easily as time goes on....

My mind is no reason to feel someone has not done his homework, if description is blank

[shimmerxxx]

wolfmunroe said:

The ones that annoy me are the ones that say "RP for Info". I have always found it somewhat insulting. I prefer a blank bio to just that. So I will usually emote something like *looks at the character* and wait to see if they give me any info.

*nods head in agreement* yeah, the bio is there to spark RP IMO. Saying "RP for info" on a RP server makes me wonder if they use "stab me for fun" if they go on a PvP server.

I'm more likely to go up to someone and say "hells, yer git a big nose on yer pal" rather than "Er hullo random elf ... er ... nice weather an all tha".

[vulpex]

Also one good use from descriptions is reqognition factor. Being an allmost senior citizen (self-irony), i have hard time keeping track of many new faces, but good description nails it often there.

I have met people who are very against descriptions, for them being ooc, meta, and whatever, and those that would like them be obligatory.
It seems to be much matter of style, but perhaps better err in more verbal direction than sparse.

If we really could change them ourselves, i would definetely be more descriptive.

[Aodhan the Unusual]

I usually put a basic description in - hair color, eye color, maybe unique features if they have any. The only time I usually put FOiP - Find Out in Play - is if I'm not done developing the character. Like Oriana. She has deformities of her hands, but at the time of development, I hadn't thought of that.

[salientshade]

For me, when i come across someone who has written a novel in for their description.. well, i usually don't read it. There usually just isn't time for it, sorry.

Personally, I love to write only a few sentences describing my character in some way.

[irene]

I've always used it for a description of looks, demeanor and equipment.

If it goes into a backgroundstory... who, wherefrom and why, then I stop reading. I study those here on the forums, especially when I meet someone that catches my interest.

For me, it is a tool to enhance the experience of looking at someone further than what I get from looking at the person on the screen. It is -not- a mindreading tool.

[ancientempathy]

irene said:

I've always used it for a description of looks, demeanor and equipment.

If it goes into a backgroundstory... who, wherefrom and why, then I stop reading. I study those here on the forums, especially when I meet someone that catches my interest.

For me, it is a tool to enhance the experience of looking at someone further than what I get from looking at the person on the screen. It is -not- a mindreading tool.

Well said, Reina ;D

[cloakedandhooded]

irene said:

I've always used it for a description of looks, demeanor and equipment.

If it goes into a backgroundstory... who, wherefrom and why, then I stop reading. I study those here on the forums, especially when I meet someone that catches my interest.

For me, it is a tool to enhance the experience of looking at someone further than what I get from looking at the person on the screen. It is -not- a mindreading tool.

I personally hope character backstories are more the realm of DMs than other players. Reading backstories, whether in character description or here on the forum, is strictly metagaming as far as I see it. I went back after I posted my character's backstory and editted out some things because I got worried other players might be reading it.

Edit: Just because it is editted doesn't mean it's fair game.

[Xerah]

cloakedandhooded said:

I personally hope character backstories are more the realm of DMs than other players. Reading backstories, whether in character description or here on the forum, is strictly metagaming as far as I see it. I went back after I posted my character's backstory and editted out some things because I got worried other players might be reading it.

*shrugs*

I guess it depends on if you trust the playerbase. For some reason, I tend to blindly trust people to use that information to further the interaction between my character and theirs. Metagaming tends to have a negative vibe to it, when that isn't always the case.

For example:

Jim Jimmerson from Jimtown is talking to Bob the Bandit. Bob's player has read Jim's background and know that he is from Jimtown. In Bob's background he has done something to make him wanted in Jimtown. Bob's player will have Bob make some off hand remarks about Jimtown which leads Jim to wonder what is the deal behind Bob and Jim town, and BOOM, indepth character vs. character interaction is created

This only happened because Bob knew that Jim would have a reaction, so if there would be anyone he would slip up and say something to, the most fun would likely be Jim. Saying the same things to random people in hopes that they'll have the same reaction as Jim is a more difficult way to go about it.


Basically, we're all here to tell stories. If we can work together and not have a "I MUST WIN" mentality, then fun will be had by all and create a very friendly place to play.

[mastersenge]

i always leave it blank because of changes that can happen over time even to the way the character looks from things that happen IG. Also I never know how a character is gonna develope. I may start out with one thing but depending on what happens to him in game he could be nearly a completely different person 6 months later. Like being executed by being dragged through a cities streets behind horses can really change a character and the way he looks and theres no way to expect that those kindsa things are gonna happen when you make the character.

[irene]

cloakedandhooded said:

irene said:

I've always used it for a description of looks, demeanor and equipment.

If it goes into a backgroundstory... who, wherefrom and why, then I stop reading. I study those here on the forums, especially when I meet someone that catches my interest.

For me, it is a tool to enhance the experience of looking at someone further than what I get from looking at the person on the screen. It is -not- a mindreading tool.

I personally hope character backstories are more the realm of DMs than other players. Reading backstories, whether in character description or here on the forum, is strictly metagaming as far as I see it. I went back after I posted my character's backstory and editted out some things because I got worried other players might be reading it.

Edit: Just because it is editted doesn't mean it's fair game.

I don't agree.

It is metagaming if I use the information I read on the forum IG. But as I see it the background information placed here is meant to be shared.

[cloakedandhooded]

irene said:

cloakedandhooded said:

I personally hope character backstories are more the realm of DMs than other players. Reading backstories, whether in character description or here on the forum, is strictly metagaming as far as I see it. I went back after I posted my character's backstory and editted out some things because I got worried other players might be reading it.

Edit: Just because it is editted doesn't mean it's fair game.

I don't agree.

It is metagaming if I use the information I read on the forum IG. But as I see it the background information placed here is meant to be shared.

There are instances when the DMs have said they want backgrounds posted for various things. (I think it's recommended somewhere.) To that end I posted a background, because I felt obligated to do so. However, it is my preference that players of other characters should have no further information about my character than what can be learned in-game.

[Haydena]

I tend to use the description box for the way my character generally acts whilst around people and how she looks most of the time. If her mood doesn't suit the little bit I put in the box I can emote her as being a bit depressed, or upset, or unusually happy. If she has anything to change how she looks from how I described her, well... I can emote that too.

For me the backstory is something for other people to read for their enjoyment mainly. Of course if people bring it up they may be able to get it out of my character for better RP.

I tend not to get too worked up if people don't have a descriptive bio, or if they have the normal one or if they have "RP for more info", I can just go get all that information off them anyway by having a look myself.

[EDM Entori]

IMHO

The description box, is like using that floating name. Sure description of how a character looks is cool. But thats 1 less thing you can Roleplay. As a player, I've seen people counter act their descriptions.

As well, leaving it blank inspires RP, as no description means you characters got get in there and get talking or be observant.

AS for my own character which is the only thing I can talk about. He looks very diffrent then when he came to cormyr, also if you want to go by portraits of how he looks, then me celith, elthranthir, and a few other elven mages with that look, look exactly alike. and I mean Celith just has -great- hair so its obviously not me.

As for how your character acts around others.. think about that. If ones descripton says she keeps her hood up at all times, and theres no hood on her, can't rightly say that she had her hood up.

My best idea, would be if you want to act a certain way to make an impression get creative and RP it.

Also the golden rule applies, worry about your own RP. Makes everyones life easier I swear.

Ent

edit: also I believe any information not said IC taken from the description box, and or the forum Background metagaming, but again thats my opinion. physical appearance should be ok. Saying that someone came from .. oh lets us inno cause I love the character... the underdark as a surface elf, follower of dark maiden..

heck to know that without being told is uber Meta.

again MHO so take it with a grain of salt

[EDM Neo]

entori said:

I mean Celith just has -great- hair