Changing Your Playstyle

[Tamarin]

It has come up recently that players often have distinguishable roleplay characteristics that follow them from character to character.  As a result, it seems that their characters are easily recognizeable to other players.  From what I've read so far, this is a pretty undesirable phenomenon, but I don't think it is a hopeless endeavor to try and fix it.

I think what's needed here are examples and tactics for changing one's roleplay enough so that no one can meet your new character and say "Oh, this feels like the person who played so-and-so until he died fighting those gith."  I'll post my own theories once I've had a time to flesh them out a little bit, so I don't sound like a complete doofus.

[Anonymous]

It has come up recently that players often have distinguishable roleplay characteristics...

I don't think 'roleplay characteristics' is the right term.  I think most of the time people aren't recognizing a PC's personality, they're recognizing an emoting style.

I've tried to come up with new emotes with every PC, emotes that I've never used with any others and yet I've still been recognized by someone.

[Larrath]

Common typos and favorite grammar patterns are easy to find people with.  Picturesque emoters, too.


I don't know, I personally don't even mind this.  I'm going to emote the way I know and like to emote - it's more important to me that I play my new personality correctly and in an involving manner.

I take the time to correct my general mistakes and typos for the sake of typing correctly, and that's it.  If you wanna guess who I play, go right ahead.

[Whira's Luck]

I think the problem is people spending too much time trying to guess who the other pc is played by instead of just enjoying playing.

When you don't dwell on trying to figure out the player and instead focus on the pc, you notice it a lot less, even if it's glaringly obvious.

[Akaramu]

I agree, its the writing style that is often recognized, even with different PC personalities and new emotes.

I believe it is also to a high degree playing times. If a player can only get on during the same 4 off peak hours every day, it could be easy for others to guess their identity behind a new PC, even unintended / unwantedly.

I havent encountered many players that gave me a feeling of déjà-vu in their personality and actions, I'd say almost everyone does a great job of making a new PC unique.

[Seeker]

Its kind of an interesting question.  My take has changed on this.  

Text roleplayers are an awful lot like writers.  Philip K Dick writes excellent stories, and has a host of characters who are all very different and engaging.  I like his characters.  I dig Raymond Chandler and a couple score others as well.

Give me a chapter, unsigned, of each of their stories; I might be able to pick out the auther.  It has nothing to do with how well the characters are developed, or how true to their environment they are.  It is simply style.  I might get lucky and recognize their unique strengths and foibles in presenting a story.

For the same reason, I don't see the big thing about players having styles.  Characters need to be individuals:  their drives, their motives, their quirks and warts.  I am not sure that players should be required or criticised for not doing the best job of portraying that character in the style that they are most effective with.

If someone recognizes my style, good for them for being sharp-eyed.  That knowledge doesn't tell them jack about what THIS character is likely to do.

Seeker

[Nidhogg]

I think there are two components here. One is easier to address than the other.

Conceptually different pc's are I think not just a goal to strive for, but something that should be done as a matter of course. This doesn't mean that people should be forced to play roles that don't appeal to them, but if you played a delf ranger hunter last time, and you're playing one this time, the sum of the differences should amount to more than a different name and description.  Really, anyone can do this.

The second side of this is what might be called voice. There are authors you'd recognize even without seeing the book jacket, painters you'd recognize, and you'd never confuse Bob Dylan with anyone else. These traits are harder disguise, and a shift of focus from making a full whole person to changing your writing style, may result in players less easily identified, without yeilding a a richer rp experience.

[Gaare]

I do my best to change emote style and common words I use, but that's really a hard deal. I try to imidate a couple of characters' (I have plaied with some time ago) emote styles.

Actually I spend effort on this not because for myself, for other players who prefers not to know who s\he is playing with. I have plaied tabletop FRP many years and most of them with a banch of people heh...

[DejaVu]

I think the problem is people spending too much time trying to guess who the other pc is played by instead of just enjoying playing.

When you don't dwell on trying to figure out the player and instead focus on the pc, you notice it a lot less, even if it's glaringly obvious.

That seems like the other player's problem, then. If they're so hung up on who plays a PC, then let them waste their time. Simply because they know who is playing it, doesn't mean they have ANY idea what the character will do.

Why should we go about changing our whole writing style, grammar, emoting style, etc. just so that other people can't figure out who is playing a character? Does it really matter that much?

[Cuusardo]

What I don't like is when one person seems to only play a certain type of character, and nothing else.

For example:  Johnny plays a character that is a troublemaker.  He runs around town calling everyone a wanker.  He starts calling the nobles wankers, and then calls a templar a wanker and dies as a result.  Soon after Johnny's character dies, there is another character in that same town who runs around calling everyone wankers, starts calling nobles, wankers, and calls a templar a wanker.

That is what I find highly disappointing, because it is painfully obvious that the character is played by the same person.  Sure, the character has a different name and a different appearance, but the mannerisms and personality are pretty much identical.

[flurry]

I have to agree that writing style alone can be enough to have a strong hunch as to the player behind it.  I certainly don't go out of my way to try to figure out who's playing whom (in fact, I'd much rather not know to the degree that it can be helped), but I can think of a couple examples when the main description alone was a tipoff.

I strongly disagree with the sentiment that this reflects a lack of creativity on the part of the player.   Some really wonderful, creative roleplayers have very distinctive writing styles.

[Anonymous]

Sure, the character has a different name and a different appearance, but the mannerisms and personality are pretty much identical.

I'd be careful with this.  I've played 3 characters on Arm that might be confused for each other but were completely different under the hood.  Their main similarities were their social class and their accents but for some people I think that would be enough to go :roll: it's the same guy!

When in actuality how they went about things, decision making, what would happen if you were alone with them in a room, how loyal they were, all these things were drastically different.

[sarahjc]

I have a somewhat difficult time when it comes to differentiating my PC's though most people have told me that they would not be able to tell that I was playing the next PC.

The best ways I try to avoid this are by playing my new PC in a different place, and/or play a completely different character concept.  It will be hard for people to catch who you are, if the last PC you played was an F-me aide for Tor and then with this PC, you are playing a cheese loving Half-Giant.

If you are constantly in the lime light, I think people tend to watch your playing style. But there are only maybe three instances in which I was able to guess who a person's next pc was or a consecutive Pc was, and that was because it was a different skin with the same PC. Same concept, same personality.  It doesn't bother me that people do that, I mean... They are good at what they do and they like playing that kind of role.

But if you are concerned about diversifying yourself, I say pick a role that would make some of your old emotes look ridiculous; choose a personality that is completely different from that of your old character. By the time you are ready to go back to that old concept and play something similar, you and those around you will have forgotten all those ticks that made your old PC.

[Marauder Moe]

Well I'm not sure if it helps, considering theres not really an easy way to get feedback to deal with 'tells', but here's something I did with my latest PC:

I made a list of the top ten words and phrases my old character used in speach and emotes.  Then, for those emotes that it would be neccesary to use, I came up with alternate wording and such.  I keep the list handy to remind myself not to slip into old patterns.  So far its worked pretty well.

[Jorlain]

I have a problem with changing a few choice words in my emotes. Two words, in particular. If someone knew me, they'd go, "Hey! I know you!". But that's okay, I don't really care. I mean, is it really that disturbing to know? I guess the way I kind of look at it is... I'd rather be able to reply to Lord Fancypants as soon as I'm able to, instead of making him wait five minutes while I go look in the damned dictionary for a better word to use.

But that's just how I feel, I guess.

[Anonymous]

I don't think there's much that can be done to avoid other people suspecting whom you play.

I can tell you right now who some of Krrx's characters were in Arm and that's purely based off his GDB posts (from a while ago).  Similarly, I can guess who Delerium plays and (I think) on one or two occasions Angela Christine.  I could even tell you who Ashyom has played (don't worry, I won't ) and it's all based purely on GDB posts, no OOC jibber jabber, nor mIRC gossip, etc. etc.  It's absurdly easy to look at someone's opinions and the way they articulate themself, then encounter an individual in game that embodies the way this person writes.  There's no way you can tell me it's someone else and expect me to believe that.  I even know who played Jorsca!  Muahaha, I got you figured out you long dead gypsy, you!

Similarly, I'm willing to bet any number of you could guess who I've played or now play.  And you know the great thing about it?  I could care less!  I'm me and I will continue being me whether it's in this incarnation or the next.  I'd rather not adopt strategies to avoid being me.  I can differentiate my personas, don't get me wrong.  But whether I'm a ragged pickpocket or a prissy noble, it's still got the Pantoufle flair, recognizable from a mile away .

[PantoufleNotLoggedIn]

Oh that was me, I can't seem to login from this computer.  

[Maybe42or54]

I don't care. If I don't like the way you talk to me on these boards. I don't bother to know who you are to save me from being annoyed every time you emote.

[Jorlain]

I don't care. If I don't like the way you talk to me on these boards. I don't bother to know who you are to save me from being annoyed every time you emote.

Not to be a dick... But...

And yout point is... What exactly?

[Agent_137]

The only way i know who is who is when I find out on the boards through clan forums.

I don't pay that much attention. I don't see how anyone could.

[Cuusardo]

Sure, the character has a different name and a different appearance, but the mannerisms and personality are pretty much identical.

I'd be careful with this.  I've played 3 characters on Arm that might be confused for each other but were completely different under the hood.  Their main similarities were their social class and their accents but for some people I think that would be enough to go :roll: it's the same guy!

When in actuality how they went about things, decision making, what would happen if you were alone with them in a room, how loyal they were, all these things were drastically different.

When you play them so close together, people will easily recognize it's you.  Why not do something different between one and another?  (Yes, I understand that they aren't the same characters, but they act exactly alike.

[Kalden]

I have the solution! Stop emoting!

Honestly, people, there's no solution and hardly a problem. You can guess, but you can never know(unless the person tells you - hardly an uncommon "phenomenon").