Emote Envy

[Dalmeth]

I've struggled with this for a long time, and I've come close to something like a coherent answer.  As some have suggested, the secret is in what happens before you emote.  A good part of it is knowing what your character would do,  and another is adopting a playstyle that lets you, the player, feel free to emote to whatever degree you like.

The latter is much more difficult.  What other people have suggested is a way to achieve that, as the pressures can be subtle and proper preparation can alleviate them.

[hyzhenhok]

Don't worry about emoting too much. You only need to use emote when you want to do something that isn't supported by the code. You can give your character plenty of characterization simply by post and pre-emoting your basic coded stuff. You can make an interesting character without using anything more than >sit bar and >talk.

I wish I could agree with you, but I don't. Sure, to quote an ARM truism, "emoting doesn't equal roleplay." But when you do not show me how you are sitting, how you are talking, how you are taking a swipe at me during sparring, then basically you are not illustrating your character. Make it succinct, short, gritty, or whatever, but please please please do it. I cannot think of a single character I have ever found "interesting" when their player did not bother to emote. Emotes turn a character from a 2-D talking robot into a 3-D breathing person.

You seem to have misunderstood my meaning. I was advocating a reliance on post and premotes, which are helpful because they guide the player to make sure the focus in on actions. That interesting character who did little more than >sit and >talk would of course throw in a healthy dose of parentheses and brackets.

[DustMight]

Hyzhenhok>

You seem to forget that a emote without action (or much of it) can do a great deal to build the environment around the players.  Just sitting on a sand dune can become full and real with just use of the emote command - without speaking and without action.

[valeria]

In addition to all of the wonderful suggestions, I also recommend using command emotes.  You have to put that rock in your backpack anyway, so why not describe how you're doing it instead of leaving it hanging bare and ugly?  You're drinking from that mug anyway, so why not describe exactly how desperately you're knocking it back?

Secondarily, related but not directly attached to emotes, I also recommend using the option to change your ldesc, especially if you're just standing in a room waiting around for someone.  Since you're waiting around anyway, why not toss out a line about how you're leaning casually, or wearing a fretful expression, or whatever.

[hyzhenhok]

Hyzhenhok>

You seem to forget that a emote without action (or much of it) can do a great deal to build the environment around the players.  Just sitting on a sand dune can become full and real with just use of the emote command - without speaking and without action.

If you like that kind of emoting, go crazy. I do it to, if the situation warrants it. Generally, though, we can do without long, flowery emotes that just serve as a garnish to the scene. The MUD is a narrative, and the rules of writing narrative apply: short, to the point, focus on showing action, be clear, avoid adverbs, etc. I find long emotes that the OP apparently is intimidated by are often in conflict with the rules of good narrative, which of course explains why I'll naturally tend to skim or completely skip them when I see them. If it's a long emote with no important verb or object, fuck it. Only maybe if I'm RPing with you one-on-one.

I feel it's much more productive to encourage people who feel intimidated by such emoting to focus specifically on their character, with the clear reminded that they are not required or even expected to start emoting like the "pros."

[Gimfalisette]

Yeah, I did misunderstand you, hyzenhok. Truth be told, I don't emote without saying anything that often. But I do always emote sparring, often emote combat, try to always emote crafting, and so on. Other times I will just emote without speaking are when my PC has no reason to speak--like some other people are having the conversation and I'm not in on it, I'm just following it. So I participate by emoting intead of speaking.

Also, valeria is right, command emotes are awesome. I forgot to point them out. I try to use them as often as I can to give flavor to what I'm doing. I think the only thing now that we don't have command emotes for is draw/sheath. And there's a good reason for that omission. But for everything else, command emote away!

[hyzhenhok]

Yeah, I did misunderstand you, hyzenhok. Truth be told, I don't emote without saying anything that often. But I do always emote sparring, often emote combat, try to always emote crafting, and so on. Other times I will just emote without speaking are when my PC has no reason to speak--like some other people are having the conversation and I'm not in on it, I'm just following it. So I participate by emoting intead of speaking.

Also, valeria is right, command emotes are awesome. I forgot to point them out. I try to use them as often as I can to give flavor to what I'm doing. I think the only thing now that we don't have command emotes for is draw/sheath. And there's a good reason for that omission. But for everything else, command emote away!

I definitely agree that where you cannot attach a command emote, it's very nice to get in the habit of emoting to make up for it. It's mostly combat moves like draw, bash, kick, etc, but there's still a few others as well that you'll run into occasionally, like sniffing spice.

[Gimfalisette]

That's true. I wish smoking/sniffing spice didn't poweremote me. I do always try to emote around that, including the relevant command emotes.

[Oryx]

Don't make the mistake of underestimating brevity. 

[Malifaxis]

HEY MATH GUY, READ THIS

It comes down to variables.  The more variables you can throw into your emotive, the better it is going to look.  These variables, for the most part, need to be external to your conversation.  Don't nod, don't shake your head (this is not a flawless suggestion, I caught myself with 3 says the other day with nods in them, then threw in an emotive fourth nod in self mockery... I think the PC I was talking to picked up on it and got a smirk), but describe your character's body posture, especially if you're lying, stressed, angsty, emo, or anything else.

Brevity is awesome.  It has its place.

Making obscenely twisting, uber deep emotives with meanings both immediate and latent, however, are equally important.

Don't throw pieces of gear into an emote unless it's essential to the situation to describe what you're doing, or how you're posture is changing, or how you're maneuvering.  Yes, we all know you're awesome because you have a fossilized dujat dick slung across your back, we're all in goddamn awe.  Besides that, however, we don't fucking care.

Also, respond through emotives to the emotives of others.  Keep the conversation going verbally, keep another 'Layer' of communication to the emotives. 

Variables, son.  Variables.

Example:
say (noting how completely awesome my cloak is as I pointlessly do something with it, then bringing attention to my really cool makeup and just general incredible sexiness) Hello, I want to fuck you.

NO.  BAD.

say (bringing attention to this atmospheric bit of awesomeness in the room desc that may have been missed but is very pertinent to the conversation, then reacting subtlely to the emotive my verbal sparring partner just slid out, adding a bit of an action that details how my character feels about the particular situation) Hello, you want to fuck me.

YES.

[Lizzie]

The runons totally ruin the mood.

Smiling slightly, her hair bouncing seductively over her angular shoulders which shrug mildly, as she nods vaguely to you, the runon lass says, in runon-accented sirihish, "Please stab me in the face."

nod runon
emote stabs ~runon in the face.

I like mine best.

[burble]

HEY MATH GUY, READ THIS

Variables, son.  Variables.


say (bringing attention to this atmospheric bit of awesomeness in the room desc that may have been missed but is very pertinent to the conversation, then reacting subtlely to the emotive my verbal sparring partner just slid out, adding a bit of an action that details how my character feels about the particular situation) Hello, you want to fuck me.

YES.

Now considering that most of those variables are dependent and I've isolated the only independent variable in the equation the result also requires no dependent variables..but I'll throw one in anyway


say (drooling) Hell yeah.

[jhunter]

Yes, we all know you're awesome because you have a fossilized dujat dick slung across your back, we're all in goddamn awe.

I'll emote about my fossilized dujat dick if I want to. I'm very proud of it. 

[Simillion]

My rule of thumb is, "how would I like this scene to look if I were reading this as a book?" And I do what I can to create that.

This means that some scenes or situations benefit from huge emotes, which I do happily when I feel it's needed. Other times, I use really short ones.

I would say everyone should work together when they can. (even if it's conflict RP). See how the scene is unfolding and do your best to make what you contribute "fit."

[Bilanthri]

Yes, we all know you're awesome because you have a fossilized dujat dick slung across your back, we're all in goddamn awe.

I'll emote about my fossilized dujat dick if I want to. I'm very proud of it. 

Plus, there's a big difference between emoting with an item to draw attention to it, and emoting with an item that you are currently interacting with. If I'm about to smoke some spice, I make a point of adding the pipe/tube into my emotes as I prepare it, poke at the bowl, light the spice on a nearby flame source, and finally smoke it. Since this is the focus of my character's actions at that time, there's plenty of reason to add it into emotes. And all of this is combined with whatever conversation I'm having.

Sometimes a good emote does nothing but illustrate what you are doing non-verbally. They don't need to be elaborate or verbose. They just need to convey the state of your character in one way or another. Which can be as simple as drumming your fingers on a table-top, or the fact that your words are muffled by the food you just bit into.

Be creative, but don't worry about being eloquent. As long as your emote tells me something about the state or actions of your character then it is a good one. And if your character is just listening and nodding in understanding, then that's fine...nod away.

[Kryos]

The rule of thumb for emoting is the same as the rule of thumb for writing a good paper.

Always ask yourself:  "WHAT THE F**#"

Never diverge from said WTF.  Get to the point and express what needs expressing.  More often then not huge emotes detract more then they give, but not always.

Also, rather then doing big long visible emotes, remember the massively useful RP tools:  hemote, think, feel.

[perfecto]

Been playing for years and years as well and I must agree with players here.. the emotes make the scene.   I emote elaboratly even when I'm alone (or assume that I'm alone) I like picking up things that *aren't there* I like enjoying the weather when it's a nice day out, it actualy lifts my characters spirits when the sun is shining and the winds are still. Little things like that you learn to enjoy the longer you play the game. It's such a wealth of experience you just have to take it a day at a time and learn the prompts to properly express yourself.

Anyone who loves this game will take the time to spend with the under-knowledged PC's, so don't be afraid to ask questions.

Perfecto

[HailTheAbyss]

One thing that really helps with emoting well is if you have a really good feel for who your character is - the way they would react do different situations, how they move, the way they talk, their state of mind.

When I had characters without a clear idea of their whole personality it was far more difficult to come up with suitable emotes as I had to really think what they would do.

If you have a character that is inspiring and enjoyable to play, and not a placeholder character because you did not have any better ideas, that is when emoting is easiest, and of course a lot more fun.

As for emote length - some of the overlong emotes do sometimes look a little ridiculous, as it seems that the character is moving in slow motion or something. Much better to break up some of the features of the way they move in between each part of the conversation, makes them look much more alive, and people will pay more attention to those emotes.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

Command emotes completely changed this game. The way things are able to flow now is absolutely sexy.

[Armaddict]

Command emotes completely changed this game. The way things are able to flow now is absolutely sexy.

I -still- haven't gotten used to them being there, but I play consistently with a player who uses them beautifully, constantly making me think...'Dammit, that's right, I can do that.'

[Reiloth]

Command emotes, with ( ) and [] are great.

I tend to emote along Gimf's lines. I drop things that describe my person, my character, or are a certain 'flair' my character always drops. (A particular smile, a rattling voice, a deep baritone).

I tend to emote the enviroment around me; time of day, smoke in the room, loud din, crowds of people.

I may bring a vNPC out once in a while, though not as often (Unless I am in Tuluk, because there is no one to play with).

I will attempt to truly bring out my character through dialogue, though when dialogue is absent, through feels, thinks, and moods.

[Marshmellow]

I don't think that since command emotes went in on verbal communication commands (or rather since I got used to them which was quickly) have I ever not used them for said verbal communiques.

[Scarecrow]

The runons totally ruin the mood.

Smiling slightly, her hair bouncing seductively over her angular shoulders which shrug mildly, as she nods vaguely to you, the runon lass says, in runon-accented sirihish, "Please stab me in the face."

nod runon
emote stabs ~runon in the face.

I like mine best.

Hawt. 

[spicemustflow]

What does runon even mean?

edit: ignore this

[Sam]

Seriously, why even use runons; semi colons would do just fine.