Habits and roleplaying

[zealus]

Just a thought that crossed my mind, if a character had a habit, or a ritual they preform regularly, would it be acceptable to play it out in the same way (roughly, not word by word) every time, or should I try to make it different each time?
For myself, when I think someone might be watching, or I know they are, I make it a little clearer what I am doing, but otherwise, I keep it pretty much the same, barring IC events that would warrant change.
Your thoughts, GDB?

[nauta]

I had some habits and rituals, and I did a lot of them virtually, informing staff in character reports.  This works well with whoring.  Really well.  You would not believe the feats my PCs performed when I was offline. 

[RogueGunslinger]

Just a thought that crossed my mind, if a character had a habit, or a ritual they preform regularly, would it be acceptable to play it out in the same way (roughly, not word by word) every time, or should I try to make it different each time?

It's fine either way. Play how you want to play.

[slvrmoontiger]

You might want to be mindful that at any point "someone" could be watching. Staff do watch players on a regular basis and you wouldn't even know about it. You could also go off the premise like those who are religious do, God is always watching. But in this case if you are in Tuluk the Sun King is always watching, if you are in Allanak the Dragon is always watching. Especially, believe this if you're rituals have something do with your faith in the Sun King or in the Dragon. I know I don't always do this myself but most of the time I try to be mindful that at any point any one can be watching what you are doing.

[zealus]

You might want to be mindful that at any point "someone" could be watching. Staff do watch players on a regular basis and you wouldn't even know about it. You could also go off the premise like those who are religious do, God is always watching. But in this case if you are in Tuluk the Sun King is always watching, if you are in Allanak the Dragon is always watching. Especially, believe this if you're rituals have something do with your faith in the Sun King or in the Dragon. I know I don't always do this myself but most of the time I try to be mindful that at any point any one can be watching what you are doing.

It's more of a thing that I describe my exact posture when someone walks in in the middle. ICly, the actions are the same, just OOCly clearer what it exactly is. Just wondered if it doesn't get boring if it's the same every time. (ICly, this would be the most logical, kind of like old habits, allways doing it roughly the same)

[RogueGunslinger]

Consistency in Armageddon makes your character seem real. It's certainly not boring.

[Lizzie]

Whether or not it gets boring might depend on how often players are seeing it.

If you do:

The tressy-tressed woman says, smiling, in sirihish, "Hello."
The tressy-tressed woman says, smiling, in sirihish, "How are you?"
The terssy-tressed woman says, smiling, in sirihish, "I'm doing good too! You can join me, I'm on my way to the bazaar."
The tressy-tressed woman says, smiling, in sirihish, "Well another time maybe."

Then yeah. It's boring. Not so much boring, as two-dimensional. Like a photo of a person with a smile on their face, with a speaker behind the photo where the words come from.

But if you really don't like the person you're talking to - and during the above conversation you do:

The tressy-tressed woman says, picking a dust-mote off her cloak, in sirihish, "Well another time maybe."

and your character is thinking, "I'm so glad they didn't say yes."

And maybe whenever you're with someone you really don't like, that twitch shows up at one point during a given conversation. Not every single time your character opens his mouth. Just - once. At some point during the conversation.

That wouldn't be boring at all, and would be one of those subtle things that brings your character off the photo and into the scene.

[Reiloth]

I'm all about habits.

My characters laugh the same way.

They talk the same way.

They roll their jaws the same way.

They have quirks that define them, and I am shameless about doing the same 'emote' all the time. It's what defines you.

And I mean to say -- Each character I play is different, but I make their definition, and stick to it.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I'm all about habits.

My characters laugh the same way.

They talk the same way.

They roll their jaws the same way.

They have quirks that define them, and I am shameless about doing the same 'emote' all the time. It's what defines you.

And I mean to say -- Each character I play is different, but I make their definition, and stick to it.

Yep.

[manonfire]

I'm all about habits.

My characters laugh the same way.

They talk the same way.

They roll their jaws the same way.

They have quirks that define them, and I am shameless about doing the same 'emote' all the time. It's what defines you.

And I mean to say -- Each character I play is different, but I make their definition, and stick to it.

Yep.

rumblezor

[Gimfalisette]

rumblezor

I loled

Yes, my characters are all different, but in and of themselves they each have typical things they do. I do try to vary the language I use when I'm describing those things, though.

[Cale_Knight]

This is why I don't emote, guys.

[Gimfalisette]

This is why I don't emote, guys.

All your characters are different, but similar in their lack of expression?

It's pretty brilliant, this way no one knows it's you behind the keyboard.

[Tuannon]

Why does it matter who is behind the keyboard?

I tend to catch myself cross pollinating from previous roles sometimes. But usually I'm fairly generic, and fairly spartan in my emoting.

[senseofeven]

Habits die hard, sometimes.

[RogueGunslinger]

I like to steal other peoples mannerisms and sayings sometimes. Usually on accident.

[Tuannon]

I mean.. it would make perfect sense for people to emulate.. I dunno.. (thinks of someone who is loooong dead).. That one Rennik jerkface red robe.. if they were around when he was around or just after.

And it wouldn't be limited to noble bloods either, although a highborn affecting the mannerisms of a commoner would be kinda chuckled at.. or taken on board, depending who it was.

[Gimfalisette]

I like to steal other peoples mannerisms and sayings sometimes. Usually on accident.

I have, in the past, stolen mannerisms and sayings from Mr. "I Don't Emote" Cale_Knight himself!

Why does it matter who is behind the keyboard?

I tend to catch myself cross pollinating from previous roles sometimes. But usually I'm fairly generic, and fairly spartan in my emoting.

It was mostly a joke. I used to be worried about people being able to identify my PCs from prior experience with me, and now IDGAF. I guess I thought they'd try to PK me if they knew it was me or something?

Spartan, eh  

I mean.. it would make perfect sense for people to emulate.. I dunno.. (thinks of someone who is loooong dead).. That one Rennik jerkface red robe.. if they were around when he was around or just after.

All those characters are like 80+ years old now or something, lol.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

We know it's you. Heh. Yeah, I don't care who knows who I play. I play my character in a way I'm comfortable - if that means someone figures out my patterns and makes me behind the keyboard, more power to them.

[Gimfalisette]

We know it's you.

I'm going to keep fantasizing that no one ever figures it out!

[Saellyn]

I never put any stock into figuring out who you people are.

[RogueGunslinger]

I never put any stock into figuring out who you people are.

Same. The only time I figure out who's who is when I'm in their clan and they post on the forums.

[Inks]

I wouldn't have a clue how to pick you guys except that one time mudsexing partner murred and I had to google it.

[MeTekillot]

I try not to mudsex girls because I'm always afraid it's gonna be Is Friday.

[Bushranger]

I try not to mudsex girls because I'm always afraid it's gonna be Is Friday.

Really? Is Friday isn't that bad at mudsex!

[Reiloth]

Is Friday for Sexident.

[Is Friday]

[Kismetic]

I try not to mudsex girls because I'm always afraid it's gonna be Is Friday.

[Is Friday]

You guys really give a hilariously inaccurate impression of me to people. I bet noobs in my clan be like "oh man I hope he doesn't try to mudsex me". Why would I mudsex when I still haven't tried all the neat torture methods on my list?

[Kismetic]

... when I still haven't tried all the neat torture methods on my list?

What, like, try to mudsex them?

[Is Friday]

Man, why's it always the biggest mudsluts that start with me? Quit hatin' on my fades, yo.

[Kismetic]

[Armaddict]

I try not to mudsex girls because I'm always afraid it's gonna be Is Friday.

This makes it sound like you mudsex boys to avoid Is Friday.

[MeTekillot]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86u1zJzFHfQ

[Armaddict]

XD

That reminded me so much of Scissor Sisters.

[Voular]

Great. Same bunch of people nearly derailing a perfectly valid thread. What happened to our moderators?

Anyway, yeah. Habits die hard, and emoting them out in similar ways is fine. I am guilty of that, probably. If you're solo rping you are essentially emoting for yourself. Do whatever makes you imagination tingle. I know some people want flowery large emotes because they think they're impressive - I think the player is giving me homework to read sometimes..

I essence, don't listen to anyone in this thread nor myself. If you're not breaking any 'rules' and you're having fun then your roleplaying is perfectly acceptable, even with repeated small nods and clicks of your tongue or whatever.

[Tuannon]

Hilariously inaccurate accounts of the player behind the character are an Arm benchmark, IF.

[BleakOne]

Some people, as in RL, do the same thing in the same way quite a lot. It sort of makes sense that you'd use the same or similar phrasing for those sorts of actions.

However, if you want to describe your nods as bobs, inclines, declines, positive shakes, dips, or whatever, go ahead. It's all good. 

[Fujikoma]

I use a lot of the same emotes, depending on the character, I don't focus on the detail of my ways of using the "say" command as much as I possibly should, instead focusing more on what's being said. I find dialogue to be preferable to describing movements and action, although I've been trying to pay more attention than I used to.