Excelmation points and their usage

[sacac]

Well... I don't know about you guys but I can excliam Holy shit! to myself..
but let's settle this. PEOPLE USE SHOUT!
Anyways... emote walking to the person unless the place is empty of npc, nvpcs, and pcs.
And there yu have it.

[crymerci]

The screen was always moving by faster than I could read when your chars came into the room.

-Tortall, who never saw the point of writing out long lines of babble when you can say the same thing in 5 words.

Ok, first of all, if the screen is really moving that fast due to one person, and assuming he doesn't type 200wpm or some other inhuman speed, then you either need to ignore him or improve your reading speed.  I've had a few times when there was too much going on in a tavern for me to keep up with, so I just ignored everything that was going on except what pertained to me, which is more realistic in a way anyhow.  And these things were never the result of one person anyway.  I think you're being overly dramatic.

I think it's always best to err on the side of more emoting rather than less, assuming that it doesn't overly slow down the speed of the conversation or interaction. If you don't want to read it, then choose to have your character not see it, and don't read it.  But maybe someone else wants to. Maybe it's even important to the ongoing story of the world.

And as far as the exclamation point, obviously exclaiming isn't the same as, say, shouting.  But it does imply a more excited, emphatic, and generally louder tone of voice.

[Anonymous]

The exclamation point (!) is the punctuation mark used to give the sort of emphasis to a word, phrase, or sentence that suggests loud, vigorous, forthright delivery.  

Above from Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–).  The Columbia Guide to Standard American English.  1993.

For those who pooh-pooh Standard American English - the exclamation mark is also known in the UK as a "bang" or a "shriek." That should be a pretty big clue.

[tortall]

Sheesh, calm down guys!!! I mean -I- think there's a limit on emotes. Not that there SHOULD be.

As for why I posted it now. Well, if I had posted it then people would have gotten onto me for posting it then. Now people are getting onto me because I'm still upset now? I'm not upset. I was upset at something ELSE. COMPLETLY unrelated to what I was talking about.

And mansa, I'm sorry, but I do see caps as yelling. If someone who uses caps anyways, even though they're not yelling, what's to say something, be my guest. But that's just plain bad grammer imo.


-Tortall, who just had to drive her dad to the damn book store.

[briktal]

Exactly!

...
...
...
I wasn't shouting that out.

[X-D]

Hhhhmm, Well, some pc's do speak loudly, almost all the time, I knew a near deaf dwarf that did, he either used ! or shout, and a lot of Half-giants have a vol control problem, that or the player feels that an HG talking is going to be loud to any non-halfgiant...as to long emotes, they are great, unless redundant or the person making them only types 40wpm, then it is just grating.

[creeper386]

Hmm... Well I'm thinking people are blowing Tortall's remarks way out of the water for the most part. One, she wasn't telling people they had to emote less, she said her preference. Also she was merely asking that people take exclamation points to not always mean yelling. Personally I'm for this.

And your telling her to take into account the enviroment. In a busy tavern even if your YELLING there is a good chance you won't be heard. You can just as easiely RP that they were drowned out because they are trying to call out acrossed the tavern as you can RP they have a miraculously loud voice that can carry through a crowd of rowdy drunks. Just alittle test get a friend, turn up your music LOUD and try to have a conversation just acrossed ten feet. Even yelling your likely to go unheard. Really it works both ways.

Just because someone is trying to talk to you doesn't mean you are forced to play that you heard it or anything.

Also, exclamation points don't always mean yelling. Don't even mean they are being louder. If you look up definition it's also used to show excitement, wonder, admirement ... It's a conveyance of emotion just as much as it is a conveyance of any loudness.

Not trying to point at anyone, but don't say someone wasn't paying attention to their surroundings when yourself, by your own words were being just as ignorant of what other things were going on but acting like you had no choice in hearing them. Not only is that letting something else completely control your character that isn't always IC... And it's forcing something on someone else. IE your forcing the idea that they were yelling when they weren't.

Creeper

[tortall]

Creeper, have I told you recently that I love you?


-Tortall, who loves creeper.

[creeper386]

The senile old man says, in sirihish, speaking quietly, "Wow!"

Can be used to display amazement..

The scrawny little kid says, in sirihish, his eyes opening widely as he looks at the the filthy magicker, "Hey! Whoah! Didn't see you there."

Surprise ... Not always needs to be loud. Can be alittle louder, but most likely more a change in tone unless stated to be loud.

The burly mercenary says, in sirihish, calling a few stools down the bar, "Hey sarge! Need a drink?"

Sure he's being loud enough to be heard, but the exlamation doesn't mean he's just HOLLERING AS LOUD AS POSSIBLE. It's more imphasizing sarge. He's not necessarily being any louder then anyone else, but he isn't speaking in a slow drool tone. It's more upbeat, sharp.

Since I already addressed everything else I feel I need to address, I figured I'd just toss in some examples. Exclamation points are for emphasizing mostly. Doesn't mean your loud. Doesn't mean your shouting. Can use an exlamation point, when speaking in alittle more then a mutter, properly.


Creeper

[Dan]

A little off topic but I think everyone needs to use more exclamation in battle emotes!

Right? Whos with me?

[Medena]

... It does -not- mean that they're being loud. Yes, people do tend to get a bit louder when they're excided. That does not mean you have to wince every time someone in the room uses an excelmation point.

It is a big pet peeve of mine, as my chars tend to get excited easly. PLEASE guys, people don't wince that often. The bar/tavern is always noisy, and you're unlikly to hear them over the rest of the roar of the crowed. Deal!

As someone who plays an excitable person in RL, I feel your pain. I once had a boss who winced practically every time I spoke and I -know- I wasn't always being loud nor was I always talking to her.

How does this relate to the game? Well, I figure that whether exclaiming actually means an increase in volume or not, it -does- denote high energy which will, of itself, draw people's attention. I think that if you are playing an excitable character you probably should expect to get noticed by other PC's and noticed in whatever way their players see fit.

-Medena

[tortall]

Oh, I completly agree. I play all my chars to get noticed, it's part of the fun. People tend to hate me since I'm usually the goofy one though.


-Tortall, who is insane.

[Delirium]

The problem arises when you don't take the time to emote out exactly what that exclamation point is meaning.

For example:

The bulbous-crotched mul exclaims, in sirihish:
"Son of a 'tok whore!"

The effeminate, dainty black-robed Templar exclaims, in sirhish:
"You there! You're the one!"

Alternately:

Hissing the words out through his teeth as he claps a meaty hand over the gash on his arm, the bulbous-crotched mul exclaims, in sirhish:
"Son of a 'tok whore!"

The effeminate, dainty black-robed templar levels a bony finger toward the hapless citizen before him.

His voice an enraged whisper, the effeminate, dainty black-robed Templar exclaims, in sirhihish:
"You there! You're the one!"


It is possible for exclamation points to reflect suprise or excitement or what-have-you, and not just volume of voice, but it is also difficult to discern that unless the player illustrates that very fact for the others who will be reading the say. Otherwise, yes, exclamation points naturally tend to suggest a louder tone of voice.

[Anonymous]

Delirium!  I think you are right!  Nice post!

[tortall]

I can agree with that. I'll admit I often don't put emoted into my talking. Hey, I'm lazy. :-D


-Tortall, who is lazy.

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

Delirium wrote:

The bulbous-crotched mul

Ha! That's hilarious...

D00d, I'm -so- special apping for a mul now, and I'm stealing that sdesc.

[Ueda]

I can agree with that. I'll admit I often don't put emoted into my talking. Hey, I'm lazy. :-D


-Tortall, who is lazy.

Then why was your post made out to be so mad when the PC's interpit what you do differently because you didn't use any emotion beside !

I hate you!
vs.
(In simpathetic tone)I hate you!

[tortall]

In the instance I was talking about I -did- emote that my char was over at the bar, and they were all the way over on the couch. Yet when I said something as simple as "Yeah!" They would wince. Others have told me to be quite when I'm obviously(even with emotes) just excited. Yes, your voice raises a -bit- when you're excited, but not -that- much!


-Tortall, who is a big digusted that no one got the point of this other than creeper.

[The Dude]

Language skills
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
sirihish duderish

>change language duderish
>say That's what you think.
The portly, middle-aged man says, in duderish "Yeah well, that's just like, your opinion, man."

Down with the sex mud! This, my friends, is the LEBOWSKI Mud!

The shaggy goateed man says, in duderish:
"Hey, careful man! There's a beverage here, hey!"

[sacac]

I agree with delerium...
And as for X-D, When I know what I'm typing it only takes me a second to type it But it still could be 40WPM  :roll:

[Carnage]

Yes, your voice raises a -bit- when you're excited, but not -that- much!

Ouch, stop screaming.

[tortall]

I love you too Carnage.


-Tortall, who is in a rather good mood right now.

[flurry]

-Tortall, who is a big digusted that no one got the point of this other than creeper.

No, I think you had a valid point Tortall.    I think it's related to the idea of not forcing actions on other people in your roleplay.   In other words, by reacting as if your character were yelling, in a sense the other player is forcing that action on you.  

Most of the time I see that is in dealing with newbies...other chracters intentionally overreacting to make a point.   (Why did you just sit down on the floor?   Don't you see the chair right there?   Hey - did you see that guy sit down on the floor there?   Musta had one to many, that one.   etc. etc. etc.)     In that case I understand the intent is to be instructive, but in a way it's still forcing an action on someone by your reaction.

It can be awkward because if someone reacts in a certain way, you kind of have to play along with it.  



Anyway, I thought you had a reasonable point.   Whether you were right or wrong in that particular encounter,  it's impossible to say.  

I wonder if the people who cluttered up this thread with snarky comments would appreciate that in one of their threads.   In any case, I thought a few people were a bit rude here and I'm not sure why.

[Ralin]

have you ever gotten hurt IRL one way or another, and made that little hissing sound with your breathe when you breath in real fast?

Sounds something like: "Eeeeeeeeeess!"

Now...is that loud? Not really, most times it's barely audible, but I've found through the novels I've read, that nine out of ten writers are going to add an exclamation point on the end of it to get the point across that what just happened -indeed- hurt, without everyone within shouting distance hearing it.

[Quirk]

Delirium already covered this admirably. While there are lots of possible tones and volumes that can be applied to an exclamation, if you don't specify how you're exclaiming it's really to be expected that people will take it as being said more loudly than the rest of your speech.

I can agree with that. I'll admit I often don't put emoted into my talking. Hey, I'm lazy.  


-Tortall, who is lazy.

If people aren't going to trouble themselves with emoting how they exclaim something, of course they're going to be misunderstood.

Of course, as this point has already been made (and shouldn't need to be reposted)... dare I suggest there's nothing more to see here and we can all move on already?

Quirk