Format for Character Reports

[John]

I've been writing character reports since I started playing again (it was my preference to do this all along, not just in leader roles. I just felt the staff at the time saw them as a nuisance). I got feedback from the staff member saying

you format your reports SUPERBLY. They're so well-organised and easy to read. It's fabulous. The mutt's nuts. The bee's knees.

The format I'm using I got from this thread. So if people are sending in reports, it's worth looking at the format for that thread.

Here's an example report

Week 1: 30/10/2011 – 5/11/2011

This week Amos has bought a merchant's token and started selling his wares direct to PCs and have a question about taxes. I'm also trying to buy a contract on Malik Kadius

• 1. Gaining an Archnemesis
• 2. Buying a Merchant's token
• 3. Ripping off Lord Fancypants Fale
• 4. Buying from grebbers

1. Killing Malik Kadius
Malik Kadius beat me in a game of Kruth by using a magicker (or so Amos thinks). I know from past characters that Malik is a mindbender, but Amos isn't aware of this. Amos is really really pissed off by Malik using "magickers" and I've been having Amos think about ways to murder Malik. There's a good chance that Malik will kill Amos before he gets the chance to do anything.

Nonetheless, Amos is planning on speaking with Lord Borsail's aide because Amos is good friends with her and knows that Malik has also angered Lord Borsail.

2. Buying a Merchant's Token
I've bought a merchant's token from Lord Templar Hardnose who is now taxing me 10% from all sales I make. OOCly I've been playing for 10 years and I've never been taxed by templars before. If I asked around with VNPCs would they tell me this is something they've always done and it just hasn't been represented in game by previous Templar PCs. Is this a new law that I can learn about ICly? Or is Lord Templar Hardnose simply making shit up and would Amos know this considering he's a fifth generation merchant from Allanak?

3. Ripping off Lord Fancypant's Fale
I sold him some silk for 10 times it's actual value by convincing him it was cut in the style that was worn by Steinal nobility. In reality it's just a tribal item from the Anyar.

4. Buying from Grebbers
I've arranged to purchase directly from Bruce, Bob and Bobbi. Hopefully they won't die straight away like the last lot did.

Thanks to Archbaron for posting the format initially!

[Dan]

This is pretty much how I do it most of the time!

[musashi]

Nyr likes it when I write my reports exclusively in haiku.

[lussien]

Mine's just along the skeleton of:

Date, Time
# report

About the PC:

Summary:
- written in point form: then a little more details afterwards

OOC:
- if I have some OOC questions.

Peronal Thoughts:
- Whatever I want to rant here.

And of course,
Thanks for working so hard.

Politeness is key! ;3

[My 2 sids]

Mine's just along the skeleton of:

Date, Time
# report

About the PC:

Summary:
- written in point form: then a little more details afterwards

OOC:
- if I have some OOC questions.

Peronal Thoughts:
- Whatever I want to rant here.

And of course,
Thanks for working so hard.

Politeness is key! ;3

[Cutthroat]

I use a pretty similar format which staff have said is clear.

Amos' Character Report (10/30 - 11/5)

1. Introductory notes/OOC thoughts.
2. Character relations.
3. Plots.
  1. Plot 1.
  2. Plot 2.
  3. Plot 3.

1. Introductory notes/OOC thoughts.

A brief summary of the report, a list of questions within the report so they can't be missed later on, plus any OOC thoughts you might have about playing your character.

2. Character relations.

A list of characters important to your character plus any updates there might be about them. You can break this down into multiple sections if need be. For example, a noble or templar might split it up between other nobles and templars, other clans and groups (including independents and tribes), and his or her own employees (and partisans, if Tuluki).

3. Plots.

3.1. Plot 1.

Information about plot 1.

3.1. Plot 2.

Information about plot 2.

3.1. Plot 3.

Information about plot 3.

It takes me about an hour on average to put together a report, which is pretty easy to manage if you record and write down important details throughout your play in order to remember for when you write your report.

[Saellyn]

Why does Amos care if the Lord TEmplar's taxing him << Obviously the Lord Templar likes him and thinks he's making a lot of money if he's taxing Amos!

Amos should go kiss his boots

Also I just do a pretty simple..

Pre-ramble

IC stuff:

Item Orders (if I'm in a clan and a merchant type)

Relationships (if they're important)

OOC stuff:

Post-ramble.

[Talia]

My short guidelines for reports: Less ramble, more bullet points. Put questions and requests up front and make sure you've clearly stated them.

[Nyr]

I've experimented with a new format that has helped me out, at least.  I also try to make each sub-bullet as IC as possible so that I can copy and paste it right into a bio entry.  Each sub-bullet should be about a paragraph long.  Sometimes it goes longer, though.  Either way, it is organized.

Summary

CCing two clans.  My PC is working on a proposal from Lord Templar Amos and is also planning to kill this person in this other clan.

• overt stuff:  preparing for this, getting to know that person, proposal from Lord Templar Amos
• not so overt stuff:  stole this, planning to kill some other person, getting better at understanding politics
• questions, or other stuff: none at this time
  

• Overt stuff
  
  • Preparing for this:  my PC is preparing for this thing, and he's working on it diligently.  Here's some stuff he has done for it.  Here is some stuff he feels will be a problem with it.
  • Getting to know that person:  my PC has met with this person several times, and they seem to hit it off, they are good buddies.
  • Proposal from Lord Templar Amos: we talked, he has this idea, we're cool with it I think, but letting you know anyway.

• Not so overt stuff
  
  • Stole this thing: my PC stole this thing from another PC.  It seems pretty valuable, so I am going to try and fence it.
  • Planning to kill this dude:  my PC really hates this guy and they are probably going to eventually kill each other.  My PC is going to do it first, I think.  Working it out to have them pushed into the bit pit thingy in Allanak--oops!
  • Getting better at understanding politics:  my PC has been learning slowly, but finally seems to have a grasp of the basics of politics in this city, and who hates whom.

Thanks for reading, no questions at this time.

[Dakota]

my reports are formatted but I feel like they're novella's

[Jeshin]

For people with big character reports, like leadership or leadership minions like Aides. I suggest.

Intro
blahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblah
blahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblah
blahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblahblah

Questions/Requests
1 I want this clan NPC changed!
2 Can I do this?
3 Where should I put coins for loaded items?

Leadership stuff
1) Become senior/high templar/sorc king - what has happened
2) Organize this event - preparations made and whose involved
3) Make change to gameworld - this room, this object, whose involved, add log

Personal Stuff
1) You
2) Get
3) It
4) Right?

[Nyr]

An occasional long report is fine, but if every one is bloated, it is taking you a long time to write and taking us a decent amount of time to read, no?

Some suggestions to trim down bloated reports:

-- We don't really need to know about every single person your PC knows.  If it's barely important to your PC (it only takes up one line or a few words), it is just more space in the report.
-- Rambling paragraphs with no heading or direction...those aren't needed. These are the most difficult reports to read, and I'd have to assume they are as difficult to write.  If you have a lot of stuff you need/want to report on, break it up into categories, and then break that up into sub-headings if necessary.

Some other suggestions:

-- Put your questions or major concerns that require staff feedback at the beginning or end of the report.  Interspersing them throughout the report creates the possibility of staff missing the question because it is cluttered.
-- Try to think of a report more as an outline with details, not a paper:  your PC is the paper you are writing.  We can always ask you for more details if we need them.

Side note and pet peeve:

-- If your role requires you to send in reports, yet the majority of reports you send clock in under 100 words (and probably take less than 5 minutes to write) you have won.  You have successfully required staff to put in more effort to answer your report than you yourself put in to type it.  Please change the formatting of your reports.  We would like to know what your opinion is rather than have you ask us what your opinion should be.

[ShaLeah]

Should Amos-Shmo-The-Nobody write in character reports?  I only tend to do it if I'm in a leadership role or I'm neck deep in some plot that's major to my character.


ShaL

[Cutthroat]

Should Amos-Shmo-The-Nobody write in character reports?  I only tend to do it if I'm in a leadership role or I'm neck deep in some plot that's major to my character.


ShaL

IMO, if you have something important to tell the staff about your PC, and/or your PC is pretty involved in plots with other characters, go ahead and send in regular reports. You're only required to send in weekly reports in many leadership roles, but you can send reports less often than that if you don't have as much to say.

[Lizzie]

Should Amos-Shmo-The-Nobody write in character reports?  I only tend to do it if I'm in a leadership role or I'm neck deep in some plot that's major to my character.


ShaL

Couple of reasons for clan reports even if you're not in a leadership role:

1. If the clan staff takes a random peek at your RP, it'll help them with context and you might end up with a pretty neato animated scene.
2. If the clan staff doesn't take a random peek that day, and the -other- guy reports on -his- perspective, they won't understand why you did what you did - only that you did it, and the other guy is giving his side.
3. My clan staff, currently, has responded to all my reports with very encouraging comments, and told me they really appreciate and look forward to my reports. This makes me feel all squishy inside, and I blush a little. It's kinda nice.

[John]

Should Amos-Shmo-The-Nobody write in character reports?

My impression is that it's appreciated for Amos-Shmo-The-Nobody to do it. But it isn't required.