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Character Apps - What You Hate to See


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Apps are a pretty vital part of most role play staffs' responsibility, but in my experience they're also one of, if not the most common sources of annoyance on sites that require them. 

 

Outside of the usual, universal issues on app sites - ignored rules, setting inappropriate or absurd characters - I'm curious to hear some of the irritations staff feel while reviewing character applications. These don't necessarily even have to be things that would justify rejecting the app - minor and major peeves count!  Are there certain history plot points that just make you cringe? Are their handling of certain historical or cultural backgrounds that bug you?

 

Are there particular adjectives that make your eye twitch when they crop up in descriptions? 

 

Does seeing a member on the 'ugh.... i need to finish this bio' after a week irk you? 

 

Are there certain bio sections that you dislike using as staff, but have to cause the admin wants/ed it? 

 

This thread is about handling apps as staff - not a discussion about whether or not you use them. 

 

 

 

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So very timely!

 

I am reluctantly building our bio form / app for the reboot of my swords and sorcery RP

 

One of my immediate peeves when I read a new bio is when there's a major Save Me scenario for the character's planned introduction to the roleplay. I do not reject the app. It's just that I've seen this ploy used so often!

 

I have a serious dislike of seeing adjectives in the physical description field like: hot, gorgeous, handsome, alluring, beautiful, stunning, odd, unusual, striking...  I seriously prefer that the description field be as neutral as possible. If the character has stand-out marks or scars, etc., that's fine. Otherwise, please let the other roleplayers determine how your character perceives theirs. 

 

The one field I wish I felt like I could delete is the one dealing with powers / magical abilities. However, I've been badly burned in the past by not having a way to hold a player's feet to the fire regarding tossing in new powers willy-nilly.

 

The whole feeling like I need to have apps/bios annoys me at myself. LOL

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In general I don’t like seeing what we call “island” characters. They aren’t tied into anything on the board or any group or faction that already exists. They are loners with no interest in changing that or so “awkward” they don’t have friends. 

 

I prefer characters that feel like they belong in the world and they’ve been there all along. 

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In definite agreement with @Zozma here. Nothing gets me more than a character whose history just screams "I didn't read any of the plot or lore but here take my character without any tweaking". Even just vague paintbrush motions like picking a spot on the map for their birth would be better. Oof. Those ones usually require some extra effort before they get accepted so I'm certain that the person has read at least some of the guidebook (I know the site has lots of info, but that's sort of just how it is and if you don't like it don't try to join???)

 

Second, the "beautiful but damaged" character is one that bored the hell out of me, and they are never in short supply. Those don't get rejected, but I do sometimes expend a little extra energy in trying to get those members to plot their characters in stuff other than fix-me-romances.

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On 7/12/2019 at 8:22 PM, Jaxx said:

"Character is [trait]. This was shown when-" really annoys me. I don't know what it is but that phrase just... gets me. 

 

This is one tactic in what I and my mods call "book report apps," and it is probably my biggest app pet peeve. I've become one of those mods who will give folks the opportunity to revise an app during review (I don't know if that's a thing in forum RP; it's common in journal RP these days), and sometimes I find it incredibly difficult to effectively communicate to certain folks what "depth" in an app looks like, and why it's important to explain the root of why a character does things, not just that they do them. Regurgitating a list of traits isn't it.

 

Ideally, I want the whole app to showcase a player's ability to write the character effectively, not just the writing sample. If you understand a character's motivations and are passionate about unpacking those motivations, that comes through and can make up for a LOT. It shows me you understand the character on a fundamental level and can be trusted with writing them, even if you're still improving on your overall prose skills. Plus, apps with a depth of understanding are just more interesting to read. Speaking as a mod, there is nothing better than an app that's a joy to read.

 

Another "book report" issue is painfully long histories that list every, single event the character has ever been through. I just want the truly salient bits presented in a way that's not like reading an instruction manual.

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I love apps, I'm always excited to read a person's interpretation of their character, whether it's long or short doesn't matter to me. There are a few things that I'll cringe at from time to time, but I just want people to play characters that they enjoy, and to feel good about and confident in themselves.

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While I love reading the apps to see everyone be creative, there are some things I dread. Some are listed here. Especially the "island" characters (new phrase! Stealing that!) that don't seem to want to be a part of anything. They just sit there. And while that's great and all and I totally support it... I fear that this is going to be a person that screams no one writes with them and leaves.

 

Histories! I don't make them written out on my forum. If people are all for them, great. If not, I get it. I hate writing them but love reading them. I've learned a lot of people think the same way. 

 

Brutal history. Yes, we've all had trauma of some sorts in our past but when the entire thing reads like a Greek tragedy, I get worried. There are some nicely done ones I've seen, but most can be eye twitching to read.

 

Keeping Up With The Jones'. Those ones that have a small paying job with this gorgeous condo on the beach, a practically brand new car with no means to pay for it, and so on. I'm guilty of this too and have learned to cut back. Just HOW? Makes my head hurt.

 

App by Thesaurus. We've seen them all. That one app, that while nicely done, looks like they took every word from the Thesaurus to write the app or their opposite, could use one on the desk. Those tend to make my eye twitch.

 

Other than that I don't have much against apps and love to read them. These are more personal things than something I would outrightly call someone out for. I may PM/DM them and suggest something, but I wouldn't down one for having these.

Edited by Prophetess
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A lot of what's been mentioned but also:

 

1) My all-time favourite: "Curves in all the right places" for female characters. (One day, I am going to make my "curves in all the wrong places" or put "curves in all the right places" for a male character. 😛)

 

2) Especially for female characters, I hate any reference to "as she grew older/into a woman, she started noticing men paying attention to her" (and any further elaboration on how she began to use her gender/sexuality). It's so over-done and it's an automatic red flag of the kind of (female) character and writer I am dealing with, as a staff or another member.

 

3) On the female characters still, any sign she's "not like the other girls" (incredibly common in historical settings) or how she can "keep up with the men", usually because she grew up with 100 brothers (for some reason, that's a way too common trope in the small-town supernatural settings I joined).

 

4) Physical descriptions that emphasise a little too much on a character's attractiveness level. It just screams 'main character syndrome'.

 

5) For male characters, it's beefed up macho with the dead wife and daughter shtick. The fact that it's so common is mildly alarming to me.

 

6) Characters that are a little bit of everything/has way too much going on with them (i.e. the Jedi-smuggler-bounty hunter-senator-droid). It's understandable to want to pack as much interests into one character but I think, at the same time, it's also better to focus in one thing and develop the character. Sometimes it's also that the writer cannot handle the idea of the character lacking or not being informed/skilled in one area, so they make them skilled in *all* the areas. Eye roll.

 

 

Edited by Vellamo
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