Why the "Line" mania?

CountVladDracula · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 8092 Location: USA - NY

I feel bad for these role players, I really do. They come into my room and say "How many lines should my entrance be?"

First, line length changes based on computer screen and screen resolution, as well as windows text size settings.

Second, to whoever has been enforcing the lines rules... are you not aware that I can take an entire long paragraph from a Dickensian novel and fit it in about three and a half lines? It's not even para RP anymore. It's lines that somehow are determining quality?

I think there is too much pressure about post length and also about posting immediately when entering a room. I see posts like ((Please don't boot me! I'm posting an entrance now!) And I'll tell them ((It's okay, you're welcome to join or watch. Take your time)).

What's wrong with people simply watching if they're actually role player and makes it clear they are? Also post length should never determine quality.
_________________

Yes, I know I'm a little batty! Thank you for noticing.

Scitza · Joined: 02 Oct 2008 Posts: 379 Location: Canada

I must agree on this. I was disabled for a few weeks, only to get my RP room back up and have people asking me how many lines and tell me they're working on their entrance right away. I tell them quality over quantity and to take the their time and such. I have also gotten people who complain to me about my posts only being around three lines or so. It's rather irritating. People don't understand, quantity is not quality, it can be but in most cases it's just pointless fluff I tend to only scan over to just read the important stuff. A little while ago, I got into an argument with someone over it, he was trying to convince me how quantity is quality, etc etc. This new fad or rule people have going on, makes me /facedesk a lot. >_<

CountVladDracula · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 8092 Location: USA - NY

I usually say that the post should be as long or as short as you deem necessary to convey what you want to describe. If you want to be vague, that is your business.

Someone once accused my Dresden Files RPG as being "Full of n00bs" when they saw a friend and I RPing out a telephone conversation so there were several posts that were just dialogue. Were we Supposed to have several line posts with each bit of conversation describing how he tilted his head as he held the phone?
_________________

Yes, I know I'm a little batty! Thank you for noticing.

RoseannaLovette · Joined: 04 Jan 2011 Posts: 227 Location: USA - NC

I've actually been running into an opposite problem with lines involving entrances. Players will come in and post a wall of text that takes several minutes to read and can interrupt the ENTIRE flow of the rp. Many of the regular rp'ers who come in my rooms have stated that they don't READ these things and hate getting what they call "Wall 'o text posts." I have started to place this when someone comes in:

((Post entrance as soon as you load; no more than 5 lines please. It is a grassland valley by a river on battlefeild in WW 3. It is November 19 , very cold and snowing.))

I have actually received negative comments about how few lines I'm allowing! I'd like to know what's with all the line madness as well.

DiezAre · Joined: 28 Jul 2011 Posts: 1045 Location: Antarctica

I actually get quite the amount of copy and paste posts that are slightly altered (And not done well at that) that are at LEAST two pages in word long. Then after I am done yelling at them for not reading my room card and completely missing the broad side of the obvious bard with my setting (IE its sunny and warm in Edelize to them) they state they do it just to 'have a long entrace/thats what T1 is/BUHAUAHAUAHAUAHAUSHFGIKRJF'

I just now tell people 'quality over quantity and read my room card.'

I just read the last two-three lines of those entrances. Their all (literally) Longass description anout characters godly looks, more backstory then needed, angstangstangst, bandits/persuers/slavedrivers/???/hunters appear, epic battle outside village gates/character walks in all bloody/somehow magically untouched after a huge 5+ on one battle. Then they A. act like it never happened. Or B. WHINE ABOUT IT. Therefore making a hugely long backstory filled complainy posts to my characters. D: The length of the posts starts to interfere with other Rpers. Usually after a bit they tone it down and post the same amount as us. Or leave because 'our posts aren't long enough.'

CountVladDracula · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 8092 Location: USA - NY

CountVladDracula · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 8092 Location: USA - NY

The only time I do a long entrance post is if I'm posting for strangers. I have to deal with things iike people assuming Dracula would bun in the sun and I use the entrance post to make it clear I'm using the powers and limits from the original book, no a B movie.
_________________

Yes, I know I'm a little batty! Thank you for noticing.

RoseannaLovette · Joined: 04 Jan 2011 Posts: 227 Location: USA - NC

Ambillina · Joined: 18 Jun 2007 Posts: 5226 Location: USA - TX

While I see your point in rooms (C'mon, who wants to try and navigate through floods of text?), I think that when in groups, posts should be larger than a few lines, at least for an entrance. I have always been one of those to write as much as I can get away with, but not because there is no quality.

I enjoy reading lengthy novels, and when I write, it usually involves a hefty amount of description. Lately I haven't done many role-plays, so I have gotten out of the habit of being wordy, but wordiness is what makes it fun for me. I guess I'm kind of an oddball XD.
_________________

Check this art shop out!
http://www.gasrforum.com/t9543-starlight-by-astra-weekly-challege

CountVladDracula · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 8092 Location: USA - NY

Guest_SpikeDuer · Joined: 15 Dec 2011 Posts: 3 Location: USA - CA

I think that people shouldn't judge on lines but the how the post is put together, There are to many people that that just type a lot and you can even put it together. But At this point I like to keep my at least a paragraph long and make it detailed. then there is the people who do a couple entry..that kinda makes my flip my lid at times but hey, everyone has there ways of role-playing.

CountVladDracula · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 8092 Location: USA - NY

Skimmerskir · Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 520 Location: Sweden

I can understand where it comes from though, I think we all can. At least I know I was in a period of roleplaying where writing a lot meant you were just that much cooler than everybody else; because it's an easy mistake to make.
What is it that we see when we text-roleplay (at least usually, excluding all the pixels on IMVU)? It's the words, obviously; and a lot of people confuse these words with - as many have already stated - quality.

Also, it's a way of signaling what kind of roleplayer you are. Even if people naturally vary their post lengths - due to circumstances, such as dialouge - you put up an instant line when you recommend a posting length. Saying "paragraph roleplayers only" -usually- imply a completely different crowd than "light to medium RP" on the room card.

And there's nothing wrong with liking wordiness, on a sidenote! A lot of text-roleplayers do; although the tradition on IMVU is a little bit different, seeing as it's a chat with a visual media as well.

CountVladDracula · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 8092 Location: USA - NY

Someone once came into my Dracula RP room doing such long filler posts that he was ignoring posts by other people because he was so wrapped up in his on long winded self-indulgent posts. It was getting ridiculous how much he was ignoring because he was posting these long-winded descriptions of himself. Finally I had to say something to him. He replied with going off about how amateur it is to play a character created by someone else and that canon RP isn't real RP and left the room in a huff.
_________________

Yes, I know I'm a little batty! Thank you for noticing.

MelodyCalidora · Joined: 07 Apr 2006 Posts: 101 Location: USA

To be honest, I post around three lines at most on an average day. My rp is strict (all OOC is in brackets, and a courtesy post when you load to let me know whether you are watching or participating) but it is free flowing and those who come into my rooms enjoy themselves. Alot of the time we can have very little action happening, especially if the conversation is good. But we take our rp seriously and have fun with it. And honestly, isn't rp supposed to be fun?

I make it known I don't do para rp or turn based, because I enjoy the short and sweet, free flowing type of rp in my rooms. Usually if someone does that we let them go, unless of course they disrupt the flow of the rp. Then, politely and in brackets, I kindly ask them to shorten their posts as to not go against the way the rp is moving. I've never had a problem with people following it Smile

_________________

Check out my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ElesabethBathory