OOC: Normal intros VS List intros

wolfmilk • 3 April 2012 at 5:33 AM

I've been wondering, why do RPs on Eggcave usually require a "list intros" instead of "normal intros"?
I have roleplayed on other sites such as Neopets and they tend to RP using "normal intros" more. Come to think of it, I have never actually ever seen a RP on Eggcave which doesn't use "list intros".

In case you're wondering, "list intros" are ones where you have to fill out a form. For example,
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Personality:
Looks:

And a "normal intro" A normal intro are the type which contains a physical description of your character, some personality, and a little bit of their past etc. For example,

Black claws slowly sunk into the soil beneath the claw's owners. The brown paws sunk in deep, creating a paw print. Two pale green orbs watched as the sun began to sink below the horizon The male timber wolf was fairly large for his age, a good one to battle against. It was a shame that he wasn't a fighter, rather than a thinker.

silver_winged • 5 April 2012 at 3:31 AM

@wolfmilk
Compared to a lot of other sites, EggCave's roleplaying community is very lax. Most roleplayers here don't even write with proper mechanics. Paragraph introductions require more literary skill than any other aspect of roleplaying, except perhaps long-term character development. If you don't begin roleplaying using paragraph intros, I imagine it would be difficult to learn. I think the average EggCave roleplayer would find them unnecessary and tedious.

That being said, I think paragraph intros are invaluable roleplaying tools. They set the stage for every one of your subsequent posts by establishing characters, writing style, mood--everything. I would recommend that the more advanced roleplayers here try to do these.

A good paragraph introduction is a valid substitute for any character sheet. While they may not present information about a character in a brief, compact list, they provide all the information the other roleplayers should know about the character upon starting. (I typically include a detailed description of physical appearance in my intros, and make an effort to convey the emotional state of the character through tone or mood. However, I almost never delve into character history within the introduction. I'll occasionally reference it to be explained later, but I'd never go off on a tangent and begin describing the character's life. It never suited me.)

wolfmilk • 5 April 2012 at 4:57 AM

@silver_winged
I see what you mean.

After all, roleplaying on Eggcave only started officially when V2 was released.

asi • 5 April 2012 at 5:45 AM

I had never role-played before EC and still haven't outside of it 😋

This sounds like an interesting way to introduce a character, and i wouldn't mind giving it a try 😊

ladybugheart • 5 April 2012 at 5:11 PM

@wolfmilk

Filling out forms helps to keep track of things and assures that all necessary information is included. However, I personally think the type of introduction used is not important; what matters is how well it is written. As for list introductions, some people fill them out in a minute without putting any effort into their character. On the other hand, I've also seen people fill them out with long paragraphs that thoroughly explain the character and everything about them. This is the same for paragraph introductions. Despite which method people use, you'll probably find both good and bad introductions.

I think the reason why people on Egg Cave tend to use forms is because it clearly states what information you should have. When writing a paragraph to introduce your character, it might be difficult to fit everything in and make it seem natural. There's also a matter of approving characters, submitting your character and getting it approved before roleplaying, and things like that.

On the other hand, writing a paragraph to introduce the character helps to get started and is more similar to how one might introduce a character in, say, a novel. Both types have advantages, so it really depends on how the roleplayers will be doing things. To be honest, I don't think I've ever seen someone use a paragraph introduction in a roleplay. I can't really say I prefer one method over the other, though.

dreamer • 5 April 2012 at 5:18 PM

Forms, overtime, are more helpful because they give all roleplayers knowledge on who they're roleplaying with. They can also be used for reference if you need help determining your character's actions in a situation.

While I do enjoy writing and pride myself in quality grammar and writing skill, I wouldn't want to write a "normal intro". Knowing myself, I would probably waste 2 or 3 posts typing it up. In a Pm, I wrote a short intro to a stroy I wanted to start, and it ended up being 5 pages long.

Sometimes it's because of poor quality writing, or too good of a quality. X3 But forms do help people keep track, and they're relatively short and straight-forward.