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Maggie · 08-30-2002, 01:29 PM

I find long emotes to be rather distracting, and tend to pick out key words and skip the rest. I don't like seeing emotions or motives expressed in them because you can't see what a person is thinking or feeling, you can only guess by their mannerisms, words, tone of voice and your past history with them.

If I see someone grin, I have no idea if they're grinning because of amusement, happiness, politeness or any number of other reasons, and I don't think I should unless I know the character well or I'm a mind reader. The same thing goes for most other actions. I may see someone blink, but I can only guess at the reason for it. I don't think my characters should have more of an insight into someone else's mind than I do.

As an example, I've been in a room of people when someone brought up the actions of a politician. Several people groaned, grumbled, frowned, etc., but not all for the same reason. After hearing what they said later it was obivous that some did so because they disapproved of the action, some because they disapproved of the person repeating rumors and some because they disapproved of discussing politics at all in the setting we were in. Until they clarified what they were thinking, the behaviors all looked the same.

I think that if a character is played well, the meaning will come out on it's own, without having to explain it in a 3+ line emote.

edited because motives only has one v in it.

08-30-2002, 01:29 PM	#20
Maggie Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 64	I find long emotes to be rather distracting, and tend to pick out key words and skip the rest. I don't like seeing emotions or motives expressed in them because you can't see what a person is thinking or feeling, you can only guess by their mannerisms, words, tone of voice and your past history with them. If I see someone grin, I have no idea if they're grinning because of amusement, happiness, politeness or any number of other reasons, and I don't think I should unless I know the character well or I'm a mind reader. The same thing goes for most other actions. I may see someone blink, but I can only guess at the reason for it. I don't think my characters should have more of an insight into someone else's mind than I do. As an example, I've been in a room of people when someone brought up the actions of a politician. Several people groaned, grumbled, frowned, etc., but not all for the same reason. After hearing what they said later it was obivous that some did so because they disapproved of the action, some because they disapproved of the person repeating rumors and some because they disapproved of discussing politics at all in the setting we were in. Until they clarified what they were thinking, the behaviors all looked the same. I think that if a character is played well, the meaning will come out on it's own, without having to explain it in a 3+ line emote. edited because motives only has one v in it.