[Orion]

With regards to roleplaying, I was wondering about preferences when it comes to players taking actions in the past or present tense, i.e:

Tom looked at Joe. He said, "hello Joe." (Past)
Tom looks at Joe. He says, "hello Joe." (Present)

I wonder if past tense was used it may create a sense of distance from your character, and more of a focus on creative writing. Things aren't happening to your character now, so it may not seem as personal when things happen to them. It may be easier to objectify them that way, treating your participation in the game more like you are telling a story.

However, I can see how that would also not be so desirable, because players also want to feel like they are their character too, and I think using the present tense works better for that.

Which do you prefer, and have you noticed any difference with how players play, in terms of how they react to bad things happening to their character, if past tense was used as opposed to the present?