[eggy azoozoo]

Personally, it was bizarre starting on a site that just let you do whatever you felt was appropriate for a personality section, to eventually branching out and finding that it's fairly common that sites dictate you actually list a certain number of personality traits for a given profile.

I'm just wondering on what people's preferences are in that regard.

For me, simply listing out adjectives has always felt like.. I'm giving you "information" but I'm not actually giving you much of anything to actually digest, since it's not the same thing as giving a very brief snapshot of how they inhibit those characteristics? And it feels like profiles that have certain personality adjectives just meld into one single indistinguishable blahh unless you track down their IC posts and plotters and at that point, wtf is the point of a profile.

[City -]

Personally I've never really been a fan of listed personality sections. I totally agree that they completely defeat the purpose of having a personality section on the application (its even worse when they're on an app that requires a massive amount of detail for other areas like history or appearance). Honestly I don't think their effective at conveying a characters personality at all.

For instance just having shy listed as a personality trait doesnt do much to explain the overall influence the trait has on the character as a whole. How shy are they? Who are they shy around? What symptoms of shyness do they show externally? Two characters can exhibit the same personality trait in very different ways. One could be a 'pass out at the very though of another person looking at them' shy, while another character could simply be shy in front of a larger group of people - if these two characters were presented with a listed personality, no one would know the difference without going and digging through their threads.

Another issue directly derived from the lack of explaination (described above XD) is that, at least in my experience, these types of listed app personalities lead to 'flip floppy' characters. Characters will present a personality trait in one way in one post / thread, then do a complete 180 and display that same trait a completely different way in another. With an app section like that you can't even lable events like that as a character being 'ooc' because they are, nomatter how loosely, still eexhibiting a base trait they listed in their application. Having an undefined personality sections just seems to lead to inconsitant characters.

The same can be said about pretty much every other personality trait, personalities are just too varied from character to character for listing personality traits to really be effective / useful.

So, I guess long story short, I would say that I'm a fan of more in depth, internal vs. External personality sections on profile. Theyre more work overall, but they offer a much wider view into the psyche of your character (XD).

[sairri]

honestly, I'm a lazy and impatient app-er (both in terms of reading and writing) so though I know having a full on personality can be nice for characterization, if I have the option I will almost always do the list and maybe add a few bullets for quirks and other notable points. If I'm reading an app with both a list and paragraph I will usually just read the list unless I'm trying to brainstorm a plot or am intrigued with the character enough to continue.

But i do see how listing can be non-descriptive and ngl I'm sometimes guilty using a blah trait to get the however many I need. I know a good paragraph or two on a personality can be more effective than a list and though I don't always do it I think the ultimate happy middle for both readers and writers is paragraph style with bold traits.

I'm not really sure where I'm going with this but yeah though I don't mind paragraph personalities (so long as they aren't excessively long) I guess ultimately I'm in the "bios should just be a nice little reference for other roleplayers'" camp as opposed to using them for the art/development of a character. I honestly don't need to know every nuance of a characters' psyche or history to get a starting plot going and I prefer to get to know them through the actual roleplay.

Though they aren't perfect, I think lists give me that just fine.

[Egao, Egao Everywhere]

Surprisingly, I find the listed format to be the most appropriate in rps. Why? Because people don't really want or care to know your character that accurately based on the app. Having vague adjectives is more than enough. I prefer if apps put more effort in the physical description. The impression a character gives, the air around them - those are things that the personality would not convey and are way more important in interactions.

I do understand City -'s point and it's that impression that I prefer paragraph at times. But I've been in sites where I didn't really see the difference. It's just a coincidence, I suppose.

I'm also more of a fan of the "trivia" section, where rpers can drop traits highlighting their character. For example, I've described Zheng as someone who appears unfriendly and intense, like someone who would yell when you try to talk to him, but he's actually quite polite and you can see how he intently listens to you, valuing your thoughts though a stranger. That's something a paragraph personality would be able to portray but not many people would really want to read through it.

[★SIRIUS]

i like it when people write the personality out. to me, the personality is the most important aspect of the character, even more so than the history or physical appearance. it's like irl. are you gonna judge someone based on their past, their appearance, or their personality? i think usually it's personalities that determine if characters will click or not. i don't want a thousand word novel, but i don't think a few hundred words is too much to ask.

and i mean, i don't have anything against bullet points. bullets are good if you're someone who likes to start with a skeleton and flesh the character out as you go, which makes sense. i mostly like paragraphs better because i'm one of those people who re-uses characters a lot, that have already done a lot of developing, so a few bullet points doesn't do much justice there. that and i love to see into a character's psyche. i love all the little quirks and eccentricities that make them unique. yeah, i could just learn these things through the rp, but being able to read a solid personality helps me decide if i'm interested in rping with a character in the first place. like if they would even get along with my character etc etc.

my pet peeve is actually more the mary sue characters that just list ten flawlessly positive personality traits lol. so when bullet points are involved i lean toward the apps that require a few positives and a few negatives. just to keep the character well rounded y'know?

[minnie]

tbh i always prefer writing / reading paragraphs - because listing traits doesn't give the same holistic sense that paragraphs can?? like, bullet-pointing 'nice, sweet, happy' is a bit different from "he's a a generally pleasant sort of person to be around, always with a curve on his lips and a compliment for anyone he runs into" yanno what im sayinnn

like it's not a big deal people can do whatever but i'm pleasantly surprised w/ paragraphs

[Kupo]

I feel like having bullet points doesn't explain as much about a person compared to writing it in detail which is completely logical. There's a lot of people whom could be simply a 'trait' but when people going on to explaining it you'll come to learn what makes this person with this 'trait' differ from another person with the same thing.

But for listed personalities, I feel like they are needed sometimes. Mainly for sites that are simply a 'jump in and roleplay a character you want'. You know, those multi-genre things made for people who want to try one roleplay one day and something different the next because there are people who want that kind of action and would find it tedious to keep making a long personality for a character that they aren't planning on keeping long.

But these two things are just my opinion on the matter. Pretty much, I prefer detail.

[EMMIE]

Normally I prefer a listing, only because I normally don't know how my character is REALLY going to come out until I play them. I have an idea in my head, a vague sense of who they are and mostly, they come to light and start developing different parts of their personalities once I actually get in and start getting their hands dirty.

But that is just me you know? Different strokes for different folks. Everyone is going to be more comfortable with what ever style best suits them and what is good for the player is not always best for the masses. I normally write a paragraph of personality for them in their plotter though if the site has a listing personality section (like mine normally do), and that is a way to do it if you are stuck in a listing based personality site but want to add more about your character so people get a better feel for them.

[Elena]

I think a mix of paragraphs of in depth personality and some listings (strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes - some of them with a brief explanation) is needed for a well rounded character.

For example, my pirate captain's personality is as follows:

Personality:
Sol is optimistic, spontaneous, intrepid, jovial and makes light of things most of the time, especially in odd situations where one would expect prudence, but he is a man of hot temper and extremes. When not smiling kindly or ironically, he is boiling with anger. His heated temper keeps him from doing any emotion halfway and this leads sometimes to fierce arguments and fights.

He strives to win against any obstacles life may get in his way and succeed – especially to prove to himself and anybody else that the illegitimate son of a nobleman can get through his own forces what his legitimate siblings obtained through their birth - and this includes acquiring knowledge and wealth equally. He is daring and determined, liking less taken paths in all fields, A mystery is only intriguing for him, and he secretly dreams of discovering something to leave his name to – be it an island or any other place. He is loyal to friends and ideals, not willing to sacrifice his life in vain, but standing up for his beliefs, and would die for them if the case might be.

He treats all women with respect. He likes their attention, but he is currently too occupied finding glory and wealth to worry about settling down, and he considers himself immune to love since the death of his fiancée, nine years ago.

The month spent in prison, in continuous tortures, in June 1719, and later, in August 1719, witnessing the sinking of his ship had somehow changed his personality, giving him a pessimistic streak. He had questioned his worth as a man and as a pirate, why he had survived and others didn't, and even if these questions are somehow behind him now, nightmares are still his faithful companions, and his initially optimistic nature is countered by mood swings and pessimism bouts which, centuries later, might be called PTSD.

Sometimes he thinks about retiring from pyracy - but this time hasn't arrived yet, and his thoughts aren't due to cowardice. He is there, sailing and fighting as a pirate captain should. Plans for future, however, don't harm anyone.

Likes:
+ the sea – it has made his life not only bearable, but nice and free.
+ victory - there is nothing quite like winning, especially if since birth some people told you there is no chance for you to win
+sunrise – it always reminds him that each day is a new beginning, a new opportunity of success.
+ learning new things. He is open minded and has a good memory.
+ partying – this involves liquor, dance, women… or tavern brawls if somebody offends him
+ strong women –it is nice to feel chivalrous and protecting sometimes... but it is even nicer to know that the woman by your side is not needy and frail, but reliable, a wild flower, not a greenhouse one
+ attention and being admired for his skills – especially when men or women are around him, asking him to play their favourite songs.

Dislikes:
- cowards and traitors, because they put stupidly one’s life in danger
- losing – be it a battle or a game of cards
– being cheated
- nobility with the associated vanity and prejudice. If there is in this world a “blue blood” not making case of his/ her origins and treating everybody well, at the same level, than no grudges
- law enforcement, obviously, because they hunt pirates… and all kind of rebels
- strong ones oppressing the weaker
- long range fights and getting shot – because there is no honour in killing from a safe distance, and getting a bullet in one’s flesh is painful indeed.

Strengths:
+ good sailor, also skilled at drawing maps and navigation
+ he can read and write with nice penmanship. He writes correctly in Spanish and with mistakes in English, but he had the ambition to learn to read and write in English when he sought the position of a master's mate on "Merciless", as he couldn't obtain and keep it otherwise.
+ he has a quick wit and a thirst for knowledge
+ playing guitar (the four-stringed requinto jarocho from his area, also called guitarra de son sometimes) and singing get him popular in any tavern or brothel, but it is also useful in the free time aboard, to avoid boredom not only for him, but for his mates.

Weaknesses:
- women – be they seducingly beautiful ones to be wooed or ladies in distress (of any age or social status) who need help he could provide
- not really wanting to kill people if there is any solution to avoid it. He can do it if really needed, but will try every way around it before doing so
- overpowering ambition and desire to win
- a strange sense of honour
- letting his hot temper and emotions get the best of him sometimes, which gets him into trouble
- recklessness
- not holding well his liquor, and sometimes he knows when to stop drinking, other times he doesn’t.

[Kratos]

I personally find that for me it's less about what I find easier and would prefer to fill out and is more about the character.

I have certain ones that are easier to put into paragraphs over listing traits because the way their personality is just doesn't come across the same as a list of traits and i just feel like i get a more complete description of them across with sentences over bullet points. These characters just have a certain sort of 'feel' to them so I can easily put it into a little description instead.

Meanwhile I have some characters who are kinda jumbled when it comes to their behaviors, mostly my 'wild child' types who tend to end up really all over the place when I put them in paragraph form and I end up feeling like I have a hard time really pinning them down in a handful of sentences without it turning into a jumbled, clusterfuckey mess of a text wall so for the sake of everyone involved it can just come across smoother in a few bullet points.

Lastly the in between types, characters who I can't quite get across in a paragraph but are incomplete to me as just a list of traits. These guys usually turn into lists of traits that are explained. (ex: DISORGANIZED if you're a neat freak don't go anywhere near their room, it's a gosh darned miracle they can find a pen to write things down when they get an important phone call!). I find these guys tend to be more logical sorts of characters and so for them being a well defined list just.... fits.

Because of this I personally prefer apps that give the option of going either way/whatever set up you want since it means i can format it to the character instead of having to bend, poke, prod and drive myself crazy trying to sum up a character in a way that doesn't come naturally for that one in particular.

[Molione *]

For me, it depends on both how the list is written out (if it's more descriptive like Elena said, then it's not a big deal at all) and how I'm feeling about a character.

Like a few others have mentioned, I like the bullets for ease of writing/lazyness and to describe a character that I want to play first, describe while playing. Sometimes I just want to dive in and get to the fun stuff, and I like to go back and expand later when the inspiration strikes me and I have a good understanding of how to describe my character.

When a character really inspires me, though, I write in paragraphs. I prefer paragraphs for the reason mentioned above, in that it describes how a person is shy, for example, rather than just saying they are shy. Sometimes this is described elsewhere such as in their history, but often it's a good way to explain to myself and others what my character is going to be like.

I see pros and cons to both, but if you ask me to pick, I guess I would say I prefer paragraphs. But I don't think that lists are bad or a lesser way to describe a character.

As for reading other people's apps, that makes almost no difference to me. I'll get a better description by playing with them, so let's toss them together and get going, I say~ :3

[Zozma]

lol Most of mine are either a short list of traits or a sentence.

Personally, I hate reading bios. I'd rather people tell me who their character is by playing with them. The only time I want to know more about a character from the get-go is if they knew each other previously and even then, I'll PM the player and we'll plot out their past up to this point. If my character is just meeting yours, I'd rather get to know them as my character is. It's just more fun for me that way. If there's no mystery left in RP, I might as well write by myself.

(EDIT: And since history does have a bearing on personality, I actually love, LOVE it when people don't tell me their whole history and just hint at it as I RP with them. It just makes me want to know more and play with them more. <3)