[Workshop] Roleplaying ~ Advanced Profile Creation

Outer Senshi Admin Roleplay Director

Roleplaying Workshop!

Theme: Advanced Character Profiles

Information

Roleplaying Administrators Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto invite you to participate in an Advanced Character Profile Creation Workshop!
We'll start with a bit of general information about our Advanced Profile skeletons - the formatting, layout, and what we're typically looking for in applications for 'advanced' characters. After generalities, which shouldn't take long at all, we'll get into specifics for what our Profile Reviewers, Sailor Neptune (Canon Profiles) and Sailor Pluto (Otaku/Crossover Profiles) are looking for.
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Specifically, we'll be looking into how a player could flesh out the description section to fit the word minimum, and along the way discuss ways to bring that embellishment into their everyday roleplaying posts to give them more color and flavor, boosting the involvement of the reader into a player's post!
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Next, we'll crack into the harder stuff: the personality section. This is where we'll discuss ways to summarize a character's personality to show that they are fleshed them out and rounded; towards the end of this part, we'll also invite other panelists (all considered experts on creating character profiles) to share how they manage to make a full and well-balanced personality section.
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Finally we'll wrap it up with putting it all together in that all-important Roleplay Sample. We'll walk through how to show that you can get into your character's head (or give you tips and tricks to get in there!) and talk about what our reviewers are looking for in a good RP sample.

After each section we'll open the floor for questions on specifics within that category - generalities, descriptions, personalities, and rp samples - and, at the end, with questions overall, as well as offer our services in personally helping members workshop a profile to get it to Advanced Status using the Practice Forum right here in the Guild.

Workshop Format:
Run like a panel at a convention, this workshop will start out with our panelists talking about the topic, followed by a question and answer session, followed by another discussion about the next topic, as outlined above. Once all topics have been discussed, the Workshop will be completely open for questions and requests on the topic.

Date and Time of this Workshop:

Saturday, May 14th, 9:00 am CST

Workshop Synopsis can be found

Here!

Sign-Ups
To sign up to participate in this Workshop, reply to this thread with the following information, and please have Skype installed! Skype is a free and easy-to-use program that we will be using only for written conversation - there will be no videoing or voice components of this workshop. If you would not like to share your Skype name with the entire forum, you can add me on Skype and I will put you into the conversation - my Skype name is Kyralih and I don't bite ^.~

Name:
Skype Name: (If I already have you, you don't have to put this in there!)
Character: Optional, but if you would like to include a canon character you would like to make an Advanced Profile for, we may use that character in some of our examples. ;D

If you are eligible to be a Guild Mentor and would like to be a Panelist for this Workshop, please Skype me!

Outer Senshi Admin Roleplay Director

The date and time for this workshop have been set!

Saturday, May 14th, at 9am CST!

intended ending time would be before 11am, but times are completely dependent on participants!

If you would like to attend, please join the guild (it's crazy easy! Follow the two steps in this thread: link!) and then reply to this thread so I can invite you to the Skype Workshop (read above for more information about how the workshop will be run!)

If you are unable to attend due to the time and date, but would like to work one-on-one with one of our Advanced Profile experts, please also sign up here, and when we post the Workshop Synopsis (after the workshop ends), we can open a thread for you in the Practice Area to work on your profile, too!

Lotus Crystal

Name: EK
Skype Name: I don't remeeeeeember *shifty eyes* Nah, you already have me Very Happy

Character: I just wanna joiiin ~~but there's totally Helios if you want something in your example bank~~

Outer Senshi Admin Roleplay Director

Workshop Results

Generalities wrote:: But okay first up~ General information about advanced character profiles! The skeletons can be found here: http://www.thegalaxycauldronforums.com/t5840-character-profile-applications-and-guidelines as well as stickied in both the Canon and Otaku Profile subforums! The difference between Relaxed and Advanced Profiles are the fields, the information requested, and that advanced profiles are reviewed with higher standards:

"Advanced profiles are held to higher standards than relaxed profiles, and players submitting and using advanced profiles are expected to use proper grammar and spelling and provide more in-depth descriptions and greater mastery of language than when using relaxed profiles; players submitting for advanced profiles should be comfortable creating messages and descriptions in paragraph form and replying to roleplay posts in paragraph form. Generally, Advanced categories in our RP section denote a more intensive style of roleplaying."

So, generally, the differences are that Relaxed profiles can include pictures in lieu of description, a list of personality traits rather than a description of the character's personality, and does not need to include a history; also, senshi information required in relaxed is not as intensive as advanced profiles.

if you ever aren’t sure of what to do or where to start when making an advanced profile, there’s always the option of using someone else’s profile as a guide! when i first started, i would use Sailor Mercury’s or even Sailor Neptune’s canon profiles as guides.

Addy: Yah as Pluto said, when I first started I would pull up like 2 or 3 profiles for that character that were approved and use them as guide xD
It's a good way to see what is wanted for a character

Guides are good

speaking of guides I wonder if anyone ever saw this: http://www.thegalaxycauldronforums.com/t1096-senshi-character-guidelines

general consensus: Yes, but haven't looked at them in a while xD

Descriptions wrote:

All sweet ideas~ But for the purpose of this Workshop, let's delve into Descriptions/Appearance, and what our reviewers
A) need to see
B) want to see
C) love to see
for Advanced Profiles - like, if you two (Pluto and Neptune) were to make a list of descriptors or descriptive details for advanced profiles, what would you like to see in each of those categories?

Original Description/Appearance Field Guideline: " Please include the physical description of your character as well as a description of their clothing or attire. Feel free to include a picture, but please do not substitute a picture for a written description."

well in terms of appearances, i’m not super strict, especially if an image is given. in general,

eye color/shape/type,
hair color/type,
skin tone,
body type, and
fashion sense is all i look for.

Okay! so the "Needs" would be just those descriptors?

yeah. a common mistake when it comes to appearances in the otaku section is that creators get so carried away with how unique their character looks and forgets the basic stuff. it’s important to note the things that make your character unique (purple scaly skin, pointed ears, gills on the neck, etc.), but also to remember the basic hair, eyes, skin, etc. as well.

For canon characters, I mainly look for the basis, as well. These would be:

Eye color/shape,
complexion,
hair (color and cut),
height, and
fashion sense.

I like descriptions that go into greater detail about things, but like Alyssa, I'd prefer to have all the basics there instead of a couple expanded traits because the first option doesn't give as full of a picture of the character.

some examples of awesome otaku profiles:
http://www.thegalaxycauldronforums.com/t7090-advanced-senshi-sailor-nocturnus
http://www.thegalaxycauldronforums.com/t12039-advanced-senshi-misaki-togawa-sailor-orphelin
http://www.thegalaxycauldronforums.com/t7089-advanced-senshi-sailor-andromeda-kira-alderran

Andalusite: So you just mentioned that we should describe their fashion sense? We don't actually have to describe their bizarre outfits that defy the laws of clothing? I'm working on a profile for Cyprine/Ptilol and realized VERY quickly that their dresses were obnoxious to describe without using sewing pattern terminology. XD;

you do not have to describe every detail of an outfit Smile

just a basic ‘her outfits are outlandish, obnoxious, and wild. the colors are *blah blah blah* and she likes to stick with skirts/pants/shorts etc. etc. is a good enough description, in my opinion.

If a character only has one main outfit in canon, I'd want to see it described. =)
So general rule: If it is a villain or secondary character that doesn't have many outfits in canon, please describe their main outfit. If it is a main character or someone who we see in a lot of different outfits, describe their fashion sense =)

Yeah, you don't have to go into a lot of detail about their clothing. Just a general idea =)

Example: "He wears white pants and white shoes as well as a dark blue jacket. There are ornaments on both side of the jacket's front, made of stainless steel and rod-shaped. He is always seen with his gloves on."

copypasted from Eternal Knight's Saphir profile =)

:DOkay! Any more questions/comments/hints/tips for the appearance section?

we love pictures Wink

^This
Also, pictures can be a great resource when you start writing the appearance section =)

Eternal Knight: ~~pictures are great for otakus~~

Personalities wrote::   OKAY SO NEXT PART OF THE PROFILE is the Personality Section!
What do you think?
For character personalities, what are your
Needs
Wants
Love-to-sees?

Original Section Descriptor: "Please include as much detail as possible. May also include: dreams/goals/ambitions, likes, dislikes, weaknesses, and strengths."

OKAY SO
when i review otaku profiles, there are several things that i purposely pay attention for, because they’re commonly missed.
1. Expanded personalities. Not just the generic good traits and bad traits, but also some details on each trait (what the trait does to the character, how others may treat the character due to the trait, the pros and cons of the trait, etc.).
2. Fears, weaknesses, etc. A lot of people, when creating otaku characters, forget to show the things that make their character vulnerable. Your character can be super awesome and powerful, but they have to have some weaknesses to balance them out.
3. Dreams, goals, ambitions, etc. Your character has to have some sort of motivation driving them, right? It’s important to note these, because when roleplaying, these details can help other character get to know your character more.
4. A past-to-present history. How your character was raised, what happened in past lives (if they had them), how your character gained their personality traits, how your character goes about their daily life, etc.

some other notes: i enjoy cleanliness in a profile. well-organized, follows the skeleton, etc. it’s professional and just nice to look at, and it makes the reviewing process simpler and less overwhelming (especially when it comes to otaku profiles, because those can get pretty lengthy).
a good example of an above-and-beyond profile would be anything created by aurae. she goes to extremes to make her profiles look clean and professional, as well as detailed. i’ll link some examples in a second

Touka: Having a perfect character isn't everything owo
basically what pluto put in sums it up XD

Eternal Knight: How characters show an emotion can also help in writing how they feel it. Like their body language. If the inspiration runs out it can help

by making your character vulnerable, you’re not only making them well-rounded, but you’re also helping other roleplayers and keeping yourself from potentially breaking any rules. it’s a win-win.

Eternal Knight: Then vulnerable or not so, it's still also a question of honesty and not allowing your character to always win



I really like to see some mention of character growth (and it isn't always to the positive direction) in the personality sections, because characters change and grow as they go forward

Eternal Knight: Yeah I was wondering about that, if adding to the character after roleplay was allowed or way too much reading for reviewers sake

yah tsuki! after your character has been through several rps and several changes, you can always go back in your profile and add those in!
totally allowed! you just need to bold it, color it, and post in the profile letting us know that you’ve added to it.

  ^Always~
Please don't be afraid of updating already approved profiles ^^

kyra does it all of the time...
*looks pointedly at enyalius*

Andulsite: ^Once you [approve profile changes], we can merge the colors to the rest of the profile, right?

Of course! that's what i do XD

  For canon characters, listing some of the character's main traits is required for the profile to get approved. These can usually be found easily By observing their behavior in canon.

[...]Personality section is one of those I focus on the most when reviewing profiles

! For Advanced profiles, just rule of thumb, how many positive traits would you like to see, and how many negative? Do you absolutely need to see what the characters dreams/goals/ambitions are? is it okay for a character to not have those three? Must they include a fear?

  For canon characters, the amount of traits depends on how much we know of characters based on canon (the negative and positive traits can be tied together also). If we're talking about less developed characters, I'm fine with people including their own view of the character, or headcanons if they don't seem ooc

  i can’t find the thread that says how many are needed but i will keep searching. [Note: The required positive/negative trait count is for Relaxed Profiles, but not for advanced]
i like to see in protagonists at least four positive traits and two negative. if it’s an antagonist, i like to see more negative traits than positive. typically, if a personality section is already extremely fleshed out, i don’t ask for dreams/goals, but i do ask for fears/vulnerabilites if they’re not listed, because those are pretty vital in an otaku.

i will almost always ask for an addition to be made in an advanced otaku profile. i nitpick purposely so that i can be sure the creator knows their character and is ready to use them in an advanced profile. so the more information, the better.

Andalusite: Question semi-related to personality: Is there a specific place for people to sandbox their WIP OC characters in the guild (or on the forums in general other than the inactive(?) coffee shop topic)? Sometimes I find it easier to figure out how I want my character's personality to be if I test out scenarios with another person or people who are also trying to work on their characters.

  Good question!! OKAY SO THERE ARE OPTIONS XD
First! Like you said, the coffee shop topic is good for that (haha inactive x.x) BUT any RP staffer can open a new board with a new scenario to play around with new characters! The only requirement is that a staffer watches the threads and participates and that there is no overarching plot - just a scene!
Second! Any Casual Event allows for play with characters without an approved profile!
Third (personal favorite option) You can get your character profile accepted as [Relaxed], which needs just a few personality traits and super basic info, and through playing her/him and learning more about them, edit it forward towards Advanced.
Fourth The Guild has a Practice Area; if you get a Writing Buddy or Mentor, you and they can try out scenes in there to feel out the character!

RP Samples wrote:: OKAY SO FINAL OFFICIAL PART OF TODAY'S WORKSHOP:

RP Samples! Reviewers, what do you like to see with RP samples? Needs, Wants, Loves?

As a general rule, (other than the minimum word count) I'd like to see how players portray their characters via showing their thoughts, emotions etc. =)

Touka: Should we put in more casual RP in the samples, or combat wise?

Both casual and combat RP samples are fine with me =)

i like to see as many personality traits displayed as possible. put your character in a situation that will require them to act and think so that both sides of your character are revealed. provide both internal and external dialogue, and of course, try and exceed the word count

^ Excellent points from Lyssa

Andulsite: So if we are using a canon character, are we able to take a scenario from the anime/manga and elaborate on it through their viewpoint?

I am fine with it being an elaborated scene from the canon, an expanded one, or one that is behind the scenes. All of them work =)

Eternal Knight: ~~if I can give a suggestion of not prompt but somewhat prompt~~ in otakus and such it could be a scene of the history that wasn't expanded upon already.
And in canon, it could be a manga/anime/other scenes, but seen in the character pov with internal emotions and such

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[Workshop] Roleplaying ~ Advanced Profile Creation

[Workshop] Roleplaying ~ Advanced Profile Creation

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