hi guys so looking for alittle Advice this character was created in 1997 and my profile for this character seriously needs to be redone but it feels like such a massive task if any one has any advice how to take an old character and try to display what needs to be displayed with out feeling like I am drowning my readers in info. thank you!
Hey! I'll cut right to the chase with some tips on organized profile building, if that's okay! This is what I tend to stick to with my own profiles.
1. Use the statistics setup to show statistics, not descriptions. Where it says "Race", just fill in the race name without the explanation. For "Build", a simple 'hourglass' will do. The whole point of a stats list is to convey the key, basic information quickly at a glance, so lengthy pieces of text will make it impossible to get a quick feeling for Leoandra and people will abandon the profile really fast before getting all the info they need. Example.
2. Divide the explanations/additional info into proper sections. Pick a categorization system that will cover her bases. You can put a section/page on her race, a widget with a more in-depth description of her appearance and so forth. If it takes more than a short sentence to describe it goes into this area. Pearl's profile makes use of different pages and multiple widgets to organize information by category. as does Moonfall's. This helps readers to grasp the basics and then explore the rest without being overwhelmed.
3. Use some sort of markup system and paragraphs for larger chunks of text. Currently it's really hard to find out what is what, as the text kind of overflows into each section. Bolding the key words for statistics helps, but if you find yourself writing larger chunks don't be afraid to hit enter a couple of times to make the paragraphs more visible. Readers will be less likely to lose their place and it fills out your page a little more without needing to add massive amounts of text!
4. Less is more. You can go as detailed as you like, which can useful for your own reference, but most people will not be too interested in what your character had for breakfast four weeks ago. If you keep focus on "Who is she, what does she look like, what does she do, what are her goals and where is she going?" you'll cover almost everything your readers need to know. Histories are fun and useful, but I find a lot of people don't bother reading them. Being brief can help make your profile more attractive, but it's entirely up to you. Sometimes having some information left out can make a character more interesting, as certain info has to be won by roleplaying, but this is also a largely personal preference.
I hope this is useful to you in some way.
1. Use the statistics setup to show statistics, not descriptions. Where it says "Race", just fill in the race name without the explanation. For "Build", a simple 'hourglass' will do. The whole point of a stats list is to convey the key, basic information quickly at a glance, so lengthy pieces of text will make it impossible to get a quick feeling for Leoandra and people will abandon the profile really fast before getting all the info they need. Example.
2. Divide the explanations/additional info into proper sections. Pick a categorization system that will cover her bases. You can put a section/page on her race, a widget with a more in-depth description of her appearance and so forth. If it takes more than a short sentence to describe it goes into this area. Pearl's profile makes use of different pages and multiple widgets to organize information by category. as does Moonfall's. This helps readers to grasp the basics and then explore the rest without being overwhelmed.
3. Use some sort of markup system and paragraphs for larger chunks of text. Currently it's really hard to find out what is what, as the text kind of overflows into each section. Bolding the key words for statistics helps, but if you find yourself writing larger chunks don't be afraid to hit enter a couple of times to make the paragraphs more visible. Readers will be less likely to lose their place and it fills out your page a little more without needing to add massive amounts of text!
4. Less is more. You can go as detailed as you like, which can useful for your own reference, but most people will not be too interested in what your character had for breakfast four weeks ago. If you keep focus on "Who is she, what does she look like, what does she do, what are her goals and where is she going?" you'll cover almost everything your readers need to know. Histories are fun and useful, but I find a lot of people don't bother reading them. Being brief can help make your profile more attractive, but it's entirely up to you. Sometimes having some information left out can make a character more interesting, as certain info has to be won by roleplaying, but this is also a largely personal preference.
I hope this is useful to you in some way.
In regards to deciding your personal preference regarding Sanne's fourth suggestion, you might ask yourself how important information is to the roleplay(s) you'll be involved in. Some guilds try to discourage certain behaviors like 'cheesing' by making sure any important things your character might use are mentioned in the profile. Make sure any descriptions of your character's skills and equipment (or anything they might be carrying with them) are detailed or specific enough to avoid confusion and potential accusations of cheating. Generally, however, players tend to be willing to overlook it if it doesn't ruin either the fun or challenge of the roleplay in question.
Sanne's advice is very good! I like breaking up my own profiles into segments, usually basic info, an image gallery, stats and/or powers and abilities, followed by an OOC tab at the end. That way it's not as much information overload all at once and it helps to keep things more concise.
I've found that when I actually do backgrounds, which isn't often, it's more helpful to make a bullet point list than actually write out details. It's easier for others to read and with it just being talking points instead of a structured narrative I feel like there's more room to tweak it to suit an individual RP if needed.
I've found that when I actually do backgrounds, which isn't often, it's more helpful to make a bullet point list than actually write out details. It's easier for others to read and with it just being talking points instead of a structured narrative I feel like there's more room to tweak it to suit an individual RP if needed.
I completely forgot, we also have a wonderful guide on RPR that helps you figure out what makes for a lovely attractive profile:
http://www.rprepository.com/help/kickbutt-character-profiles
This and more can be found in the Help section.
DragonShard's bullet point idea is really good! It's particularly useful when a character has a long history or has been played a lot I think. My character Panne has several years (ICly and IRL) behind her with various occurrences that shaped her along the way. I currently have it written out in story format but I may just make a list for the quick overview.
SubjectHazard makes a good point too! I find that when you're playing on the public forums or in PM, your character becomes less flexible to fit the usually more flexible situations. If you have a guild/group you're wanting to join and settle the character in, molding her to what the group is used to is a good idea, otherwise it's probably better to keep her 'open' so you won't struggle to find roleplay. I have a few characters who are too detailed and who are nearly impossible to play because other characters can't mesh with that setting, and it sucks!
http://www.rprepository.com/help/kickbutt-character-profiles
This and more can be found in the Help section.
DragonShard's bullet point idea is really good! It's particularly useful when a character has a long history or has been played a lot I think. My character Panne has several years (ICly and IRL) behind her with various occurrences that shaped her along the way. I currently have it written out in story format but I may just make a list for the quick overview.
SubjectHazard makes a good point too! I find that when you're playing on the public forums or in PM, your character becomes less flexible to fit the usually more flexible situations. If you have a guild/group you're wanting to join and settle the character in, molding her to what the group is used to is a good idea, otherwise it's probably better to keep her 'open' so you won't struggle to find roleplay. I have a few characters who are too detailed and who are nearly impossible to play because other characters can't mesh with that setting, and it sucks!
Thank you all Very much for your help. 
trying get the Leoandras messy profile to look more like this one http://www.rprepository.com/site.php?char=41418 all that you guys said really help me put things in perspective to help me tackle the mountain
trying get the Leoandras messy profile to look more like this one http://www.rprepository.com/site.php?char=41418 all that you guys said really help me put things in perspective to help me tackle the mountain
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