#a big thanks since if people at least thought a biiit more they wouldn't impulse buy so much

[csmeaner]

Guessing If You'll Connect to an OC

Long post, hope it helps somebody anyway. Maybe Mod Shit can put this one under a Read More if Tumblr has those?

How often have we seen, “I just couldn’t connect!” in CS? Some of these people are looking for any excuse to fodder, but some of them are genuine. If you’ve got the time, you can raise the chances of grabbing an OC you’ll connect to. I’ve used this method several times already. It's amazing how well it’s worked. It’s a useful tool to have when dealing with FOMO or general shopping addiction, so please let me pass it on to you. You can figure out how to modify it for almost anything you’re addicted to buying.

(This also works if you’re debating whether or not to put a character up for trade.)

The idea

You are going to write some bare bones detail about this OC as if you already owned them. If you’re an artist, you’ll also draw as well. Do not use Toyhouse or any other site with fancy formatting. You don’t want to spend all day making a fancy profile for something you might not even like. You also might love-bomb yourself into loving the character and, when that honeymoon period ends…

DeviantArt’s stash is very good for this purpose. It’s private (you don’t risk people thinking you’re a thief) and easy to work with.

Come into this with the mindset of: “If I get this character, I will never be able to get rid of them for a fair offer. Nobody will offer money, and people will only offer shitty bucket fill adopts for trades.” This will help drive you to figure out if you want these pixels with all your heart.

Write a short profile

In DA Stash (or wherever you decide to do this), upload an image of the character you want to buy. Give them a name. If you can’t come up with a name for them just yet, that’s a yellow flag, but not that unusual. You should have at least a tentative name by the time you’re finished writing.

Add a description beneath the image with the following layout:

–Physical Appearance

–Personality/Non-Physical Details

–Intro Text

Beneath each, write short notes about this character. Don’t write entire paragraphs with the exception of very short story summaries. No real world-building should occur; however, it’s fine to make a few remarks about it (ex: “A western fantasy world that’s been invaded by aliens”).

Don’t get bogged down in minute details. Write enough to give you a feel for who and what this character is, and what they stand for.

You might get super lucky and have major ideas. There’s a good chance you’ll connect. Complete the entire exercise just in case your enthusiasm wanes.

“Intro Text” could also be termed “Flavor Text”. It’s a maximum of 6 - 8 sentences that expands on who this character is. If you can tie them in with others you already own and love, that raises the chance the newbie is a good fit for you.

Coming back to edit is fine. It may even be a good sign–your brain is cooking stuff up for you.

If you can’t come up with many details, or you feel lukewarm in general, leave it for an hour, come back, and check again. If you’re still lukewarm, hard pass. You don’t want this character, you want pretty pixels to stare at or fodder, with regrets.

————————

Example of a profile:

Physical Appearance

-Very short

-Wears bridge piercings

-Tattoos optional

Personality/Non-Physical Details

-Sensitive about his height

-Motto for life is, “no guts, no glory”

-No brains, just go

-Lives in the Territories, a high fantasy world where magical creatures are mysteriously going extinct. When CharacterIAlreadyOwn approaches CharacterName in desperation, the two end up on a wild adventure that will uncover a secret the Territories Kings have been hiding for generations.

Intro Text

A feisty, adventure-loving fellow with a bit of a selfish streak. CharacterName is motivated mainly by gold and beautiful women, but there’s a good heart in him somewhere. Probably in his nuts, because he seems to think mainly with his second head.

Even if you don’t draw, just try this

Even if you aren’t a visual artist, sketching will help you get a feel for your character, but you can skip this if you feel that strongly about it.

Quickly sketch a head shot, a half body, and a full body. Draw quickly, but not carelessly. You want to get an idea of how this character feels beneath your pencil/pen. Copying poses from photo references is fine. Do not use a pre-existing base or copy someone else’s work. You want to see what this character feels like in your style and under your pencil/pen, not someone else’s!

If drawing feels arduous and you’re a visual artist, red flag. Let’s be honest: this poor thing is just gonna rot on your hard drive or in your TH. It’s harder to judge if you normally don’t draw. You’ll have to rely more on your profile.

At this point, you should have a decent feel as to whether or not you want this character. Walk away for another hour, spend a little time daydreaming about the character based on the profile and sketches you created, then return to your work.

If you aren’t at least 90% sure (be honest with yourself!) you like this character, chances are you won’t connect. Hard pass.

Remember: it’s better to miss out than be that person saddled with a bunch of expensive junk. In the case of CS, a lot of people have begun to complain about how difficult it is to offload characters for fair offers. This is a function of people getting sick of CS and CS being over-valued. So in some cases, the mindset of “I’m stuck with this dude/lady/eldritch abomination forever” may be correct.

There will always be something nice out there. You won’t die if you pass on some of them.

#submission #help #a big thanks since if people at least thought a biiit more they wouldn't impulse buy so much