Constructive Criticism

[ergaleomancer]

Thanks for stopping by! I promise to respond to every message I receive on any of my linked concrit entries, though I may need some time to give you a good response. Feel free to throw a shoe at me if I take more than a week! Or just, y'know, comment again telling me to get on it.

I love to chat with people about what they're saying to me, especially because sometimes I don't get it and may need to ask you to clarify. I'm really hoping to fix Theta up into a really good character, and I don't want to miss out on a good suggestion because I didn't quite understand what you were trying to say! Of course I know I can't impose conditions on getting crit, I'm not saying this is a requirement or I won't listen or anything, but it would be really nice if we could kick things around a few rounds so I can be sure I understand what you're saying to me. ^^;;;

Information Directory

If I were playing a canon character, you'd be able to go and check me against the canon source material. With Theta being an OC, it's up to me to show you guys my work. I don't expect everyone to read all of this just before playing with Theta, of course, but if you're curious about what I'm trying to do with this character, here's an information dump about what I'm trying to pull off. You can leave your concrit for me on whichever of these entries you please, since the whole thing is tied together. ^^;

World Overview & Naming Conventions
To be added: Historical Timeline & GCRC Overview
Ergaleomancy & Moral Issues
Theta's History, Personality, and Weaknesses
Theta's Gender Issues
The Doctor's Wife: Theta's Favourite Play

Issues I Am Aware Of
I'm not posting this up to say that I don't want to hear about it any more. Quite the contrary--if you have any suggestions about these topics, I would LOVE to hear them, possibly even more than about issues not on here. ^^; But I wanted to show you guys that I am aware of these issues and I'm trying hard to improve on them. I still need advice on -how- to do what I'm hoping to do!

HANDLE CRIT BETTER

• Replies to this are going to be very slow as I try to take constructive crit to heart and try to not panic. I'm determined to show you guys I can do better.

Theta's Arrogance

• How do I make it interesting for other people to interact with someone so full of herself?

Character Flaws

• Arrogant
• Self-centred
• Obsessive
• Racist (though I tend to leave this out for squicking people)
• Theta genuinely does believe that women are, just by virtue of being female, a little bit less intelligent and less capable than men are.
• She's a rules-lawyer.
• She's quick to point the finger of blame at other people, even friends, which would be a lovely little thing to deal with in-game.
• Honestly, if you think of other flaws I could or should give to her that fit with the picture I'm trying to paint here, toss them at me!

Sharing the Spotlight

• "It is possible to OOCly share the spotlight even with a character who is an attention-seeker."
• Yes, thank you anon!  I would love to OOCly share the spotlight with other people, but it seems to be "have Theta organise it or it doesn't happen", so she takes a "leading role". Advice in fixing that would be lovely, as I'm -aware- of it, but don't really know what to =do=.
• Remember to point blank ask about others' plans instead of assuming they will offer them.
• Find someone who will finish a thread where Theta loses at something.
• How to interact with characters that -won't- take the spotlight when Theta ICly is demanding it?

Eccentricity

• ""does this trait allow my character to do something that would attract the attention of other players incite dialogue or interaction with their characters and would allow them to share information with my character to develop CR?" or is this "simply showing off facets of my character with not much happening in this post that allows others to give input""
• Thank you, anon, I'll bear that in mind!
• Theta's eccentric bits are not necessarily good things--she talks loudly and with noticeable enunciation because she's a tabloid darling; if she's going to be quoted, they can quote her RIGHT, damn it. And she's got to over-act for those further away cameras. Which...just goes towards making the case that she'd a crazy celebrity in the middle of a meltdown.

Gender Issues

• I want to fix how she's -acting- rather than what she is. Rather than saying she's not got gender issues, I want help making her behaviour match what I initially designed for her.
• Theta herself is uncertain about her own gender issues.  She hasn't fully discovered what she really is and is still trying to figure it out.
• At the timeline point I am taking her from, she considers herself to have -both- genders, though she entertains the idea that she is neither.
• Ultimately, Theta will settle down about it, but that will happen through CD in game.
• This isn't going to be something she'll sort out easily!