On the dimensionality of RP.
So, this is likely just another bullshit theory of RPers in general, but it's my bullshit theory, so I'm going to share it.
Roleplayers tend to go for 1-D, 2-D or 3-D roleplay. Sometimes, they even do it as a form of progression.
1-D roleplay is simple. You find one thing you like and then you just seek that out, whether it's hawt cyb0rz, kawaii cat-girls, or something that generally gets you less negative attention. All your character is, even if they're a combination of things, are those things. If your RP is not based around your monomania, you're not that interested.
2-D roleplay is more complex. It's complex enough that many 2-D roleplayers believe they have depth. But they've grown beyond (obvious) cyb0rz, or simple-minded brutes, or what have you. Mind you, not all 2-D roleplay is bad, in fact, not all 1-D roleplay is bad. 2-D roleplayers tend to have characters with multiple overlapping interests, definitely more breadth than a 1-D roleplayer. However, many RPers stagnate there, and here come some common complains me and some friends have had. They think straight up good guys are boring. For some reason, they tend to make good guys into 1-D characters in their heads. And, in fact, anyone without a gimmick tends to end up 1-D in their heads, never minding that a gimmick can just be a bend in a 1-D character.
3-D roleplay adds depth to a character. You don't always follow your convictions. Something may come up that sets off some long-buried trigger nobody knew about. And, on the surface, 2-D and 3-D roleplaying can look very similar. In 2-D roleplay, though, a gimmick is just a gimmick. In 3-D roleplay, your 'gimmick' has a reason to it, part of a past, even if you haven't fully fleshed it out. For example, a mechanical arm is a gimmick. An intelligent omnicidal AI controlling that arm is more of a gimmick. If you have a very good reason for that AI being intelligent and omnicidal (say, it needing the equivalent of a memory wipe and a lack of appropriate facilities, and a certain amount of mental feedback from the owner of said arm), it still looks like a gimmick, but it has a story behind it.
And yes, for those of you curious, the above example is from one of my characters. Another thing about 3-D characters? They change, not because you decided you want something else, but because of *gasp* character development. Many characters spring out fully formed and never really change. Which really means that even if they started with depth, they don't gain any more. Still a 3-D character, but stagnant. Some of my favorite characters have undergone radical changes in their outlook due to events that happened to them.
Roleplayers tend to go for 1-D, 2-D or 3-D roleplay. Sometimes, they even do it as a form of progression.
1-D roleplay is simple. You find one thing you like and then you just seek that out, whether it's hawt cyb0rz, kawaii cat-girls, or something that generally gets you less negative attention. All your character is, even if they're a combination of things, are those things. If your RP is not based around your monomania, you're not that interested.
2-D roleplay is more complex. It's complex enough that many 2-D roleplayers believe they have depth. But they've grown beyond (obvious) cyb0rz, or simple-minded brutes, or what have you. Mind you, not all 2-D roleplay is bad, in fact, not all 1-D roleplay is bad. 2-D roleplayers tend to have characters with multiple overlapping interests, definitely more breadth than a 1-D roleplayer. However, many RPers stagnate there, and here come some common complains me and some friends have had. They think straight up good guys are boring. For some reason, they tend to make good guys into 1-D characters in their heads. And, in fact, anyone without a gimmick tends to end up 1-D in their heads, never minding that a gimmick can just be a bend in a 1-D character.
3-D roleplay adds depth to a character. You don't always follow your convictions. Something may come up that sets off some long-buried trigger nobody knew about. And, on the surface, 2-D and 3-D roleplaying can look very similar. In 2-D roleplay, though, a gimmick is just a gimmick. In 3-D roleplay, your 'gimmick' has a reason to it, part of a past, even if you haven't fully fleshed it out. For example, a mechanical arm is a gimmick. An intelligent omnicidal AI controlling that arm is more of a gimmick. If you have a very good reason for that AI being intelligent and omnicidal (say, it needing the equivalent of a memory wipe and a lack of appropriate facilities, and a certain amount of mental feedback from the owner of said arm), it still looks like a gimmick, but it has a story behind it.
And yes, for those of you curious, the above example is from one of my characters. Another thing about 3-D characters? They change, not because you decided you want something else, but because of *gasp* character development. Many characters spring out fully formed and never really change. Which really means that even if they started with depth, they don't gain any more. Still a 3-D character, but stagnant. Some of my favorite characters have undergone radical changes in their outlook due to events that happened to them.