So here we are, the top overused and annoying phrases found in in-game character bios.
1. "At times" "He/She gets angry at times" "He/she is very hyper at times" ...Aren't we all? Disregarding the fact that this phrasing sounds very juvenile by itself, it is overused, and it doesn't fulfill the purpose of having a character bio. You're trying to describe your character and draw a distinction in its personality when compared to others. Anything that has to be ended with "at times" probably doesn't stand out enough on its own to even need to be included. Emotions and hyperactivity are not personality traits. They're a state of mind and body. Even the most meek-mannered and mild character can be "angry at times" and the most lethargic character can be "hyper at times" so... what is your point?
2. "Will I find somebody to love?/I need a mate/in heat" Oh my GOSH people. Seriously? I really shouldn't have to explain this one but seeing as how most people are attributing it to the matebeggar problem, I must point out there is a very important fact being overlooked. That is to say, your character does not need a mate. What your character DOES need is to be three dimensional enough to STAND ON ITS OWN.
There is more to life than growing up, spouses, sex, and kids. If that is /all/ your character aspires for, not only is it predictable and boring, its not very believable. It /might/ pass as realistic for a /teenage/ character but lets face it, that phase PASSES and you had more goals in life than finding your boyfriend/girlfriend. You were [or in some of your cases, are] involved in other things or you liked to do other things, you read, you video-gamed, did art, whatever, right? Consider applying those kind of things to your character.
I have a character who runs a shop and frequently in the background of everything else going on as part of the plot, busies herself going to/from her shop, gathering materials, transporting goods, and that's not including the little hobbies thrown in that she has. She isn't pining over "lost love" or "never finding love" (and consequently, not annoying the shit out of other players) and she's actually 3D enough that she doesn't /need/ a partner at all. She never did, and I'm almost willing to bet if you tried a little harder, your character wouldnt either. That's not to say your character having a partner is bad, but what IS bad is when your character isn't developed enough to go without one and thus ends up mate-seeking all of the freaking time or loafing around whining about being bored. NO ONE CARES.
3. "He/She is very curious." I can guarantee with the way I've seen some folks roleplay around here, you need to trade out the word "curious" for "NOSEY AS HELL!" I mean, come on guys. Curiosity needs to have some major lines drawn, particularly at the social norms. Noseyness is curiosity to an extreme and unwelcome level and many of the bios that read "curious" or "always curious" instead come across as obnoxious and prying. That would be OKAY as a character fault if that was ACTUALLY in your bio, but it isn't. You only said they were "curious" and the difference is big enough to be misleading and quite frankly, annoying.
4. Random crap that doesn't pertain to the character at all. Pretty self explanatory, the character bio is no place for your heartfelt poems or song lyrics. Unless your character is a self-representing character (in which case I understand) then fine, but if its not, why cram that in there? Just... why?
5. "Dont mess with me." Once again, HIGHLY juvenile and overdone. First off, this is a writing-based roleplay. The object isn't "to win" and you're not going to come across as a badass. If you've been trying for either of these things, just stop. People who have never RP'd with you are most likely going to put your character on a level playing field with theirs. Deal with it. You're not a badass. The majority of the population is not filled with badasses, neither is the RP world so don't act like a punk. If your character really ISN'T worth messing with, that is up for OTHER players to decide. Not you.
6. ADDED BY HARUKI
Can I make a suggestion? It really irks me when someone puts in their biography that their character is "intelligent" or something to that degree. Because the character is only brought to life by a person behind the screen, saying that your character is intelligent is really just saying that YOU are intelligent. Whether you are, or you aren't is not the issue. The issue is that you're implying that by being "wicked smart" that you are more intelligent/more learned/wiser than any other member. Frankly, you're probably not. There are some CRAZY smart people here, and the smarter THEY are, the smarter the CHARACTER is. Get it?
Fact of life: There is always someone bigger, stronger, faster, and smarter than you. Sorry. That's how it works. Whether your character is intelligent or not is only relative to who else is around them. Therefore, how smart your character is, is determined by other people, not you. Don't we all consider ourselves fairly intelligent? Is everyone in the world all that smart? Mehhhhh.....
Questions, comments, additions, agreements, disagreements?
