Long vs Show

[Loten]

While reading the “What are you wearing?” thread I noticed a lot of people seem to prefer show descriptions versus long. I was wondering what your opinions are on this.

Personally I like long descriptions. I feel that even though you can go into more detail about the item most other people would never see the show. When I look at a lot of these items that people are wearing I have no clue if they are alters or off the shelf. I’m not going to go around inspecting others items.

I know that for some people its and RP thing, “how can I see the all those details from here”. Or maybe some people just get carried away and looking at them is like reading a book.

For those of you that like show descriptions is it more for yourself, do you go around showing people your stuff or do you find a lot of people inspecting your items?

[Soulpieced]

Shorter the better. Long description = Garbage.

[Ebondale]

It depends. Some long descriptions are very well done, others are just plain terrible. In most cases I think show descriptions are better than long descriptions, but I'd personally rather wear a well-made long description than a really awesome short descrtion with a great show.

[DCSL]

I'm in the middle ground. It really depends on what I'm looking for. For instance, I want my character's outfit to look logical and not overwhelming, but sometimes there are also a lot of details I want to get in.

I like longs. I use them for big things like cloaks and gowns. Stuff that you should be able to see the details on just by looking. And I like shows too! They make it easier for me to crowd in all the detail I want on a signet ring, stuff that could never be conveyed in a long. I mostly (not always) put shows on jewelry and save the longs for big clothing items.

So I generally do a balance of maybe two long items at most, and everything else with shows. Of course, my character's outfits never go over five lines anyway, but I like to keep it all in check.

[Kierke]

I like to go with a mix of longs and shows. For me, there's two elements involved in design -- what my character presents to the world as a "package" and what I get to create in the details.

For the most part, people will only see what appears in the base descriptions. So I try to make the reading of that collected package of items have a natural spoken flow to it. If there are a lot of "and" and "with" and other linking words, the description doesn't flow, so I avoid those in my base descriptions. The reader should be able to scan the paragraph of base descriptions without stumbling over multiple connectors.

The reader should get a unified feel for the outfit from the disparate pieces. This means making pieces work together, even if on their own they don't necessarily shine as glowing gems of fashion in the base department. I know it isn't something that everyone agrees on, but a central part of how I design an outfit is figuring out three things -- color scheme, fabric scheme, and trim scheme. Once I know overall what I'm going for, and that the created pieces will be worn together, it doesn't matter if each one says individually that it's black, or each one says that it's wool, or each one says that it's trimmed with mail. Putting the pieces together into an outfit makes the overall picture.

This isn't a philosophy of design that I came to overnight though, and again, I know that many people may not agree with it and may never come to agree with it. I look at the items I designed 7 years ago, and having not seen them for some time, I can't believe I ever felt strongly about them. They're all long descriptions, they're repetitive in color, fabric and trim, and they read like someone's first alterations, which they were.

[Kitsun]

Wow. I feel incredibly lazy. I hate writing shows so I typically stick with long descriptions unless I've found a spiffy show I can steal and hack up for my very own.

[Ebondale]

Kierke hit the nail right on the head with his point about the words "and" and "with" in descriptions. Right on!

[Kierke]

Her! Kierke is a her! And she's really mostly Sadryne now, but she's too lazy to get a new bbs account.

[Ebondale]

Her. My mistake. :)

[fallenSaint]

I myself prefer to do items with a short tap that gives a good hint as to what the show will contain and then give a rather detailed outlook in the show. Usually when I take the time to alter an item its my way of showing the pride in that item so I want it to tell a story. If I drop a short tap its usually because I'm tired and not feeling creative or what I wanted to say about the item wasn't much. Hell most folks can't even see my items I keep a demeanor that prevents it, just my own preference.

[Augie]

I like shows for most of my items because I can get the most details there. When I have such a huge 'canvas' to paint on, it can make things flow a lot better.

Although I do have some characters that have pretty much only long descriptions, but then I realized that by looking at them it's a huge page of screen scroll.

I'm prolly gonna be redoing my empath's outfit soon just for that reason alone. I prefer shows, but long descriptions can be good for things like a gown or a cloak or somethin that you want to call a good amount of attention to.

[Jolena]

I am a bit anal about this type of stuff, but here's my way of doing it.

First, I pick out season for the outfit. When I have that, I then look at fabrics. If I have a few outfits already using a certain fabric, I'll go with a different type for versatility. After picking fabric, I pick colors. I never just have one color because I enjoy the variety and contrast. I choose colors based on seasonal colors, then I make sure to add in some contrasting colors to go with it. At that point, I'm ready to design jewelry and containers. I try to shy away from having both a cloak/jacket AND a purse/bag because it tends to clutter up things in my opinion. I like the minimal lines of text to read when looking at someone, 6 or less is my ideal amount.

After I've picked all of those things, I decide if I want something I can hunt in or if it's just to socialize or whatever, then I start my designs. I usually make a pattern of longs and shows. Chokers, which I admit I'm in love with lately, are almost always longs for me, as are bracelets/wristworn items. So, I have a long that is seen first. That means I want a show on the next item. And I then alternate as much as I can.

It would look like this:

(neckworn) LONG
(shoulderworn) SHOW
(Cloakworn) LONG/SHOW (I tend to switch these up for some reason)
(chestworn) SHOW
(beltworn if I choose to make one) LONG
(legworn) SHOW
(footworn) LONG

The reason I do this is because it just seems to flow better to me. I don't worry too much about whether or not someone else can see the shows on my items because I try to always convey the general feel of the item in the base if it has a show. I don't run around showing my items to people, unless they are close friends who ask to see it, and people don't generally try to inspect my items either. I guess I do the detail for me when it comes down to it. I enjoy the finer details that I can put on an item.

And yes, I know I have issues. I spend way too much time on this stuff. Heh.

[Rowi]

Ill make my armor and weapons, or anything metal long...............stuff that is stiched I make shows.

[Drinin]

I hate show descriptions. I've had one done in all of my alterations. I'll take a well done long over a show all the time.

[Shalla]

Long description for something I want to stand out. I usually go for shows when it's something of significance. Like an item that is associated with my character's history. For shows, it's something I want to elaborate. If I'm roleplaying and discussing my experiences and history.. I would show the item, and explain more about it. I go for both, but it should be balanced when people type look <character> Personally, I dont take the time to read the whole thing if someone's inventory is way too long.

Show = Circlet, Collar, Pins, Armor, Rings, Weapons, Shields, Containers, Necklaces.

Long = Earrings, Bracelets, Cloak, Boots, Stockings

My cloak is

An exquisite long black leather cloak accented upon the hood by swirling patterns of silver and ruby.

It was annoying when I open and close it because everytime I do, the whole description was posted too. Good thing I had it worked on. Everytime I open and close it now, it's more discreet like so,

Shalla adjusts the folds of her black leather cloak.

[Hips]

Like most of the other women have said, a mix between longs and shows is best. If I look at someone and see more than three to four lines of text, I don't even bother reading it all.

That being said, I prefer for the main parts of the outfit that I want to *pop* out at the viewer to have longs. Stuff like gowns, some footwear, maybe a piece of jewelry. The center of the outfit should draw the eye, and I find that most people don't bother looking at other people's items, so to me, long descriptions are better for that. Otherwise, cloaks/stoles/bags etc. usually get shows that are more detailed.

[Drew]

I don't get enough alterations to even have my main outfit the way I like so I don't get as many oppurtunities to put my rules to the test but I generally feel like only my character's armour should have a long. His surcoat I might like having a long but I want to get in more details about his coat-of-arms somewhere. Other than that I don't feel like many other items should have a long.

Exceptions would be shields, larger weapons, cloaks, capes, etc. Anything smaller or less conspicuous than that would probably be a show.

[Augie]

I must be one of the only nuts who reads people's descriptions, even if they ARE walls of text. So many people I see say that they ignore certain people if it's too long, but to me I just like to see just what that person may have tucked in between the lines.

And I've struck up some pretty cool conversations after readin people's walls of text.

[faiyth]

I don't think your the only one. I will usually read everyones descriptions too, I just skip items here and there and get an overall "view".

I also like to stick with a mix of longs and shows. I've noticed that a majority of people who you show your show descriptions to don't read them. So I try and keep the last line and first line being an overall description of the item. So a pink gown with a show will describe the overall look of the item in the first sentence, and the last line will be a mention of anything I feel really should get across, like a prominate design on the skirt, or a overview of everything.

I find most people who see a show description will read the first line and stop there. I'm guessing only about 10% even look past the first sentence, and only if it's interesting enough to make someone committed enough to read the rest. I have to admit, I think I only read the full shows on my own things and some things a friend shows me that I feel they really want my opinion on. Otherwise I'm a skimmer and read the first sentence, then skip to the last.

[DeV]

I find most people who see a show description will read the first line and stop there. I'm guessing only about 10% even look past the first sentence, and only if it's interesting enough to make someone committed enough to read the rest. I'm definitely the other 90% as I never read shows unless they're specifically shown to me.

I prefer long descriptions versus show for my own characters. I think it has more to do with my lack of creativity in that area as a whole than anything else.

[Drinin]

I must be one of the only nuts who reads people's descriptions, even if they ARE walls of text. So many people I see say that they ignore certain people if it's too long, but to me I just like to see just what that person may have tucked in between the lines.

And I've struck up some pretty cool conversations after readin people's walls of text.

I'll read descriptions, to a point. If it's a 10 line wall of text that isn't sorted, fuck it. If it's a 10 line wall of text in some sembelence of head to toe (or toe to head) I'll read it.

[Aaysia]

I seriously have to evaluate my rogue's outfit *groan* I think she's wearing too much longs but I've been too lazy lately to fix it.

Most of my characters dont have longs, just shows. Makes things less complicated. Though I wanna make a long description for a runestaff for my wizard in the near future.

[Drew]

I must be one of the only nuts who reads people's descriptions, even if they ARE walls of text. So many people I see say that they ignore certain people if it's too long, but to me I just like to see just what that person may have tucked in between the lines.

And I've struck up some pretty cool conversations after readin people's walls of text.



I try to keep my character's overall description less than two lines long in my wizard and if someone has more than 3, 4 lines at the max I don't read any of it.