Role-playing Emotes
Expressing your Actions to the World
You have this wonderfully rounded out character, you know what he feels, what he likes, where he comes from, and what he looks like. Now to decide how he acts! Within Underlight all actions are performed with "emotes" that allow other characters to see what your character is doing. It would be impossible to display graphically the wide range of movements and actions possible to characters, and emotes try to address this problem. Simply put, emotes are visible actions or physical descriptions. They are not for giving information, for showing what someone is thinking, nor for communicating OOC information. Anything you say or any actions your character takes must be within character.
A good emote describes a physical event or action while allowing other characters to participate. Other characters cannot usually see "thoughts" or motivations, so emoting these will limit their opportunities to respond. Keep in mind when creating emotes that you need to leave room for a person to respond. If you want to punch someone, you "swing towards them" or "lunge rapidly". This allows the other player to decide whether or not his character gets hit.
Proper Emoting
Action Emotes: These emotes demonstrate language and gesturing to other characters, because other characters can see these actions, they can respond.
>Kayla glances down at the chakram bracelets on her wrist.
>DragonsQueen puts a finger to her lip, and smiles devilishly at Rock.
>Ilythia scratches her forehead.
>Bledsoe bites his lip at Draymoore’s comment
Description Emotes: These examples portray both actions and descriptions. Descriptions are useful tools for creating atmosphere.
>Jada unclasps a locket from around her neck and holds it out for the others to see. It is oval and set in gold, inscribed with the word: "Good-bye."
>Shelky brushes a lock of hair from her face. It tumbles down her shoulder and gleams amber in the light.
Improper Emoting
These cover the gambit from OOC, forced actions, to showing thoughts. Don't do them.
>Mike thinks Jason is a moron and watches him pull Kurd’s Levi’s down then chak him in the back.
>Bulgok dislikes Muse
>Mimi thinks M&M’s are good
>Johnny brandishes some squeeze cheese
