IMNEWS STANDARDS DESCS PEEVES
X Pet Peeves about Descs
There are a number of pet peeves we have about descs.
--We hate descs that force-pose (i.e., that tell people how they feel or react when they look at a player.) Never pass a desc that has a force-pose in it.
--We hate descs written in the form of sentence fragments, or which abound in spelling errors and grammatical faults.
--We dislike descs that general elven qualities that would be focused on by humans but taken for granted by elves ... Descs should be serviceable no matter who looks at a player, and should be equally appropriate whether it is a human, elf or orc reading them.
--We disapprove of descs that say "so and so smiles at you" and the like. Descs should not say what a player DOES when people look at them, because they may do different things at different times.
--We discourage descs that reduce to laundry lists of physical traits, and don't give a clear overall picture of the character. Some sense of personality should come through.
--We have reservations about descs that are excessively long or excessively short. The ideal is the sort of description of a character you might see if they were introduced as a significant character in a novel.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If a player is ESL, take them through the descing process step by step with patience and understanding. Avoid harsh language, such as "This desc is never going to be approved as you have it" (or worse). We are here to help, not to just tell people their English isn't good enough. Many newbies who seem problematic at first have turned into great contributors to the culture. Always keep that in mind.
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