What do you call it? Toon? Character? Avatar?

[Kylie Kinslayer]

Discussion initially started in another thread:
http://vboards.stratics.com/uhall/220525-cal-ban-gms-give-canned-responses.html

Figured I would open it to the masses and see what wins out.

 

[Tazar]

I call mine - Tazar...

 

[Kylie Kinslayer]

lol. That was fast.

 

[Basara]

Kylie: the logic in the other post fails at one point.

Characters in MMOs are just electronic progression from characters in paper & dice RPGs.

A definition that is ALSO not in that list of definitions for the word, but well over 30 years old and in use even outside computer gaming by tens of millions of people.

Character, as a player's representation in a game, with the player making all the decisions for the character, goes back to at least 1974 and D&D. Whether the game is one using miniatures, played out in RL surroundings (LARPs) or computer-based, the characters are still characters, by that definition.

BTW, one of the defining elements of "toons" in the cartoon definition, was that the toons were "talkies". This breaks the pretense of linking the word "toon" to MMOs, as the player characters don't talk without the assistance of things like TS & vent (and then, 95% of the chatter is Out of Character) - they present word balloons, in effect, like an animated comic strip. The closest thing to "toons" in computer games are talking NPCs, and those tend to be in non-Online games.

 

[Sargon]

I'm not sure why, but people calling their characters "toons" is one of my MMO pet peeves.

 

[Dermott of LS]

...

It's a Character.

ALso you don't "roll" anything in creating a new character as there are NO RANDOM NUMBERS INVOLVED.

In UO, you "create a new character", NOT "roll a new toon".

 

[Sargon]

ALso you don't "roll" anything in creating a new character as there are NO RANDOM NUMBERS INVOLVED.

Pet peeve # 2

 

[Obsidian]

Personally, I don't think it matters. We all know what you mean when you say char, toon, etc. Now let's all forget about it, get in game, and play some UO!

 

[Fat Midnight]

KylieKinslayer

I apologize for my tone in the other thread... Call it whatever you want.

Good day

 

[GalenKnighthawke]

Character.

-Galen's player

 

[Fink]

To me:

avatar = the "pixels" themselves, as you phrased it. In mythology it means the worldly manifestation of a god, or the embodiment of a principle. This was translated in early internet parlance as a representation of a user. It's also particularly apt for Ultima, but I've used it long before playing.

character = everything else that is associated with that particular avatar. Their back story, profession, skills, mode of dress, manner of speaking, attitudes, beliefs, etc. Everything you would normally use to define a living person.

toon = whatever, I don't use the term myself but I've mostly heard people describe it as the sum of character and avatar minus the role-played aspect.

In any case, I avoid all such discussions and terminology when playing my character, moving my avatar, and interacting with other people's toons.

 

[Zodia]

From the Official UO guidebook, circa 1997:

(pg. 20)
"DEVELOPING YOUR CHARACTER
When starting a new character, there are two things that you should decide before ever hitting the CREATE CHARACTER button: "What does this character wish to be?" and "How am I going to get there?"
Because the system is skill-based, characters are not locked into any one career, but may follow any path... A little thought before characters are introduced to the rigors and joys of Britannia can produce much more well-rounded and self-sufficient careers in the long run."

-----

call them whatever you want, nobody is going to stop you, but that moron in the other thread who was actually arguing that they aren't officially known as characters is either an idiot or a first-rate troll.

 

[Tanivar]

I use the term 'character' and often refer to them by name. Each character has variations in how he, or she, in one case, act and are like a well known character from a series of novels to me that I play. Each is an individual to me. Valana's based on someone I knew back when I created the character and reacts as that woman would have in such a world. A not timid soul. The male characters are variations of my basic personality adjusted to suit someone with their unreal skills. Thinknig of them this way makes roleplaying them much easier.

Drop into 'character' like an actor on a stage, and 'live' your character. It makes the game a whole different experience.

 

[Sevin0oo0]

Rolling characters.. reminds me of my Arduin Grimoire days

 

[Frarc]

A character.


But maybe we should call them ... My preciuos!

 

[Kylie Kinslayer]

KylieKinslayer

I apologize for my tone in the other thread... Call it whatever you want.

Good day

No need to apologize at all. I always enjoy a good debate. After all we are arguing semantics. lol .. That just made me curious as to what most people consider it. And by an overwhelming majority so far Character has the top spot.

A character.


But maybe we should call them ... My preciuos!

 

[AesSedai]

- Character.

Although I have used 'avatar' many times as well (yet I stopped saying such long before JCameron started using that to make bills. ...---... = -no vote for aye, even though you know what I prefer to call it).

 

[Siteswap]

Kylie: the logic in the other post fails at one point.

Characters in MMOs are just electronic progression from characters in paper & dice RPGs.

A definition that is ALSO not in that list of definitions for the word, but well over 30 years old and in use even outside computer gaming by tens of millions of people.

Character, as a player's representation in a game, with the player making all the decisions for the character, goes back to at least 1974 and D&D. Whether the game is one using miniatures, played out in RL surroundings (LARPs) or computer-based, the characters are still characters, by that definition.

BTW, one of the defining elements of "toons" in the cartoon definition, was that the toons were "talkies". This breaks the pretense of linking the word "toon" to MMOs, as the player characters don't talk without the assistance of things like TS & vent (and then, 95% of the chatter is Out of Character) - they present word balloons, in effect, like an animated comic strip. The closest thing to "toons" in computer games are talking NPCs, and those tend to be in non-Online games.

A text book answer and one that I cant argue with.

However, Character, Toon and Avatar are all terminology which are now ingrained in the MMO community and as such are all acceptable to use, regardless of whether they are factualy correct or not and regardless of the fact that they 'peev' some people. No amount of arguing or debating which is correct will ever erase the terms from usage in MMO's.

The poll doesnt indicate which is right or wrong, only what peoples preferences are.

 

[Viper09]

Always called mine "character." Never really cared what anyone called them though...never will either. So I voted "Who cares."

 

[Lady Storm]

When I started UO
Characters I created became different as they developed, oh I have many with the same name on other shards, but quite frankly they are as different as night and day.
No two is the same and actions, they are all different sides of my persona.
To ask me to choose a favorite is like asking a mother to choose her favorite child.. something you never do. They all are my favorite.

 

[G.v.P]

Toon is not a UO-origin descriptor, but I do believe Lord British referred to the main char in the single player games as The Avatar, so Ultima does have an avatar-base (James Cameron is a (rich) hack, every idea he has ever had either already happened or someone already made the story/made it popular). I always hear people saying toon comes from WoW, but I'm not sure, I've never played WoW. To me, toon sounds chiefly British or something for some reason, hehe.

 

[MalagAste]

A toon is something you watch..... like a cartoon you have no influence over it

A character is something you play. Like a role.

 

[Shelleybean]

Anyone calling it a toon should be beaten with wet noodles!

 

[Siteswap]

Personally, I don't think it matters. We all know what you mean when you say char, toon, etc. Now let's all forget about it, get in game, and play some UO!

This.