The question is pretty simple- would you join an rpg that didn't allow graphics in the signatures? Why or why not?

No. Because I'm a graphics whore. They're pretty, and let me express my character. I like that a lot. It would feel very incomplete to me if I didn't have them.

Yes. I like sig graphics but since I draw my own characters, I don't always have anything I think would be suitable for a signature. Besides, it's not the end of the world if you can't have sig graphics, especially if the forum is a good one.

I would, but graphics are always a preference for me. I'm always on the search for character representations. It would be all right, just sort of incomplete indeed.

I would still join as long as avatars are allowed. It's not that I *have* to have graphics.

It's just that I'm used to reading through forum threads quickly, without bothering to read the username of who's posting. I tend to recognize people by their avs/sigs. Without some kind of graphic there, all the posts begin to blend together and it's like reading one long research paper. >_<

That's about exactly how I feel there.

i second that motion!

I like to see the actual pictures of the characters. it helps me to visualize the scean

Would large avatars (like, 150x300) be enough of a visual clue for those of you who need them? (I'm one of those people too.)

Yes. I've joined a site before that disabled signatures but made Avatars extra large to make up for it. As long as one of the two are there I will join. I won't if both are disabled though. That just looks bad and, like someone said above, resembles a giant research paper.

Totally. 150x300 is plenty big. =]

Maybe 200x200?

200 wide stretches out the column, and the other column is thin enough as it is. :cry:

I would.

Graphics are nice and all, but I'm into RPing for the writing. I've RPed in plenty of venues where there was only text, and no bells or whistles. :3

What Spazzy said. I love to have graphics, and playbys are very important to me. If I couldn't have a graphical signature, I'd be very unhappy.

They'd have to have a good reason to actually forbid it, but if their reason was good enough for me I'd join. I'm more wary of a site that'd forbid it more because of the freakiness of admins who make unnecessary/unexplained rules than for not being allowed signature graphics. If it was just habit for no one to use graphics I'd be fine, whether they had avatars or not. After all, on RotE (Rhi-Rhi's site) no one that I've seen has graphics showing their characters (some have random things) and I've not even really noticed, let alone been bothered by it.

Ditto. I love graphics there in my signature. "I like to pimp it out, dawg."

Never. Characters are representing by the graphics you use. It also helps mold their personality, show others what the person is like. If yo udon't have a visual, it makes it difficult. There are many ho need a visual to base things off of. Which is why I've also started putting pictures in all the locations threads. It's a great way to spark the imagination.

I would want to know why, before I joined. Also, if it's no 'sig' graphics, does that mean I wouldn't be able to display a graphic at the top or bottom of my post by inserting it manually? That's what I do currently at ASMM because it's an APP game. If it's no graphics in IC posts at all, then I'd be frustrated by the restriction. Not because I'm a PB-whore, but because I want to have the choice and I don't want someone taking it away from me. I use graphics for things other than just, 'this is what my character looks like'. I'm expressive because you can't always get it down in writing. I am not yet 'skilled' enough to be doing that in an avatar-sized space.

I like graphics within my posts. They give me warm fuzzies, regardless of the reasons I join or partake of an RPG.

It wouldn't be a major factor in my decision of whether or not to join a forum, but I'm definitely a graphics addict. Sooooo, I wouldn't be very happy about the restriction. As stated, there would have to be a good reason because rules like that without explanations would seriously irritate me. Silly rules WOULD be a major factor in my decision of whether or not to join.

While I do enjoy having graphic representations available, I don't understand the dependence on them. Isn't the entire point of this kind of role-playing to write and use your imagination? It is text-based RPing, after all. If that's not the point of it for someone, then I'd wonder why they don't lean towards something like Second Life or a MMORPG.

Pictures are great, but I'd much rather keep the text than the images.

If it was a one account multi-character site, I think a siggy banner would be needed...

I know of a board that once had a competition based on graphics. The premise was that you completely remove all your graphics, in both the sig and avatar, for a certain amount of time. It made a point about the unnecessary reliance on image.

For my forums I use a code that turns off signatures after the first post on each page...there's no need to see the same thing over and over and over again in a thread. Honestly, it really wouldn't bother me if no sig graphics were allowed. So what? I'm not there to strut my graphic fancies about, I'm there to write. Honestly, I think I spend too much time making graphics anyways. I could be doing something more constructive, like writing posts or rescuing small countries from disaster.

Besides...the people I use as lookalikes NEVER look the way I imagine a character in my head, no matter how close they are physically. The lookalikes simply can't duplicate the expressions, actions, or words of a character, which I write.

That's basically the reason I'm instituting this rule on AVA v2; I'm tired of coming across rp after rp full of crap (or no) role-playing and a thirty page long "rate the graphics" ic game. I did make the avatars larger to compensate a bit, but really I think a lot of this graphics madness is unnecessary.

There is a good possibility that I feel this way because my first online rpg didn't allow sigs at all (because so many people were abusing them) and it was account per player, so we had to rely on our writing to get the message across. Or maybe I'm just an elitist snob. :lol:

I'm a bit halvsies on this one. So I'll give my reason for both YES and NO in just a darn tootin' minute.

Yes
-I would join because I'm not much of a graphics user as it is, instead I like linking through words because not only does it prevent lag but it can be more efficient than having images.

No
-I do like to have at least one picture in my sig, usually a featured character signature showcasing one of my own characters.

So those are my reasons why I would or wouldn't join a board not allowing sig graphics.

I won't lie: I loooove sig graphics. Mainly because my games have a lot of artists and they do some amazing things with their sigs. It's one account per person, and a trend one artist-member started was to make a signature banner with a colored drawing of every character she plays in it. It rubbed off, and even I started doing it (though granted, those are only three of many characters; I'm adding as I draw xD).

Sigs are pretty. I like 'em, they're fun to get creative with. And as I said before, I would definitely join a game that didn't allow them (though I would still draw my characters and want to display them somewhere. |: I'm an artist, it's what I do).

I don't think the sigs/graphics themselves are to blame. My games allow them like whoa, and yet everyone is waaay more focused on the writing. We don't have any rate that graphic threads, no face claims, nada. People can do what they like, and because they have the freedom to do what they want and because no emphasis is placed on graphics one way or the other, they're not a big deal at all. They're there, they're fun, but no one's obsessed with 'em. :B

I only see the hyper obsession and craziness with graphics on sites that have face claims and forced PBs and stuff like that.

I stress everywhere on my game that it's the writing that matters. And so it does. ^_^

In a nutshell, if you make a big deal about something (i.e. graphics), it'll become a big deal. If you just it just be there, it won't become a huge thing.

I don't think banning signature graphics is going to do anything about it, stormyhearted. It's like the cbox discussion - if you've got people who prefer to spend their time doing or rating graphics or chatting in the cbox than RPing, taking those away isn't going to help. The point is that they are crappy RPers, not that the cbox or graphics are destroying the RPing. If you have to ban everything else in order to get people to RP then they aren't the people you want; you won't have fun and neither will they.

Man that felt vague. In a purposeful sort of way.

And what about those people whose currency is not words? My boyfriend RPs and yet he has trouble talking to people because he thinks entirely in pictures and so he has to manually translate his thoughts into words for other people. Taking away pictures would make it more difficult for him to RP. It might be text-based but there's no reason to make it even more exclusively for text-based people.

Panda! Why don't you do that on NMTB? -glares-

That's the slippery slope of semantics, as everyone is different, etc., etc. I think in text. Mental images are impossible for me. My co-mod is one of the most visual people I know and every thought is a full-color painting or photograph for her, to such a degree where she can have a difficult time conveying her thoughts (and is just now hung up on an application because the pictures won't "translate" into text for her). She is nonetheless one of the best role-players I have ever known, because she does try to convey that mental image into a text medium and does so with enough nuance to create a rainbow.

That is, as I've said earlier, the entire reason we're here. If we're not here to work with words and write, then why waste time on a text-based game? IMO, this kind of role-playing we all do is the absolute best because not only does it allow a player to convey their message, but it forces everyone to use their imaginations and try to receive that message as best as possible. (Also, no Rock, Paper, Scissor. :) Honestly, sometimes I wish we'd all go back to the days where most people didn't use images of any sort. It's words, words, words.

I disagree; I think that people who are graphics obsessed will see the rule and not join, since they can't put a huge banner in their sig, and people who like graphics but don't rely on them won't worry about it.

I may allow them in the future- maybe allowing sig graphics after a certain amount of time with the board, or something, but I'm not 100% sure yet.

Yes, I would. I can't make sig graphics because my brain is not creative, so actually I'd probably like it more. I disagree with all the people who say having sigs would actually matter to people who join. I understand where they're coming from but I don't get it. To some people, sure, they love graphics and wouldn't join. But roleplaying games should be about pretending to be someone you're not, which to me involves words. Not pictures. Use your imagination, people! Does everyone need a picture to hand-feed them what the other character is supposed to look like?

I'm not trying to be mean. Maybe it's just because I'm not a visual person at all. I can't picture things in my head, and I don't care if I can or not. I love words. I could type a 1000-word post. I've written a 112-page novel before, and I could write more than that. To me, a crappy type font would ruin the site for me more than crappy graphics. Or bright-colored font. I'm a VERY word-oriented person, so maybe this is just my perspective. But, especially advanced rpgs that require a 250-word minimum or something like that should be about words, and not which roleplayer can make the best graphics. I can't make them very well. So it makes me feel bad when other people have them and I don't, and I to impose upon others.

I really agree with Emma, especially I'm really picky about rp-ing with people who are at 'my level.' Maybe that comes from the eletist environment my first roleplaying experience came into being around; HorseLand. Never join it to post roleplaying outboxes. It's cruel. They have royals. But if you have an intermediate to advanced rpg, and people won't roleplay there because you won't let them have a sig? Then they don't really want to be there for the rping, and therefore they shouldn't be there. Better off without them. Sorry again if this is mean or harsh, but it's the way I was almost taught to think.

See, look how much I wrote!

Forbidding signatures is like not enabling doHTML. It makes people unhappy for no reason!

I usually just have lyrics in my signatures (or not at all), so it doesn't really matter. I mess around with HTML to make pretty signatures anyways. :D I don't make the MASSIVE OMG PERSON signatures that are really popular. If I have an image in a signature, it's just lyrics so... yeah~

If they didn't allow doHTML, I wouldn't join. All my graphics work goes into my table and my avatar to make my set, since I've never cared much about my sig. Although, friends have made me gorgeous sets with an avatar, signature and table~

I dunno, it puts a cramp in people's creativity, and it's uncalled for. No reason to, really.

I definitely would join. I absolutely hate signature images, mostly because I'm a neat freak. If I were to allow signature images on my forums, I would require that every single image be exactly the same size but... that's so completely unrealistic so I just shut my mouth and disallow them all together. I'm happy with an avatar.

Recently, I've spotted a few forums that have the option of displaying signatures only the first time a poster appears in a thread OR not at all. That would minimize all of clutter and repetitiveness.

I'm on ur site
Postin in ur threadz

Sigs are all well and good, but you always get people who are hopeless with graphics, or have that compulsion to post an 800x800 hotlinked pic of their lookalike. *dies*

I can live without it.

*snuggles the code Edean described* I had that on my old forum. It's the best.

I'm hopeless with making graphics, but I like having pictures of characters, so I can see who's replying. Personally, I prefer people to have an avatar because of this, but as an admin I won't force my players to have one, because not everyone is happy with them, or can find the perfect PB.

So far we have a grand total of one player (with three characters) who has a graphics siggy for her characters, and they are awesome. I just wish I had the skills to make my own.

awww. I just realized how mean I sounded. Google the name of whatever graphics program you've got and the word tutorial. Or look up some internet based graphics programs, even.

H'okay kiddies, let me tell you something. ;]

I'm on Stormy's site. :lol: And let me say that it's a completely awesome site despite the lack of signature graphics. [/shameless plug] Why? Let me list the ways.

1. It's different. I'm a bit of a non-conformist, so seeing something different--not mindbogglingly so, but enough that it makes a bit of an impact--is refreshing. I like not seeing giant blocks of graphics. Not like I have anything wrong with it because even I love my sigs (*hugs MCR sig*), but it's fresh and crisp.
2. Extra-long avatars. She compensates for the lack of signature with the extra-long avatar. It doesn't stretch the page and it's neat because usually signatures are wide but not long. This is long but not wide, so it gives a different perspective on the characters. Also, you can put multiple regular-sized avatars on top of each other if you prefer that way.
3. Member names. She also puts the names of the member who plays the character in the user title (I think that's what it's called) which makes it sooo much easier to recognize the member than signature graphics do. Personally, I think it's a great touch so that you have both the graphic (avatar) and the "verbal" (member name).

It's fun, it's different, and frankly, my emphasis is on writing, not graphics. Sure, they're fun to make and you can still use them in signatures and the personal plot pages, so you're not going to be lacking them. I found the whole thing quite interesting and so far I have had no problem with it.

And you guys know how temperamental I am when it comes to powertrippy admins. As far as I can tell, this has nothing to do with the admin struggling for some sort of power thing, though I know I would have the same concerns as you guys if I wasn't already on the board. If that makes sense.

In conclusion: this idea in this specific case earns a gold star from December, Esq.

Two thumbs up.

Don't forget that cool cycling forum banner. I think when your picture's on the top of the entire forum, you can handle not having it in your sig.

Oh, yes, that's super neat. Everyone gets a picture in the cycling banner; all you need to do is apply. ^_^

I am a self-proclaimed graphics addict. In fact, I can't even write a character's profile until I've chosen a face for them--doing that really helps me figure them out. My friends say it's the actress in me needing to "play off" the play-by and judge them by their facial expressions, which I suppose would make sense.

However, as far as a site with no sig graphics goes, I would probably join if the plot interested me and the community was welcoming.

I like displaying my graphics, but at the end of the day I make them for myself and for my characters. Whether I was allowed to show them on the site or not, I would still make them; not to show off, but to help me better represent my character to myself and get inside their heads a little bit.

So really, I'd be okay with no sig graphics.

P.S. Cycling banners are loads of fun until there are too many characters to refresh through. ^_^

I think I would join the board if they didn't allow graphics, as long as it was a good board in other areas.

However, I am like a lot on here, a graphics whore and, like Madame Everard it helps me to also get a feel for my character if I create a signature for them. It makes the application process so much easier for me if I spend time making a signature that links to their look and personality. But then again, I am insanely protective of my characters and am probably a little too addicted :)

Cam x

Edit: And after saying that, I realise that I don't have a sig or avatar up on here... whoops!