Importance of Avatar Choice

[Veiled_Desire]

I guess I wanted to have this discussion after talking to a potential partner. For me an Avatar is just a way to let people know what kind of person I am as a writer and potentially allowing people to see what characters I can play. My current avatar was chosen because a good percentage of my partners when I first joined just liked this face claim and I stuck with it. However, I know there are many people on the site that have a strong preference for only using face claims or only using drawn/anime images. When speaking to a potential partner they said they had enjoyed my idea but that they were not a fan of my avatar and didn't want to look at a face claim they didn't like for each post. That makes sense and it got me thinking about possible ramifications for an avatar and if it is better to change the image frequently.

Has anyone selected a writing partner primarily based off of that person's avatar?
Has anyone decided not to write with someone because they thought the avatar wasn't appealing or it said something bad about the person based on their choice?
Do you often change your avatar and what are the reasons for changing your avatar?

 

[Siph]

For me it's not so much a matter of what profile picture someone has as whether they have one at all. I don't mean I'll refuse to play with someone because they don't have an avatar, but I've found that people without one are more prone to disappearing from the site and sending low-effort messages in response to my threads. On top of that, although I try to do my best to reply to all responses to my requests, a monochrome letter doesn't really stand out in my inbox (especially if there's a bunch of monochrome letters in there already), so I tend to forget about them more easily. Conversely, when I'm scrolling through other people's request threads, the posts without an avatar attached to them are less likely to grab my attention.

It's by no means an absolute universal thing; I've played with great writers that didn't have a picture, and a lot of partners that I haven't heard of in months did have one. Still, there seems to be enough of a correlation for me to, at least subconsciously, take that into account when looking for new people to play with.

In any case, to motivate my answers to your poll, a profile picture is quite literally the first impression you get of someone, so I tend to pick something that I think is pretty, but also expresses something about me. Usually that's in the form of fan art of a fandom I'm into; I typically stumble upon them by chance, and change things up whenever I come across something new.

 

[Mars Of Willendorf]

I'm firmly in the team "don't care". I barely look at other people's avatars and never make the choice based on them. I know that some people might though, and that's why I've chosen mine to be something that represents me: I like playing as big dudes that are quite primal in their (sexual) nature, hence a caveman.

I guess I'm just not a very visual person in this context, as I also don't much care for fancy signature banners or how decorated your request thread is. In fact, I have been turned off by RTs that have been aesthetically overdesigned, drowning the relevant information in pictures, banners, dividers and whatnot.

 

[SoleAccord]

- I've never selected a partner based on an avatar alone. A good one helps, but the decider is the skill and the ideas this potential partner carries. I also want chemistry with them OOC as well as IC. I've talked to people with nice avatars, but they lacked the above criteria I search for. It might get me to peep your profile and see your RT and work, but it doesn't guarantee a message.

- I dislike certain characters in fandoms, but I won't refuse to work with someone based on that. We just won't 100% agree on the characters within a universe, and that's fine.

- I change my avatar when it suits me. Sometimes I choose best girl (Yuffie), other times I choose someone in a fandom I'm currently feeling. I can change it within days, or go months before I bother to do so. Just depends on what I'm feeling a lot at the time.

 

[Mint]

I'm mostly in agreement with Sole about this one.

But I honestly will shamelessly click on a profile of someone who has an attractive anime/drawing of a dude I like in a fandom, or some picture that looks aesthetically pleasing, it makes me click on their profile and look at their work but it's 50/50 if I'll actually send them a message or not.

I usually, 9/10 times am just a character from whatever show/game/media that has my attention a ton, or a character I very much enjoy looking at-- it also tends to be the type of character I like to play as in RP's, so partners old and new can see what I'm all about at the moment. I've gotten a few RP requests just from whatever character I end up rocking at the time, so that actually helps me get some of my fandom cravings out (doesn't always work though!)

I change on the monthly most of the time unless I'm specifically matching with someone else. I'm not like... 'deterred' by people with no PFP, but not to sound elitist, but it does make me be like.. "Hm... are they gonna stay on the site long enough to have a proper RP going?" kind of thing, I won't lie. So all in all, PFP's don't matter that much unless the PFP is something like super niche/fetish that I'm not gonna be enthralled to see every post, and a lack of a PFP while not being awful in the end, does make me hesistate a bit... I've written with plenty of no PFP people though and they're great.

But uh yeah, even if it's just like a black square or some random shape-- it's better than nothing in my humble opinion! You'll prooobably get a few more bites from the likes of people like me that enjoy visual flair.

 

[raison detre]

I consider myself a rather visual person, and an enjoyer of certain aesthetics, so if I find someone with a PFP that matches the sort of aesthetic I like, I'll definitely click on it or their thread. So for that initial bite, I find that a PFP that looks good is important. I wouldn't say it's a dealbreaker one way or the other, but it definitely shifts the scale, so to speak.

I'm also on the side that if I see someone without one, I'm going to be less likely to engage with them. Same about someone with a PFP that doesn't exactly jive with me. I'll still click if the thread title is interesting or appealing to me, so it's not like I'll skip around someone just because of it. It just helps me get a feel for the person in question. After all, a PFP is a way of expression, like a small window into someone's identity or personality. So if you don't have one, it makes me feel like you'd rather not have people know you, or that you lack one? But that's just my biased opinion on the matter.

As for me, I'll usually stick with one avatar for a while once I settle for one, but when I do want to change it, it becomes a struggle for me since I'm indecisive. I'm not too concerned about what others might think of my avatar of choice as much as I'm interested in satisfying my own aesthetic. It's usually because I'm tired or bored of the current one I have.

 

[Baka]

While avatar is no means a hard dealbreaker for me I am partial towards anime, manga, manhwa, JRPG etc. styled avatars, since those are the mediums I unashamedly enjoy the most and that please my eyes the most. It's also a good indicator that I at least have one possible thing in-common with my possible RP-partner right off the bat. While anime/drawn faceclaim for character is absolutely mandatory to me I can live with my partner having an actor or some other "real-life avatar" as long as we get along well and again they are alright with using anime/drawn faceclaim in actual RP. PFP can certainly help get my interest since it's the first thing I see from the person aside their username, but not a deciding factor in my eyes.

One thing that I do have a little bias towards is no profile-picture at all. I've written with people who have not put any picture for their avatar, but ever since the times I played on F-list I do see it a tiny red-flag. In F-list people who came up hitting me with RP request with no profile picture to their character usually had pretty barren profiles all together, and the first messages I got were as barren as their characters whole identity. Effort both in first message and presentation of the persons profile, request-thread etc. are usually things that get me excited to write with the person, so if I don't see effort anywhere it's extremely hard for me to know if I sign-up to something that I won't enjoy in the long-run.

I change my avatar/banner and sometimes my request-thread themes quite often. Heavily based on what is my current obsession in terms of a character or a series. Last month it was Touhou, this month Mage & Demon Queen. Sometimes it changes extremely often, and sometimes it can stay for month or two. Honestly I only care that my profile, avatar etc. are pleasing to me. If others like them and vibe with them then that's great! If not then they don't.

 

[Revelations]

This is always a fun question to see and discuss!

For my own avatar(s), I tend to follow a general theme, a theme that I am sure regulars on the forum have been able to sniff out by now – but for those who haven't or don't really look, I tend to go for buxom anime ladies as my avatars of choice. I do so for a few reasons, none of which I feel are super deep/complicated or anything like that, but still they do matter on some level. First, it's a something that appeals to me, and as such, I like to let potential partners or the like know that well, this is something I like. That means that others can get a good feeling for what I like and can either engage with me with it, or they know ahead of time in case they're less receptive/welcoming to it. This way, they can make a slightly informed decision. I like anime/Japanese games/anime booba, and to put it simply, It will probably come up in RP discussions. If someone jives with that, awesome! If not, it's all good of course. But it lets them know, kinda like the rattle of a rattlesnake or something poetic like that.

Second reason is well, I've been doing this style of avatars for years now and it just feels weird to switch out to something else. Like when a store changes its layout completely or a complete redesign or something like that. I don't want to change 180 out of nowhere.

I don't select people off of avatars, but I am sure I have complimented people on their avatars before in PM conversations about RP and stuff, so I might be a bit biased at times. There are some avatar types I don't like, but I generally don't let that feeling impact me. A writer is more than the picture they use to represent themselves, after all. Feels weird to disbar someone entirely just because that picture isn't something I enjoy. Now that being said I have personally blocked some avatars with an adblocker in order to not see them. But these avatars are extremely rare and just totally unappealing to me. No offense to those people, though.

I usually change my avatar about once a month. I like new things and its fun to look for or select a new avatar.

As for others who dislike my avatars or the like, I mean – that's fine. It's a specific style, that some people just don't jive with. That's fine. It's likely those people and I would clash on a few things, but at the same time, I think hating on someone for their avatar is a very silly thing to do.

 

[-NekoUke-]

Naoto has always been my favorite Persona character, that's my reason.

 

[Strange Days]

I'd say I'm also in agreement with Mint and Sole on this one, at times I've had people reach out to compliment my avatar or just start a conversation based on our mutual enjoyment of the piece of media they came from, and it usually aligns with the Fandoms I am feeling more in tune with - which can usually last several months at a time.

Taking my current PFP into account, I ended up scoring a solid Jujutsu Kaisen RP off-site and with me and a partner often swapping fanart of Gojo, it ended up sticking with me. So it may very well have to do with how my projects are coming along...there really is no fixed pattern on that.

I won't turn down people with no avatar or one that doesn't mirror my preferences, but I've typically had greater chances of starting a LT with folks who shared a fondness for anime, (J)RPGs, horror/true crime media and overall a 'vibe' that matched mine pretty well, which I can't exactly say was the case with writers that shared none (or drastically different) interests compared to me / talked down on my skill based on my passions.

Most of the time, though, it just ends up being a nice picture I look at for a whole 2 seconds and immediately set aside to write back to whoever contacted me to begin with.

Oh, and :

Naoto has always been my favorite Persona character, that's my reason.

Where have you been all my life?

 

[Lady Puppet]

• Has anyone selected a writing partner primarily based off of that person's avatar?
  I have to say that I do like to look at people's avatars and signers. Just to see what they are about but I have to say that I do dig deeper to see what their threads look like. You don't have to have the smokes and mirrors to draw me in. Show me that you can write something that I like you got me like a moth to a flame. But I have never come out and tell someone I didn't like their avatar. I am sure there are people who don't like mine. I can say that I do get jelly of people who have a running theme with their avatar, singure and even adding that flair to their request thread and any other personal thread that they have.
• Has anyone decided not to write with someone because they thought the avatar wasn't appealing or it said something bad about the person based on their choice?
  Again, it's not my choice because your flare is not mine. I am here to make friends and make some fun stories and dream up characters that I can get deep into.
• Do you often change your avatar and what are the reasons for changing your avatar?
  I don't know how often I change my avatar. I just change it when and if something different or something sparks my muse. And I end up change it all up from time to time I will even try to redoing my request thread or this to try to bring in the new writers to look at my things.

 

[Chippairaptor]

I'll drop my two cents. My primary choice for avatar is to convey something about myself, but I also choose ones I find aesthetically appealing (especially cute). I make a slight exception for certain holidays if I feel like it (July 4th, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas usually being the main ones).

Has anyone selected a writing partner primarily based off of that person's avatar?

• Yes, I often use their avatar to help me gauge whether or not our interests overlap enough. For example, I'm much more likely to RP with someone who has an anime/manga-style avatar, or someone who uses an avatar of something from a game or movie I like (Halo and Jurassic Park being big examples).

Has anyone decided not to write with someone because they thought the avatar wasn't appealing or it said something bad about the person based on their choice?

• Yes, I have. As I've stated, I use avatars to judge if a potential partner and I have something in common, but even so, if someone reaches out to me, I tend to check their interest check, and sometimes their current RPs, to see if we might vibe as writing partners.

Do you often change your avatar and what are the reasons for changing your avatar?

• I don't change my avatar too often, but it's usually reserved for special occasions, or when I make a name change. For example, my previous username was "Indoraptor", so my avatar was exactly that: the Indoraptor from Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. However, I wanted to change my username to better reflect my main kink, so I changed my username and avatar.

 

[LiveAmmunition]

I don't think avatar was ever a primary reason for me to message someone about writing together, though an appealing combo of avatar and profile banner certainly catches my eye. However, a few times an avatar did stop me from sending the first message to someone, mostly when it included themes/kinks for which I have a strong dislike. No avatar at all is also a red flag — from my experience, users without one tend to be quick to drop the roleplay.

I used to be in the camp of not changing my avatar at all, but kind of mellowed out on that front over the years. Now, I change it every once in a while, usually when I find an appealing image and when I manage to find equally appealing profile banner for it.

 

[Peony]

Has anyone selected a writing partner primarily based off of that person's avatar?

Not really. A person's avatar is no indication of their writing style or even if we might vibe well together. If someone has an avatar I don't like, I will just block it so it doesn't show up when the page loads.

Has anyone decided not to write with someone because they thought the avatar wasn't appealing or it said something bad about the person based on their choice?

Nope. You know what? >.> I think the closest I've come to being a bit iffy was when someone had a political avatar that I wasn't overly fond of.

Do you often change your avatar and what are the reasons for changing your avatar?

There are a lot of pretty pictures, and I want to make my way through all of them. xD Sometimes, I also change my avatar depending on my mood or even if I'm in the festive spirit for the holidays.


Anyway, thanks for the questions!

 

[Murdergurl]

I guess I wanted to have this discussion after talking to a potential partner. For me an Avatar is just a way to let people know what kind of person I am as a writer and potentially allowing people to see what characters I can play. My current avatar was chosen because a good percentage of my partners when I first joined just liked this face claim and I stuck with it. However, I know there are many people on the site that have a strong preference for only using face claims or only using drawn/anime images. When speaking to a potential partner they said they had enjoyed my idea but that they were not a fan of my avatar and didn't want to look at a face claim they didn't like for each post. That makes sense and it got me thinking about possible ramifications for an avatar and if it is better to change the image frequently.

Firstly, I wouldn't turn someone down solely on their avi choice. That seems like I'd be severely whittling down my options before even hearing them out, and potentially miss out on a really good writing partner. However, I do think that an avi should say something about your preferences on RP style and subject matter. I'm not saying its all-encompassing or anything. I don't imagine that people could easily find an avatar that coherently communicated the entire gist of their interests. That sound just about impossible.

But I think there are a lot of assumptions that are made just by the pic you use. For example, I can't help but be initially deterred by avis that are anime faces because I generally dont like anime, and I hate anime faceclaims. Anime characters are a turn-off for me. And if I'm associating an anime faceclaim to your character... it's just not gonna do it for me. Most of the time, a member with an anime Avi is going to have interests in anime-based or anime-inspired RPs. Same goes with Avis of Furry/anthros. I generally dont even click on any of those Requests because I figure the contents are very likely including a subject matter Im not particularly into. BUT, if someone is responding to a request of mine, i do my best to ignore whatever their avi is and just pay attention to what they are offering or interested in to see if we match up well.

Has anyone selected a writing partner primarily based off of that person's avatar?
Has anyone decided not to write with someone because they thought the avatar wasn't appealing or it said something bad about the person based on their choice?
Do you often change your avatar and what are the reasons for changing your avatar?

No, on all three counts. Already asnwered the first two questions above. As for the third, I've left my avi this way for some time now. Though, now that you mention it.... I've been on a hiatus for a bit and am making a return. Maybe its time for a fresh coat of paint.

 

[MelaniePlays]

I've definitely passed on people because of their avatar. If it's something too creepy, or a picture of someone I don't find attractive then I won't take up their offer. I find it hard to enjoy the smut with the wrong face staring back at me.

For similar reasons I prefer not to use faceclaims. My imagination is usually better when I'm in the mood for something specific.

 

[Saiya]

I don't generally select partners based off a pfp. I do feel there can be some bias as far as how I might view someone based off it but it's more of a case of a 'I see it as a reflection of their personality or general demeanor'.

I personally pick an avatar I feel goes with my own personality... granted to be fair I'll admit it's not quite 1 for 1 and it's more a 'ooo this is cute' angle and feel it fits close enough. That said I don't use my character in my avatar for the sake of any sort of RP or anything of that sorts and separate it out from my roleplaying, much like how I do with others and their own pfp. It's why I don't tend to judge people off it or try not to... granted I do feel it sometimes does give me a certain vibe that might influence how I take them alongside their responses and what not. I'm probably most harsh with people WITHOUT an avatar though, I get it's not the easiest thing to figure out one but it feels like if there is no effort to at least make one, chances are in an RP they wouldn't put any work into it.

As far as changing my avatar up... I tend to be a bit more hands off. I do want to aim to change my avatar once a year though I can do more or less since I feel it is good to change things up a bit. I did change it for Halloween being a sucker for the holiday, granted I did nothing for Christmas (was thinking of it but given I was busy I just neglected to do so).

 

[Keith Logan]

Not a deal breaker, but it also plays a crucial role in setting up the initial vibe. A profile pic is chosen by the user. That means by extension, it is to some extend, a reflection of the user's fancy, predisposition and mood preference. Call it first impression. It serves as a vibe check.

Also, I am highly adaptable, and I do also rely on (not limited to) little cues/details like this to help me decide if i shld communicate w my partners like that lol or like, Love your idea. Here is my take on things, or like, Muse check. Blood and knife, to try to speak the language of my partner. Furthermore, at least for me, I can say that I can be biased towards really abstract and/or attractive/personable avatars.

Some people don't really care for avatars. But some do. So if we're talking casting the net far and wide, I think everyone should consider giving it your best shot at deciding what avatar you wish to use as a representation of yourself (and your playstyle). Putting that additional effort will only help you to score more potential (like-minded) partners!

 

[Luvia]

For me it's not so much a matter of what profile picture someone has as whether they have one at all.

This. More so than judging somebody by their avatar (which I admittedly do), I catch myself dismissing those who have a lack thereof even faster. Nothing is more boring and/or 'unattractive' than someone who is lacking the effort or creativity to make a statement; if you can't do this, why would I bother taking a look at your request thread, for example? To me, it would seem that whatever content it entails will be just as lackluster and not worth my time.

Now, this next one is a bit off-topic but flows into the same vein - if I see that someone has amassed an incredible amount of RT bumps, I usually stay away from them too, as it signifies to me that they're not capable of maintaining a good story, thus lack consistency and/or discipline, even if it isn't the case.

It's all about first impressions.

 

[LiveAmmunition]

Now, this next one is a bit off-topic but flows into the same vein - if I see that someone has amassed an incredible amount of RT bumps, I usually stay away from them too, as it signifies to me that they're not capable of maintaining a good story, thus lack consistency and/or discipline, even if it isn't the case.

I wonder — how do you define "incredible amount"? I used to follow the same train of thought, but figured that some people just religiously bump their threads every day, while others simply rack up a ton of posts in their threads over the years.

 

[Skarag]

I generally dont care about avi's. But, I have been turned down by potential partners because they found my avatar unappealing/scary.

 

[Siph]

I wonder — how do you define "incredible amount"? I used to follow the same train of thought, but figured that some people just religiously bump their threads every day, while others simply rack up a ton of posts in their threads over the years.

This is a bit of a digression from the original topic, but for me it's less about how often a thread is bumped than about the number of bump-messages on a thread. It's neither against the rules nor a lot of effort to clean up your thread once in a while and remove old replies that amount to nothing more than "bump". I'm aware it's nitpicky, but a thread that still has bumps from two months ago, hasn't been updated in the past year or has two dozen broken links (thanks Imgur) gives the impression that the OP can't be bothered to maintain their request thread -- then how can I expect them to maintain an RP?

Same goes for bumps that contain major updates/ideas that are not mentioned in the original post. I'll admit that's a mistake I've made in the past as well, and can confirm that no one actually reads those updates if they're buried under thirty bumps (which likely also contain unrelated updates). Just edit the main post itself if you want to add a prompt or change a craving; it'll save both your readers and yourself from a lot of annoyance.

 

[LiveAmmunition]

This is a bit of a digression from the original topic, but for me it's less about how often a thread is bumped than about the number of bump-messages on a thread. It's neither against the rules nor a lot of effort to clean up your thread once in a while and remove old replies that amount to nothing more than "bump". I'm aware it's nitpicky, but a thread that still has bumps from two months ago, hasn't been updated in the past year or has two dozen broken links (thanks Imgur) gives the impression that the OP can't be bothered to maintain their request thread -- then how can I expect them to maintain an RP?

Same goes for bumps that contain major updates/ideas that are not mentioned in the original post. I'll admit that's a mistake I've made in the past as well, and can confirm that no one actually reads those updates if they're buried under thirty bumps (which likely also contain unrelated updates). Just edit the main post itself if you want to add a prompt or change a craving; it'll save both your readers and yourself from a lot of annoyance.

Interesting take. I'd have to agree that broken links give off a bad vibe, though I was a victim of that too at one point (Imgur strikes again) and swapped to using postimages galleries instead — everything in one place and less links to keep track off. I also agree that keeping everything important in the top post (or top 2 or 3, if you add indexing to your thread or at least mention them in your first post) is better than putting ideas in latest bumps.

 

[Wotanaz]

I will never reject a potential partner over an avatar, but I'll readily admit that a good avatar goes a long way in at least making you appear like you care.

Appearances can be deceiving, of course, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.