Appearance
Ahhh, now we're getting to the fun part- the areas that require paragraphs and paragraphs of description. From here on, your writing will REALLY be on trial- you're being judged not only on what your character's like, but on how well you can talk about her. Helpful hint- after you're finished writing, read over what you've just written. If almost every sentence begins with "She has" or "She is," go through and try to find different ways of saying things. Trust me, it'll help a LOT.
I know it's hard, but resist the temptation to make your character the most gorgeous being to ever walk the face of the Earth (or wherever the game is set). You can get away with this if you're playing a character with beauty-themed magic, but that's about it. Contrary to what you may think, a pretty character will NOT make you more likely to get into a game- given the amount of "perfect supermodel" apps that most games get, it can hurt your chances- nor will it make your character more popular. Most GMs and players are more interested in unique, diverse people than the Aryan Perfection Posterboy. This doesn't mean you should apply as Quasimodo (unless you really really want to); Just throw in a few flaws- frizzy hair, a bit of a chubby frame, a complete lack of curves (for girls), or some unpleasant scars can add some interest to your character's looks.
It's a good idea to look through the profiles of any characters the game already has to get an idea of what's already there. If your character's appearance is too similar to one that's already been accepted, you'll be less likely to get in. I usually make a chart listing basic appearance traits- height, body shape, skin tone, eye color, hair color and style- to see if there's anything that's a bit overused.
Hair
Long hair on anyone who intends to get into combat or do sports is a BIG no-no. I can NOT stress this enough. Sure, it's beautiful, and it catches the wind and looks good in pictures. Sure, your character will be the envy of women (and some men) all around. However, she will find herself in dire straits when her waist-length ponytail gets tangled around a goalpost, or when her ankle-length tresses suddenly become a convenient garrotte for her enemy. Getting strangled is bad enough without the knowledge that you could've prevented your death with a visit to the barber. If your character plans to get in close contact with any warriors or equipment (and has any amount of sense), I'd suggest she get a nice chic bob, or at the least shear her locks to shoulder length. Barring that, a nice, utilitarian bun or twist in sport or combat situations will suffice.
If you feel your character needs to have long hair to stand out or look pretty, try giving her an interesting style instead. So many characters have such blah hair- waist-length and loose being the commonest style. Check out a few comics and magazines if you need inspiration. Maybe your character has a nice braid, or wears her hair in a French twist all the time. Interesting styles make a character more memorable- who could possibly forget the odangoes (meatballs, to you dub fans) of Sailormoon?
As for color, try to avoid blond; Aryan perfection seems to be the name of the game for so many characters. This is especially annoying in anime-based games: you're playing in a genre where green, blue, and purple hair are considered normal, so why limit yourself? For villains, black hair (commonly coupled with red eyes) is generally a bad sign. If it's relevant, go for it, but try to avoid making your villain look like Random Gawth #83. One color that seems to have become quite popular for girls is white. While this is interesting in small doses, remember that 1) it's almost as done to death as blond, and 2) it isn't as common. Check and see if there are any other white-haired characters in the game already. If there are, seriously consider giving your character a new dye job. If there aren't, you still may want to think about a different color. White hair works with only a few character themes. It's generally a rare stigma, and should be treated as such.
Eyes
Here we have that whole Aryan Perfection thing going again: blue eyes, particularly gray-blue, tend to show up at an uncanny rate in games. While they are appropriate for many themes (ice, wind, sky, water), their proliferation, combined with their genetic rarity, is more than a little odd. Given the spectrum of colors available, especially to anime-based genres, this is just silly. Villains fall prey to this just as much as heroes, although the Bad Guys also get the unenviable stereotype of red eyes.
I'm sorry. I don't care how evil they used to make you look, red eyes have gone the way of the goatee- once they made for an intimidating, diabolical visage; now, they just make you look like yet another Random Two-Dimensional Villain. If your villain's concept calls for creepy eyes, consider orange or yellow. They're quite often overlooked, and those two colors have the added impact of being quite unexpected.
In describing your character's eyes, give some mention of their shape, expression, size, etc. Mention any interesting variations in eyelashes or eyebrows. Not only does this show you know your character REALLY well, it helps all the artistic people who want to do fan art for you. (I personally have a LOT of trouble drawing other people's characters without a really detailed description.) Remember, the face is what makes you look different from everyone else. Well, unless you have an identical twin.
Body
Does your female character's body type contain the words "slim and curvy?" What about "slender" or "willowy?" You may want to consider beefing her up a bit, then, because chances are EVERY other character looks just like that. Really. What about someone who's a little chubbier than the mannequins in store windows? Ever think of playing a girl whose skinny build means she's constantly mistaken for a boy (AND who isn't a tomboy)? And shouldn't your kung-fu fightin' schoolgirl stick out because of the super muscles she's developed? Try for something new in the body department and see if it doesn't get you some glowing praise.
Same goes for guys. So many guy apps contain the words "slender" and "slightly muscular." Nice, but we could use a few noodle boys and even one or two of the chunky vairety. Trust me, if you're worried about him not hooking up with a chick (or guy, or something...), there's already enough demand for beefcake in many games that he's not in too much danger of living alone before the end of the story. Unless he's a jerk, but that goes under Personality. (Although you really shouldn't be making a character based on him hooking up, anyway...)
Scars. Any real fighter will have these in abundance, and even us peace-loving types have one or two. Adding a scar or two to your character not only ups his/her cool factor, it gives you something extra to write about in the History area. However, try to avoid having just the X on the cheek; scars show up in a lot of different shapes and places.
Clothing
Rule number one: NOBODY IN MODERN TIMES WEARS THE SAME THING EVERY DAY! Do NOT simply describe one single outfit as what your character wears unless she a) only owns one set of clothing or 2) owns a dozen of the same thing. Mention styles, and the sort of items that normally crop up in her wardrobe, maybe even a favorite shirt.
On a similar note, waaaayyy back in ancient times (i.e. the 1800s or so) people generally only owned a few outfits. As in three or four total. Higher classes owned more, of course, but that's somewhere around the average for everyday people. So, unless your character's bloody rich, in an older setting she's likely to be wearing the same thing for quite a while.
Also for historical games, remember to do some research on the clothing styles of the setting. Don't worry, it's easier than you think. Need a good idea of what a Roman patrician would wear? Check out their statuary. Not sure how Ancient Greek soldiers dressed? Take a gander at some Greek pottery. The web's full of great reference for historical clothing.
Jewelry is a useful tag (identifying feature). Does your character always wear the bracelet her grandmother left her? Maybe she's never without her red rhinestone barettes. Pendants are cool, too, but pretty overused.
Useful Appearance Links:
The Costumer's Manifesto
A SUPERB source for clothing from all over history. No matter what sort of culture you need to look up, this page probably can help you.
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