First Person or Third Person

[Tuzenbach]

If I'm playing more than one character (as usual), then it's always 3rd person.

If there's only one character involved then it will depend upon the action taken. That is, an action that *most* people would do I'd state in 1st person, but a "questionable" action I'd state in 3rd, almost as if to say that the really dumb thing my character did wasn't *my* decision, but *his*. Make sense?

 

[Lee's Fortune]

I use both 1st person and 3rd person, although I usually only use 1st person when my character is talking to another PC or NPC. To me, saying "I go to the door and listen" and "[insert character name here] goes to the door and listens" are no different.

 

[Crothian]

I'm trying to do more first person since the people I play with don't usually do that and I just want them to try something different.

 

[Arc]

I currently play over IRC, so I use 1st person for dialogue, and 3rd person for actions (the /em command). It works really quite well, and having text descriptions for actions allows a lot more subtelty in characterization.

In person, it's mostly first person, with the occasional 3rd person when dealing with complicated tactical situations, or when I control the actions of multiple characters (henchmen, summons, etc)

 

[MummyKitty]

Thanks for all the answers. I also have seen a mix of both from both players and DMs in FTF gaming. Third person definitely seems preferred in PbP.

I don't think there's a right or wrong way as long as you have fun, of course.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

First person as a player, third as a GM when face-to-face. Always third person when playing over the web - I've never GMed online, however.

 

[Umbran]

A little fo both, but with weighting towards 1st person.

If the game is played by e-mail or post,where text is the basic medium, 3rd person makes sense. Text calls for longer passages, retaining context information can be important. In a face to face game, it is easier to know who is speaking and acting, so one can go for somewhat deeper immersion in acting the role.

YMMV, of course.

 

[Steel_Wind]

If a player refers to himself in the third person during play, he is glared at by the other players. We don't tolerate it at the table.

This is a role-playing necessity and we consider any other approach wholly wrong and the sign of a noob. There is very very little flexibility on this point in our group.

DM - different story. Thats situational. Narrating vs. RPing

 

[Glyfair]

As a player, first person almost exclusively. As a GM, in character portrayal mode, I will tend to jump back and forth (a lot dealing with what my players are more comfortable with).

 

[genshou]

Both. 3rd person for piddly things, 1st person when stuff gets interesting. Id never go thru an encounter with an important NPC in 3rd person.

What Aaron L said. I would not categorize combat as always being a "piddly thing", but I always use third person perspective in combat as a DM, and usually do as a player.

When it comes to IM/IRC or PbEM/PbB games, I use third person, as it's just like writing a novel to me. And I love to write novels ("Or at least start on them," he muttered as he gazed balefully at his folder of abandoned novels, lapsing into melancholy.)