Slots, where did they all go?

Games that don't use slots and offer free-range on character designs: why do you allow it? I understand that some games don't require slots and are better suited for the "anything and everything goes" method. But, for other games (the ones that are less sandbox and more story driven), why run it slot-less? Wouldn't a story be more streamlined if there were some parameters set out?



For clarification purposes, I want to clearly explain what I mean by "slots." For me, the use of slots can be something as simple as a sex/age distinction (e.g. there would be limited availability on female characters between the ages of 15-18 and so forth) or it can be as complex as a general mold (e.g. the slot would define some basic requirements that might include primary personality traits, a particular status, etc.). Feel free to discuss the pros and the cons of a "basic" slot and a "complex" slot.

I think free form designing can allow for more surprises and lets players have more control over their characters, even if it can be a bit daunting at times. I was once told that people work best within parameters, how numerous those parameters are set affect people's creative abilities. Obviously some characters can end up contradicting a storyline if the proper reins aren't in place (I remember one roleplay where a GM freaked out because a character didn't fit their image of what they were looking for so they were like "nonononono you're ruining their image!" and initially wouldn't even let the character's player change it until they calmed down), but I love seeing what people come up with C:

At the same time, slots are useful if you require certain characters in your plot to exist (especially if you plan to turn your RP into a story one day like the GM who freaked) and at that point you must decide how you want to play things out. I think the best slots, when necessary are the ones that define a character's role in the story but only that. Having too much personality defined (at least for me) can be intimidating since you have to come face to face with the GM's interpretation of a character versus your own. As a GM it's your job to provide the foundation for you and the other players to build on, not pigeon hole them so that's really the only thing a person has to worry about when deciding on the degree of description in a slot.

In my experience I've had no problems switching between the two so that's really all I have to say I guess, but all the other stuff is from talking with friends and seeing RPs.

I have to agree that when players have the freedom to fashion their characters to their preferences, the results can be really refreshing. On the other hand though, complete design freedom, from my experience, tends to run rather negatively. Some times people come up with the most outrageous characters that are nothing more than an obvious attempt at self-insertion. Or people end up playing clones of each other, which really kills character diversity and dynamic. And, for me personally, I don't know if I can take that kind of chance.

I've tried a variety of methods from having no slots to very stringent slots that defined age bracket, sex, and dominant traits. From what I've seen, when I use no slots, character dynamics tend to vary greatly. Some times, the chemistry is perfect and characters bounce off each other like they're all sharing the same sugar high. Other times, though, it's like trying to pull teeth to get people to actually integrate their characters. But the definite up side to having no slots is that the players tend to "love" their characters more. They're more ecstatic about having their characters involved with things. I think that's probably because the character, in one way or another, is an extension of the player, which, depending on the person, could be a good or bad thing.

As you might have already guessed, as a GM, I'm definitely someone who prefers using slots (I didn't really do that with Rewind because, well, I didn't think I'd get enough players if I did, lol). I don't like to be blindsided and I usually want the characters to feel inherently included into the story. Rewind isn't a very good example of this because the world isn't very dense, but I've had past games where I've created entire worlds and, in those instances, I always feel like it's easier on the role-player to have a sort of "angle" that connects their creation to the environment.


So, on that note, as a GM, do you have a particular leaning when it comes to slots? Or are you still largely indifferent to either?

As GM I tend to lean toward very loose slots that just define a character's role in the story, but sometimes I'll tighten it based on what the plot calls for. I agree with you about people investing more into their characters when they have creative freedom which is why I try to have less restrictions when I can. I've already said that having strict guidelines is sometimes intimidating, but also because I sometimes get pretty attached to the ideas of a character I have in mind for a particular slot. The more I define them, the more I want to play them myself (heh).

I guess part of it too is that while I roleplay to improve my characterization on a micro-level, I also do it to relax so I don't expect quite as much control over character interactions/plot as when I write something on my own. In fact I expect a surprise or two! I mean not all those surprises are good, but it's a surprise nonetheless. It also helps that I'm somewhat picky about who I do RP with/where I RP.