post #2468585 post #2268796 post #1429604

Posts which show multiple characters, but the focal point being only three of them. Other characters may be in the background, obscured, partially out of frame, or otherwise out-of-focus.

What exactly counts as a character?

• Any creature present within the scene, in whole or in part (including things like disembodied hand and disembodied eyes).
• If they aren't visible at all (e.g. only speech bubbles) they DO NOT count; see unseen_character instead.
• Someone interacting with the scene whose likeness is visible (e.g. on screen in a video call, a cutaway, etc.).
• Someone present in static media, such as a photograph, when only static character likenesses are present (Example).
• Multi-headed characters are counted only once. Do not count each head as a separate character.
• Inanimate objects require evidence that they are living to qualify as characters. Some leeway is given to mechanical beings such as robots, androids, animatronics, and mechs.
• The latter is likely a grey area, and may depend on if the mech is being self-controlled, being controlled by an operator. It probably is a good idea to not count the mech itself as a character if the mech operator is visible inside the mech to avoid double counting.
• Most often, it does not matter how small, distant from the viewer, detailed, or important to the scene a character is, they count.
• A silhouette counts as a character only when it is not a shadow of an unseen character.
• Ambient creatures are not treated the same as other "background" characters, and are treated differently in how they are counted. Apart from there being a distinction in how we tag ferals, anything that fits the idea of a background character will count.

Except if the following is true

• Tentacles only count as characters if attached to a visible creature (octopus, tentacle monster, etc.). For instance, a picture of just tentacles would actually be tagged as zero pictured.

Tagging notes

• Do not add if there are only three characters in the image, and instead use trio.
• Do not include unseen characters when determining focus themes.

See also

• portrait
• unseen_character

Character count tags

• solo
• duo
• group
• trio
• large_group
• zero_pictured