This is a lot more micro- than Nep's macro-advice on roleplaying, but the two major misuses of emotes I generally see:

1) Assuming the response: These are emotes where you tell the other person how they react to your behavior. Roleplay is interactive, and a lot of people end up trying to remove the other participant(s) from the conversation.

Bad: emote flexes his muscles. You are awed by how mighty he is, and back off in fear.

Good: emote flexes his rippling muscles, revealing the honed results of years of intense training.

The first one assumes a bit of cowardice or intimidation on the viewer's part, which is a decision that should be left to them.

2) The psychic emote: These are when you use the emote command to communicate something that just isn't obvious.

Bad: emote thinks about what you said, remembering his childhood in Darsylon.

Good: emote furrows his brow, and a wistful expression crosses his face.

This is sort of a cop-out for not being able to think of a way to get something across. It's also used a lot by people who try to bludgeon bystanders with their backstory whether or not it has anything to do with the situation at hand.

3) Threatening Immortals with Judgement Court because you know Anglo-Saxon Law and they violate citizen rights by making you write description: This is never a good idea.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com