I always describe my character actions in third person. I think it helps everyone remember my character name, and cements them as a different person from me (rather than “Naivara’s character”). But which one do you prefer?

EDIT: By “third person” I don’t mean that you describe your character’s dialogue instead of voicing it: you can do that in either person! I mean if you use “I walk in the bar” or “John the Brave walks in the bar.”

I switch back and forth depending on the situation. If I am full on acting in character I of course speak in first person but, especially with online gaming, I find that I describe physical actions in third person.

I tend to switch back and forth, but I often find myself defaulting to first person unless there's confusion (in which case I'll clarify that I'm speaking on behalf of my character using third person).

I'd click on a both option if it were available too.  As a DM I try to stick with 3rd person instead of 2nd person when describing damage and death.  So not, "you're dead" but "Character Name is dead."  

I adapt to my players. Sometimes we RP in first person, but other times we narrate characters' actions. For them, it depends on context and mood (even those of them who do reliably enjoy first-person RP aren't awake enough for it all the time). For me, if left to my own devices, I tend to speak as in a book: third-person narration and first-person dialogue. But if a player isn't feeling first person, I'll adjust my own style to match.

As a DM I always do third person. Can't see a situation where I would ever even be able to do it first person.

Quote from SagaTympana >>

For me, if left to my own devices, I tend to speak as in a book: third-person narration and first-person dialogue. But if a player isn't feeling first person, I'll adjust my own style to match.

 I tend to do that also. Although I do occasionally fall into third person non-dialog at times.  "He says he wants you to XYZ."

Quote from SagaTympana >>

For me, if left to my own devices, I tend to speak as in a book: third-person narration and first-person dialogue.

 Yep, same! Technically that’s all third person, though. You can narrate dialogue in first person: “I growl an insult at the elf.” Or act it out in third person: “‘You pompous pointy-ears!’ Tordek glares at the elf.” Speaking in character for dialogue isn’t necessarily first person.

I think there’s been a lot of confusion (understandably) about what first person and third person actually mean!

Quote from NaivaraArnuanna >>

Quote from SagaTympana >>

For me, if left to my own devices, I tend to speak as in a book: third-person narration and first-person dialogue.

 Yep, same! Technically that’s all third person, though. You can narrate dialogue in first person: “I growl an insult at the elf.” Or act it out in third person: “‘You pompous pointy-ears!’ Tordek glares at the elf.” Speaking in character for dialogue isn’t necessarily first person.

I think there’s been a lot of confusion (understandably) about what first person and third person actually mean!

“I growl an insult at the elf” isn’t dialogue, and “You pompous pointy-ears!” isn’t relevant to the thread, which is about how we refer to the characters we’re portraying.

I’m not at all confused about what these terms mean, and I’m not a big fan of trying to correct people when they’re not actually wrong. There’s a difference between narrative point of view and grammatical person. The thread has room for discussion of both.

As my group and I play per text in a fanfiction style way, I type in 3rd person when I describe what my chara is doing.

Example: 
"You know, if your mistress just wanted to talk to the wizard, she just could've come here and talk to him." Gilli says to the now tied up unseelie guards. She then turns to Winter and asks, "Any answer from the wizard?"

I default to 1st but ultimately use third whilst dming 

as a DM, third person always, as saying "I kill John the Brave" makes the player resent the DM, whereas "the bugbear kills John the Brave" doesn't so much.

As a player, depends on the situation. I have switched between first person - "I climb onto the table", Third Person - "Thoruk climbs onto the table", and Narrator - "The other characters see Thoruk climbing onto the table, for some reason". Depends how it fits.

The main reason I use 3rd person, I think, is that when I started D&D, it was just me and one friend, back in 1982. He DMed, and I played or vice versa. Since we only had 1 player, but we wanted a party, one of us played multiple characters. Therefore, I couldn't say "I do this" because it would be "which character?" So I had to say "Barrog does this," or "Seth does that." By the time we had enough people that we could play 1 character, it just was part of my make-up as a player.

I generally do descriptives in the third person - "Star moves in to start investigating and see if she can figure out why there's a limbless, chewed-up body tied to a pine treee by the edge of the road".  Sometimes I'll flip-flop in the moment, but my general tendency and preference is for third person over first person.  In-character speech is an obvious exception, but I'm also one of those weirdos that does a voice for every character I play, even if it's just a different tone or inflection than my normal voice, kinda specifically so other players know the difference between [Character] speaking and Rei speaking.

Mostly third person. When I emote something that I do, then it's often third person followed up with first person talking.

Quote from Stig_Tracey >>

I have tried in a few sessions to be strictly 1st person, never break char, and essentially RP the entire session. Every time I gave up, as it was simply not possible to maintain. There is also the issue that stuff your char says in the 1st person is construed as something directed at another player. If my char says to another char "that was a dumb move", many a time the player behind the char thinks that comment is directed at them. 

Yes it's very difficult to just "be in character all the time,"  because there are questions of rules that must be handled out of character, etc.

Also, as Matt Coleville says when addressing people who are in character all the time, even when talking to the DM about rules -- "I came here to play D&D with you, not with your character." So it is a little weird, at least to me (and clearly, to him).

It depends, in RP when I'm speaking in character, then I speak from that perspective. 

I think I lean towards first person when describing what my character's doing. "I'm gonna shoot it with my crossbow' or 'I'll go behind this wall and try to hide' etc. But sometimes I probably throw in third person like 'Flo will take first watch' etc.

I alternate depending on context/which is more fun at the time. 

Third person. I find it much easier that way.

For me, it goes back and forth. I voted on what I'll do when I'm being conscious about it. When I'm not thinking, I'll often do the other.