The following warnings occurred:
Warning [2] Undefined variable $search_thread - Line: 60 - File: showthread.php(1617) : eval()'d code PHP 8.1.27 (Linux)
File Line Function
/inc/class_error.php 153 errorHandler->error
/showthread.php(1617) : eval()'d code 60 errorHandler->error_callback
/showthread.php 1617 eval
Warning [2] Undefined variable $forumjump - Line: 89 - File: showthread.php(1617) : eval()'d code PHP 8.1.27 (Linux)
File Line Function
/inc/class_error.php 153 errorHandler->error
/showthread.php(1617) : eval()'d code 89 errorHandler->error_callback
/showthread.php 1617 eval




Creating characters you will love to play
#1
Just some things I have noticed over the development of the server that seem to be regular hang-ups. This kind of goes hand-in-hand with the character creation warning signs, but this is much more general. And trust me... I've learned these all from experience, heh.

-- Know your alignments. This can be very difficult, especially if you aren't in the "extreme" alignments like Lawful Good and Chaotic Evil. The most misunderstood alignment seems to be Neutral or Chaotic Neutral. These characters are not intentional turncoats or complete madmen, they simply don't put a lot of thought into the repercussions of their actions, whether they end up being to the benefit or detriment of the people around them. Most characters of this alignment are animalistic (not the romanticized version of beastly nobility, but actually relying on the fight-or-flight response and being mainly motivated by food, shelter, and continuing the species) and unreliable. They don't really want to lead, and it would probably be a bad idea to follow them.

-- Play your character! Sounds like "well duh" advice, but consider this: if you submit a character profile before you have played the actual character, how will you know if you like playing that class? If you don't RP with them ahead of time, how will you know if the class, alignment, personality, and history actually fit what you enjoy playing? I always recommend roleplaying through the first few quests in a starting area and determining how your character solves problems and reacts to different situations. You'll learn a lot!

-- Don't spread yourself too thin. It can be really tempting to act on every character idea you have, and submit them all for levelling, but again I refer to the tip above. Play with your ideas, go ahead and create them, and give them a week or two of play and see if you actually like playing them. Having more than two or three characters is really difficult to maintain, especially as they all get involved in sweeping storylines and suddenly you end up with two events you need to be present for (or two sides of the same battle!), or if you end up with characters that are conflicting with each other for your time.

-- There are at least three sides to everything. Don't believe me? Watch a really good lawyer work. Keep in mind that always doing what is right (or alternately, always doing what is wrong) is nearly impossible, and will result in large headaches. Not only that, but characters who are without a little gray around the edges (an evil-aligned guy who NEVER feels compassion or empathy and is ALWAYS hateful and selfish, or a good-aligned guy who is NEVER hateful or selfish, and is ALWAYS compassionate and empathetic) tend to feel very flat and limiting. In other words, you'll play them for a few weeks and then abandon them or have them fall off a cliff.

That's all I have for now, although I encourage others to offer lessons they have learned over the course of roleplaying as well!
[Image: Q1-1.png]

"We are here on earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different."
~Kurt Vonnegut
Reply
#2
I would like to add a note or two.

Creating characters with a humble background can often give you more room to grow and develop in a non-scripted setting. I see a lot of characters created with 'exceptional' circumstances in their history. Meaning they have an unusual history for their people or have been exposed to events outside of the norm.

Now, such characters can and have been played well, but not every character needs to be a unique little snowflake to be special and interesting. Often the humble and ordinary characters can develop into the most interesting to interact with.

I've noticed a trend with "Trying to be different". We all obviously want our characters to be special and stand out. What I see a lot of is attempts to make characters unique by using tools such as:

- Abnormal race.
- Abnormal mental state.
- Abnormal (and often melodramatic) events in their background.

Again, these things can and have been roleplayed well. But it should not be a regular theme in character creation.

Any race that is not a standard playable race should be requested via PM to the GMs before a profile is submitted or it will be an automatic denied.
[Image: Sig.jpg]
Reply
#3
I wonder, would Alistus backround count as Abnormal/melodramatic? want your honest opinion now so I can improve for the next character I write up.

Same thing about his mental state.

Also isn´t it hard to avoid giving characters a dramatic backround? We have had a world changing war on our hands, a plauge of undeath and...a lot more.

And if this is the wrong place to ask it, I humbly asks for your forgivness.
All makt åt Tengil, vår befriare!

Reply
#4
Certainly there are some events that are lore fact and would have a dramatic effect on almost all players. Wars, uprisings, and such do not make for smooth sailing. But if on top of that everyone the character has ever loved was brutally murdered, their house was burnt to the ground by their mortal enemy, then they were sold to goblins and abused terribly for years, and their dog bit them and then ran away and was hit by a rampaging kodo, and after that...

See where I'm going?
[Image: Q1-1.png]

"We are here on earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different."
~Kurt Vonnegut
Reply
#5
Ehehehe, yeah. I suppose there is a line to avoid then.
All makt åt Tengil, vår befriare!

Reply
#6
Just to add clarification Nostra,

This is not a blanket statement that everyone with a character that is of an odd race, abnormal mental state, etc is wrong. Far from it. Such characters are important in the overall community and in the Lore. However, it stops being a significant role to play if everyone is doing it.

Further, if any player notices themselves in a pattern of trying to develop characters that stand apart from the norm, they may want to reevaluate it. If one of your characters stands apart from every other member of their race, perhaps try another character that blends in to their culture.

Mental state is a touchy one. As Qaza said, this is a time and world of war. To add insult to injury, a lot of characters face various addictions and other stresses. This of course would have a dramatic impact on their mental state.

What I am wary of is players who choose to play characters with significant mental illnesses (Manic Depression, Bi-polar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Multiple Personality Disorder). I would expect someone who chooses to delve into a character with a severe mental illness to do so with maturity and respect. I'd also like to see some research done about the mental illness being portrayed to ensue that it's done fairly and accurately. Mental Illnesses should never be used to get easy laughs and have an excuse to run around and display ridiculous behavior In Character.

If you are desiring to have a character run around and act like a fool, please do not claim they have a mental illness or are "crazy". No one need be crazy to act like a dork =p
[Image: Sig.jpg]
Reply
#7
Do what I did.

My gnomes background consists of:

1. Taken in as a young gnome to work on an apple orchard.

2. From Apple Orchard, worked as a librarian.

3. Present day.

I'd rather be of a legendary nature for my deeds in real time, not stuff I've dreamed up in the shower or while walking around a grocery store.
Is the world in order not profit enough?

Turtles; a Gnomes best friend.
Reply
#8
I HAVE spread my chars to thin...if a GM would be so kind as too make my "Gazbo" char mssing in action or something, I made him on a whim...sorry for the trouble and thanks for this post, it has forced me to reconsider my chars and thier purposes. I have other chars that I want to make, but will answer the questionares and make sure that they are solid chars I want to play. Thanks again for the insight :D
Reply
#9
Some more tips:

Design a level 1 character. Remember the days of running around hitting boars or kolbolds and hoping they died before you did? By the time you've leveled to 70 on a retail server, you've done some really amazing, far-fetched things, but you've lost a lot of your flexibility. Remember that the best character development comes from RP, and that if you're too focused in on being "character type X", you may actually miss out on a lot of chances to take your character in an unexpected direction.

Start off small: If it's your first time on the server, it may be a good idea to shelve that amazing character idea you've had bouncing around in your head for a tiny bit and create a more "average" character to get to know the server and it's denizens with. Having a super good or super evil character may be fun, but it will limit the people you can feasibly interact with.
[Image: Q1-1.png]

"We are here on earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different."
~Kurt Vonnegut
Reply
#10
I do totally agree with Fawee,
Creating my first character on this server, I was focused on being different then any other character.
This got me to excited to get in the spotlights of the RP sessions, which is mostly very annoying for other role players. (at least that's what I think)
Luckily I accidentaly killed that one in an RP session.
Now, I created a more laid back character.
By doing this, I helped myself on two parts here.
1. You get more time to listen, You learn from others more I guess.
2. I think it's much better to play a normal character, The world needs normal people!

Thanks for these posts!
It's got me thinking a bit differently ^^
"Hammer Time" -Smash
Reply
#11
I had a nice idea for a gnome rogue.
Not too abnormal neither too normal.

It was about a neutral aligned bandit,
who wanders around Azeroth.

He does some jobs here and there to earn some money
and doesnt really notices what is happening with the world,
the Scourge that is attacking.

Tough, eventually he will notice it and he will have to fight against the Scourge
or flee from them.

I also wanted to give him a addiction to stealing.
He doesnt steal beqause of the stolen object itself,
but just beqause his mind tells him to.

Thats it for now.
Im not gonna fully detail it,
but also its not complete yet.
These are just some of my ideas, not the story.

I like to keep it simple so I can 'explore' my character while playing.
Thats the playing style I like.

Wish i could play him...
Reply
#12
I tend to create a character first and flesh out the background/personality later. If I notice that I don't get the right feeling, I'll move on and might have a look later.

I know from myself that I'm quite an alt-queen XD So far I try to keep Smolar and Cattie as active characters and Mahumia and a few others (I know, I know... *shame*) as opportunity chars.

One of the cool things from rp is character development imo. In order to keep it fun, make sure you'll keep room in your background for development. And long term plans do not always come true, just like in real life ;)
[Image: badge.jpg]
I am Druid - Play Free Online Games

/flex! I knew it XD
Reply
#13
Fawee Wrote:What I am wary of is players who choose to play characters with significant mental illnesses (Manic Depression, Bi-polar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Multiple Personality Disorder). I would expect someone who chooses to delve into a character with a severe mental illness to do so with maturity and respect. I'd also like to see some research done about the mental illness being portrayed to ensue that it's done fairly and accurately. Mental Illnesses should never be used to get easy laughs and have an excuse to run around and display ridiculous behavior In Character.

okay, I know this thread is ANCIENT, and I'm terribly sorry for bringing it back up again, but I have just one question . . .

what if, in the example of Bipolar, and depression, one does not NEED to do research for the simple fact that research is unnecessary because all I'd have to do is look in a mirror?

I've been diagnosed with Bipolar, Depression, and a whole lot more besides, if anyone knows how to RP such a character it'd be someone who has lived with that disorder yes?

again, my apologies for dragging this out of the ground, but I was simply curious?
Reply
#14
Then would that be a good idea? Creating a good character often means making something that is not like you. If a character is too much like you are, you'll get attached to it and that gives a big risk of Mary Sue and also you'll never want it to die.

Anyway, I think that playing a mentally ill character is a bad idea in general. If you're satisfied you can play a character like that, by all means try it, but I have always had reservations about those kinds of characters.
Reply
#15
Just as I'm sure you don't like to be defined by your mental illness, don't let it become your entire character. Focusing on the mental disorder will not give the character you create a chance to become it's own...thing.

As for not needing to do research, I find that most people who suffer from these sorts of things have different experiences. Be careful that you don't end up personally offending anybody or something. It is a bit of a risk and a sensitive subject. =)

I hope this helps, but it is only my two cents after all.

Take care!

-Mouse-
[Image: Lirshar_zpscaa814f0.png]
Reply


Possibly Related Threads…
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  General Help for Making your Characters Dotsy 15 6,805 07-14-2013, 04:13 PM
Last Post: Dotsy
  Grakor's Tips for Improving Your RP Game - Characters Grakor456 5 2,761 10-01-2011, 04:29 PM
Last Post: Draythel
  Playing Discordant Characters Effectively Moose 3 1,725 10-03-2009, 09:59 AM
Last Post: Moose
  Survival Tips for Evil/Noxious Characters Kretol 5 2,726 08-27-2008, 04:00 AM
Last Post: Twentilla



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)