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Survival Tips for Evil/Noxious Characters
#1
This is something I took from my guild, as it has quite a bit of great information for those playing evil characters. This article was written by the leader over there for the guild, but you can basically replace instances of the word 'guild' with 'server,' as it has the same effect pretty much.
Sreng Wrote:In the interest of fostering creativity and maintaining guild harmony, I've written the following article. Much of what I'm going to say is reiteration of the Code of Conduct, but perhaps this new spin will be useful.

Ironsong is a roleplay guild. When I decided to form this guild, my primary goal was to create something that enhanced peoples' enjoyment of the game. While I feel that we do this successfully, we can always be doing better.

Evil is a captivating topic, and it is a tangible quantity in WoW, with such factions as the Legion and the Scourge, and of course plain-old run-of-the-mill nastiness. Evil is an important element in a lot of fantasy settings, and while the Ironsong Tribe has emerged as a predominantly good-aligned group, we do see our fair share of evil characters.

This is a Good Thing. I actively encourage all of you to be roleplaying your characters to the hilt. Explore, play, that's what this is for! But in the interest of Tribal harmony, let's take some time for a few considerations.... (btw, this all applies for the less evil, but more antisocial/awkward/unusual characters out there too. Adapt as necessary!)

1. Responsibility to your Tribemates: As members of the Ironsong Tribe, you have a responsibility to each other to make their game more enjoyable. Or at least, to not detract from their enjoyment. You may greatly enjoy playing your character in such a way that makes him/her out to be a scumbag, but remember that others see this stuff too. I have previously stated,

When you read a book,
you're reading a story about one or two or more characters, usually.
These characters are the central focus of the story, and though they
may meet other characters, typically the main characters remain the
focus of the story. This is a pleasant and useful device in fiction
and storytelling, but it doesn't work in real life, and it becomes a
bit clumsy when applied to World of Warcraft. Each of our characters
are central to their own stories... and everyone else's character is
central to theirs. Nobody else loves your character as much as you
do.

I was referring to different issues then, but this is still relevant. What I mean is that it can be very easy to get caught up in telling your own story and forget that others may be affected by the choices you make.

2. Know when enough is enough. I've seen interactions that have made me cringe. Antagonizing other tribe members through constant harrassment and insult is not good roleplay, it's annoying. It can also run the risk of creating hurt feelings OOC, which is not acceptable RP under any circumstances. Your character may be known for her biting, sarcastic wit... does every interaction need to be a case of one-upmanship? Does it really matter if they beat you in a verbal sparring session? What are the consequences for your guildmates? Samuel Clemens said "It is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt."

3. Develop a realistic concept. This is something that each and every one of you should have anyway. As roleplayers, you need to know your character inside and out. If your character is rude, evil, or just a little snarky, ask yourself why. The why doesn't need to be dramatic, it doesn't have to include being beaten up by the Alliance as a child. It can be simple, but let's make it three-dimensional. Let your character grow, develop, and change over time. Be a character, not a charicature.

4. When in doubt, back off. If you're not sure where to go with a potentially volatile RP interaction, try to bring it to a close. Some players make these interactions work well, and some really struggle with bringing them to a neat and effective finish.

5. Strive to entertain your tribemates MORE than you are entertaining yourself. Look at Damoxian. Everyone loves Damoxian, everyone knows who he is. He is the single most effective example of a well-played nasty character I've ever seen. While he's got a smart reply for stupid questions, nobody doubts his loyalty to the Tribe or questions his integrity OOC. Don't carbon-copy him, because that's lame, but watch how he does it. He's a study in vile, twisted grace.

The person mentioned in the last note had this reply:
Damoxian Wrote:Since I have been made out to be what one might consider an interesting role model. I will propose a few words on what makes for an interesting *evil* character.

The first and to me most important rule of playing an evil character is this. Your character should never think of himself as evil. The moment you do, you become a walking cliche. Villains who want to be three dimensional should as Sreng mentioned, have fantastic reasons for what they do. Damoxian would never call himself evil. He does terrible things for good reason. Its how he paves his way to hell after all.

Secondly - if you play a character to be a rotten person...why would anyone really want to be around you? If you can't have some redeeming characteristics and find people unwilling to play with you...should you really be surprised? I see a lot of *evil* characters that I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole for this very reason. A villain needs to be despicable true, but unless your a stooge for someone more powerful, you need to have a certain charisma as well.

Third - If you are a jerk out of character & in character....get out of my tribe. Anyone who talks to me on vent knows that kind of person I really am. Crude, obnoxious and generally good natured. And despite my characters grumbling, he will move tribal objectives forward, provided they can in some way co-incide with his own.

Finally, here's a couple more notable replies.
Logros Wrote:I'd just like to add my two bits. One key to enjoyable RP for everyone is that you should rarely, if ever, decide entirely on your own the outcome of actions taken in RP. It's something I very rarely see happen, which is great. Try to avoid long-winded actions that don't give the person you're roleplaying with a chance to respond in-character, and take actions themselves. Umu's a good example of what to do - he runs amok with Tribemates, tossing them around and smashing things, but I've never seen him do so without waiting for input from other players. That's fun for everyone, because everyone gets a chance to get involved, instead of one person deciding what happens to everyone else.
Qaza Wrote:That's a good point. I prefer to use the word "attempts" when my character does something destructive, to give the other players a chance to step in. For instance, "Heari attempts to lift Eziror's coin purse from her bag". I know Heari's a terrible pickpocket, and I give Eziror's player (and anyone else who wants to step in) every chance to keep her coin. The other player can, however, allow the event to happen and play with the outcome. Either result is true to Heari's nature, and it makes the interactions more fun.

There are going to be some actions that, for one reson or another, the player will choose to go all the way through without waiting for another player's input. For instance, if I say "Heari lifts Eziror's coin purse from her bag", there's probably a point to him having it, and I will most likely have discussed it with the player ahead of time. It's fine if you use it in moderation, just don't overdo it.

I used to have an article on "godmodding" that I found when I was on a roleplaying forum lo these many years ago. If I find it again, I'll link it.

...Also, throw something at me if I'm rambling, please! :)

Original thread/source - http://www.ironsongtribe.com/forum/viewt...=63&t=2411
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#2
Ah, Damoxian. *stands at attention and salutes*

Every bit in here is excellent advice, and #5 is an important thing to remember, no matter what kind of character you're playing. The server is not a vaccum. More often than not, you're not only preforming for an audience, but trying to provide a foundation for them to interact as well. A friend of mine from the live servers, who was an accomplished storyteller, roleplayer, raider, and guild leader taught me that a good dose of humility brings about the best storylines. Be a cheerleader to other roleplayers. Encourage them, and have a good time. Being evil can fit into that quite nicely, if you know how to do it.
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"We are here on earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different."
~Kurt Vonnegut
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#3
I remember reading up on this once I realized Sersay was heading down the evil path back on Silverhand. Thanks for posting this up on here Kretol, one of the posts from Ironsong I was really thankfull for. :D
"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."
-Take nothing for granted. -
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#4
good advice
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#5
Very nice advice... True too.
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#6
Pretty good, you can have a cheeseburger for such a good post Ben.
"I am but a blade in the crowd..."
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