Aadora?

[Aadora]

I was just wondering what people really think of Aadora OOC wise.

I am trying to RP and develop her into the sweet innocent "Doesn't know much about the world" Kind of person. A Draenei that only knows what she has to know. But at the same time, I don't want to take it too far... I try to make it so she can spot the differences in "Oh hey this guy just needs my help with something" And "This guy is trying to get my alone with him."

I hear a lot of people complaining about the -Flirty- -Overly Attractive- kind of characters, that in some peoples opinions only exist to attract attention.

Aadora, in my personal opinion, is a very beautiful Draenei indeed. But she always wears dresses, is usually talked to first, rather than starting conversation, and -Flirting- is an alien word to her.

My main attempt at building her personality?

The kind, polite, innocent, and young Draenei girl. But at the same time, I don't want at all to put her out there as an -Eye Candy- character or anything like that.

This is not at all an attack on anyone or anything, I am just using what I have seen some people talk about as examples.

So I want to know what everyone thinks.

Am I doing a good job on Aadora?
Or has she become the -Eye Candy- character so many people dislike, or anything else that people dislike?

If so, what can I work on with her?

[Rowgen]

I like her. That's... Just about all I know about how I think about her. I don't really think much when I RP with her, except "d'awww. That was cute" and similar things. There's probably gonna be people who disagree with me, though.

/shrug

Let them come, as Gimli said.

[Wuvvums]

I actually find the concept of being sweet, innocent, and naive rather strange on draenei in general and it's kinda sad that it's more often than not applied to women. They are full grown adults like any other race. Even the ones who are 18ish have had a few racial events that put them through hell and back. Yes, Azeroth is somewhat of a new world to them and rather strange but they have been here a few years and I think they should know a thing or two by now.

The sweet, young, innocent and naive thing is mostly a stereotype applied towards women. That is women are idealized by being infantilized or made child-like. I think it's okay to be a sweet woman and to act a little young at times, and sometimes it's okay to be a little gullible or naive, but it's something that gets applied so much more to women than anyone else just to put them under a certain complex that actually doesn't apply to a majority of women.

I just consider why is she naive? Is it a preference of yours? I actually don't really think there's been an "eye candy" problem but I think you should consider why someone who is over 100 would be so naive to begin with, and have the mentality that is more fitting for little children.

[Holynexus]

I do like Aadora (maybe a widdle bit too naive, in regards to their story), but in answer to Wuvvums I might have to roll a sweet, innocent, naive young male Draenei, heh.

[Wuvvums]

I think Kapre was one of those

I can see why child-like or childishness is appealing on a character so don't think I'm berating the concept too much, it's just that it's being disproportionately applied to women, especially if you were to like open a magazine and take a look at some of the ads made with women in them. I also think there's a difference in being young at heart and youthful and being.. well, like a kid. I don't think many people want to be like children anyways; it's usually used as an insult, and being like a child commands less respect and dignity.

But I ramble.

I only saw Aadora a few times but at a glance these topics came to mind. I just remember in general how peculiar it'd be for draenei of all things to be naive given their experiences and backstory. It's also been a few years so they aren't exactly "fresh off the ship" so to say when it comes to Azeroth.

[Holynexus]

I guess it's how it is, perhaps more in the US than here but that's just a wild guess. I tend to be brash and a far cry from naive *cough* But yes, in average being naive CERTAINLY can't apply to Draenei.

[Zarquon]

I am a personal advocate that the biological and environmental pressure exerted in the world of both Azeroth and Draenor makes it nigh impossible for any race to survive through recent events with any member maintaining a bubbly, cheerful and innocent disposition due to racial decimation, genocide, and the risk of utter extinction. I support this statement by the fact that each and every one of the races currently available for play in recent history had lost no less than at least ninety percent of its entirely population, and that Azeroth is, by base definition, is in a post-apocalyptic setting.

There is not a single living creature in the World of Warcraft that had not, in the course of recent history, experienced a battle for survival, watched his home burn (Sometimes twice, or thrice), participated in a mass exodus or found nothing short of death staring in his or her face.

Orcs:
They were cheated by the Burning Legion, had an exodus as a race, were decimated by the humans, were enslaved as a race by the human, experienced Fel withdrawal as a race, had another exodus from the Eastern Kingdoms to Azeroth, fought the Burning Legion, faced a betrayal of a significant percentage of its population, were decimated by the Burning Legion, and finally forced to scrape an existence in the barren fields of Kalimdor.

Humans:
They have Seven Kingdoms; Lordaeron was destroyed, Stormwind City was destroyed twice and its inhabitants forced to flee en masse, Alterac was destroyed, Stromgarde was destroyed, Gilneas is being destroyed from within, Kul Tiras lost its entire fleet, its entire army and then its king and admiral, and finally Dalaran was destroyed by Archimonde in a single spell. It is nigh impossible to find a single human being in Azeroth that had not, in the course of recent history, experienced warfare or was affected by it to the extent of at least losing his home, hearth and living.

Draenei:
A proud people ruled by a Triumvirate, only to have two out of three betray the rest, most of its population turning on them and a forced exile from their utopian home. Forced to flee for literally thousands and thousands of years under constant warfare, where every single world they land upon was eventually destroyed. Thousands upon thousands of years of flight, death, suffering, and finally they reached Draenor. They thought themselves safe, they made friends. Their friends betrayed them, again (Common theme here), and they ended up losing all their cities and most of their population, again. They fled, again, and didn't even flee properly- Nope, they crash-landed. And now the Burning Legion chases them, again.

Blood Elves:
Another proud race, who are descendents of the Highborne. And then their great leader betrayed them to join the Burning Legion, and caused the Sundering. If that's bad, well, they then get exiled from their homes across the Great Sea, losing their immortality and forced to eek out an existence as addicts to magic. A intense and blood war with trolls. Then the orcs came in and burn their forest with dragons. Saved by humans. Human Prince walked in and proceeded to burn their forest, again, and kill over 90% of their people. Human Prince leave. Their own Prince come back. Served the Burning Legion, turned them to Fel. Their own Prince betrayed them. By this time, their already pathetically populated race is probably an endangered species with less numerical quantity than the number of cats and dogs running about Azeroth.

Honestly,

I can go on, but is there truly a point? In which part of Azeroth's history and lore does it even make sense for anybody to come out of it as naive, innocent and bubbly individuals? It's just a personal opinion of mine, but the history of Azeroth is...

...worse than World War One, World War Two, The Black Death, The Spanish Influenza, and a Zombie Apocalypse all add up.

[Wuvvums]

Heh, I know I started it but I think this discussion has moved to a point where it's maybe derailing, or maybe needs its own thread since this is meant to be for Aadora's feedback but it does sort of elaborate a lot on getting across what we mean.

[Sol]

You're worried about Aadora falling into the stereotype of a flirtatious, hypersexualised 'eye candy' character? Really? From what I've seen of her, she couldn't be further away from it. I'll start by saying that I like the character.

With what Zarquon said in mind (which I eminently agree with), though, I'm almost inclined to view Aadora's naivete and enduring innocence as a handicap. She's a member of one of the most traumatised races in Warcraft. She spends most of her time in Booty Bay, surrounded by scumbags, slaves and slavers galore. Is she wilfully ignorant, or somehow unable to comprehend the horrors she's witnessed in her life across Draenor and Azeroth? How does she retain her childlike good spirits in the face of it all? This may be an interesting aspect of her character for you to explore as a roleplayer and writer.

[Jester]

Yeah.. I like her too. Till now, you have made a success on making her "innocent".

(Though not when you're playing BF3 while you're RPing)

But you give out that picture of your character, stay with it.

Though the Big Bang would come out, if you turn her to a evil one. And suddenly she starts thinking on another way. -That- would be badass.

[Reese]

Perhaps she forcefully tries to be innocent IN LIGHT of these horrible happenings? Could've become an almost subconscious thing.

/2 cents

[c0rzilla]

I've yet to RP with her, only reading the profile, so I'll offer what little I can.

I agree with Wuvvums and Zarquon wholeheartedly. Innocence is highly overrated and will get your face murdered off in Azeroth. I've RPed around her once, I think and she seemed to be constantly deliberating (right word?) her opinion to Maleeka. This annoyed the living eff out of me, I'm sorry. I know it's your character, and you'll RP how you want and that's fine. But I...my mindset just translated that as a fetishized little girl in a woman's body. Especially with the halo, and the long white dress and the pony-tails. It's all sort of...in your face, I guess. I also get the sense you're trying to make her like your avatar. I just keeping thinking of the other whenever I think of either.

Now, innocence and good are not needed for each other. A person can be forthright and all that awesome stuff without reverting to the "purity" and "innocence" of a child. Especially a draenei. I personally view the draenei as being an interesting dichotomy. They have the stoicism and aloofness of mountains, but they can laugh as heartilly as any dwarf on an ale bender.

So, yeah. Not trying to say Aadora is bad. She just seems...forced?

[Roxas65]

Yeah.. I like her too. Till now, you have made a success on making her "innocent".

(Though not when you're playing BF3 while you're RPing)

But you give out that picture of your character, stay with it.

Though the Big Bang would come out, if you turn her to a evil one. And suddenly she starts thinking on another way. -That- would be badass.

I did that with one of my characters once. She was sweet and pretty innocent, but it turned out she had been pretending all along and she was, in fact, cruel and heartless. It was awesome. It's also got a lot of storyline potential.

[Rowgen]

Keep in mind, people, that shutting things out is a very common way to avoid mental trauma.

EDIT: Also, you don't experience a character's deepest mentality in casual tavern-RP. Just saying.

[Roxas65]

Zarquon does have a strong point, but so does Rowgen. It is -extremely- common for people who have been heavily traumatized to act positive and bubbly etc to try and forget as well as fool themselves that the world is a better place than it is. Inside, though, they're suffering.

Secondly, I'd like to point out that a RP universe where all characters are brooding and tragic just isn't that interesting. Quite frankly, I would -not- want to RP in a universe like that, just sayin.'