|  Author | Topic: Character Creation FAQ (Read 45 times) |
SnowTiger
Quicker Picker Upper
member is offline
![[avatar]](http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m57/Intothemystic292/Icons/z5287983133.jpg)
Don't hate yourself in the morning. Sleep 'till noon.
![[aim]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/aim.gif)
Joined: Aug 2007
Gender: Female 
Posts: 2,151
Karma: 40 |  | Character Creation FAQ
« Thread Started on May 30, 2009, 11:02pm » | |
So if you're interested in doing an RP here with someone to improve your skills, first, in your thread, you each need to provide a character with with you plan to RP with. If this is another area in which you need help with, here are some FAQ to straighten some things out. Also, be aware that in your thread, you're welcome to ask for advice from the person you're roleplaying with on how to better create and develop your character.
A basic bio, especially on the site, (though depending on the type of rp) consists of: Name, Age, Gender, Race, Appearance, Personality, Abilities, Weapons, and History. So I'm going to go through those things individually first.
Keep in mind as I go through this that creating a character is a lot of personal preference. They become who you want them to be. There's no set way to determine how to create a person, and this guide isn't really here to tell you how. It's just here to give you advice, and show you how we personally do it.
1. How do I pick a name for my character?
ST's Answer: When I pick a character's name, I quite honestly think of a name that I like. Sometimes I just sound things out. Things that sound nothing like words, until I come up with something unique that, like I said, obviously, that I like. Other times, I'll pick some of my favorite words or things in English, and then find a translator, and see what they are in other languages. Then, I'll either use one I like, or morph what I find into an entirely different, but still someone similar name.
2. How do I choose an age?
ST's Answer: Think about the kind of RP it is, and where you want your character to be power and status wise. These can affect the age you choose you character to be. Other than that, it's really just a choice you have to make. I prefer to play younger characters, so my ages range between 16-25. It's personal preference most of the time.
3. Male or Female?
ST's Answer: Once again, in my opinion, this is a matter of personal preference. Which do you prefer to RP? Which do you just want your character to be?
4. Race?
ST's Answer: There are countless races when it comes to fantasy and such RPs, not to mention often times the freedom to create your own. Sometimes, people become comfortable with a type of race. I roleplay Demons a lot, but I also use races I've created myself. It just depends partially on the type of RP, perhaps a little on what kind of person you want your character to be, and mainly on preference.
5. Appearance?
ST's Answer: Now, this depends if you're using a picture or not. If you are, then go out and find one. A lot of the time, I just search until I find a picture I like for one reason or another. After that, if I decide to use it, I base the written description (if I'm providing one) off the picture. Details that can't be seen, I make up myself.
6. Personality?
ST's Answer: I think the personality of a character is the most important part. To start, I look at whether in the RP, my character is technically good, neutral, or evil. That helps to make a base. Then, I think of specific traits that would make them interesting. For example, let's say my character's evil. What would make him special? Well, what if he was a pathological liar, capable of convincing anyone of something, and quite often, even himself into following his stories? That could make for some interesting moments. Those kind of things. Personality develops during an RP. It's how your character reacts to something. Traits that define them. So sometimes, you may find a personality changing, and don't worry about that. It's part of character development.
7. Abilities?
ST's Answer: For RPs that allow these, I do my best to come up with something original, though only sometimes. What I personally do, is I think of normal, everyday objects, and wonder, how can I turn that into a power? An offense? For example, a while back I was creating a character, and thinking of what to use as their power. I started looking around my room, and when I saw my wooden nightstand, I thought, what if they could manipulate wood? Other times, I'll use classic powers. My personal favorite is the ability to control shadows. It's what you do with these powers that makes your character unique though. Like one of my character's wears sunglasses, because his eyes are extremely sensitive to the sun. The way he sees is through the shadows.
8. Weapons?
ST's Answer: What's your favorite weapon? Okay, take that, and twist it. Like my favorite is a bow and arrow. One thing I like to do with them, is use elemental arrows. So a yellow arrow strikes a target, and electrocutes it. That kind of thing. Tweak the normal.
9. History:
ST's Answer: History is right up there with personality in matter of importance, because most Psychologists will say History shapes Personality. So I suggest making these match. Make your history describe why your person is who they are today. How did they get there, what are some important experiences they had, who, where, and what were their family like, social status, etc. Take each of these things, and expand on it as much as you can.
|
![[image]](http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee110/okamiyoukai/Vampires/beauty%20site/bella4.png)
When someone runs into a pole, more people than not will blame the pole. |
|
Sesshoumaru-sama
Lord of the West
member is offline
![[avatar]](http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t263/lordhector13/krattypic-1.gif)
LOLOL NECROMANCER
Joined: Oct 2005
Gender: Female
Posts: 14,220
Location: Kratosian Fantasies?
Karma: 61 | | Re: Character Creation FAQ
« Reply #1 on May 30, 2009, 11:28pm » | |
Because I think it would be best to get second opinions, I, as the admin of the site, will also add my opinions on each section. =3 This will give you two points of view on the same thing, and hopefully give you more to work with. I won't wax on and on about things ST's already covered though, not if I can help it.
1. How do I pick a name for my character?
Sessh's Answer: Well, it depends. Since I oftentimes use characters that are already in existence and tweak their personalities, rather than make originals, I usually have a preset name. However, bad as I am at creating names, I like to mess with sounds, my preference being the i's and the e's. It sounds more elegant to me, and it is how I came up with the last name Esterion, and the names Lucien Iyesterius and Elysian Birdsong.
2. How do I choose an age?
Sessh's Answer: It's all a matter of practicality. Make sure that you pick an appropriate age for both the rp...and also to your ability. It's one thing to say your character is 6000+ years old, but you have to be able to play the part. And make sure that the age coincides with their personality sometimes too, so you don't confuse or fluster people with a mismatched age and persona.
3. Male or Female?
Sessh's Answer: That's...well, as ST said, personal preference.
4. Race?
Sessh's Answer: Personally...I say have fun with race! Be as original as you can, but also be able to back the race up with history and some logic. But at the same time, keep things a little free to play with, so you can flesh out your character as ou go along. Don't be afraid to make new races, or use obscure ones. Just explain them very well to your partners, either in profile or in roleplay.
5. Appearance?
Sessh's Answer: For this, the best thing to do is to be able to describe your character textually. It's great to have a picture. I love using pictures, even multiples, so that people can see many facets of my characters. But recall the saying "A picture is worth a 1000 words." Don't type a thousand words, but put some description to support that picture. Lol.
6. Personality?
Sessh's Answer: Personality and History. Super duper important, and they come hand in hand. Your character is who you will present yourself as in an rp, and all the nuances of their personality should be listed as you intend to play them. Tell us if your guy is a hothead, or perhaps you like the cool, collected ones. Just make everything match, and always have a reason for why someone's that way. Sure, some things might be "inherited" from relatives, but no one's a thief or a king or a vet simply because.
7. Abilities?
Sessh's Answer: This is also quite important to a character, though not quite as important as the above section. Abilities are related to race, and it's not always easy to come up with them, I can vouch for that. The most I can say is that this is a lot of personal preference, and a lot of picking and choosing from what you know and can make up. But I think you should apply a bit of logic when you do this, don't go overboard. And don't overdo the powers either, not too many. You might seem as if you're godmoding, or like you're a Mary-Sue/Gary-Stu. No one likes those. =( As you gain trust though, you gain the liberty to make powers and show you can handle keeping them in check.
8. Weapons?
Sessh's Answer: Personal preference yet again! And also, you might want to have a bit of background knowledge on the weapon, such as how to care for it and some terms. Like parry and thrust for swords, and you should know that for sharpening you use a whetstone, I suppose. Stuff like that. Be familiar with your weapon so you can use it right. =)
9. History?
Sessh's Answer: Very important. This is, as I said, a part of personality. What shapes your character's persona, what makes them the way they are, what caused their emotional scars? Why do they love, why do they hate? Always give a reason as to why someone's the way they are, and use personality to help you out. Or vice versa, depending on how you write.
|
![[image]](http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g233/Inu_Taiyoukai/Grimmyraep.png)
o3o |
|
SD...Because wow.
The Greater Seraph
member is offline
![[avatar]](http://i0006.photobucket.com/albums/0006/pbhomepage/icons/th_awesomeyo.png)
BECAUSE WOW. End of story.
Joined: Jun 2006
Gender: Female
Posts: 16,587
Karma: 55 | | Re: Character Creation FAQ
« Reply #2 on Jul 9, 2009, 12:05am » | |
And now, because she is both bored and interested in this, it is time for the fabulous SD's opinionations.
Because she isn't opinionated enough as it is. 8X
I find that my most successful characters are based off of some part of me. So to make a good character, you have to know yourself well.
1. How do I pick a name for my character?
Although I do support the "playing around with the name" theories that Sessh and ST have, I'd like to also add that the name should fit the RP. Sometimes a simple, common name is more effective than anything wild and crazy. To me, what's more difficult is the surname. Make sure it sounds like the nationality you want your character to be from. No German "Schultz's" with Asian features, unless your character as a German father and an Asian mother.
2. How do I choose an age?
What age would be most conducive to keeping a character in a RP? Too young, and your character might have to go to school. Too old, and they should have a job of some sort. As ST says, it depends on the RP. As Sessh says, it also depends on where you want your character to be in life.
Also important, though is how old your character appears. In fantasies, characters can be upwards of a hundred, but frozen at some age or other. Do you want a wise old sage? Or a hot young teenager just thirsting for the opposite sex?
3. Male or Female?
ST and Sessh say it is up to personal preference, but to be really true to your RP, remember the setting, and what kinds of social restrictions are placed on men and women. In ancient times, women were heavily restricted in the things they could and couldn't do. Nothing bothers me more than a medieval RP or medieval fantasy RP where a woman character is off battling dragons and being a hero. Women simply weren't like that back then, not without some fantastical backstory. Likewise, they weren't masters of magic. I'm sorry, but leave your Feminism behind when you log on to one of those kinds of RPs with a girl. And on a different token, don't go around playing guys if you want your character to be overly emotional. It's just not realistic. If you like emotion, have fun with a female! But don't parade around with a bunch of romantic males. Not only is it unrealistic, it's also somewhat trite. Every girl wants the sensitive guy, but is every guy going to be friends with the hormonal weirdo?
4. Race?
Race is up to you, but be warned: make sure your character has his or her weaknesses. Nothing bothers me more than a Vampire that can go out in the sun. And keep in mind that certain races ought to have special characteristics about them: fairies can fly, but feel drawn to nature, for instance. If you want to go against the grain, then instead of making a werewolf that's in perfect control of itself, make an entirely new species based off that werewolf! That way, you're not ruining the stereotype for those who want to challenge themselves with fitting into the traditional, and you're being creative at the same time.
5. Appearance?
Appearance is up to you. I'll neither give a here nor there about that, but I'll warn you: if you want your character to have burn-your-eyes-out neon green hair and cinnamon-flame irises, I hope you're expecting to draw some stares from the regular people on the street, if they're not used to that sort of thing. Keep your appearance within the parameters of the RP. But on the same note, don't be afraid to add little details from the past, like a scar on the cheek, or even go further and make your character horribly disfigured. Everyone wants to play the handsome gorgeous teen stud, but thirty-thousand of those makes them all blend into one boring Gary-Stu. Do something original and subtle with your character. A clever RP-er will use that to their advantage and perhaps start a new plot beginning with a conversation about some physical anomaly or other in someone else's character.
6. Personality?
Here is where it helps most to know thyself. Neither ST nor Sessh said anything about this, but for my characters, I look at the RP in question, and decide which part of my personality I want to put into a character to fit into that RP. Every person is made up of a bunch of mini personalities, and reacts differently in different situations. Are you the flirty girl? The jock? The wannabe? The quiet one? I know I'm a mix of studious, scientific, crazy, fun-loving, and completely random, but also, I am not the flirter, the party girl, or the socialite. Characters that reflect you are the easiest to keep IC. Discover yourself, then create the character, or let the character help you discover who you really are when you practice RP here. Maybe you'll find that there's a lot more to you than you realized.
7. Abilities?
Abilities sometimes aren't even applicable. You don't have to go overboard with them, as people say. ST has an interesting way of going about things, and creates some strange abilities, so for all intents and purposes, following her strategy is a pretty good way to go. For me, I use logic. What would my character, with his or her personality and his or her history, choose to develop, or have naturally at his or her disposal? Here, age, history, race, and personality all come into play. How long has your character been able to train at and develop his or her skills? What would his/her natural skills be, based on race? What would his/her history have demanded that he/her learn to survive?
8. Weapons?
ST and Sessh really covered most of everything I might say. Just keep in mind that unless you have a clever way to store it (and don't go overboard with that, sometimes having a cumbersome weapon all the time is a conversational piece), you have to carry whatever weapon you choose. And again, keep in mind your character's history. Where and when would they have learned this weapon? How proficient would they be at it, at their age? Why would they have this weapon?
9. History?
Go nuts. But keep it logical. Certain events follow other certain events. make sure your character has a motive for the things he does. And please, if you have a character that's exceeded the normal human lifespan by several factors, make sure you have enough stuff in that history that would fill those several human lifetimes. Detailed history breeds a richness of character.
History affects personality, as well. What kind of society did your character grow up in? Was it misogynistic? Your female might have an inferiority complex, then, or hate men. Did your character's father die at an early age? He might be more effeminate because he was raised by his mother, or be unable to properly act like a normal man because he didn't have that influence. Was he picked on in school? He might be more easily angered, or intimidated.
And always remember, when in doubt, use logic. What Event B would logically happen next after Event A? How would that personally affect your character?
--
I think that's about all. More to be added as it comes along.
Oh, and also, remember: This is my opinion. Take it with a grain of salt. You don't have to agree with everything, or try to implement everything.
|
![[image]](http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/funny-pictures-hamster-kiss-glass.jpg)
![[image]](http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c224/KitsuneYoukai/funny-dog-pictures-bad-day.jpg)
|
| |
|
![[Search This Thread]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/search2.gif)
![[Send Topic To Friend]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/buttons/sendtopic.gif)
![[Print]](http://s4.images.proboards.com/buttons/print.gif)
Logged