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 Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 9:40 pm
Glossary:
1. Characters
2. Roleplays
a. Owners
b. Roleplayers
3.Tips
4. Tools of the Trade
5. FAQ Hello.
My name is Veste, I've been an avid roleplayer since I was around 12/13 years of age, and have picked up quite a few little tips and tricks. I've decided to make a guide that will cover (hopefully) everything from characters to roleplays to sub plots.
This is not meant to be a rulebook, only some general guidelines you may or may not find interesting.
Enjoy.
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Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 10:04 pm
Characters~! "We’ll start out with the butter of the metaphorical bread that is roleplaying. I am referring to the character, of course. In my opinion, the characters are often more important then the plot (not to say I hate plots) and a good character is a happy roleplayer. Down below I’ve assembled a Step-by-Step guideline that categorize some tips and tools of the trade I’ve found useful/use myself when creating characters. As I’ll no doubt state again, this is not a rulebook, I mean this guide to be tips and tricks. If you don’t follow it then…I don’t really mind, but I feel better knowing I can blabber on. ( :’) )"
Step by Step:
Out of convenience, I’ll be going over a general roleplay form step by step and pointing out a few things I find interesting or useful. I’ll also be using a character of mine that’s about 2 years old for a base, and an example.
--- Character Name: The name is the start of the character, the first slice of bread to the wonderfully complex BLT that will be your bundle of joy. Here are a few rules I find that make naming a little easier:
-Complex names, while fun, should probably be shortened to a nickname so you, (and your fellow players) will be able to type it out without the need for Ctrl+C.
-Please make it something you can spell correctly more than once!
-Try and keep the name of your character relating to the same ethnicity they happen to be. This doesn’t entirely apply for magical races, but a character with no Asian background/heritage shouldn’t really have the name Sayuri Hondakamatsuri.
-If you can’t pronounce it, chance is, nobody can either
-When making up your own names, longer does not necessarily mean better
-I’ve found that it helps to stay within some ethnic barriers/meanings when creating your character’s names.
-Taking a common name (Coraline) and spelling it differently (Koralyne) does work to add some flair, as long as it is not misused. Understand that spelling Pain as Payne has been done, a lot, and adding y’s where there should be i’s doesn’t always make you cool.
Example:
Here we have Eimh, the character I mentioned a few lines before. Say “hello,” Eimh.
Eimh: “Hullo”
Eimh’s race is typically a unicorn, but through some magical means she can take on the form of a human girl, with some wonderful additions. She was created for something of a “forest rp” although much cooler then that, so I wanted her name to be bubbly, innocent, and monosyllabic.
Her name is pronounced “EYE-M” for those who wish to know.
The actual name came from a Gaelic root, if my memory serves me correctly. Unicorns being typically Anglo-Saxon sort of creatures, I wasn’t about to name her something African. I found the name “Emih” or some other variation, and found that it came to mean “Acron.” I thought this suited her, but the spelling was annoying for me so I flipped it around to “Eimh.”
This is merely an example of a naming method for your character. I myself enjoy unusual names, and Eimh is a good representative for my naming methods. Half the time, they have meanings, and the other half simply names I’ve heard, and like.
Note: If you google Eimh and find that the above is all bullshit, then thank you for dashing my hopes and dreams on a name I found 2 years ago. My memory serves me for perhaps 3 weeks at a time. However, if you find another meaning/spelling for Eimh, then I congratulate you on your use of a search engine and you are free to pm me. --- Race:The ever important race! Some notes:
-If you make up your own race, make sure it has its share of downfalls as well. Nobody likes a vampire who has lost any ability to be burned by the sun or holy objects and instead sparkles, along with his smoldering topaz eyes.
-Original does not necessarily make better. A Chicken/Mermaid/Kistune/Demon is much more original then your plain old stock human. It is also a few levels south of stupid. I have no doubt a literate roleplayer could pull it off, but your fellow roleplayers will probably attempt ritual seppuku (Japanese suicide).
-Research, while not always fun, does help in ideas. I am personally a fan of myths, and like various creatures from it. If you don’t want to be a stock elf, human, dwarf or orc, try googling manticores, chimeras, phoukas, red caps, etc, etc. You’ll find a treasure trove of ideas.
-Half-Breeds: Always fun, but keep in mind that some things just can’t happen. An angel/demon hybrid is practically stock roleplay race, and it can happen. However, also understand that with a lot of mixed blood, you gain/lose certain attributes. Take a human for example; who is part Scottish, Asian, Native American, African, and Welsh. After so much blood has mixed, you get a mutt of typically unknown ethnicity. We just classify it under Caucasian(generally). Grade 10 Biology says that a Chicken/Mermaid/Kistune/Demon is (for one) impossible and would probably never be as powerful as the consecutive originals.
-When all else fails: Human will always be there for you. Like the human classes in a MMORPG, they are diverse, varied, and pretty darn tooting cool when need be.
Example: Eimh herself is a unicorn, as I generally grew up learning about them. However, I wanted a more original flair so I went along the lines of a Chinese unicorn. She’s a unicorn that is still horse-shaped, but with scales, a tufted tail instead of a normal horse tail, and a horn that looks like branches. The base is cliché, the additions make it slightly different. It’s like taking your car and giving it a paint job.
Eimh: "I’m not a car ( >:{ )" --- Gender: Just because you produce estrogen does not mean that you (must be) are either
a) a damsel in distress
b) An angry lesbian with a butch attitude problem.
I love sweet girls, and women that can kick my a** as much as anyone else, but it’s nice to have a mix of both. You are certainly free to have a character on one side of the spectrum or the other, and in fact, I recommend it sometimes. It’s great fun. However, not all women are princesses.
Just because you produce testosterone does not mean that you (must be) are either:
a) An angry man beast
b) A uke boy with a v****a
c) A mysterious dark stranger (with smoldering topaz eyes who sparkles)
I generally find men simpler to play then women. They are straight forward creatures, but like women; don’t have to fall in a single category. Vary it, dabble, and play with it a little. You are certainly free to have a character on one side of the spectrum or the other, and in fact, I recommend it sometimes. It’s great fun. However, not all men can be Conan. --- Age:Your mentality should reflect your age, generally (any mental problems ignored). I doubt that a 530 year old managed to live so long unaided with the mentality of a child. It is not necessary to have characters that are only in the 13-17 years of age range.
I have played characters over 30, even! (gasp).
It is fine to make a character long-lived, as long as you aren’t being ridiculous about it. --- Occupation: -It reflects the personality and the life style of the character. A loving, caring individual will rarely be a ruthless assassin unless the former happens to be a front.
-Play jobs you know how to play. Understand that a lone wolf of an assassin will be a character you will have to sustain on minimal interaction for a long period of time. A merchant…not so much. --- Appearance: -Many people use pictures for their appearance, while I myself have dropped this practice. I have nothing against pictures, but I find both them and written descriptions to have the pros and cons.
-Written: Allows you to make a character that is entirely yours. No doubt every character you make will have another character/facet of another character it was inspired by. This is not the same as plagiarizing a character, as inspiration comes in many different forms. I have never met a character that could not be said to share similarities with another. If you happen to make a character like this, then mazel tov. Slap a patent on it, quickly. The drawback to written description is that your fellow roleplayers have only their imaginations to rely on, and an improperly written description will confuse instead of enlighten.
-Picture: Allows for a visual representation of your character, but may fail to come forward in presentation. In some ways, a picture is something of the easy way out; because it requires little brain power on your part, save for the ability to google. I have nothing against pictures, except that they are rarely your own characters.
-FUSION: Perhaps the best method (if you must use a picture) is to combine the image with a written description. Add small details (seemingly insignificant) like weight, height, and other such small things that help round out your character.
-Originality: Like I stated above, it is impossible to make a character entirely original, so take inspiration from certain aspects of civilization. Have a shaman sort of character? Slap some bird feathers and a grass skirt on him. A princess? Here’s your dress. Your character’s appearance is almost as important as their name and history, because it shows clues to the name…and the history.
-EXTRA: Do not be scared of making them ugly. A rough-and-tumble soldiers will have scars, and probably not look all that great. They don’t have to be butt-ugly, but a scarred up male/female shouldn’t be a knockout. Don’t sacrifice continuity for a pretty face.
Example: As I stated before, the base for Eimh’s appearance came from a Chinese unicorn. In terms of skin/hair color, she has your typical combo of white hair and green eyes. The green was meant to reflect the forest she lived in (and the color of her scales) and the white to add a more ethereal, dainty appearance. Even in a human form, she retains her horn, scales and tail. This points out (very easily) that she isn’t human, and gives hints to her true form. --- Weaponry: A weapon is like an extension of your characters personality. Brash, rude personalities tend to have weapons that get up close and personal. “Villain” sort of personalities tend to have weapons that keep them out of danger, as they are their most important person(s). Swords are considered noble weapons (if not serrated and larger then a car) while throwing knives and daggers the stock weapons of a thief.
Consider how your character would like to fight, and go from there. However, a long range weapon does not necessarily point to a coward, just someone particularly fond of their own skin, or just simply proficient in that weapon.
Eimh, for example, begins as a fist fighter in her human form, because I didn’t expect a unicorn to be able to have the knowledge of a sword. Through various, life altering incidences, she soon gains possession of a bow and arrow passed on from a person important to her, and two daggers. The daggers fall in with her own up, close, and personal fighting style. --- Skills and Abilities: Should reflect the era, age, race, and personality.
-By general assumption, every character is assumed to be able to swim, run, climb trees, and cook, etc. Proficiency in any of these areas should be stated (much like you would a proficiency in fighting/magic/arcane arts) in the profile, or otherwise stated in the role-play with A PROPER REASON. Mary-Sues beware, if you are proficient in everything for no reason, then turn back here, and re-think your character.
-Child prodigies are fun, but overused. I expect a 32 year old to be able to swing a sword better then a 12 year old. Brains rarely beat experience.
Eimh; She had little cooking ability because she’s a grazer (a unicorn). It is only later when she becomes fully human and requires a manner in feeding herself as her human body cannot digest grasses any longer does she learn. She cannot swim in fast moving water (as she was a horse, and they aren’t entirely good at that) and her ability to climb trees is limited. Etc. Etc. --- Background Information: -If it is clichéd, build on it, turn it around, and make it original.
-Cause and Effect: Have sufficient reason for your character’s personality, their abilities, their skills, etc. A character’s past will reflect on their personality, and that means that it will shape them. A dark, moody mercenary will probably have some reason for turning out that way.
-Easy way out: Give them a sad past. It is effective for shaping a character, and giving them motive, but can ruin a character if overused. Kill the parents, yes, but don’t make it some long “bawwfest” that manages to emotionally ruin your character into a whimpering sob-bag. I have played both “emo” characters and normal ones.
-A round character is defined as one who is complex. If they are generally the sort of person to move past things, and take them as growing pains…then chance is they will not spend long hours brooding over their poor mothering. Otherwise: whimpering sob-bag.--- Personality:My only advice: FLAWED IS FUN! We would all want to be perfect, we all love it when our characters kick a**, but sometimes they have to be d-bags. Sometimes, its fun to have them be jealous, angry, irrational like all the rest of our pitiful humans. Add in some flaws as the pepper to the sugar of your character, and your fellows will thank you for it.
Side note: Keep the personality consistent. Do not make a lone wolf sort of character and complain that no-one interacts with you. Someone who likes being alone will rarely seek out human companionship. If your character is an a-hole, they will likely not save someone for no absolute reason.
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Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 10:05 pm
Character + Parting Words
Think of it this way; As I've heard it put before, your character is like your illegitimate b*****d child. You want it to grow, you love it in some twisted way, and you want to see where it goes with its life. Sometimes you like to knock it to the ground just to see what will happen.
Care about your character, and chance is you'll have a better one.
[/lame]
Side Note: Don't get disgruntled if someone doesn't like your character. All that matters is how you feel about it. Also, while it is nice to get constructive criticism on little elven lord #2, there is a difference between insulting, and constructive. It is your character, and shouldn't have to change to fit anothers needs. On the flip side, if they don't suit the roleplay period, then you will have to tweak.
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Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 10:08 pm
Roleplays:
As both the owner, and the participator in a roleplay, you each have a set of responsibilities. These will vary with the task you have before you, and with the style of roleplay it is. The 3 main groups are:
a. 1x1
b. Group
c. Private
----
1x1:
Generally, this is the best sort of roleplay to enter in if you wish to work on a character. 1x1’s seem to follow the trend of being more concentrated on character interaction then wide-scale, epic plots.
Pro’s:
-Greater character interaction
-Easier to keep track, no chance of being left behind
-Allows for greater character development
-Small, generally lazy side thing
-Don’t need to keep a room full of people happy, just your close, personal other
-A great way to practice away from prying eyes and to get feedback from your partner!
Con’s
-Becomes stale quickly, especially if the ideas are only coming from one person
-Large plots, and multiple characters tend to suffer in favor of simple character interaction.
-Less heads equal less ideas, occasionally leading to boredom and disinterest
----
Group:
The most common sort of roleplay, and the one where we can all be beautiful snowflakes on the quest for love, honor, mystery, suspense and pure sheer Epic.
Pro’s
-More characters
-Different interactions
-More ideas
-Different settings
-A good style of roleplay to work on plot development.
-Generally more fun, and holds the interest longer then a 1x1
Con’s
-A lot of characters, chances of being left out/unimportant
-Being left behind because of fast posting speeds
-Generally tends to sacrifice character interaction for wide-scale plots
-Chance you won’t get along with everyone, which leaves a stale taste in the mouth; like a sock.
----
Private:
It suffers much the same cons as the 1x1. When I refer to private, I mean ones with more then 2 people roleplaying back and forth. Private roleplays can be another good means of practicing your roleplaying/developing your characters with people you know, trust, (lurve) , and can offer you healthy advice.
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Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 10:44 pm
MORE TO COME
I can only type so fast D:
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2009 10:30 am
awwwww, your siggie creatures are sooo cyuuuuuuute. 3nodding
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Posted: Tue Jun 02, 2009 11:58 am
Wow, you have put a lot of work into this! It really shows! 3nodding
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Posted: Fri Jun 05, 2009 9:23 pm
aww, they're gone now. but yeah, reeeeally great guide
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Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 11:03 pm
Thanks for the comments! xD
Sorry I haven't really finished it yet, got swamped with school.
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