Other Do you prefer pre-made characters, or to create your own?

[Dao Whiplash]

Original 1000%

Agreeedddd

 

[Starsought]

I prefer to create my own. It would be difficult for me to accurately portray a premade character

 

[Asperastra]

I like playing my own created characters for the situation, just as much as I prefer my partner playing their own.
Playing someone's pre-made character would leave debate for choices that I make that maybe they didn't want me to, or an inaccurate play of their character, leaving them feeling dissatisfied.
Plus, making my own characters makes the experience more personalized, keeps me interested. How will they develop and evolve?
To each their own, of course.

 

[vvoahnelly]

I like making my own characters - this way I can make them fit whatever situation I want to put them in and it's just fun, in general!

 

[LycheeTea]

I like to create my own characters. I don't mind going off of a prompt, but if the structure of the premade character is too rigid it makes it hard to really get invested in them.

 

[Viper Actual]

Premade characters can be a great source for inspiration but generally I prefer creating my own unique characters with some having pretty fleshed-out and in-depth backstories.

 

[Emperor Sagan]

I definitely prefer creating my own characters, I don't think I've ever written on premade characters from something else.

 

[Noble Scion]

I usually make new characters for each roleplay I'm in, only occasionally reusing an idea for a character if I particularly liked it.

 

[marshmarrow]

I avoid plots that have specific character roles because those RP's tend to center around a "main character" and I'm just not interested in those.

I understanding needing someone or a couple of people to play specific positions of power or influence to guide the plot along or add some behind-the-scenes drama, but to have all characters fill a "template" generally grates on my nerves. It's restricting for everyone involved, including the GM, as it limits what kinds of relationships characters can make with each other and the texture of the plot. I think it's selfish for a GM to restrict character creation based on what they want for their character, as I enjoy the unpredictability of roleplay and the diversity of all writers involved. That's what makes my writing experience worth it, and I hope that my characters are fun to interact with too.

Also, the roles that the GM confines players to tend to be dull and it's clear that the GM wants specific kinds of personalities (usually stereotypical) to fill those archetypes.

While I was writing this I was thinking about arranged-marriage plots in particular, which require certain characters to be certain things in order for the story to make sense. That's fine. I only really start to have an issue with it when the GM only makes an X number of roles available and they all center around 1-2 characters. For example, forcing people to play as concerned/strict family members, a specific kind of antagonist trying to keep/prevent their engagement, and a childhood friend who the GM's char falls in love with or plots with to successfully break off their engagement. I'm not saying all arranged-marriage roleplays are like this, but this is the kind of thing I generally have no interest in, and I'll leave it up to other people to write. I think there's a distinct difference when a GM gives writers a choice to be a certain character, rather than forcing people to play a role they might have not joined the roleplay to be.

As far as "pre-made" characters, I have taken over another person's character in a story with their permission, not the GM's. Usually, characters integral to the plot that shouldn't be killed off just yet, or its agreed that killing them off would make little to no sense with the story. I'm confident I can portray a character the way their creator would have portrayed them, but generally I prefer to have my own characters killed off by myself or the GM. I have been in roleplays where the GM was very adamant about keeping a character in the story, and would actually ask other players after the original creator left if they would be willing to step up and continue to play as this character in the original creator's stead. In short, that inquiry created a lot more trouble between the GM and the writer than the character was worth, and the roleplay suffered for it.

I wasn't sure how to interpret this question at first, as "premade character" seems to have several definitions, but I hope I answered it in a way people can relate to.

 

[Faulty-Writes]

Most of the time I enjoy making my own character's, it just seems more creative that way. It's very rare that I take on a premade character with the exception in a rare case where the premade character is similar to one of my own characters. Then I'd give it a shot.

 

[Lord_Toast_Reborn]

Create the guidelines on what my char is gonna be like. No versatility lost like when entirely pre made.

 

[BasiliskVeranda]

I will fundamentally refuse pre-made character RPs. I'm not interested in doing the heavy lifting of someone else's story without any input. It generally centers around one main character, and the rest of the roleplayers play tag-along. Not into it.