Original Ideas

[Enuky]

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Am I the only GM who has trouble getting members to produce original ideas for the rp? It seems like every member I encounter I later discover that all of their ideas were taken from a game or anime. It sucks when a new character is approved, some time passes and I love said character, and then later I'm talking about it with someone and they're like: "OH! JUST LIKE IN [insert game or anime title here]!" And then I'm majorly disappointed because I probably don't know about the game or series and then will have to research it, which usually leads to me discovering much more of the ideas were borrowed than I thought. This has honestly happened to me with most of the members I've rpd with. There's MAYBE one who hasn't, and that goes for the highly skilled role players and low skilled. So I can't say this is a habit of bad role players... It seems to be everyone. It hurts to put a lot of time into creating an original story to learn later that chunks of it were stolen directly from Game of Thrones or some video game. Just wondering if others have experienced this frustration, or if it would even bother any of you. What are your thoughts on this?


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[augmentedspartan]

I don't see anything wrong with taking inspiration from existing works. Really, you're gonna have trouble finding a character that is 100% original, since they're gonna share at least some traits with other characters out there. Hell, even an "original story" will borrow elements from other stories.


Unless, of course, you're talking about just copying the entire character, in which case I can understand. But if the character is well played and works well with the story, it wouldn't bother me that much.

 

[Enuky]

I don't see anything wrong with taking inspiration from existing works. Really, you're gonna have trouble finding a character that is 100% original, since they're gonna share at least some traits with other characters out there. Hell, even an "original story" will borrow elements from other stories.
Unless, of course, you're talking about just copying the entire character, in which case I can understand. But if the character is well played and works well with the story, it wouldn't bother me that much.

I think I'm referring more to the direct taking of ideas.


Like using the exact same names for characters and groups, and making those characters and groups similar in their make up.


When it has the same name AND concept of a well known series I have a problem with it. I do not have any issues with stories having broad similarities. For example, I later found out that an entire kingdom in my rp was "borrowed" from Game of Thrones. Its name and everything. I don't think expecting the kingdoms to be original in an rp based in a world I created is expecting too much.


To me that's a little beyond similar ideas.

 

[augmentedspartan]

Yeah, that makes sense. I'm not a GM, so I can't say from experience, but I can see how someone simply adding a chunk of a popular series/book/etc would be annoying if you can recognize it. But what about from an obscure source? If you didn't know it was taken, and it fit well, would it bother you as much?

 

[call me rae]

As someone who is proudly a fan girl of several different Fandoms I regularly borrow aspects from books or other stuff for my original ideas I usually mention it and if the people are curious I'll give them the source material.


I find it helpful actually because it helps ground a roleplay when you get use pre-existing ideas. Because if they were well thought enough to work in an established universe than chances are they will work in a roleplay.


And as @augmentedspartan indicated a lot of then are kind of obscure anyway. So if I didn't say based on the books XXX than no one else would know.


Now that being said I would never alter someone else rp lore just to cram a Canon from another roleplay / series in.


No your idea is your idea and if I can't fit my character in without making massive changes than that's probaby not the character to play.


And copy pasting characters specifically would be a little odd. Depending in context it might annoy ne. Just because there us an entire section of Fandom roleplay so if you want to play a Canon you can do it there.


But on the other hand if the character fits I'd probably be fine with it.

 

[Grey]

I have yet to see anyone attempt that in any of my games, but I'm not up to date with all the Chinese cartoons young people watch these days so maybe I just haven't noticed.


I do enjoy it when someone picks a character from fiction and then attempts to translate them into one of my settings, though. Translate is the important part; when you ground the character in the cultural and mechanical context of one of my RPs, they don't clearly resemble the source unless you squint or spot the tropes in common.


For example, I lately realized if I recreated DC's Joker in my Dismal Streets setting, he'd be a literal demon.

 

[Saccharine Cyanide]

Hmm...why not add a rule to your rps that states that characters and settings can't be borrowed wholesale from other sources? That might discourage people from plagiarizing.

 

[Demon]

I would have to agree with everyone else. Inspiration is no big deal but when it gets to the point (like you've said) where it's literally ripping? I tend to bash them very heavily and demand that things be modified even further. I like when characters can resemble someone while being original though because that just goes to show the amount of technique your player has.