Viewpoint What you cannot stand in characters?

[JokerValentine]

I mean... I recycle characters all the time... for specific purposes.

I have this one character who I've used in... shit I'm not sure how many roleplays... but long story short, he started out in one roleplay that crashed and burned right after we reached page two so a few months later I started a different roleplay and then transferred him over there cause I liked him and didn't get to develop him enough. And ever since I've only ever used him when rebooting the roleplay I transferred him to. It fit because both roleplays were magical girl roleplays so it wasn't that hard to make a few small adjustments and then plop him in there. He's developed a lot since, though, so the current iteration of him is much different than how I originally made him.

Then basically every other character I've reused is in reboots and sequels so... yeah I guess that's the outlier. Maybe I don't do it all the time and it just feels that way because all I really do is reboots nowadays.

So there's obviously a sense of context that might come into play. I think in some extreme circumstances, it can be applicable. But here's why I don't feel the same way as you might:

When I do a character, I always try to have a backstory that is directly relevant to the world. While worlds have different levels of fluidity and openness, I consider it relatively important to try to tailor a character to a specific world from their creation. I think that once that happens, they are a character. Otherwise, if they are sort of like a tool, are they a character, or is it just a proxy for roleplaying? I'm not here to say which is better, of course, I just prefer the former for creative purposes.

Now, the question of "recycling characters" and "making a few small adjustments," the question becomes: at what point in adjusting a character to a different world does it become an entirely new one? I don't know the answer, but I think that it requires something from scratch, more or less. Regardless, the question becomes is if you consider there to be a true form of our characters? Like, could we point to one roleplay or example and be like "yeah, that's him or her." To me, if I could point to two places of a character in two different contexts that have nothing to do one another, I think that it sort of detracts from what it means to be a character.

There's surely exceptions to the rule and it's about personal preference surely. I'm not arguing against using similar traits from prior characters for roleplays, I just really think that walking into a roleplay with a character already created and there's essentially no adjustments made to fit into the world is not interesting.

 

[BackSet]

I could show you the first CS and the current CS and you would be able to spot the differences. I won't because I'm lazy but I could.

 

[InsanityAddict]

I have a personal habit of recycling ideas, adding new components and altering things to try and make them different. Due to certain reasons I have also actually effectively transferred the same individual into different RPs, which is something that...got complicated very fast. I cannot say how well or poorly I have done it, only that I can tell I have certain interest just be how often certain themes are repeated in these ideas. Of course, many of these were on a cultural scale, not an individual one. Transferring from one to another with very weird creations is a fascinating but often frustrating exercise.

In terms of character traits I personally dislike, I will refer to the following:

1. Self-inserts. Now, I’m ok with this to a point. However, my particular area of previous experience- nation-based RP- is especially dangerous for self-insertion, because it means the self-insertion will mean whatever is created becomes a kind of personal utopia in many cases. And one man’s dream is another man’s nightmare. So admittedly I am biased on this. Self-inserts can be ok if they are well balanced. But, well, that actually happening is more of a rarity than a commodity.

2. Characters who exist purely to be better. Inevitably a result of an OOC mindset towards supremacy over storytelling, these individuals will find some way to be better than your own characters at everything they can get away with, and probably quite a few more things. Powerful personnel are fine if handled well. You will see the theme here of things being all well and good if they are done well. But the chance of a character made to one-up everyone else being handled well is around the same as the chance of their portrayer accepting their defeat in combat, romance, or the World Championship Pie-Eating Contest.

3. Characters who are inscrutable for the wrong reasons. Look, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to keep some things secret. To make characters enigmatic, unpredictable or mysterious. But at times, there is an ulterior motive between keeping their thoughts in the dark- the ability to retroactively make them right about literally anything. This, if abused, is a major annoyance.

4. Characters who know complete strangers better than said strangers know themselves. Somehow. Nothing is more frustrating than somebody repeatedly insisting that your character do something to improve their abilities or perspectives as if they know better when by all logic they should be completely in the dark. It’s fine to know things that seem sketchy if you have a good reason. It’s fine to have a mentor figure and such. But it’s not fine to oppose what has already been established from the viewpoint of someone who should barely know.

5. Characters who hold ridiculous double standards that their portrayers seem to wholeheartedly endorse. Hypocrisy is a fun trait. It makes characters confront their mistakes. Question if they are like their enemies. Perhaps it even forces them to confront who they truly are. And it’s even fine to have them completely ignore an epiphany of hypocrisy! But when the one behind the keyboard is the same way, we run into issues. It’s fine to portray a jerk who refuses to acknowledge that they’re a jerk, or a nutcase who refuses to see their own madness as a coping mechanisms. You can get good dynamics out of those. But its less fine to portray a total jerk and yourself be a total jerk about it, and act as if everyone else is the aggravating one both in and out of character.

As mentioned, most of these are workable ideas gone wrong. And pretty much all of them have an OOC link. Because any of these can in theory work if others accept it and are ok with it. RP is a wide world of possibilities. But if your group is just exasperated by these aspects...well, I know I am at any rate.

 

[still watching fma]

Character inpunity rather than legal. As in "My character doesn't need a reason to kill and eat this other character, so you can't hold it against them"

Hey hey now, us chaotic neutrals are just misunderstood

 

[BackSet]

Hey hey now, us chaotic neutrals are just misunderstood

That's... not at all what chaotic neytrak means. It's neutral evil at best and chaotic evil at worst.

 

[still watching fma]

That's... not at all what chaotic neytrak means. It's neutral evil at best and chaotic evil at worst.

Chaotic evil does it to harm someone. Neutral is like, " meh whatevs"

 

[BackSet]

Chaotic evil does it to harm someone. Neutral is like, " meh whatevs"

Fair. But why are you killing and eating a guy. That is decidedly evil and psychopathic.

 

[still watching fma]

Fair. But why are you killing and eating a guy. That is decidedly evil and psychopathic.

Donner party rp. Its cold and your family is losing 1d8 hp per round unless you eat someone. Bob is in the same straits as you. The two of you wrestle to see who lives before cracking his head on the ice. Saving his family and your own temporarily.

 

[BackSet]

Donner party rp. Its cold and your family is losing 1d8 hp per round unless you eat someone. Bob is in the same straits as you. The two of you wrestle to see who lives before cracking his head on the ice. Saving his family and your own temporarily.

Okay, I suppose that's a possible scenario.

Anybody who would run such an rp is clinically insane but it's possible.

 

[still watching fma]

Okay, I suppose that's a possible scenario.

Anybody who would run such an rp is clinically insane but it's possible.

You could also be in a fallout rp.

A trap has been sprung and it makes one of the bells in junk fort ring. You grab your shotty and pump it once. **cha shhh** as you approach sector four your heart skips a beat. Is it a feral? Is it a giant crab? Or is it a human?

You peep over the hill to see a woman, whose foot is stuck in the trap. You see shes in trouble but her compatriots could be lying in wait just behind the junk cars. Youve seen this before. Your friend had a moment of humanity and got a shiv for his trouble.

Rather than apporach her, you wait it out. Letting her bleed to death before bringing her body in before the wolves catch the scent. Might as well, you havent eaten for days

 

[BackSet]

You could also be in a fallout rp.

A trap has been sprung and it makes one of the bells in junk fort ring. You grab your shotty and pump it once. **cha shhh** as you approach sector four your heart skips a beat. Is it a feral? Is it a giant crab? Or is it a human?

You peep over the hill to see a woman, whose foot is stuck in the trap. You see shes in trouble but her compatriots could be lying in wait just behind the junk cars. Youve seen this before. Your friend had a moment of humanity and got a shiv for his trouble.

Rather than apporach her, you wait it out. Letting her bleed to death before bringing her body in before the wolves catch the scent. Might as well, you havent eaten for days

Once again, clinically insane.

 

[still watching fma]

Once again, clinically insane.

Youre just close minded lol

 

[BackSet]

Youre just close minded lol

No, I'm not a sociopath who thinks eating people is logical.

I'm pretty sure people taste disgusting, anyways. I know I taste terrible.

 

[Quiddles]

I don't think I have as issue with any character that is plausible within the setting, providing the player has enough emotional detachment from the character to be able to cooperate in creating a good story. I don't mean that the character can't be antagonistic, or a misfit, or overpowered, but if played well, the roleplaying experience can still be enjoyable for everybody, because the player works equally with the other players, and can sit back and let others take their turn as the focus without fretting to be back in the spotlight. What turns me off is a character intended (whether conciously or not) to make the game all about the one player of that character, and/or to fulfill the player's desires at the expense of everybody else's.

 

[Jet]

Donner party rp. Its cold and your family is losing 1d8 hp per round unless you eat someone. Bob is in the same straits as you. The two of you wrestle to see who lives before cracking his head on the ice. Saving his family and your own temporarily.

What a throwback. My fifth grade history class did the Oregon Trail game to learn about western expansion. Looking back at it, it was basically a RP with characters and dice and everything. We played it over the course of a few days. Somehow I was one of two people to survive after we got trapped in those fucking mountains where the Donner party did in real life. I may have lost my family, but I damn sure brought a wagon with me to Oregon with hella resources #EasyDubs

(why tf was that allowed though, mfers were literally being killed by Native American ambushes in a 5th grade class, my teacher was a boss)

 

[still watching fma]

What a throwback. My fifth grade history class did the Oregon Trail game to learn about western expansion. Looking back at it, it was basically a RP with characters and dice and everything. We played it over the course of a few days. Somehow I was one of two people to survive after we got trapped in those fucking mountains where the Donner party did in real life. I may have lost my family, but I damn sure brought through a wagon with hella resources #EasyDubs

(why tf was that allowed though, mfers were literally being killed by Native American ambushes in a 5th grade class, my teacher was a boss)

That sounds hella fun. I like your teacher's style. xD

(( Mine was disgusted when he saw my shadow the hedgehog drawing. " why does his shoes have spikes c;mmon now"?))

 

[Lexiseeksrp]

There had not been a character like that for me. (I must be a saint!) Haha. However I feel a little weird if a character seems to be 'That person' but in the fandom. I feel like the idea of a Roleplay is to play someone else, not yourself.

 

[BackSet]

" why does his shoes have spikes c;mmon now"

Because spikces are awesome (though Shadow doesn't have spikes on his shoes so that's artistic liscence.

 

[still watching fma]

Because spikces are awesome (though Shadow doesn't have spikes on his shoes so that's artistic liscence.

He was a gen xer or a boomer. He didn't know they were his shoes that have jets on them.

 

[BackSet]

He was a gen xer or a boomer. He didn't know they were his shoes that have jets on them.

Shadow has jet shoes?

Jeez, can this hedgehog get any more edgy.

Oh wait...

 

[still watching fma]

Shadow has jet shoes?

Jeez, can this hedgehog get any more edgy.

Oh wait...

 

[BackSet]

Okay but why does he need jet boots? Can't he more or less keep up eith Sonic?

I'm not a sonic fan so please excuse my ignorance.

 

[still watching fma]

Okay but why does he need jet boots? Can't he more or less keep up eith Sonic?

I'm not a sonic fan so please excuse my ignorance.

I dunno man. I was 11 years old and my second sonic game. But I think the closest reason to him having jetpack boots is because dr. robotnik's grandpa made him. Must have thought they'd be cool shoes.

 

[Sega]

You see this a lot in realistic/modern rps but... When all characters are just so ~pretty and good looking and attractive instagram grunge boys and girls. Make up something different, ffs.
They often have same cookie-cutter personalities too.

 

[defenderofberk]

You see this a lot in realistic/modern rps but... When all characters are just so ~pretty and good looking and attractive instagram grunge boys and girls. Make up something different, ffs.
They often have same cookie-cutter personalities too.

"Fun, light, bubbly, defensive of her friends and family, hates prejudice"