Making a memorable character

[Ritley]

Yep. How would you do this? I really want to make my character memorable and original. The type of character who you would never forget. I'm doing my best and don't think I am doing very well at all. Could someone give me a few pointers in that area? thanks.[/list]

[Ritley]

I understand you can't tell someone how to be memorable because different characters are memorable in different ways. What I mean is making a strong solid personality in your character that is remembered. Because at times my character just feels typical of his race and nothing more. I have given him a personality. Sure. But I need to add to it. To make it more solid than it is at the moment. I need pointers on how to do that. I just can't think of something original to add to my character.

[proxie]

There is no set formula to tell how to make a PC that people will remember. You just play your PC and live your PC's life, making the best decisions possible for it. Do your best to impact the world and people around you and hope that when you get to the APM or one of these "Favorite PC" threads, you're someday mentioned.

It's a crapshoot. You'll play this PC that you think is just THE most memorable and neat PC around... and it will be your little nobody that someone remembers.

Obviously the nobles and evil templars, magickers, etc etc tend to be remembered, but that's not necessarily because they're memorable in a good way. Not everyone can be the star of the show, the support cast gets remembered too.

Proxie

[Ritley]

There is no set formula to tell how to make a PC that people will remember. You just play your PC and live your PC's life, making the best decisions possible for it. Do your best to impact the world and people around you and hope that when you get to the APM or one of these "Favorite PC" threads, you're someday mentioned.

It's a crapshoot. You'll play this PC that you think is just THE most memorable and neat PC around... and it will be your little nobody that someone remembers.

Obviously the nobles and evil templars, magickers, etc etc tend to be remembered, but that's not necessarily because they're memorable in a good way. Not everyone can be the star of the show, the support cast gets remembered too.

Proxie

Support cast? I doubt a super warrior who can topple armies be one of the support cast  :twisted: In my opinion if you play a character right anyone can be part of the main plot and not just the support cast. Templars, Nobles, Defilers, Warriors, and Magickers being the easiest of course! what I want to know is how to make your character more solid, so to speak not just memorable. Characters who have solid personalities tend to be remembered more.

[Cenghiz]

Memorable magickers are often hard to make.. You can't trust folks and tell about your abilities within a blink. Allies often turn to enemies, because the city states pay and you don't. At least you don't pay as much as they do. Your role is often too dangerous in the community, even if you're accepted as a gemmer or something.
Making a Tor Sergeant and living long with a solid personality is nearly enough to be memorable..
A magicker requires much more.

[Jherlen]

[sarcasm]
Ten tips to making the best PC ever and winning Armageddon.

1. Max out all your skills. Twinking to do this is okay, as long as no one watches you.
2. Get the most awesomest gear possible. This may mean your PC automagically knows the exact items he needs without ever having seen them in game. Order them explicitly by their exact sdesc from PC merchants. Throw a huge fit if they screw up and get you something else by accident, and then don't buy it. ("No no, I wanted a SHARP, WELL-BALANCED HALFSWORD, you stupid newb merchant! This is a WELL-BALANCED, CURVED BONE HALFBLADE! Agh you suck!!")
3. Write 3-line emotes for every single action, even if they take you five minutes to come up with.
4. Your sdesc must have words that fewer than one-third of the players will have in their vocabulary.
5. Your mdesc must be at least fifteen lines in length and go to great detail about miniscule features of your character's appearance that people would only notice if they stared at you for five minutes.
6. Mudsex everyone, as much as you can.
7. You must give the appearance of being 'too good' to roleplay with half the mud. If no one in the tavern is worth your attention, sit at a table, by yourself. And then emote how you are sitting at your table, by yourself, watching crowds, and looking aloof and important. If anyone actually attempts to engage you in roleplay, do not respond more than absolutely necessary.
8. Whenever you see a magicker, sorceror, or mindbender, you must immediately attack it, no matter how senseless IC it might be for your character to actually think he has a shot at killing something like that. Double bonus points for trying to start a lynch mob of common nobodies against a suspected mindbender/magicker/sorceror if you aren't militia.
9. Never show respect to PCs who have IC authority over you, because OOCly you're the better player. Who cares if that guy is a noble, he's probably just some 1-year newbie, you don't need to bow to him.
10. Write condescending and egotistical posts on the GDB as much as you can. Remember, your PC is better than everyone else, so you are too.
[/sarcasm]

In all honesty, though, I think that by playing characters you enjoy and making them real and consistent, you'll have a lot more fun. The characters who people remember are probably remembered because the player was having a lot of fun with the character and putting a lot into them, rather than just trying to get their name posted on the GDB in some thread. I don't really think there's any one formula to "do this and everyone will remember your PC."

[Vanth]

Keys to being memorable:

Longevity:  You have to stick around long enough to be more than just an sdesc someone saw a few times.

Consistency: Your character should usually/always react the same way to similar situations.  This doesn't mean that they can't grow and change, but such changes should be gradual, should make sense in view of their overall psyche, and should be the result of major events.

They might also have certain phrases or physical gestures they always use.  Feck instead of fuck, for example.  Maybe they gesture with their hands a lot when they speak.  Maybe they stutter when they're nervous or scared.

Consider what your character's likes and dislikes are.  Be very thorough about this.  How do they feel about other races?  People from other parts of the world?  Magickers?  Criminals?  Authority figures?  For example, if you're playing a tribal human in the Tablelands, it's essential to think about how they feel about Kurac, desert elves, city-dwellers, and other tribes, including gypsies.

Focus:  I've always most enjoyed characters who have a goal in life.  They don't have to pursue it as steadfastly as a dwarf, nor does it have to be something involving a huge plot.  Maybe they want to see the Silt Sea before they die.  Maybe they want to have a lot of kids.  Maybe they want to serve their clan well and become a leader in it.

This is easier with non-dwarves, because they can change their goal more easily.  Maybe your character has a goal to find a lover to settle down with.  Then they get their heart broken and swear off love forever.  And their new goal is to kill the person who broke their heart.

Or maybe they're completely inept at working toward a goal.  For example, you're playing a Tenneshi Guard whose goal is to become Captain someday.  But s/he can't seem to stop drinking and spicing.  So when s/he wakes up after a long binge, s/he feels remorse and self-pity because s/he missed out on a chance to impress their superiors.

[Rindan]

Live a long and realistic life.  Do this, and your character is going to be memorable at least to you, if not to others.  

It is pretty damn hard to have a character live for a full IC year and not have great things happen to your character.  Honestly, I think that living is the thing that people struggle with the most.  If you get that whole living part down, I think everything else just falls into place.

1)  Don't solo hunt.  
2)  Don't enter the 'rinth unless you belong there.

Countless characters die because they insist upon solo hunting and running around stabbing things in the 'rinth.  Solo hunting and going into the 'rinth when you don't belong are sure fire ways of ending up dead and not remembered.  If you do those two things, you will probably add months to the life of your character.  To make your character practically live forever, you just throw in a few more.

3)  Don't piss of Templars.
4)  Never ever surrender yourself to death.

The last two are very important.  Even your most badass warrior or slippery elf can die to a templar.  I played a militia man once and was absolutely blown away by the number of stupid people thrust before my Templar.  I can't count how many times people heroically refused to speak, spat at the Templar, and did all manner of foolish things.  This is just stupid.  I have had a smelly 'rinth elf get captured transporting magik goods, spice, and stolen noble house gear... and have lived to tell about it.  I lived because my character was dead set on living.  He sold out everyone and simply started making shit up when he had nothing left to sell out on.  Was he neck deep in shit after words?  Hell yes, but he was alive and well.

So many times I have seen someone end up getting knocked out and stripped naked.  Instead of struggling forward and at least trying, they simply go and commit suicide.  I can say without a doubt that my most awesome Armageddon experience was when I had a character stripped of everything of value he had, and was in the process of being sent to be executed.  Instead of giving in, he struggled like a mad dog and got free.  It was easily one of the coolest moments in my entire time playing Armageddon simply because even when the odds were stacked way against me, I figured I might as well try and get free.

Honestly, just trying living for a long time.  It is pretty damn hard in Armageddon to live a long time and NOT get sucked into something.

[Earendur]

I guess my thoughts on it are to simply try your damn hardest to make every scene as fun as possible for anyone who's around you.  If you walk into a bar and someone's just sitting there, make something happen.  I'm not going to do any justice to your question because it's so broad, but ultimately everyone's here to have fun.  Strive to think of things that will make other PCs want to interact with yours.  

I'm finding it hard, especially with the social setup of the game.  Here are a few tips that work for me:

You can't just walk up to everyone and start having a conversation, but that doesn't mean you can't RP with them.

-RP extends beyond talking and sometimes emote is the only thing you've got.  Run into them and knock them over, mistake them for someone you know/knew, RP thinking you see something wrong with their appearance and gawk at them, do something!  

-Then consider you don't have to talk to a PC to RP with them.  vNPCs, I find, are wonderful for this.  Say something to a faceless guy sitting next to you that applies to the PC sitting next to you.  If they're at all interested in reciprocating RP, you'll get some response.

Popsickle-cut-out PCs suck.  Don't be one.

-IRL, we all have jobs, professions, or some kind of task that could be defined as "what we do."  Almost none of us are completely defined by this.  I've been alive for eighteen years and if I had to write about myself, I'd have a whole lot more to say than, "I'm a college student that wants to be a writer."  Your character should be no different.  Give.  Him.  Traits.  I'm not going to talk with a hunter who logs on to hunt.  He's a flat, 2-D character that equals lots of snores.

-Don't stop at traits.  Yeah, your hunter really hates people in the Byn.  Why?  Every trait your character has is a life story waiting to happen.  If you can sit down and talk about how one time you tried to ride a kank to Red Storm, but it wouldn't obey a single one of your commands when it saw two raptors and ended up running off a cliff, leaving you in the deep desert for days, you're a lot cooler than the elf that just won't ride kanks because it's their racial trait.

-Don't spill every one of your traits to the first person you talk to--it's far more interesting to just exhibit those traits.  This one's a common mistake IMO.  A recent character of mine hated making close friends because he thought it would lead to him relying on other people, and other people were variables he didn't want to have to rely on to stay alive.  But I didn't tell everyone who tried to talk kindly to him that he didn't make friends because they made him weak.  I'd go so far as to say that most of the traits my characters have, they aren't even consciously aware of.


General questions you might want to answer for each character to flesh him out:

-What are three things that make him angry?
-What are three things that make him happy?
-Sad?
-How will he react in situations he's likely to see (including but not limited to things like a templar interrogating someone in a bar, a fight in the middle of a street, magickers talking about their powers, etc).
-How does he respond to authority?
-When was the last time he cried?
-Did he ever fall in love?  What happened, is he still in love of did it end?  Why?
-What does he think of his family?
-What's something that he's reluctant to do?
-What's something that he absolutely won't do, even if it means his death (this one is a really good one)?
-What kind of food does he like?
-Any quirky gestures that he might do (tap his thigh a lot, flick his ear, thumb his nose, etc)?
-Catch saying that he has?

This won't necessarily lead to an uber awesome PC that dominates the world and r0xx0rs all ur s0xx0rs, but it does lead to a more memorable PC.  And on the topic of memorable PCs, were I ever say..a house guard sergeant recruiting PCs to join, and I had two choose between to PCs, and one was quite clearly experienced with the MUD but still a flat character, while the other still made some mistakes that marked him as a newer player but he had a really well fleshed out character, he'd be the one I picked.

Reading back through, that seems a little jumbled, but hopefully it helps you out a little, Ritley.  Good luck!

[Ritley]

I guess my thoughts on it are to simply try your damn hardest to make every scene as fun as possible for anyone who's around you.  If you walk into a bar and someone's just sitting there, make something happen.  I'm not going to do any justice to your question because it's so broad, but ultimately everyone's here to have fun.  Strive to think of things that will make other PCs want to interact with yours.  

I'm finding it hard, especially with the social setup of the game.  Here are a few tips that work for me:

You can't just walk up to everyone and start having a conversation, but that doesn't mean you can't RP with them.

-RP extends beyond talking and sometimes emote is the only thing you've got.  Run into them and knock them over, mistake them for someone you know/knew, RP thinking you see something wrong with their appearance and gawk at them, do something!  

-Then consider you don't have to talk to a PC to RP with them.  vNPCs, I find, are wonderful for this.  Say something to a faceless guy sitting next to you that applies to the PC sitting next to you.  If they're at all interested in reciprocating RP, you'll get some response.

Popsickle-cut-out PCs suck.  Don't be one.

-IRL, we all have jobs, professions, or some kind of task that could be defined as "what we do."  Almost none of us are completely defined by this.  I've been alive for eighteen years and if I had to write about myself, I'd have a whole lot more to say than, "I'm a college student that wants to be a writer."  Your character should be no different.  Give.  Him.  Traits.  I'm not going to talk with a hunter who logs on to hunt.  He's a flat, 2-D character that equals lots of snores.

-Don't stop at traits.  Yeah, your hunter really hates people in the Byn.  Why?  Every trait your character has is a life story waiting to happen.  If you can sit down and talk about how one time you tried to ride a kank to Red Storm, but it wouldn't obey a single one of your commands when it saw two raptors and ended up running off a cliff, leaving you in the deep desert for days, you're a lot cooler than the elf that just won't ride kanks because it's their racial trait.

-Don't spill every one of your traits to the first person you talk to--it's far more interesting to just exhibit those traits.  This one's a common mistake IMO.  A recent character of mine hated making close friends because he thought it would lead to him relying on other people, and other people were variables he didn't want to have to rely on to stay alive.  But I didn't tell everyone who tried to talk kindly to him that he didn't make friends because they made him weak.  I'd go so far as to say that most of the traits my characters have, they aren't even consciously aware of.


General questions you might want to answer for each character to flesh him out:

-What are three things that make him angry?
-What are three things that make him happy?
-Sad?
-How will he react in situations he's likely to see (including but not limited to things like a templar interrogating someone in a bar, a fight in the middle of a street, magickers talking about their powers, etc).
-How does he respond to authority?
-When was the last time he cried?
-Did he ever fall in love?  What happened, is he still in love of did it end?  Why?
-What does he think of his family?
-What's something that he's reluctant to do?
-What's something that he absolutely won't do, even if it means his death (this one is a really good one)?
-What kind of food does he like?
-Any quirky gestures that he might do (tap his thigh a lot, flick his ear, thumb his nose, etc)?
-Catch saying that he has?
This won't necessarily lead to an uber awesome PC that dominates the world and r0xx0rs all ur s0xx0rs, but it does lead to a more memorable PC.  And on the topic of memorable PCs, were I ever say..a house guard sergeant recruiting PCs to join, and I had two choose between to PCs, and one was quite clearly experienced with the MUD but still a flat character, while the other still made some mistakes that marked him as a newer player but he had a really well fleshed out character, he'd be the one I picked.

Reading back through, that seems a little jumbled, but hopefully it helps you out a little, Ritley.  Good luck!

I can answer all of those questions easy off heart, but I won't because that will tell you all my character. And I have let things in the game change his opinions on different things. He may be memorable but not what I want. Maybe I don't just mean memorable, but even stronger than that... the type of character who makes you want to actually be there in Arm for IRL. The type that immerses you in the gameworld. I have met a few... most fairly recent so I won't say them. I want my character to be like them.... this was not influenced by that thread about setting examples, but by my gaming experiance on Arm.

[LauraMars]

Patience.

[Salt Merchant]

Memorable characters are those who persistently and significantly affect a wide range of other characters' lives.

[Ritley]

Memorable characters are those who persistently and significantly affect a wide range of other characters' lives.

I can tell you this: My character has a -lot- of potentiel for that. More than Thrain I bet.

[jstorrie]

Double bonus points for trying to start a lynch mob of common nobodies against a suspected mindbender/magicker/sorceror if you aren't militia.

Okay, honestly, a lynch mob would be totally lazerawesome.

[bloodfromstone]

I wouldn't focus too much on creating the most memorable character ever. If you want a memorable character, create someone who has a good set up to be influencing. Someone who wants to change something, build something, lead something... From there, make them an interesting, fun character with flaws and merits and play them well. If too much of your focus for playing this character is to be memorable, I'm afraid it will probably bleed through IG.

[Delirium]

- Stay alive

- Be consistant

- Involve others

[Hot_Dancer]

Successfully start a clan or tribe.

Hot_Dancer

[Malifaxis]

Be realistic.  Have flaws.  Freak out about things thats your character would freak out about.  Don't take five arrows to the chest and keep walking.

As Delirium said, INVOLVE OTHERS.  Nothing gets you remembered quicker than involving someone else's character in something major.  It doesn't matter if you end up being a boon or a bane, you just have to involve them.

[Agent_137]

I find including flaws difficult. It's my own personal flaw. Any tips or deeper advice on how to do that?

[Larrath]

I find including flaws difficult. It's my own personal flaw. Any tips or deeper advice on how to do that?

Start small with your flaws.  Your character could be flawed by having a broken arm (so you won't ES anything), or by being terrible at keeping secrets, or by getting very drunk and doing stupid things after one mug of ale.  Your character could fall in love/lust with someone they have no chance of ever being with...like a Tuluki House Guard that suddenly decides that he absolutely must have that Chosen Lady.
It could even be smaller, like a character who's absolutely terrified of magickers.  How terrified?  He'll refuse to ever get within twenty feet of a magicker and will never contact them.
You can give your character a stutter that leaves him speaking unclearly, or simply be an inconsiderate asshole.  Being blind to other people's feelings and constantly stepping on people's toes can be great fun.
Be greedy, or cowardly, or even just lazy.

[Seeker]

Including flaws?  Difficult?  Oh, brother.

If you want a simple tip, here is one that has served me well:

Learn to enjoy laughing at your character's pitiful foibles.

When you could have the world laid out at your PC's feet, but you instead choose to RP one of her signature "panic-attacks", then you are more than half-way there.


Seeker

[amoeba]

One thing is to keep your flaws consitaint with your character and thier development.  

I had a character that was often rather clumsy.  It wouldn't be unusual for him to smack himself over the head with his own weapon during sparring. But as he got more proficient with combat, this happened less frequently. Of course he would still spill a drink on himself every now and then, but at least he wasn't a risk to himself during training.

Character flaws are fun and great roleplay tools, often leading to more interaction.  I love character flaws.

[Rindan]

I find the easiest flaws to incorporate are ones that are objective.  A very simple flaw you can incoroprate that has a coded way to keep track of it is to become a spice fiend.  Try spice once.  It isn't hard to imagine a small break in will power.  Once you have tried it, decide you are addicted and try again.  Given a little time, build up until you decide you are fully addicted.  At this point, make it your mission in life to ALWAYS be spiced.  If you type score and don't see 'affected by spice', get some.  For a character that makes only a little bit of 'sid, you can quickly get in way over your head if you stick by the rule that you NEVER have your character not spiced.  Take loans and accept risky jobs if there is a payoff of spice.  If you ever run out of spice, become desperate to get more.  Don't give up on your desperation and assume that your character simply got over it.  Make your every waking second devoted to retaining a supply of spice.  This is a pretty sure fire path to self destruction or something great.   It is stupidly easy to make ANY character in a spice head.  Few people are so iron willed that they don't break down and try something once.

If you happen to be rich, being spice addicted can still be loads of fun, especially if you live in 'nak.  Being spice addicted means that you need a constant supply.  You might have the 'sid to support such a habbit, but you still have to deal with a spice dealer.  Further, you probably need to take some efforts at concealing your addiction.  Few people can pop out a joint and smoke up in the middle of the Barrel.  If you run out of spice, have it dramatically effect your personality.

I highly suggest spice addiction to anyone looking to spice up their life (ha ha, pun).  It is a simple way to give your character a goal, get them in trouble, and the fact that there is code support helps to act as a constant reminder when it is time to be flawed.

[Jarod550]

Be realistic.  Have flaws.  Freak out about things thats your character would freak out about.  Don't take five arrows to the chest and keep walking.

As Delirium said, INVOLVE OTHERS.  Nothing gets you remembered quicker than involving someone else's character in something major.  It doesn't matter if you end up being a boon or a bane, you just have to involve them.

So if your character takes a few arrows he's supposed to fall down and wait for the one that's going to finish him?

I take arrows all the time and run like a bitch, or charge and attack

Jarod

[Agent_137]

you don't enjoy listening to people, do you jarod?

[InsertCleverNameHere]

Memorable characters are those who persistently and significantly affect a wide range of other characters' lives.

I think this is worth repeating. Along with the already repeated "don't have making a memorable character be your only goal".

Enjoy your character, this is what the game is about. Don't try to make your character remembered, enjoy your character, interact with others. The opportunity will arise for you to do something that someone else will remember. It doesn't have to be that on every Detal night your meek merchant turns into a hairy half-gortok man and stalks the streets eating lone travelers. If you enjoy playing your character, people will usually enjoy playing with you. The more this happens, the more you'll be remembered by these people. I can't promise that an entire city state will remember you when you do this.. But I can guarentee someone will.

One of my all-time favorite characters was probably known to maybe 10-15 players, who were in the clan she was in or closely associated with it. Am I sad that only this small bundle of people knew her? Not a snowballs chance in hell. I remember these characters she interacted with dearly, even if on an IC level they weren't all huggy fluffy-bunny types.

Want to know one (of many) of my favorite memories with some of these characters? Day off with the girls, smoking up spice and playing Tek's Tower while laughing their asses off about whatever it was they were talking about. Is it important to anyone else? Maybe not. Did it have a serious game impact? Highly doubtful. Did all of these characters impact the others lives, increase the game enjoyability? Hell yes.  :wink:

           I miss you girls!

[Gaare]

- Stay alive
- Be consistant
- Involve others

Memorable characters are those who persistently and significantly affect a wide range of other characters' lives.

For good, memorable PC, also some staff support is needed from here and there.  With so, a PC may able to "involve much more players" then without that support.

[Jarod550]

I find including flaws difficult. It's my own personal flaw. Any tips or deeper advice on how to do that?

I totally understand, how in the hell can you rp a flawed character when in real life you're perfect.

heh

is it just me?

Jarod

[Jarod550]

you don't enjoy listening to people, do you jarod?

no.

Jarod

[Bogre]

Flawed characters are extremely fun to play, imo.

[Morrolan]

I have found two ways to influence other characters, at least a little.

A)     Be a team player.  Help others.  Try to create and maintain friendships.  This will lead you to taking risks that will make you memorable.  Maybe not a powerful badass, but memorable.  Emotionally involve yourself.

Yeah, I remember when Joe and I used to hunt gortoks.  He sure hated them.  He was always up for a little hunting, and he even pretended to enjoy their meat.  He always had 'sid to loan, too.  And there was that time he got me spiced, and the time he bribed a templar for me.  Joe was a cool guy.

B)     Be self-involved.  Keep your character consistent.  Use others.  Let them use you.  Keep your character's goals at the forefront of your mind.  See other people as part of your plan, while recognizing that they have plans as well.

Joe?  Yeah, he was a total kank-whore.  Always going on about something.  He was always up for anything that would make some 'sid.  Krath, I remember the time I got arrested because he slipped some spice in my pocket.  Still, if you needed something from the 'Rinth, he was the guy to talk to.

What these have in common is that they both involve other characters, one as a follower/helper and the other as a leader/instigator.  They aren't Thrain Ironsword, but they will have an expanding circle of friends and enemies.

That will make them memorable.

Morrolan

[jhunter]

Find some aspects of your own personality, no matter how small, and exaggerate them. Bring out the best or worst of yourself with the things that -fit- your character. Somewhere inside everyone in the deepest darkest corners lurks some aspects of your makeup that you might not ever tap into in RL, but they exist inside all of us.

Don't be afraid to give your character flaws, the flaws of characters will sometimes stand out in the minds and hearts of others more than their strengths. Nothing wrong with your character being, stuck on themselves, stupid, foolish, clumsy, disobediant, vain, rude, overly nice, sick, unskilled, necrophiliac, acrophobiac, forgetful, reckless, selfish, addicted to <insert anything here>, cowardly, lazy, workaholic...etc...

Don't be afraid to make mistakes, real people make mistakes and your character shouldn't be any different. Sometimes real people don't think about the consequences of their actions beforehand. Unless your character has a photographic memory, you aren't going to remember everyone you meet either. You aren't always going to be the best liar, you may even be honest to the point of it being detrimental to your health. Might be an avid gossip. Pissing people off because you can't keep a secret for the life of you.

You aren't always going to know the way of doing something with that character, even though OOC you do.
Sometimes, playing out your character -not- knowing or being able to do something that OOC you know how to do is more fun for you and those around you. If you know OOC how it -will- work or -where- something is, you also know all the ways it won't work. Rping some of those out because your character doesn't know is alot of fun.

Work to build realistic relationships with your character, have friends and enemies alike. You aren't going to like/hate -everyone-. You aren't going to be perfectly trustworthy to all your "friends", but there may be a select few. They might not be any that can truly trust you. This goes along with what some have said about involving others. The more people you get involved with you the more people there are to remember you and the more the fun is shared with others. Sometimes involving others may not even be directly, this still opens up the opportunity for more interaction.

Most importantly:
Enjoy your character. If you can't find enjoyment in playing out the character you have created, then few others will find enjoyment playing their own around yours.

These are a few things IMO that make for memorable characters.

[Jakahri]

There are some good notes here I think.

jhunter is the king of 'memorable' characters, in my opinion, and he offers some great advice.

Can we have this thread stored please?

[Akaramu]

I agree, there are many valuable posts in this discussion, and it is completely flame-free.

Could this please be archived?

[Intrepid]

I can't speak for anyone else, but here are the things I do when making a pc personality:

:arrow:  Find an angle:  If you're a city-elf warrior/physician in the Rinth, how are
you different from the other 300 city-elf warrior/physicians that have previously graced
the game?  It has nothing to do a specific quirk and does not often relate to the
occupation (though it certainly could).  It's an overall concept that breathes life
into your character and often brings the whole character together.  For some, it can
even justify your choice of race, class, subclass and location.  Maybe that city-elf
warrior/physician in the Rinth is there because he's genuinely interested in finding
a cure for the most recent plague and has learned how to defend himself so the
thugs don't jump him...or maybe he's a toadie for a defiler and is gathering bodies
to raise a zombie army.  A character is more than just race/class/subclass/locale, it's a
character first and foremost, complete with all the why's and how's indicative in
a real person.

:arrow:  Personality: It's easy to make a two dimensional character.  To have three
dimensions, you need to make layers to a personality.  The first thing you do is make
what the character is like when you first meet them--first impressions and such.  They
are often misleading in people, aren't they?  This why, unless your character is an
utter simpleton, the layer beneath it will be different but with some consistent similarities
to it--the side of you people get to know after talking with you for a while.  Lastly,
there is a side each of us keeps hidden from everyone...or just about everyone.  It
is often akin to a dark side of our personality, but that's not usually the case--it's
more often the secret, private portion of a person's personality that can be a very
powerful motivator in why a person's first impression personality and inner layer
are the way they are.  All three of these aspects should mesh together if at all
possible, unless the contradiction is deliberate or the character is insane.

:arrow:  Lastly: I noticed there have been some good question/answer formats in
previous posts.  To add to that, I will suggest this: If you are answering these
questions with simple one-liners or even just a single word, you're not in the zone.
If you have a good handle on how to play this concept, you should be effortlessly
pouring out mini-essays on this pc.  At that point, you'll be sufficiently inspired to
move ahead with the character.

As an aside, I can't help notice that you seem to be almost advertising this great
potential for your current pc...don't do that.  The game will humble you in showing
you just how easy it is for death to jinx you out of a favorite pc.

[Anonymous]

Don't play a character so that other will remember, just play one that you'll remember.

[Anonymous]

Eh. Just play something funny.

Seriously.

There are so many people hung up on making the perfect statement about their ability to establish a role and a character and play it, that people forget to be -fun-.

Be fun to watch and be seen by many people. That's the way to be memorable. But be sure it's fun for you to play, too.

[Intrepid]

Eh. Just play something funny.

Seriously.

There are so many people hung up on making the perfect statement about their ability to establish a role and a character and play it, that people forget to be -fun-.

Be fun to watch and be seen by many people. That's the way to be memorable. But be sure it's fun for you to play, too.

Sometimes, playing a funny character can be jarring to a scene or setting.  While I
don't believe that everything needs to be serious on Arm, scene-stealers do not
promote good rp on Arm just because they're funny, and that is often what comes
of the more clownish roles.  Use your best judgement.  Use someone else's if your
own is shotty.

[Kelen]

Well, I can safely say I got taken out of the (game) taking a bullet for others. That's pretty much the most memorable way I can think of. That or be infamous and run around the city assaulting templars.  :twisted:

[Malifaxis]

Play a good guy who isn't a dumbass.

Instantly memorable.

[ale six]

stuff

PLEASE don't post things like this if what you're saying at all relates to any current events, info, characters, deaths etc. Those of us who read the GDB and know who you play (or even have a suspicion) will learn things we shouldn't know.

Note that I'm not really directing this solely at you, Kelen, and I hope you don't take offense.

[Kelen]

sorry, didn't think this was that specific, allright though, my fault.

[Anonymous]

While I
don't believe that everything needs to be serious on Arm, scene-stealers do not
promote good rp on Arm just because they're funny, and that is often what comes
of the more clownish roles.

The original poster did not ask "tell me what good role play is", he said "how do I make a memorable character?"

And there are plenty of very good examples of memorable characters who are funny (for various reasons) without being a pointless buffoon.

I mean, come on. One of the most memorable characters for people who actually -played- then was a dwarf who talked like a pirate.

Also, don't assume that -funny- means "clown". Fatty Tor was hilarious, and he was everything= but a clown.

You don't have to discard the setting and all the game points in order to be entertaining. Just... remember that being -entertaining- is the key. You can be the most perfectly thought-out character ever introduced into RPdom - and if you aren't interesting to watch, people aren't going to notice you.

[LoD]

And there are plenty of very good examples of memorable characters who are funny (for various reasons) without being a pointless buffoon.

I mean, come on. One of the most memorable characters for people who actually -played- then was a dwarf who talked like a pirate.

Also, don't assume that -funny- means "clown". Fatty Tor was hilarious, and he was everything= but a clown.

Funny to a player is also different than funny to a character.  I'm sure there were many times that Fatty Tor's emotes were funny to "we humans" watching the scene unfold, but not at all funny to our characters.  As for pirate talking dwarves, again, that's an OOC point of interest that players found amusing rather than their characters.

I believe davien's point was that humor has a couple different levels, and having an interesting character that appeals to both (IC and OOC) is one way in which a character can be memorable.  I remember a particular mul in the rebellion not because of all of the exciting in-game achievements he made, but because of one scene that went something like:

Hunkering down by the fire, the big, burly mul says, in sirihish:
   "That fekker was harder to grab than the rear end of a greased gurth."

Glancing up suddenly, the big, burly mul says, in sirihish:
   "Not that I...uh...have tried or anything...."

Wandering away with a mutter, the big, burly mul says, in sirihish:
  "Ah, crap."

I'll always remember that character and scene in that moment because it was hunorous both in game, out of game, and everywhere in between.  This is by no means a catch-all for having a memorable character, but it can certainly help.

-LoD

[Intrepid]

The original poster did not ask "tell me what good role play is", he said "how do I make a memorable character?"

I'm aware of that, but giving a blanket statement like "just be funny" can also lead to an obnoxious pc when players create a character that is moronic because they personally think it's funny.  Remember, funny is an opinion, and not everyone shares it.  What you think is funny can just be pestering to someone else's rp experience.  I'm not saying that all humorous characters are bad, but these pcs should be made with the setting in mind and not solely the humor of the player--otherwise, it's just another obnoxious character that people would rather see thrown into the arena and done away with.

And there are plenty of very good examples of memorable characters who are funny (for various reasons) without being a pointless buffoon.

And yet, we've all seen pointless buffoons, Davien.  I realize that you personally have a soft spot for humorous pcs, but there should be a common sense limiter on what is appropriate for the setting.

I mean, come on. One of the most memorable characters for people who actually -played- then was a dwarf who talked like a pirate.

You know, memorable pcs run the gamut for me.  Humorous ones are neither more nor less memorable than the ones that were chilling or impressive, depending on where and what they were.

Also, don't assume that -funny- means "clown". Fatty Tor was hilarious, and he was everything= but a clown.

But for some people it does, and if you don't include the fine print, someone will invariably assume that's what you meant.

You don't have to discard the setting and all the game points in order to be entertaining. Just... remember that being -entertaining- is the key. You can be the most perfectly thought-out character ever introduced into RPdom - and if you aren't interesting to watch, people aren't going to notice you.

There are many ways to be entertaining.  In fact, as a player I seek to entertain others with my pc as well as be entertained, and I do that with any character regardless of their theme.  There is also a point where it gets to be obvious that the player is trying too hard and isn't believable as a living being.  I can't speak for anyone else, but some of the funniest situations I've ever seen were ludicrous events happening to believable individuals and watching how they reacted to them.  These were scenes that struck me funny because I could relate to the character and it did seem like the spawn of a crackbaby dream, basically.

To give you a real world example: Why is it that Firefly has a more devoted following, though smaller, than most sci fi shows?  Because the characters were people you could relate to, they made you like and dislike them, you could find them engaging.  Does anyone really relate to most of the Star Trek characters?  Some of them were funny, some were even made to be funny.  The funniest events in Firefly had me laughing so hard I was in tears because I was pulled into the scene by the portrayal of the characters.  Character design is the foundation of a memorable character, and it can have a humorous element to it--but if that's all you have, you basically have a flake character.  It's two dimensional.

It's incomplete, basically.

[LoD]

Most memorable characters will have an impact on you.

Their character may make you laugh, earn your respect, betray your love, survive your hatred, come to your rescue, or snuff out your life.  They may wow you with flowery emotes, witty dialogue, clever play, personal success, physical prowess, great achievements, or whatever else floats your boat.

That is why longevity, consistency, and high profile interaction will be the most likely weapons in your quest toward a memorable character.  Two lovers in a Noble House may remember one another forever, but whom outside of their small circle of friends did they impact with their play?  A clan of secretive mages may discover a way to wield unimaginable power, but how many will know beyond those quiet few?  The greatest hunter of the Known World was probably a mantis named Bob whose single greatest interaction on a group level was when they communicated to the group mind, "I'm hungry."  Would anyone even care to know them?

Be accessible.  Be patient and visible.  Stay alive.  Impact people's lives.

And, as difficult as it may be, don't try to be memorable.  Just play your role with realism, zeal, and patience.  Good things come to those who wait.  Great things come to those who happen to be in the right place at the right time.  The longer you live, the more chances you have to be great.

-LoD

[Akaramu]

Could this awesome thread please be archived?

[Aldiel]

Wierd--really, really wierd characters always stick out in my mind, but you got to play them for a while, and you have to conistantly be wierd.  Hehe.

Really fresh sdescs.  I once met a dude with abomination in his sdesc--never forgot him.  The green mutant neither, but I don't think you have to go that far.  You could just make him have speckled eyes or long fingernails, or something that's not that typical.  The scarred, blonde-haired fellow is just so commonplace that it's really hard to make a mark.

Cool, but short names.  Pick a fresh name that easy to pronounce--that you can pronounce as soon as you read it.  Names like Ghwietni are less memorable to me then names like Granti.  Granti is just easier to say, although I will say Ghwietni has a bit of flare to it that I like.  (Hmmm... I should make a character with that name.  That's a good name, lol.)

[Ritley]

Thanks a lot guys, you've helped me bundles.

[Barzalene]

I had one memorable pc. She had a faceted personality. So, while she was consistently herself, she was not the same with her cofidants as she was with those above or below her. I think the secret to a memorable character, is the enjoy them, and to believe in them. To be able to say what would X think of this, how would X feel about that, and how does X want people to feel about him/her.

I know that's really simplistic, and as I didn't read all of the posts, probably has been said. Anyway, that's my take.

[HowToGetFamous]

The key to being remembered is simple. Stay alive. The key to staying alive is being a twink for the first few rl months of play. Most people will flame me for this, but I truly believe this is how you should go about it. Don't attempt anything dangerous or memorable or dumb to early in your PCs life. Wait it out, and be bored, but get strong through well disguised and rationalized twinking (as opposed to overt twinking which is frowned upon) until you are capable of keeping other characters alive.

Once you are at this point, become a great leader of other PCs and do great things. Travel far and wide, kill rogue magickers etc.

[Larrath]

The key to being remembered is simple. Stay alive.

Unless you stay alive for a completely ridiculous amount of time, like over an RL year, simple longevity won't make you truly memorable.  People would know who the character is, but that's not the same.

The key to staying alive is being a twink for the first few rl months of play. Most people will flame me for this, but I truly believe this is how you should go about it.

That's just totally incorrect.  Sure, with twinking it's very possible and very easy to live forever - just sit in a tavern, bow to people and do some minimal mining to buy flour and water.  But it's not the point at all.  The key to staying alive is understanding how the game world works and what your character's role is.  If you understand that templars are basically forced to kill you if you spit in their faces, you'll have an easier time dealing with them.

This also ties to the next point, with which I agree (disregarding the twinking part:

Don't attempt anything dangerous or memorable or dumb to early in your PCs life. Wait it out, and be bored...

Once you are at this point, become a great leader of other PCs and do great things. Travel far and wide, kill rogue magickers etc.

Being a good leader of other characters has absolutely nothing to do with stats.  Leadership isn't charging at bahamets and killing them, leadership is primarily, to me, helping other characters deepen their roleplay and characters and flesh things out better.