Making a memorable character

[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.