Good to Great

[Dink]

I am new to Arm and am wondering what kinds of things make exceptional rping and character devlopment?  

I've played extensive amounts of Muds and D&D  so i'm quite familiar with character creation and the like, so I guess i'm looking for more than just the basics...  

What does it take to go from Good to Great, and then again to God-Like?

[Kauket]

You know what I think is most important to character developement?  More so than how in depth your background is, or how many personality quirks you create, or how descriptive your emotes are, is what you do with your character and what sort of impact does (s)he have on the game world and its characters.  You may have a masterpiece of a concept worked out, a character who is portrayed flawlessly well according to the race or class, etc. you've selected, but if you're not adding anything to the game world by your actions, then you're really wasting time -- in my opinion.  I'd rather see a character that doesn't emote much, has a rather terse background and overal concept but leads players to battle, or to manipulate others, or otherwise gets people involved and active.  By no means am I suggesting that I frown upon creative portrayal, or in depth concepts, I think they're great, but I think those things come second to what is most important, and that is what your character does, not who your character is.  I'm not suggesting one break character and commit actions unrealistic for their persona, however.

As a new player you may be temporarily limited to how much you can affect the game world (though anything is possible).  I suggest joining a clan and learning the basics before trying anything catastrophic.  And maybe that's not the reply you're looking for or is slghtly off topic, either way, good luck!

[Barzalene]

On the other side of the coin, I want to see characters who are whole people. They needn't be great leaders, or live exciting lives. I like multi-faceted characters that I can believe in. Like a good book, I want the suspension of disbelief. I want to forget that the pc my pc is interacting with is a pc, and think of them as a person.

How do you breathe life into a PC? I think it's like writing or acting. There should be more going on than what you see.

I'm hardly God's gift to RP, but people seem to enjoy playing with me. I think the reason why is because my pc's take on a life of their own beyond the intitial background. Sometimes they even surprise me.

[Abascal]

How do you breathe life into a PC? I think it's like writing or acting. There should be more going on than what you see.

Brilliant remark.

[Dink]

When you say that there needs to be more going on than meets the eye, are you talking about unseen motivations? for example:

I give some bread to a starving orphan child, and to outsiders it looks like i am being kind and generous, but really my motivation is selfish, i am trying to quench the burn of lonliness than smoulders in the pit of my stomach...

Like that kind of thing?  Or do you mean something else?

[Malifaxis]

As Barflyzelene said, yes... it's definitely an acting type situation.  There is no 'hyper l337 trip' that will get you to being a great RP'er, but here's my three sids worth of advice:

When starting your character, choose a few 'issues' your character would have.  Above and beyond "I'm human, I hate elves" that is.  Just like in real life, your character would have had experiences that fragmented the world view they held somehow.  Perhaps they had a girl/boy friend who was totally obsessed with one color, and now they can hardly stand to look at it.  Perhaps the smell of alcohol on someone's breath reminds them of a time they were raped.  Maybe as a child you fell off a kank, and fractured your skull and now you worship the strange Kankman, God of All.  Small 'issues' really help you get a feel for the character as a living entity.

Use a speech style.  I experimented with this a while back, with an old character, and got numerous compliments, both IC and OOC, about how when I would speak, people could really feel the emotions I was trying to portray.  Maybe your character is a bit shy... so speak softly.  If you're playing a Byn leader, be gruff and gravelly... shout on ocassion when you don't need to.

Remember small environmental effects that your character has come across.  You just walked through the kank stables in the Bazarr of 'nak... you may very well have a small kank pressie on your boot.  So stomp it off as you come in to the Traders.  Did you get your punk butt thrashed in a hand to hand competition?  Black eye... broken jaw.  Keep it for a few days (weeks IC).  Did you spend the night with your V/N/PC lover?  How about them hickies?

These little 'trivial' effects can really help you get a feel for the person you need to breathe life in to.  It will also help others around you to get to know your character on a closer level, and help to keep the atmosphere rich.

Above all, throw yourself in to the character when you log on.  There's been a lot of talk about immersion roleplaying, and method roleplaying on these boards.  The more you get in to your character, the more other people will get in to your character.

And remember... don't ever think of yourself as a bad or shitty RP'er.  Because if you're doing your best to portray the character, it doesn't matter if ever other key is a typo... you're a gem waiting to shine.

[Barzalene]

When you say that there needs to be more going on than meets the eye, are you talking about unseen motivations? for example:

I give some bread to a starving orphan child, and to outsiders it looks like i am being kind and generous, but really my motivation is selfish, i am trying to quench the burn of lonliness than smoulders in the pit of my stomach...

Like that kind of thing?  Or do you mean something else?

Absolutely, that kind of thing. But also the way your pc see's deals with life. How do they react to anger? Aggression? Passive agression? Seething? Sulking? How do they deal with frustration? Pushing harder? Losing interest? Are they ambitious? Lazy? I think this sort of thing is more than a personality quirk, but a personality trait. And then with each situation you either can act out this trait, or run counter to your PC's normal habit and figure out why? Also, you can change. Bad temper get you into trouble? Learn to curb it.

Ok, leave me alone. I'm just babbling now. Sorry.

[WarriorPoet]

Something I found that helps me build and grow my RP skills...

DONT BE A STEREOTYPE!

For months, I played the hard-core Human swordsman out for Honor and Glory. Then I thought... WTF this is boring. So I tore off, made a shady thieflike character, who once again was stereotypical for thieves and cutpurses.

THEN, I made my Drunken Bynner. He always had a bottle stashed somewhere about the compound, and would sneak a pull before sparring/eating/cleaningtheshitter/etc. He was foul and uncouth, but a ladies man to boot, or so he thought. Usually he was so drunk he just thought he was spitting mad game. In reality, these ladies were laughing at him or totally disgusted.

He fancied himself Gods gift to women and the sword, but in reality, he was no more than mediocre with his blade, and hopeless with the ladies.

But, to this day, I can honestly say he has been my FAVORITE character. The one who made me love Armageddon. Hope it helps.

Rock on.

[Dink]

yeah...that does sound like it would have been great to play!  

What are some other peoples favourite characters they have played?   and what have you done to really make those characters come to life?

[Delirium]

Barzalene and WarriorPoet both said it well.. and don't feel like you have to start out with this massive, grand plot either. You can certainly start small. Then work your way up to the big stuff if you want. If you've got a solid character, you'll probably be swept up into what's going on in the game world anyway.  And playing a flawed character is definitely fun. Much, much more fun than playing a stereotypical or 'perfect' character. Maybe that explains why I like half-elves, they're pretty much required to be screwed up. ;)

Where was I going with this? Ah yes. Pretty much reinforcing the above statments, a great character is a person, not a stereotype. A person is multi-layered and has a reason behind their actions, even if they're thoughtless actions (on the part of the character.)

[My 2 sids]

Ill tell you the type that has always impressed me.  The great RPers are those that emote as they walk or speak.  Its the ones that add "pictures" to their Way messages.  Little things like changing the desc to show how they stand or sit.  They observe the weather and blow off the steam on soup.  They say how they light the lantern and kick the elf running across the street.  

The little things that many just dont take the time to do, no matter how trival, that is what I think seperates the good from the great.  Anyone can be poetic with emotes or descriptive with their characters... but to truly have to come alive the character must be active.

[Dink]

::picks his nose and haphazardly flicks the nose prize across the table, landing precariously on the rim of My 2 sids' glass::

think: i hope he doesn't notice, i hope he doesn't notice!

[Cenghiz]

My answer is... do it for yourself... I played Arm for a few hours today.. They were 6 people other than myself.. Probably no imm's to watch my great performance but I and a friend nearby were bursting into laughter, then tears.. And... You may give a poor child some food, knowing that you'll take it back from that man with the club waiting in the corner.. Five people left in game My character decided to give food to only strong beggars, not to waste food.
If you give from yourself to your character enough, you may start to imagine the real feeling for your character. Then you'll never be able to leave the game. That will be the great.

[Dink]

I already do that with D&D but a little reversed...  

I have one char who is the charasmatic type, very outgoing, very charming, but a touch impatient, sometimes too blunt, and usually tremendously cocky.  

In rl situations i tend to be more passive, so whenever i need to be more assertive, like with a prof. or something, i try to assume the role of that D&D character...

So I guess it can go both ways  :wink:

[Thirsty_McTandu]

I think that the one thing that really pushes a character into believability is inner conflict that, unknown to anyone other than the character, motivates action that is visible by all.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I will tell you something that is more useful than anything else. Find a concept you can get into, something that you feel comfortable with, and play it.

It is simply that simple. It is good to do the enviromentive emotes. It is good to do the accents and such. All of that is just lovely. But I will believe in your character more if I see that he is a consistant person, with goals, and a belief that he is truely alive.

And in the end, whether others see you as a well played person or not is irrelevant. It is what you see yourself as.

I have played a number of fairly long lived people. During that chain of PCs, I have recieved both compliments and warnings from other players. Some see me as a shining beacon of what the world should be like, a great addition to the world, and roleplaying model to be followed and revered. Others see me as ill played, borish, simple, and barely a contribution in any form.

The end result is that I do not give a damn what they think. I play to please myself, within the confines of the IMMORTALS' guidelines. I do not care what other players think about my style of play.

This may seem relatively hard-hearted and unfeeling. It is not. If you only think of what others feel about things, then you form no feelings of your own, and end up led along the same path they stride. What seperates the truely great players is that they have chosen to go their own route, and in the end have contributed something new and welcome to the game.

I have two examples here.

1) LoD Snarf: This player is a great addition to the world of Armageddon. While his style of play is simple and not excessively elaborate, it is steady and consistant, and his character is well thought out and presented in stone, clear to be seen for anyone, newbie or older player.

2) Clegane: This player currently holds the title, for me, of being one of the most graphic and yet non-excessive emoters in the game. Everything he does begins and ends with an emote, and he can illustrate some of the most unthought of and trivial things into pictures you can almost see. And yet, his emotes are not excessive, and are not overdone, but rather, well done.

Other players have equally presented the world and their characters to me. Some emote often, some do not. Some talk often, others do not. One of the most effective PCs I ever met emoted sometimes, always with thought, and did not speak with an accent or tone, and rarely with more than one or two word emotes before his speaks. Yet that player, because of the way he carried his character, did more to show me Armageddon and its world, Zalanthas, than any player before or after.

So, as I say, do not follow these quidelines set to you by us, but rather, simply play. If you are serious about actually roleplaying in Armageddon, you will become great, whether as a PC or as a player in the community. As you play and are comfortable, and carry on with your PC or PCs' life, you will come into your own.

[Moe]

I think a very good thing to do when creating a char that you will really enjoy, is to write a very thoughtout backround, that outlines your char, but doesn't box you into a certain way of playing....

Having a detailed backround, that gives you a base for your personality, but then create your personality as your char goes through experiences, and life changing events.. my current char is in a VERY different position than it started... and one that I never really thought would happen. But the situation and circumstances all added to shape thier life.

I think the main key to remember, and a good idea for keeping yourself alive, is to think about your actions before you do this.. think of them from your chars point of view.. IE if your a nobles aide or whatever, your not really going to go galavanting around with the 'byn or whatever on a patrol outside of the city, or if your a ranger/loaner type, your not going to be hanging out in a bar in the city because thiers no one else around and your bored.

Fancy emoting and all that show skill in reading the helpfiles... it does not equate a good player... playing constantly to your char is what makes a good RP'r and a good char.

Set goals and achieve them. Even if they are sitting around a tavern all day getting spiced out of your mind,  or starting a cult to overthrow one of the sorceror kings.

-Moe the Schmoe
:evil:  :twisted: