How do you guys tackle character creation?

[azuriolinist]

So, it's that time for me, and I'm curious (really, I'm just waiting for my app to go through).

How do you guys go about creating a new character?

Do you think up a background first and flesh out the rest of your character from there? Do you start off with a personality and ask yourself how they developed those traits? How your character came to be so bitter, how they developed their street smarts, or even how they ended up with a fetish for elves. From there, maybe you gradually build up a backstory? Or maybe you come up with a guild/subguild combo and toss in a background, going in with the focus of developing your character in-game.

I want to know!

[Envy]

I mostly fall into the latter camp since the only way I can force myself to make a new character is to pretend they're a throwaway and then invest into them as time goes on.

[nauta]

I tend to view Armageddon MUD as a kind of weird hybrid of method acting and improv.  Hence, characters for me will start out as a personality or a bundle of personality quirks first and foremost, and then develop (including developments in terms of family history) as I go about bumbling around in the game.  What I tend to do is write a really sparse background, since I'm really unsure about the character until I see it play out; but within the first week, I'll write up an initial biography entry outlaying their personality quirks and filling out this background in a little more detail.

Where do I get inspiration?  All over the place: a character in a TV show or novel whose personality you think might be fun to try out in Zalanthas; that crazy woman on the street you passed who talks to pigeons; some coworker, a colleague.  I almost invariably have a RL persona (or several) that I use.  This helps keep me grounded, and prevents my personality from shifting too far from the original concept.

Sometimes, however, I come into the game as a blank slate with only the vague-est idea of what I will be, and wait for another PC to come around, and I'll just develop the concept on the fly.

The most important thing for me, though, is to document the personality in BIO entries (or on a notebook) once it gets solidified enough.  It is too easy to be too flexible, and having hangups and quirks --- immoveables, furniture in the barren ontological landscape of the psyche --- really helps make the RP experience a blast.

Finally, one thing that I always have square in front of me is that I might just die within a few days or weeks, and in case, I will die.  This is a game, and it is fun to make your character have personality quirks that will get them dead, or at least get them engaged in conflict.

[azuriolinist]

I mostly fall into the latter camp since the only way I can force myself to make a new character is to pretend they're a throwaway and then invest into them as time goes on.

Man, do I get this. In a sense. It's only when I try not to take my PCs too seriously when I actually dare (or attempt) to go out there, take risks, and/or go diving for plots.

Where do I get inspiration?  All over the place: a character in a TV show or novel whose personality you think might be fun to try out in Zalanthas; that crazy woman on the street you passed who talks to pigeons; some coworker, a colleague.  I almost invariably have a RL persona (or several) that I use.  This helps keep me grounded, and prevents my personality from shifting too far from the original concept.

Hehe. Guilty!

What you said resonates with me. Leaving my PC's personality too bare often ends up with me filling in the blanks in situations I hadn't prepared for with what I'd do (or, at the least, what I would optimistically do in such a situation).

[Delirium]

A few strong personality traits and formative events. The lines get colored in and shaded during play.

[Is Friday]

I start with an archetype most of the time. It's kind of draining to build up a concept too much before playing. Then I end up not having as much fun playing out the concept and evolving it over time.

[Refugee]

I pick guild and subguild first.  Then I develop a background story that explains how he has learned to do all those things.  I think about his childhood and his family.  Then I think about how all that affected his personality and start to get a handle on that.  Finally, why is he now looking for work?  What are his immediate goals?  I often don't have long term goals for new PCs.  I let those develop as he experiences life.  Often he's just looking for a way to eat steadily.

[Miradus]

I just go with a general theme. The hardened wasteland wanderer, the wicked thief, etc. That's my outline and then the character is further defined by "living in his skin" as the game progresses. Some are easier than others. If they deviate too far from the core !ME! then I have a harder time getting into character. Even worse if they're a loner because I don't get that much opportunity to really develop them.

A character takes time to develop. I don't like to roll out of chargen with TOO firm an idea in mind. Especially since I often switch areas after a death and I don't usually know what's been going on in my new location.

[Hauwke]

I pick guilds and subguilds and race. Then from there on out I just sort of bullshit my way through it until I have a solid character.

[Hitsuchi]

I tend to start with OOC goals.
Do I want to have certain relationship types with other PCs? What type of character would likely find themselves there?
Do I want to learn more about a certain part of the game world? A certain part of the code? What type of character do I need to do that?
What kinds of conflict am I looking for? Solo risks and grudges in the desert or tribe vs tribe or high level political intrigue all require different character styles.

For example - I want to learn more about the Red Desert, I want to have a lot of rivalries and hubris-fueled conflict, and I'd love to have close friends but don't really need love plots or family plots. I'm rolling something desert-focused : warrior or ranger with a fitting subguild. I'll want to give my character the hubris that will be their downfall if they don't learn (hint: they won't) to control it. From there, the rest is just filler until I can flesh important parts out in game. I also like adding a "passing" character quirk or flaw - like my first character, who went from fear to distaste to liking alcohol as she grew as a person. It makes for a good on-ramp for change.

[WarriorPoet]

I pick guilds and subguilds and race. Then from there on out I just sort of bullshit my way through it until I have a solid character.

Yup. If I nailed down all their quirks and mannerisms during creation I would feel trapped.

[Hauwke]

I pick guilds and subguilds and race. Then from there on out I just sort of bullshit my way through it until I have a solid character.

Yup. If I nailed down all their quirks and mannerisms during creation I would feel trapped.

Bullshit bros for lyfe!

[Pale Horse]

Like others before me have admitted, I pick very few defining points and then "go with the flow."

Example:

1. Short-desc first: "The green-haired youth."  I have an image that comes to mind that then helps me flush out their Main-desc.  Name: Something-something.  Soma Ting.
2. What sort of green hair?  Chin length, kind of scraggly.  Think sea-weed.  Why is it green?  Mutation?  Magick?  File that for part of their background, later.
3. What sort of individual are they?  Greedy?  Selfless?  In what situations or circumstances are they the one or the other?  Shows strong avarice when reaching for or just beneath their goals but extremely giving once that goal has met, resulting in a never-ending cycle of give and take.
4. What do they "do" and what are their "goals?"  Soma is a such-and-such from Allanak.  Knowing what I do about Allanak, how does that information affect how I see Soma having grown up to the point they're at?  Does it change their background?

I take question and answer sessions like this and go back and forth with them for a few hours/days before I feel comfortable in submitting something.  After getting IG, their "true" character development begins.

[azuriolinist]

I tend to start with OOC goals.

That's an interesting way of going about it. Tek knows I've ended up not knowing what to do with my character because I didn't give them any goals (OOC or IC) whatsoever.

Example:

1. Short-desc first: "The green-haired youth."  I have an image that comes to mind that then helps me flush out their Main-desc.  Name: Something-something.  Soma Ting.
2. What sort of green hair?  Chin length, kind of scraggly.  Think sea-weed.  Why is it green?  Mutation?  Magick?  File that for part of their background, later.
3. What sort of individual are they?  Greedy?  Selfless?  In what situations or circumstances are they the one or the other?  Shows strong avarice when reaching for or just beneath their goals but extremely giving once that goal has met, resulting in a never-ending cycle of give and take.
4. What do they "do" and what are their "goals?"  Soma is a such-and-such from Allanak.  Knowing what I do about Allanak, how does that information affect how I see Soma having grown up to the point they're at?  Does it change their background?

I take question and answer sessions like this and go back and forth with them for a few hours/days before I feel comfortable in submitting something.  After getting IG, their "true" character development begins.

That's a splendid, in-depth example. It's kind of similar to how I would usually develop a character. I start off with a vague idea of the character's personality and/or appearance and flesh out a backstory and the details from there.

[deskoft]

My best PCs kind of all go through the similar process although recently I've improved it. Before, I used to just explain actions my character took to reach to the point he's at and let the personality come naturally. It worked with characters like Flaire, but in a way it felt like they were disconnected from the initial background, even though they ended developing full, individual personalities.

Nowadays, I have a better method in which I am (mostly) impersonal to the personality of my character.

1. I decide what kind of character I want. In my mind, this can end in two words like: cutthroat Fale. Nothing impressive there yet.
2. I draw inspiration from the media for usually a couple of hours on my favorite characters. Zalanthas is a unique setting, so what I am trying to search for is personalities. I want to eventually land on a PERSON to draw inspiration, and then begin taking them on a unique pathway of their own.
3. I decide on the background of this character which is usually a series of actions they took to reach the point they are at. Notable events such as any murders, any deaths, lessons, mentors, etc. Flaire was a character who had the heavy influence of two mentors before he entered the game.
4. I define the physical build of the character, which is usually based on the background. Has this character required a lot of physical activity? Has this character frequented the sun or not? How did this character prepare himself for this murder? Did that ambush he suffered leave him any marks or scars?
5. Number 4 usually goes in hand with choosing guilds and subguilds.
6. The personality then comes. This is now my biggest concern as this is what will be shifting the more the game goes. The personality of my character is usually defined on a paragraph in my own files. This personality has a direct relationship with the PHYSICAL BUILD and BACKGROUND. If they are attractive, they might be pompous or arrogant or maybe they were not particularly attractive and thus they are particularly vulnerable to emotions.  If they come from a humble background and have lofty goals, maybe he was annoying and arrogant about his skills, and people bothered them and therefore... you get the idea.

The most important part is my bios. This is something I am exploring recently. I will write a crawl text in my biographies every now and then. Usually, it is three paragraphs with the latest and perceived future of my character. This is like a control phase to make sure that I can adapt my character on very constant basis to the ever changing environment of Zalanthas.

With that method I get some characters that make big blunders, it makes me feel impersonal of those blunders (I used to be very tense when I made my character's flaws dictate mistakes, as I felt I was doing something wrong: not anymore!) Lately I'm calling them star-wars-esque crawl texts because I pretty much inspired the idea on how Star Wars presents each episode. And it's cool to read back on!

[Miradus]

I've been in a bad rut lately where all my character seem to fall into one of 3 archetypes I've used before. I have yet to figure out how to break that.

[deskoft]

I've been in a bad rut lately where all my character seem to fall into one of 3 archetypes I've used before. I have yet to figure out how to break that.

draw inspiration from stuff you like! movies and shit.

[Miradus]

Yeah, that's not a bad idea. Just need to do that, plus maybe play in some spots I haven't been very active in before. New wine in new jars, and all.

[Lizzie]

I've been in a bad rut lately where all my character seem to fall into one of 3 archetypes I've used before. I have yet to figure out how to break that.

Mostly the same with me, but I don't consider it a bad thing really. I just chalk it up to being "my style."

Basically though I start the process with just a general background, and develop the personality traits organically while playing after the character has been approved. I've tried it the other way - putting tons of thought into how I'll play my PC, what she'll like, dislike, kinds of people she would gravitate toward or be repelled against. Every time I try that, I end up regretting the choices I made in advance.

The more leeway I have to develop my character through roleplay, the more likely I am to enjoy playing it.

[Miradus]

You're known as a pretty good roleplayer, Lizzie, so maybe it's not a bad thing to fall into a style.

[boog]

I like to have as many details planned out beforehand as possible. If I don't, they become too alike, in my mind.

[azuriolinist]

draw inspiration from stuff you like! movies and shit.

This works wonders for me, when coming up with personalities. As long as my PC has a solid personality (which is often inspired from various sources in RL, like books, movies, and actual people, as I've already seen how those play out and have developed a good image of them), I can keep myself anchored.

I like to have as many details planned out beforehand. If I don't, they become too alike, in my mind.

This, exactly.

[Hauwke]

I have fallen into a style, my last three long lived characters have essentially been the same guy to a degree, not cookie cutter matches, but definately similar in that they all have the same profession and such.

I have somewhat broken the mold with my current guy, but I believe that certain styles simply need a guy who does it. We always need that badass Trooper for the Byn who carries the team for years at a time, so that the rest of the game can utilize the Byn for their basic uses. We need that guy who enjoys being a merchant for Salarr and selling stuff over and over again, doing it again and again. Absolutely nothing wrong with it, other than maaaaaybe let other guys fill the role sometimes, except, people can always fill the role at the same time as that first guy so that you get two guys doing an excellent job the game really needs.

[ShaLeah]

I start with a very general backstory made to affect them, little quirks and what not (if someone calls her X she'll hate them, if they look like Z they'll whatever), then I choose a name.

I start them at a pivotal point, usually running from their past/losing everything/someone and not quite sure where they're going so that it develops organically where they end up.

The only time I have set goals is when I apply for a tribe, gmh or noble/sponsored roles so that my mindset is different and she's not prone to feel 'stuck'. I spend more time on the details of the shaping characters of her background than I do her. Most characters start youngish with the intent that their lives on Zalanthas will be shaped by what happens.

[LucildaHunta]

I start with a basic character sketch and yes I actually draw them too. Mainly, it's background and personality stuff though.

I start my characters at a late teen-early adult age and try to let other characters and their experiences in the world shape them. So a lot depends on who I end up playing with and where the character is.

[azuriolinist]

The only time I have set goals is when I apply for a tribe, gmh or noble/sponsored roles so that my mindset is different and she's not prone to feel 'stuck'.

I tend to do the same thing. OOCly, I may have goals for my PC, but unless they're some sort of sponsored role, they usually will go in-game with no goal whatsoever. Just a broad motivation (e.g., acquisition, power, adoration) that guides their choices.

I start with a basic character sketch and yes I actually draw them too. Mainly, it's background and personality stuff though.

That's pretty damn neat.

I start my characters at a late teen-early adult age and try to let other characters and their experiences in the world shape them. So a lot depends on who I end up playing with and where the character is.

It's only natural that a character would develop along with their experiences and environment, so this makes sense. It's definitely true for my PCs, whether I'm conscious of the changes they go through or not.

[Hauwke]

For younger characters, as in minimum age ones, I generally go for the most basic thing ever.

Are they from the Rinth? If yes, they are either a whore an orphan or a thief of some description, with barely anything else, they have a job and thats really it because hey guess what, life in the Rinth sucks HG dicks.

From the main part of Allanak? A miner, grebber or the kid of a merchant.

Really just such basic things, on the reasoning that they have not really had the time to get their life sorted/messed up in any particularly grand way. Occassionally, chuck in some other things to break the mold but still.

[LucildaHunta]

It's only natural that a character would develop along with their experiences and environment, so this makes sense. It's definitely true for my PCs, whether I'm conscious of the changes they go through or not.

Mhm, I'm usually conscious of the changes and I decide how I want them to develop. So for example if my character gets bitten by a poisonous snake. I decide whether they'll become fearful of snakes or not. Then if they get bitten again I decide whether or not that feeling progresses. Does it now extend to other reptiles? All those types of things for me, come from real events in the game.

So if there isn't much going on I don't have much to fill in or work with. When things do happen though? I have so much to work with!

[Miradus]

I start my characters around age 30. I'd start them at 50 if it weren't for the ridiculous hits to stats that older characters get.

And they've already had some life experiences at 30 which explains how I know where Luir's is, or Morin's, or to stay out of the Pah. Their backstory will indicate some sort of experience in whatever I intend to do with them, be it a caravan guard or whatnot.

That just seems better than rolling up a bright-eyed teenager fresh from the farm who also knows how to spam directly to every water source in the wilderness, what plants are the most valuable, and where to find diamonds.

[Refugee]

I start my characters around age 30. I'd start them at 50 if it weren't for the ridiculous hits to stats that older characters get.

I agree, it's unrealistic and ridiculous.  I start characters around age 20.

[In Dreams]

I usually start 20ish! I kinda enjoy playing up ignorance of all sorts, so that's never an issue for me.

Ignorance is fun, people! Try it. Be wrong. Take the wrong route to stuff. Don't know just where to go - need someone else's help instead. It's fun and leads to more RP!

[Grogerif]

I usually start 20ish! I kinda enjoy playing up ignorance of all sorts, so that's never an issue for me.

Ignorance is fun, people! Try it. Be wrong. Take the wrong route to stuff. Don't know just where to go - need someone else's help instead. It's fun and leads to more RP!

I agree.  I purposely delete all my notes with each new character.  And only let myself remember places that I feel my character would know.  I've been 'lost' and almost died trying to find water that I knew OOC was only a few rooms away.   Helps keep the world fresh for me.

[LucildaHunta]

The age thing is a little strange and a good topic of discussion. The thing you have to remember is on Zalanthas a teenager is an adult and you really shouldn't hold on to the idea that a teen is a child like in western society. There really isn't an extended childhood like there is in the real world except the one we put on and accept from characters. Sure I've seen people play teen characters like "I'm a teen! Gotta love me! hehehe!" and it sort of plays on other players real life sensiblities that a teen is a no nothing kid. I don't feel like that's correct and can only lead to one of those sides getting taken advantage of.

Maybe a little physically and emotionally immature, yes. A kid that doesn't know how to put on their shoes or know how to do anything? I would never make that mistake. IMO, it's more along the lines of the past or other areas of the world where teens do very adult things like provide for themselves or have that ability because they already possess that knowledge. Think about it like this...it wasn't that long ago that kids here had to drop out of high school or elementary school to work and provide for their families and they smoked cigarettes, drank and drove cars! I always apply that to teens on Zalanthas. They are fully able to do what an adult does.

[Refugee]

I don't agree.

Teenagers are regarded as adults in one way, as in they are expected to take care of themselves, take responsibility for their actions, etc.  But they are still adolescents.  Still haywire emotions, still dumb enough to eat Tide pods because someone else would think they are cool if they do, still physically developing.  Males will become full sized somewhere in their teens but probably not at 13.  Most of them will mature physically at the end of their teens.  Females earlier.  There's nothing in the docs that say it's otherwise.  They are simply not given protections as one would children.

But most 13 year old boys cannot do what a full grown man can do, physically.  Can they be murderous little genius criminals?  Sure.  But even in societies where children become adults as soon as they are able to reproduce, they were still not able to do anything adults could do.  No warlord would have chosen a 13yo stripling in the place of a 21 yo muscled up full-grown man.

[Inks]

I think about an unusual concept that will be fun for me, personally, to play, which is flexible enough to remain fun, and that will add a needed role to the gameworld.

Then I play it. All my pcs when I was a new player were young because I could RP relatively naive or inexperienced PCs, which worked well with older mentor PCs and leaders.

[LucildaHunta]

I don't agree.

Teenagers are regarded as adults in one way, as in they are expected to take care of themselves, take responsibility for their actions, etc.  But they are still adolescents.  Still haywire emotions, still dumb enough to eat Tide pods because someone else would think they are cool if they do, still physically developing.  Males will become full sized somewhere in their teens but probably not at 13.  Most of them will mature physically at the end of their teens.  Females earlier.  There's nothing in the docs that say it's otherwise.  They are simply not given protections as one would children.

But most 13 year old boys cannot do what a full grown man can do, physically.  Can they be murderous little genius criminals?  Sure.  But even in societies where children become adults as soon as they are able to reproduce, they were still not able to do anything adults could do.  No warlord would have chosen a 13yo stripling in the place of a 21 yo muscled up full-grown man.

Yeah, but that's not true though. The code reflects that a younger characters are not as physically able as a fully grown adult, but they are still able to do the same things adults can and that shouldn't be shocking or looked at at unrealistic.

http://www.ancientpages.com/2016/11/01/life-ancient-viking-children/

At an age of 10, ancient Viking children were considered adults and were required to follow in their parents footsteps and acquire necessary skills to adequately perform their mother's or father's job.

That isn't unique to Vikings either. The point I was making was you really shouldn't look at a Zalanthan 13 year old as a Tide pod eating kid, they really shouldn't be played that way either. It's not the same thing. Since life is hard on Zalanthas, children would probably be pitching in and doing the same things as adults or at the very least learning to do them. So no, there probably wouldn't be a 13 year old bandit king on Zalanthas. A teenager would have the skills and knowledge to do things though.

[valeria]

I use the same character creation template for my characters that I use for characters in my short stories and novels.  Sample from a character I played a while back:

Physical Description - [omit]

Age -      19

Handedness -    Right.

Fears -       Losing her mother.

Voice -    Rich alto singing voice.  Stutters on p- d- b- t-  /  when nervous on g- j- m- s- n- /  when really nervous ch- th- w- but can sing or recite clearly.

Mannerisms -   Bites her lip when she's thinking.
      Ends declarative sentences with an interrogative reflection?
      Doesn't care a bit for other people.
      Extremely methodical.

Sexual Orientation -    Sex-repulsed asexual.

Hobbies -    Enjoys playing instruments.

Favorite Color -    Jade green.

Goals -      Find some work to do that will allow her to comfortably support her mother.

Background - [omit]

How the character comes to me:  Sometimes, I get a very vivid mental visual of a character, usually engaged in an action.  I think this character came to me as someone cringing and stuttering before a templar, so I already had some idea of how she'd look.  Then I tend to flesh out a background, then pick a guild and subguild to match.  But sometimes I want to play a guild or subguild, so I work from there first, or I might come up with a goal that I really want to accomplish and build the character around that.

I try to pick one or two characteristic mannerisms to set the character apart, but often others come to them while I'm playing them, or they might change due to IC events.  I had one character who started collecting hats because a girl she was crushing on said her hat was nice, and it was the first nice thing anyone had ever said to her pretty much.

Physically, Zalanthan "humans" aren't like Earth "humans."  If you pick a teenage character, they won't get taller/heavier as they go on.  Zalanthans apparently hit their peak earlier and burn out more quickly.  Men and women also don't different as much physiologically and don't physically mature at different rates.  I'd say it's a quirk of the environment.

[Refugee]

I think you're right, men and women would mature at the same rate on Zalanthas.  Good argument.

[Pale Horse]

I think you're right, men and women would mature at the same rate on Zalanthas.  Good argument.

Derail question: Would it be due to the environment, the Way or the effects of magick on the world?

[Hauwke]

I had a character go from minimum age to 18, staff popped height and weight up with a description change quite happily when I proposed it. So there us definately some kind of physical maturing from that age. The fact that strength changes so very much between those ages is another massive example of -physical- maturity. I agree, that 13 year olds here have the same mental maturity, they can think and backstab with the best of them.

[azuriolinist]

I've always believed the lack of growth in height and weight in accordance to a PC's age is really just a limitation of code. The changes to stats based on age seem to suggest that.

I do believe a 'teen' (13-18) would be able to support themselves in an environment like Zalanthas. It's sort of similar to how it works in some third world countries; children start contributing early for their own welfare and the welfare of the rest of their family. They generally aren't raised in an environment soaked with pop culture, and what's expected of them isn't the same of what's expected of a child from a first world country.

That doesn't mean a Zalanthan teenager is as mentally mature as a Zalanthan thirty-year old. It does mean your average Zalanthan teenager would be more mature than your stereotypical Earth teenager of the same age.

And there I go, contributing to the derail!

Derail question: Would it be due to the environment, the Way or the effects of magick on the world?

All the above? Plus, a Zalanthan's entire biological structure would likely be different to ours in that way.

I try to pick one or two characteristic mannerisms to set the character apart, but often others come to them while I'm playing them, or they might change due to IC events.  I had one character who started collecting hats because a girl she was crushing on said her hat was nice, and it was the first nice thing anyone had ever said to her pretty much.

I loved the example! And I find the gradual addition of character attributes in-game to be very true.

[Chettaman]

When creating a character I...

Depending on how I died, I'll take either a day or jump right into character creation. Sometimes I'll jump into character creation and realize just how much I was affected by the recent ending and stop to pick it up again later.

After grieving appropriately, I've been thinking about what I want to play during my  now dead character and in my time of grieving as insensitive as that sounds. Sometimes I'll have the entire character put on paper. Sometimes I'll nix everything I threw down and do something else on a whim. Like ranger/archer? Eff, yeah. I'm so glad I finally did that.

If I don't have everything planned out, I usually begin with guild / subguild. ... like everyone, I guess, but that usually sets the mood. After I make a decision, sometimes at random, I'll come up with how he learned those skills offered by the guilds and subguilds. Stat priority is an OOC thing for me, I won't lie. The most difficult part is the description. I'm so bad at this, but manage somehow. After I come up with the description, I sometimes think of why they look like they do and I'll have to add more bio. I'll edit that, then usually I'll have to edit the description again and I usually go back and forth until it makes sense. And then I submit and play the waiting game.
(which is paragon or some other ps4 game)

*while in game, I start doing what this character might do on any regular day and I try and see things as they would and I try and I think things that they would. Not oocly, but I'll use the think command. Slowly, but surely I'll begin building this character's personality. The more I do it, the easier to imagine past events that I hadn't thought up previously. I'll usually add these in a new bio, and be sure to mention that it wasn't recent, but a memory. I'll make up stories about parents, friends, fun, work, favorite foods, favorite pass times, adventures, etc... and make them his story.