Been thinking about character concepts that aren't seen often but probably should be more common.
AKA ideas for people having trouble thinking up a good concept
Female half-giants (I've only seen one)
Dwarven 'rinthers
Dwarven bards
Dwarven Drovians
Female Elkrans
Half-elf Krathis (the horror!)
Half-elf defilers (the horror X10!)
Female defilers
Anyone got more?
Dwarven pick-pockets
Half-giant pickpockets
City elf warriors
Female beggar that manages to keep the role of a beggar for more than 2 hours.
female dwarves.
city elves not from the rinth or of a not sneaky class.
in general I'd like to see more ass-poor commoners and older characters.
Female muls I can think of one
Female half-giant I can count maybe two.
Amish Overlord 8)
HG merchant. I've seen only one and it was played by me.
I had a half-giant assassin who used to sneak around and go "shhhhh" a lot.
or maybe that was just a dream.
Sadly, I've seen most of the things on Moe's list...more than once.
Here's some things I haven't seen:
A drunk, irresponsible templar
A cheerful mul
A wagon-driving pirate ranger of the sands
An irreverant soldier
Mindbender siblings
A renegade noble
Here are some of the things I HAVE seen, and would like to see more of:
Responsible magickers
A snarly schoolteacher
A bumbling, incompentant merchant
A clownish, clumsy (but secretly badass) assassin
Characters with personality
Eh. Cheerful mul not so much with the theme... but sure.
Every mul I've seen is Mr. Angry, talking about smashing and killing. So they can't reproduce, that doesn't mean they're constantly thinking about it. I can't wait for the day I see a mul who laughs.
Besides, you know you want to see the gypsy mul with rose tattoos!!11 lolz
I played a semi-nice mul, mind you some things could set him off. But he was realtivly young.
Amish Overlord 8)
Spice addicts. <======
Dwarven Tribals
More people with defects. etc. Mismatched legs, ambutated limbs, blind in one eye, crazy eyes, no hair, arthritis, diseased...
Siblings of magickers
The lifebond..(or something of that name) of a mul (there was a role open for one awhile back, hope it gets tried out sometime)
Old People
As there's alot of roles that I havn't seen for women, and thought it'd be interesting to play, so made a whole section just for them. :wink:
Female (Elven) Pickpockets
" Thugs
" Mercenaries
" Pimps :P
" Smuggler/Burglar
And more general roles
" Militia
" Weapons/Armor crafter
/ponder
What are all the female characters playing, if they're not playing any of those things? 100% rangers or merchants?
We don't see many black-skinned people.. Many dark-skinned and sun-tanned, but no really black-skinned PCs around.
A renegade noble would be super hot shit.
Quote from: "jstorrie"A renegade noble would be super hot shit.
Who leads his own desert posse around. :wink:
On that note, havn't seen mundane raiders around for awhile. Either that, or I'm just missing out.
/(both city and desert) Elven merchant.
Quote from: "LauraMars"Mindbender siblings
This is just extreme brilliance.
I can only imagine what it would look like when the two loving siblings argue over the last travel cake. :lol:
You know, I never have seen a female militia soldier. It's like a big boys club.
*jots it down for next concept...and hopes she can endure clanned life*
Quote from: "LauraMars"
Here's some things I haven't seen:
A drunk, irresponsible templar
I think I could handle that one.
======
And NINJA's I haven't seen any!
There are always people trying to be ninjas. But it looks.. embarrassing.
Amish Overlord, come to think of it, I did meet one impressively played young mul, very very briefly...maybe it was you.
*goes to send kudos because she forgot*
I played a renegade noble once.
I'd be thrilled to see some more half-giants in general, they seem scarcer these days than in years past. And muls, but maybe the rarity of muls makes seeing them all that more profound and frightening.
Some of the proposed concepts are too awkward to be feasible characters for my tastes. I can't imagine putting much energy into the role of half-giant pickpocket, for example, but I'm certainly not talking anyone out of it.
Beyond race/guild options, I hope there's a significant portion of the populace (still) playing spies, treasonists, raiders and all that fun stuff. I don't see them, but maybe that just means they're successful at what they do.
Quote from: "LauraMars"There are always people trying to be ninjas. But it looks.. embarrassing.
Amish Overlord, come to think of it, I did meet one impressively played young mul, very very briefly...maybe it was you.
*goes to send kudos because she forgot*
Thanks assuming it was me, but played a young depressed, not extremly angry/bitter mul(could be at times) was rather fun. Especially when someone set him off, or bad muls trying to be his friend.
Amish Overlord 8)
Seen two half-giant females two times. All a loooong time ago. One had a crush on a tiny man. Was quite funny to watch. Can't remember details exactly btu watching a half-giant flirt with a human...think also dragged him home once too. Ah well long time ago.
Amish Overlord 8)
I've heard tales of a set of twins that were suspected of being mindbenders... but I digress.
I'd like to see:
More female Kurac family members
More male prostitutes, human, elf, half elf, dwarf, and half giant
More nobles with bizarre personality quirks
More nasty, ugly, skanky female Bynners
More nasty, ugly, skanky Bynners in general
More mutants
More nobles who act less like 17th century Rennasiance aristocracy.
Quote from: "Cale_Knight"More nobles who act less like 17th century Rennasiance aristocracy.
What would you rather see instead?
Less rangers.
YEAH SOMEONE FINALLY SAID IT!
Not that serious.
Quote from: "Curious Kank"Quote from: "Cale_Knight"More nobles who act less like 17th century Rennasiance aristocracy.
What would you rather see instead?
I'd personally rather see nobles who act like Armageddon nobles. Arm technology and philosophy are nowhere near the level of 17th century earth. I have posted vigorously on other threads (look for posts by "Xygax" about "grit" or "grittiness")
-- X
Quote from: "Xygax"I have posted vigorously on other threads (look for posts by "Xygax" about "grit" or "grittiness")
-- X
http://www.zalanthas.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=13367&highlight=grit
Thanks, Morfeus. I think my second post on that thread expressed well how I still feel about the portrayal of nobility and their underlings in Zalanthan society. (and actually works out to answer the OP for this thread to some degree, as well)
-- X
BTW, though my remarks then and now may come off as critical, I'm interested in evoking ideas and giving players (including myself) ideas to build on in fleshing out their characters. My purpose isn't to blast past or present characters for how they have been played. If it comes out that way, I apologize.
-- X
I'd like to see more males that fuck their way to the top. :oops: :twisted: :oops:
Commenting in response to X:
There are some neat ideas - however the 'status quo' would have to undergo a remarkable shift in-game as far as nobility is concerned. Personally, I find the current stark contrast between the have-nots and the wealthy to be very Armageddon. Scheming, deception, and corruption are all very alive and well at all levels of wealth.
One doesn't need to spit on the sand and scratch their crotch just to be 'gritty'. A noble used to all the luxury of their lifestyle can still be 'gritty' by way of how they interact with the gameworld - providing a contrast for the lower-class folk to rebound off of, idolize, love, hate, be jealous of, etc - and by the plots they introduce and interact with.
The problem is not really with the nobility & upper class or with the lower class, it's with the middle-class commoners. Those who work for a merchant House or are reasonably wealthy via other means - seeing them act with the polish and refinement of a noble, or dressing every day in the same silks that miraculously don't get stolen or torn, is what takes away from that stark contrast that should (and still often does) exist between the haves and have-nots.
The only real solution is player education, and encouragement for those middle-class commoners to act as a person. Buy a few outfits of cloths, not one outfit of silk, upkeep rent on an apartment, fill it with stuff you would want or need if you were really a living, breathing person, rather than someone who only uses the apartment for sekrit conversations and mudsex.
City elves that -aren't- of the assassin, burglar, or pickpocket guilds.
More c-elf merchants, warriors, gemmed, etc...
There are good reasons why many of these roles seem not to appear among PCs. Let's take a few examples:
1) Non-warrior half-giants. Half-giants are only good at two things: crushing skulls and carrying heavy loads. Personally, I think half-giants should be restricted solely to the warrior guild, because a half-giant doing anything else just doesn't seem to make much sense to me.
2) Dwarven tribals. There is at least 1 coded dwarven tribal village, so they can and do exist. However, given the nature of the dwarven focus, dwarves seem not to be the type to band together based solely on racial and familial bonds. Further, they were once a slave race, which means the vast majority of Zalanthan dwarves were brought into and raised in a tribeless city environment. For a dwarven tribe to exist, they would have to be tribal to a radical fundamentalist extent (to prevent any dwarf within the tribe from developing a focus that would lead them away), and this would probably lead them toward becoming extremely isolationist.
3) Men who sleep their way to the top. Attractive female PCs have their pick of potential mates, so sex is not a bargaining chip for male PCs. Further, very few female PCs (if any) actually sleep their way to "the top," given the nature of the relationship between those "at the top" and those who aren't, so why should males be any different?
4) People with bizarre personality quirks, or "skanky" people in general. Despite the fact that people want more "harshness," most PCs in positions of power react with a high degree of skepticism toward PCs with personalities that go beyond certain norms that have been established over time by the playerbase. These norms may or may not have IC reasons and justifications. Given the existence of these norms, the fact that advancement is difficult or impossible without conformity, and the fact that most people want the option of advancement, most people do not play characters with personality quirks beyond the norms.
5) Non-stealthy city elves. City elves are -perfect- for the stealthy classes in the game: they have naturally high agility, which makes them immediately successful at stealthy things, and they have high wisdoms, which makes them learn faster and ultimately means they fail less. Beyond this: warriors are generally useless within the city, where city-elves must dwell (except serving as militia, which city-elves do not have the option to do), and city-elf merchants never have the option of rising to the heights of success that a human merchant will, so why bother with making one?
6) Female warriors/half-giants/mercenary types. Well, I've seen plenty of female warriors, militia PCs, and mercenaries, so those three go right out. As far as female half-giants, I imagine it's a combination of (female players') lack of enchantment with brute force, male players' reluctance to play female characters, especially one as highly-visible and monitored as a half-giant, and (more generally) the reluctance of most of the playerbase to spend a character's lifetime worth of roleplay and work as a mere pawn, with no ambitions, no scheming, no backstabbing...in short, none of the things that makes the game truly delicious.
7) Dwarves (in general). Dwarves have to live and abide by a focus, and this aspect alone is intimidating to intensive roleplayers. Further, the focus imposes limitations on players who are primarily interested in other semi-ooc things (advancement, accumulation of wealth, skill gain, etc.). Add to this that their agility (arguably the most important combat stat) is the lowest of the non-karma races, and you have a race that just doesn't appeal to most people, except as an occasional break from human monotony.
Quote from: "Synthesis"There are good reasons why many of these roles seem not to appear among PCs. Let's take a few examples:
1) Non-warrior half-giants. Half-giants are only good at two things: crushing skulls and carrying heavy loads. Personally, I think half-giants should be restricted solely to the warrior guild, because a half-giant doing anything else just doesn't seem to make much sense to me.
2) Dwarven tribals. There is at least 1 coded dwarven tribal village, so they can and do exist. However, given the nature of the dwarven focus, dwarves seem not to be the type to band together based solely on racial and familial bonds. Further, they were once a slave race, which means the vast majority of Zalanthan dwarves were brought into and raised in a tribeless city environment. For a dwarven tribe to exist, they would have to be tribal to a radical fundamentalist extent (to prevent any dwarf within the tribe from developing a focus that would lead them away), and this would probably lead them toward becoming extremely isolationist.
3) Men who sleep their way to the top. Attractive female PCs have their pick of potential mates, so sex is not a bargaining chip for male PCs. Further, very few female PCs (if any) actually sleep their way to "the top," given the nature of the relationship between those "at the top" and those who aren't, so why should males be any different?
4) People with bizarre personality quirks, or "skanky" people in general. Despite the fact that people want more "harshness," most PCs in positions of power react with a high degree of skepticism toward PCs with personalities that go beyond certain norms that have been established over time by the playerbase. These norms may or may not have IC reasons and justifications. Given the existence of these norms, the fact that advancement is difficult or impossible without conformity, and the fact that most people want the option of advancement, most people do not play characters with personality quirks beyond the norms.
5) Non-stealthy city elves. City elves are -perfect- for the stealthy classes in the game: they have naturally high agility, which makes them immediately successful at stealthy things, and they have high wisdoms, which makes them learn faster and ultimately means they fail less. Beyond this: warriors are generally useless within the city, where city-elves must dwell (except serving as militia, which city-elves do not have the option to do), and city-elf merchants never have the option of rising to the heights of success that a human merchant will, so why bother with making one?
6) Female warriors/half-giants/mercenary types. Well, I've seen plenty of female warriors, militia PCs, and mercenaries, so those three go right out. As far as female half-giants, I imagine it's a combination of (female players') lack of enchantment with brute force, male players' reluctance to play female characters, especially one as highly-visible and monitored as a half-giant, and (more generally) the reluctance of most of the playerbase to spend a character's lifetime worth of roleplay and work as a mere pawn, with no ambitions, no scheming, no backstabbing...in short, none of the things that makes the game truly delicious.
7) Dwarves (in general). Dwarves have to live and abide by a focus, and this aspect alone is intimidating to intensive roleplayers. Further, the focus imposes limitations on players who are primarily interested in other semi-ooc things (advancement, accumulation of wealth, skill gain, etc.). Add to this that their agility (arguably the most important combat stat) is the lowest of the non-karma races, and you have a race that just doesn't appeal to most people, except as an occasional break from human monotony.
Your very likely correct(though oddly depressing), however believe it or not there are alot of players around without the ooc win mentality (i doubt i could boast i'm one of them but maybe someday).
Also just because they are not OOCly popular, doesn't mean they don't exsist in-game, for example there are an abundance of both male and female whores of all social classes who do sleep their way to the top.
I think the point was to give people without the win mentality (which i promise to someday become) ideas about not so popular roles that exsist and might be cool to see.
That said more northern elves and dwarves doesn't matter what class.
I might play a northern elf again...last time i played one was pretty fun, travel a wee bit of a pain though.
a cross-dressing, androgynous merchant mul
an HG vivaduan who wants to make things grow and picks flowers
any public figure with tourettes
more....mutants....
more cripples
more raiders
more wilderness-based/living rangers
more tribals
more people based in villages / more northern villages for people to be based in
more thugs
dwarf from the rinth
'incompetent' assassin
I hope to play a non sneaky city elf soon, but I am having trouble with shoehorning the trust RP around into a role other than a merchant. Also I think the Arm elven population has a series of dos and donts that are outside of my experience thus far.
As for playing roles your class and race are not commonly matched in, I take perverse pleasure in doing this, the only thing that has stopped me really has been a lack of karma. I like to take the road less travelled with my characters, but end up spacing them out with mundane roles.
Quote from: "Delirium"Buy a few outfits of cloths, not one outfit of silk, upkeep rent on an apartment, fill it with stuff you would want or need if you were really a living, breathing person,
The problem here is everyone becomes dirt poor except the thieves What character can typical afford to replace three cycles of clothing each month?
I'd really like to have a chance to interact with some dwarven tribals.
Hot Dancer
Quote from: "Anonymous kank with wings"Quote from: "Delirium"Buy a few outfits of cloths, not one outfit of silk, upkeep rent on an apartment, fill it with stuff you would want or need if you were really a living, breathing person,
The problem here is everyone becomes dirt poor except the thieves What character can typical afford to replace three cycles of clothing each month?
Supposedly independants.
A dwarven tribal is actually a concept that interests me now..
..though, it'd be too easy to mirror elven tribal life, I think.
Many of the dwarf's focuses are going to be towards the benefit of the tribe, not exactly something that would mutate or divert it from its established way of life.
Battle various territorial, traditional enemies in their homelands.
Protecting the village could be a focus, as could be educating the youth to efficiency or even single-handedly making sure the tribe is properly armed.
To bring wealth to the tribe..
Hot Dancer
Half-giant - Assassin
City Elf - Ranger
Dwarven - Templar
Elven - Templar
Elven - Tektolnes
Half-elf - Tektolnes
Quote from: "Halaster"Half-giant pickpockets
THOU SHALT SEE IT COME TO PASS MY LORD
Quote from: "EvilRoeSlade"Quote from: "Halaster"Half-giant pickpockets
THOU SHALT SEE IT COME TO PASS MY LORD
Heh, I've considered doing it so many times. I can see it now:
"What the fuck are you doing big fella, trying to steal my shit?!"
The big-eared, noseless half-giant says, in sirihish: "Uhmmm....no..."
The big-eared, noseless half-giant shakes his hand vigorously, obviously trying to dislodge the leather backpack from his huge hand.
Quote from: "jhunter"
Heh, I've considered doing it so many times. I can see it now:
"What the fuck are you doing big fella, trying to steal my shit?!"
The big-eared, noseless half-giant says, in sirihish: "Uhmmm....no..."
The big-eared, noseless half-giant shakes his hand vigorously, obviously trying to dislodge the leather backpack from his huge hand.
I can see the giant saying this
Umm No jsut your pack. Why i want to stea lyour poop?
Amish Overlord 8)
"Hey, stop stealing my crap, you jerk!"
"Why? You gonna beat me up?"
"Well, ah... carry on, carry on."
Actually, a half-giant pickpocket -would- get the crap beaten out of him by just about anything that decided to attack him, for a long, long time, because half-giant agility imposes an enormous penalty on their defensive capabilities.
Why bother with picking pockets if you can just pick 'em up by the ankle and shake 'em until the sids fall out?
Quote from: "Angela Christine"Why bother with picking pockets if you can just pick 'em up by the ankle and shake 'em until the sids fall out?
Because there isn't a coded way to do that?
You really don't see many mul PCs.
That's because they cost 7 karma.
Female templars in Allanak. (Only ever seen one)
Non-human bards in general (never seen one)
The rest has already been mentioned.
As for something that should be quite a bit more rare than what I've seen: Mutants in Allanak. I remember seeing like... 5. :shock:
Quote from: "Akaramu"Female templars in Allanak. (Only ever seen one)
Non-human bards in general (never seen one)
Really? I've seen plenty.
I dunno, Akaramu, I'll admit that female templars are rare (only seen 2), but I've seen at least 5 non-human bards. Also, mutants in Allanak? Why not? Seeing 5 mutants total in Allanak is still a lot less than you've seen in Tuluk.
http://www.armageddon.org/general/mutant.html
Mutants are supposed to seem to be more common along the shore of the silt sea, and Allanak is certainly much closer to the sea than Tuluk. My general impression was that. prior to the importation of the Thryzn, mutants were more common in Allanak than Tuluk. PCs are never Thryzn, so there is no reason for mutant PCs to be more common in the north than in the south. Perhaps slightly more accepted, but not more common.
Ah. I was absolutely sure that mutants generally get 'relieved from their misery' in Allanak while being accepted in Tuluk. One never stops to learn.
I must have been playing in the wrong place when all those non-human bards were around. :P
As a PC I once knew said. 'We aren't bards, that for the northies. We prefer to be called Tavern Singers.'
Quote from: "Synthesis"Actually, a half-giant pickpocket -would- get the crap beaten out of him by just about anything that decided to attack him, for a long, long time, because half-giant agility imposes an enormous penalty on their defensive capabilities.
The ongoing analysis of which guild/subguild/race/statistics are most likely to "win" isn't really appropriate for these forums. If it was, we'd have a "How to Win" forum. The attitude that victory in combat, or numerical superiority in any other measure equates to a superior play experience in the game seems wildly misguided to me. If your choices in character creation, or in playing your character once you're in-game are motivated solely by these elements, then you definitely aren't "getting it." Our game is a roleplaying game, and our goal as the staff is to facilitate roleplay. If we wanted a strategy game or a hack'n'slash RP game, we'd certainly have conceived of a better interface than the one we have.
-- X
For the record, I've actually played a city elf warrior before. It's not as bad of a choice as you might think.
Things you never see:
Exotic slaves. I'd love to see a halfling jester serving Fale in Allanak.
Altruists....
em dive for cover, avoiding a gigantic ball of flame.
Quote from: "Inky (unlogged)"Altruists....
em dive for cover, avoiding a gigantic ball of flame.
Heh. I actually played an Altruist, once.. people wanted to kill her simply because she was so nice. :(
I've seen one city elf who was a warrior before. Decent one at that.
I think a city elf warrior is a potentially viable role, but would probably need to be in a clan to reach that potential. A city elf tribe would be ideal for support of this nature, with the warrior providing tribal muscle. There are other shady organisations where the elf might likewise be welcome. However, most uses for warriors seem to fall into the hunter/guard category, and city elves are neither equipped for desert missions nor welcome in most clans that hire guards. Elf merchants are much more viable IMO with or without a clan - plenty of room to scam people while negotiating with them.
I think that a half-giant pickpocket is a "gimmick" role, but then I tend to view half-giants as a bit gimmicky in most cases anyway. Being a half-giant severely limits your social interactions, forcing you to retreat from the intrigue and politics of the game and become mostly a spectator and occasional tool. This makes the half-giant racial role already frustrating to play. Fortunately, half-giants being dangerous combat machines, clans are happy to add them to their roster, giving them at least a ringside seat view of the politics and intrigue if the clan actually has any. A half-giant that isn't much good at smashing things being pushed into a smashing things role is even more limited, however, being more likely to be left behind on account of being useless. I suspect most players stuck with a half-giant pickpocket will be harbouring fond thoughts of storage within the first fifty to a hundred hours of gameplay. It's fun to play a character who's starving and thirsty and racking his wits to find ways to keep himself alive. IMO it's much less fun to play a character whose prospects are always going to be dim, and doesn't even have the intellect to work up a semi-sophisticated psychological response to this.
(Of course, even gimmick characters can be rescued by circumstances. I can think off the top of my head of a half-giant pickpocket character who could be relatively fun to play over a period of time, given the right sort of PC companion. But an easily led half-giant pickpocket is much more likely to end up miserable in a clan that doesn't really want him.)
I'd like to see more city elf tribals, personally. However, I have my own plans to increase the chances of that...
slave pcs
One of the most badass, terrifying, and well-done elves I've RPd with was a city elf warrior.
Quote from: "Halaster"Dwarven pick-pockets
Half-giant pickpockets
City elf warriors
Playing a Half-giant pick pocket is a character concept I already have rolled up and waiting for the right time to play it! I think its gonna be alot of fun too, heh.
Quote from: "Hymwen"That's because they cost 7 karma.
Maybe its because they are can be nothing but slaves or run away slaves. :P
I've met more sorcerers than muls! (So I agree with Yokunama)
Quote from: "LauraMars"I've met more sorcerers than muls! (So I agree with Yokunama)
Sorcerors that you know about. :shock:
dun dun DUUUUUNNNNNNNN!
Hmm, a mul sorceror. There's a novel idea.
Maybe you just didn't knw they were muls....
Quote from: "Barzalene"Maybe you just didn't knw they were muls....
Heheheh. Riiiiiiight.
Quote from: "LauraMars"
Here are some of the things I HAVE seen, and would like to see more of:
Responsible magickers
A snarly schoolteacher
A bumbling, incompentant merchant
A clownish, clumsy (but secretly badass) assassin
Characters with personality
People with personality get killed quickly in Zalanthas. That is the way of things here :)
Quote from: "Vynestra"People with personality get killed quickly in Zalanthas. That is the way of things here :)
Beg to differ.
Quote from: "Delirium"Quote from: "Vynestra"People with personality get killed quickly in Zalanthas. That is the way of things here :)
Beg to differ.
Agreed
I haven't read any of this thread, but in response to something on the first page, most of my characters were black. A good portion of them I do think.
But then, I'm cool like that.
Yeah, I've seen a good number of "obsidian-skinned" characters. Not recently, but there were quite a few running around not too long ago.
Quote from: "LauraMars"Every mul I've seen is Mr. Angry, talking about smashing and killing. So they can't reproduce, that doesn't mean they're constantly thinking about it. I can't wait for the day I see a mul who laughs.
Besides, you know you want to see the gypsy mul with rose tattoos!!11 lolz
I've actually had the pleasure to meet a mul once upon a time, that wasn't constantly in a bad mood and all on a killing spree. Sure, looked gruff a lot, spoke gruff alot (and no, not about smashing and killing)... but actually was -gasp!- nice to my character, even bordering gentle and friendly. They're out there, but it usually helps to be nice and not run away at the first chance.
We need more:
Male whores
Ugly women willing to use those male whores
More fighting (type) women (only from what -I- have seen, there aren't as many as I'd like. I could just be looking in the wrong places.)
Quote from: "Vynestra"People with personality get killed quickly in Zalanthas. That is the way of things here :)
Only if the personalities in question are of the "naive idiot" or "violent psychopath" varieties.
Quote from: "LauraMars"Quote from: "Vynestra"People with personality get killed quickly in Zalanthas. That is the way of things here :)
Only if the personalities in question are of the "naive idiot" or "violent psychopath" varieties.
Mm. Personality attracts plot and plot kills characters.
:wink:
Quote from: "rishenko"Quote from: "Delirium"Quote from: "Vynestra"People with personality get killed quickly in Zalanthas. That is the way of things here :)
Beg to differ.
Agreed
Sometimes, it is not quick enough.
Quote from: "Mr. Body"We need more:
Male whores
Ugly women willing to use those male whores
More fighting (type) women (only from what -I- have seen, there aren't as many as I'd like. I could just be looking in the wrong places.)
We've had plenty of male whores, I personally am one of them. I'm sure everyone can vouch for that. More fighting type women -- that might be attributed with the numbers of "actual" females we have within the pbase, as far as I'm concerned, I've seen some pretty wicked women out there. So much so that even I was petrified of them, one Kuraci in particular comes to mind whenever I think of this.
We need more corpses, to loot -- most definitely, nothing more beautiful than being a newbie, and finding a full suit of silt horror on some dead person!
We also need more halflings, midgets put the fear in me, this is certainly in process, but I fear the day when halflings sieze Tuluk and devour its occupants, piking their heads and unedible limbs upon the walls -- halflings while small in stature make terrific adversaries.
Quote from: "Quirk"I think that a half-giant pickpocket is a "gimmick" role, but then I tend to view half-giants as a bit gimmicky in most cases anyway. Being a half-giant severely limits your social interactions, forcing you to retreat from the intrigue and politics of the game and become mostly a spectator and occasional tool. This makes the half-giant racial role already frustrating to play. Fortunately, half-giants being dangerous combat machines, clans are happy to add them to their roster, giving them at least a ringside seat view of the politics and intrigue if the clan actually has any. A half-giant that isn't much good at smashing things being pushed into a smashing things role is even more limited, however, being more likely to be left behind on account of being useless. I suspect most players stuck with a half-giant pickpocket will be harbouring fond thoughts of storage within the first fifty to a hundred hours of gameplay. It's fun to play a character who's starving and thirsty and racking his wits to find ways to keep himself alive. IMO it's much less fun to play a character whose prospects are always going to be dim, and doesn't even have the intellect to work up a semi-sophisticated psychological response to this.
(Of course, even gimmick characters can be rescued by circumstances. I can think off the top of my head of a half-giant pickpocket character who could be relatively fun to play over a period of time, given the right sort of PC companion. But an easily led half-giant pickpocket is much more likely to end up miserable in a clan that doesn't really want him.)
I had a half-giant burglar. He joined the Guild and was probably my favorite character.
He died shortly afterwards, but one day Awesome will return to Arm and its name will be HALF-GIANT PICKPOCKET.
Quote from: "FightClub"
We need more corpses, to loot -- most definitely, nothing more beautiful than being a newbie, and finding a full suit of silt horror on some dead person!
I played a lootable corpse once... the rotting and smelling was fun, the the turning to dust turned tedious.
Quote from: "FightClub"I've seen some pretty wicked women out there. So much so that even I was petrified of them, one Kuraci in particular comes to mind whenever I think of this.
Ah, you bar-brawling, ball-stomping, spice-addicted Kuraci, how I miss thee.
Her theme song was probably "Bodies" by Drowning Pool.
She was just misunderstood. :cry:
An archaeologist. (Indiana Jones is the MAN)
A true Zalanthan scholar and historian. (Play an older Sean Connery style scholar)
I remember someone who played an Ox. Was cool realizing wasn't just a normal ox and it's horns hurt if remember correctly.
Amish Overlord 8)
Can you actually special app something like that and expect the imms to not write it off as a joke? :P
Quote from: "Mr. Body"We need more:
Male whores
Ugly women willing to use those male whores
More fighting (type) women (only from what -I- have seen, there aren't as many as I'd like. I could just be looking in the wrong places.)
A start here might be to submit some NPCs to serve as role models. E.g. a couple of male prostitutes standing along a street, with the occasional female NPC that walks up, pinches one on the ass, has a brief, coarse conversation, and leads one away for a while.
Quote from: "Mr. Body"More fighting (type) women (only from what -I- have seen, there aren't as many as I'd like. I could just be looking in the wrong places.)
You are looking in the wrong places.
Mediocre and/or incompetent bards. Even the non-Circle ones all seem to start out flawless.
Quote from: "Cuusardo"Mediocre and/or incompetent bards.
I don't, just because players put alot of creative work into being competent bards. Also its easy to enter a bar and make a jack-ass out of yourself but enter one and have everyone listen to a song, story or poem you took the time in RL to write...well you guys get the point....i hope.
Quote from: "Dresan"Quote from: "Cuusardo"Mediocre and/or incompetent bards.
I don't, just because players put alot of creative work into being competent bards. Also its easy to enter a bar and make a jack-ass out of yourself but enter one and have everyone listen to a song, story or poem you took the time in RL to write...well you guys get the point....i hope.
I would like to see bards start out like complete jack-asses. That would be much funner than
Fancy bard has arrived
Fancy bard sings in a perfect soothing voice
"I can sing! Yeah!"
I'd much rather see them evolve. Start out as crappy and become better. We have too many flawless bards.
-Ken
P.S. For the love of the Highlord, The Sun King and Suk-Krath VOTE!
I have always tried to play a bard that starts out with one asset; a good voice, or can play one instrument pretty well. For the first couple of years s/he plays abroad, s/he makes quite a few mistakes. Either stumbles up, plays inappropriate material, or slips up on the lute. The other route, is I give him/her a physical disadvantage; no ears, missing a finger, etc. just to make it a bit more of a challenge.
I agree that too many Bards, non-Circle or Circle, start off being brilliant, and theres no opportunity to say "Wait..You're too good, you just started like yesterday!". Considering that ICly, they might have been doing it for 20 years.
I also agree that its much more fulfilling to write a good song, spend time on it IRL and have it become widely known and accepted and loved, rather than hated and laughed at.
as far as the thread goes: PC Mutants, North and South. Seen a couple played, and they were awesome.
I generally also try to stick with only one or two talents for my bard and end it at that. Complete virtuosos can get a bit annoying. Also a bit bardically aggravating: bards who put their new songs up on the local boards every time they perform them, rather than letting them spread by PC word-of-mouth.
Quote from: "jstorrie"A renegade noble would be super hot shit.
A renegade noble sorcerer is hawt!
They are hard to find though. ~pouts~ :cry:
I remember a Tor noble who had black skin and ivory hair...she was an interesting one too
I played a bard like character once, he wasn't very good nor well liked, but he had personality, and he got hired because of it, made a very good living not being liked ... But then he was hauled away one time by some pissed off noble and never seen again ... So, it's sometimes true personality gets your killed, but being a bad bard can make a living.
Heh. Them were the days.
Harley
Quote from: "Dresan"Quote from: "Cuusardo"Mediocre and/or incompetent bards.
I don't, just because players put alot of creative work into being competent bards. Also its easy to enter a bar and make a jack-ass out of yourself but enter one and have everyone listen to a song, story or poem you took the time in RL to write...well you guys get the point....i hope.
Players also put a lot of time and work into making 20 day old warriors/assassins/rangers.
'Bard' is the only profession that comes out of chargen fully maxed out and branched, it seems.
Byn Sergeants who live longer than a few months. :wink:
Quote from: "jcarter"Quote from: "Dresan"Quote from: "Cuusardo"Mediocre and/or incompetent bards.
I don't, just because players put alot of creative work into being competent bards. Also its easy to enter a bar and make a jack-ass out of yourself but enter one and have everyone listen to a song, story or poem you took the time in RL to write...well you guys get the point....i hope.
Players also put a lot of time and work into making 20 day old warriors/assassins/rangers.
'Bard' is the only profession that comes out of chargen fully maxed out and branched, it seems.
Having had a close to 40 day kick ass assassin...i'm still going to say 'Meh'. Every character you make you are going to put time in and work in, either RPing a role or training skills.
Now the following applies only for me, everyone else is different.
Coming up with a non-twinkish ways of training my PC with emotes, living his life in general and/or coming up with a clever way to kill lord fancy pants junior is not hard for me, however coming up with a song, poem or story is. A simple heart felt poem alone can take me more then a week.(Damn you Valantines Day!!).
I've had one or two of my characters (never actually played a bard PC) tell stories these are usually adventures that happened icly or adapted from other stories i have heard and while they are generally liked i still find it hard...very hard to pull it off.
I mean it doesn't take me very long to come up with a few "colourful" emote when sparring, i do it on the go, however i don't think i can go into a bar and compose a short song, story or poem without couple of hours of work and preperation before hand.
Like i said i can go and make a dumass character and make a fool out of myself in a tavern anytime i want, a competent bard with few good songs, poems or stories under its belt is alot tougher...for me at least.
EDITTED: Grammer, sorry for derailment too.
Quote from: "Hymwen"Can you actually special app something like that and expect the imms to not write it off as a joke? :P
PRetty much if you can think of it and good justification can do anything almost...of course provide a good reason why and how such a role could benefit the game and others too.
Amish Overlord 8)
Enter, the mutated, non-rinth, female city-elf merchant with a nervous twitch and extensive contacts in all the right places.
Quote from: "Delirium"Quote from: "FightClub"I've seen some pretty wicked women out there. So much so that even I was petrified of them, one Kuraci in particular comes to mind whenever I think of this.
Ah, you bar-brawling, ball-stomping, spice-addicted Kuraci, how I miss thee.
Her theme song was probably "Bodies" by Drowning Pool.
She was just misunderstood. :cry:
Misunderstood, but loved, in a fearful -- sort of way. My heart will go on for her.
A cross dressing, wig-wearing mul whore.
Quote from: "Briarfox"A cross dressing, wig-wearing mul whore.
*shudders* OoOooowh...
That's scary, man.
Characters you don't see often...
You never see Tek and Utep. :(
You don't see tribals or hunters too often in the wilderness.
Hot Dancer
You don't see flying kanks! :(
Quote from: "Yokunama"You don't see flying kanks! :(
Or swimming tregils. :evil:
Quote from: "Vesperas"Quote from: "Briarfox"A cross dressing, wig-wearing mul whore.
*shudders* OoOooowh...
That's scary, man.
You know you want it, Vesperas. You want to rub his belly and call him Tregilboy while he kicks at his frilly, lace-covered silk skirt.
Whirans.
Quote from: "EvilRoeSlade"Whirans.
Heheh.
Allanaki bards. Actually, at one time I saw three. But two 'disappeared'. :shock:
Quote from: "Akaramu"Allanaki bards. Actually, at one time I saw three. But two 'disappeared'. :shock:
Most likely natural causes. :twisted:
A dwarven merchant dressed in the highest finery with a creative, useful focus.
He/she would ownz what cannot be pwnz'd.
A human from modern day Earth who was accidentally planeshifted to Zalanthas. Speaks English, has our clothing and generally no idea how to survive in Armageddon...
Quote from: "Intrepid"A human from modern day Earth who was accidentally planeshifted to Zalanthas.
With a pair of 6-shooter revolvers and a 24 bullet belt. And an electric guitar.
Quote from: "Intrepid"A human from modern day Earth who was accidentally planeshifted to Zalanthas. Speaks English, has our clothing and generally no idea how to survive in Armageddon...
We already have those. They're called newbies :P
Raiders.
I've not had the satisfaction of having a goodly RP'd hold up in a number of years...well...where I've been the victim, not the raider.
Ever since the Black Moon were eradicated, I've not had the pleasure of seeing a Raider clan...*sniff* Even though I only got in once, and died soon after, I still smile when I think back on that time.
Also, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember reading in the docs that Sorcerers and Psionisists were human restricted guilds, so of course you wouldn't see too many dwarven/half-elf/whatever sorcerers running around.
psionicists are, but not sorcerors.
Quote from: "EvilRoeSlade"psionicists are, but not sorcerors.
Narcoleptic half-giant. He sleeps where he falls.
an apocalypse cultist
a fanatic of another religion other than Tek/Muk
a spice runner who is in it for the thrill, not so much the profit
a sober kuraci
pirates pirates pirates pirates pirates
mercenaries with family that they have to support
road repair men
professional gamblers
I've had a character that did alot of gambling, cards and darts and the such, was alot of fun. Don't know if he was truly a professional gambler, but he did make most of his 'sid that way. I almost forgot that gambling was something that's an option, and it's acctually quite fun.
Hmm... Well have to scrounge up my gambling document for some future character.
I've always wanted to just see some more joe blows, that don't really do any sort of specific job. I want to see more people hiring errand runners, and just manual labor people, instead of always seeing aides and merchants and crafters and guards and hunters and the such, just some plan people, with no skills, what so ever.
Creeper
Quote from: "Malifaxis"
road repair men
I'm going to spec. app. a dung-sweeper. Seriously. Some day.
Quote from: "Rhyden"Quote from: "Malifaxis"
road repair men
I'm going to spec. app. a dung-sweeper. Seriously. Some day.
Seen one, praise be to Egan.