|
Your Character
What's in a Name?
Your name is likely the most important aspect of your character. A
good name will get you noticed, while a bad name will do the same
but perhaps not in the way you would have liked. Think of your name
as a billboard or advertisement for your character. If you want to
be noticed then pick a stand-out name, if you prefer to lurk in the
shadows then try to pick something people might read right over. If
you want to be taken seriously you won't pick a name like Redfurby
or Madonna or Dsdsafk. In fact, if you pick a name too out of genre
then you will be asked to choose another before you can begin adventuring.
Also keep in mind the timeframe we're in and try to pick names
that fit into it. You also need to think about your character's
background. Where are they from? If they're from Greece then it's
likely they won't have a name like Amenhotep unless you have a way
to explain how a native Greek acquired an Egyptian name. You also
might not want to pick a name like Jonathan or Leslie or Greg...
these names are perfectly acceptable but they're also mundane. Why
pick something normal when you can be Peristophones or Djehutimes
or Forouzandeh.
You want to avoid famous names as well. Picking a sound-alike name
might fool a couple people, but it's not going to fool them for
long. Why live your life in the shoes of Heracles when you can create
your own adventures and make a name for yourself all on your own?
Don't be Hircules or Hurceles or Herculis or Hurcules or any other
of a thousand combinations. Be your own hero and make your own mark
on the world. This is another instance where you may be asked to
pick another name.
Looks Do Matter
From everything to your hairstyle to the type of shoes you wear,
you want to be sure to look the part. Again, you want to take your
background into consideration. If you are from Carthage then you're
not liable to have lily white skin unless you have some way to reasonably
explain why in your history. Try to do a little research on the
area you want your character to be from and choose hair styles and
colors and eye color and skin shades that would make sense for someone
from that area.
Clothing is another big part of your appearance. This is not a
fluff race, though some people do have fun dressing to the gills
and scrolling the screen with all their stuff. But don't expect
anyone to envision what your character really looks like when they
have to read for so long that they already forgot half of what you
were wearing by the time they're done... that is if they bother
to read it at all. It can be hard, but try to keep it simple. Just
because you can wear a skirt with pants on doesn't mean you have
to. The same goes for pins, just because you can wear ten of them
doesn't mean you have to.
You also want to try to fit your character's lifestyle and history
into your dress. If you are role-playing a waitress then there's
no reason to be decked out in a full suit of armor unless you work
in a really rough and rowdy restaurant. A character from the upper
echelons of the Roman high-society would probably not be caught
dead in a wool robe. It can be hard, but try to buy the things you
buy for your character, not for yourself. If they don't like red,
don't buy a red dress just because it's cheap and has a long show
description. As far as your character is concerned altered clothing
isn't all that different from anything else, just a little fancier.
What's My Story?
This is one of the most important aspects of your character next
to your name. In fact, I would say both name and story are pretty
much equal in importance. Your character may have started out in
the shaded garden in Athens as far as the system is concerned, but
this is not where your life began. You need to come up with a background
that tells what lead up to your arriving in Athens and why you're
there doing what you do. You need not ever tell anyone about it,
but you need it to properly role-play your character. It's hard
to be consistent when you have no history to coincide your consistency
with.
You arrive in Athens and decide to be an Alchemist. What brought
you there? Why are you alone, where is your family and friends?
Where did you study? Were you self-taught or did you attend a school
or did you have a mentor of some sort? You didn't just wake up in
the shaded garden and proclaim yourself an alchemist, you arrived
there through a chain of events. Linking these chains in a believable
manner is up to you.
Try not to go too overboard with your history. Don't involve things
you can't back-up. Saying you defeated Ares in a cribbage match
on your way to Mt. Olympus to visit Zeus and check up on your floating
mansion outside of Pharsalus is just setting yourself up for embarrassment.
If anyone even believes you to begin with, what happens when Ares
or Zeus come to visit and don't back up your story? Or say we finally
discover a route to Pharsalus... what happened to your floating
mansion? Don't try to build yourself up with famous names or feats
of unbelievable prowess... it'll just come back to bite you in the
end.
Personality and Quirks
Just like in advertising a product, you want to try and come up
with something that people immediately associate with your character.
This all comes in with your personality and whatever quirks you
give yourself to set yourself apart from the rest of the crowd.
It can be something as simple as liking one specific color so much
that everything you own MUST be that color. Or it could be as complex
as multiple personalities that pop up every so often to keep the
other players on their toes.
Come up with something that's your own, but like we said before,
make it believable and be consistent with it. Your character might
hate getting wet or dislike a certain food so much as to leave if
they see someone eating it. They might have a nervous tick whenever
certain words are said or constantly dry wash their hands. They
might insist on never turning left or even go so far as to not be
able to speak when a person of the opposite sex is around. But remember
when you establish these quirks that this is something people will
begin to identify with your character and something you will need
to do for the rest of his or her life unless you find some believable
way to change it.
Miscellaneous Tips
Be consistent. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times...
you have to be consistent with your role-play. If you've decided
your character dislikes Romans, then you shouldn't be apple-polishing
the next Roman who walks into town selling something you like. Depending
on your dislike for them, your character might go so far as to boycott
or even try to sabotage his shop rather than buy that nifty sword
that you, the player, wants.
Try not to go too far. Once you've defined yourself as the all-hateful
dark and mystical keeps to themselves death alchemist, you can't
expect people to respond well when you come up to them acting all
buddy buddy and "how're you doing". The same goes for
the other side of the coin. If you're role-playing a toddler or
tailor or anything else low-impact, it would be way out of character
for you to run off and go hunting down evil-doers. Don't hedge yourself
in, allow room for your character to grow.
Try to avoid defenites. Calling yourself THE Lord of Thrace doesn't
give you or anyone else any leeway one way or the other. Simply
saying you are A lord of Thrace would suffice and get the same reaction.
This allows others to be lords of Thrace as well without there being
competition and hurt feelings when/if another lord of Thrace shows
up.
NEXT
SECTION: In-Game Conflict >>
[ HOME • BACK
TO NEW PLAYER GUIDE ]
|
HOME
