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Post by Morreion on Dec 31, 2010 10:58:14 GMT -5
Storyboard: Flawed premise (Massively)Yes, I'm talking about flaws, which are one of the best ways to add definition to a character that might otherwise be lackluster. Like sculpting from marble, flaws cut away the edges of a character and help bring everything into greater definition. But it's a delicate balance between making an interestingly flawed character and making an execrable lump of flesh useful only as monster bait (or a virtual infallible deity whose flaws are all non-starters such as "well, he can't play the oboe"). You want a character just flawed enough to be interesting, but not so flawed as to drag others down.
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Post by Loendal on Jan 1, 2011 20:03:00 GMT -5
Interesting read. I LOVE this quote: a lot of roleplaying consists of just throwing the right mix of characters in a closed space to encourage interaction and then letting them play off one another. That is EXACTLY how I roleplay. I'm trying to think if I have any of those major issues on some of my foremost characters. Loendal has a guilt complex he hid under bullheaded rage for years. He's calmed down now, but that's mostly because he's a permanent cripple these days. He was off in the Military and failed to protect his home village from an enemy attack. His Mother died right before his eyes in the flaming blaze of a collapsing house, set on fire by the aforementioned enemy that got to the village. Eagis was horribly abused as a child and as a result turned into an utter ass who's only kind/weak spot was for children. He soaked up abuse like a sponge as an adult because that's all he knew. Though it was never verbalized, he took the physical pain and battery as a grown up because physical pain was easier to deal with then the mental and emotional pain. Real-world "cutters" do the same rationalization. Stevenson was a total fraud, but I never really had a chance to develop that one properly. He started out claiming to be a bard. He was actually nothing more then a robber and thief. Had a lute that he played to prove his "bardliness" but that was an enchanted Lute that played itself, he just learned to mimic the strings so it looked like he was playing it instead. His speed and dexterity were attributed to some ioun stones (D&D reference) that he kept hidden out of sight but always on his person to get their magic. I don't know if these things qualify under this list: ironic, tragic, ignorant, redemptive, or functional. I know I enjoyed all of those characters to the utmost while I played them. Popo's flaw may have been that he trusted to quickly. He had the open mindedness of a 5 year old and trust was easy for him. Seems most of my greatest characters have all come from terrible backgrounds! Does that make me a virtual sadist?  |
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Post by Morreion on Jan 2, 2011 10:58:15 GMT -5
Seems most of my greatest characters have all come from terrible backgrounds! Does that make me a virtual sadist? Flaws are the Shakespearian human drama that make RP engaging to me. Let's face it, it's quite boring to have a bunch of perfect people walking around- whereas the human condition is grist for the drama mill!  |
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Post by Morreion on Jan 17, 2011 9:26:21 GMT -5
Storyboard: Flaw of the land (Massively)Nobody's perfect. Heck, most of us aren't even within spitting distance. That's why we spent a column starting in on a discussion of flaws as they affect characters, breaking down the broad categories of flaws that you can give a character. But as I said right then, there's a lot more to talk about when it comes to flaws, especially since your flaws can be far more important than your character's actual abilities.A further look into flaws- worth reading.
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Post by Oatik on Jan 17, 2011 11:03:29 GMT -5
I don't think I've ever done enough RP for the reason behind my flaws to come up...which is good, I've never had reasons behind them. Mostly I'm just making stuff up on the fly. In Vanguard Oatik hated getting on the boats and would always end up throwing up no matter how short the ride, which always amused me...but I had no reason behind it.
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Post by Rakul on Jan 17, 2011 14:09:38 GMT -5
Oatik's don't have flaws... just "value-added features". The end.
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Post by Regolyth on Jan 18, 2011 9:10:06 GMT -5
When I first started Regolyth in DAoC, he hated badgers. I often called them "the bane of his existence." Like Oatik, I had no back story for this. It's just something I up one day when I met a bunch of roleplayers.
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Post by Rakul on Jan 18, 2011 18:36:33 GMT -5
And, he doesn't like people touching his longbow.
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