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The True Mirror
Lots of changes going on, speak to Cudpug and Ranna through PM/MSN to find out what!
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Rannie
Adminish Cap
Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 13950
Location: Bristol
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 Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 12:21 pm Post subject: RPO: Making a profile |
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This is for people starting out as new role players who need a bit of encouragement with what to do. I know Platy started with something similar, but frankly, I have time to waste, and the RPO needs a little push in the right direction.
So, first thing any would be RPer (Role-player) needs to do is create a character.
How do you do that?
Nobody can tell you how to make your own character, or what they should look like or be called. It's up to you.
Some people design their characters before naming them, or the other way around. I prefer to find a name first, as then I get an idea of what the characters personality would be like. Names hold more meaning than you think, especially names that already hold meanings.
But after you have created a character fit for the RP of your choice, your next obvious step would be to fill in a character profile.
Most have the obvious layout of:
Name: (First name is a must, second/and or middle names option)
Gender: (In case it wasn't obvious)
Race: (Human/Elf/Griffin etc. It doesn't matter , so long as it fits with the planned layout of the story)
Age: (State unless it is somehow vital to the story. You can put for example, 18-20. You can a vague, but not too much so that you are unhelpful.)
Physical Appearance: (Describe hair, skin tone, eyes, facial features, any markings or odd characteristics? Explain all here).
Character: (What are they like personality wise? If you're a first time RPer, its easier to base them on yourself, with additions or changes. This goes for physical appearance too).
Background: (What was their childhood like? Are they an orphan? Or raised in a family of 10? Try to avoid cliches).
Other RPs may have other criteria to complete, but once you've got the hang of those basic details, it should all flow, by basing everything else on the characters personality.
Other things you may be asked to include:
-Picture (Optional, but greatly encouraged. As long as you have a half decent amount written in physical appearance, pictures aren't needed though)
-Religion (Are they religious? Or not spiritual?)
-Partner: (This can mean several things. Are they married or in a relationship is just one example. Another could be who they are travelling with, or do they have an animal familiar?)
-Family: (This could also fit under background information).
Now its your turn to have a go! Use all the criteria titles that I have given and fill them out. Anyone can do this, not just newbies at RPing. For inspiration, or good examples of quality profiles, check out some of the SoT profiles.
If anyone actually bothers to read this, and submits a really good profile, I'll find a fitting prize. Like drawing your character or something =O
Have fun! <3
_________________
| Quote: | Sam says:
-Maredudd x Kate.
-Kate with a short, porky Welshman.
-Come to papa |
Last edited by Rannie on Wed Dec 16, 2009 1:05 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Shadowknight
Hero
Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 4070
Location: Right next to Zihark.
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| Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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I actually sent CP a tutorial that I made, sorta like that. I hope you don't mind me posting it up....
| Quote: | =Character=
The first thing to do in the world of roleplaying is to create a character. Grand adventures and quests are nothing if there are no heroic rangers or villainous mages! If you are new to this forum, your characters will also help integrate you in The True Mirror.
-Inspiration-
Look around here for some good examples. (http://truemirror.informe.com/viewtopic.php?t=27) Each character has their own personality and traits. Perhaps base one character on yourself, tweaking some habits so it becomes even more unique. Maybe you can base a character off of your friend, or even your pet! Look for attributes such as personality (kind/shy/bold), habits (likes to read/hang around with the opposite gender/practice magic), and looks (hair color/build/height). Think about what your character would do in certain situations.
-Character Sheet-
Once when you have the beginnings of a good character, it is time to make a Character Sheet. This is a good way to solidify him/her, and figure out exactly who they are. Once made, upload the character sheet to this link (http://truemirror.informe.com/viewtopic.php?t=27) On TTM, a character sheet requires:
+Name (Nothing too long or unpronounceable, please)
+Gender (Male/female)
+Race (Depends on the world they will be in. For Fire Emblem Roleplays, this consists of Beorc/Branded/Laguz)
+Class (Same as above)
+Age (Try to be somewhat realistic.)
+Personality (pessimistic/optimistic, talkative/not talkative, fearless/shy, easily angered/not, tell why.)
+History (Depends on the world slightly. Tell where they were born, how they grew up, any special/major events, and what they are doing now.)
+Homeland (Depends on the world)
+Hair color (Do they have long hair/short/always in a covering?)
+Eye color (Describe if they have glasses, or missing eyes.)
+Appearance (Clothing, accessories, weapons, major markings, height, build)
+Bonds (Do they have any close friends, family, or lovers?)
+Pictures (Any picture that resembles your character)
-What to Avoid-
In the world of Roleplaying, you might hear the term “Gary/Mary Stu”. This refers to an extremely clichéd character that is liked by everyone, has a angsty past, and overpowered (Typically the latter). Whatever you do, avoid this at all costs! If they are very strong physically, make them weak against magic, and vice versa. Trusted members might have a little more leeway with this, but it is your responsibility to make sure they have flaws. Abuse of this will result in warnings.
-Different Worlds-
One of your characters might be in different roleplays, and in different worlds. Since all of the worlds are not the same, it might be wise to tweak the character so they fit into the world. Retain the personality, and most of the looks, but switch out the accessories and race. Changing the history might be a good idea as well.
=How You RP=
-Writing-
While roleplaying, it is necessary to type in an easily understandable form of English. DO NOT type in txt talk, or overload the roleplay with emoticons. Write in clear grammatically correct sentences with a minimum of spelling errors. We will not ban you for a single misspelling, but it is for the good if we can understand you!
-Out of Character-
OOC refers to Out of Character, in where you are not typing the direct roleplay. It is useful if you want to point out something or ask a question.
-Length-
While it is not expected for you to write an essay every time you post, a good roleplay is not single sentences! Have some paragraphs of description; describing the characters, what they are doing, what the world is like. Add some conversation as well. Keep the description clean, and do not type graphic details such as excessive gore and scenes that are above PG-13. Type the length that the other members are typing, and remember, we are not unreasonable.
-Respect-
While roleplaying, treat the other members and their characters with respect. Do not use your character to maul or abuse theirs. In special circumstances, such as characters on opposites sides of a war, your character may engage in a fight with theirs, if they agree to it. If your character is of the violent type, warn the other members of it.
-Powerplaying-
Powerplaying is where one member takes control of another member’s character without permission (also called godmoding). This is not accepted, and will result in a ban. If it is necessary to do so, ask the other member for permission, and keep the character consistent with who they are. |
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platypus
Brave
Joined: 10 Aug 2007
Posts: 3601
Location: Live from New York
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| Posted: Mon Feb 18, 2008 11:46 pm Post subject: Re: RPO: Making a profile |
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| Ranna wrote: | | This is for people starting out as new role players who need a bit of encouragement with what to do. I know Platy started with something similar, but frankly, I have time to waste, and the RPO needs a little push in the right direction. |
Tis quite all right; all in the name of good RPs. And more people will probably pay attention to yours 
_________________
"Platypus- the other white meat!"
"Nobody's perfect and I'm nobody. Therefore I'm perfect." |
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Seraphim Swordmaster
Deity
Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 8866
Location: Albion.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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Guess that I'll post my tutorial up here as well. Always good to help the newbies.
| Quote: | How you write your character’s profile is more or less up to you. However, I’ve provided a brief layout of what kind of things your profile should contain below.
Character’s Name: Self explanatory
Character’s Age: You should be able to figure this one out
Character’s Gender: If you spend too long on this section you might need some help
Character’s Weapons: Most RP’s feature combat or battles of some kind, so what kind of tools does your character use to protect themselves? A sword and shield? A pair of shurikens? Magic spells? An egg-salad sandwich? If a character uses more than one weapon are they proficient with one more than the other? In this case, you may wish to list a weapon rank after each item to denote their level of proficiency.
Character’s Appearance*: What does your character look like? Hair? Clothing? Tell us here.
Character’s Personality: What are the mannerisms of your character? Greedy and Lustful? Kind and heroic? What defines your character? Note that flawed characters often make for much better storytelling as opposed to perfect defenders of justice.
Character’s Background: Are there any key events that have shaped your character into being the person they are today? Or maybe you just want to talk a little about them? Put it in this section.
Other Information: Any defining features your character has? This could be anything from a split personality to sexual orientation. Anything that isn’t catered for in the other fields should probably go in here.
*If you include a picture of your character then it is not necessary to write out their Character Appearance. A good character-image creator can be found at http://foxrichards.deviantart.com/art/FaceMaker-52755515
If you have a Mac, or find it difficult to put up the image of your character, just put up their mugshot's URL or Facemaker code instead.
Important Note: When using Facemaker codes, please separate them. Most people will figure out how to reconstruct the original piece of code. If you don't do this, it just stretches the page, which absolutely nobody likes.
Below are two examples of how to make a good character profile and some comments about them: in particular taking the common stereotypes of male thief and cold female and making them interesting. However, both of these profiles are made to deliberately have flaws. I won't make a perfect RP character profile for you to copy, just look at these examples below and learn for yourselves:
Facemaker Code:
002004004033001001012004028001001002003001001
0011001001001000250550551001001001001001001001
0010007507005610002502502510010010010010010010
0100100100100100100100100100100100100100100
Character’s Name: Wings Rashean
Character’s Age: 25
Character’s Gender: Male
Character’s Weapons: Revolver (B), dagger (B) and fire magic (C).
Character’s Appearance: Black bandanna that covers most of his forehead and two scars, one small one on his chin and one on his right cheek. Wears a rough grey and white poncho over crudely fitted leather armour.
Character’s Personality: Wings is a treasure hunter by nature and so has an affinity for anything that shines, as well as women of rich backgrounds. He is not mercenary in his work, however, and will happily embark on any mission to find treasure of even the smallest value due to a keen interest in archaeology.
Character’s Background: Born into poverty, Wings learned the value of money at a young age and soon fell in love with capitalism and its promise of potential success as a whole. He started out as a thief but was eventually given a new chance at life by a friend of his who offered him a position as a treasure hunter for hire. Now he takes on any job, big or small, to find any lost treasures of the world.
Other Information: Wings has an affinity for dogs but gets along well with more or less any animal. He is also a terrible cook and has allergies to cheese and nuts.
Comments: This is a good profile, making use of all the fields and using weapon ranks to denote skills in his available weapons. The poor-kid-done-good storyline is one walked many times before, but the addition of archaeological interest and a drop of politics manages to spice things up. The only criticisms are that it's a little short on backstory and the character's mugshot bears some resemblance to one of the characters from FFXIII, and it's always a good idea to go for originality when it comes to creating character appearances.
Facemaker Code:
001002023023002001002012006001001001006001
0030010950900801000250500251001000800801001
0010010010001500500510010010010010005505001
0100100100100100100100100100085075025100100
100100100
Character’s Name: Judith Haringway
Character’s Age: 24
Character’s Gender: Female
Character’s Weapons: Short lance
Character’s Appearance: Dark red long tunic with a dull gold and silver trim. Deep green eyes and long, almost jet-black hair tied at the pack in a flowing ponytail.
Character’s Personality: Around women, Judith is open and cheerful, seeing them as sisters-in-arms against men, whom she has a strong dislike of for her past treatment; viewing them all as gold-diggers, avoiding them whenever possible. Although she talks openly about her past, she is (as the story begins) only just coming to terms with her homosexuality, and does not mention it. However, she may drop flower petals around those she is interested in due to her inexperience and clumsiness in verbal relationship-based contact. Due to her own experiences she constantly advises others to avoid marriage. She is often seen nursing her one-year-old daughter, Marie.
Character’s Background: Judith was born into a noble family, but was thrown around from suitor to suitor for three years to secure more money and power for her family. Eventually, she was forced into an unhappy marriage with a man twice her age, who was often drunk. She refused to consummate with him and often locked herself away to escape him. About two years ago, she was forced by him in a drunken state and gave birth to a daughter, Marie. However, he returned once again drunk and attacked them. She protected her child but was left with a broken arm. Finally snapping, Judith set fire to her home while she was left alone in it with Marie and ventured into the world beyond her with her child. She enters the story after having to fend for a year on her own.
Other Information: Judith has a fear of heights. In addition, despite her awakening preferences, she is actually deeply religious and believes that the only reason she is alive is because God is watching over her.
Comments: Her backstory makes Judith a tragic character but her faith and her determination to leave her husband behind and find a future that benefits her and her child also makes her strong and believable, breaking away from the typical damsel-in-distress and cold girl templates simultaneously. One could criticise it for having too much backstory, however, which might be difficult to fit around some RP templates.
Now here’s an example of how not to do a profile...
Character’s Name: Zaingai Gqmaziawaif Gonsaizangadanma
Character’s Age: Doesn’t age, is uberness for it but looks 17
Character’s Gender: Male but can be whatever he wants
Character’s Weapons: Has the ultimate sword of Haisuzians which gives him uber powers
Character’s Appearance: Spikey blond hair and black armour and a big cape saying “I’m the best”
Character’s Personality: He is really cold and really nasty but also nice and friendly to those he likes and he has superpowers and can read peoples minds so you can’t hide anything from him
Character’s Background: He is secretly the uberness lord of an ancient magical mystical cult where he was revived and now is come to rule the world but is he good or evil mwhahaha
Other Information: He can do anything because it is revealed that he is uberness soemthingortother. Also he is everybody’s best friend
Comments: This is a horrible profile. The names are unpronounceable and his weapons and actions are unbelievable. Furthermore, his personality and backstory are uninformative and contradictory. It’s okay to have characters with unclear or confused motives, that’s what makes them flawed and more interesting, but there’s no information here whatsoever. Utterly, utterly terrible.
I hope that this sheds some light on how you should be making your character profiles. Now, all you need to do is to post them up on this here topic and you're done. Take heed of my words and hopefully the RPO won't have too much criticism with it.
Have fun and happy RP’ing.
~ Seraphim Swordmaster |
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