I'll save you all the trouble

[Mortaniuss]

Ok, there's over half a dozen seperate character evaluation threads here. That's getting a bit ridiculous. Let me just give everybody some general tips and notes and perhaps we can get back to our pointless discussions. These are all highly subjective and based on my opinions of how things are supposed to be.

Sith - Most (Not all, just most) of the Sith here don't fit the model for what I, personally, think a Sith should be. Sith are violent beings - creatures consumed by anger, hatred, and cruelty. They are not willing to sit down and "talk things out". They're not prone towards working with others, either, and will only do so under dire circumstances. Even then, they'll be looking for opportunities to take what another Sith has. They will usually be looking to upsurp their superiors - In fact, they would take great offense at the very notion that someone else is their superior. Above all, they crave power in all it's forms.

Jedi - Several pointers here. First of all, I think that the majority of the Jedi never take the iniative when it comes to helping others. Allow me to explain: If a Sith makes a thread where he/she is threatening an innocent, a Jedi will rush to the rescue. But I rarely if ever see a Jedi make a thread or post where they help out an NPC that wasn't directly threatened. The Jedi are negotiators and peacekeepers, not just Force-Sensitive Police Officers. How about helping out a planet suffering from starvation by sending them food? Or negotiating treaties between other organizations?

Also, I think of the Jedi as pseudo-philosophers, spending their spare time studying the mysteries of the Force. And, like the classic philosophers of our own world, there's bound to be vastly different views on the myriad subjects. It seems to me that few of the Jedi have their own opinions and moral standings anymore, opting instead to simply regurgitate the doctrine they're taught. Anyone else remember having great debates over whether or not it would be right to take a single life if it would save a thousand? I don't see those anymore.

New Characters - Although I'd like to say otherwise, the best way to start out isn't by making your own threads and inviting people in: I know from experience that you'll only meet with moderate success, at best. Try to find RP's that catch your interest, or that you think your character would have reason to be involved with, and join in. Once people get to know and like you, it's much easier to start RP's of your own.

General Tips - I, personally, would like to see a bit more widespread interaction. I know that it's impossible to avoid entirely, but everyone finds their own little cliques and then tends to only RP with those people. Which is fine - Of course you're going to want to stick with people you have fun with. But do try to interact with others, every once in a while.

Try to come up with a new angle. I know it's difficult to do something entirely original, but give it your best shot. The orphaned Jedi and homeworld-less Sith are numbered in the double digits. Your characters motivation is everything.

Also, set some sort of long-term goal for them. It should be something that they won't accomplish for a very long time, if at all. As it stands, most characters seem to just float from one thing to another, never seeking to fufill some ultimate goal. If you feel that you've run out of things to do with a character, there's not shame in retiring them. But please, don't kill them off unless you have a bloody good reason. At one time, when people killed off there characters, it was very emotional: People mourned as they would the passing of a friend. Now, when someone says that they want to kill off their character, everyone else jumps up and goes "Can I do it for you? Please?!"

Take notes. If there's someone else who's writing you would like to imitate, don't be afraid to try something similar. Now, this isn't free-reign to rip off someone else's ideas, but it *is* a creative license. Most everything you're going to read here is likely some culmination of other people's ideas. You take a little copper here, a little lead there and toss them all into the big ol' melting pot in your head. And always try to add your own distinctive flair to what you do.

Well, that's about all I have time for. Not really supposed to be making posts at work, anywho. I hope you all find some of these tips helpful, or at least take them to heart as a different viewpoint. Once again, everything I've said is strictly my own opinion, so save yourself the trouble of quoting me and going "This is Wrong!". It was just meant to be helpful. I don't think you really need anyone else to tell you how you're doing: You should be able to gauge that by how people respond to what you say and do.

[Darth Snack]

Well said. There's not much which I can add to that, but I would like to comment about what you said with the Sith.

I agree that there might be a handful of "true" Sith. Not gonna mention any names, but the true ones are the ones who encompass all of which evil stands for. All of what a real Sith should be: Hungry for power, hates to work with others, violent, unrelenting, etc. I see alot of characters who are with the sith or say they are sith characters, when they should be calling themselves Dark Jedi.

That's why I have been planning for a week or two now an RP which I honestly don't think Snack as a character could ever complete. Searching and learning the true Sith ways, from old sith writings and holocrons and whatnot. Should be interesting.

[Xanatos Etanial]

::reads it::

I think I fit the Sith mold quite well.

I'm hated, I hate everyone, I use everyone, I betray everyone and look for my own goals, I'm excessivly violent and allways trying to take power.

:D

[Ryu Warusa]

In other words, you're a racist. ::Yells out:: Racist! Come on everyone lets get Xanatos before he goes off and enslaves someone!

[Xanatos Etanial]

I'm not racist!

I hate all of you equally!

[Liam Jinn]

Hmm, funny. You gave all the generic summaries of Sith and Jedi. Who says they haven't evolved from hating and peacekeepers to more complex people? Oh and how is this related to the Evaluation threads? Those threads are to get help as an individual, a more personal level rather than one thread saying this is what people should be like if anyone reads, and seeing if people like what they read about the characters. Of course, these are only my opinions..:)

[Sanis Prent]

A huge problem I see is that most people aren't willing to script SHORTCOMINGS into a character. This is mainly due to a little unconcious injection of a player's ego into their handiwork, but nobody wants their character to have fallacies.

For instance, Random Sith might be 7 feet tall, 350 pounds, and solidly muscular. While he is still a Disciple, he may claim to have "incredible potential for power", and be able to conjur lightning bolts out of his ass that can raze entire armies to the ground. And of course, his mental capacities would make him IMMUNE to any kind of Force Illusion, no matter who it came from. This Random Sith may also have passed the academics course in the Imperial Academy with FLYING COLORS, thus making him by and far the most genious military tactician since Thrawn. He would also be gifted with the ability to have no emotional problems that might cloud a decision.

I could go on and on, but this is the consensus that I see for a great deal of characters here. Nobody wants to have serious debilitating flaws in a character, because everybody wants to "win."

Get the concept of "winning" out of your heads, first. The story comes first. From that, you can think about winning and losing as an afterthought.

For instance, your character could have a serious problem with greed, or fall easily for a pretty face, like Mr. Prent here...

[Keerrourri Sarrtarroa]

...or be a fanatical racist, making interactions with alien species very strained. He might even be indoctrinated to overly fear and respect women.

[Emperor Shimi]

...Or he could be a weakling and a coward, so obsessed by something that he worships that he would ignore the facts around him just to maintain his biased beliefs.

[Sanis Prent]

And there are lots of people who do this quite well. Dalethria pops to my head as a prime example, as well as Akrabbim, Sorsha, etc...

Part of getting that ever-evasive "style" is also purposefully drawing some defects into your character. Even if its something as little as a petrifying fear of kittens....SOMETHING :)

RP's are built on conflict. Inner problems breed conflict like nothing else :)

[Xanatos Etanial]

I'm overly disloyal, which as is shown by the fact I never got above the OFFICIAL rank of warrior is a weakness.

Also I have this thing about Tuna Fish....

[Liam Jinn]

I had the falling for the pretty face thing first! :p Lemme see, Liam can barely do any illusion whatsoever, women kill him ;) , can't help but trusting people waaay too easily...and they're others but they're in my stories..

[Ryu Warusa]

Ryu places getting women ahead of important things... and practically has ADD.

[Xanatos Etanial]

I'll vouch to Liam's being WAY too trusting.

[Jedah Lynch]

No you just like to think you are something special X:)

Too bad your not:evil:

Sith are evil, sneaky, manipulative by nature. They are cunning, its not about whos the strongest Sith. As it is I half laugh my ass off at people when they proclaim they are able to snap someons neck in two like a wet towel no matter what type of group they are from. There is nothing so funny as idiotic boast as such.

There are many good Sith, some good Jedi. Each side has potential, few ever live up to that potential however, at least fully.

To fully act as a Sith or Jedi in a true way may very well be impossible, we all take liberties in how we RP. There may exist no "Pure" Sith or Jedi or dark Jedi for that matter around here. Not really, just people wishing they are to live a fantasy in a galaxy far far away.

Not thats a bad thing.

Overall if you want the RPing to increase or things to go better around here I would suggest some step out of their little clique circles and do mix it up as Morty said. The RPing around here seemed to really slow down when more and more started to RP with a select group of people, both Jedi wise, Sith wise and Dark Jedi wise.

Oh......and not every RP that goes on has to be a damn novel or be part of some grand plan. The purpose is to have fun, unfortunately most all want to do is win nowadays or outdo the other guy for the sake of ones rep. And dont tell me its all in the name of Roleplaying either that some things happen. BS. People need to start trying to have fun again instead of trying to become the next big thing or pulling off the next big stunt against someone just to give their ego a bump up.

There is alot of political and OOC stuff lately being brought into the RP. That shouldnt be. It brings conflict, it causes tension and overall it screws up alot of people if not friendships. To see two or more people iron out a problem and get along, if not at least treat each other like cvilized people on the boards is a good thing. Alot of people in groups seem to hate each other simply for what they were told by another or who they associate with, more and more find that stupid because THAT seems to have caused alot of conflict or tension in the last several months. And its not the lower ranked people guilty of that either.

What Swfans needs is one thing and one thing only again.

People who want to just have fun.

[Mortaniuss]

Liam: Yes, these are obviously just general tips and pointers. But they can apply to almost everyone here, so I think I stand validated. And as far as the groups having "evolved"... as I said, these are just MY opinions of how I think they should be; I try to stay true to what has been presented to us in the movies and some books.

Sanis: Yes, I forgot to mention that point about writing in character weaknesses. I really couldn't put it in better words than you have.

Jedah: Of course not everyone has to be a "Pure" Jedi or Sith - Some people like to take interesting angles on their characters, and that's great. But if someone *does* want to try and play a character in one of these veins, I hoped these suggestions would help give them ideas of how to do so.

I'll agree that way too many OOC issues become unfairly mixed in IC matters. Unfortunately, there's no real way to stop this. We can harp on it all day long, and it's still going to go on. If one person's character betray's another character's trust, the person behind the character may take it personally and get offended. :/

[Nobuo Hyde]

I second that motion.

[Jedah Lynch]

Jedah: Of course not everyone has to be a "Pure" Jedi or Sith - Some people like to take interesting angles on their characters, and that's great. But if someone *does* want to try and play a character in one of these veins, I hoped these suggestions would help give them ideas of how to do so.

Got no problem with that, try to be the "pure" Sith as much as I can myself or at least with my Jedah character should say. Always do put in angles that showed he didnt just start out a Sith or just one day went "I want to be a Sith." or had one defining moment that lead to him becoming one, it actually took several things. Certainly play up the Sith aspect myself as much as possible.

As it is if the suggestives help some all for that.

Certainly dont expect the IC and OOC to be solved either, thats always been there, always will be. However do wish some people would make more of an effort to get along if nothing else.

[Liam Jinn]

That's what I'm saying...get along. And make sure you get along with me! :)

[Xanatos Etanial]

No you just like to think you are something special X

Too bad your not

You're on my crap list already Mr., I wouldn't push your luck too much farther. :mad:

[Ryu Warusa]

Quiet you! Don't make me sick Mama on yer arse.

[Xanatos Etanial]

Don't make me call in Chibi Xanatos, Wheelie, Cy-kill, and Shatner.

[Ryu Warusa]

Who are you kidding? Shatner will always side with me.

[Xanatos Etanial]

BAH! Then I'll simply replace him with.... BILL GATUS OF BORG!

[Ryu Warusa]

Bah, enough of this arguing. Its time to bring in the big guns.

[Mama Mashpatatoes]

As Mama was walkign around the area, she heard someone call her name. It appeared as if two young boys were fighting.

"I'll have none of that now!"

Mama came running with her rolling pin in hand and starts whacking away at the now defenseless Xanatos.

[Sanis Prent]

<img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/ohwell.gif ALT=":\"> well...lets try and keep this non-silly

[Force Power]

If you insist. Though I do now declare that Xanatos can no longer use me, The Force. :P

[Gitane Blesse]

Okay, I've only been around a matter of months, and I don't often RP something out. I'm also never really into fighting, only because

One, my character isn't nearly trained enough, and

Two, there are only the people that have been around for a while that I can tell would be entertaining to have a fight with.

I see so many fights going around where at least one participant has very little writing, or description. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, I just think that if you're going to be in an RPG that requires a lot of writing, you at least try to make it worth replying. I spend a while sometimes, thinking my character's actions out. She loves tricks and toying with the mind through words, testing her opponent. It takes all the fun out of RPing if I spend a good half hour or so on one post and get a simple "I ignore your words because they don't effect me and kick you in the gut and slash you with my lightsaber."

To me, after even reading posts like that where I may not even be envolved, and the knowledge that there are quite a few people out there that RP like that, makes me think, "Why bother?"

I've noticed for a while now that there have been new recruitments that, I hate to say it, remind me of the Teletubbie version of a Sith. I'm not going to list or even hint at some, and I know my character isn't that great, but if you want to be nice, be a Jedi. Understand that, while there may be exceptions, the two are supposed to be enemies with strong dislike, if not hatred for one another... Not the bud that you sit around and drink with after a long day of tushie-kickin'.

Like I said, I know I'm new, but this is just my opinion on some areas of the RPing World out there. I understand that some people may be new, but at least make an attempt to improve yourself as a writer, thinker, and a general RPer.

:) I'll shut up now.

[Liam Jinn]

The spiffy Hair!!! :( But the body...:D

[Jeseth Cloak]

To me, after even reading posts like that where I may not even be envolved, and the knowledge that there are quite a few people out there that RP like that, makes me think, "Why bother?"

People who RP that badly are apt to get a good ass kicking from a better RP with a more imaginative perspective. It often will make them go back to the drawing board, and hopefully (in theory) it might make them revise their style of RPing. I for one try to be fair in battles. I think the best fights have no true winners anyway. All of my best battles have been ties of sorts. Nichos, Figrin, Jace, Rama. They were all very fun and in the end no one walked a way a winner or a loser. :)

[Liam Jinn]

:( Jes..what about our fight?

[Ryu Warusa]

I'll take you all on.

[Jeseth Cloak]

Yes, Yes, and Liam TOO. :p :lol:

[Liam Jinn]

*cries happy-tears*

[Vega Van Derveld]

The spiffy Hair!!! But the body...

*slaps Liam upside the head with a fish* :mad:

[Morgan Evanar]

I'm now confused, and will not comment on that.

[Pierce Tondry]

Trout slapping! This thread had trout slapping!!! :D

I like fighting people. It amuses me to make Hob do funny things, or to whap people with moves I stole from watching Smackdown using Pierce. :)

Morg: We've known you were "confused" for quite some time.

[Morgan Evanar]

Actually, you know just the opposite.

[Rama Sha]

:: Starts to Cry ::


I got Parnet issues......*Sniff* My......mom died and my Dad basicly gave me away, then he died. *Siniffles * And Im so parnoid.....*Sniff*.......I can't trust no one.........And I have to prove someting.......to everyone. *Sniff* You know.......that Im the best there was, there best there is, and the best there ever will be.* *Sniff


::o penly sobs :: :lol:


*=No Bret Hart stole it from me! That Hack! :lol:

[Gitane Blesse]

--Sits and wonders how Rama <img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/images/emoticons/embarassed.gif ALT=":o"> 'penly sobs-- :p

[Sasseeri Reeouurra]

What jis a parrrnet? jIs jit ljike a Parrrrrrot?

[Force Master Hunter]

I had a vague notion of an idea what to post here, but the long drive home at very high speed has wiped it from the petrol addled thing I call a mind.

Oh yes.

What I would add is this - play your characters the way you want to, within reason. I also second the weakness thoughts as well.

Somethign different always is a good thing too