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+--- Thread: Is there any such thing as "too much" when it comes to a back story? (/showthread.php?tid=3839)
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RE: Is there any such thing as "too much" when it comes to a back story? - Teardrop - 08-22-2013
People know their own personal back story usually (barring amnesiacs...all too common in character concepts, but rather unusual in real life
)...does that make most people you run into outside of the game boring and limited, without room to grow because of their knowledge of their own personal past? Does that make you yourself that type of real-life interaction? Are the interesting people who write autobiographies in real life any less intriguing or desirous to be dialogued with as a result? Well, maybe if it's poorly written, perhaps 
.I think if it helps you cement your story and concept in your head, certainly, write as much as you want! You could write a thousand pages and probably not match the details that you know about you yourself, and I imagine you probably think you are still someone worth knowing and interacting with in real life
You probably expect to have new experiences to build upon your own back story, and will continue to live and grow and learn and meet new people and experience new things just as your characters are at the moment they log in for the first time upon Eorzea 
.Now, putting all that information out there for general consumption is something entirely different. Having made my original comments, I do believe in exposition through role play is a really important thing. I'd sure like to learn about you through through interacting with your character, to be surprised and delighted in discovering new aspects of your personality, feel your pain as you relate a troubling past event. I can get that too from reading about your character, but it's a little bit of a different thing.
If I am to write something about my character (and I have written a bit about my Duskwight, Isobeau), I might tell a little tale that displays an event that shaped her personality, or maybe something that was a pivotal moment in her life. I am concerned that this might let out more than I want before I show my hand in game, so to speak, but at the same time, I like to think that I'm a creative person and I enjoy writing and telling tales, and I have to scratch that itch as well
RE: Is there any such thing as "too much" when it comes to a back story? - Ildur - 08-22-2013
A character backstory exists to give the player a base from where to start building him up.
It's perfectly reasonable to give them a long backstory. Because it's all in the character's past, it makes sense for it to be set in stone. Additionally, a rich backstory will provides more RP hooks to other fellow players.
RE: Is there any such thing as "too much" when it comes to a back story? - Dubs - 08-22-2013
I remember when I was first trying to conceptualize B'jaern and the Eohji (Allagan / Garlean manufactured genetic mutation idea), I had some internal conflict whether or not it was too much for the community to absorb due to the "special snowflake" designation. I have to agree to an extent that yes, the idea is totally special snowflake, but you have to ask yourself.
1. Are you imposing your character concept and backstory onto others?
2. How do you attempt to tie it into the lore in a somewhat tasteful manner w/o raising huge red flags which might be purely subjective anyways.
3. Are people just using special snowflake as a dismissive pejorative to stifle creativity through preconceived assumptions as to how they think you'll approach your own character. Are you able to acknowledge criticism, if so do you really care?
4. Who are you really writing your story for? You or the community? Both?
With my story I admit there were a lot of questionable ideas. I'll put some under the microscope just for the fun of it.
- Allagan & Garlean Genetic Engineering: You can have colossal technological marvels like the Agrias, but not this?
- The whole miqo'te berserking effect when an Eohji is born and the conduit of power shared by mother and child thing.
- Using drugs to combat Garlean indoctrination when in truth the lore really doesn't state how other races are really indoctrinated.
- How do you effectively narrate a limit break?
- A corrupted lallafel inside a magitek suit as a Minister / Inquisitor??
Really?
RE: Is there any such thing as "too much" when it comes to a back story? - Bloodwillow - 08-22-2013
My only fear is something known as "plot dump" meaning in a span of a short time, everything about something or someone is dropped into your lap.
I try to make a "default" background for any characters i have, then flesh them out as I play. Â I then add the important stuff to my bio. Â So my characters are ever changing and moldable.
RE: Is there any such thing as "too much" when it comes to a back story? - FreelanceWizard - 08-22-2013
(08-22-2013, 04:45 PM)Bloodwillow Wrote: My only fear is something known as "plot dump" meaning in a span of a short time, everything about something or someone is dropped into your lap.
I remember this one time in Pocket D (*cue Alyson Hannigan voice*), I and a few others were chatting at the upstairs bar on the hero side, and this young heroine came up to us and joined in. We were thinking, "Awesome! New random RP!" Everything was going fine until... she started giving us her entire life story (I believe in response to "How did you get started with fighting crime?"), up to and including her physical relations with other heroes and her current, ah, "biological cycles."
We weren't sure if this was a really sophisticated troll or someone just new to things, so we ran with it IC, including one of the male characters acting wildly grossed out in his typically immature fashion and a couple of female characters rolling their eyes and muttering about the poor state of feminism in superheroics. For what it's worth, it was a very detailed and interesting backstory, but we didn't need to hear all that from someone we'd just met. The moral of the story is, yep, avoid the "plot dump."
A detailed history for a character is fine and gives opportunities for RP, but avoid the temptation to use it as a crutch. Think about how people act in real life: when you meet someone, you don't tell them your entire life story, do you? Your character will be interesting enough through their interactions, quirks, and beliefs. There'll be time enough to let the backstory come out later, if it's warranted IC.
RE: Is there any such thing as "too much" when it comes to a back story? - Qhora Bajihri - 08-22-2013
(08-22-2013, 02:16 PM)Dubs Wrote: I had some internal conflict whether or not it was too much for the community to absorb due to the "special snowflake" designation. I have to agree to an extent that yes, the idea is totally special snowflake, but you have to ask yourself.
Thank you for this eloquent defense. When I was tapping my chin trying to figure out what to play, I was like I'll make him look like this and... screw it, who needs a background. AMNESIA. Everyone's least favorite cliche. I actually did it because I didn't feel like giving him a backstory and thought I could give him little flashbacky type things when bored much later on, and this cheap trick would let me jump immediately into the roleplay with much less advance effort involved.
But that was a while ago. And since then, I've been asked to come up with the why and where of how he lost his memories. And then I ended up constructing an actual life story pre-amnesia. So now my whole reason for having him not remember doesn't exist, because he's already got a story, ha!
But now the forgetting is also an integral part of his character and I'm loathe to let it go, no matter how many people see it and go 'ugh, one of those'. So I keep it. For me. Because it makes me happy. Write what you want, as much as you want. For you. Then be courteous and consistent with others.
RE: Is there any such thing as "too much" when it comes to a back story? - Cato - 08-22-2013
I tend to find it more interesting when a character releases little bits and pieces of their background over time rather than all at once. In many ways, this is pretty similar to how things work in the real world when meeting new people. You'll usually learn their name first, then a little bit about them such as their age and where they're from.
If you meet that person again then you might learn more about them such as their hobbies and occupation. This cycle tends to repeat itself and it's worth noting that even close friends and family members don't usually know the entirety of each other's background. Many will claim they do, but its exceptionally rare for it to actually be the case.