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Chillsmack · **09-21-2014, 06:16 PM**

Hi all

I left FF14 about...maybe in March? I'm back now though, and committing myself to endgame but I'm still a writer and RPer at heart. So, first off - NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN (although to be honest I don't think I ever posted on here... Blush

Â )

With that said, my main character is a Sea Wolf Roegadyn (because woof) named Doendraga Barabharsyn (although it's actually spelled Barabahrsyn in game - I typoed the name and it's been driving me up the wall for the last year because SE won't give us paid name changes and Balmung is too overcrowded that I can't use the serve transfer name changesÂ Frustrated

)

His wiki isÂ hereÂ and as I didn't RP with him too much when I first played FF14 (I've been building my own form RP board during this time so it's taken up all my focus) it's more minimal than I usually aim for.

That said, I'm debating whether to remake him. Currently he is an irreverent, smart-alec and foul-mouthed swashbuckler and captain of his own NPC ship, the Lookfar (a schooner). However, I've been debating since deciding to level up the "Lominsan" classes that I rather like the idea of a beef-cake intellectual. Highly intelligent with Arcanist/Scholar as his profession, but quite a bit nerdy/quirky a la Beast from X-Men (think: "Oh my stars and garters"). The background/personal plot that I'm debating though would still remain largely unchanged...though I also don't want to spoil it in case I can find interest in people who want to be involved in it (that information I didn't want to post on his wiki)

I appreciate that you would have had to have RPed with him to really know what works and what doesn't, but just from an outsider's perspective which seems more interesting? Is the freelance privateer too overdone? Is the intellectual muscle-beast too cliche?

Thanks for your time and if you'd like to chat hit me up in game (Doendraga Barabahrsyn)

Maia · **09-21-2014, 06:38 PM**

Based on what I've personally interacted with, I'd say the beef-cake intellectual is a less popular choice in the RP waters. I also think it would be interesting in the way that it would lay out a new pathway for him to explore, goal-wise, with such a character shift. What would motivate him to be drawn toward the more scholarly life? What does he hope to gain at the end of such pursuits?

Either way, I'm sure you could explore some interesting avenues of the endless goal of bettering oneself. In the end, it's your decision, so I guess I'll just end my rambling there with a sincere 'welcome back' to the game! ^^

crowmeleon · **09-21-2014, 06:51 PM**

I wouldn't worry too much about being clichÃ© when it comes to the big ideas. All characters can be reduced down to simplistic archetypes if you strip enough detail away. I would instead focus on asking yourself what details or mechanisms will make your character unique. Some of the best characters I've ever met were creative twists on standard personality tropes.

If it helps, think of designing character like playing with a bag full of legos. It's not about the pieces themselves but which ones you choose to use, and how you arrange them.Â

I'm sure that comes off as a bit oblique, so let me bring it back down to earth by working with one of the characters you're considering. "Muscle scholar"is already a combination of two stereotypically conflicting tropes. The irony and conflict between those two ideas is sure to create a lot of interesting and hilarious roleplay. But it definitely is a juxtaposition present in modern culture, such as your cited examples.

I think beyond that, it's all the small details that will make your character unique, as well as how you play it out. What type of history spawned this type of character? What type of personality do they have? With those two questions alone you can create an infinite stream of extremely unique characters, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. You could have a whole army of muscle scholars and each person be a unique individual.Â

tl;dr I like the muscle scholar idea, but freelance privateer is just as viable. Don't worry too much about types of characters being overdone; in the big picture everything has already been overdone.Â

Hope that makes sense.

shotgunbadger · **09-21-2014, 07:01 PM**

Agreeing with Crow. All our characters can probably be boiled down to similar concepts, that's just how fiction works. I mean, how many of us can be distilled down to ' a really smart, bookish, magical character' or 'a tough fighter who protects the innocent' or the like? What matters is how you do it. Don't be afraid of the cliche inherently, be afraid of constantly playing to nothing BUT the cliche.

Chillsmack · **09-21-2014, 10:39 PM**

Thanks for the feedback, guys. I don't do 2-dimensional characters, so either one would have the complexity that "felt right" with their station in live, while at the same time that push to constantly interpret the character in a more fun and engaging manner (good RP never plateaus). Heck, even a cliche character can still be a good one provided they are done well; different doesn't always equate to better

Just can't decide which character would be the most interesting to RP, and which would be more interesting to interact/plot withÂ Frustrated

Back and pondering

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes