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Playing a difficult character - Printable Version

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Playing a difficult character - Venelle - 05-30-2016

So, I've discussed this with a few friends of mine about my current character (Yul) finding a dead end in my roleplay after having a few events pop up during her storyline.

I've begun to try and reach out for others, be it in game or here, and im having zero success with it after a few days.
My question is, is it because I roleplay a Dotharl apart of it? I like how she's developed into something more then just a savage and even married and settled briefly in Eorzea.

I'm just not sure were to take her now.

RE: Playing a difficult character - Kilieit - 05-30-2016

The first question I've got to ask is: what kind of roleplay do you enjoy? Because suggestions are gonna vary based on whether you prefer action, romance, intrigue, drama... etc etc etc.

RE: Playing a difficult character - Venelle - 05-30-2016

Honestly, I have no preference, as long as I'm not sitting in a tavern/house/FC hall all day.

RE: Playing a difficult character - Teadrinker - 05-30-2016

The whole hook of being a Dotharl is the violence and the being taught nothing BUT that.

It does pretty much shoehorn you into a redemption-ish type of arc but that doesn't mean it has to be boring. The character's way of life of massacring doesn't necessarily lend itself to an Eorzean lifestyle so perhaps they've made friends and grown beyond what their first educations disposed them to.

If this has already been accomplished then I'd start looking outside if the fact that she's Dotharl to give her exposition. Put her in situations where she has to make challenging decisions that might put her new lifestyle vs. her beliefs that she was taught.

I.E. Do I spare this person to do I kill them? Do I assist my allies or do I abandon them? Can I co-exist with these different people or can I not?

Put them around very different characters and have them interact, perhaps a pacifist or a healer of some sort.

Find the one situation that would actually MAKE your Dotharl fear death then put them in it and see what they do.

RE: Playing a difficult character - Verad - 05-30-2016

I'd suggest starting to treat character development and roleplay more like a picaresque than a standard rising and falling narrative. Go along for a ride in other people's stories. Rather than see how their plots change your character, see how your character changes their plots.

RE: Playing a difficult character - Aya - 05-30-2016

(05-30-2016, 09:55 PM)Verad Wrote: I'd suggest starting to treat character development and roleplay more like a picaresque than a standard rising and falling narrative. Go along for a ride in other people's stories. Rather than see how their plots change your character, see how your character changes their plots.

Those are such fun stories to read too! Enjooooy Verad's good advice :-D

RE: Playing a difficult character - Nebbs - 05-31-2016

Look outside of the character to create events that she finds herself in. 

Find a project, like helping some village or group 
Get involved in a victim of bandits 
Go shopping for a summer dress 
Find an injured chocobo
...
Anything really. You just need some others to drag along.

RE: Playing a difficult character - Sun'ra - 05-31-2016

=D I think this is a perfect opportunity for us to find one another in game. I play Kel'ari Dotharl, and am pondering on putting together a Dotharl Linkshell to help avoid people getting into similar situations of stagnation when playing characters from that tribe. (As there are a few of us I see running about, and I think it would be cool for us to plot and discuss and work together to build something interesting with one another.)

There are plenty of ways to create and maintain interesting and vibrant interactions as a Dotharl! But, personally, I feel people unnecessarily pigeonhole them into one-dimensional characters, because they read "An extremely violent tribe with members who revel in massacre and are taught from a young age not to fear death. While they are quick to attack other tribes, mortality rates are high, ensuring that their numbers never grow too high," and have that singular sentence be the end all, be all of the character/tribe's existence. And that tends to be boring, lacking in creativity, and unsustainable.

RE: Playing a difficult character - Warren Castille - 05-31-2016

What is it that happened? You mentioned some events in her storyline but without context, it's very difficult to provide anything other than generic advice.

RE: Playing a difficult character - Venelle - 05-31-2016

(05-31-2016, 12:11 PM)Warren Castille Wrote: What is it that happened? You mentioned some events in her storyline but without context, it's very difficult to provide anything other than generic advice.
She adjusted a little to Eorzean society, found a mate and got bonded, though tragically, she lost her mate after a run into with the minions of Leviathan.
She also left her previous FC, due to being treated unfairly during a brief imprisonment and other aggressive factors thereafter.

Those were all very recent, but I am afraid of letting more being brought out other then that. Else I feel I dont have enough left to give people a surprise for when they would actually interact with her. I'm never a fan of letting everything out all at once Sad

RE: Playing a difficult character - Roger Holmes - 06-01-2016

(05-31-2016, 04:12 PM)Yul Wrote:
(05-31-2016, 12:11 PM)Warren Castille Wrote: What is it that happened? You mentioned some events in her storyline but without context, it's very difficult to provide anything other than generic advice.
She adjusted a little to Eorzean society, found a mate and got bonded, though tragically, she lost her mate after a run into with the minions of Leviathan.
She also left her previous FC, due to being treated unfairly during a brief imprisonment and other aggressive factors thereafter.

Those were all very recent, but I am afraid of letting more being brought out other then that. Else I feel I dont have enough left to give people a surprise for when they would actually interact with her. I'm never a fan of letting everything out all at once Sad
And you shouldn't let anyone know everything at once. It's all about the day-by-day interactions where you might learn something new about someone as well as giving your character room to grow. I always found it odd when someone would give their life-story out in public in the Quicksand for all to hear. Call it being carefree, but it just seems a tad weird to me.

As someone said earlier, your best bet may be getting involved in other people's stories as it lets your character develop more fluidly. You said that she recently came to Eorzea, so there's still quite a few things she may not know about society, what happens on the streets, as well as the type of jobs out there.

Maybe she notices a hunting group and her violent past creeps up on her, making her wish to be a hunter to quench her thirst while also getting paid, but make it subtle. Could also use the Grindstone or Runestone depending on her skills to sate this thirst and meet people after beating them up/get beaten up XD. 

Or perhaps have her be timid with new people due to her lost and how she was treated with her previous group (timid though, not shutting out people else it will be hard to RP with). Maybe having an episode when someone else's story involves primals.

I guess the TL;DR version would be try getting involved with other plots rather than just your own. I've always found it fun and interesting learning about other character's plots and it can gives you ideas on your own plot.

RE: Playing a difficult character - desmond28 - 06-01-2016

I second+ the advice in getting involved in other people's stories. I took this approach recently and was appalled at what my character did and the choices he made. As people, we are like sponges and tend to absorb behavior of those we interact with. When our characters do the same... Oh boy, buckle up!

Check the RP connections and see if there is someone there you can introduce your character to and a story to get involved with. =)