Arik

Whenever I'm creating a character, I usually start at what I want for the *present* first. Namely--- I try to come up with a personality I'd like them to portray, a specific skill or two I'd like them to be proficient at (or even horrible at), and maybe a certain career or calling. Then, once that is all said and done, I use the history itself to explain the why's and how's behind those traits. For this purpose, history is incredibly important to me-- but that doesn't necessarily mean that I let the history control the character. Rather, I use their past as a way to augment and round out their present into something dimensional for me to work with in RP. As a result of this, the history is a direct reflection of the character's personality and vice versa-- a character with more complex behavioral patterns should naturally have a more complex backstory to explain why they are the way they are. Conversely, the less complex a personality, the less complex their story needs to be to explain it. (Of course, there are always exceptions to this.) Age is another factor that plays into the significance of a character's history. A young kid fresh off the farm has much less backstory to contend with than, say, a fifty year-old war veteran who surely had to have experienced a few things that helped to shape them into the individual they have become. It would seem strange to give that average farm kid an overly elaborate history jam-packed with action and superfluous details, just as much as it would seem off to leave that veteran's history totally uneventful or lacking in substance. As has been mentioned a few times already though: my character's history is more for my own benefit than it is any one else's. Sure, it might come to be useful for people who happen to get close enough/dig deep enough, but for the most part I'm the only one that needs it. Additionally, even when I write profiles or what-not for character databases, I make a point to omit some (sometimes even most) of the sensitive or important information so as to avoid killing the mystery. Of course, I try to include "hooks" so speak in both the writing and the story to hopefully grab people's curiosity-- like perhaps an extension of a major life event into 'present' day to play out-- but if you want to know the details, you'll likely have to try finding out ICly and over time by involving yourself in that character's story. Even then, however, I have played countless characters in RPs-past whom actually never had their backstories explained or revealed ICly-- and sometimes, it's better that way.

I've only recently joined the server, so the "struggle" to get on was very real for me only a short time ago. Luckily though, there have been some great tips posted in various places on these forums on how to get in. Early weekday mornings sure seem to be like the prime time to create a new character there-- It's almost always open around 5-7 am CST when I get up, just so long as it's not a weekend or holiday (in which case I can also confirm that all bets are off.) Personally, I purchased the game just before and wound up with a lot of time to play over Memorial Weekend but, unfortunately, had missed the creation window on Thursday. I wound up breaking and purchasing a transfer onto the server so that I could get to playing and not lose out on a holiday weekend to do so. World Transfers don't seem to take character locks into account, so they're an alternative for anyone who may not be able to/may not wish to take advantage of the early weekday mornings.

Oh, definitely not saying to be forced to include people. But I do think people should show consideration when choosing to RP in certain spots of high density like the Quicksand. If you want an inclusive event, do it in party at that point and disable your nearby text, or do it on the forums/in skype. But if you're gonna do an RP and have things drawing attention to yourself, what's the point of doing it there? It just feels inconsiderate at that point. I do love when people clearly are trying to involve those around them - that's a great RP'er in my book. Yeah, I'd tend to agree to a certain point there in that, if they really don't want outside involvement, to take it to a private channel (partially so they're chat isn't clogging up the channel for others, too.) I suppose I can't speak much to what others have in mind there because, like I said, I really like doing plot things in public spaces if it's appropriate to whatever's going on... Specifically to involve other people. If it isn't realistic to the situation or to the choices of my character though, I'll do it somewhere else. Even from the perspective of 'random person walks up and starts involving themselves in a group's conversation'-- seen as a favorable tendency or not, that *does* happen in bars all the time and is part of the organic nature of the place. Of course, if a character does that (interjecting themselves into a scene), it is good to keep in mind that those they're walking up to might not, ICly, receive them well, just like in RL. Personally, I only really label the RPers themselves as "rude" at that point if they just straight up ignore the person trying to get involved and don't bother to respond to them. If the *character* is rude and brushes me off, then that's one thing, because I can't fault them if that's IC for them. If they straight up don't respond to me though, that's another story, and is clearly the choice of the RPer. (Or otherwise a case of them just not noticing my post, of course!)

I really enjoy occasionally doing 'plot' arc RPs in public spaces and taverns-- Mostly because I really love pulling new people in or seeing how others react and/or participate. (Should they choose to.) That said, Warren Castille has a good point-- Just because it's a public space doesn't necessarily mean that the people have any sort of obligation to involve others. It may just so happens that their Plot-RP makes the most sense to take place in the Quicksand. It's difficult to find RP outside of taverns for a lot of reasons though, for sure. If you see someone with a RP tag sitting around in a tavern, you can be pretty confident that they are currently /seeking/ RP. If you see someone out in the world with a similar tag, it's a lot harder to know for sure whether they're open to it or otherwise doing something else. I'd say just don't be afraid to hit people up OOC if you see them out and about and would like a bit of spontaneous, open-world RP. Just check to see if they'd be okay with your approaching them IC.

Given the characters from the past that Verik will be based on... PUkRatOSxaI I would also accept the classic "Leeroy Jenkins" video. Complete with fried chicken. (Fried dodo?)

Frankly, I hope the Au Ra lore isn't much more 'fantastic' compared to the other races-- Aging tendencies included. o: Can't say I'm really one to want too much emphasis on any bizarre or unworldly bloodlines-- just gimme a bunch of strangers/natives from a foreign land who are otherwise 'normal' (if, sure, a little rare maybe) in their homeland. (That isn't to say anyone here was arguing for 'fantastic' lore-- I've just seen a lot of over-the-top speculation on other forums.) Granted, I don't have much to base any of this on since I've yet to see much of their lore yet. So this is more in line with the optimal picture in my head and the fact that we haven't been told much to the contrary yet save for the fact that they are more Demonic in nature than Dragonic. By said logic, I'm biased in my assumption/hope that they will age at a similar rate to any other race. If anything, I agree with the previous comments-- especially in regards to the Xaela-- a more warlike, tribal culture like them may very well die relatively young. There may even be something of an 'honorable death' to be had, socially speaking, in a man perishing in battle while still young. Gods know my Xaela will likely have a pretty short lifespan expectancy-- though it'll be more to do with poor life choices in his case, I think. c;

Not sure if you've ran onto it already, but I ran onto this site. Maybe it could be some use? (EDIT: Blue beat me to posting that link. Hah.) Here's a list of some stuff I grabbed from there as well as stuff I also randomly thought of: Choke - Could be used for surprise? (any variation on "awk" "gak" etc) Bark "Blegh" - Intelligible disgust Bleat - Whining or complaining loudly. (Or, literall, a sheep sound.) Chortle - Laughter, often in a weird way. Cough - Could be used for a whole range of things. (Alternative: hawk) Croak - Another one for surprise/alarm/embarrassment. Croon - Humming, singing, making a sing-song sound. Crow - I could see this as yelling, nagging, complaining. Gasp Grumble Guff - "Annoying or playful criticism" Guffaw - "course, hearty, boisterous laughter, belly laugh." Gurgle Hiccup - Could be used for embarrassment, uncertainty Lilt - A quiet or vague sound, sing-song Shriek Squawk Yap Yelp Simper - Definition: "An affectedly coquettish, coy, or ingratiating smile or gesture." Wail Warble

I've had this problem several times in the past in other MMOs/RPs. That said, I'll be the first to admit that I probably could have handled the situation better, particularly in the ways that impact those who said character played with. While I didn't really do major knee-jerk reactions, I used to be pretty bad about just sort of stepping back whenever I'd hit those walls and not really know what to do. It'd wind up in this vicious cycle: [align=center]Unhappy with developments, but lost on how to fix it -> [/align] [align=center]Stop playing character while trying to figure it out -> [/align] [align=center]Procrastinate coming up with a solution due to stress, drama, fear, etc. -> [/align] [align=center]Suddenly realize the character has been MIA without warning for months at a time, or I myself have been MIA while stuck in this rut. Which honestly only makes it worse. Dx[/align] When this would happen, I'd usually try my best to at least stay in touch OOCly with people in case they'd need me to discuss their own stuff if they were still playing-- but sometimes it was some portion of my 'main' partners who were the problem in the first place and so I would naturally distance myself altogether, often times as a defense mechanism for my own IRL pscyhe (not wanting to upset them, for example.) This was the worst back when I was first getting into the MMO RP scene though and I've honestly learned a lot about what particular sort of things seem to alienate me and how to watch for the IC warning signs early enough to divert them. I've also learned that, personally, one of the best ways of dealing with this problem nowadays is OOC communication before IC actions. I find talking with the partners most involved and just expressing my unhappiness (without accusing anyone, of course) has worked wonders. Generally, if you're unhappy, your partners have already picked up on that and the quality of the RPs has already deteriorated-- which means your partners, too, would probably like a change. So often, I've been able to resolve the problem by just opening the lines of communication and asking for help on brainstorming how to fix it. That way, everyone gets a say, and they might have ideas I hadn't even thought of. Frankly, some of the storylines that I've loved most have been born from these exact conversations where we come up with new plots or angles that help really re-ignite my love for the character or at least otherwise get them back on track where I want them. I also find that, like others have already mentioned, I'm better off doing my best to stay flexible and open to change. I've had countless characters now who started as one thing but, over time, evolved into something completely different as a result of their interactions. (Carefree and chaotic neutral wanderer turns into burdened, chaotic good anti-hero. Villain who spends the first few years of his IC life garnering hatred and fear from the RPC slowly begins to lose his power and shift in his alignment thanks to the efforts of a dedicated few-- and oh my god, the intrigue and consequences that result. I love conflict myself though and I also enjoyed the fact that he would be forever polarized for his past actions. He would never be forgiven in most ways and the threat of someone killing him-- for damn good reasons-- was very real.) Again though-- OOC communication played a major role in helping those transitions stay comfortable for myself and the others involved. If all else fails though? It's time for a break. Seriously. I just try to do myself a favor these days and /recognize/ when I need these breaks rather than just taking them without warning. At least then I have time to come up with an IC reason why said character isn't around. That way, if my motivation comes back, I've hopefully mitigated the damage to others' characters and can return when I'm ready-- hopefully without anyone having hard feelings. I try not to do anything that can't be undone though, because I never know when the urge might strike.

Brand new to the game, so I'm not sure I really count. c; Either way, I rolled a temporary Elezen to start leveling with but fully intend on fantasia'ing him into an Au Ra as soon as it's possible. I won't be RPing said Elezen 'til then though, so there's nothing to retcon and no character to "kill off" -- It just lets me get started playing the game now without having to start from scratch come expac. Besides, it works for me since I prefer getting some levels on me prior to jumping into RP scenes when possible anyway.

Thank ya Val! I'll absolutely check out your profiles-- the wiki in general seems pretty awesome so far in general. In other news: I'm officially on Balmung! I broke and bought the transfer on a temp character when he turned 72 hours old. (There comes a point where I'm willing to throw a little extra money around to save myself time and frustration. I'm weak.) While I likely won't be RPing 'til after the expansion (fantasia'ing this temporary, non-RP guy into an au ra and likely purchasing a name change after we find out what Xaela naming conventions are), feel free to say hi if anyone sees me. My temporary name there is Azrael Malephar. c:

This is the main reason, in my own post, I specifically called out the fact that it would be very boring if /no one/ played localized roles. I'll even extend that to say it can also be boring if those who did play these roles never ventured outside of their designated areas. Frankly, there's something to be said (something lazy and uncreative, heh) for my tendency to stick with "freerange" roles *so* often, because you're absolutely right. I've seen a good number of players who have played town guards, farmers, local artisans, etc outside of their usual element and have done so with zero problems but lots of intrigue. If anything, these characters being away from their home can open the door for some really interesting conversation and plot. A world takes all types! Also, in case it created any bad vibes, I feel like I need to clarify that when I referred to characters inquiring to other's presence elsewhere (specifically with the wording "what the hell are you doing here then?"), that was a bit of an IC voice seeping through by default, haha. Depending on the character, that same question could just as easily be turned around into a very polite "Oh, how interesting! What brings you here then?" -- I've been toying a lot with my upcoming main's personality lately-- and it's going to be pretty 'rough around the edges' so to speak-- so I think I sorta regressed into voicing it in his own words without thinking, so apologies if that at all came across as OOC and rude! c:

This is one of the primary reasons I've always gravitated to more simple/malleable roles. My go to's are usually something along the lines of mercenary, treasure hunter, vagrants with a severe case of wanderlust, bright-eyed young adventurers, or any combination of those-- in part because it's just so simple to ICly explain their presence just about anywhere. Granted, it wouldn't be any fun if everyone did that, so I love to see what concepts other people come up with. Some of the creativity you see can be pretty impressive. While I'll occasionally do more centralized roles for alts-- like soldiers in training, courtesans, farmers, localized craftsmen, etc-- my "main" usually always has a pretty go-wherever-they-please-whenever theme so that I can rationalize a completely open door near anywhere. Honestly, I probably run into more trouble rationalizing a character's presence due to their personality more-so than their careers. (IE: What is Mr. Broody Grumpy-Gus doing at a costume party? Oh, because the player wanted to subject him to it to a demeaning outfit, gotcha.) I try not to obsess too much about it, though. I'll come up with something no matter what if the character is pressed for an explanation ICly. That said, I try to avoid pushing other characters to explain their presences IC as well. It might come up in idle conversation sure, but if it seems like they'd rather stay vague or aren't sure, I'll try to change the subject. Nonetheless, I agree that it's good for people to make some effort to avoid too blatantly contradicting themselves. Like someone else said, if your character introduces themselves as a guard for a city, but they're currently grifting around a tavern half way across the continent, it's only natural for a character to ICly respond with "So... what the hell are you doing here then?"

Thank ye for the welcome! I'm a pretty stubborn sort, so I'll be harassing the server regularly 'til I can manage to get in. I really appreciate the pointers though and I'll be sure to try taking advantage of any maintenance. If not that, then I suppose I'll tough it out 'til the coming week days. (/determination)

In other words: Stock up on sweatpants and tv dinners, it's time to sacrifice countless hours to yet another MMORPG. Greetings from a total FFXIV newbie! Like many others, I've been lured to the game by several friends who have been playing for some time, as well as a few others who I'm dragging along with me. That and, of course, the promise of a thriving RP community! Any who, since all the cool kids seem to be doing it... --MMORPG background While I might be new to Hydaelyn, I am no stranger to MMOs. I've been playing the things off and on since the original Everquest. The last MMO I was thoroughly active on would be Aion-- but I've been touch and go with a few others in recent years including: Tera, Elder Scrolls Online, World of Warcraft, Archeage, and a few others. --RP experience I'm even less of a stranger to RP. I can't honestly count how many years of my life have been spent hunkered over a keyboard in a dimly lit room, snickering and conniving over the lives and times of fictional characters. I lost count around 10 years, and frankly that was several years ago. /cough, I might be aging myself a bit. I've done everything from MMOs to chatrooms to forum RP-- the latter of which would probably be my main venue as well as my speciality. (If you can't tell already, I like me some words.) I find the "real time," rapid-fire environment of the MMO scene to be super refreshing though, so I like to get involved with them whenever I come across active communities. --Character ideas/info This is up in the air, given I only just joined the game and am still getting a feel for the story. I know my main will most definitely be a massive-weapon-wielding-mercenary-type Au Ra (Xaela) come the 23rd (yeah yeah, jumping on the bandwagon, I'm a sucker for huge male characters), but personality/history/etc remains TBD until I've gotten a better grasp on ARR's world and what will be conducive to it as well as the Auri lore. At this point though, I'm more concerned with securing myself a spot on Balmung so as to join my friends and the primary RPC. Luckily, I still have some time 'til the expac to hopefully get situated/learn the ropes! --How did you learn about the coalition? Word of mouth from friends and, of course, trusty ol' Google. --What kind of a role-player are you aiming to be? Light, medium, or heavy? I'm happiest at a heavy level so long as I have a few reliable partners who are just as enthusiastic about it as me. If the gameplay/leveling/etc is particularly enjoyable though, I might shift between heavy and medium, depending on my mood. On average though, my priorities usually go something like RP > PVP (if I like the game's design for it, that is) > PVE. --Anything from real life you're comfortable with sharing? (Work, school, hobbies, etc) Sometimes I art. Assuming I'm able to dive into the RP community and get things going IC, you can bet on seeing some character art from me eventually. I mostly work in Photoshop using a Yiynova tablet or my Surface Pro 3. Beyond that-- I'm a college student who lives with her fiance, two cats, and little mutant of a Pug+Pomeranian dog. I like dark themes and probably spend more time watching horror movies than should be considered healthy. Any who-- Really looking forward to hopefully meeting some new people and taking part in some outstanding RP. I intend to wind up on Balmung (like everyone else and their dog, assuming I can get lucky with the character restrictions), probably under the name Verik Sarael (iffy, of course, 'til I get on Balmung... And we're still waiting on word regarding Au Ra naming conventions). I like to think of myself as a pretty friendly individual, so never hesitate to say hello!