Grott

/ouch BARGGGGGGHH But, looks good! I think that hairstyle fits the character better. EHHHRRRR Over-the-shoulder grinning will never stop.

Just took this one, which I like a lot.

Oh Moon Moon... Just read this. Nice use of Moon Moon.

"Brian Clark"... real original, name generator.

Uther is an avid reader which is echoed in his ability to write fairly well, though he doesn't write often. During the period between leaving Ishgard and being accepted by Gridania's citizens, he was naturally very lonesome so he found solace in literature. He is also fairly well-spoken though he has the dialect of an Ishgardian. Essentially, he has a mastery over the written and spoken word that one would expect from someone who had been formally educated in their youth. Note: I imagine the dialect of someone from Ishgard would be a sort of older sounding speech, like that of a knight or a viking, though not sounding ridiculous or Shakespearean.

^ Listen to this man. It feels weird to give someone a glowing recommendation when I've never actually RP'd with them, but literally any time I've had a question about RP since I joined the forum he's the guy I've gone to. Whether it's lore, advice on how my character would fit into the world, or just basic feedback on an idea.

New character creation options, housing system, barber/vanity system, exploring the world as a whole, and most of all throwing Uther into the mix of this well-established community and seeing what comes out of it.

Your shading is outstanding. I'm a big fan of your work. Also I love that pug.

I do have to address this though. This isn't a book. The only way for these two situations to be similar is if the publishing company of the book series banned all mention of elves in the first book and then allowed it in the sequel. This is a game. A game played by people who want things that the game might not be able to provide. So why is it an issue when the game makes these options available and people decide to utilize them?

I really didn't mean to offend you. I tend to speak, and therefore write, in very blunt tones as I find it the best way to get a point across. I don't beat around the bush with debates because it's counter-productive. I could go on and on with this race discussion all day, but no one's mind is changing so the point is becoming moot. Beatric, I like your character as a Roegadyn. But if you decide for some reason to change that at the last minute back to Miqo'te or to Hyur or whatever, that's fine too. It's your character and I respect that.

I don't mean to offend you here, but if you can't just roll with it without being utterly baffled, you probably shouldn't be playing a game that involves large amounts of improvisation. If I'm playing with a Hyur male in 1.0 and he shows up day one of ARR as Miqo'te male, I know it's because Miqo'te male wasn't available in 1.0 and this is how he envisions his character. If he wants to say "((hey, I prefer this race for my guy. Hope that isn't a problem.))" that's fine and most would consider it polite. If he doesn't though, I'm an adult and I can use my context clues to figure it out on my own. I'm not saying there are zero instances where race is important. In LOTRO, I played a dwarf. My backstory involved me being a blacksmith, living under a mountain, and being proficient with axes. If I were an elf, I couldn't go around singing the Song of the Lonely Mountain as easily. But FFXIV is different. In this game, we are given a world that is more-or-less a melting pot. Sure there are more Wildwood than Highlanders in Gridania on average, but overall everyone is everywhere and does everything, so race should be much less important than it is in many other fantasy games. Do what you want with your character. I won't judge you because it's your character.

I read through it while waiting for a response. I stand by what I said. Page 2 was nothing more than "EVERYONE NEEDS TO CALM DOWN!" when it didn't seem all that hostile. I don't think either side is upset here. It's just a debate. I also don't think anyone needs to be telling anyone what to do with their character. Granted, I played with none of you in 1.0, but I have RP'd before and I'm a firm believer that the player is more important than the character. Also, with choosing your race before 1.0 was even released and making a character based around that... What? This just proves my point that race is nothing but cosmetic in most situations, since you couldn't have known anything about them other than their appearances at that point. When it really comes down to it, if your character's defining characteristic their race, your character probably needs to be revamped. I'll never judge any of you for changing races if you feel one fits better than the other. I also don't need you to tell me about it, because I'm a smart individual and I'm not going to say IC "Oh, I see you're a Lalafell today!"

Granted, I didn't read through this whole thread. I read through the first page and figured it was just a back-and-forth of the same argument for the second. I'm going to have to throw my hat in with Shuck and Bea on this one. Race should not define your character. I chose Midlander, not because I was planning on building my story around it, but because it had the appearance and body type I wanted. My character would have worked perfectly fine as an Elezen or a Roegadyn, with the exception of my name. In FFXI, this may have been a problem, but every city in FFXIV is a melting pot. Any race can do anything. That being said, there are instances when it makes more sense for a certain race to match a certain personality, but all-in-all, that's just stereotypes. There's nothing written in stone that says you can't be an asshole unless you play Wildwood, or you have to be in a tribe because you chose Miqo'te. When it comes down to it, for most good characters, race is little more than cosmetics. Sure, you can put up the "what if my character was a racist and we were friends?" argument. But really I don't imagine there being hundreds of racists you interact with IC every day. If you play a prejudice character and your friend is a race your character doesn't like now, then tough shit I guess.

You're not alone on this one. I'm coming up with new characters all the time that I like. Mostly because I read a lot of old books and I'm very easily inspired. What CJ said is pretty much the way to go about it. Think about the fact that you're interacting with others and you'll be building a story as the game progresses. That alone is what caused me to can my gruff loner and my introverted, rude scientist and settle for my knightly hero. Even after settling for my knight though, I found myself drawn to the NPCs I made for his back story and wanting to play them as well. The real important things to think about in my opinion are: 1. Can I RP this character for an extended period of time without getting tired of him/her? 2. (not important for some) Will this character fit into a class or job that I enjoy playing? 3. Will this character be able to interact with the rest of the community? Being a jerk or a loner is fine if you know how to channel it, but if you think you'll end up RPing alone there's really not much point. And then of course, the basics, like "Does he/she fit into the lore?" and things of that nature. This was kind of a rushed post, since I'm about to head to work, but I hope it helped a little. I'd be glad to read the links you provided and give you some real character feedback later today or tomorrow though if you want. Just PM me.

BLASPHEMY. I second this. BLASPHEMY.

63 ms from Colorado

Thanks for the feedback! I'm going to revise him a bit to make him less cartoony and fun, and a little more true Chaotic Good. The tangents and snarky comments will remain, but I plan on making him actually live up to the title of outlaw. And I love that you posted Batman on this. If you check the art station thread, you'll see that my room is filled with Batman memorabilia. But really, I got the name from "Will Scarlet" and "Robin Hood". Plus Wilfred's hair is red and so is mine, so I wanted to flaunt the red motif as much as possible Thanks again for your feedback and I hope you like the next thing I plan on writing about him.

Hey everyone. Before I put this all down, I wanted to say a few things about it. The following is about a NPC I created for fan fiction stories dealing with Uther Skystrider. The more I wrote about him, the more I became attached to the character. Upon learning that they added in red hair and plan on adding in barbershop and a gear vanity system, I've now deemed it possible to play him as an alt, or even my main character depending on how I feel about him at launch. I created the following in place of a wiki page, which I felt didn't add in the feel of the character well enough. Please respond if you like the character idea. I'm still juggling with whether or not I want to play as him or just write about him and the response I get from this will be the best indicator for me. The content below is a letter he wrote to the people of Gridania on his last night there before seeking new opportunities elsewhere. I realize it doesn't make too much sense for him to tell his life story to strangers, but it's just a creative way for me to deliver the information and speech pattern of the character. Without further nonsense, here it is... The sun was just beginning to rise over the trees of the Black Shroud when a Wood Wailer found a long scroll pegged to a tree by an arrow. At first, the patrolman jumped. He was wildly startled at the sight of an arrow in a tree near him, fearing he could be under attack by the Scarlet Hood. There was no one in sight. Not a bandit, not a villager, no one. The confused Wailer looked around and scratched his head. The letter must have been placed there in the night while he was on patrol. The Wood Wailer's curiosity trumped his confusion and he unraveled the parchment on the trunk of the tree to read it. The letter read: "Oy! Hey, and how-de-do. I'm not sure who's going to read this here scrawl, but I'm going to write it any way. You might be curious as to who the Scarlet Hood really is. If you don't know me by name, I'm the guy who's been taking all of your money if you've got it, and dropping it on your porch if you don't. I'm not taking it for myself if that's what you're thinking. What in the Seven Hells do I need it for? The Twelveswood provides me my meals. Welp, since I'm about to be moving on to other lands and I doubt anyone will believe you goons anyway, I guess I'll tell you the whole of it. In Gridania I go by some fancy-shmancy name you all might be familiar with. I'm the librarian, Casius Stone. That's not my real name of course, and I never quite fancied it myself. A cover's a cover, though, I guess. My real name is Wilfred Scathlock, and I'd say I've lived a pretty interesting life. I was born in Gods-know-where Eorzea, and orphaned before I developed memory. I know what you're thinking, 'This is why he turned to crime.' Not even close. What do I care about my parents? I don't even know 'em! Off-topic. I'll ask your forgiveness on that one. I have a pretty short attention span. Off-topic again. Sorry. As I was, when I was a boy I was picked up by some Ul'dah nobles as a servant boy for their son. Let's see, I must've been about three or four. They figured they could groom me into a servant since I was so young I 'spose. Their son was a real sod. He called me "Wart" instead of Wilfred, and he said it was because I was about as appealing as one. Growing up in the sun of Ul'dah, he would insult me and tease me when my fair skin burned. He would say it was as red as my hair, which he also teased. Following boy-magnificent around, I learned what he learned. In the morning, I'd sit there while he was tutored. I taught myself to read and write over his shoulder. In the afternoons, he'd do archery. The instructor took pity on me and let me practice too. Unfortunately, I was rapped on the knuckles whenever I outperformed Prince Perfect. As it was, I had bloody knuckles through my whole childhood. Not to mention, I beat him at music class and mathematics to boot. As my peer and I got older, our roles seemed to reverse. His envy turned to grudging respect and admiration. The kid's parents didn't like that one bit. They sent me to the market to run errands as much as they could to pry me away from my rival. These trips often involved me getting lost or getting into trouble. I met a great bunch of locals and learned that I wasn't so different from them. They were poor and oppressed by a corrupt government, and I could relate to just that. I joined in with an unsavory lot who taught me to pickpocket, brawl, and flee. Back at the manor, I was treated like a worthless dog, but in the streets I was the toast of the roast. As my 'master' and I grew up, he got taller, and I stayed the same. As many of you reading this might know, I'm a runt. Five fulms, five ilms to be exact. My old pal was at least six fulms tall. The difference in our heights brought his condescension right back out of the vault. He never shut up about it. My guess is because I beat him in everything but genetics and wealth. Things he was born with. About the time I turned sixteen, I began to notice the difference between the wealthy snobs I lived with and the good, poor people who treated me like their own. O'course, being young and dumb as a stump at the time, I thought I could help 'em. I snuck into the manor one night and grabbed all of the gil and valuables I could get my grubby little hands on. It wasn't a fortune, but it was enough to feed my beloved miscreants for at least two months. I stole away into the night and presented my friends with my bounty. Two suns later, I was arrested. It wasn't hard to trace me back to the manor, but at least the good people would eat. Thrown in the dank, Ul'dah dungeon, I tried to keep my spirits up. I joked and joshed with the other inmates, who loved my story of stealing from the rich to give to the poor. Even the guards became friendly toward me. Maybe it was the irony of being befriended by prisoners and treated like garbage by the law abiding citizens, but I felt no remorse for my actions, and vowed to do it again when I got out. As you may know, that part of my life turned out as planned. I served my two cycle sentence and was released with the surname "Scathlock". To those of you whose ears aren't tuned to Old Midlander, that means I was branded a thief. Now, I may have spent a bit of time in the prison, but I can't say I remembered that moon being as bright and red as it was. And it wasn't long before it fell like a mithril weight right on top of Hydaelyn. As the world went mad and cults began rising up, I took up a bow and some arrows and fought harder than I ever had. I helped the poor get their hands on as much food as possible, and I may or may not have robbed some rich folks in doing so. When the calm came in, I knew it was time to bolt. My name and face were all too familiar to the guards in Ul'dah. I headed to Gridania, where I met you fine and not-so-fine folks. In the Twelveswood I adopted a mask for night and an alias for day and continued my work. Thank me or hate me, I felt it was right and I'll make no apologies. For the past five cycles, we've had a real fun ride. I'm afraid tonight is the end of our lovely little dance, though. I guess it's time for goodbyes! Wood Wailers -- You're slow. You'll never catch me with those chicken legs of yours. Conjurer's Guild -- Thanks for the books. Casius sends his regards. Chocobo Handler -- Sorry I stole your prize 'bo. She was a beaut and she rode great until one of the Wailers skewered her while I was making my getaway. Who throws a spear at a chocobo anyway? Gods' Quiver -- I'm better than all of you at this. Strider, at the Lancer's Guild -- Maybe you'll catch me next time, Hot Shot." The Wood Wailer was shocked by what seemed to be the complete confession of Gridania's Casius Stone. He knew he would be promoted with the highest honors if he could lead to the arrest of the Scarlet Hood before he left town. The Wailer ripped the letter off of the tree and sprinted toward the gate to bring it to his boss. In his excitement, however, the young Wailer tripped and dropped the note. The parchment was lifted by a strong breeze before it hit the ground and flew straight into one of the torches still lighting the pathway. The confession of the Scarlet Hood vanished as suddenly as it had arrived. The depressed Wood Wailer stood up and wiped off his doublet. He looked around to see if anyone had noticed his embarrassing tumble. As he walked back to the gate in shame, he thought he heard a rustling in the branches. In his self doubt he ignored it and entered the city. Had the unlucky Wood Wailer looked behind him, he would have noticed that a Midlander male was sitting in a tree with his Plainsfolk friend. The Lalafell was garbed in mage's robes, while the Midlander wore a suit of olive green with decorative red cloth. His upper face was covered by an eye-mask attached to an archer's cap. Nonchalantly, the Midlander looked at the Plainsfolk. "That was close. Thanks for the Aero, Lodo." Said the Midlander, taking a breath of relief. "Next time don't put your life story on a tree and you won't need my help." Replied the Lalafell. The Midlander threw the Lalafell a small pouch of coins. The Lalafell smiled at his reward and looked up to thank the Midlander, but the Midlander had already disappeared. Let me know what you all think. I really like the character, but I'm hesitant to bring him into the world of RP. Also this story was scraped together in about ten minutes so please don't critique my writing form. :blush:

EDITED: You've seen enough. This is what I look like in your minds now.

^eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee can i have your batcollection? pwease? I can't live without it. On the opposite side of the room is a stack of Batman comics taller than I am. It's a weird addiction, but there's nothing I can do about it lol.

I don't do too much art, but this is where I do the little art that I do. Please ignore my creepy Batman obsession.

Anyone else excited about the vanity system? It means pretty much nothing as far as Uther Skystrider is concerned, but it means I can finally make the character I want for my alt, since he has a trademark outfit and getting new gear all the time wouldn't make sense for him. Maybe it's just me, but I'm stoked.

I have a character that was going to be kind of a foil, or the other side of the coin, to Uther Skystrider. (While Uther is more King Arthur, this guy was more Robin Hood) unfortunately, class, gear, and appearance limitations prevented me from making him. If I ever end up making him, he'll be perfect for this... as long as you don't mind affiliating with known scallywags. Even if I don't make him, Uther loves entertainment and it'd be cool to see a performance or stop by Soliloquy as a spectator.