Grott

IC it's a two-way magical (I think) audio-only device that allows one to communicate with anyone else who owns a corresponding pearl. OOC it's a guild.

I'm sure I'll get stones thrown at me for this, but I can't seem to justify spending extra money for the in-game bonus items. The only things that really caught my eye are the mounts, but Uther's mother was a chocobo breeder so they seem very out of character. That soundtrack might be worth the money though... WHOA SPOKE WAY TOO SOON! It's Behemoth Barding for Chocobos! TAKE ALL OF MY MONEY! RIGHT NOW!

Hey that second guy they showed is Uther :surprise: THEY STOLE MY LANCER! Also, thanks for the update. First thread I saw when I woke up. Didn't even have to go to the official website.

EDIT: No one ever draws me. I want to be drawn. Race/Clan/Gender: Hyur/Midlander/Male Name: Uther Skystrider Profession: Adventurer/Exiled Dragoon Personality: Most of all chivalrous and knightly. Also, introspective, though friendly and helpful. Can be fun and humorous, but in combat he's steel-eyed and mean. Body type: Average height, average build leaning on thin. Clothing: almost always leather, chain, or heavy cloth. form-fitting. Activities: There are a few pictures I have in my head of Uther. Usually something like leaning against a wall or sitting in a tree. Simple things. I would really like to see him doing the classic dragoon stance ( http://www.finalfantasy-fxn.net/images/media/5193ce48_final-fantasy-xiv-14-dragoon-art.jpg and http://pspmedia.ign.com/psp/image/article/115/1151515/dissidia-012-final-fantasy-20110222072727194.jpg ) with a standard issue spear and generic random-nobody leather armor. I think it'd be really cool, since he's always a dragoon at heart even without the armor or lance. Here are some pictures.

Welcome! Your character sounds interesting, and I like that you recycle the same idea from game-to-game. You must really be in that character's head. RPing with you should be fun!

Right before it poops in his hands.

Being able to talk about character creation is useless now that they're completely revamping it in phase 3. I imagine they're only adding options and not taking away any of the ones from the previous two phases. But now I have to waste a lot of time working on my character again. I already had a notepad of facial combinations I liked for male Midlanders, Seekers, and Dunesfolk. As the numbers mean nothing anymore, I threw it away. Don't get me wrong. I'm definitely excited about the new options, but a little bummed that I have to spend two more hours in character creator making my dude look perfect. It's also harder to visualize my characters when writing about them now that I'm unsure of how they're going to end up looking. First world RP problems.

I'm not really sure how to upload pictures so hopefully this works.

Always here to think outside the box when I'm sleep-deprived. Good luck with hammering out the details of your tribe, I'm sure it'll turn out great. If you have any questions, need any opinions, or just want to share your progress with someone let me know. I'd be more than happy to help in any way I can. I probably won't respond in the next eight hours though, as I'll be nestled all snug in my bed while visions of sugar plums dance in my head.

...Well that shut the room up.

This is kind of interesting and it's definitely a valid point, but it got me thinking, and forgive this for only being roughly 75% of an idea because I'm exhausted right now, but I was thinking about this in the context of SE announcing that in character creation you can mix certain clan traits. Maybe this Kith tribe or whatever (I don't mean "whatever" as in "it's stupid", I mean it as in "I'm really tired and don't have the energy to go into detail") could be a mix of both clans to a certain extent and that's why they have their own rules, traditions, location, and even (if Vareal has the motivation) their own distinguishing mixed-clan physical qualities. Excuse my bad grammar and rambling here. I'm going to pass out on my keyboard now. It's been a long day. :sleepy:

These are really good! Keep up the good work. I can't wait to see more. :thumbsup:

Right, I guess I just misread it. I see what you both are saying. He didn't age physically, but since it is 1577 and he was born in 1548 he's still technically 29 on paper. That was my bad. Question retracted.

Now it makes a lot more sense. I still feel bad about harping on his age so much, since that isn't a lore-related issue. It does flow significantly better with the five year addition though. Another question, and this one is strictly about lore: you said Caden ages five years between the fall of Dalamud and ARR, but also gets thrown forward in time like the other Adventurers who were at the battle. How does that work? Again, not trying to be nit-picky, I just want to make sure you have your story straight so you don't dig yourself into a hole on accident or anything. Like Eva said, there isn't going to be a pop quiz, but I still think it's useful to know every last detail about everything that ever happened to your character in case it comes up. I tend to go overboard with this, which you don't have to, but consistency is underrated in my opinion and if your character says something important to mine, odds are it will come up later and my character will probably ask yours about it. Especially something as wild as "I jumped forward in time." I realize a lot of people jumped forward in time, but my character doesn't.

Can't stress this enough. If you disagree with something Vareal has said about his character, there's nothing wrong with that. But keep in mind it is his character and he can do what he wants with it. I can understand if his character is getting completely out of control and ridiculous (which it isn't), but even then wouldn't it be more tactful to just say "Hey, I did some fact-checking and this is why this wouldn't work"? I thought the age thing was a bit off myself. He's right about the European monarchies, however you brought up a good counter-point about hereditary monarchy vs. tribal leadership. I agree with you, Ship, (to a significantly less aggressive extent) that this all seems pretty unlikely. Him getting power from his father is fine if that's the way Vareal wants his off-shoot tribe to work, but battling another tribe member at 11 is a bit far-fetched. I'm guilty of similar situations, for example, Uther Skystrider went to battle for the first time at 15 (albeit, under the supervision of his father and older brothers who were already experienced.) 11 does seem too young, but it's not my character, it's Vareal's and he can do what he wants with it. All we can do is try to help him out when he asks for it.

......:blush: On a separate note, in addition to what Aysun said, there was one thing that kind of bothered me, and that was the character's age. The idea of him making tough life decisions and battling for his title at age 11 seems kind of weird. Same with putting heads on pikes at age 15. He's your character, so do whatever you want, but the math just doesnt seem to work. Just my opinion. Also, I'll give you the advice I've given others (and myself about 600 times): keep it simple. Back stories are great and I like to write as well, so I know how easy it is to get caught up in your character. Keep in mind though that your character's journey should be the game, not take place before the game. I'm not saying "Your character should be a boring nobody until you start RPing" but I've found that too much fluff can take away from the experience at hand. Your character has a lot going on. A lot of it I really like, but some of it I think you can kind of cut out. The buzz phrases I like to remind myself of when I make my characters, are "Cut the fat out" and "Streamlined Story". Of course, this is just me. I personally don't like to get myself muddled up in details before I even get the chance to explore the rest of my story in-game. If you're 100% set on every thing your character has done, then more power to you. Just an observation. Hopefully it was helpful and not too nit-picky.

I agree with this statement. Historically, almost every occupied nation has had multiple resistance movements. Since they're obviously not sanctioned by a single governing body, it stands to reason that any motivated individual or group can begin a resistance movement. That's just how the world works. Whether the official Ala Mhigan resistance was wiped out is irrelevant. Just like in the real world, there's bound to be more.

Uther Skystrider: Adventure + Mountains + "Jump"? The choice is obvious Cotton Candy Ski Jump

Thanks! That's what I was aiming for. Really glad you caught it.

Been thinking about this thread since I've been brainstorming my new character (which will hopefully be my final result for launch). Uther Skystrider is a pretty cut-and-dry Dragoon all the way around, even when I'll be leveling Lancer I'll be considering myself Dragoon. But I think it's worth noting that he specializes in all monsters, not just dragons, and he's also a bit of a vagabond.

I've been here three weeks and just realized I've never done one of these, so those of you who I've talked to and who may be looking forward to RPing with me have no idea what to expect. Might as well do one now. Better late than never. I. Basic Info Characters: Uther Skystrider, Abodo Po (maybe), A'sili Abarskyf (probably not) Primary character: Uther Skystrider. I have created two other characters, but I like to dedicate myself to one to get a better feeling of immersion, so they probably won't be around. Linkshells: None, but very excited to find one. Primary RP linkshell: ^ II. RP Style Amount of RP (light, medium, heavy): I have typically RP'd light to medium in the past, but I've found that constant back-and-forth takes me out of the moment. I prefer medium to heavy. I'd like to always be IC, and I enjoy walking around seeing other people IC even if I don't interact with them. It makes me feel as if my character is in his or her own world and I'm not just playing pretend. I don't know where to put this so I'll put it here: I prefer adventure RP over just sitting around and talking in a bar. Having a ton of friends or a linkshell get together IC and run a dungeon or a raid or do some PvP or even just quest or explore, is the coolest part of RP in my opinion. That being said, when the adventure is done, I'm all about taking the gang to a tavern and celebrating a job well-done until the early hours of the morning. I just need a certain amount of action or adventure, or I might as well just go to a real bar. Views on RP combat and injuries: I, personally, am not a huge fan of RP combat, unless it's an actual duel. I find /random and "/em dodges your attack." leave a lot of room for playing the five year old. ("You can't shoot me because I have class four armor and can also dodge bullets") My characters rarely lack the self control to refrain from brawling in the middle of a tavern, so it's usually a non-issue. I don't mind watching (reading) them, but I do get upset when they get ridiculous. As for injuries, a lot of people say things like "THERE'S NO WAY A WHITE MAGE COULD HEAL YOU THAT FAST! THAT'S STUPID! WHERE ARE THE CONSEQUENCES?!" I'm all about consequences, but let's get real, no one is going to need a Phoenix Down for a scuffle in a bar. If anything, "Injuries" shouldn't be more than some guy walking away with a black eye and an embarrassed look on his face. I'm not about full weapons-and-armor dueling in the middle of town. It's unrealistic (I mean socially. Of course everything is unrealistic in a fantasy game) and it's goofy. Views on IC romance: I'm not for or against IC romance. I don't enjoy being in IC romances (I'm semi-new to RP and it's a little awkward for me, admittedly) but I also do enjoy interacting with IC couples. I think they add a little bit of variety to the scene, instead of EVERYONE being a gruff loner. By all means, romance away... Just not with me. ERP - Short answer, I think it's weird and I don't like it. Seriously though, I'm not going to tell someone else that they can't do it. Some people find it interesting. But just like random strangers having sex in front of me in real life, it's awkard and I don't want to hear it or see it. (Porn not included in that statement) Get a room. Views on non-romantic RP (family ties, etc): I'm all about this. I enjoy starting off as the supporting role and getting more important over time, so I love a good RP friendship. There's nothing cooler in my opinion than a group of characters from different walks of life teaming up to achieve something none of them can do on their own. I take that back, the only cooler thing is keeping the team together and looking back years later on all of your adventures together. As for families, I have the same stance as I do for IC romance. I love meeting someone and finding out they're related to someone I may have met the day before. It adds variety and intrigue to the game. That being said, I'm not looking for anyone to RP my brother. Views on lore: Lore is very important, and lore-breaking really upsets me. If you want to be from a small town that isn't on the map, that's okay, as long as it doesn't interfere with the actual lore. Naming conventions are not necessarily law for me, but I do notice when they're broken, and I'm completely okay with it as long as it's justified by something like nickname, adoption, mixed race parents, or just weird parents. Historical events, however, are law for me. And I hate wild tales of things that are completely inconceivable in the lore, such as telling a story about how you killed a raid boss by yourself... Unless of course your character is boastful and that's the whole point. Views on chat functions (/say, /linkshell, etc): This varies from game-to-game for me. To keep it simple, I will always be IC unless I use double parentheses. As for IC talk over LS, I'm fine with this because the lore has said that there are things called Linkpearls and they are used as two-way audio devices. In most games (such as WoW or LOTRO) where your guild is simply your affiliation, I would use guild chat for OOC. III. Other Info Country: USA Timezone: Mountain Contact info: Forum or in-game. I try to keep my real life and my game life separate.

I guess that's what happens to us fickle types. I've been on this forum for about three weeks and I've already created: A'sili Abarskyf - Miqo'te/Male/Seeker/Gladiator/Limsa - Cancelled for being too complicated and lore-breaking Abodo Po - Lalafell/Male/Dunesfolk/Black Mage/Ul'dah - Cancelled for god-moding Uther Skystrider - Hyur/Male/Midlander/Dragoon/Ishgard Granted, with Uther I think I found my niche, and should be satisfied with this character for a while. Instead of taking inspiration from things that were way off topic (Abodo Po was initially inspired by Jules Verne books), I used Kain Highwind from FFIV and the knighthood and chivalry feeling from the King Arthur legend. Both are things I've loved since I was a kid and it wasn't too hard for me to mold them and this game's lore into a character I'm happy with. It just took a while for me to get my head out of the clouds and bring it down to basics. I've adhered as strictly as I can to naming conventions and lore, and I've tried to keep the story simple so I don't have to focus on the past for every decision and my character can effectively have an interesting future with the RPC. I think it's important to remember that your character's adventures are awaiting them at launch, and shouldn't already be behind them by the time they get into the world. Another thing I did to help kill the "talking your ear off" thing, is extend his deeds a few generations. Instead of having Uther Skystrider somehow be a 24 year old super badass who is already a legend and can do anything and has fought everything, I created his father Skald Skystrider, then his father Skadi Skystrider (going back to his great-great-grandfather but those other two generations are just background info), as well as some brothers and a sister. That effectively explains how Uther knows so much about fighting dragons despite his age, and it helps me not talk about it because no one cares what his family does. It also clears up his life for more adventures instead of ARR just being another notch on the belt.

I'm sure by launch I'll know who I want to be. Every time I make a new character I do a good job cutting out the fat and making them more streamlined. I take away needless details and try to minimize anything like lore-breaking and god-moding. This latest character is my third and I think his story is finally simple enough to follow and not drag attention away from other RPers, while being interesting enough to tell a good story if someone asks. I've also been looking at the linkshell pages and I decided this character is a pretty universal fit for all of them, which I think is a good thing. I think I might stick with Uther Skystrider for my FFXIV career. Anyways, didn't just say that for my health. I recommend you do the same thing with your Miqo'te from Ala Mhigo. I've run into a lot of trouble lately trying to find lore for Ishgard and come up with a compelling back story without lore-breaking, so I can definitely relate. Obviously you know what you're doing and I don't want to insult you with my beginner tips, but sometimes I think giving some newbie tips can bring people down to Earth. I know what it's like to get so caught up in your story you get out of control with it, and some beginner advice always helps get my head out of the clouds and back to business, which you may or may not want. When creating your character, don't forget to think about the community as a whole. Where do you want your character to fit in? Where do you want some tension? Will people be able to learn about you without you talking their ear off for hours about your unnecessarily detailed life story? Do you blend in with the game? (some people might not want to blend in, but I like to give the "I could show up in a cinematic and fit right in" feel). Sorry for the tl;dr. Hopefully you read it and I didn't insult you by treating you like it's your first day of school.

This is off-topic but thank god I'm not the only one. I felt like such a flip-flopper making a new character in the past few days. Everyone seems so happy with theirs, like it's a part of them, and here I am like "I mean... Abodo is cool and everything, but, I don't really want to play as him." So glad I'm not alone in my trouble deciding which character is best for me. Sorry, off-topic, continue your conversation about Ala Mhigo, Miqo'te, the Echo, and the Garlean Empire. :blush:

It is a real shame that there isn't more information on Ishgard. Still though, I made do with what I was told in this thread and what I've read elsewhere. This was about as detailed as I could get without lore-breaking. Some things I've brought up are speculation, but I tried to reach out from what I was given as little as possible and stick to what I know to be fact. Hopefully if I'm way off on something, someone will read it and fact-check me so I don't unintentionally lore-break. Also, it's funny that you mention that thing about RPing as a Dragoon in FFXI and modeling your character's father after that. I did the same thing with Uther's father. I didn't play 1.0, so I don't know much about the lore other than what I've read (which is actually a lot). I've played other Final Fantasies though so I get what Dragoons are all about on average. Hopefully my information in Uther Skystrider's wiki is pretty accurate, because I was hoping to start a journal taking place in the last few months before ARR that will detail and summarize what he's been doing for the past five years. I hope to fully decide which of my characters I want to play by launch so that I don't have to turn fun and relaxing RP (at least I find it fun and relaxing) into a balancing act between characters. And frankly, I was hoping for my chosen character to be Uther Skystrider. It's taken me a while to create a character that fits into the lore, while still being unique and fun. My first character, A'sili Abarskyf was too complicated for me to enjoy. My second, Abodo Po was significantly more streamlined in story and personality but I built him into a corner and had to god-mode my way out of it with a prophetic vision. Then I created Uther Skystrider who has a streamlined, uncomplicated, believable story ...but now I need to do serious fact-checking to make it work. At very least, I'll come out an expert on Ishgard though! :thumbsup: