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Vareal · **08-24-2010, 04:41 AM**

I had an idea for Nedral and Aixa's first day of being together in one mind and I thought it would be fun because they wouldn't get along that well at first and.... Well that's just not the case. They got along from the very get go. Aixa was always timid and Nedral was never impatient and always accepting. The situations I put them in never caused any kind of drama, so to speak. So this is just one of those moments when your characters just don't do what you want, or at the very least, they're not doing what you expected them to. Anyone else run into this problem? That's why its good to start with the situations your characters get into in chronological order when you're still developing their personality, lol.

I mean, sure, I could write them arguing, no problem, but it wouldn't be natural for either of them to do so. I dunno about you, I'd be pretty freaked out if I woke up and someone else was in control of my body and I could communicate with them. I dunno, I just really get into my characters and I figure out how they would react in a given situation.

Sorry for ranting, but I just thought I'd share. I'm not going to finish writing it because it's boring now, lol, and it was totally not intentional. I'll post it in a spoiler if you're interested in reading it. It's called "Day One" and it really didn't turn out the way I wanted it. There's a lot of quick descriptions, as it's the first draft. So yeah, read if you want, don't if you don't.

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Asyria · **08-24-2010, 11:02 AM**

All. the. time.
My character often don't do what I expect them to. It's like... once I created them, instead of being their controller I become their biographer. Instead of deciding what they do, they make me write what they do. Sometimes they do what I think they should and other times they just surprise me. The more I learn to know and understand them, the less it happens.

Tadir · **08-24-2010, 11:03 AM**

I know how you feel. Once the characters personality is established they act a certain way. I've found myself annoyed with what my characters were doing even as I wrote it.

Noelle · **08-24-2010, 11:50 AM**

Happens to me a lot.

I like to think it should be veiwed as a good thing however.
Since rather than being little more than a puppet to do whatever you please, you've created something that can be veiwed as more "real".
People are often, in real life, unpredictable.

That doesn't make it any less annoying though.

Kashemia · **08-24-2010, 11:52 AM**

Tadir Wrote:I've found myself annoyed with what my characters were doing even as I wrote it.

Oh yes, me too, many times. Probably because quite a few of my characters really are pretty annoying <.<
I've once had to retcon a char a bit (it was only beta, so I was just testing her out really), because the way she ended up was way too far from what I had intended, and not something I was interested in playing. It usually takes a rp session or more to really figure out if my character work. After that, she pretty much takes her own life, yeah <.<

Smiling River · **08-24-2010, 11:57 AM**

I don't find it annoying at all. After I've set a tone for the character and hammered out the finer details, it has a life of it's own. I am merely a facilitator of that character, transmitting in into the game.

Seraphine Felstar · **08-24-2010, 12:41 PM**

Quote:I mean, sure, I could write them arguing, no problem, but it wouldn't be natural for either of them to do so. I dunno about you, I'd be pretty freaked out if I woke up and someone else was in control of my body and I could communicate with them. I dunno, I just really get into my characters and I figure out how they would react in a given situation.

I totally understand what you mean here! Seraphine gets along with people I didn't expect her to and she ended up meeting a lot of people I don't think OOC I would have talked with normally. It's kinda interesting because OOC I feel like I met a lot of friends through Seraphine O.o While I believe you are responsible for your character, I also think there is a time to let go and let them be who they are instead of forcing yourself on them. Geez that sounds odd Laugh

In the beginning of FFXI I tried to force Seraphine a bit into a villain role when really... she's much more neutral good. Sometimes she does things that are a little questionable but she was never a traditional villain. As soon as I accepted that things got much easier and she began to flow more naturally for me.

When recreating her for FFXIV I really wanted to get away from the ponytail look and I thought now would be the perfect chance. I always roleplayed she put her hair up while she was fighting so it wouldn't get tangled and icky and at home she took her hair down and styled it nicely. If I change that now it's almost taking away from the fact she takes a lot of time to think about her appearance and changes it to suit the situation she's in. It's her signature look and I really don't want to change it after thinking about what it means to her character. I did end up giving her blonde hair though instead of black but I had .dat modded that a while ago in FFXI so it didn't seem so far fetched XD

I think it's fun how sometimes your own character can surprise you Smile

You should put your story up in the story section, btw. It gives a preview to your characters which was fun to read.

Len · **08-24-2010, 03:05 PM**

Well let me put it this way
I have this "I am in control" feeling but then
rabbits appear and he really does not pay attention
I created him but giving him a personality has made him have a mind of his own
Either that or I am developing an incurable split personality .

That and I wanted my character to write a poem the other day and he just wasn't feeling up to it
I can write poetry everyday and this creation of mine would rather lie in a field of grass waiting for some more rabbits, go figures...

The greatest thing about creation is losing control and gaining control in a balance that is so weird it ends up being fun just being and not being your character...

Also my character is a loner which is similar so we understand each other to a point , but I feel he just might do something unexpected when I'm not paying attention

Vareal · **08-24-2010, 05:03 PM**

Len Wrote:The greatest thing about creation is losing control and gaining control in a balance that is so weird it ends up being fun just being and not being your character...

Well said. I'll put the story up in it's appropriate section, but it's as is, save for one little thing I need to change.

I also just realized that this thread is in the wrong section of the forums, lol. Sorry about that.

ArmachiA · **08-24-2010, 07:09 PM**

I don't find it annoying, but yeah it happens a lot.

There are days when I really want to slap my characters for their behavior.

Armi has this Martyr complex, she believes everything is for duty and honor and her life is only for that purpose. While this works on paper, it actually makes her treat other people like dirt. They aren't living for a purpose? Judged. Anyone she gets close to, or romantically involved with is in a world of hurt because she has intimacy issues stemming from the fact she's got a duty to do. She's done some pretty dumb ass things in the name of duty, and I'm sitting behind the screen going "WHY YOU DUMB BITCH WHY?"

...I'm ranting <,<

However, it's always amusing to see my character go in a direction I didn't anticipate, even if it's one I don't like.

Kashemia · **08-25-2010, 03:01 AM**

I agree, being annoyed with your char isn't always a bad thing ^^ Just means that you've given him/her enough of a personallity to not just play on your own, but to do and say things that isn't just what you would do/say.

Tagyr · **08-25-2010, 04:14 AM**

It's fun seeing your little creation take a life of its own and make its own decisions. While annoyances are common it only makes you prouder sometimes.

Characters not doing what you want....

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