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Lucianna · **09-14-2015, 06:21 AM**

Alright so I had a character concept I wanted to run by you fellas. So by "special" I don't mean as in godmodding, being like wiley coyote and surviving a piano to the head. I never ran into any roleplayers who wrote their character with a mental disability save for like amnesia or such if that would qualify. I understand this could be a sensitive topic and I mean, let's face it, I'm sure similar things as autism would exist even in eorzea. My main question is this. If I choose to create a character with a mental disability but was able to care for themselves and such how would you guys think it would be received by others? I just figured this was a interesting character concept but there may be a reason I never see it. Let me know!

Oli! · **09-14-2015, 06:41 AM**

(09-14-2015, 06:21 AM)Lucianna Wrote: If I choose to create a character with a mental disability but was able to care for themselves and such how would you guys think it would be received by others?

This on its own eliminates a broad spectrum of mental disabilities and ranges of them, because many of them do not allow for proper / healthy self-care at certain levels or by their very nature, so it might depend on what specifically you're looking to do.

That said, rule of thumb is to do your research for proper usage, ensure that you're not just tacking this on to the character, make sure that this actually becomes a viable part of their daily struggle and not something that comes up every once in a while but is otherwise Whatever, while simultaneously making sure that it doesn't become the complete total of everything your character is and will ever be.

That said though, more useful advice would probably come depending on what specific disability or disabilities that you had in mind.

Lucianna · **09-14-2015, 06:53 AM**

Yeah I suppose that would defeat the purpose huh? Hmm so not totally self reliable. I could use a npc as a caretaker for when she would need one. Forgive my short responses and horrible writing. On my mobile at work lol.

Ignacius · **09-14-2015, 09:01 AM**

Define "special", because if you're looking to play someone with a mental disability, that's been relatively well-discussed. Â I mean, I often very deliberately describe by character as a sociopath (and a violent one at that), and mental illness runs strong in RP characters (whether deliberately or accidentally). Â In that case, it's all about making the character interesting to be around. Â Whether you write someone psychotically cold and callous or write your character healing voices, make sure it's someone other people would want to interact with. Â A character is no good if, in the middle of every serious roleplaying session, he randomly yells out something about bunnies. Â That's attention-whorish, derails the RP, and will get you iced out of the RP scene.

If by saying "special" you're looking to find a niche for a new character, one that won't be a retread, that's a different story. Â That's about present issues, and my advice is to use a more refined character than a one-word description. Â You don't need to, for example, find a mental illness that isn't represented out there, you need to generate a character that does everything differently than existing characters. Â For example, I run a relatively crafty, calculating, and brutal criminal kingpin. Â Someone could run a streetwise thug-king of dealers and we'd be playing in the same range (criminal kingpin) but would not only have completely different characters, but ones that would be able to interact. Â In the same way, soldiers can be played as just paragons, callous veterans, disciplined samurai-like warriors, sneaky strategists, and every color of the rainbow.

The best way to do this organically is to walk into the bar with a "blank", a character with just a few broad attributes that will allow you to fit in. Â That's exactly what I did with Orleans. Â When I started playing him, he was three things: an intellectual, brutal hitman. Â As the concept went on, I slid him sideways to fill rolls not already taken. Â There were a lot of mercenaries, but not many criminals in the leadership roles, so Orleans became domineering, and alpha wolf type of criminal. Â He became somewhat tribal because we needed to run a guild, and I melted that into his character, to become a criminal kingpin with an obscure ethnic background whose tribal brothers will back him with silence (even if they're not involved in his criminal enterprises). Â He went from being a former Garlean based in Gridania to a current War Chief of the Ghost Wolf Dancers tribe based in Limsa Lominsa, with piracy in his background, since most Lominsans played on Gilgamesh I've met are Maelstrom. Â There's a lot of feeling and sensitive characters all over XIV, as well, so Ignacius became callous to most, cunning and dangerous.

Now I have a character that doesn't have to fight for air on my server. Â Short of lurking long enough to make the character before, just walk in and see what's out there, adding traits as you go.

LadyRochester · **09-14-2015, 09:57 AM**

It depends on what you mean by "special". Based on the fact the character can take care of themselves, I wouldn't say their mental disability is overly-crippling, and I honestly do not mind people roleplaying these types of characters as long as they are realistic about it. However, you must know that you might step on some toes. The RP community is the tumblr of story-telling and videogames. If people can get offended about it, they probably will. That said, as long as this "disability" isn't all there is to your character, you should be fine. Make sure to give them a personality and depth.

Vallerin Hortimont · **09-14-2015, 02:07 PM**

You need to be incredibly careful if you plan to do this, and I would honestly suggest not even trying.Â

If you do decide to do it, do all the research you can on the type of mental illness you want your character to portray. Avoid making it their only defining quality, or using it as a means to make your character the center of attention in every single situation, like so many people who RP this sort of character tend to do.

Furthermore, avoid using it as a tool to create a joke character. I have seen people RP a mentally deficient character to try and create 'amusing' situations, it is in bad taste to do this in my opinion.

Remember, without even knowing it, you may be RPing with someone who has a similar condition in the real world, and if you make light of it, you may end up making problems for yourself and them.

Marisa · **09-14-2015, 05:34 PM**

Bit of a side note: Autism may make everyday living a struggle, but it's theorized that autism is actually advantageous in solitary survival situations. The lack of need for socialization and obsession over details and patterns should, in theory, make those with autism outstanding hunter/gatherers.Â

So basically what I'm saying is that, for a lone adventurer, certain disorders could be played as strengths as well as weaknesses.

Blue · **09-14-2015, 06:13 PM**

I have been wondering about RPing disabilities for a while, myself. Mental and physical disadvantages have always been controversial in video games, with escapists saying that "people with disabilities play games to forget their disabilities, they don't want to see them in there too", and others instead insisting that the lack of characters with disabilities in most of videogames is to be considered discriminative of people who have them IRL, because it's like refusing to acknowledge their existence.

A huge example is the many threads of discussion for the Sims games to include chairbound, blind, deaf etc. avatars in their games.

It's a big actual controversy sadly, which often comes down to the company deciding if they have a solid enough amount of demand from the players to use it to protect themselves from the arguments against the implementation of such.

So, again, it's subjective. I cannot speak for many disabilities myself so I will not pretend like I can. The closest I have to that is my face being disfigured from a nasty scar (I was bit by my dog when I was 7), and personally, seeing characters with scars does not bother me. But it's subjective, and I cannot guarantee that RPing a mentally imparied character will not bother one who happens to have the same problem IRL.

I'm also not going to say that "Only people with X disability, X race, or X illness, or X diet, or X religion, or X sexual orientation should RP that", because then Jim Carrey shouldn't have acted as a gay man, or X shouldn't have played the role of a blind girl, or no not-chairbound fan of the X-man should cosplay as Doctor Xavier. The challenge of diversity is one of the beautiful things of being an actor/roleplayer, and it shouldn't be avoided. What should be avoided though, is to do it without proper research.

So I'd say, go ahead, but get research done and always remember to RP your nature with respect and dignity for those you are representing.

Aysun · **09-14-2015, 06:33 PM**

(09-14-2015, 09:57 AM)LadyRochester Wrote: It depends on what you mean by "special". Based on the fact the character can take care of themselves, I wouldn't say their mental disability is overly-crippling, and I honestly do not mind people roleplaying these types of characters as long as they are realistic about it. However, you must know that you might step on some toes. The RP community is the tumblr of story-telling and videogames. If people can get offended about it, they probably will. That said, as long as this "disability" isn't all there is to your character, you should be fine. Make sure to give them a personality and depth.

THIIISS. Mine is bolded.

Additionally, as has been said, do your research. Thoroughly. Accept that there WILL be people turned off or even offended OOCly by your character's disability, whatever one you choose. Also be aware of IC consequences due to the disability, because there probably will be some. Not everyone is tolerant and accommodating of people with mental disabilities IRL, and some characters won't be tolerant either! That's not to say that their players are like that, of course.

I understand where you're interest is in playing this kind of character. And there are quite a few people out there with characters that have some sort of mental disability, my own included. I haven't heard of autism specifically being portrayed, though I have met some characters that may be in that spectrum based on their actions.

Making "special" characters.

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