Good thread, OP.
I'm guilty of creating characters on a whim, with little to no plan to keep them and over the course of random RP after the initial pitch- developing their backstories on the fly. I feel as though I have a grasp on what's immediately important to their creation and what people will ask and sort of wait to see what people will actually care about.
From there, I'll go back and create wikis or write small segments to further their development.
I find a lot of joy in watching things come to shape. I think it's a much more rewarding because I get to discover the character with my partners, even if they aren't aware.
Crazy person warning:
I'm quite capable of making long backstories and do it when needed, but most of the time a solid framework and mannerisms are all that's needed. Besides what I've mentioned, the primary reason is because MMO lore is a bitch to work with. You only discover things much later, from sources of material that aren't immediately available to you. Items that aren't released or quests that people don't have uploaded on wikis or what have you.
I'm not against people crafting larger basis for their characters, but I wonder if they have as much fun as I feel I sometimes do when I get to 'watch my own characters tell their tales.' If that makes any sense.
For me, this is part of the drive of RP. It's discovery. I still count on others to provide me with stories and answers and I do my best to do the same- I just may not immediately know. Sure, certain events are part of their development, but I couldn't tell you every detail. Obviously this does not count for all of my characters, but a fair amount of them follow this rule.
Or maybe I just lack the ability to dedicate the time to think of this stuff properly.
Or I just like to fuck with people.
I'm guilty of creating characters on a whim, with little to no plan to keep them and over the course of random RP after the initial pitch- developing their backstories on the fly. I feel as though I have a grasp on what's immediately important to their creation and what people will ask and sort of wait to see what people will actually care about.
From there, I'll go back and create wikis or write small segments to further their development.
I find a lot of joy in watching things come to shape. I think it's a much more rewarding because I get to discover the character with my partners, even if they aren't aware.
Crazy person warning:
I'm quite capable of making long backstories and do it when needed, but most of the time a solid framework and mannerisms are all that's needed. Besides what I've mentioned, the primary reason is because MMO lore is a bitch to work with. You only discover things much later, from sources of material that aren't immediately available to you. Items that aren't released or quests that people don't have uploaded on wikis or what have you.
I'm not against people crafting larger basis for their characters, but I wonder if they have as much fun as I feel I sometimes do when I get to 'watch my own characters tell their tales.' If that makes any sense.
For me, this is part of the drive of RP. It's discovery. I still count on others to provide me with stories and answers and I do my best to do the same- I just may not immediately know. Sure, certain events are part of their development, but I couldn't tell you every detail. Obviously this does not count for all of my characters, but a fair amount of them follow this rule.
Or maybe I just lack the ability to dedicate the time to think of this stuff properly.
Or I just like to fuck with people.
