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.
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.
