(05-19-2013, 09:24 PM)Vareal Wrote: Nothing here is 100% complete and is obviously open to change and alterations.I've read through all of the information, and I think this is probably the most important thing. Â I would urge you never allow it to be 100% complete, and always keep an openness to change and alteration - perhaps not necessarily the backhistory, but particularly early on with a character in the RP process there is a lot of wiggle room to go back and make changes, amendments, deletions. Â This gets more and more difficult to do as time goes on and information is shared with other characters and such changes would impact their RP as well.
To be clear, I'm not saying that you should mold your character to suit the expectations and wishes of others. Â Rather, you may come upon a hook or some point of interest. Â As a sort of example, we realized early on that Eva was a pretty bland character. Â Largely this was by design but we wanted there to be some unusual or uncharacteristic elements to serve as hooks or points of conversation. Â So it was plausible that she learned some sleight-of-hand and parlor tricks from an old boss of hers. Â This kind of happened on the spot and it's been interesting once in awhile when she pulls a gil out of a child's ear or produces a dagger as if from thin air (it may or may not go without saying that she is not the sort of character most would expect this sort of trick from).
In reading around (and this isn't targeted at you specifically), I've also picked up on a huge stress upon the lore and this almost over-dramatic fear of going against it in any way. Â While I think it's important to have a grounded understanding of the lore, I feel like there is too much expectation that certain behaviors or characteristics are a "must" and that there is too much emphasis on adhering to these specifics. Â This probably presents itself because there's minimal opportunity for actual RP right now, and that sort of leaves many of us in a sort of RP vacuum. Â All I can really say is, "Relax... and just let the interactions happen as they will, naturally." Â I feel like many of the newer folk are on pins and needles that someone is going to pop-quiz them on what Ala Mhigo was like, or Garlemald, or Ishgard... and this is really not something that routinely happens (i.e. just because someone says hello to you at a tavern doesn't necessarily mean they want to hear your life story, or that of all of your ancestors). Â My advice would be to think more about the present-day sort of stuff. Â What are your character's interests, hobbies, and that sort of menial day-to-day stuff. Â These things that he or she might find in common with another adventurer are more likely to be discussed casually.
I'm sorry this kind of ran on longer than I'd intended.
TL;DR: Â Don't worry. Â Keep calm, and just RP. Â The minutiae will practically take care of itself as time passes and your character will grow and evolve that way. Â
"One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others." Â ~ Lewis Carol
Eva's Journals  |  Eva's Wiki Page (coming soon)  |  RP Handbook
Eva's Journals  |  Eva's Wiki Page (coming soon)  |  RP Handbook
