(12-15-2016, 03:08 PM)Seriphyn Wrote: I have an issue even with this. Of course, you said inspiration from rather than being based on, but in any case, characters in existing media have a fixed range of responses and emotions based on the scripts they're pulled from. What happens in roleplay when a situation arises that doesn't exist in that script? For example, there may be a whimsical scenario that would emerge organically in RP that just never came up in another production's script. As a result, you will have no idea how the character would have responded because he/she is not an organic creation but a subject with a fixed fate determined by a script.
I see this happen all the time in RP. Some Highlander dude who apparently is a hardened soldier stands in that crossed arm /cpose chuckling mildly with a shake of his head as some tavern antics takes place in front of him, far too mature and whatnot, so plagued by the woes of war to let his hair down. Absolutely not. I've engaged professionally with USAF Pararescue Jumpers as a chaplain assistant, and those folks are absolute party animals despite being trained killers and lifesavers (who aren't always successful in the latter). They are the coolest people you will ever meet. Now, that's not to say privately these people might suffer from issues coming from the job, but as far as outward demeanour, you wouldn't tell.
Some player-characters' also have some seriously laughable dialogue. My first thought is "M8 NOBODY TALKS LIKE THAT IN REAL LIFE". Yes, it's a fantasy world, but the level of theatricality in their dialogue instantly signals to me that this is not a dynamic character. They are more interested in presenting a certain stage act than actually responding or behaving like an actual person of the world.
Base your characters off of real people, or at least flex them to be a real person with an actual range of character, capable of holding multiple emotions at once. Characters from other fictional mediums are what they need to be for the preexisting story. In RP, there is no preexisting story. A good number of our characters would put an audience at an improv show to sleep because of their incapability to respond to dynamic situations believably and plausibly.
If you want to play a certain occupation, think of real people you know in similar occupations, and use those for inspiration instead. Then, tweak as necessary to fit the lore of the universe (e.g. using period speech to match FFXIV's 17th thru early 20th century British English dialogue), and otherwise make the character seem like a product of the world.
Play real people, not characters, and I guarantee an amazing RP experience.
That's a fair and good point, but I feel that a bit disingenuous that you chose to snip that particular excerpt without taking my whole post as a context for it.. I mean, that falls into common sense. That's why I mentioned credibility/believable (I did, did I...?). I'm also trying to make sure my point get across with easier references, and maybe that's the flaw of vulgarizing things. Otherwise, yes, take what I said as tropes, tropes, tropes. Some tropes are good, some are ultimately bad (Mary sues, etc), and some can be both. I thought that fell into common sense yes...
Now then Seri, I know perfectly how you think on that, and I don't think I have ever had really diverging opinions, really. The art lies in bringing those tropes into characters that have their real life, their everyday life indeed, added to their unusual adventures. The problem with playing you or me though, is that our own RL tropes are fucking boring, to say the least, unless you have the luck to live a very interesting life.
The idea never was to make a movie (though there is nothing inherently wrong with pre scripted stuff, just not my cup of tea). The idea is to use the tools that writers use: tropes. Interesting ones, preferably. The things that will make you read a book or watch a movie or anything, and prevent you to drop after 5 min. Our own RL selves would be tedious as hell to watch, unless exceptionally talented writing painting them in a very peculiar light perhaps, but then would they still be us?
What makes the Lord of the Rings good and hooks you up? Reading the story of hobbit Farmer Maggot in his everyday boring life (though, maybe who knows it's actually super exciting heh), or reading the story of Sam, the gardener, that gets dragged in some cool adventures? Note that I'm not taking snowflakes like Legolas or perfect inhumane characters like Aragorn as example. I'm taking the real heroes here. The everyday characters that are not mary sues, and shine through their qualities and flaws. And ultimately their trope, that is way above the tropes some of the others from the Fellowship.
I'm not talking about the epic proportions of the end of the story. Actually I would myself avoid those in our specific cases for various reasons exposed above already. I'm talking about the journey itself. The everyday life they live during their adventure.
(12-15-2016, 03:32 PM)Faye Wrote:(12-15-2016, 12:25 PM)Valence Wrote: I would rather disagree with the assertion that a bad or cheesy trope can be salvaged through excellent roleplay though. Both go hand in hand.
If the former fails, you are gonna cringe and die a little inside everytime the cheesy and rubbish stuff gets mentionned, however good the RP is. If the latter fails, then you are just gonna get bored.
Just a matter of personal preference and opinion, because I definitely do not feel the same.
Believe me, if you saw a few of the awesome roleplayers I saw, but that spent their time roleplaying lore breaking Sues... I wonder if you would still hold to that..
Balmung:Â Suen Shyu
