I think one thing that makes most seasoned RPers cringe at cliche characters is in how it is presented.
If a role-player feels the need to announce to everyone they meet "hey... I'm a lone wolf" then right away a seasoned role-player will probably roll their eyes and back away.
Now if the same "lone wolf" just played the part most people would respect it more (and probably not know they were there). Basically, to me, it's really a matter of what you would tell someone in real life about who you are and about your past. Most people wouldn't start a conversation with "I'm an orphan".
I think that's why a lot of these demon/vampire/half-breeds are a problem and make a lot of role-players unhappy is because they have to tell everyone that they have horns, wings or fangs etc. If you can't make said character in the game then, as far as I'm concerned, you shouldn't be playing one. I'm not going to remember your character sheet to know that you have these aesthetic elements and telling every new person you meet that you do is just silly.
On top of that is the crazy stuff like: I'm from space, another planet, a demon half-breed super evil god, I'm a ninja! (Naruto) and Legoladrizzhiroth son of the king... etc
A lot of it is really an excuse to either get attention or they simply can't come up with something more meaningful. So it's easier to just come up with one single (or in worse cases many at once) thing that is "unique" and "cool" and it's usually from their favorite book/comic/anime. But, frankly, after 10 others are doing it, it's not so unique anymore, it's just annoying. If everyone is trying to be unique "one-offs" then no one is. What you end up with is a bunch of people going around basically saying "No, I'm the unique and interesting character you want to know" "No, I am!" etc.
Like many others, I won't go around telling anyone they are doing it wrong. I'm not paying their subscription fee, I can't control the world and I also don't think I'm the ruler of RP, but I'll be sure to avoid them later.
On the flip side of that, I probably tend to make kinda boring characters by some people's standards. I may have an element of "the dead parents" etc, but I don't play off that as the sole motivation for my character or go and advertise it to everyone I meet. I concentrate on personality traits and motivations like watching out for a mischievous sister.
Anywho, that's my take on it. So, cliche's aren't all bad, it's really in how you use it. Some things, however, are just silly when they really have no place in the world you're playing in.
If a role-player feels the need to announce to everyone they meet "hey... I'm a lone wolf" then right away a seasoned role-player will probably roll their eyes and back away.
Now if the same "lone wolf" just played the part most people would respect it more (and probably not know they were there). Basically, to me, it's really a matter of what you would tell someone in real life about who you are and about your past. Most people wouldn't start a conversation with "I'm an orphan".
I think that's why a lot of these demon/vampire/half-breeds are a problem and make a lot of role-players unhappy is because they have to tell everyone that they have horns, wings or fangs etc. If you can't make said character in the game then, as far as I'm concerned, you shouldn't be playing one. I'm not going to remember your character sheet to know that you have these aesthetic elements and telling every new person you meet that you do is just silly.
On top of that is the crazy stuff like: I'm from space, another planet, a demon half-breed super evil god, I'm a ninja! (Naruto) and Legoladrizzhiroth son of the king... etc
A lot of it is really an excuse to either get attention or they simply can't come up with something more meaningful. So it's easier to just come up with one single (or in worse cases many at once) thing that is "unique" and "cool" and it's usually from their favorite book/comic/anime. But, frankly, after 10 others are doing it, it's not so unique anymore, it's just annoying. If everyone is trying to be unique "one-offs" then no one is. What you end up with is a bunch of people going around basically saying "No, I'm the unique and interesting character you want to know" "No, I am!" etc.
Like many others, I won't go around telling anyone they are doing it wrong. I'm not paying their subscription fee, I can't control the world and I also don't think I'm the ruler of RP, but I'll be sure to avoid them later.
On the flip side of that, I probably tend to make kinda boring characters by some people's standards. I may have an element of "the dead parents" etc, but I don't play off that as the sole motivation for my character or go and advertise it to everyone I meet. I concentrate on personality traits and motivations like watching out for a mischievous sister.
Anywho, that's my take on it. So, cliche's aren't all bad, it's really in how you use it. Some things, however, are just silly when they really have no place in the world you're playing in.
