Cliche RP Elements

[Monadi]

I just remembered one of the things that drives me most crazy: descriptions of eyes. Seriously. We used to have a guild application question that read "Are your character's eyes described as 'burning', 'piercing', 'haunting' or 'enchanting'?" If the answer was yes to any of those, usually we had a Mary Sue on our hands. :lol:

 

Just in case it hasn't been posted yet, you can check if your character might be a little too "over the top" with this Universal Mary-Sue Litmus Test.

[Eva]

If that's the test I think it is, Eva scored a -2 on it. >.> I had to actually change a couple things around just to make her somewhat interesting. Now I think she gets a 4.

 

Dyterium scored a fair bit higher, but I like to think I've learned some things in my old age.

 

And Eva's eyes aren't piercing/burning/etc. They're lavender...

[DAISHI]

I just remembered one of the things that drives me most crazy: descriptions of eyes. Seriously. We used to have a guild application question that read "Are your character's eyes described as 'burning', 'piercing', 'haunting' or 'enchanting'?" If the answer was yes to any of those, usually we had a Mary Sue on our hands. :lol:

 

Just in case it hasn't been posted yet, you can check if your character might be a little too "over the top" with this Universal Mary-Sue Litmus Test.

 

Haunting's the only one of those that bugs me.

[sassaroth]

I just remembered one of the things that drives me most crazy: descriptions of eyes. Seriously. We used to have a guild application question that read "Are your character's eyes described as 'burning', 'piercing', 'haunting' or 'enchanting'?" If the answer was yes to any of those, usually we had a Mary Sue on our hands. :lol:

 

Just in case it hasn't been posted yet, you can check if your character might be a little too "over the top" with this Universal Mary-Sue Litmus Test.

 

 

That is a great link! I scored in the lowest. Just fine for now I want him to be average. He only had a two week course on thaumaturgy. He'll probably loose his first fight to a wet paper sack, but hopefully the scars from the paper cuts will toughen him up.

[Kashemia]

While the Mary Sue test can be great in many ways to be aware of some of the "dangers" in character creation, you always have to be careful with taking it as the complete truth. While a too high score might indicate that you might use one cliché too many, having a very low score isn't always a guarantee that your char is not a Mary Sue either... It's a balance.

[Axl]

^ wise words from scandinavia.

[Zhavi]

Having a high score also doesn't mean your character can't be interesting or played properly, just as having a low score doesn't keep your character from being irritating or hard to rp with. That test....

 

Castiel wins again with moderation!

 

Going back a few pages, I want to see someone with trample scars and an embarrassing story about them, who then proceeds to lie his or her arse off with tales of glory about how they were received. Hee.

 

Or just someone with scars that are disfiguring in some way. Oof, those are hard.

 

I just got done reading Best Served Cold by joe (I think) Abercrombie. I was wincing the whole way through with the tactful reminders of how physically screwed up the main is. But all the same, I lapped that shiz right up. Mm, mm, good.

[Lyriell]

While I like the discussion and all the examples mentioned in this thread I think no one should ever take any of it into consideration other than trying to do his/her best to make the plot work without screwing the whole lore.

 

Reason being is that there's literally not a single thing that won't be a cliché.

We've heard so many stories, read so many books and we've seen so many movies now that doing something that isn't a cliché in some sense simply isn't possible.

 

Make a gay roegadyn wearing a pink subligar riding on raptors that have chainsaw for hands and jump into an active volcano. You will find someone that has already done this before somewhere.

 

So my message is: If you're new and you have an awesome idea but you get scared cause you think it might be a cliché, don't worry about it!

Making the story work is more about the execution nowadays, not about the fact that someone might consider it a cliché. There's been countless of movies and books that have more or less copied something and they were still successful, because they executed the story in a good way and because the characters were interesting.

 

Just my 2 cents ^^

[OttoVann]

The necro is real. Damn who knew this site was up in 2010.

[TheLastCandle]

Time travel is my favorite cliché

[Unnamed Mercenary]

The necro is real.  Damn who knew this site was up in 2010.

 

I think the RPC's been around since 1.0!

 

Also for the topic:

Bara Highlander Males

[ArmachiA]

The necro is real. Damn who knew this site was up in 2010.

 

 

Hey!

 

*Looks at join date, says quietly* me.

 

 

Edit: I even took part in this thread. Holy Moly, look at past me go.

[Jazz Egi]

If its getting necrod we might as well talk the subject. I might just have a confirmation bias but it feels like tons of characters are from Ishgard. Like, LOTS. I set it as Weaver's home because I wanted her to have baggage, and I think this is a common reason.

 

Ishgard is an awful place. Terrible weather, food shortages, a military casualty rate brought up so often it could very well rival WWII-era USSR. Also the dragons! Also the zealotry! And Ascians!

 

Tldr; Ishgard is perfect for tragic backstory. Too late to go back on it for this character.

[Berrod Armstrong]

The necro is real.  Damn who knew this site was up in 2010.

 

I think the RPC's been around since 1.0!

 

Also for the topic:

Bara Highlander Males

Bolded for completely random and extreme relevance. 

Guilty

[Dravus]

I split my MMO time between FFXIV and WoW and indulge in role-play in both. I play on Argent Dawn over on the EU servers where WoW is concerned so I'll speak from the perspective of a role-player coming from there to FFXIV.

Now, to touch on some of the biggest cliches that I've stumbled across that would typically be frowned upon over on Argent Dawn:

 

- Overly feminine/camp gay men, raging bisexuals and aggressive lesbians. It's always bugged me when people indulge in the negative stereotypes surrounding sexuality. Making a character's sexuality a large part of their character isn't great either since a good character just happens to be straight, bisexual or gay rather than a one trick pony

 

- Characters that way above the average height of their race. Highlander's are already pretty tall, as are Elezen. Adding a few inches on top of the max height is strange but acceptable, making them a good foot taller is, quite honestly, silly as far as I'm concerned. 

 

- Half breeds. They exist, but they're fairly rare. They're often pulled off in such a way as to make them special snowflakes which is unfortunate.

 

- X is the most beautiful character in all or Eorzea. Yeah...no, sorry love but just because you think your character is a sex symbol it doesn't mean that everybody else has to believe it.

 

- Disabilities. If you can't do it respectfully, don't do it at all. I cringe whenever I see someone acting like their Lalafell has OCD and ADHD, or their 'blind' character can jump through the air at high speed and never, ever struggles to live their life.

 

- IC race changes. Awkward, contrived and pretty silly. In my eyes, at least!

 

- Murderers, assassins, pirates and bandits who brag about it whilst in a place where they'd realistically be arrested.

[ArmachiA]

The necro is real.  Damn who knew this site was up in 2010.

 

I think the RPC's been around since 1.0!

 

Also for the topic:

Bara Highlander Males

Bolded for completely random and extreme relevance. 

Guilty

 

Barrod is gay? This is the most disappointing news of my life.

 

Cliche's?

 

Past me seems to think it was pirates, but that's not it at all!

 

I think the biggest Cliche in the game is RPers actually attempting to make Miqote Harems because the lore says that's a thing. It is so common at this point I just assume all Miqote have 80 bajillion lovers.*

 

(*I actually don't think polyamory is bad, don't get it twisted. But in the game it's overdone.)

[Dravus]

I think a lot of people just fail to do it tastefully. That Miqo'te society is built in such a way as to effectively have harems makes it a valid angle. It is, however, possible to pull that off without bringing it up every five minutes/wanting to shag everything in sight/playing it out explicitly in-game.

 

Heck, J'rakh's a Nunh but his tribe consists of background NPC's that I reference whilst role-playing on him or whenever I write a story about him. He's also fairly reserved and, ironically, not actually into women to begin with (yet as the strongest remaining male tradition dictates that he does his duty).

 

Which, personally, I find much more interesting than the countless male Miqo'te that want to stick their bits in any female (or male) that walks past them.

[Val]

I think a lot of people just fail to do it tastefully. That Miqo'te society is built in such a way as to effectively have harems makes it a valid angle. It is, however, possible to pull that off without bringing it up every five minutes/wanting to shag everything in sight/playing it out explicitly in-game.

 

Heck, J'rakh's a Nunh but his tribe consists of background NPC's that I reference whilst role-playing on him or whenever I write a story about him. He's also fairly reserved and, ironically, not actually into women to begin with (yet as the strongest remaining male tradition dictates that he does his duty).

 

Which, personally, I find much more interesting than the countless male Miqo'te that want to stick their bits in any female (or male) that walks past them.

 

Pretty much this. Val got kicked out of his tribe BECAUSE he acted like that, and now no longer does because he's more or less learned (and settled).

[Aduu Avagnar]

- IC race changes. Awkward, contrived and pretty silly. In my eyes, at least!

I dunno, my freaky friday rp was rather fun and a little bit of lightheartedness.

[Berrod Armstrong]

The necro is real.  Damn who knew this site was up in 2010.

 

I think the RPC's been around since 1.0!

 

Also for the topic:

Bara Highlander Males

Bolded for completely random and extreme relevance. 

Guilty

 

Barrod is gay? This is the most disappointing news of my life.

 

Cliche's?

 

Past me seems to think it was pirates, but that's not it at all!

 

I think the biggest Cliche in the game is RPers actually attempting to make Miqote Harems because the lore says that's a thing. It is so common at this point I just assume all Miqote have 80 bajillion lovers.*

 

(*I actually don't think polyamory is bad, don't get it twisted. But in the game it's overdone.)

Well, he isn't gay, he just...doesn't care lol.

 

Meanwhile. 

 

SKILLED AND SOMEWHAT POWERFUL THING WHO LOST MEMORY AND NOW HAS TO LEARN THING FROM SCRATCH WHILE MAKING A WHOLE NEW LIFE.

 

Also guilty. Come at me!

[Maril]

 

Meanwhile. 

 

SKILLED AND SOMEWHAT POWERFUL THING WHO LOST MEMORY AND NOW HAS TO LEARN THING FROM SCRATCH WHILE MAKING A WHOLE NEW LIFE.

 

Also guilty. Come at me!

 

I find that this is used a lot for new-to-the-universe people because it is one of the best ways of getting away with not reading all of the "essential" lore before you start RP'ing and allows for more learning-on-the-fly. I guess it might be cliché but its not the worst one  

 

Otherwise for the topic.. 

 

- Using aether to see because of complete or partial blindness seems to be very common, personally I find it a bit shifty. 

- As some other mentioned, when someone makes their characters sexuality the main point of their character 

- Race/gender changes, again also already mentioned

- Characters that have so much edge that you might cut yourself on it, also fairly common 

- Split personality was very common in another game I used to play, yet to see it be done here. 

- Characters that defy any sense of authority, be it the police or the leader of a group they voluntarily joined for not other reason than "Because and that's why"

 

I'm very guilty of being an orphan with parent that had a tragic and untimely death. In Ala Mhigo

[Berrod Armstrong]

 

Meanwhile. 

 

SKILLED AND SOMEWHAT POWERFUL THING WHO LOST MEMORY AND NOW HAS TO LEARN THING FROM SCRATCH WHILE MAKING A WHOLE NEW LIFE.

 

Also guilty. Come at me!

 

I find that this is used a lot for new-to-the-universe people because it is one of the best ways of getting away with not reading all of the "essential" lore before you start RP'ing and allows for more learning-on-the-fly. I guess it might be cliché but its not the worst one  

 

I actually did it because I wanted to take something that a lot of people look down on and make it into something that challenged the naysayers. I have a LOT of fun with it, and the stories that have come out of it have been unforgettable!

 

Also: Extremely nice guy who does unspeakably sick things behind closed doors.

 

Guilty.

[Kellach Woods]

Also: Extremely nice guy who does unspeakably sick things behind closed doors.

 

Guilty.

this is looking like "Berrod calls himself a giant hot hunky cliché, the thread." since the necro.

 

* * *

 

I'd even go as far as to say "Miqo'tes in general". Cat people where, cat people errywhere. However that's not a cliché that's just player preferences. Kind of like I always roll at least one Human/Hyur because everyone else thinks they're boring.

 

I don't think I've seen the camp dudes in this game. Unless you're going by looks instead of actual RP in that case I rolled one as my main.

[Berrod Armstrong]

Also: Extremely nice guy who does unspeakably sick things behind closed doors.

 

Guilty.

this is looking like "Berrod calls himself a giant hot hunky cliché, the thread." since the necro.

 

* * *

 

I'd even go as far as to say "Miqo'tes in general". Cat people where, cat people errywhere. However that's not a cliché that's just player preferences. Kind of like I always roll at least one Human/Hyur because everyone else thinks they're boring.

 

I don't think I've seen the camp dudes in this game. Unless you're going by looks instead of actual RP in that case I rolled one as my main.

Oh nah, that one doesn't apply to Berrod, that's an alt! 

 

Though, I see nothing wrong with the overly feminine/camp thing. It's a lively personality that can be fun to play, and even challenging for some people. Hell, I once played a ridiculously flamboyant bartender in GW2 and had the time of my life. It was completely out of my comfort zone and I had no idea how to start -- BUT ONCE I DID IT WAS GREAT.

 

Similarly, sexual characters aren't bad if they're well done -- and tastefully done on top of that. You can usually tell right away. What's a community without the smarmy beefcake or the seductive vixen?

[Kellach Woods]

Honestly I find that a lot of the clichés become tiring when you have a gigantic portion of the population who just happen to REALLY be into that and do it.

 

I have it on good authority that if you just do your own thing people will be like "oh you not you because you're awesome but the rest of those are bad!"