How do you connect with your character?

[Reshie]

I've had this character for about six months now, only three of those have been with active RP. In that time frame, I've had very little connection to her and my desire to RP becomes less and less. I've played this type of personality before, had a blast doing it, and am not understanding why I can't seem to get in the groove of it. I know RL issues affect my desire to RP but I used to find it a release where as now it feels like a chore. She's my main so I want to be connected to her and want to find the fun I had with Agrippina in SWTOR but with Eresh here without all the sluttiness.  

 

So my question is this: How do you connect with your character? Do you write things about their current activities or their past? Do you do random mini RPs to get in the swing? What helped you want to and feel invested in your character?

 

Thanks so much in advance!

[DreamedReality]

Usually I find if I'm losing connection its because where I want the character to go is getting muddled and they're in some sort of rutt. Or there is nothing active going on.

 

So... for the last one it's usually because I've had a break in RP. So its just a matter of getting back into RP.

 

The other its a bit more involved. Re-reading background. Seeing where they are at as a person. Where they could grow. Where they can break. What brings them out of whatever comfort zone rutt they're in. Then either finding or creating a small plot going that really makes me engage. RPing with new people helps because I can't predict how this new character is going to react to things.

 

 

So for a suggestion, you are using a personality type that you've long played. Perhaps do a bit of compare and contrast with how this character is turning our compared how to your SWTOR one did? See what sort of new character or situation your current character can meet or get into and explore new things?

[Jana]

If I'm losing my grip on a character, I'll usually play another (usually single-player) game and think on how my RP character would handle those kinds of situations. Even if Jana Ridah from FFXIV will never throw a grenade into a machine gun nest and charge in bayonet-first, it kind of helps me keep that character's personality in the back of my head so I can revisit her later.

[Yhen Yizeh]

Usually I find if I'm loosing connection

 

You should tighten it if it's loose!

 

 

As to the question, my connection comes naturally!

[Aaron]

Solo rp.

 

It's a lot funner than you think

[MikoBehnen]

I'm super new so this might be silly advice, but I just start typing my character's stream of consciousness in Google docs. Most of it starts wrong and sounds more like me than Miko, but eventually she kicks in and when I see something I like I open a new doc and use that as a prompt

 

So the short version: Solo RP I guess?

[DreamedReality]

Usually I find if I'm loosing connection

 

You should tighten it if it's loose!

 

 

As to the question, my connection comes naturally!

Shhhhhh, that never happened.

[Marisa]

Solo rp.

 

It's a lot funner than you think

I do that sometimes. I've been known to even talk to the NPCs from time to time. 

 

I swear I'm not crazy.

[Guy Tower]

Solo RP'ing is an interesting idea, one that I've abandoned a while ago but perhaps should return to.

 

Anyway, for me, my main character is always a variation on myself. What or whom would I be if I existed in a fantasy world. It sometimes leads to being a little unhealthily close to what I do as my character, but usually it just strenghtens the immersion. You know, being that guy instead of playing being that guy. Perhaps you'll find such approach to your liking. As for alts, well, I can't help you there, since 90% of my alts are short-lived. Unless I have made up a really interesting story for them to follow, I usually drop them sooner or later.

[Nebbs]

For me the character is like a sketch, and it is the white heat of RP that it truly forms. Often I have started out with a concept that looking back was flawed but in initial RP the true character has emerged and takes for itself those contacts and activities in the real (RP) world.

 

My approach is to take all the snippets of RP and stitch then onto the tapestry of my character, so it starts like a patchwork but soon develops. This weaving then allows me to shift and join up between RPs so 1+1=3. I love free-form RP the most because of this.

 

So the character is in the world and discovering the world and people, and that is most of the fun.. all those connections.

 

Yes there are mechanical things to do, ensuring you take opportunities to RP and also create them for others. RP is out there, and if you you are not feeling it.. change something to light that spark?

 

(edit: Also write notes as you flesh out the character, so you can maintain some consistency)

[Eve Malusion]

I'm doing most of my house decoration IC. Works as both a writing exercise because I am horribly new to RPing (I know I've been here for a while but I'm only just getting around to actually starting, and I have anxiety issues about writing!) and connecting with the character in general in thinking what they would like for the decorating rather than neccessarily my own preferences.

 

So... I guess the writing about current activities works for me, for now at least.

[ProvaDiServo]

I solo RP when no one is around in my FC house. >.>

 

Also I'll play other games from an IC perspective. I find myself chuckling at how my characters handle street fighter Super smash bros, Mario kart, hell even other FF games.

[D'aito Kuji]

Solo rp.

 

It's a lot funner than you think

 

I do this.

 

I talk to NPCs, I bow to them, thank them, acknowledge them.  I sass pirates and poachers and try to soothe beasts before being forced to take them down.  It's fun and it keeps me in a RP mindset.

 

It also helps me pick up RP in the wild and make new connections.

 

It can also invite negative attention but I try not to let that get me down.

 

I feel like, if you limit your character to RP when you're only engaged with others, it can turn into a situation where you're just doing small talk at a bar.  And small talk can be pretty generic.

 

But I'm still pretty new to RP in FFXIV but not new to RP in MMOs and I've always found a lot of joy in RP'ing in environments outside of the game itself: forums, skype, twitter, tumblr.  Those things all really help me keep in touch with my characters.

[Berrod Armstrong]

Solo rp.

 

It's a lot funner than you think

Every day I have Berrod go turn in and collect leves from Eustace for the company. I play it out from start to finish -- it takes only a few moments, but it's fun as hell and adds a bit of character to the setting!

[Oli!]

This sort of advice certainly isn't for everyone (I'm big on whimsy), but from time to time, I've found that people tend to lose their touch with characters because they're taking them too seriously, or they're super hung-up on only one facet of their characterization or personality.

 

Do something silly with them. Go on a misadventure. Or, if that's not that character's style, look for characters to interact with that serve as a foil for them, or make a character to contrast them yourself.

[Guy Tower]

This sort of advice certainly isn't for everyone (I'm big on whimsy), but from time to time, I've found that people tend to lose their touch with characters because they're taking them too seriously, or they're super hung-up on only one facet of their characterization or personality.

 

Do something silly with them. Go on a misadventure. Or, if that's not that character's style, look for characters to interact with that serve as a foil for them, or make a character to contrast them yourself.

 

That's always a good thing to do, imho! Human brain enjoys funny, silly things. I am sure that you (whoever it is that bothers to read my scribble) get along easier with funny, chilled out people that can crack a joke and take one with a smile. Same thing goes for characters in role playing, even if it's your character. Back when I was playing Guild Wars 2, my char, Nat Chapel, was a bit of a goof. Whenever it happened, 'twas a refreshing change of pace from his more serious, single-minded stance. Give your character a funny accent (y mean, g've yór char'cter ae funny axe-ent), make his only living relative an old Uncle that used to tell him his war misadventures when he got drunk, make him buy himself a golem pet who, while obeying his master, cracks sarcastic one liners at him...

 

Fun is fun, but drama is also important. Not only can it dramatically (badum-tisch!) push your character's development forward, it also serves as an emotional link between you and that pile of pixels you made. Implement a flaw into your character that can turn a usually random situation around, like make him/her afraid of deep water due to some trauma. Make him lose an arm (and then, later, get him an awesome, FMA/Trigun/Berserk style arm with a cannon! Rawr).

 

Hope that helps .

 

:tonberry:

[Gegenji]

I have an... odd method to connect with my character.

 

He's childish, adventurous, and spirited. A lot of what he does is drawn from, well, my inner child. I look at the situation presented and think back to when I was a little kid and think about how "little me" might approach it. Then I adjust for the differences between Chachan and that, like how he might focus on someone's armor since he's had years of smithing experience that I don't.

 

But, whenever I want to think about how he'd act when trying to be "heroic," I find it easy to go back to the times where I was riding in the car... looking out the window and imagining this little hero with a laser gun hopping from scenery object to scenery object, lasering aliens and monsters.

 

Seems to work well enough, but then Chachan's a goof.

[Miryn]

I talk to myself in my character's voice, usually while pacing back and forth. If I come up with any good lines, I jot them down in a Word doc. If I feel I'm losing her, I go back to those lines and read through them.

 

It's not often I have trouble wiggling into my character's shoes, though. I've RPed for long enough that I know not to try playing personality types or archetypes I'm just not good at. It has never ended well.

[Coatleque]

My character connection is based on those around me. If something interesting is going on, I can usually find a way to interject where appropriate. If left to myself, I generally get bored and move on to another game.

 

Example: Last night, I was about to log off for the night when I noticed someone else had come online that I was waiting for. I went out to the Quicksand to engage her. 3 hours later, it's 1am and I'm surrounded by 5 other people because things only escalated from there.

[Reshie]

Thank you guys so much! I've taken notes and am going to try some of this. I'm hopeful that maybe I'm just in a rut and some of these will snap me out of it. You guys are the best!

[Artigan]

I reach deep down and cup my balls to really get in touch with my masculinity.

[Naunet]

I talk with my friends about what's going on with our characters' stories and work together to try and breathe some life into the waning character. Oftentimes they're quite helpful in pinpointing what my "problem" is and/or coming up with solutions.

 

Sometimes it helps to draw them.

 

I also spend a lot of time laying in bed before falling asleep thinking about "what if" scenarios, that helps keep things lively.

[ArmachiA]

Here's all my advice, as a roleplayer of 16 years (I'm so old) I've made plenty of mistakes, even with just Armi over here (I rolled her in FFXI back in 2003 and kept rolling her to try to find her niche):

 

1. The biggest thing that made me lose connection with her in Aion - despite the fact I had played her pretty much the same in World of Warcraft and FFXI (Armi always has the same basic personality, with some differences and a different background) was the fact I pigeon-holed her into a gimmick and refused to let her grow out of it - without the gimmick she wasn't Armi. I didn't make her a whole person, there was THAT gimmick and if she grew out of it I had no idea what to do with her. So I never had her grow. People tried, then got bored of trying and eventually she just stagnated. Make sure your characters are fluid, if they have some kind of issue, try also seeing how they would be if they got over it. If you're stubborn about keeping your character exactly the same way, making it so they are the same a year ago as they are now, you're going to get bored. They become less interesting.

 

2. Keep a Journal! I just tried a journal for the first time in FFXIV because I read Eva's journal and enjoyed it immensely and I'm finding it a great place for solo RP and rediscovering your characters inner thoughts. Even if it's not one you share, I'm finding knowing what Armi's thinking and her inner monologues are super helpful and make her really interesting to me. I don't get to rp Armi's issues or Armi's story much (Since I GM stories for people and can't make it all about her) - but it's okay because I have that journal as a back up to get those things out. She has a few very close friends she can talk to about things and she has her journal if they can't be pulled off for one on one time. It's made me really bond with her.

 

3. Kind of piggy backing on the above -- if your character is only really "on" when your rping with people, it's going to become a frustrating experience. If you're character is doing nothing in your mind except waiting for RP you may lose connection with them if you aren't rping as much as you like. Make sure to take the time to think about what your character would be doing beyond RP. Even beyond just "Training" or "Reading." What are they reading? What are their favorite books? Where do they get those books? Do they know anyone at the shop they get them? Are they in a book club? Do they like fiction? Are they writers themselves? Is their a book series that's their favorite?

Making sure your character has a rich background life is also important. For Armi -- I don't get to do her Bard stuff a lot, because for a long while she was shy and didn't share her stuff and I'm not part of a Free Company that is entertainment inclined. Right now, I have her playing in small cafe's and shops in Ul'dah when she can. I write songs people may or may not hear, which is fine. I'm doing it for my characters benefits, not anyone elses. She enjoys Romance Novels, or Romantic Fairytales, and hunts bookshops for good ones, filling her bookshelves to the brim when she can. I have a list of her favorites... and some she read for curiosity (Hyur written Miqo'te/Hyur romance novels for instance). She was an herbalist in her preisthood and likes to make tea. If she's off screen she's looking for different herbs and studying different cultures tea recipes.

All kind of things. This stuff may bleed into regular RP too, so it's really good to have it somewhere.

 

4. If you feel like your character has derailed and that's the reason for the missing connection. You probably need to pull her and try to figure out how to realign her how you want her to be. A lot of people don't like the prospect of pulling a character for awhile, but it may be best because you would be playing a character you're only half interested in anyway.