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RADlands - Original Thread #18 MINT CONDITION $200 OBO **WILL ACCEPT TRADES**
Okay, here's something DE?AD and I have been discussing for awhile. We decided to let me handle the initial block of text, here.
Characterization
Lately, DE?AD had listed off the characters he considers central to the advancement of the plot. The PCs, through skill and the level of presence, that will be important to the resolution of RADlands.
It is not as large a list as we want to see.
There have been multiple instances where someone has asked for advice on character development. This is fine to ask, there is a lot to be gained from the perspective of our peers. However, the same people have been asking these questions, for the most part, while some of you have been silent both in and out of narrative.
Progression
In a narrative fully controlled by the writer, it can become necessary to plan out character progression in advance. This is able to work because you are the sole creator, determining at any moment what happens in past future and present of your story.
In a RPG, where you manipulate the world through the perspective and power of one character, it becomes troublesome when the events of the world counter your well-laid plans. When push comes to shove, your plans will lose against the setting if they do not agree. If you choose to ignore it, that is the point when DE?AD starts making frowny posts.
Your character is locked in the same situation as you. He or she has a past, not known in the same detail to other people as it is to him or her, and he or she does not know the future. The character has to react to the world and, like a real person, learn from he results. When you allow your character to flow according to the events of the narrative, the development makes far more sense and, usually, more entertaining. In doing this, you are engaging the world in dialogue much like [vidURL="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6Mw6b1T50U&fmt=18"]two characters having a conversation[/vidURL].
Proactive vs. Reactive
The role your character takes in the story is primarily reactive. DE?AD presents the story, the world, the rules, and it's your job to react to these elements (conversely, this makes the GMs primary role proactive). This does not mean that your character has to sit around waiting, like a computer, for 0GM input. You are handling a thinking, feeling being that, in most cases, is capable of being irrational.
This means that your character should be actively involved with the plot, turning information and attempting to change the events of the world according to his or her perspective. Good role playing games are not like first person shooters, do not expect the GM to set up a linear maze for you where, at the finish, enemies are lining up at the guillotine, waiting for you to pull that lever.
It is up to you to surprise the GM, using the rules and standards given to you throughout the game. When you engage DE?AD, he engages with you. Remember when Henry decided to talk his way out of an epitaph battle? DE?AD still gushes about that- and I do not blame him! That was some goddamn entertainment! Henry managed to take DE?AD by surprise in a way that was not only engaging, but further cemented his role in the plot
Remember this: when your character surprises the GM, the action should reveal more about the character and not contradict what we, the readers, already know. Yes, real people are not 100% consistent, but ignoring your own character's established pattern will stretch the limits of belief, thus weakening immersion and, subsequently, the entertainment value.
Contradiction is a tool best used rarely, and when used it should affect your character deeply. Frequency creates "Player Caricatures," rather than characters. A walking soap opera, only capable of delivering tried revelations and old plot formulas.
Jiving
While we want you to be more proactive, there are limits you should set for yourself. Moderation in all things. It is all the difference between driving to the store, and driving off a cliff.
Jack deciding to talk to Cassandra, rather than slay her on first sight? Fuck. Yes.
Chuck establishing a friendship/puppy love with Cassandra? Not only super adorable, but it establishes another line of dialogue with an essential NPC.
Dusty building the Mothertrucker? A side project, sure, but one ultimately beneficial to the group.
The Hanged Man attacking Jen for no good reason? Awful, but it allowed the other players to realize that they are under no obligation to back up another character if they think he or she is being suicidal at the expense of the whole group (note that it was a wholly realistic reaction). Still, the ends do not justify the means.
Jayce developing an alternate personality? Boring, because there was nothing there that pushed the plot forward, or that could engage the players beyond turning on them at some point.
Wolf's repeated solo attempts to negotiate something with a random boss character? Distracting from the plot, and it only matters to one player (really, Scarlet, Wolf badly needs to establish relationships with the other PCs). It also smack of an attempt to hijack the plot with a mutant revolution, whether Scarlet is actually attempting this or not.
Henry risking his life to help a complete stranger (Felix's daughter)? Not only awesome, but it resolved that particular adventure.
Your character's personal goals should take a backseat to the main plot. If you managed to intertwine the two, then you're in great shape.
In the end, I do not care how badass your character is in his or her backstory, I am more concerned about how you rock the situation for my character.
Necessity
Undoubtedly, there are player characters in RADlands that have been more essential than others. The Red Sun would be nowhere close to where it is at without the Ocean King at its head. The war against the BPs may never had happened if Dusty did not make his stand against Uriel, which, in turn, launched Makali off on his own parallel story. Without Jack, Cecil and Cassandra would not be around. Henry saved Kain, and recruited a doctor to our cause. Through Makali's blunders, arose Joseph and Cobalt and the red virus. Sydney is the reason that Jen is still around.
Admittedly, some people are in better position than others to effect the plot (this is why I never recommend pure combat characters). This is the point where you need to befriend the more fundamental PCs and NPCs, and become, in turn, fundamental to them.
If your character, at any moment, can be replaced with a random NPC or, worse, a tool of some sort with no change to the scene, that means you need to step it up. This does not mean ham up your act, or exaggerate your character's importance (unless it's done in-character, like Sydney).
As it turns out, if you're being interesting chances are your character is effecting the plot in some way. Want to be interesting? Be a target of interest. Talk to other player characters, push the scene forward via the capacity of your character. Initiate team efforts. There's is never a time where your character is unable to be proactively and exhibit some aspect of his or her personality on the situation.
I'm gonna be consistently on AIM for the next couple of days, with few exceptions, to discuss your character, my character, or whatever concerns you have.
My screen name is: Kingafire.
Doobh on
Miss me? Find me on:
Twitch (I stream most days of the week) Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
I've been floundering like crazy all through this campaign but ever sense we came back from the Royal Blue preview I feel like I've finally figured things out.
And what's better it seems like most people agree!
I've been floundering like crazy all through this campaign but ever sense we came back from the Royal Blue preview I feel like I've finally figured things out.
And what's better it seems like most people agree!
Yeah, I think you've been doing pretty well lately. I'm interested to see where you take Cobalt now.
Twitch (I stream most days of the week) Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
0
AntimatterDevo Was RightGates of SteelRegistered Userregular
edited September 2010
wunderbar
I'm trying to figure out a way to interact with others/let people know what Mike's deal is, but I kinda feel awkward doing so when everyone else has their own thing going on
Antimatter on
0
DontShootToastersthe prettiest bulbat the ballRegistered Userregular
edited September 2010
I haven't been posting in-character as much as I'd liked to, and school hasn't been helping much
We was livin' in the 21st century
til MAIN brought an end to it
You name some shit, and we all pro'ly been through it
An' we did it better than anyone else you seen do it.
'but now even the goddamn moon's got a hint a green to it
Now ain't the time to sit down an' cower
The world's endin', the Red Kahn calls from his tower
They slippin', but we gatherin' power
(We welcome you all to the RAD lands)
The moon is broken, the world's fucked, the gates are open
We ain't gonna give up, mothertrucker be rollin'
Yeah, mothertrucker be rollin'
We got an army now, an' every day it's growin'
We won't lie down an' die, now it's time to show 'em
So goodnight moon, you 'bout to see the mornin'
Yeah, you 'bout to see the mornin'
Just give us a sec, we'll be there any moment.
Now ain't the time to sit down an' cower
The clock's tickin', we just count the hours
Stop trippin', row row fight the power
'Cause seriously, fuck ya'll, this world's ours
Posts
so don't aim for smug when talking to him
there really isn't much to discuss
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
Haters gonna hate
You mad
Lmao
Etc, etc.
What spring does with the cherry trees.
because they remind me of Teefs
and that is something you shouldn't do
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
show usssss
i slept in
will do things when i get back from work
Wolf-monsters are hard to draw.
I imagine quite a few of the characters in this game are hard to draw.
I mean, nearly half of us are robots or mutants.
only draw the human characters
GoFund The Portland Trans Pride March, or Show It To People, or Else!
We're the best, it's true.
I'm savoring Joseph, Levitica, and, I guess, Donnie.
Yet.
What spring does with the cherry trees.
Lately, DE?AD had listed off the characters he considers central to the advancement of the plot. The PCs, through skill and the level of presence, that will be important to the resolution of RADlands.
It is not as large a list as we want to see.
There have been multiple instances where someone has asked for advice on character development. This is fine to ask, there is a lot to be gained from the perspective of our peers. However, the same people have been asking these questions, for the most part, while some of you have been silent both in and out of narrative.
Progression
In a narrative fully controlled by the writer, it can become necessary to plan out character progression in advance. This is able to work because you are the sole creator, determining at any moment what happens in past future and present of your story.
In a RPG, where you manipulate the world through the perspective and power of one character, it becomes troublesome when the events of the world counter your well-laid plans. When push comes to shove, your plans will lose against the setting if they do not agree. If you choose to ignore it, that is the point when DE?AD starts making frowny posts.
Your character is locked in the same situation as you. He or she has a past, not known in the same detail to other people as it is to him or her, and he or she does not know the future. The character has to react to the world and, like a real person, learn from he results. When you allow your character to flow according to the events of the narrative, the development makes far more sense and, usually, more entertaining. In doing this, you are engaging the world in dialogue much like [vidURL="
Proactive vs. Reactive
The role your character takes in the story is primarily reactive. DE?AD presents the story, the world, the rules, and it's your job to react to these elements (conversely, this makes the GMs primary role proactive). This does not mean that your character has to sit around waiting, like a computer, for 0GM input. You are handling a thinking, feeling being that, in most cases, is capable of being irrational.
This means that your character should be actively involved with the plot, turning information and attempting to change the events of the world according to his or her perspective. Good role playing games are not like first person shooters, do not expect the GM to set up a linear maze for you where, at the finish, enemies are lining up at the guillotine, waiting for you to pull that lever.
It is up to you to surprise the GM, using the rules and standards given to you throughout the game. When you engage DE?AD, he engages with you. Remember when Henry decided to talk his way out of an epitaph battle? DE?AD still gushes about that- and I do not blame him! That was some goddamn entertainment! Henry managed to take DE?AD by surprise in a way that was not only engaging, but further cemented his role in the plot
Remember this: when your character surprises the GM, the action should reveal more about the character and not contradict what we, the readers, already know. Yes, real people are not 100% consistent, but ignoring your own character's established pattern will stretch the limits of belief, thus weakening immersion and, subsequently, the entertainment value.
Contradiction is a tool best used rarely, and when used it should affect your character deeply. Frequency creates "Player Caricatures," rather than characters. A walking soap opera, only capable of delivering tried revelations and old plot formulas.
Jiving
While we want you to be more proactive, there are limits you should set for yourself. Moderation in all things. It is all the difference between driving to the store, and driving off a cliff.
Jack deciding to talk to Cassandra, rather than slay her on first sight? Fuck. Yes.
Chuck establishing a friendship/puppy love with Cassandra? Not only super adorable, but it establishes another line of dialogue with an essential NPC.
Dusty building the Mothertrucker? A side project, sure, but one ultimately beneficial to the group.
The Hanged Man attacking Jen for no good reason? Awful, but it allowed the other players to realize that they are under no obligation to back up another character if they think he or she is being suicidal at the expense of the whole group (note that it was a wholly realistic reaction). Still, the ends do not justify the means.
Jayce developing an alternate personality? Boring, because there was nothing there that pushed the plot forward, or that could engage the players beyond turning on them at some point.
Wolf's repeated solo attempts to negotiate something with a random boss character? Distracting from the plot, and it only matters to one player (really, Scarlet, Wolf badly needs to establish relationships with the other PCs). It also smack of an attempt to hijack the plot with a mutant revolution, whether Scarlet is actually attempting this or not.
Henry risking his life to help a complete stranger (Felix's daughter)? Not only awesome, but it resolved that particular adventure.
Your character's personal goals should take a backseat to the main plot. If you managed to intertwine the two, then you're in great shape.
In the end, I do not care how badass your character is in his or her backstory, I am more concerned about how you rock the situation for my character.
Necessity
Undoubtedly, there are player characters in RADlands that have been more essential than others. The Red Sun would be nowhere close to where it is at without the Ocean King at its head. The war against the BPs may never had happened if Dusty did not make his stand against Uriel, which, in turn, launched Makali off on his own parallel story. Without Jack, Cecil and Cassandra would not be around. Henry saved Kain, and recruited a doctor to our cause. Through Makali's blunders, arose Joseph and Cobalt and the red virus. Sydney is the reason that Jen is still around.
Admittedly, some people are in better position than others to effect the plot (this is why I never recommend pure combat characters). This is the point where you need to befriend the more fundamental PCs and NPCs, and become, in turn, fundamental to them.
If your character, at any moment, can be replaced with a random NPC or, worse, a tool of some sort with no change to the scene, that means you need to step it up. This does not mean ham up your act, or exaggerate your character's importance (unless it's done in-character, like Sydney).
As it turns out, if you're being interesting chances are your character is effecting the plot in some way. Want to be interesting? Be a target of interest. Talk to other player characters, push the scene forward via the capacity of your character. Initiate team efforts. There's is never a time where your character is unable to be proactively and exhibit some aspect of his or her personality on the situation.
I'm gonna be consistently on AIM for the next couple of days, with few exceptions, to discuss your character, my character, or whatever concerns you have.
My screen name is: Kingafire.
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
I've been floundering like crazy all through this campaign but ever sense we came back from the Royal Blue preview I feel like I've finally figured things out.
And what's better it seems like most people agree!
http://www.audioentropy.com/
Yeah, I think you've been doing pretty well lately. I'm interested to see where you take Cobalt now.
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
Like, I do stuff, but I'm usually too busy to get into interacting with people in ways as cool as Marsh or Syd or Tommy or whoever.
GoFund The Portland Trans Pride March, or Show It To People, or Else!
I think I'm getting better
you are!
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
I'm trying to figure out a way to interact with others/let people know what Mike's deal is, but I kinda feel awkward doing so when everyone else has their own thing going on
Gonna try and step up my game for Chapter 3
We was livin' in the 21st century
til MAIN brought an end to it
You name some shit, and we all pro'ly been through it
An' we did it better than anyone else you seen do it.
'but now even the goddamn moon's got a hint a green to it
Now ain't the time to sit down an' cower
The world's endin', the Red Kahn calls from his tower
They slippin', but we gatherin' power
(We welcome you all to the RAD lands)
The moon is broken, the world's fucked, the gates are open
We ain't gonna give up, mothertrucker be rollin'
Yeah, mothertrucker be rollin'
We got an army now, an' every day it's growin'
We won't lie down an' die, now it's time to show 'em
So goodnight moon, you 'bout to see the mornin'
Yeah, you 'bout to see the mornin'
Just give us a sec, we'll be there any moment.
Now ain't the time to sit down an' cower
The clock's tickin', we just count the hours
Stop trippin', row row fight the power
'Cause seriously, fuck ya'll, this world's ours
e: putting it on all the desktops
http://www.audioentropy.com/