Question about RP

[Ichtan]

Right, I am a fan of Roleplay as much as anyone else here. My problem is, I don't know how to do it with originality. People talk about how things are so cliche' or overused, and yet I can't seem to figure out what is supposed to be acceptable. I've not seen enough examples ingame of anyone doing anything out of the ordinary to get any ideas about creative RP. The few times that I've seen someone try in the forums, they are simply shot down with "oh someone did that before." This presents a problem for me, because every idea I seem to have has been done before.

Not bashing anyone or the server here, I'm just NOT a creatively minded person and need some guidance on how to do something original.

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[Cruise]

Well Ive been a roleplayer for over a quarter of a century. My advice is wing it. Try not to plan things. The best RP sessions Ive had are off the cuff spur of the moment stuff.
New and fresh roleplay ideas get harder as time goes on. Its like trying to write a new song. Someone will have done elements of it before somewhere.

And that said over to you guys.

[bluntpencil2001]

Another thing anout originality is that it is over-done.

Try something less original first to get used to playing a character. It's like acting in theatre. People have been playing the same Shakespeare roles for centuries, but occasionally, once they get used to it, they give it a different spin.

Try joining a faction like QCO (shameless plug) and play a stereotype. Before you know it ,your stereotypical character will develop a personality and become original.

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[Unit-sk855]

*points at blunt and nods*

Genericness grows into originality through time. Starting out originality turns to genericness through trying to keep the originality, and not developing the character past that. You then end up with an original backstory, and a generic character.

If you want originality, make the back story original, but the personality generic. Play for the personality, then react to situations based on your back story. Build your characters personality over time, then go back to its original roots for its originality. Otherwise, your story will build but not the character developing as a "person" and then you will end up with doing things because your character would, rather than doing them because your character wants to.

Should and wants are the main things to keep the fun in a character. Just because your character should kill all the local pirates, they may not want to. Now out of character shooting them to crap is fun, but in character you would rather get them out of your systems peacefully, maybe even turn their path to lawful citizen in the process?

Converting pirates doesn't work by the way, but its fun to try:D.

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*Wilson shows off his ham sandwich* - Armory.003
*mark placed on Unit-sk855's forehead* - Head hitting the desk as of reading the above

[Ichtan]

Now THAT was the answer I was looking for, thank you three much:)

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[LancerZero]

Unit and Blunt have already made most of the points that I wanted to make. As I've said before, I operate an RP board and control many different characters...and as Unit and Blunt said, the best way to get started is to choose a sorta gimmick or stereotype. I have a few examples of my own here:

Silvy: She's....well, to put it simply, she began as an educated hippie.:P

Martin Barclay: Humorous understatements and politeness to the point of fault are what I started with.

Linus Koios: He's a space redneck, if you can imagine that, and about as eccentric as you'd expect a TAZ to be. Gets a bit fired up about being protective, though.

Conrad Egon: Stereotypical idealistic revolutionary; charismatic and passionate about his beliefs and the safety of his family.

Eugene Krank: He has a dry sense of humor and enjoys getting under some people's skin...can be a mite grumpy though.

Stuff like that. Start off with a basic character idea, build a backstory, integrate the two, and you'll soon see a personality emerging. Or, as Unit said, think of the backstory first and get the basic character idea from that. Just don't make a character that makes no sense because you were trying to be original...I've seen some characters that were just so awful it was painful to read their bios! XD

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