Cerillium wrote:MENTOR COMMENTARY SANS VIDEO:A note on character creation and portrayal:We hear two different approaches in the videos. The first was to distance yourself from your character; the second was to pour a bit of yourself in.
Agy made a strong point: players that fashion characters similar to themselves often run afoul in emotional matters. The player can become offended if that character is despised or hated.
Swith's approach is "Play what you know".
There are some actors that still use classical training in theatre. They engage in something called "character analysis" which then transfers to how they portray the character in each scene. They research things their character knows or has experience in. Regardless, their character will always have a spark of themselves in it.
I
don't recommend the Swith Approach to RP beginners or intermediates. Swith's Neste is an embodiment of Swith's own experiences but she draws upon those negative experiences to flesh out the character rather than as a means to portray herself through Neste. Distance exists between her emotions/personality and the character's. Swith's RPed a long time and, as a veteran, she's detached from Neste. Neste could fall in love with Amara because Neste loves FUBAR but it's crafting a story rather than the player using the opportunity to boost her ego.
Giovenith shares many qualities with Gio, especially a love for art. Giovenith has recently become wise rather than floating around in a daze. Gio pours her own wisdom into Giovenith, telling characters how things are while pointing out how things can change. Gio and Giovenith are not the same person nor is Giovenith a shell for Gio to act out her fantasies.
Marcus shares traits with me. His awkwardness is a reflection of my own when I was his age. I draw upon past experiences when I have him interact with Giovenith. His puppy love is typical of the sort guys experience when we're still young, innocent, and stupid. His father is never there for him; my father was absent in my life. I use my memory to breathe life into Marcus' conflicts.
Ceril is a bastard. We share many traits. I'd rather focus on work. I'm addicted to it. Ceril reflects that. Ceril has a temper. I have a temper. Ceril has little patience for stupid people. Ditto. That's where the similarities end. Ceril hardly laughs, and never laughs at Naomi's nonsense. I laugh my ass off when Swith does silly things IRL. I'm toying with calling him by given name rather than "Ceril" to further distinguish between player and character. We aren't in PL Classic anymore.
Character Shipping:Too often, we have PL characters shipping. All effort is put into it. Players live vicariously through their characters. Some even resort to cybering out what occurs during a fade to black. This isn't distancing yourself from a character. It's abusing the character to satisfy personal wants. It's fleeting and that fact is obvious as characters achieve their goal and then grow apart. We never see much development beyond that.
Relationships are complex. They should tell a story that's engaging and promotes character development.
Case in point: Hans and Chrys. He accomplished his goal and bedded her. She didn't move in instantly nor do they spend all their time cuddling. They have lives apart from each other. His move to ask her to dwell with him is a typical step in the relationship process. Tilt and Swith's character romance story is active. It affects their character's actions. Chrys' request to have a private chat is based on a woman's intuition. Something is wrong and she realizes it. Hans has previously alluded to brewing trouble.
Swith posted a scene from an old RP (it's a few pages back now). Ocho and Nila. Gruff, obese Ocho was in love with chirpy Nila. The lizard was in love with whatever food he had in his hands. Running gag. She slept in a basket at the foot of his bed most of the time. The unrequited love and absolute longing shaped his personality and affected his actions. Nila, oblivious to his emotional state, did her typical Nila thang. Constructs enjoy expressing affection much like a cat rubbing ankles. It was a torment to him. Every chirp and head tilt was a zing that boosted his heart. We ran them almost a year and the closest he got to sleeping with her was her preference to curl up and sleep on his ample stomach because it was warm. It's an example of ways two characters can be close without the need for intercourse.
OP note on sloppy/shallow shipsThere is such a thing as permadead in PL. I was very serious last year when I said I'd find reasons to kill off shallow ships that hinder growth and make our eyes bleed. The rest of us hate reading pointless cuddles and coos. I have no tolerance for F7 antics. Killing one partner spares our eyes but also gives the other partner a reason to grow. Look at what Torsi did with Torii once Yoshi was gone. Torsi's character exploded into a 3D person.