SG's Advanced Character Creation Guide

[Admiral Striker General]

TO BE COMPLETED

8'D SO! SG is more than aware how haughty and stuck-up this is probably going to come across, but after enough encouragement from a few members asking her to please do it, she doesn't really care. SG is also aware speaking in third person does nothing to hurt the view that she has a raging ego, but third person is fun so shut up.

So what is this, exactly? Well, SG has been considering writing a "guide" of sorts to help others with creating more in-depth, realistic characters for some time. It should be noted that in no way does SG believe her own couldn't use improvement themselves; this is a never-ending growing process, after all. ^^

At any rate, aside from the concern of how it may come across, SG was concerned that it would get too long and out of control, and as such no one would really read it. :3 After some time, she thinks she's determined a good way to get around that. All I'm going to do is take the standard character sheet and write some explanations and tips for each section: just like the topic it's posted in, just more in-depth. ^__^

Well then, let's get started!

NOTE: Don't get startled. 'xD; Name is definitely going to be the longest field excluding the big three (app/pers/hist). SG is VERY big on names... Hehe.. *known to spend literally two hours on the naming screen of a video game trying to decide what to call a party member* x'3

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Name:

Oh, how simple this should be, yet the bane it can be borders on that of History itself. You want your name to "fit" your character, right? But at the same time, it gets to a point that fitting too close is just ridiculous. To use a well-known canon character: "Speed Racer". Really? xD Granted in this case his whole family was.. yeah. But really. What would have happened to that kid if he had wanted to do anything OTHER than race cars? (Well, I guess there was always Olympic sprinting as an option? ) No, unfortunately, parents don't know what is in store for their children, and while they may give them a name that implies their hope, it won't always suit them to a "t".

As such, as pretentious as this may sound, SG is going to say that there is, in fact, a right way and a WRONG way to name you characters.

• In naming, try to keep popularity of the name you want in mind. No, I don't mean the most popular baby names of 2010, I mean most popular character names! I've seen more than one Mary Sue test that have the questions regarding names: "Is it Raven? Is it a variation of Raven? Is it Hunter?" x'3 Not a good sign.. Being popular does NOT put a name on an "OMG NEVER USE" list, of course. Just be away they might make others a little skeptic off the bat.
  
  ENGLISH WORDS:
  
• Sometimes they're kind of cool. Sometimes they're amazing. Sometimes they make readers want to cry and/or stab things. Be very selective if you're considering using an English word for a name.
  
• First point to consider: does it sound even vaguely like a name? Stonecrusher does not. Eucalyptus does not. (x'D First thing to come to mind don't ask.) In RARE cases a very, VERY odd name could become acceptable, but you'd better have the best history ever to try it. Words that literally sound like names are the easiest to use in cases like this. For example, my daughter's name is Ember. No one has ever questioned this seriously; they acknowledge it's different, but never once in a skeptic way. The most likely reason for this is undoubtedly the similarity to common name 'Amber'. ;3
  
• Second point to consider: who would name their kid that? This especially applies when considering characteristics. Hope, Faith, Charity, Serenity, Grace: these are all relatively common as real names. And why? They're very good, desirable things. (Note that a "pure trait" name can set off a Sue Alarm for some, but like with popularity in general doesn't necessarily mean "alway avoid". Just don't stick it with a last name like "Moonflower". xP If you get that reference you're made of win.) Now what about, say, Rage, Hatred, Discord, Chaos? As epic as some of these may sound as words, no one in the entire history of the universe would name their child something like this. Somewhere in the world there is a kid named Megatron, and THAT isn't as bad as something like "Chaos". 'x3; (No really.)
  
  FOREIGN NAMES:
  
• When considering foreign names, please try not to run all over the scales. It happens, RARELY, in real life, but just a little consideration can make for a much more appealing name overall. All parts of a name don't necessarily need to come from the same single language, but at least same general part of the world? Alternatively, just one part of the name might be a little odd as a compromise. (Mom's Irish, dad's Russian, mom said dad could pick first name if she got middle, etc.) A quick, short, but still-present mention of this in history is always nice if you decide to do it.
  
• No, your clearly Italian character is not named Toshihiro Ikazawa. Your character doesn't need to be a full-blown stereotype for whatever region his or her name is chosen from, but really; in fact, its a bit offensive sometimes if it is. But give SOME consideration for origin? I understand this is the Pokemon World, not real life, but... Just no. As the example kind of nodded toward, Japanese names are the highest on this list, simply because the mass popularity of anime/manga has made it an epidemic. If you want to use an Asian name, make an at least vaguely Asian-ish character.
  
• "Aerith and Bob": this is the name given to situations in which two characters from the same small region- or family- have ridiculously different names. To use the page quote from this trope, 'Do you see nothing wrong with having two characters from the same small isolated village being named "Tim Umber" and "Belthusalanthalus al'Grinsok"?' That's what I thought. xP Again, with this being the Pokemon World, region isn't so big an issue, so FAMILY is more our case. If your character's name is Kristen, she should not have a sister named Freyja and a brother named Ludwig. xP
  
  MADE-UP NAMES:
  
• Pronounceable. PLEASE. 'x3; Also, these are best when they are based on or in some way similar to something as opposed just a random mash of letters. The latter can be kind of cool too...when done well. Unfortunately, it's a lot easier to mess this up than to get it right.
  
  More easy-on-the-ears unique names tend to be: simply two other names stuck together (example, Johnny Depp's daughter is named Lily-Rose), with or without hyphens and/or multiple caps; a variation on an existing name (Kaytlinn, Mykail, etc; do try to go easy on the y's, though, as epic as they are x'3); based upon an interesting surname (Anakin, as in Skywalker, was based on the last name of a guy George Lucas knew); or mashing together an English word with a name piece to create something name-sounding (Florenda, Rainika).

**NICKNAMES!!**

Special quick extra section: nicknames. Should your character have them? If his name is Thomas and people call him Tom, of course, yeah. Shortenings of longer names are 100% cool, often even preferable. This refers more to nicknames such as "The Destroyer", "The Black Hand", "Red Wolf", etc. Also, just a different name they sometimes use.

If you're considering a pseudonym of any kind for your character, thoroughly ask yourself: WHY? How would they have come across this name? What people would call them by it and why? Why that specific name as opposed to anything else? In what setting would it be appropriate?

Examples of this used well:
--For a fake name, Jay's Yue Alias. ..So yeah. Anything tip you off it's a fake name? It is not directly stated why Yue does not use his real name, but his birth LAST name can be seen by looking at his profile info, and his history implies he is or was most likely running from.. something, be this a memory or something physical. He's used it since childhood, so in ways it is his name.

--Another fake name, Daci's Orion aka Lucas. He's the friggin' prince; as stated in his bio, if he walked around introducing himself as Nolan's son, survival odds sort of go down.

--For a nickname, not to sound conceited, but my own WIP char Ryan, aka "Suzaku". This is not a common nickname, but was his "gang name"- that gang being the Yakuza (same name as the real Japanese mafia) with its leader being Kamui (meaning "god" or "god hunter"). It only fits the gang's theme, then, to choose another Japanese deity-related name such as the leader has. Suzaku specifically was chosen as it is a phoenix, honestly just as a simple reference to Ryan's red hair.


^__^ For a vast resource of names, SG most recommends Behind the Name, which gives you not only names by meaning, origin, etc, but also can tell you more in-depth information about naming trends in various regions past and present if you're interested~

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Age:

How old is your character? Of COURSE there is no "right" or "wrong" age for a character, but it's not something to just pick at random, either. Keep in mind when deciding your characters age what this will MEAN. How much experience should they have? How would they react to different scenarios? What sort of world did they grow up in? Age is a HUGE factor in all of these.

On a more personal note, SG would like to encourage others to consider a broader range of ages in thinking of new characters. As it is, we have a few kids, and a lot of teens to young adults. Try considering more or even younger kids, or middle-aged adults, or even some old people! :3 Of course not everyone needs any or all of these, and not everyone would enjoy or even be good at playing certain ranges. Just something to think about is all. Because old people need love too! *SHOT* x3

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Gender/Orientation

Same thing goes for age. There is no right or wrong gender, of course, and while everyone should at least think about "what if I made a (opposite of usual gender for chars)?" at least once, it doesn't mean everyone should have some of both or would even be able to play both genders equally well. Some people just have a knack for one thing. Likewise, while going against your usual orientation for chars (often a player's own) could prove interesting, not everyone would enjoy it or play it well, blah blah.

These are still very big decisions, though. They set grounds for countless aspects of a character from physical form to interaction potential. Consider what other things you want from your character when choosing a gender. Unfair as it is, more often than not males will be bigger/stronger and females will be better nurturers, etc. Genetics just work that way, though naturally there are exceptions. Consider the details when choosing an orientation, and gender as well actually. Are they comfortable with their gender? How do they view others of the opposite sex as a whole? Of the same sex? Do they see either as "superior"? (Not just in terms of "preferred for a partner", but like "all men suck, women should rule the earth". ) WHY is their orientation what it is? What is it ABOUT others that attracts them? If they are not bi already, how likely would seeing these traits in their non-preferred gender be to make them experience an "It's Okay If It's You" feeling? Do they have any particular AVERSION to their non-preferred gender? (That is, are they just "not really into" (wo)men, or does the mere thought of being with one make them shudder? If the latter, why?) Not as simple as it sounded, eh? ;D

Remember, especially when trying to play an orientation you don't share, that orientation does not necessarily dictate general behavior. Plenty of straight guys are oddly flamboyant; plenty of gay guys are very calm and "manly", etc. Being bi doesn't mean you want to tap anything that moves (unless you're Riku, or Felis, or.. x3 Okay so point is it CAN, but that doesn't mean it DOES). And hell, even being uninterested doesn't exclude a person from experiencing a singular interest. I'm not saying "avoid these stereotypes", because they got to be stereotypes for a reason. Just don't automatically say "okay he's gay so he should be.." etc. :3

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Occupation/Affiliation:
For the love of Pokemon, PICK SOMETHING. There is an ONGOING WAR ravaging the country and two thirds of characters just don't care?!?

Even if your character is not an active rebel, not in a gang, not noble-born, and not particularly loyal, give them an opinion. They don't have to be INVOLVED in a particular side to still support one or more from the sidelines.

Keep in mind as well that characters aren't limited to one strict opinion. Gang members and nobles in particular are perfectly likely to overlap in another group, including each other. Really, up to three could overlap for any character, as the only two that COULDN'T are rebels and loyalists. (Although even then, it's improbable but vaguely possible char may hate and fight the nobility but support the royal family specifically? *shrug*)

As to occupation, yes, we all know that there won't be a character made on VC who is not a trainer. (Although I won't discourage it if you wanna prove me wrong! ^^) But what ELSE do they do? Try considering a range of occupations, as well as aspirations for the FUTURE. :3 Maybe they don't have much job now, but are they trying to get a specific one? Perhaps in the time between RP topics they're hard at work as a teacher, lumberjack, factory worker, cabinet maker, cashier, waitress, starving artist, fireman, mechanic, nude model (*SHOT* x3), circus performer, or whatever! ^^ You don't have to FOCUS on a character's career; the times you RP can be their days off, after hours, and so-on. But a career can add some extra depth to your character, as well as prove a great conversation topic when interacting with other characters, and more~

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Party:

Naturally, the point that requires the least attention. As a guideline, just don't go overboard on the really rare Pokemon (i.e.- don't start with a Dragonite, Larvitar, and Beldum ), and be prepared with explanation for how your char obtained the rarer ones he or she does have, if any are. If, like most, you choose to evolve a Pokemon, explaining its current form in history is nice.

A theme to your party is cool, but far from required or even "recommended". Just something to think about: does your trainer have an affinity for any specific sort of Pokemon, be that a (few) type(s) or general "mammals" or whatever?

As a random tip, it may prove profitable to use one of your starter slots for a Pokemon not normally found in the wild or which is extremely rare on VC; breeding is sexy. ;3 Don't take this overboard, though, and try to do it only when it would make sense for your character to have that Pokemon anyway. If (s)he is thoroughly obsessed with water-types and wants little else normally, keeping a random Flygon seems a bit silly. ;P

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Supplies:

For the usable ones, PokeBall x5, gotcha. Cool. Not why we're here. How do you choose what sorts of "other" supplies a character should carry?

Of course, as a rule, every character should have a "bag" of some type, be it a backpack or purse or whatever, even if he or she doesn't carry it everywhere. Having a few vague 'supplies' in this is also nifty for when you don't feel like listing ten billion basic things anyone should carry with them traveling, but be careful not to abuse that vagueness. It's handy to say "oh I have some Trail Mix in my bag" or "oh let me get my pocket knife". It's not a spectacular bag of wonders, though; go easy on it. 'x3;

Now, as to the more SPECIFIC things, let me rant a moment. WEAPONS. And anything that can be used as one. I'm not saying "don't use them". I'm asking you "WHY?" Using Jay again as I know she's cool with it, her Teme is a bounty hunter. Her weapons aide her in her job; her job keeps her eating the next day. Continued survival is a nice reason to carry weapons. Her work is also outside the law, so what does she care if she'd get in trouble for it?

Sentimental value and/or 'to look cool' is not a good reason to carry weapons. It DOESN'T make your character look "cool"; it makes them look dangerous and mentally unstable. If you care to argue this, go buy a sword and try carrying it around in public for a whole day. People WILL stare, WILL say something, and MIGHT get you arrested depending on just where you go. As to the prior, if it's that important to them as a sentimental object, it should be at home where it's safe instead of being waved around advertising "please steal me". ';

Whatever you carry, no matter what it is, your character should have a realistic reason to do so.

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^^ We're going to cut off here for starters with the basic tidbits covered. In the following post, we'll cover the big three and ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT. >D Fear the coming rants...

[Admiral Striker General]

Appearance:

REGARDING FACE CLAIMS:

A Face Claim is not enough Appearance all on its own. At bare minimum, at LEAST add a note stating the character's height. Preferably, also describe anything that your picture(s) don't show. For example, if the character's hair comes nearly to, to, or past the shoulders and we cannot see the back of his or her head, go ahead and specify how long it actually is. Any scars, marks, tattoos, deformities, etc which cannot be seen should be noted. If clothing is concealing, or even if it isn't, a better description of the character's build is nice. Finally, remember your character does not wear the same clothes every day (or at least not MOST characters), regardless what animation tends to do. (The few exceptions should also be treated realistically; it's gonna start to smell sooner or later.) Try giving at least a quick little blurb about character "tends to wear" with a description of types of clothes, notes about generalized color schemes or pattern types, etc.

REGARDING ORIGINAL APPEARANCES:

Muuuuch more to cover, here. As such, SG is going to break it into sections with descriptions on each.

• SIZE: Starting out, let's figure out the general size of the canvas you'll be working with; refer back to age and gender and recall what you're wanting out of roleplaying this character to figure out a height and build.
  
  Regarding height, keep your gender in mind when describing it. I want to slap friends when I see them describing their "tall" or "average" male char who is all of 5'8" and in his 20's. For the average grown man, this is more short. Yes, I know most of us are girls. Yes, I know a lot of us are pretty small. SG is 4'11" herself. Being tall compared to us does not make a character "tall" compared to the average population of the same age and gender. Watch those description words. Likewise, if you WANT your character to be "tall" or "short", base that on the average for his/her age and gender. For an adult male, average height is ~5'10"-6'00"; for an adult female, ~5'4"-5'6"; with certain ethnicities being a bit taller or shorter for each of course.
  
  Regarding build, do try to describe it in detail as opposed to just giving a weight. There's a massive difference between 200lbs of flab compared to muscle. ... On that note, why not consider flab? You know as of the last character statistics check I ran there was only one character who was at all overweight, and I own her? 'x3; Just a thought. As opposed to the choices of either lean or muscular, why not "average"? You know, with a tiny bit of pudge even most 'thinner' people have? Or even a "fluffy" char, on up to straight-up "heavy"? Guys have even more variety to consider in this, as they could have just the extra fat or that mixed with muscle for a more "stocky" or "solid" look, etc. Remember, thinness is not equal to attractiveness. Not that realistically every character should be wildly attractive anyway. But on that note as well, while we do have a few of these, just as SG encourages people to consider heavier builds, another possibility we don't see enough of is thinness that is not intended as sexy, but rather "scrawny" and flat-out underweight. ^^ Just a few possibilities.
  
  For help an appropriate weight, this chart is great. :3 (Though remember, as that weight chart is universal for late teens to adults, you may add a few pounds for guys, or add or subtract a good number for girls depending on proportions, as well as subtract a few for youngsters.) Hope these help.
  
  Whatever build you choose, be sure to give a detailed and accurate description of proportions. Consider everything. Does your character have broad or flimsy shoulders? A deep or shallow chest? Wide or narrow hips? Big or small feet? Hands? Are they long and lanky? Thick and well-built? Small and slender? Full-figured? For girls, how curvy are they? Are they top-heavy, bottom-heavy, hour-glass-shaped, square, round? _{(For guys, there are some other things to consider as well, to be completely fair. Most of these you'd never write in a bio, but for the fullest description possible for your character, something to keep in the back of your mind.. Just sayin'. I understand a few of you are wondering what I even mean and others are repeating the word 'ew' incessantly, but I'm just being as thorough as possible regarding realistic development. 'x3)}
  
  
  
• HAIR: Is it long or short? How practical is this for the character in what he or she will be doing? For characters with long hair, consider the upkeep and hassle involved: the longer the hair, the more this is an issue. If your character is not the sort who would be keen on spending ample time on upkeep, either reflect this in said hair often being a tangled mess or cut it. (For those wondering given SG is saying this while owning a guy with golden hair nearly to his ass, Alaric's deepest, darkest secret is the ungodly amount of time and money he pours into his beloved hair when no one is around. x'P You will likely at times see this reflected in-RP when he has a subtle but severe spaz attack about mussing it, etc. x3)
  
  What type? Straight, wavy, curly, kinky (not like that *SHOTHARD*)? Unlike length, this is a less controllable factor and as such "is it practical to have?" isn't so much an issue. However, combining it with length should factor into that upkeep issue. Remember the thing about being a tangled mess unless they were the sort who would pour proper time into it? Multiply that effect by ten if it's curly. (|D Trust me! *should really be trying to sort out her own growing mass of tangles instead of writing this guide; procrastinates instead*)
  
  What color? Of course, this is the Pokemon world, which greatly ups possibilities. Even so, there are a few shades that just go on the "no" list: acid neon green, anyone? Acid level colors in general should generally be excluded. In addition, hair should have one natural color. A few shades of this is realistic. Toning down to more 'browned' shades gradually is realistic. Natural blonde highlights on brown/black/red/whatever hair is not. Naturally having streaks, different-colored bangs, etc is not. x3 If you want weird combos, cool. Just note that it is in fact dyed.
  
  What style(s)? That is, how does your character wear his or her hair? If he or she likes to play around with it, name the most common style alone with examples of what else might be done with it. :3 There's not really a whole lot of do's and don't's with this in an anime-based setting. Just remember which anime you're dealing with, and try to avoid anything too crazy (x'3 still love you, DBZ) or unrealistic. (x3 No prehensile hair pl0x, rofl.)
  
  For men, think about facial hair. If their face is naturally bare, state this. (If this is the case, do have a reason why even if you don't write it out, too, please.) If they shave, think about the pattern and thickness with which their hair would grow. Give them some stubble occasionally in-RP. If they actually keep a beard, be sure to describe how they usually keep it. Or, of course, if they play around with it like chars might their hair-hair, and things they might do with it. Still consider the pattern with which the rest of it would grow if they stopped shaving and think about stubble. On the note of color, it is not uncommon for facial hair to be a bit lighter or darker or even a tiny bit off-color compared to main hair; go ahead and specify. (By off-color, the specific example to come to mind is guys with some Scottish or Irish heritage; it's not uncommon for them to have dark blonde to rich brown hair, but a bit of reddish tint to their beard. It's not blazing or crazy, but noticeable if you look. Don't go overboard emulating this.)
  
  For young men, like in their teens, it could prove fun to play around with developing their ability to grow facial hair over time. :3
  
  Finally, body hair exists. Just sayin'. x3 *flail* You don't really need to write out any details of it unless you just want to. (>;P Some girls find the right amount of hair on a guy's chest to be pretty sexy~ *SHOT* x3) But you should know the details, in your head. Thickness, pattern, color. If that thought grosses you out, I'm sorry. As with the factors in Build above, I'm just here to give thorough advice for designing an in-depth character, not to pretend nature is different than it is. ;3
  
  
• EYES: Like with hair color, Pokemon world = crazy but not endless possibilities. Eyes could be any color except acid shades fine. (Eyes could also get a lot CLOSER to acid shades than hair.) Eyes could have multiple colors (__ with flecks of __) or even be particolored (__ left and __ right). Do understand that the more wild you make eyes, however (that is, the odder the colors, the more colors, and/or being different colors), will strike many's Sue Alarm. Like any sue-type trait, this doesn't mean "avoid at all costs"; it just means "be careful". My Delilah's eyes are purple flecked with gold, because I decided to be a n00b like that, but she gets very low Sue test scores on all tests. :3 So yeah. Make a realistic/unique character to go with them and people quickly forget traits they disliked at first.
  
  There are, however, traits TOO Sue-ish. Your character's eyes DO NOT:
  --- Change color. (Hazel eyes may seem more this or that shade depending on what they're seen against; they still don't change.)
  --- Change color depending on mood. You will be slapped repeatedly.
  --- Glow. Not normally, not in the dark, not in special situations. (A very few characters may have some level of psychic powers. A very faint glow during their use is acceptable; nothing else.) Eyes so bright they "almost seem to glow" are fine as long as that almost is kept straight.
  --- Show their every emotion like a book. Eyes are expressive and a window to the soul, but not beyond misconception for even the subtlest changes every time.
  And so-on. Colors are cool. Special powers not so much.
  
  
  
• FACIAL FEATURES: You know the BAD thing about anime? Features are so vague. So even if you may want to draw you char in the style anyway, in the written desc why not be a little more thorough? ^^ Is the char's face thin, wide, round, sharp, tapered, full? Jaw: wide, rigid, square, thin, strong, sloped? Chin: long, shorty, round, pointed, square, cleft, strong, weak? Cheeks: full, medium, shallow, gaunt? Cheekbones: high, low, pronounced, subtle? Forehead: wide, small, tall, short? Eyebrows: thick, thin, wide, narrow, peaked, square, rounded, high, low? Eyes: thin, wide, large, small, expressive, hiding, deep, sunken, bright? Mouth/lips: wide, medium, narrow, full, thin, drawn, pursed? Is one lip fuller than the other? Saved for last because SG will argue it to be the most defining feature on most faces, NOSE. Is it tall or short, long or snubbed, convex or concave, upturned or downturned, wide or thin, sharp or flat, nostrils small or large? Is there any bump or hook in the bridge? You don't necessarily have to describe every SINGLE little bit, but being at least fairly thorough can help if, say, someone ever agrees to draw a char for you. ;3 As with everything, even when don't WRITE it, you should KNOW it; that way when your artist says "hey what should I do about" you can give them a quick answer. :3
  
  
  
• CLOTHES Same as FC.
  

  Your character does not wear the same clothes every day (or at least not MOST characters), regardless what animation tends to do. (The few exceptions should also be treated realistically; it's gonna start to smell sooner or later.) Try giving at least a quick little blurb about character "tends to wear" with a description of types of clothes, notes about generalized color schemes or pattern types, etc.

  
  Also, do try to avoid making your character a fashion plate. Having a 100% "goth", "emo", "cowboy", "preppie", or whatever wardrobe is bad enough. Triple it if all your char wears is the 'traditional' (outdated, non-current) attire of a specific culture, triple again if that's ancient or feudal Japanese attire. On VC specifically, given setting, "medieval" attire isn't AS bad as other places, but still pretty bad if that's the only thing worn. If you character LIKES a certain type of clothing, cool. But give a little variety. If you happen to have a noble who uses his or her mass funds on wearing nothing but the out-of-place style of his or her choice, make note that this is an odd/eccentric behavior, at least. That is, acknowledge that it's out of place instead of trying to pass it off.
  
  Finally, consider practicality of clothing. If your character is a female assassin, she probably shouldn't be wearing frilly dresses at work. If your character is a male lawyer... he probably shouldn't be wearing frilly dresses at work, either. x'3 *SHOTHARD* Oh c'mon that was BEGGING to be said. *shotagain* ANYWAY. Of course, if either wants to wear one in their spare time, that's their business. ;3 But consider the setting when and where their clothing will be worn and dress accordingly~
  
  
  
• MARKS/TATS/FLAWS/ANYTHING ELSE: So let's be honest. No one is interested in reading about the location of every mole or freckle or tiny barely noticeable scar that's not big enough to count for anything because it just came from a bad cat scratch, and so on. ... YOU might still consider establishing this for your own personal reference. ;P ANY mark on your character is worth thinking about.
  
  Does he or she have any scars, large or small? Note: not all scars are sexy. In fact, most aren't. In fact, in real life I'm not sure if I've seen any that are, unless you count the intentional kind. Keep that in mind. ;3 Also, what KINDS of scars are these, and where are they from? Are they your stereotype lines from thin cuts? Maybe thicker, more gnarled scars? Perhaps there is a large mass of discoloration from an irregular wound. Is the discoloration solid or mottled? Light or dark? How much is discoloration and how much deformity? What sort of deformity of any?
  
  Any tattoos? What about piercings? What? Where? Why? From when? Do they still like it now? For piercings, DID they have anything they don't wear anymore? These can tell a surprising amount about your character's past. For an NPC example, my Alaric's father- no-nonsense unpleasable stoic that he is- is covered with tats underneath his always-concealing clothing. Make you curious about his past? ;3 Say anything he never lets them be seen now? I thought so. For a real-life example, my mother had bracelets tattooed on her wrists to hide scars from her teen years. Do use a LITTLE judgement it deciding whether or not your character would have tats/piercings and what kinds. Granted, in REAL life the reason for them is more often than not "to look cool". But consider the cost of such a work as you want and whether your character could afford it. Consider the size, location, and message and whether those would be accepted by his or her lifestyle. If your character is a total baby about pain, he or she PROBABLY won't have much if anything in this nature. x3 He or she DEFINITELY won't have a full arm sleeved in full color or the like.
  
  Really, just think hard. ANYTHING that comes to mind regarding humans, consider! My husband made me realize one I'd managed to miss last night on accident; in making fun of me (playfully) for writing this insanely lengthy guide, he had mocked "fingernails!" Imagine his disbelief when I replied "OH EM GEE, you're RIGHT! 8O" x''3 Of course I didn't mean it in QUITE so bad a way as he thought, but really. For girls (or some guys.. ), think about how well/long they'd keep their nails! For ANY char, are they a biter? It's all the tiny, subtle things (in all aspects, not just appearance, of course) that form the line between "very developed character" and "could be a real person if (s)he only had a body". :3
  
  Just... In general, flaws. No one looks perfect. What's anything that could potentially detract from your character's appearance? You should not, of course, describe any feature as a "flaw". Don't decide your audience's opinion for them. Some people might not see anything wrong with it. Some might LIKE it. Just think about things that you personally and/or society's general view may see as "less than attractive". This could be being over- or underweight, being incredibly tall for a chick or short for a dude, having a physical handicap or deformity (up to missing body parts, etc), having misproportioned features of some kind (giant feet, huge ears, a big nose, beady or buggy eyes, huge lips with a small/weak chin, etc; not too many overly awkward proportions TOGETHER, of course, as that just starts getting caricature-ish x'P), or much less notable things (toes slightly webbed, etc). Just... anything! 83 Think about it!
  
  

[Admiral Striker General]

Personality:

...Where do I BEGIN? Oh my. Well. SG predicts she will rewrite and rearrange this a billion times, but let's try it, shall we? ';

WHAT'S THE POINT?[/u]

All righty. So perhaps the easiest way to start out developing a basic personality for your character is to simply ask yourself what you hope to achieve in this character's RP. If you intend for him or her to have a "to be a master" type goal, and you honestly want to achieve it, he or she should probably be dedicated, hard-working, and/or stubborn to some extent. If you want your character to be a relationship-based char, be that for a single specific romance you intend to pursue or with intention of hitting on anything that moves, his or her traits should be appropriate for that, and so-on.

Of course, if you want your character to have a goal but struggle at it, giving them fundamentally opposite traits is good. For example, maybe your char really does have the desire to be the best at something, but he or she is chronically lazy, or has a poor attention span, or dislikes the lower work involved in climbing to the point they wish to be at, etc. :3 Just in general, think of what your overall basic point of this character is. After all, you do have at least one primary purpose; if you didn't, why would you be making a character?


THE ROAD TO HERE

Personality and history are naturally fundamentally linked. The things which have happened to your character will invariably shape who he or she has become, as well as factor into who he or she will continue to become as you play. Which order you decide things in is completely up to you, of course. You may want to base history on an established personality, base personality on ideas you already have for or even an already-written history, or go back and forth between these methods over different points. How it's done isn't important, and varies from player to player, and often even character to character. The important part is you do DO it somehow.

How your characters react to various past events can vary dramatically. Let's take a pretty drastic event like.. cousin died. Not so touchy as parent/sibling for the example, but pretty major. Character A may never fully rise out of the depression it caused, with the event causing a permanent shift in personality to more dark and gloomy with the realization that death is so everywhere and imminent. Meanwhile, Character B may become increasingly aware and fearful of danger, and in order to try to avoid a similar fate of such early death become extremely cautious and mild. Character C could have completely the opposite reaction, and realizing that death could hit anyone at any time decide they want to make the most of what life they have, becoming wild and explosive as they try to live every moment to the fullest. And then, of course, there's Character D, who just smirks since he's the one who actually poisoned the cousin. *SHOTHARD* xD (No but seriously, try to keep the murderous types down. A few chars across the RP is cool and makes things interesting, but if everyone has one or more it's... ridiculous. 'x3; )

BUT ANYWAY. :3 So as you can see, examining even a single event can tell you a lot about a character. Different characters will react differently to different things- by which I also mean the same character will react differently to one situation than (s)he may another depending on circumstances- but looking at one major one can tell you a lot about the more specific ways they MIGHT react to others, hence helping you slowly weave a solid personality. :3


BASIC TRAITS

[Admiral Striker General]

Family:

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History:

Chekov's Gun

There are a lot of things to be said about history, but for several of our members I think the most important is the rule of Chekov's Gun. This rule states that if you make note of a gun on the wall at some point in a book, the gun had better be fired by the end of the book. More generically, it simply means don't include details that aren't going to have any significance after their first mention. Occasionally, a quick observation of the right kind could perhaps give a little insight into the sort of person a character is, and that is fine. However, you want to be careful about how descriptive you are, especially in a History.

I'm sure most of us have at some point seen a description of something in painful detail that just became long and drudging and caused us to lose interest before getting back to the main point, yes? This is even in full-blown writing, where readers do WANT good detail to help them imagine things- it's just too much of a good thing. In a History, however, you should ideally create simply a list of major events, which are then put in a narrative format with just a little light detail sprinkled on for flavor. People should be able to read through it relatively easily and know the most major things to shape your character's life without too much distracting them. :3

Once you've mastered this, you might experiment with using greater level of detail selectively in limited places in order to convey a certain level and type of emotion at a certain point in the timeline, though even this shouldn't be too heavy-handed. However, until then, and even after still first and foremost, always ask yourself: is this important?

It's great to know more than you tell about your character's past, and being able to offer these in conversation as random fun facts can be really amusing. But for the bio, keep it straight-forward. (For example: my Kali loves Disney and totally had a mega-princess bedroom as a kid. xP This is loltastic, but there'd really be no reason to mention that in her History.) :3 Also, remember that even if something won't come back into play, but not explaining it would leave plot holes and/or questions unanswered, it's still just as important. You want a full and complete history, just not an excessive and bulky one. ;P

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RP Sample