About characters and plotlines, has a character ever suffered or gained anything when a situation develops, not from a purposeful plot, nor a long-running idea, but off the mark? Randomly? Like, for instance, being bitten by a vampire, there's no real cure for it and the vampirism changes a character, style of play and exactly how you act out the character's own actions, wants, desires and difficulties due to said conditions imposed upon them.

Have you ever had a character that had been in a situation or circumstance where the character's abilities or skills didn't quite make said problem favourable to them? Or in a stalemate in a battle between another character? Where both combatants are beaten enough to be unreckonisible but none would give? Would one resort or try to inflict auto hits to speed the fight up?

Has there been any long-term weaknesses or streangths on any character that to do with un-forseen circumstances, and kept? For good or bad?

Has any character you ever played as fallen ill to a trap and suffered due to their own, off-the-books weakness or misjudgement not designed for any plotline?

Again with vampirism, has any character been bitten by one or was and bit somebody elses due to what the characters did and wanted, and not what you wanted?

I'm talking about how difficult or easy it might be to stay within the character's personality, despite any situation that might or might not push you to go out on a limb to help them? Such as finding that one needed item just suddenly, to quickly advance a story, instead of going without?

I'm talking about improvisation and playing by what the character wants and not the player. Have at it and discuss what you think!

I personally attempt to be as random and sparratic as possible, but i have one major problem...I'm a control freak. I love the idea of events happening that do not go as planned, and like the idea of being able to freely do whatever is desired as a character. Such I find difficult however.

So what do i do? Well, putting it simply, i set goals out for myself...goal points that make logical sense in a story. I wouldn't have to do this, but the problem is I'm thinking about the character even when i'm not currently rping, and thinking about what could happen and what could not. So, when I think of something that takes my breathe away...I end up steering my character in that direction.

I hope i don't ruin rp's for anyone in this way (and if you find this habit annoying, just tell me and I will not plan with you, letting your character's be a completely loose trigger.) but I can't help myself. I have thus far not been able to play an rp without a common goal, a factor to steer towards at some point.

however, this does not mean i am stupid enough to have complete control. My control remains only over my character, and I tell people what I plan, seeing if they like it or not. they are the ones with the option to do it or not do it...and I'm fine with either. I just think tension, drama and such are far easier to create, if you walk into it with some form of plan rather then blindly hoping something will happen, sort to speak. oh..and I only set the goals...how i get there is random and sparratic...so i guess I have at least that much freedom. I'm just caught in a sea of trouble lol.

I find myself doodling and thinking about the characters in class and when I'm away as well. It's kinda crazy.

I like that you plan some what. You don't control really, it's more like writing a little plot together and I think it makes the story more cohesive. I understand how others might like the randomness of just letting it happen and the surprise...

But it's just cool to discuss characters with one another and work towards a common climax in the story. I'm with you on this one.

I think that when people make RP's they should verify whether or not they want it to me a structured plot based RP or not. If they do then that would mean there's planning behind it, otherwise the plot develops on it's own.

My character's all come from a part of myself, and are loosely based around the way I'd react in the situation. I try to branch out and be a horrid villain, etc once and a while but it usually comes back to revolve around my values, etc.

I hate people who only give their character's positive characteristics. I prefer to show the weakness and vulnerability inherent in human nature. We can't always be strong and valiant and to do so is just so unrealistic.

As far as a character changing i think a change for a character can be a great thing. It shows character development and it's great to show how people are changed by their circumstances.

Hmm what else... that's all for now.

Definatly true on those accounts.

Meh getting quite annoyed with the usual, ahem, 'OMFG YOU RUINED MY PLOT YOU NOOB' arguements i see in other places. Plots, to me, are...more of a guidline than a permenant, liner thing. Ok, true, plots make a good story...but a plot can ruin a good story when people are bogged down argueing that , for an example; the party's hobbit should be doing this that and the other to reach this goal to intiate this event blah blah blah...why i'm talking about a hobbit i'll never know.

Swiftly moving on, i say, do as much as you can, writing from the character's own interests or goals, to show how well the character, not the roleplayer, would react to different situations.

To be honest, the pair of you pretty much took the words from my mouth, not literally, but still...mwer.

Nobody is utterly flawless, if they are, then it's flawed playing in my opinion.

Everyone has a weakness, no matter how long they have lived, what powers, what skills...yadda yadda...you get the point.

I don't just mean physical weaknesses either, for instance, the super-man of one rp could be pretty paranoid and thinks everyone is out to get him/her/it. A random example from meh's mind, it keeps balance...

And by the gods does it annoys me when somebody SUDDENLY pulls out the one item to somebody's weakness without any realistic time, knowlege or whatever before hand.

Just because on said 'I'm in the mountain caves well and truely away from you' in one's post does not actually mean some other character can suddenly figure out where said hiding character is.

Ok, that's my rant.

yeah...i hate it when a character says it's hiding, and out of nowhere another character finds it. That's not fair. If your characters hding, it's hiding...it's going to appear when IT wants to...not when you want it to.


I agree with you dragon. Somebody gets poisoned "oh...looky here..." reaches in pockets and magically pulls out antidote. oh if life worked that way lol.

What are some other things you hate?

Yeah, other things...oh not many.

One thing i feel like constructively or manically ranting about, depends on your definition of a 'rant', bad ass characters...

Good god, we already have plenty of them in several rp's, not specifically meaning this forum.

Yeah, it's pretty cool to be able to take out a goon, toss of a one-liner, turn around again, waste another good...toss of a one-liner...rinse and repeat....but it really gets annoying after a while, when a page becomes a battle of the most clich' sayings rather than soembody actually getting hit.

I don't mean as in, nicked to the stomach, slash at the shoulder, i mean as in somebody actually going down in a way not pre-defined or what the character hoped for.

Please, somebody here tell me that a unexpected...well, something happened in a rp that was actually unexpected and not due to a plot when combat occurs, like the tough-looking guy getting taken down in a way said tough guy's character did not expect. :P

In all seriousness, there are just somethings no more annoying than invincible characters or those that literally exist to seek a battle in a rp, thus stunting it's otherwise potential growth, like, for an example; A Lycan that seeks out a vampire character, fights he/she despite said vampire having nothing to do with a most-certain horrific loss of family blah blah.

...Meh, has to stop ranting now, discuss your views here gentlemen and women!