Viewpoint What you cannot stand in characters?

[Murdergurl]

Yes they usually say mirror his backstory of getting bit by a spider and wanting to save the world.

well, that's just lazy

 

[Folly-Derrezzed]

For me it's a lot of stuff. I believe I posted here before, but I know for a fact it was watered down, PC bullshit for the sensitive masses of impressionable heads. So many things about characters and the conductors behind them make me physically and spiritually sick for those who have to work with them each and every day, often within the framework of their own projects.


1: The Plug & Play Paradox
Nothing worse than that character that just doesn't quite fit, feel or look right. The one who didn't really come in with clear, cohesive, relevant motives and goals. The one who has no real affiliations or connections to anyone or anything in the setting or plot. Sometimes no identity within the plot or setting. The ever elusive, awkwardly enigmatic, Plug & Play Paradox.

This is a character that was created as a singular entity. Just a concept occupying dead space. Why is this a flawed way of creating characters? Because characters do not define stories. Stories define characters. They are built from within the plot. The plot shapes this person based on what it needs from them, and what they end up needing from the plot. It's a relationship for god's sake. Like please, please realize this before your run with RP is done. Have a great character you love so much you could just explode into anime hearts that consume and suffocate the entire universe? Awesome, welcome to the club. Grow up and tell a good story with it, then make a new one.


2: I'll Sue You For Everything You're Worth
All three accepted major aspects of Sue/Stu

1: Impossible range of skills, knowledge, connections and resources (being too skilled in one area is not being a sue, it's being OP. Take yourself to school).

2: Lack of weaknesses or flaws.

3: Ability to learn, adapt, and master skills with unrealistic speed and efficiency.


3: Wax In, Wax Out
People who think their characters can fight well, but have a sub-newbian understanding of technique, anatomy and rudimentary physics.

Enough said, because I could go all day on this one.


4: The Drama Llama
"I value my creative space and adore spontaneity. I'm hair-trigger picky, moody, and I get severely jealous of other characters."

I can deal with almost anything else. These four things dominate the medium now.

Teach me how to fight plz

 

[CecilDMMasters]

A non functional character. I had someone try to put a girl into a story that wouldn't/couldn't talk and barely seemed to understand anything said to her. She would just try to cling to one character and keep pointing at him if anyone else interacted with her. Then get into stuff and be unable to understand when people told her to stop doing something.

 

[Murdergurl]

A non functional character. I had someone try to put a girl into a story that wouldn't/couldn't talk and barely seemed to understand anything said to her. She would just try to cling to one character and keep pointing at him if anyone else interacted with her. Then get into stuff and be unable to understand when people told her to stop doing something.

LOL! why bother RPing, honestly? Might as well play as a comatose character at that point.

 

[BurntCook]

My biggest frustration with characters is the ones that skip character development and are just naturally amazing at anything without fail. And the ones that are nearly dying in every fight scene. Combining those two into one character is beyond annoying to me since they contradict one another.

My biggest frustration with characters is the ones that skip character development and are just naturally amazing at anything without fail. And the ones that are nearly dying in every fight scene. Combining those two into one character is beyond annoying to me since they contradict one another.

Bruuuuuuh, I liiiiive for characters that are in the midst of developing a new life outlook/opinion on something or someone/or maturity. That's like the best part

 

[CecilDMMasters]

Bruuuuuuh, I liiiiive for characters that are in the midst of developing a new life outlook/opinion on something or someone/or maturity. That's like the best part

I love a good learning and learning about themselves arc. Too many people like to stick to the status quo is god mode. Especially the people with the difficult characters that literally can't work long term unless they develop.

 

[CecilDMMasters]

LOL! why bother RPing, honestly? Might as well play as a comatose character at that point.

I don't know. I really don't. When I tried to talk to them that it wan't working they tried to tell me "I was just not getting it." and "missing clues." I have no idea what I was missing. No matter how many times I reread the posts their was nothing but a blond haired, blue eyed young woman who couldn't talk and was being obsessed with one guy and annoying. As she was obsessed with one of MY characters their was no connection without talking to me. I even had someone ask him if he knew her and had him flatly explain "NO, I never saw her." When I finally told them this was suppose to be a story building RP and this was not making a story we need communication they got upset and ghosted.

 

[Murdergurl]

I don't know. I really don't. When I tried to talk to them that it wan't working they tried to tell me "I was just not getting it." and "missing clues." I have no idea what I was missing. No matter how many times I reread the posts their was nothing but a blond haired, blue eyed young woman who couldn't talk and was being obsessed with one guy and annoying. As she was obsessed with one of MY characters their was no connection without talking to me. I even had someone ask him if he knew her and had him flatly explain "NO, I never saw her." When I finally told them this was suppose to be a story building RP and this was not making a story we need communication they got upset and ghosted.

I think they wanted you to figure out some mystery about the character. but I mean, if that wasn't what you signed up for and was not the point of the RP dynamic... I can see how that would be frustrating. This, especially if they weren't being helpful OOC.

 

[CecilDMMasters]

I think they wanted you to figure out some mystery about the character. but I mean, if that wasn't what you signed up for and was not the point of the RP dynamic... I can see how that would be frustrating. This, especially if they weren't being helpful OOC.

Them wanting me to figure out a mystery was all that makes sense. But they literally dropped no clues. Nothing she messed with actually led to anything or had consistency. She didn't act in anyway that showed she understood words. Even when the person she was interested in spoke she would just 'cock her head and look at him confused.' Looking at her cloths or for ID, nothing. When I tried to have her taken to be examined by a medic nothing. She was scared of a cat. That was the only actual reaction. Once the cat left the room back to bland girl.

 

[Murdergurl]

Them wanting me to figure out a mystery was all that makes sense. But they literally dropped no clues. Nothing she messed with actually led to anything or had consistency. She didn't act in anyway that showed she understood words. Even when the person she was interested in spoke she would just 'cock her head and look at him confused.' Looking at her cloths or for ID, nothing. When I tried to have her taken to be examined by a medic nothing. She was scared of a cat. That was the only actual reaction. Once the cat left the room back to bland girl.

Shoulda slapped her across the face ICly. lol

 

[CecilDMMasters]

Shoulda slapped her across the face ICly. lol

Can't slap through a computer screen or may have done it to the other player LOL

As for my characters being in character. It was not in character for the guy she was pointing at to take care of what looked like a mentally disabled person. Not when another character tended to people in distress or were injured. So when him trying really hard to communicate to her didn't work he left to go back to work. She was looking around at the exits and windows and ignoring all attempts to try to communicate with pictures and writing and video and such when I got annoyed and it all ended. She didn't even react to a cat picture after being scared of one BTW.

 

[Murdergurl]

Can't slap through a computer screen or may have done it to the other player LOL

As for my characters being in character. It was not in character for the guy she was pointing at to take care of what looked like a mentally disabled person. Not when another character tended to people in distress or were injured. So when him trying really hard to communicate to her didn't work he left to go back to work. She was looking around at the exits and windows and ignoring all attempts to try to communicate with pictures and writing and video and such when I got annoyed and it all ended. She didn't even react to a cat picture after being scared of one BTW.

was this 1x1? Cause if it was group, you coulda just excused yourself through narrative and continued elsewhere. That's what I would do, and is also why I avoid 1x1 RP now. Too much rides on just the other participant to keep the story moving along.

 

[CecilDMMasters]

was this 1x1? Cause if it was group, you coulda just excused yourself through narrative and continued elsewhere. That's what I would do, and is also why I avoid 1x1 RP now. Too much rides on just the other participant to keep the story moving along.

I only do 1x1 online. To many schedule and interest issues for most online groups. And the couple times tried groups that fit what I needed it turned into a fustercluck of GM stupidity. I. Fact the first one would have been perfect but when I tried the ignoring someone trick it turned I to uncomfortable spam until I logged off. And GM could do nothing as the group troll was a relative that lived with him.

1x1 can be fun. Once you find a partner that actually looks at interest and rules and communicates.

 

[M.J. Saulnier]

A character who is obviously created with one single plot in mind. Not to say that a character can't have a single dominating goal, but sometimes it's just obvious that a character has been made to follow a very concrete story line without any deviations, which just makes me question... why not write an independent work for them then? I don't like characters that can't exist as themselves without sticking to a "script". No adaptability means no potential for anything fun.

The whole point of any story is to have a purpose; To go somewhere. Character interaction and random, "fun" stuff is great, there is almost always unpredictable moments, developments, dynamics, and character chemistry in RPs. Lots of filler that can bloom into something real, for real reasons. But the entire point of a character, is their arc. It's that specific growth in said character that compliments the plot because it's driven by it. It's shaped by the story and the characters around them, who are ideally on good, relevant arcs of their own that compliment, enrich and challenge one another. And you can do all of this whilst "following a script". This is what story telling is. Character development and interaction isn't enough for me anymore, maybe my rookie years, yeah. I was guilty of just liking the moment, never really able to finish an RP as a GM because I wasn't a story teller yet. I was a fan and student of the art form since childhood, but I did't have the tools to map out and execute a whole story whilst wrangling 6-8 randos in the right direction. Now it's about what we are doing with those characters together in this plot. Flopping around a sandbox is not fun at all.


Writing is supposed to be fun. The challenge and precision of telling a masterful, rewarding story together, is supposed to be fun. Which just makes me question... why not make the jump to chat-based? It has all the spontaneity, lack of structure or long-term plot work, and snappy interaction you could ever want or need.

Sounds like just your stomping ground.

Teach me how to fight plz

You wouldn't be my first student, probably won't be the last. I can probably give you the equivalent of a generalized crash course that will improve your game significantly, depending on how much raw commonsense you already possess. Because it's literally 50% commonsense, 30% awareness, 20% skill.

 

[Minteafresh]

Characters whose personalities consist of ' shy, sweet, adorable, kind, nice, hates people who are mean' because on a other site, one person would always make that their oc's personality. If you tried talking to them theyd say they understood, but wouldn't change it.

Also, characters who are mixed in with canon characters like ' yeah my oc is tony starks daughter but their a villian and peter parker and deapool are their best friends and thor has a crush on them and loki too ' if you catch my drift.

 

[Folly-Derrezzed]

Characters whose personalities consist of ' shy, sweet, adorable, kind, nice, hates people who are mean' because on a other site, one person would always make that their oc's personality. If you tried talking to them theyd say they understood, but wouldn't change it.

Also, characters who are mixed in with canon characters like ' yeah my oc is tony starks daughter but their a villian and peter parker and deapool are their best friends and thor has a crush on them and loki too ' if you catch my drift.

Basically oc characters under a cannon is cringe,

 

[Simon_Hawk]

I can't stand cowardly characters who's constant cowardice keeps them from doing anything. They never grow or over come their fears, they're just scared of every situation all the time...uhg, no thanks.

 

[Folly-Derrezzed]

I can't stand cowardly characters who's constant cowardice keeps them from doing anything. They never grow or over come their fears, they're just scared of every situation all the time...uhg, no thanks.

Ive never encountered a character like this before. Any particular stories?

 

[Simon_Hawk]

Ive never encountered a character like this before. Any particular stories?

One character that comes to mind is when they introduced Usopp in the anime series One Piece. Man, I just totally disliked that dude, such a chicken shit and it took him forever to do anything, plus he was a weakling on top of it lol. I dunno I just don't like those types of characters when I'm trying to be entertained lol. Another one was when Colonal Upham froze up in saving Private Ryan,. Dammit I hated that. Lol

Edit: oh yeah, and the classic coward of all times, the cowardly lion in wizard of oz...so annoying!

 

[Folly-Derrezzed]

The cowardly lion was a saint!

 

[CecilDMMasters]

I can't stand cowardly characters who's constant cowardice keeps them from doing anything. They never grow or over come their fears, they're just scared of every situation all the time...uhg, no thanks.

In RP someone making a main character act like this is definitely on the list of a guaranteed short lived game. Nothing worse than a story on hold because someone needs a character rescued and comforted every two minutes.

Ive never encountered a character like this before. Any particular stories?

In RPs planned to have threats and fights I've had people throw in characters that are useless and it's nothing but rescuing them and then having to calm them down. Usually because they are a over the top overly sugary sweet damsel in distress. Examples are someone who basically decided to convert a rich charitable rose colored glasses character they used in a high school RP to a wasteland alien world RP, Only they didn't actually change any of their traits or story to someone who grew up in a dangerous world. So while most NPCs in her town knew how to hunt, look out for threats and had some kind of defense training she was always horrifically shocked at ALL danger and horribly shaken FOREVER after every incident.

Another is the severe PTSD character. They have freeze up in fear incidents all the time. A fight is happening they are cowering in a corner unable to function.

And the biggest problem with such characters is this IS their character as a whole. The people seem to almost be obsessed with it and have no concept or plan to move the character along in development.

 

[Crenando]

Edit: oh yeah, and the classic coward of all times, the cowardly lion in wizard of oz...so annoying!

The ending is literally him overcoming his cowardice. The change sticks in the books, it looks like, even if he still considers himself a coward.

 

[Crayons]

I can't stand cowardly characters who's constant cowardice keeps them from doing anything. They never grow or over come their fears, they're just scared of every situation all the time...uhg, no thanks.

There was a character like this in one of my RPs. I literally hated the guy. I don't use the word "hate" lightly but if that character was real they would have got a few good slaps lemme tell you. Even worse was that he was played by my co-GM (not as their main OC thankfully) and even worse was that he tried to insert himself into every scene, to interact with every character, and give them his awful pity story and act all scared and shy constantly, and completely oversaturated the roleplay with his presence (despite me telling the co-GM multiple times that they couldn't have him in multiple scenes that took place concurrently because it made no sense). And he never changed, if anything he just got worse. The rp kind of came to a final halt when co-GM and friend engineered this scene where it was found out that shock, gasp, he was a woman! And literally no one gave a shit. Woman or no he was intensely annoying and I'm even getting mad thinking about him. Bastard.

The worst thing about these characters is when you think they might be changed by actions and developments in the story so you try really hard to give them something meaty to develop their character and they just end up the same ragdoll of pity that they were at the start and you wasted your time.

 

[Simon_Hawk]

The ending is literally him overcoming his cowardice. The change sticks in the books, it looks like, even if he still considers himself a coward.

Yeah you got me there, it's just for me he was so tiring to watch I didn't care that he got his courage or whatever

 

[Simon_Hawk]

There was a character like this in one of my RPs. I literally hated the guy. I don't use the word "hate" lightly but if that character was real they would have got a few good slaps lemme tell you. Even worse was that he was played by my co-GM (not as their main OC thankfully) and even worse was that he tried to insert himself into every scene, to interact with every character, and give them his awful pity story and act all scared and shy constantly, and completely oversaturated the roleplay with his presence (despite me telling the co-GM multiple times that they couldn't have him in multiple scenes that took place concurrently because it made no sense). And he never changed, if anything he just got worse. The rp kind of came to a final halt when co-GM and friend engineered this scene where it was found out that shock, gasp, he was a woman! And literally no one gave a shit. Woman or no he was intensely annoying and I'm even getting mad thinking about him. Bastard.

The worst thing about these characters is when you think they might be changed by actions and developments in the story so you try really hard to give them something meaty to develop their character and they just end up the same ragdoll of pity that they were at the start and you wasted your time.

Exactly what I mean, you've shared a way better example than what I posted. These cowardly characters just end up draining the life out everything around them .