Archivist note: This article is from an older recovered archive and might be obsolete or in need of updating.
Most recent revision is shown below, by Galactic Baroque.
”’Your character concept and idea?”’
Posted by Alastor_Hellstromme_Jigsaw on November 26, 2008
i was talking to a ST friend and i got interested on know whats the concept of your character and whats his objective (to see how the peoples characters sees and what they seek)
==replies==
”’Reply by Ceejay Writer on November 26, 2008 at 8:27am”’
Try poking the hot-links to our names here in the Ning, to get to our individual info pages. Many of us have written our character’s background details on those pages! It makes for some fascinating reading, indeed!
”’Reply by Skusting Dagger on November 26, 2008 at 8:31am”’
Roger that. Seek and ye shall find.
Oh… and that journal I spoke of. If you are intent in helping to apprehend Moriarty, you should read it all and familiarize yourself with the case. I recommend starting at the beginning.
”’Reply by Alastor_Hellstromme_Jigsaw on November 26, 2008 at 8:49am”’
i did it allready
”’Reply by Rip Wirefly on November 26, 2008 at 10:09am”’
What you have to realize is that anything you read on a back story though, you only know OOC not IC. A character has to reveal this info to you while IC for you to actually be able to know/use it IC.
”’Reply by Agnes Periapse on November 26, 2008 at 10:21am”’
((I wrote my Ning profile background in the first person, so that this would be IC knowledge. I figure that saves a slight amount of time. ^^;))
”’Reply by Artemisia Paine on November 26, 2008 at 10:32am”’
Indeed. Reading character profiles and blogs may allow you to decide which characters to interact with, but you still have to let any IC interaction unfold as if it were RL.
Play meeting someone for the first time, even if you “know” the person through the ning or their blog. It’s slow, and can sometimes take days or weeks before really good RP happens. But when it does happen, it’s that much more meaningful because of the time spent getting there.
This sort of RP is far more like improvisational theater than anything. It can be frustrating when you’re really into your character and looking for some interaction and there’s nobody around, or when the RP just doesn’t happen, in spite of people being around (sometimes people just want to build, or chat OOC with friends). The key is to take it slow. This isn’t like console gaming, or something like World of Warcraft where there’s always action and something to do and whatever character you’re playing is the hero, in spite of all those other people around you.
”’Reply by Jedburgh Dagger on November 26, 2008 at 12:17pm”’
Bravo on that…
The issue is that instead of an AI that reacts in a set way, all of the people in town are real humans who may have other plans, agendas or intents that may not be your own. The key is, as many have said, to get to know the people and react accordingly.
”’Reply by The Professor on November 26, 2008 at 12:29pm”’
Yes, indeed. What Miss Paine said. Speaking ooc, with the Professor, yes, this elaborate journal exists online, which details her origins and her part in the Eliot Affair. But, you may only know this ooc, not ic. In story, the journal, and other pertinent documents, was taken away from New Babbage by Bellatrix Bracken following the defeat of Moriarty, and they were hidden lest they fall into the hands of Bow Street or the VanGreed Society or the Freemasons or anyone else (rumour is, they went to a confidant in Steelhead).
So, read the journal. But if you should happen to meet the Professor on the streets (unlikely these days), you do not know any of this stuff. Only three or four people would (Beq Janus, Artemisia Paine, Jimmy Branagh, et al.).
”’Reply by Kembri Tomsen on November 26, 2008 at 2:30pm”’
I wanted to post a backstory, but instead just wrote it for myself and tucked it away in a private doc file. Why? Well, there’s a reason for the shop name, and as people in New Babbage get to know Mrs. Tomsen (her husband isn’t in her profile and isn’t really mentioned by her for various reasons), they will come to learn more about her. How much they discover about her will be in direct relation with how much she trusts them and interacts with them.
It can be too easy to slip with OOC information, and that can lead to metagaming. Yes, that is a term, yes it does happen! For those who don’t know, that means using OOC knowledge for a character’s IC reactions or goals.
I’d rather meet each of you in time and develop relationships if at all possible based on mutual like or dislikes. By the way, all IMs in game I consider OOC and not RP or IC. I do state that in my profile up front as well. You wish to know me better? Meet me face to face and speak to me!
Kembri,
The Curious Seamstress
”’Reply by Agnes Periapse on November 26, 2008 at 3:22pm”’
((As for the risk of metagaming, my character is reasonably forthright about certain things, if asked politely *pause to glare at Mr Merricks*. I figure whatever I put in my profile here or in-world can safely be assumed known, as gossip told to a third-party off-screen, perhaps. I filter my posted backgroound with this in mind, because I know from experience that somebody is going to assume they know something that I haven’t told them in person. *shrugs*))
”’Reply by Relic on November 26, 2008 at 5:46pm”’
((I didnt write a backstory, guess why!))
”’Reply by Bookworm Hienrichs on November 26, 2008 at 6:27pm”’
((And then, of course, there are those of us who have no character. *wry grin*
I’m beginning to think there’s something in my neural makeup that doesn’t let me be anyone other than who I am. I can try to react appropriately in certain situations (i.e. My initial wariness and some fearfulness of Dr. Obolensky, in contrast to most people’s more belligerant reactions–and now that he’s evil again, I should probably go back to that. Erm…I hope you won’t hold my captions on the pictures from the Regatta against me, Doctor. *gulp*), but I’m still being me.
I’ve been racking my brain for some time now, trying to figure out a way that I can, as me, fit in more. Unfortunately, I can’t seem to think of anything, except my half-baked Salvation Army idea. So, expect to see me sticking mostly to the sidelines still.))
”’Reply by Ceejay Writer on November 26, 2008 at 6:32pm”’
((I have known you for lo these many decades, and I feel that the Original RL Bookworm translates well into an SL character! So there! Some people are better suited to slipping on their avatars as an overcoat and walking in-world wearing them. We all have our comfort zones. The Salvation Army idea is nifty, but really… if something fits you, don’t force something that doesn’t!))
”’Reply by Edward Pearse, Duke of Argylle on November 26, 2008 at 9:53pm”’
I wouldn’t worry about it too much. One thing to remember is that New Babbage is not a roleplaying sim. It’s themed, certainly, but any RP is completely voluntary.
There are recent people to Babbage who have arrived as fully fledged “characters”. Others enjoy their SL as extensions of themselves.
Edward is for the most part, a Scottish accented and more “proper” version of myself. I have attempted to give him some characteristics which aren’t mine. An early one was a dislike of mechanical people. Apart from being difficult for me to play personally, after meeting people such as Cornelia Rothschild, Iason Hassanov and Nux Chaplin, that idea went out the window.
He been given a background but it’s not one that would make a novel as some have done.
Be whatever is comfortable for you and let the rest flow from there.
”’Reply by Grendel Footman on December 1, 2008 at 8:02pm”’
my backstory……to quote the band Dethklok, “sewn back together wrong”
”’Reply by DreddPirateBob on December 5, 2008 at 2:53am”’
i have found myself moved by that simple phrase and your mention of you condition sir.
((and you play it well))
”’Reply by Poopdeck Halfpint on December 2, 2008 at 8:39am”’
Our backskories is in our profkiles.
I yam wot I yam.
