For the Newb

Just what in the heck IS roleplaying?

Roleplaying is when bạn are playing someone else's role. Sounds simple? It can be. You've just gotta know how to work it.

Do I pick an original character (OC) hoặc a character from a story?

This all depends on your personal preferences. I'm not even going to get into how much thêm work one is rather than another, because in all honesty I've been down both roads and either is as much work as bạn put into it.

So, what's it like to RP a character from a story?

I can't stress this enough. bạn need to do some research on the character you're playing. If bạn don't get them exactly right physically and mentally, people will notice. Pay attention to mannerisms, thought processes, what they're knowledgeable about. Make sure bạn can at least fake their knowledge base.

If bạn want thêm freedom, make an OC. If bạn mix your own ideas into a character, most people will not like that. They like the character as he/she is.

So, let's bọc this section up. Benefits: less need to be creative, people already know who bạn are. Annoying: Can't be thêm creative, people already know how you're supposed to act. Double edged sword there, I know.

I want to make an original character! Where do I start?

Well, here's the way I make characters.
1. Come up with an outstanding strength. (Makes them useful.)
2. Come up with a flaw that stands out. (Makes them believable.)
3. State what drives them. (Gives them direction.)
4. Say what situation they're in. (Gives bạn direction.)
5. Figure out how they got there. (Having a past helps them be fleshed out and believable.)
6. Flesh them out. (Add thêm strengths, flaws, and personality based on the trước đó steps.)

Again, bạn should do research. If your character is blind, research what sort of things could have caused it. If your character is a ninja, research on ninjas. REAL ninjas. If bạn want a good old fashioned unique character, try not to take ideas from shows. Go to the nguồn and figure out your own take on things.

Make sure your character fits with the story bạn want him/her to go into. When there's previously established boundaries, don't push them. Other players do not appreciate this. I've seen it a million times in the Avatar-verse. Silver fire, purple fire, shadow bending, plant bending, etc. No, this world only has WATER ngọn lửa, chữa cháy AIR AND EARTH.

But how can I be unique??

Don't despair just yet; bạn can be unique! In fact, bạn are thêm unique if bạn don't go through this "I need to be unique" phase in the first place. But anyhow, let me give a few pointers on how to be unique.

Try being unique in personality, family history, hoặc flaw. There's a lot of really wonderful characters, and every single one of them isn't perfect. The EASIEST way to be unique is to try a flaw out you'd never heard about and research it. To be unique in personality is much harder and I suggest bạn only try this if you're experienced in roleplay. Your character's family history can make your character REALLY interesting. For instance, if your character's dad was a pirate but your character isn't, that makes for a VERY interesting character with a unique view of the world.

Benefits: Creativity! People don't already have expectations of how your character is supposed to act. Annoying: bạn need to be able to take charge, do the research, and bạn have to make the character balanced.

For the Experienced Roleplayer

I'll offer a few pointers that bạn may hoặc may not have thought of.

1. Always research. OC hoặc not.

2. If bạn have trouble remembering character altering events (especially really small ones), make sure to log it. If you're too lazy to log it, bạn could always spend a little time thinking about it before bạn go to sleep. Yes, you're not the only one who does that.

3. Sometimes if bạn feel a little stumped about a character it's REALLY helpful to ask yourself the "what/who/where/why/when". If your character does something that's usually OOC, bạn may be able to still explain his/her actions using this method.

4. Have bạn Mất tích your mojo for roleplaying? I hear this a lot. Roleplaying isn't life. Just leave and come back when you're ready. hoặc bạn could try something new. Maybe bạn need to scrap your character and go for another. It happens. bạn don't even necessarily have to go to that extreme. Meet someone new. Add another aspect. Ask someone for a ngẫu nhiên problem and give your character something similar. When bạn lose your mojo, often times a problem is the solution. (HA! I made a funny. XD)

5. My yêu thích site to research is wikipedia.org. There also may be a wiki inspired site full of knowledge and trivia about được ưa chuộng shows and stories.)

6. Remember your surroundings.

Socially Restricted Characters

First of all, I only recommend these characters to very experienced RPers. They're VERY difficult to maintain and require thêm than reliance on dialogue to function within such a social game.

Your character won't necessarily wish to interact with the others, which makes character interaction a mess. bạn very may well find yourself getting left out. bạn as a player will have to rely on the thêm social characters to keep your character in the story, so make sure to set this situation up with the other players ahead of time.

Obviously then bạn can't use this as a crutch because bạn have trouble interacting with others. If bạn can't interact well with others, I recommend having a friendly character. They're much easier to maintain, just trust me.