so... umm... I think I am a bad roleplayer becouse I keep getting ideas of characters, but I get bored at some point to them. I have no idea how many characters I have in archive (never going to get them back), and my first characters haven't even heard of the word "epic"

for example I had an idea of a redskinned pirate fighter/weaponmaster who sings and tries to get a crew of his own. at some point the idea just died. Although he has returned under other name and style (being only ex-pirate), I am afraid he is going to get archived too.

what could I do to keep my interests up? What should I do? I want to get epic at some point...

:'(

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My favourite sniper loadout: Huntsman, jarate, bushwacka.
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Try picking one character and just playing it, even though you start getting bored with it. Allow the character to be influenced by others, and join a faction. See what comes of it.

There's no magic tricks to keeping up interest, sadly.

No offense or jibes meant in any part of this post.

If your main concern is hitting epic lvls, then find a Build you like, instead of a character concept/personality. It seems common enough in this server. Plan what you want to do with your character in end game (PvP, PvM, etc) then check the Character Building thread to see what more experienced people use for that purpose, and go for it. No real need for a personality, my characters ( I have only 2, neither past lvl 12) have found many "silent type" adventurers (joins party, greets IC, and all the rest of the conversations are in Party Channel, something like "ur loot now"). Just insert a few quirks to a personna you already have and you are set.

May be hard to get those Dream Coins, but I really dont know the requisites for getting one.

The more I look into lore to enhance a character's story before playing him, the more interest I tend to retain... so if you really get into pirate lore in FR and then some IRL, you might have a lot more fun with it (at least I would).

Can't really give tips as I don't know what works for you. I have the same thing with many characters. It doesn't have to be a problem, though, if you don't experience it as one. There's nothing saying you have to stick with a PC. There's nothing wrong with rolling one up when you have an inspiration, and trashing it once it's served its purpose and you get bored. DMs do that all the time with NPCs, and we're not called bad role-players for it!

I'd just suggest not stressing about it. It's OK to keep making new characters. I have played several memorabe (to me) PCs that didn't stick around for more than a few weeks. Some of the greatest RP you'll have at low levels, I've noticed, and you don't really need a years-long history to be able to portray an interesting character concept and experiment with it. I've played druids, paladins, shamans, arcane archers, drow assassins and priests of Selvetarm, among others, and I still think of them fondly even if they never got far. I really only have one active PC I've played from the beginning, and he was "on the shelf" for a year in-between. Then there's several PCs who had a shorter acitivity run of a year or so, and I keep them around for the occasional nostalgy (or desire to blast things to bits as an epic mage!), but I would get bored playing any of them exclusively.

I don't think there's any trick to it. You'll have to try out several concepts to find those that appeal to you. You will be bored, eventually, but you'll just have to persevere and see if it gets interesting again. Some characters keep their value, others will be retired after a while. I don't think it's possible (or very common) to be motivated to play the same single character all the time, though. That sort of loses the point of RP, too: if you've played a character for so long that it's become natural for you, you're hardly experimenting with a new role anymore.

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First of all. You are not a bad Rper just because you ahve many different ideas of what characters you could make, or if you get bored of them.

In my time in a text only game, which I would call more RP intensive than Amia (No offense) had I at least three dozen or more ideas for funny/interesting/strange characters. Wich I also did. Eventually I got tired though, took a break, perhaps played them later or just redid them to turn them into a new idea I had.

You also don't need to make a new char for everything if you have someone fit for it.

Like Niya, you probably know her, (right, right!?).
So I had the idea to make a bard, but was to lazy to make one and het her all high level.
So i just made Niya rhyme. They weren't good, not at all. But sometimes she pulls of good stuff and it amuses me and others. Sometimes am only I amused and no one else.
Doesn't matters.
Once I got tired of the idea I just dropped it with her and acted 'normal' again with her.
I still occasionally do it when the mood strikes me, and I don't need to dig out any old char just to have some fun with it.

In other words, be versatile, don't just focus on one thing with your char. All serious chars can be fun, chars which will never stray from their path, but they should be adventurous too, not just in the monster slaying sense, but in what they do too.
Heck, for all I know did some people really think that Niya was primarily a bard!

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"Most assume that all the followers of Lathander are great morning people. They're very wrong."
"I think we are the only group where AD&D stands for Attention Deficit Disorder."

I often found myself constantly making new characters, making one to end up bored and turning to make another, at the time I never planned them very well, eventually though, I began to plan the characters out more, put more thought into it and stuff like that, now I find myself getting bored of my characters alot less.

Also, one time I used to attach my characters to other characters, then when the other person wasn't on, my characters began to feel pointless, especially if the person left, so I stopped myself from doing that too, which helped with sticking to playing.

Plus, it doesn't mean you are a bad RP'er if you constantly get new ideas but hardly ever go through with them, just means you get bored easy and need something new to do constantly.

Not sure if you're having similar or the same thing, but hope this helps.

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Ael'thil Rilyn'tlithar
Previously known as: Anubis

The key to keeping a character concept interesting is to give the character goals to work to as well. Something they want to achieve, perhaps a future self of them you have in mind.

It challenges yourself to achieve these things and will also probably involve other player's to achieve these things: which means rp, rp and more rp!

Lore!

The more you know, the more you will want to know. Just look up random things and see what seems the most interesting to you.

That's a good tip, actually, I got interested in Lore on Demons and Devils and play them almost more than any other race.

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Ael'thil Rilyn'tlithar
Previously known as: Anubis

Don't make your PC dependent on another player for their own story, it'll lead you down a bad path if they quit. I've had this happen too, a couple times.

Give your character a simple goal, a drive, what do they want.

Give it the basic attributes:

Hair/Eyes/Skin color/Race.. and then a basic nature and demeanor, which is something I nicked directly from Whitewolf, I think its infinitely better than the Law->Chaos Good->Evil scale in D&D imo.

Nature: Greedy Demeanor: Calm, Charismatic.

Nature is what they are really, their motivating force, Demeanor is what they show outwardly to other people.. whats visible.

Then I come up with a basic 'Where did they come from, why are they on Amia.'

Then from there I build a build for them that fits that concept as closely as I can while being also happy with its performance.

That is about it, the rest of the concept I let develop as my mind strikes me while actually RPing, and just go with it.

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Dwagin [Duh-wa-GIN] N. - 1a. Small and cute thingum, particularly fond of four legged scaled creatures of the metalic and chromatic varieties.

-Extraordinarily ordinary in the mostest of ways.

Nekh's advice is probably the most sound. Sticking with one PC requires a degree of discipline and treating roleplaying a bit more like art. I've found two requirements to keeping my interest in a PC:

The PC has to be undeniably human. I have to understand them well enough to play them, and pay particular attention to my intuition when I get into unusual RP situations and don't know what to do. What does my actor's sense say I should be doing, in that role?

Also, and here's where the discipline is important, I have to be both willing and perceptive enough to seek out my own reasons for interest. Playing Diane Arbor, I did begin to lose some interest, but by doggedly interacting with others, I eventually unearthed enough things to keep me interested for a long time.

Though it may be untrue that keeping a long term character automatically makes you a good RPer and not keeping one makes you a bad one automatically, it's obvious that you -do- want to keep a long term character by your post. Neither is right or wrong, better or worse, it's all a matter of taste really.

My key to having both Willow and Tu'jol for a s long as I've had them is that I write a basic story, main moralistic traits, mannerisms, way of speaking, etc. and over time, I build on that. Over time, I add to the characters background story and make sure they're very human in the sense that they aren't rock hard and unbending beings, they change, they evolve, they make mistakes, they learn, they have flaws and they grow. Take yourself outside of you and become that something you've created. It's very much like writing a story or acting except you're ad-libbing pretty much all the time. Make sure you have enough of a grasp, enough development in that character you've created to be able to just walk in and when a character throws something at you, you're confident you'll know what your character would do and/or say. That doesn't mean you should plan out every little circumstance, it just means you should have enough understanding of the character that you can almost become them and react like them, not like you.

Understanding the lore behind the character and learning more about it over time is also something that can keep your interest in the character and even help evolve the character. What gods do you like best? What other gods blend well with your characters personality and might help sway them one way or another over time? What race do you like best? What region of Toril is most attractive to you? These things can help you build a character that will keep your interest. Some people may say that building a character that has your interests is bad, but having a thing or two that you yourself really like be incorporated into your character can very much help you connect to the character and remain interested in it for a long time. Making a character out of nothing but things you really don't like much and have it last is rare. It's probably something more for someone with a bit more discipline and a deep love for the art of acting for the sake of acting. I wouldn't hold my breath, personally. I'm no actor.

If there's one main thing I can tell you that probably won't work, unless your lucky, when making a long term character, it's making him because you thought up something random you thought sounded kinda neat. You don't want to make a character because you like what they do and their genetic make up alone, you want to like their personality and deep characteristic a lot more and above all else.

There really is no secrete though. But for me, doing all this, I learn to really like the character I've made and I -want- to play them. Fleshing them out to the point where they're almost real makes them like your babies. Of course, the draw back with that is that you might not want to ever kill off the character when you may want to because it might be a fitting end or something. But yeah, that's all I've got for ya. Good luck.

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My Characters:
Yuilith Kethil Menaiivan Garadeth

Remember your character will change constantly. You may start off with a base concept, but your character is likely to change as often as you get bored with a particular concept. This is a good thing. They may be a pirate one day, a banite the next and suddenly get turned into a dwarf the next week. The more varied your characters experiences and concepts, the more interesting they will become, and the more interesting your rp will be.

Change in Roleplay is good.

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I keels u with my axe!

"Do ye know where the Holy-Flamin' Frost-brand Gronk-slayin' Vorpal Hammer o' woundin' an' returnin' an' Shootin'-Lightnin'-out-yer-bum is?"

I find the easiest way to make a long term character is one that matches your own personality. Such what would you do if you where in the characters shoes? How would you act to a certain situation? How does your characters goals reflect your own goals?

Eh... I can't say I agree with you there unless your character is meant to be a poser who goes along with the flavor of the week.



That's not a bad thing, but some would argue you're not role playing anymore. You're just being you in another shell and another world. I personally have never done it and never plan to do it, but don't care if people do it either.

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My Characters:
Yuilith Kethil Menaiivan Garadeth

I didn't mean literally change every single week. I mean that a character will change, and that having your character change is a good thing. Change is a part of growing, which is what happens with a character. I'm not entirely sure how anyone could be a "poser" when rping a character.

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I keels u with my axe!

"Do ye know where the Holy-Flamin' Frost-brand Gronk-slayin' Vorpal Hammer o' woundin' an' returnin' an' Shootin'-Lightnin'-out-yer-bum is?"

I'll stick with a pretty basic mantra that probably isn't going to help your situation at all:

Play what you like, and like what you play, in all aspects. If the character is fun but he's arse at fighting, or if he's the best fighter ever but got the personality (to you) of a shiny metal pan, you probably won't have fun with either of them.

Nothing wrong with playing lots of PCs, either.

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Davion Telemos - Monk of the Four Winds
Korthan Isharnos - Dragon Shaman of Thunder Spirit Zamasham

That's god advice IMO.



I'd probably advise against me. My two longest lived characters are only around because they're different to me.



That.


There is nothing wrong with having multiple PCs, but don't drop them on a whim - get hem involved in something, build relationships (and I don't mean you have to go get married), it makes the character so much harder to leave behind.

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2009's Second Most Overall Contributing Player

يمكنني استخدام مترجم جوجل

I usually find that if I try something new, and it interests me I tend to stick to it longer, usually it's something outside of my RP comfort area.

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Ael'thil Rilyn'tlithar
Previously known as: Anubis

I have one tiefling girl, one half elf drow lover, one elf druid, an evil drow, a good drow, a dragonkin, a human fighter, a human cleric and a male monk gladiator. I made them because I want that type of rp. So, many characters are not what set you back. It gives just many different experience if you have time to play all of them.

My main character is totally attached to a character that isn't around anymore. But, I kept enough of my Independence to continue playing with her. I also like to have an objective, a profession. Something I will do when there is nothing to do. I like hunting too. So if I am bored I go hunting.

I made a social network to all my characters. I have a couple of them in factions so when they are online I log to RP with them. Every new character I make I pass many hours leveling them, but as soon as they are done, I concentrate on network and then on finding cool items. I like to hunt because many times it is in hunting that I meet people and when you hunt loads with a group, you make friends for your character and you keep the network later.

Friends for your character is what makes role play interesting, it is because of your friends that you grow, that you marry, that you have children and create your own small cell of role play. Before we had the Is'Defs, we had around six people playing all the time, it was great fun. When we lost the Is'Def we lost our identity and we stop playing those characters. That pretty much set my Delarwyn back to nothingness and only my love for her made me find something to do with her. So, I made her a tailor. I engage her with the drow and I find problems with elves.

It is good to have a group you don't like, so you can just rant at them and growl at them and talk bad about them and they talk bad about you and when you meet, it is just good. ^^

I dont know, Amia for me is made by the people that plays it. I almost never go bored because I get a friend and go find something to do, have small talk and such.

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Del's Characters Entry - Amiawiki.

Join a faction.
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Not one that has you just walk around and gives you a complete and total overview (Ex: We worship Tyr, make sure justice is spread, if you see anything bad, save the day) of what they stand for so you can mindlessly defend it regardless of your situation or location, but one that gives you specific instructions.

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I've tried plenty of pc's in the past as anyone who's looked at my siggy can attest. Some of them have lasted a year or more, made max levels, gotten into factions and had DC items. Others lasted two weeks and never got played again for various reasons. Nothing wrong with trying out a concept and seeing if it fits. Not everything suits me from the standpoint of me getting into character and feeling that the rp is working. How will I know if I don't try it? My ratio is about 1 in 4 attempts lasts longer and makes it at least to Epic levels.

I wouldn't stress about it but if you find one of your pc's to be entertaining and enjoyable - stick with it and give it a chance to be a long term thing.

It does help to be in a group of some sort whether it be a formal faction or a casual group. Hanging out in the same place repeatedly seems to work for me.

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Tark Hammerfeast - Immovable Object
True Greenspan - Bendir's Boy Wonder

I'm a complete noob and only been playing for just over a week so feel free to disregard what I have to say on this subject. I'm very much like you TeroSNS in that I get really great ideas (at least to me) for something and start on it and get bored quickly, this is why I have some umpteen really great books started but none near finished.

The way I've stayed with my character (I realize a week isn't long but I'm really enjoying him thus far) is first I read up a lot of general lore for the soft idea I had for a character, enough information to make a very detailed history and such, but I didn't use very much of it. I created the very basic back-story for my character (where he immediately came from to get to Cordor, why he has a few of his personality quirks, and what his motivation from life typically is) with a more developed one in mind. Now I let his back-story develop and shift into something more concrete as I played him, made things fit more into the game itself (granted I didn't know much about inside the game until playing but I like this approach for my next char still) and I am now in the process of penning some of his back-story to put on the forums.

I also had a general build idea for my character to level 30, I didn't plan everything out step by step but I had the idea of what general outcome I wanted at the end so I had a character goal in mind (not my character's goal but where I wanted to take him) but still left it lax and open to evolve by what he encountered in his day to day life in-game. Also in the build idea I want to include at least one profession, think of your character and look through the profession list and pick one that really seems to stand out as something they would either really try to do or possibly feel stuck in having to do (I think we can pretty much all agree having a job you don't really like is pretty much life) and try to start that job to give you more of an interest in being that char.

But my final self revelation after doing all that was not to be afraid to just let the character go on his own without me guiding him. My character (Vidar Darkheart for any who know him or were just curious) started off for me being this really withdrawn and over-confident person and I felt that was where he ought to be and stay, but through interacting with the people in-game it's been practically impossible for him not to open up some and actually make friends and interact with people. His personality is so far from where I thought it would be it's rather funny in my opinion, but it's him and I'm now more interested in seeing what he'll wind up doing or saying next (is it odd that I'm not too certain what it'll be?) that I play him just for the entertainment value of watching him unfold in ways I didn't see coming.

But I don't think the measure of a good RPer is how long they can play one character or how developed they make them, but rather how their RPing affects the other people playing. If you create a character that seems to have a personality and a few of those little quirks we all have and comes of as real to someone else, then you are a good RPer. Even if that character never sees the light of day again, because for however long you played them they were there, they made an impact as being someone not just some image on a screen. But then again those are just my opinions.

Thats a truly awesome post from a new player! Nicely put!

.....and I quote the last paragraph particularly, because of its 'wider scope' as general advice...... roleplaying is about putting on a performance for those that see you/interact (and yes that includes the player themselves).

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"Never ascribe to malice, that which can be explained by incompetence"
~ Napoleon Bonaparte.
- Clearly, Napoleon never envisioned the Internet......where I'd judge it about 50/50.

Seconded on Brown Blur's commendation. Very well put Procyon02!

It seems that everyone has that "thing" that gives a character staying power to them. For myself, Bree'ne was my first character on Amia and is still my main several years later. I started a faction and have run that faction for the most part (took several breaks) the entire time. But, I keep coming back to her because she is so much like the person I wish I could be.

All my other characters are there to give me something different to do when I start to get worn out playing Bree. But I always come back to her.

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"I once took the high road and it took me straight to hell and I stood there all by myself." -Hank III

I said,

I never called any person a poser. From a pirate to a Banite, I can see. But then you changes -races- to a Dwarf? How the heck did you change races? Your example is just misleading and odd, that's all.

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My Characters:
Yuilith Kethil Menaiivan Garadeth