Cantr II Discussion Forum

Hi everybody,

I created my first characters very recently and I am still battling with getting into their respective skins when I am playing them since this kind of "role playing immersion" is quite new for me. New yet completely fascinating!

I imagine that many of you raised their eyebrows at the title of my post - it seems obvious (at least to me) that the answer to my question/s would be yes. A person in their twenties is not simply a "clean slate", and at least to me, they need a story to help me in playing them. However, I am of course interested in finding out how others see this (and how they manage to flesh out their charactes in case the decide against the past).

One sub-question in this context would be the following: I just read about the "sticking to one language rule". However, if characters are indeed allowed/supposed to have a past, couldn't one imagine that they learned a bit or a lot of a second language in the first 20 years of their lives? From bilingual parents, from a nanny they had, from having been kidnapped by pirates ... whatever.

Ok, that's it for my first post. Very curious to read you.

---- later the same day ---

Boy do I feel stupid ...

It says very clearly in one of the first pages of the wiki that "Your character should not have a background story describing the time before they spawned. They can have set personalities, and you can even have them act as if they have a back story, but this should not be made public to the other characters."

If you still feel like telling me how you handle this specific point, and how you develop your characters, I would be happy to read about it. But it looks like having a fullblown background story is not one of them. Does that mean it's mostly situational? Let yourself be led where your encounters take you?

I used to have background stories for some of my characters when I was new, but later it became easier not to have them. Characters might have some basic knowledge, for example they should know the names of all the animals on the region they spawn on, but they might be surprised when they travel to new areas and see animals they've never seen before. Likewise if a person spawns in a high-tech location, they don't necessarily have to be surprised the first time they hear a radio message, but someone who grew up in a primitive location might believe there are little people inside the box.

Usually when someone spawns with a background story, people just ignore it because they know they can never meet the imaginary people involved. It's much more interesting to live through things that have actually happened in the game.

Interestingly enough, your questions aren't as pedantic as you might think!

There is no really clear cut rule about character history in Cantr, and I have discovered that the way such an idea is received in game is a matter of personal taste among other players. One of my characters with a background was reprimanded for referring to past family, while another was wholeheartedly received into the community in spite of all the ranting about how life was 'before I got here'. In no small part in fact, the acceptance of this character by the others depended very much from how interested they were by certain details of what that character remembered of prespawn existence.

Many of the players who have been with Cantr for quite some time seem standoffish about the prospect of a character's prespawn history. For such players, the spawning process is treated as if the newspawn has simply popped into existence at that very moment, somehow with a complete grammatical system, fully ambulatory, and with other qualities that would of course be impossible for a newborn human being to possess regardless of how physically developed and "aged" they are. I feel I scarcely need point out the problems with this type of relationship- I can only assume that the characters of these players believe in magic, transmigration of soul, reincarnation, or some divinity; and that one or all of these things must be responsible for the newspawns very developed abilities with language and the skillsets they are "born" with. A long time roleplayer like myself finds the idea of a past-less 20 year old very distasteful, but I have found ways around this inconvenience even when playing with characters who do not accept that a newspawn must of logical necessity have some kind of history. One of my characters, though no-one has discovered it in game, actually believes herself a biological entity from another universe, spawned into a Cantrian body in order to learn of humanity when upon her expiration she will return to her people and bring whatever information she has collected home to her own race. Another is so simple minded that he is not capable of remembering anything that happened more than a few weeks ago. A third has a fully developed memory of the life led before spawning, but is not entirely sure that they may not have imagined that time, as many in the location confess they have no such memories and that to have them is rare or perhaps even unique.

Having said all this, I can only really offer my personal opinion: Go ahead and sketch out character history if it appeals to you, as it does to me, but try to stay flexible in terms of how these "memories" will effect others in game. The worst that can happen is a flame OOC, and these are easily deflected with suggestions that such memories could be hallucinatory or even that the other character's lack of prespawn memories is some kind of aberration on their own part. Try a few bits and pieces of prespawn material out on the leaders of the area you spawned in and see how they are received. Then, tailor your future remarks about it based upon their reactions. By and large if your history is interesting (and especially if it is made humorous in some fashion), I think you will find most of us quite receptive to at least the possibility of life before Cantr... as fantastic as such a notion of ANYTHING other than Cantr must be to some of them!

Now... someone else with some more experience, please weigh in- this topic has fascinated me since I started playing the game. Thanks for bringing it up, Estaar!

Nice post Seko... that reminds me- a word of caution. You might be tempted to make "supporting characters", people from your character's past. Please reconsider, as this is certainly a breach of the Cardinal Rule, which demands that a player's characters have no knowledge of each other. No matter how people feel about prespawn memories, CRB's are not well regarded by anyone, and particularly the staff. Thanks!

In my opinion players should play as if the characters have no memory of events before spawning. It doesn't make sense that you can spawn somewhere and claim to be part of some family that can never exist in this game. The character's past almost has no place in the game. Again, this is in my personal opinion. I think that you should either design a personality beforehand and make a character, or spawn a character and let the character just develop with whatever happens.

Well, what I usually do is come in with no preconceptions or background story, just a general image and the ability to speak. While that may seem improbable to most people, we have to remember that this simulator is, at its base, unrealistic. I do fully support changes which make it realistic--but I also fully support the right of players to come up with wholly unrealistic stories, as long as they don't mess around with reality-inside-the-game too much. That said, I have had characters with a background story, and I just don't find them as interesting to play around with as 'newborns'. Matter of personal opinion, I suppose.

Sometimes, style makes all the difference on if a background is accepted or not. It's the difference between being quirky and unique, and obnoxiously trying to get people to believe in your crazy imagination.

Personally, I think of it more as if the character's suddenly just woken up for the first real time. Those first couple of hours (As I start to develop their personality.) are hazy. They have a past they can't remember, and they're not interested in finding it, because they're curious about this new place. By the time their minds have been fully set, they are so focused on their new home, they've forgotten they forgot, and are willing to accept this new place fully.

Kelna wrote:Sometimes, style makes all the difference on if a background is accepted or not. It's the difference between being quirky and unique, and obnoxiously trying to get people to believe in your crazy imagination.

Personally, I think of it more as if the character's suddenly just woken up for the first real time. Those first couple of hours (As I start to develop their personality.) are hazy. They have a past they can't remember, and they're not interested in finding it, because they're curious about this new place. By the time their minds have been fully set, they are so focused on their new home, they've forgotten they forgot, and are willing to accept this new place fully.

Very interesting, Kelna. So far, I have been using a vague background for character description, and a bit for the different ways my characters react. It helps me differentiate between them, making them into truly different characters. But I mostly think in terms of "nordic country / southern country", "well educated/not well educated", "fell on hard times/had to flee", things like that. No concrete story with people and places in it.

I'm typically okay with whatever people want as a back story as long as they aren't claiming they are from another town (fake or not) and the characters don't have memories of other people (fake or not as well).

I don't ever use a background story. It doesn't fit in this world.

I focus on the personality I think the character might have (well, the base traits) and their description (which can be influenced by where they spawn; i.e. beach/ocean= likely to tan, mountains/forests= pale). Then I let game events shape them into more fully realized individuals.

I view the basics of language/communication and survival skills as a part of the being that they are. They aren't necessarily human in the sense that we are human. Families and children don't exist biologically in the world. They're forged by the connections and events the character experiences. I do think it's more fun to have my characters learn about more complex (for whatever intelligence level they are at) things IG rather than have each one have all-encompassing wiki knowledge in their brains.

While I said background stories don't fit in this world, I don't get upset or irritated when I see them and take them in stride, because I understand why a majority of people, especially new people, would start out that way. I think it's more interesting to see theories about spawning and how it works or what the character experienced in the process of spawning. I suppose it may be more accurate to say detailed background stories don't fit in this world. Vague backgrounds, impressions and beliefs about where one was before spawning can fit.

I do what Hermie said. I do set some basic personality before, as or after I spawn. It's not set in concrete and often depends on who they interact with early on. I have one as a firey temper and prone to outbursts who spawned in a place that made her very angry. Her anger defined her for a while. Another just doesn't get angry, but stays reasonable and avoids conflict, making peace and smoothing things over. She has had an easy life though. One was so in awe of all that she saw and was so enthusiastic and joyous about her life and while it has been hard to keep that up it shows through at times even now when she's been kicked in the guts so often by trusting the wrong types.

the_antisocial_hermit wrote:I focus on the personality I think the character might have (well, the base traits) and their description (which can be influenced by where they spawn; i.e. beach/ocean= likely to tan, mountains/forests= pale). Then I let game events shape them into more fully realized individuals.

Most of mine have changed by being shaped by events. Whether softened by love, embittered by love or lost trust, they all keep a bit of that with them. That takes time and many of mine only got personality that was clearly defined in their late twenties or early thirties. Often responsibility changed mine from fun loving silly types to deeper thoughtful types.

When you encounter characters of some players, you will find layers. They may not be who they seem and learning their story and unfolding why they are like thay are is the most amazing thing about cantr. People talk about two types of players. That's simplistic, but they either divide them into roleplayers or simmers. I find often the simmers are the best roleplayers. The play is much slower and like that pearl you need to wait for to open to see, it's worth it. Take your time in travel and trades, stay for a chat, ask questions, get involved. Listen for their story and journey with them.

I have a character who has a great deal of scientific understanding and enjoys telling stories. The explanation given to the curious that "my nanny taught me" works well to explain why they know things other characters, sometimes much older, do not. I assume this character has never met any of the players who do not accept backstory, as the anecdotes shared from "back then" are always well received by the vast majority of those hearing them. I too believe finesse is the key, not whether the places or even some vaguely defined (but titled or named) people exist in Cantr. Its a big world after all... how many of you have traveled it so well that you are completely certain that the places and people in well-handled backstory will never be met? I can always create such characters and places after the char with the backstory has died, without fear of a CRB if it is done cleverly and tastefully. And what of time travel? Is that really more far-fetched than infinite and pen-less note-taking? I understand that careless players could easily abuse such ideas, which is imo the true reason so many are opposed to backstories. As some have said above, I must conclude that it is largely a matter of finesse.

I see a background story as fine as long as it gives no CRB type advantages to a character. Other chars are under no obligation to acknowledge it though. Usually they will as it gives variety and depth to the RP, most will play along.

You cannot know two languages, you cannot know a character in another town or even if that town exists until you find a map showing you so, you cannot know organizations, cantr history (who are the blackrocks? Never heard of them); You can't know who is promiscuous, dishonest, friendly, evil, kind or any other personality traits or names. You can learn all of these things in the process of role play. If you want to have a personality trait or be spawned with a non-advantageous mutation (blindness, missing tongue, deafness etc, these seem popular of late), then I see no problem as a fellow player. You cannot spawn as an animal.

You can know how to speak the language that you registed the player. You can know how to walk, eat, work, and other normal functions.


Again all of these opinions are spoken as a player; and staff may or may not correct me on any or all points made.

Be well

Alladinsane wrote:You cannot spawn as an animal.

Your character may not spawn as an animal or anything that is not human (like robots) but they may spawn believing that they are these things.

Alladinsane wrote:You can know how to speak the language that you registered for the character. You can know how to walk, eat, work, and other normal functions.

Fixed.
I.e. If you spawn a German character while your player language is Dutch, that character shouldn't know how to speak Dutch until they are roleplayed as learning such; until then, they can only speak German. Emoting in multiple languages while the character itself doesn't know it is acceptable, for example, if your German character is travelling by boat and they happen to land in an all-Spanish town thus encountering the language while they still don't know it.

I think that Cantr age descriptions such as "a man in his twenties" are misleading and involve an OOC component. It doesn't mean that the man has lived for 20+ years. It means that the man's body looks the way that a 20+ year-old man in the real world would look. However, his Cantr age is the time since he spawned. One day after spawning, he is one day-old. One year after spawning, he is one year-old.