What makes a character not boring?

[HFrance]

I've never had a character metioned for my roleplay either. I probably need to read all of this so I can try to get better.

Me too...

[Doug R.]

Don't have to open up to everyone that asks... just like in RL.

IRL, I'll spew my soul out to anyone that asks, so I guess it's a personal quirk.

[CantrFreak]

For me I like more realistic characters. I'm not going to repeat everything everybody said but I tend to enjoy those characters that are interesting and not one of those "gimick" characters like the savage barbarian one that can't talk or something. They just don't fit in. :/ Not saying they're not good characters though, usually when my character see them (if they're not particularly loving, omfg caring ones, and they never are I suppose) he sees them as wierd or just acts nice to them for whatever reason.

[Litchin_flip]

Hey look its a freak ^

Long time no see!

[Snake_byte]

Just because your character's aren't mentioned doesn't mean that they aren't liked or that you Rp badly. Some of the many mentioned are some that have actually touched another player is some way. Like Doug, I get into my charries and feel a lot of what they feel, so much so, it actually affects my mood sometimes. Remember it is a game, but when you invest actual emotion that too comes through.
So, a charrie that makes me feel, what they might be feeling as a character is something else that makes them "Not boring".

[Litchin_flip]

Just because your character's aren't mentioned doesn't mean that they aren't liked or that you Rp badly. Some of the many mentioned are some that have actually touched another player is some way. Like Doug, I get into my charries and feel a lot of what they feel, so much so, it actually affects my mood sometimes. Remember it is a game, but when you invest actual emotion that too comes through.
So, a charrie that makes me feel, what they might be feeling as a character is something else that makes them "Not boring".

I was trying to figure out how to word just that.

[Mack]

Just because your character's aren't mentioned doesn't mean that they aren't liked or that you Rp badly. Some of the many mentioned are some that have actually touched another player is some way. Like Doug, I get into my charries and feel a lot of what they feel, so much so, it actually affects my mood sometimes. Remember it is a game, but when you invest actual emotion that too comes through.
So, a charrie that makes me feel, what they might be feeling as a character is something else that makes them "Not boring".

You are the third person to say that in 2 days now. lol. Yes it is true. You get deep in to your char. And when a love is lossed or they die, it's like it happened to you. My laptop has come close to sailing across the room a couple of times

[Doug R.]

My first time around, I was actually emotionally addicted to the game. It caused lots of problems. I punched a wall once, could become depressed for days if things were going badly in game. It was all around bad. Had to quit cold-turkey when the wife got fed up. Took a year or so off before coming back. I have a good handle on it now - Cantr-induced moods only last about a half hour now

[Snake_byte]

I was trying to figure out how to word just that.

Proper articulation is a gift few share or earn through A LOT of work... I'm the latter.

And when a love is lossed or they die, it's like it happened to you. My laptop has come close to sailing across the room a couple of times

I actually felt like that yesterday, they were killed together. Sad story... I'm still kinda pissed... I never mentioned that charrie even though I wanted to know but when it was over they other player found me from something I said in the Rant thread, so I didn't have to.
If I had before I would have exposed myself as well. <---- That was already mentioned.
So some wait, I guess, to see if they other player will mention them first.

[mojomuppet]

My first time around, I was actually emotionally addicted to the game. It caused lots of problems. I punched a wall once, could become depressed for days if things were going badly in game. It was all around bad. Had to quit cold-turkey when the wife got fed up. Took a year or so off before coming back. I have a good handle on it now - Cantr-induced moods only last about a half hour now

I just read this to my huband, he did not find it nearly as funny as I did!

[Joshuamonkey]

could become depressed for days if things were going badly in game.

It seems like a death can bother me for years, but emotion doesn't really effect me in real life(....).

It's hard to feel attached to someone who never *smiles*. I remember mentioning that to Joshuamonkey, the couple of his characters I knew were very community oriented and busy but didn't express feelings so it was difficult to bond with them.

I *smiles* sometimes, but other times it's just awkward putting *smiles* all the time. Maybe I don't smile enough in real life. And about relationships, I regret making female characters, but as old ladies, they have an excuse not to act all "giggly." I don't excuse my lack of rp though. I of course should do more of it.

[Genevieve]

I hope that the characters I enjoy playing the most are the ones people remember or want to interact with. Several keep journals, which helps me the player remember who they are/where they are at emotionally because sometimes it is easy to get caught up in whatever is going on and forget about little things that make the character who they are, like things they don't like etc.

Also, characters that are changed by what happens to them. I have several who have gone through a tragedy and it changed their personality quite a lot. If you see a massacre or lose a spouse or best friend, it does make a difference and should to the character involved. Those that display these same aspects are ones I tend to gravitate toward. But sometimes, just someone who is fun is good enough.

[reve]

This is interesting. I personally "become" the character when I'm interacting, so my reactions are immediate, just as if I was there personally. Unfortunately, this "spontaneity" tends to happen so quickly that I emote less than I probably should.

Most time I do as you said - act and response ASAP. But I found out that often it leads to:

it is easy to get caught up in whatever is going on and forget about little things that make the character who they are, like things they don't like etc.

So I changed my attitiude a bit and care more about how my chars should act.
I'm rather fresh player (my oldest char has 33 C-years) and still learn how to RP, but one of my chars was already mentioned in polish forum in small group of people traveling together.

I also find: *smiles* repeated all the time rather annoying. But I think it comes from RL, where we - not all, of course - use little of our emoting capabilities or simply don't know how to write down the look of our faces, without using a whole paragraph. In my case it also comes from fact, that English isn't my native language and I have little possibilities to use uncommon words, so I simply don't know/remember them.

[chase02]

Sex, drugs and rock & roll.

But no, more seriously..

I've found that putting some serious time and effort into an otherwise lifeless character can make all the difference. Say you're in a sleepy area without much happening. Your character could take a renewed interest in someone there. They could start to passionately dislike someone. They could develop a subtle but irritating habit. They could develop an unusual interest in a particular resource, or item. They could start flouting a certain law. They could go off food for a while, get a disease, decide to throw off their clothes and run around naked. You have this freedom, so work with it!

Of course these are all best introduced slowly over time, and it takes some skill and care to do it right without making it feel forced. At the end of the day, what makes a good story? Conflict. If you can carefully weave conflict into your characters day to day life, something interesting WILL happen eventually. And sometimes you need to feel what it's like to skirt death, before you really live.

One thing I've learnt recently, is that very well roleplayed characters can just about get away with murder. People can't get enough of them! People want interesting interaction, and when they get it, everything else is secondary.

[Dudel]

Of course these are all best introduced slowly over time, and it takes some skill and care to do it right without making it feel forced. At the end of the day, what makes a good story? Conflict. If you can carefully weave conflict into your characters day to day life, something interesting WILL happen eventually. And sometimes you need to feel what it's like to skirt death, before you really live.

I LOVE Conflict! I create it on purpose. Be it simple "I don't like you mr. so-and-so." to grand and violent swear words and vulgar gestures.

One thing I've learnt recently, is that very well roleplayed characters can just about get away with murder. People can't get enough of them! People want interesting interaction, and when they get it, everything else is secondary.

This is why my characters live, I swear it! O.O So many times... heck chase, you know one that (even though he was/is a guard) broke laws and started crap and ALWAYS gets (present tense) away with his behavior.

I CAN NEVER, kill off my characters without being so obvious and annoying as to call everyone in the area retarded and steal everything that ain't bolted down.


BUT, what makes Cantr not boring for me to watch? Well that would be characters I feel like interacting with. One character who was in a town for a short bit of time, there was characters OOC I wanted NOTHING to do with so it made my character boring as he was neutral. My RP would be forced so I just didn't care... stopped paying attention to ANYTHING in the town.

One character can ruin a TOWNS mood, for me. Just one character I don't like to and/or want to interact with for whatever reasons and Cantr is officially boring as an observer. I don't wana see anything that the characters in the entire area are doing because of these specific characters.

Another thing would be people who play along. I make random crap up and anyone who knows my characters knows this very well. I pull random things from the sky and make them reality... be it an ass-backward "religion" or the mumblings of an idiot... if you ignore me, I'm bored. I don't care if your character gets mad or worried or confused... just don't ignore me... unless you make a point to ignore me. *ignores X* (works for me, whatever.)

Characters who don't worry about stuff. Cantr stuff is worthless, it bores me SO MUCH when they worry about "I want... I want... I want... give me... give me... give me." It makes me not care, unless that thing is food... that's Cantr needed. Material driven and focused characters bore the holy living crap out of me, man! (That's why I like Satrap OOC... IC he is irritating, no lie.)

Characters who aren't afraid to cause trouble WITHOUT causing harm/disruption. Are you confused? The typical "badies" of Cantr are boring, over used and easy to come by. How about you try and mess with someones head on a psychological level? How about instead of "drop all your stuff or die" you give a REAL ultimatum? How about you don't make a "badie" but instead make a "goodie" with pucked up ways of getting things done?

I think that'll do.