Character write-ups should include QUOTES

[GoldenAge]

Re: Character write-ups should include QUOTES

 

I'm not big into quotes or quotations. My villains adapt and grow. To nail them down at their inception with a standardized remark would be too limiting.

 

The same goes for my PCs. I'd bet you my bottom dollar that none of my players view their characters the same now (after a year + of play) as they did when they were created.

 

To me the joy of the game is evolution of character; be it villains, heroes, NPCs or the city, world or universe itself.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Character write-ups should include QUOTES

 

I'm not big into quotes or quotations. My villains adapt and grow. To nail them down at their inception with a standardized remark would be too limiting.

 

The same goes for my PCs. I'd bet you my bottom dollar that none of my players view their characters the same now (after a year + of play) as they did when they were created.

 

To me the joy of the game is evolution of character; be it villains, heroes, NPCs or the city, world or universe itself.

So? Change the quote if and when appropriate. Further, when a character write-up is posted, it's frozen -- a snapshot, if you will -- of that character at that particular point in time, in their development, their career, whatever.

 

A character write-up doesn't evolve and change on its own. If a more experienced write-up of the character is posted later, perhaps a change in the quote to reflect changing attitudes and life experience would be appropriate.

 

Since the question of posted character write-ups was what was mentioned, I don't think the "but characters grow and change, so nailing them down is bad" argument works for me.

 

[GoldenAge]

Re: Character write-ups should include QUOTES

 

So? Change the quote if and when appropriate. Further, when a character write-up is posted, it's frozen -- a snapshot, if you will -- of that character at that particular point in time, in their development, their career, whatever.

 

A character write-up doesn't evolve and change on its own. If a more experienced write-up of the character is posted later, perhaps a change in the quote to reflect changing attitudes and life experience would be appropriate.

 

Since the question of posted character write-ups was what was mentioned, I don't think the "but characters grow and change, so nailing them down is bad" argument works for me.

 

I still don't see the point. I create all of my villains and thus know them intimately. I'm the only one that will ever see their sheets. Why add a quote to the sheet... To remind myself? I hardly think that's necesary.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Character write-ups should include QUOTES

 

I still don't see the point. I create all of my villains and thus know them intimately. I'm the only one that will ever see their sheets. Why add a quote to the sheet... To remind myself? I hardly think that's necesary.

Haven was talking about characters that were posted here, presumably for the use of others. For those circumstances, the character is a 'snapshot', and 'frozen', as I noted. So under those circumstances (a posted write-up), the "but they change and evolve!" doesn't work...for me. I never said that reasoning had to hold up for anyone else.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Character write-ups should include QUOTES

 

People frequently post character write-ups to the HERO boards. I applaud their work, while ruefully acknowledging the kind of time and effort required to create characters in the HERO system. These submissions are often detailed and precise, and some display a great deal of thought and attention -- but I've yet to see any author give his or her character a QUOTE.

 

Why is this?

 

-Does the idea of a character quote seem too clichéd?

-Is creating a quote too difficult, after sweating for hours over the rest of the character's write-up?

-Does nobody else think that a quote is a significant part of a write-up?

-Is the quote just a useless bit of verbiage that only serves to complicate the write-up?

-Has nobody else ever found a character quote useful as a "personality hint" for roleplaying an NPC?

Must disagree; I almost always give my characters quotes.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Character write-ups should include QUOTES

 

Must disagree; I almost always give my characters quotes.

Obviously she hasn't seen any of your write-ups then, KS; is there one forum where you usually tend to place them? If not, a search of your posts should turn them up, I imagine.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Character write-ups should include QUOTES

 

Obviously she hasn't seen any of your write-ups then' date=' KS; is there one forum where you usually tend to place them? If not, a search of your posts should turn them up, I imagine. [/quote']

Well, all the ones I posted in the past on these boards are illegible ever since Dan turned off HTML rendering. However, almost all of those characters and more are available on my website in various places.

[Dr. Anomaly]

Re: Character write-ups should include QUOTES

 

Well' date=' all the ones I posted in the past on these boards are illegible ever since Dan turned off HTML rendering. However, almost all of those characters and more are available on my website in various places.[/quote']

Ah, yes...you have my sympathies. I've gone back and re-edited the characters I've posted to make them legible again, but I've posted relatively few, and they've been pretty simple for the most part. I imagine it'd be a pretty huge job for you to go back and re-edit yours, because I'm guessing you've probably posted a lot. You do seem to be everywhere, and with your post count...

[MisterBaldy]

Re: Character write-ups should include QUOTES

 

That would be far more useful. One of the notes on Neil Gaiman's Marvel: 1602 noted that the modern day Thor uses semi-Shakespearean speech patterns. To keep the same feel, his Thor speaks in Anglo-Saxon-style alliterative verse. Brilliant.

 

Keith "A quote in every post" Curtis

For Sueth Thou, Yon Mortal...Whatever dost thy attempt to convey by thine well versed reparte' and witty banter?

[Speedball]

Re: Character write-ups should include QUOTES

 

Lawyers.

 

If you can find it, and it will NOT be easy, look for collections of an old cartoon strip by Sam Hurt titled "Eyebeam". The title character was a law student and then lawyer.

 

(And to take any possible sting out of it ... my wife's a non-practicing attorney. )

 

Ahem. I am not a lawyer. I'm a teacher who knows a little about the law.

[Cancer]

Re: Character write-ups should include QUOTES

 

Ahem. I am not a lawyer. I'm a teacher who knows a little about the law.

 

Gah. Now I have to think about why I thought you were an attorney. My apologies.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Character write-ups should include QUOTES

 

Ah' date=' yes...you have my sympathies. I've gone back and re-edited the characters I've posted to make them legible again, but I've posted relatively few, and they've been pretty simple for the most part. I imagine it'd be a pretty huge job for you to go back and re-edit yours, because I'm guessing you've probably posted a [i']lot[/i]. You do seem to be everywhere, and with your post count...

Yeah, I posted a lot of characters in the old days -- I even went to the trouble of creating several of the fancy Export templates to make a post look like a printed character sheet.

 

Going back and finding them all would be a massive chore, and I dont have the time besides.

 

As a side note my posting is way down. I used to post about 9 to 10 times a day; now I probably average 1 or less a day. My post count is towards the top of the heap now because they made it so that NGD posts dont count and almost all of my historical posts were in content forums. Never been much of one for the NGD scene