Discuss RPG Trends [E]

[Ellerby]

[color=#555555][FONT=Tahoma]I was talking to Boo earlier this morning and we somehow got into the subject of people who don't really change their sign-ups from RPG to RPG. And it's true. There are a lot of people in the Adventure Inn who, if you look at all their characters in a certain time frame, they are very similiar. It's not necessarily a bad thing, I just found it interesting.

For instance, if you look at my sign-ups in the latest Elemental Spheres and Titans: The Awakening, you'll see that my characters in the sign-up have big similarities.

So, what do you all think? Have you noticed this too? Do [i]you[/i] ever do it (on purpose or not)?[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Dragon Warrior]

[size=1]I have noticed this before and at times, when they really don't bother to change [i]anything[/i] at all, I feel like my RPG isn't worth their time to make someone new. That may be the case or they're lazy or just really like their character. I'd think it'd get boring after a while. I remember I did it a few times back then, but all I'd reuse was the name. The character [i]would[/i] change personality/appearance/history-wise. So the name was all that I kept some of the time. That was back when I first began roleplaying in the earlier Versions.

I don't mind it anymore. As long as the character suits the RPG, I allow it. I just don't find it that original. I like to make a new character for each thing. Authors of books don't put the same hero for every book unless it's a series. I look at my RPGs as movies or books or something of the like. Therefore, everything has to be fresh and new.[/size]

[DracoGuardian]

From my experiance here, on other boards, in MMORPGs, and playing tabletop games like Dungeons and Dragons or Shadowrun I tend to see people if not sticking to the same character atleast the same general archetypes something I know I am also guilty of at times it usualy doesn't bother me when I GM Tabletop games and such or when I see the same characters being used in multiple rps here I just think most people have their set fantasies and tend to stick to them which is why you see the same sort of character types from them time after time or even the exact same chracter. Another good example is well Superheroes, most kids have a favorite superhero or heroes that they like to pretend to be and rarely deviate. It just seems to be in normal huamn nature to find your fantasys who you always wanted to be and kind of stick to it. These often change in time but not particularly quickly.

[Redemption]

[size=1]When I first started here, that was the case with a lot of my characters I made. I went through phases of certain powers or aspects.

But now that I've matured a little and my writing's a bit better since then, I try to make an individual character for each new RPG. Certains aspects may be similiar between each of some characters but I try to make them different.[/size]

[Dragon Warrior]

[size=1]I think that newer roleplayers might occassionally do that. As Dare stated and I said before, we both did it when we began. Now we're maturing roleplayers and have advanced to different characters every RPG. Some veterans prefer it as the same character, I guess. But some RPGs might not accept that.[/size]

[Sandy]

Heh, I remember signing up in several RPGs as Sandy, back when my user-name was still Sage. They'd all have a different last name, though.

I love creating characters, and I love naming each of them differently, so all my characters are pretty much different name-wise and look-wise. I hate to admit it, but there are certainly a few too many pretty boys among them... XP

[Redemption]

[quote name='Dragon Warrior][size=1']Some veterans prefer it as the same character, I guess. But some RPGs might not accept that.[/size][/quote]

[size=1]That does really depend on the RPG doesn't it. An already made character can't exactly be the right character for the RPG, so they might change small aspects of them.

It's always hard to come up with original characters all the time. It takes me a couple of days to get my character the way I want them.[/size]

[Ezekiel]

[SIZE=1]I usually try to make different characters. I may recycle the same name (Elizabeth Archer, usually) but it depends on the context of the RP as to what she'll act like and look like. I just get attached to certain characteristics which I know are fun to write about, which I think is important.

I have used an identical sign up only once before, I think, and that was for my Star Wars character, Payja Sunstorm. I signed up for Gavin's first Star Wars RP, which didn't start I don't think, so when Joko started his own SW RP he said I could use the same character.

I do think it's good to vary, though. Makes a better writer, me thinks.[/SIZE]

[Sakura]

[COLOR=Navy]Hm, this is a good point to make, and I have and still am a culprit of this. Last time practically everything stayed the same, but now I have a variety. I'll usually stick to one picture I like until I find another good one, or I'll use descriptions, but the reason I keep things the same is just because that's how I imagine myself as a character I guess. For personality, I try to vary that as much as I can from RP to RP, but eventually you'll end up at the same one again. And like 'Zeke said, you get attached to characteristics.

As for using identical sign ups, the only times I do that is if someone redoes an RP from the past and even then I'll make differences because of how I prefer my characters now, since the RPs were usually done quite a while back.

And for names, I'm just not creative so I tend to use all the same names and cycle them depending on what the RP's asking for.

But yeah, variety is good, and I think RP creators prefer it, but somethings can't be helped sometimes.[/COLOR]

[Aberinkula]

I have noticed. For instance Nekosama always makes the charecter's name NEko. Weird I try my best to very charecters.

[Gavin]

[SIZE=1]Interesting, most interesting.

I think I'm probably guilty of reusing character ideas, although perhaps the most common variant of that is the fact I use the same name where applicable in RPGs. Most of the time however I try to come up with a fairly unique character for the RPGs I'm involved in, some parallels can be drawn through them all I guess, my character's heights rarely vary from the 6' mark, or are rarely non Irish in origins. But this is purely down to the fact that I'm Irish and 6' tall and so it's easier for me to write from those perspectives. I don't think I've ever actually gone into an RPG with the expressed intention of recycling a character from something else, not only would I be unhappy with the end result, I think it would be a sheer sign of laziness on my part.[/SIZE]

[Starwind]

With all my lack of originality, I usually end up using similar, or even identical, architypes for characters. I dosen't shine well on me, but once I reach a place I'm not to comfortable with changing rapidly. I do experiment every now and again, but I'm ususally ppretty perdictable in my rping ways.