SailorMeff

Do you ever wonder how certaint higns you leave behind just keep popping up al over the place? It's been a great deal of fun reading all of these character inspirations posted long after I left the game. Anyone else have some to share?

Oh, I acknowledged it was a joke. I just thought it was a bad one... or at least an old one. There are things the game just can't explain away, nor can any game. MMOs need mob spawns, it's not realistic but until you find a way for it to be... well... there's no use even dwelling on it.

If you wanted me to explain it all away in an in game fashion... I can't, I would sound retarded... like some old bum on the corner of a street screaming conspiracy theories.

I'm not saying that the "idea" behin this post (the ooc reasons for it) are invalid, I'm saying it's not a topic to try to get into... you can't rationalize it.

If there were a police squad toting rikti technology, guess what... they'd be Heroes. (That's a fun little sg idea if you're paying attention)

Criminals are born every day but not at the rate of 12x10^99 and I have doubts as to the production capability of... ANYONE making their villains.

If you really want to try your luck... forget the government conspiracy (it doesn't work and the joke is too old to be funny). Try... our jails are so crowded that arrested villains simply push an ol villain out on to the street. The drones... I think that holds. You've seen how they can only take down so many so fast... and besides, if you pushed them down the streets and took down everythin in sight, the jails would over flow and we'd have ot let everyone go anyways...

The drug rings... do some missions, get back to me on that.

Oh and if I were flaming him... he'd know it.

Meff prints the thread and runs it through a paper shredder then tosses the resulting confetti into the air. Everyone dies as they have their bodies rent into small identically sized pieces tossed to the whims of the office space air conditioning.

((Sometimes I just have to interject... this is stupid...

Yes, there is a seemingly never ending stream of villains everywhere. If the game were 'accurate' in its reactions to the actions of the players, we all would have stopped playing a week after release because there would no longer be anyone to arrest at a low enough level for the players.

I'm sorry, but to complain (even in a joking fashion) about how there are endless mobs to fight is just downright... it doesn't make any sense. If we cleaned up the city, the game woudl end. If we arrested everyone the game would end.

I will point out that there ARE prisons, a really freakin big one too. The drones can only be placed to protect important places ebcause they are really expensive to make, the police are ill-equiped to arrest super powered criminals (this being precisely the reason heroes register with City Hall or Freedom Corps, to get jobs). Weapons are smuggled in, don't you read your missions? There is a very intricate drug network in the city that you'd know about if you, once again, read your missions.))

Galactic Jack quirks an eyebrow at the homeless man in rags sitting at the corner of 6th and Pecos in Kings Row. As the man rants and raves waving signs painted with condiments and mud Jack can't help but feel a deep pitty for the insane individual.

[ QUOTE ]
"Total immunity to mental powers isn't a power, it's an accessory"

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that's too good, I'm laughing, serious, look at the smiley face!

Well, at risk to sound like I'm trying to mediate something... when in reality I typically instigate things, I'll tell ya to just pass it off. Don't let it get to ya and live your life however you want yada yada yada jesus loves you.

... But if I were you I would have told him...

******: "Total immunity to mental powers isn't a power, it's an accessory"

Meff: "So you have a gucci bag on your head?"

******: "No, it's a super streangth polymer alloy blend only found in blackholes, I call it noobtronium."

Meff: "I remove your gucci bag and boil your brain inside your skull."

******: "I hit you before you can."

Meff: "I used my invisible snatching hands."

******: "You can't do that, that's not real."

Meff: "Invisible, mind controled hands of god aren't a power, they're an accessory. Now shaddap, your brain is boiling, remember?"

Then send him flame email or... sign him up for weekly religious newletters to his email...

Just because there are rules doesn't mean everyone follows them. Some people are just plain power tripped or lack the creativity to face defeat. You can either tell them off, ask them to stop, ignore them or simply avoid roleplaying with them... not much else.

On a side note, attacking another player in open RP is typicall poor form. Not always, though. If you do attack someone in open RP, it's ussually best to let them decide the result of your attack... it's kind of a respect thing.

Another less... attractive (but really fun none the less) way to deal with it is to simply take action, disregard the rules yourself and ply for a post the way they do...

"Mindguy97's mental assaults seemed to carry little weight in this losing battle, Tankerl4m3r had prepared and his helmet was of nearly flaless design, sending assaults on his mind bouncing off like tennis balls being thrown against a concrete wall. One last shot, it's all Mindguy97 had in him.

He would make it count. For the final act he snatched a piece of crumbling brick from the wall he propped himself up by and threw it with all the accuracy of an all-star pitcher. A simple clunk, a loud curse and then a gurgling groan.

Tankerl4m3r lay helplessly on the ground foaming at the mouth, his eyes focused on some object only visible to him. At mindguy97's feet, the helmet rolled to a stop; a large dent on its forehead was the period to seal this encounter."

Hey, not much you can do ya know? Some people just can't lose if left to their own devices.

There are formats where that sort of self serving dialogue is certainly innapropriate, thankfully the bbs isn't one of them.

It would be very odd, perhaps annoying too, to have to listen someone speak both in the first and third person in game the same way they commonly might on the forums... in fact I would look like a complete loony bin in game.

The third person is a wonderful writing tool... not so good when yo are actually, physically... sorta... in the first person.

However, in a way, I covered the only real problem I can guess at having result from this for the forum's open rp with the Objectivity rule.

On the floating and mounted screens of Paragon City’s technology and media centers a short blink of light turns the heads of thousands. Each screen glows white and empty and the background noise slowly fades from the original programming to a soft hum. As programmers and technicians at the numerous cable and satellite stations pour over diagnostics in a panic, the citizens and heroes of the city witness a brief glimpse into another world.

A handsome man in a white lab coat fades into view before the bleached white light of the screen. His features are unassuming and plain. Brown hair, brown eyes behind a pair of thin glasses, his build is tall but his frame is less then impressive. When he has come to full clarity he begins to speak.

“Welcome to Cynergetic Enterprises.” The background instantly changes to that of a clean, metal lab similar to those seen on Portal Corporation brochures. Men and women in lab coats are peppered at desks and counters, all manner of scientific instruments before them. “We would like to thank you for your continued support.”

“At Cynergetic Enterprises we are proud to lead the arms industry in both technology and saturation.” A rather large rifle bearing the trademark triple diamonds of Cynergetic appears in the arms of the speaking man. The features are smooth and simple, a slow blue pulse runs from the tip of the oval barrel to the weapon’s center where it fades into the metal. An armored Rikti soldier fades into vie in the distance while the previous background fades back to the bright white.

“The Rikti standard issue Active Power Suit is forty times stronger then the most advanced vehicle platting available to military use while maintaining a thickness of less then two millimeters.” The screen instantly changes to a closer view over looking the man’s shoulder as he hoists the weapon up and aims at the Rikti in the background. “It is nearly impervious to conventional energy weapons and both sub-zero and steel melting point temperatures.”

The Rikti begins to struggle against unseen bonds. The cold featureless shields over its eyes seem to unveil emotions of dread and terror. As it struggles it appears weakened and frail and the bonds holding it in place are relentless and unmoving. The man in a lab coat pulls at a featureless trigger point on the weapon which emits a quick flash of blue energy. Instantly it collides with the bound Rikti in a blinding flash of light.

The figure struggles one last time before going limp, held up by invisible bonds at its wrists. As the last breath of life leaves the armored alien its black armor begins to dissolve at the point of impact, soon the flesh and bone follow in a gruesome display. The angle pans back to the man in the lab coat, his hands empty of the weapon and the background empty of any previously bound firing targets.

“Thanks to your continued support we are able to offer the most advanced in enhancements available in the industry. We would like to introduce you to our latest Tactical Routine, the first in a line of beneficiaries to benefit from the technology we have just exhibited.” The man instantly disappears replaced with another figure. Not as tall, but built impressively, the man has grey hair and chiseled features. Oddly attractive, the new man is likewise wearing a lab coat over a pair of white pants and a grey shirt and tie, his eyes hidden behind a pair of reflective seeing glasses.

“My name is Isaac Vory and I am the project leader for the now discontinued Cy project. At Cynergetic Enterprises we have completed the Cy line and are pleased to introduce the pinnacle of our production line.” The man’s voice is cold and nearly emotionless, an odd monotone masking his enthusiasm. Beside him a seven foot tall armored man stands as though it had been there the entire time.

The features are glowingly polished and the armor whispers of power. The left side of the body glows a tropical, sea blue, the right a featureless white. The right arm ends in a large glove covered in vents and reflective plates. “This is the Aloha, Cynergetic’s most advanced Combat Routine.”

“Aloha is faster, stronger and smarter then previous models. His social routines are nearly human and his actual intelligence has evolved faster then even simulations.” The impressively armored figure lurches to life just before disappearing, leaving Isaac by himself in the featureless background. “Cynergetic has decided to allow the Aloha to represent its interests in Paragon City.”

A final half face shot shows the reflective face of the Aloha, devoid of any facial features, the head has a cold and lifeless polish instead. The words flash for only a second, barely noticeable to even the most aware of the heroic viewers.

“The Aloha Combat Routine, deciding the future of combat.”

The screen turns white and the low hum begins again as whatever previous programming fades back into view and then into motion, continuing as though it had never been interrupted. People begin to forget the display, within seconds it is as though it never happened at all. In the minds of men and women alike the program’s final words echo.

Before a humble electronics shop in the Kings Row Jackson Beojackson stands frozen before the television screens protected behind glass and steel bars. The public figure’s brow is covered in sweat and an uncharacteristic panic has fallen over his face. Slowly he turns his head down and lifts his wrist to stare at his watch. A quiet click and the set of hands rotating a blue and green sphere turn back fifteen notches, the large outer ring continues its pace.

Fifteen seconds of time stop here on Earth? She couldn’t…

To even the strongest minds of gifted heroes the program has begun to fade but like bells on Christmas day the final words ring, minutes later the entire program is barely a forgotten dream and life continues unchanged.

((This is a repost of an old thread I started not long after the game was launched. My intent is to educate you, the forum troll, on proper rp etiquette. People have been great about these, they really have. I am bringing this back again, however, for all the new posters to see. For the most part you're all doing wonderfully and I hope things stay that way. I encourage everyone to read this post even if you followed the thread when it was first started; there are a few new things.

This entire post brought to you out of character.

1. In your post you may include the reactions of other players to only a minimal amount. This minimal amount is no more then stares, looks, movements and superficial emotional reactions and always in a general fashion.

DO: "Members of the group chuckled to themselves; her comical routine of dancing and prancing about had brought smiles to many."
DO NOT: "Mr. Crowley was obviously amused by her antics, shaking his head and laughing, he told the group he was a frog."

The difference is that in the first you state that some onlookers may have a certain response appropriate to the situation in the second you actually choose the response of the other character. You never make a choice for another player’s character, especially if you don't fully understand that character's train of thought.

2. You may include the dialogue of characters other then your own, but only when the dialogue is accurate to the character's own habits. Generally, this is something you avoid simply because the end result is you are playing a character that DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU.

DO: "Ms. Sharp agreed, and proceeded to tell those around her the story of her capture."
DO NOT: "Ms. Sharp said, "I was captured and it was bad. I am obviously a goat." The party now knew everything inside her mind."

DO: "The man in the black cloak gave a nod and agreed"
DO NOT: "The man in the black cloak said "Yeah, I completely agree with you! I love the taste of minced cat on rice!"

The difference is that in the first, you derive the information from previous posts and allow it to be entered into the "in character memory" of everyone present and you do so without making large decisions for the other player's character. In short, you do not risk putting words into their mouth that they might not actually say. Sometimes you don't want to give their actual response because you don't know that it's the one they will give... when you want to say they will agree, perhaps the character would rather disagree vehemently.

3. If the current story appears to be on an arc, aka things are happening in sequence, there appears to be a certain set of NPCs and the location has been cemented into the story until a change can properly be made at the pace of the story itself, DO NOT change the path of the arc.

DO: "The party of intrepid heroes had just arrived in the fabled city of Glendwynedale, but all was not right. She felt an evil presence in the air that concerned her and immediately voiced her thoughts, 'this place is not safe, and we should leave at once.'"
DO NOT: "The party of intrepid heroes had just arrived at the fabled city of Glendwynedale, but all was not right. She felt an evil presence in the air that concerned her and immediately took action. In a flash of light she had teleported the entire party to the white sandy beaches of Hawaii where they all had Jell-O shots."

The differences should be getting more and more obvious. In the first you leave it open that you don’t want to be here, obviously this is part of a story arc which means GO WITH THE FREAKIN IDEA. NEVER alter a location simply to tell a portion of your own character's story. ONLY change a location to further the story and ALWAYS give the player the option of staying behind if the change of location is not imperative to the arc. This kind of change in location is typically the result of the ending or beginning of a new arc.

4. NEVER KILL ANOTHER PLAYER'S CHARACTER.

DO: ...
DO NOT: EVER KILL ANOTHER PLAYER'S CHARACTER.

NEVER!
NEVER EVER!
It is ok to, sometimes, badly wound another player's character... but very rarely. Always give them an out such as the damage not being real, easily healed, superficial, or sometimes maybe the healer is right there... it's also acceptable for comical value as long as not entirely at the expense of the wounded character. In any case, always make sure that it won't have an adverse effect. NEVER KILL ANOTHER PLAYER'S CHARACTER. NEVER.

5. PAY ATTENTION. Read the posts before you, read the posts entirely, read the posts twice. If you don’t know what's going on, if you don’t pick up the traits of the characters and the NPCs around you, you won’t be able to give a valid or valued post to the open thread... and NEVER KILL ANOTHER PLAYER'S CHARACTER. The point here is that you have to know what is going on and you have to know what the NPCs are capable of (if the NPCs have been described in detail. The general rule of thumb is that if you don't know what you are talking about, don't open your mouth.

6. Unless the circumstances are very special, your character cannot be god. Not all characters are equal, this is obvious. Some like to play characters that are physically and/or mentally weak. Try it some time. It will make you a more creative role-player when you can't simply swat the throngs of villains into dust by gently whipping your hand to your head, running your fingers through your hair. It is acceptable to be God-Like, but use some discretion. If you decide to be invincible, nobody will want to play with you and your toys because, simply, nothing interesting can happen with you around and there's no way to get rid of you.

DO: "The mutant was on rage, Kevin knew this the instant it lifted the cab of a semi truck and hurled it in his direction. He thought fast and lifted a hand in concentration, the hulking machinery had stopped but inches from his hand, held in mid air by his incredible kinetic ability. With great force he hurled the truck back to where it had been thrown and he was confident the mutant was missing Kevin's talents, talents that would save him."
DO NOT: "The mutant was on rage, Kevin knew this the instant it lifted the cab of a semi truck and hurled it in his direction. He stood unwavering, letting the machinery slam into his skull with the force of ten thousand moons falling from the sky. Using his telekinesis, Kevin folded the mutant inside out while his psychic abilities drained all knowledge from the monster. Using his blazing eye lasers, he melted the truck that had wrapped itself, futilely, around his skull. From the depths of space, he reached his hand through a gravitational worm hole and revealed a rifle the size of a space shuttle. He froze the ground underneath the entire Chinese military before him and then raised his hands to the air, letting a blast of wind knock them helplessly to the ground. Using his incredible speed he ran around them in circles, firing his massive rifle, until his speed was so great that the earth rose to consume his prey. A small horse limped by in the aftermath, Kevin healed it and then granted it the mastery of fire equal to ten suns in strength.

Ok, the point is. Be incredible, be super, be amazing, and be down right unbelievable. Impress people, light the sky on fire with plasma, take a full clip of bullets to the chest, crush an army with your psychic ability, and call forth the winds and the earth to defeat your foes, cure cancer. Do it all, it makes you a bad mo fo and everyone will be impressed. The trick is, however, do ONE and NOT ALL. Don't be realistic, be reasonable. Everything in the second example is fine... maybe not the horse, but the rest is ok, do it. Just don't do all of it, all of it at once, all of it with a single character. Don't even give him the ability to. Perhaps you are the unrelenting terrestrial incarnation of the fireicelightningearthwaterwindvodka god, Jake. That's fine, you've probably got a pretty damn good story behind that but you know what? Your powers were capped at birth, or the magic stones that give you power were stolen, or you took a hockey puck to the head and forgot some, or every time you use your abilities you permanently drain your life force. Get it? I hope so... because damn that was long.

7. Know what your character does and does not know. Just because you read another person’s origin or perhaps another of their open RP threads does not mean your character knows it too. Someone who has posted their origin is telling a story for everyone’s enjoyment. In most cases, though, the fact is that your character has no idea what another person’s character’s origin is. Just because you the person read it does not mean that you the fire slinging robot read it. Those of us in table top role-playing refer to this as “objective role-playing”. The idea is that you are a different person from your character so act that way.

DO: “Old Spyce noticed the heroes below her completely unaware of her presence. One she recognized from years back; The Chalk caused quite a commotion when he revealed his claimed source of power to be a radioactive set of coloring chalks, Crayola nearly went out of business. The other two were mysterious, though vaguely familiar. Perhaps their paths had crossed once before?”

DONT: “Olde Spyce saw the heroes before her unaware of her presence. Each she well recognized. There was The Chalk who had derived his power from a magical set of radioactive coloring chalks, Crayola brand. The Bebop who was really a secret Rikti spy sent to scout Paragon City for weakness, his disguise the elaborate guise of a hero. Jason Schmidt, the dark wielder of time: none knew his true name was Jason Schmidt, but Olde Spyce saw it fit to call him that anyways. As She descended upon the group, she killed Bebop and unmasked him as a Rikti and proclaimed to the world ‘GG I r0x0r’.”

Some high profile heroes may have certain aspects of their personal story revealed to the public. Some of us on the boards play very high profile heroes whose general origin is no mystery. Others play mysterious characters that, while they may have posted origins for the world to see, are complete mysteries to the city and all those within it. Just sit and think about it… would your character really know that the people he just met took down three hundred Outcasts in bunny outfits last week?

8. Respect other characters for the fact that they do not belong to you. I went over this previously but perhaps this warrants more attention. This applies not only to their player characters but their NPCs also. If someone has introduced an npc it might be a good idea to ask them in OOC post or privately by mail if this npc of theirs is something they care about. Discretion is key, sometimes it is very obvious that an npc is simply an extra: meat on the table, perhaps meat that speaks and gives out some story, but meat none the less.

This doesn’t mean to play nice. If your character has no respect for others, who cares? I know I don’t. What this is, is respect as a player for another player’s character. I already went over how poor form it is to control another player’s character, but what is perhaps even worse is messing with that character: changing it, manipulating it, shaping it. Do not redefine another character’s origin, do not play with their history, and do not claim to have been there because the fact is that you weren’t. I promise you, you weren’t there. There’s no example for this, just don’t do it and NEVER KILL ANOTHER PLAYER’S CHARACTER.

9. Respect other players regardless of their actions. Previously I spoke of respecting other player’s characters and stories; now I speak on respecting the player. We all play and play from different walks of life. We are different people with different beliefs, routines, jobs and phone numbers. There are few rules that hold true on the internet but there is one I believe will be present for a very, very long time: somebody will always offend somebody. Even the most PC poster will end up offending somebody. I do it all the time, in many cases I see myself as a grievous offender. I will, however, rarely tell a person to keep it to themselves because what offends one will not often offend the majority (but face it, who gives a crack line about the majority anyways?). This is besides the fact that nine times out of ten the person offending had absolutely no intention of doing so. The key word is tolerance.

Offending a person on accident and deliberately upsetting someone are two very different things. There is a shining difference between the two that sets them apart: you can apologize for something you didn’t intend to do and people will accept that.

Everybody is a little bit racist, we’re all a tad sexist, that guy favors somebody over anybody and some people just plain hate animals. Is it wrong? I don’t care, it’s the truth. Just remember that first sentence there and keep your cool. Make every attempt to be respectful. Don't agree, don't take it on the chin, don't whine about it; that isn't my point. Send a PM or post a reply if you think you must. Just be respectful of another person's valid oppinion and remember that trashing them to the computer screen is fine, just resist doing it to the keyboard.

Open role-play is a group of people getting around a camp fire and telling a story, improvising their role and their situation as it comes to their turn to play it. Give players a chance to respond. Never tell the whole story yourself. Be long winded, have lots of detail, give lots of dialogue. It's ok! Just give the other players a chance to respond. Remember, these rules are not rules, they are guidelines. Some are bent, and broken without the play group ever giving a flying monkeys bootockles. Sometimes you simply have to break a rule to keep everyone happy, or at least the story moving. If you're unsure, follow the rules.

I fully expect to be flamed for this by... someone. It's going to happen, it always happens when you throw down rules. What I'd rather see, however, is some constructive addition or amendment of what I've put down. Have more? Go for it and post it. Etiquette is IMPORTANT when you are dealing with other people. Remember that a lot of us really love to write and we really love the character's we have developed. We tell their stories and adventures, we even sometimes pretend to be them and play out those stories. It's fun, it's why many of us role-play! Just remember that when you are going to be taking action for/on that character.

--SailorMeff
--Jeff R. W.

P.S.- Remeber this guide applies only to the forums, it was compiled for exactly that. This isn't a guide to role-playing in game or on a kitchen table with you friends. That doesn't mean it doesn't apply, though. We can all admit that this is a list of common sense spelled out in caps, that's all it is. But that common sense can help you in game and when you pick up a pencil and start filling in dots.

I really love your lines, would it terribly offend you if I were to do some colorings of your work and maybe even share them? If that's ok I'd have no problem showing you frist of course... no intent of butchering someone's art.

Edit: I completely neglected to ask what your coloring methods were... what are your coloring methods?

Somebody played a Setite

Very cool. Lore is always a great place to draw ideas from.

[ QUOTE ]
Name: The Mambo
Archtype: Defender (rad/rad)
Origin: Magic
Server: Victory
Inspiration: I like Vodoun as a religion and decided to make a more mystical figure of a Preistess. The radiation seemed to provide mutiple effects allowing me to claim she channled many differnt Loa than Just the famous Samedi. Thinking of redisigning the Concept to channel different Angels and Saints. As a Christian I think I should probably avoid making figures based on other religions than my own, worried about not doing a good job of it and being offensive.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's easy to understand why you might be uncomfortable with portraying an image you don't understand. There are several solutions, though.

Study. Read up on a few things, find someone who knows your subject, find a pbs documentary on the internet and download it. If you can claim to adequately understand a religion without practicing it, you often gain a much more genuine understanding then someone who might... then again, Voodoo is a very interesting set of beliefs practiced by a very interesting and diverse crowd.

Or you could go a much, much easier route. I being an American prefer this route :P. Stop giving a crap. If you worry about what everyone will think, you will risk missing out on some of the most genuine fun you might have. I play a character who's origin is heavily based on brutally edited greek and norse mythology (remastered in surround, if you will). On top of that there are a number biblical undertones, a few ideas stolen from good books and a suprising entry made by my own experience with the first-person shooter genre (then again, I guess I'm not allowed to post here because of that, oops).

Point being, if I were worried about offending someone... or perhaps just about portraying something incorrectly, I wouldn't have this fantastic set of characters and story before me. You can never please everyone, but you should never have to.

There is a great deal of difference between accidently offending someone and going out of your way to do so.

By the by, I love that character idea... maybe I'll steal it :P

Consider Illusion Control and a pretty looking secondary.

Also remember that Voodoo (Vodou Voudoun, whatever) is a religion that has changed, evolved and adapted to its surroundings, which leaves you with an open door to create your own little set of fictional beliefs given an appropriate background.

Whoa, somone is looking for hostility in all the wrong places. All I said in a rather abbrassive way was that you didn't post any of the information that this thread really asks for.

As for the fps community, you know they play mmos also. In fact, I've known a few mmo players that play sports... and athletes who play consoles, guys who use designer shampoo, women who like action movies, texans who don't wear cowboy hats, dogs that like cats, intillectuals who box, ceos that aren't crooked and lawyers who aren't snakes. Smell lik eltist in here?

Next time I'll make sure to ask you, someone who doesn't have the courtesy to read an entire thread before posting in it (likes to hear themself speak? probobly), if I can play the same game as you. You know, because I'm not exclusively an mmoer... so I shouldn't be here... oops.

[ QUOTE ]
What INSPIRED me to create Weds is simple. I always liked the darker heroines in stories and comics whilst I grew up. I also wanted a professional looking, smart hero. So I created Wednesday. Tragic past, on a mission for revenge. And so on.

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Remember someone asking for details? Let's hear more. Which characters really left a mark on you when you were growing up? Who were your favorite artists or writers that brought ou this sort of fascination? Why exactly would you choose a darker character over a more "traditional" (most characters seem to have dark pasts or presents in books these days) character?

Not exactly stamping, u if you post again maybe I can try harder.


...bit *cough*
who said that?

[ QUOTE ]
OOC: they should have rain coats and trench coats ReVAmp, the only thing is there would be Neo clones runnin around all like "I KNOW KUNG FU" and alot of people like Gambit so there would be alot of people like that too, but they would be sweet

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Two things.
1: The whole thread is ooc so no need for any ooc labels or double parenthesis.
b) I have a feeling trenchcoats and other more "dynamic" costuming weren't included for the same reason we don't have capes right now. Then again it could be something stupid and politically correct... you never really know (unless you're the Shadow). Just remember... they wouldn't have left it out just to prevent you from making a gambit or neo clone (both of which you see everywhere still)... my irrefutable proof of the gods? They added in every aspect of wolverine's costume, you can make a terrifyingly accurate cyclops clone, you can make a power ranger that looks better then the real thing, a 60s version of batman exists out there and, oh yeah, this game is a giant comic book. Just remember, you can pretend to be someone who looks like and is inspired by a copy protected character, but you cannot pretend to be that character... what was I talking about again?

[ QUOTE ]
Character Name: Perlarosero
Server: Liberty
Details: What inspired my creation of Perlarosero was the song Dreamweaver and my childhood in Riverside, California. The lovely process of storytelling and the play of make-believe was still alive in that time; often there were frightening stories of the old mission in the city, and occult rituals taking place there. Also, there was happier stories, such as the invisible castles atop each hill around the city that would only come into being once a century, and only for a week. Perlarosero is a guardian of dreams, and his name is Esperanto for "Pearl Dew" after the Cocteau Twins song, "Pearly Dewdrops Drops".

Dreamweaver is Gary Wright's song, and the Cocteau Twins are a subculture rarity from the eighties, very popular among the alternative crowd back then.

[/ QUOTE ]

Post some links to the songs, or throw down the lyrics themselves, or images of the sheet or... whatever!

[ QUOTE ]
Introducing..

WEDNESDAY

Age: 24
Height: 5'10"
Technology Origin
Assault Rifle / Fire

Deep, dark and fiercely intelligent.. but too cold for most people to approach. Her professionalism is often mistaken for unfriendliness. Wednesday is not an unfriendly girl, she just treats all people as "neutral". She also tends to be sarcastic. Because no one has ever seen her smile, her colleagues often wonder if she even has a heart.

What they don't know, is that beneath her cool exterior she does have feelings. But thanks to a painful history she prefers to keep herself closed in, she tends to stay focused on her objectives.

Wednesday uses the assault rifle with deadly accuracy. It was her keen eye and sharp shooting, her amazing ability to keep her cool in any situation, that granted her the attention of a top ranking general when he was visiting Atlas Park police station. Thanks to general Barnes, Wednesday is now climbing the ranks in a top secret military project, testing new technology enhancements whilst fighting crime.

On the streets, she only comes close to showing emotion when fighting the freakshow - her eyes turn blacker than black and she shows them even less mercy than other opponents. Known only to her is her ultimate objective: shut down the freaks completely, even killing them if need be. Afterall, they took everything from her. Her Mother, her Father, and the only woman she had ever loved. She won't rest until they are completely destroyed.

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and of course.... you completely neglected telling us what inspired you to make this character... and what server you're on... good job not reading the thread kthxbye

[ QUOTE ]
I've been meaning to write out more, but I just haven't had the time...

[/ QUOTE ]
Hurray for honesty! you get a star.

Character Name : Jackson Beojackson aka Galactic Jack
Server : Virtue
Archetype : Natural Controller (illusion/kinetics)
Inspiration : Like I said earlier, the initial inspiration that spurred me to develope the character was the track from Nine Inch Nails' Halo 14 "the fragile": The Wretched.

There is a distinct difference, though, between the inspiration for creating the character and that which lies behind his actual character concept. Jack is, as I hope has been made obvious, an over confident, high profile, seemingly self absorbed playboy. What he hides are his virtues. He is at heart a gentleman, a money moving genius, a caregiver and is actually just as capable as he is "over confident".

Jack's concept was born of a very simple comic book technique. He is everything in genuine that his siblings could never be.

Most stories about a struggle seem to carry two opposites, not necessarily antagonist and protagonist, but similar... I had to think to myself "What is Ivory not? Where Ivory has a character flaw, how can Jack fill it? Where Ivory has a merit, how does Jack come up short? For a brief example, Ivory knows his future, has seen it, fears it but can do nothing but accept the foresight. Jack lives life by the minute; he has no idea what the futre holds for him, lives with little fear whatsoever and couldn't care less. Jack's future is what he makes of it where Ivory's future is set in stone.

Jack's appearance was, in some twisted way, based on my cat .

Slipshod was inspired by PBS!

That's the best thing EVAR with a capital EVAR!

Keep an open mind. When I'm not developing my main character I tend to enjoy playing and doing some rp with my main ALT....

This alt, whos name I wil mention in a moment, has been /ignore d by people before he even opens his mouth... this includes people I know on my main characters, people I roleplay with. (though I RARELY rp publically in game as my two most often played characters are lone wolves.)

n1nj4s3rf3rd3wd is a REAL character!

He has a history, an elaborate story, wants, desires, dreams, motives and a fairly well developed "style".

I suppose... don't judge a book by its... title.

If you would like to add me to your Virtue character f-list, you'll want to look for Ivory, Galactic Jack and... n1nj4s3rf3rd3wd... that's pronounced Ninja Surfer Dude... I am a terrible person.

Those that have been partner to the open roleplay here on the boards may well know that Ivory seems to be a character of immense proportions, not physically but mentally. Some have even been treat to (I deliberately took the story to a certain place for a reason, hey, you expect someoen who posts that long in open RP to be modest or selfless?) a very integral part of his origin. In truth, the album I mentioned was a certain inspiration for the entire "Story of Siblings" encompassing the three characters I continue to try to develope: Galactic Jack, Sei and Ivory.

To elaborate on my character's inspiration, here are a few key lyrics though much is lost without the music.


The Big Come Down: This song brings to mind well the sort of inner struggle Ivory suffers. No, it doesn't explain anything, but the 'feeling' is there.

there is a game i play
try to make myself okay
try so hard to make the pieces all fit
smash it apart just for the *f-word " of it

bye bye oooh
got to get back to the bottom
oooh
the big come down isn't that what you wanted?
oooh
find a place with the failed and forgotten
oooh
isn't that really what you wanted now?

there is no place i can go there is no way i can hide
it feels like it keeps coming from the inside

there is a hate that burns within
the most desperate place i have ever been
try to get back to where i'm from
the closer i get the worse it becomes
the closer i get the worse it becomes

there is no place i can go there is no place i can hide
it feels like it keeps coming from the inside

Into the Void: Perhaps the most 'popular' track on the two disk set, the few lyrics well illustrate the kind of losing fight Ivory suffers within himself as he knowingly tries to win a futile battle to set himself on the right track. If his life were a film, this would roll with the credits.

tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away

talking to myself all the way to the station
pictures in my head of the final destination all lined up
(all the one's that aren't allowed to stay)
tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away

tried to save a place from the cuts and the scratches
tried to overcome the complications and the catches
nothing ever grows and the sun doesn't shine all day
tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away

tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away


The Wretched: This track was, as many may be suprised to find out, the inspiration for Jackson Beojackson (Galactic Jack). It caries a sort of desperate, losing image of some sort of struggle or fall from grace. I havn't elaborated on this part of the story yet, but I will say now writting it has been very hard: I have issues with my typing when I cry.

just a reflection
just a glimpse
just a little reminder
of all the what abouts
and all the might have
could have beens
another day
some other way
but not another reason to continue
and now you're one of us
the wretched

the hopes and prays
the better days
the far aways
forget it

it didn't turn out the way you wanted it to
it didn't turn out the way you wanted it, did it?
it didn't turn out the way you wanted it to
it didn't turn out the way you wanted it, did it?

now you know
this is what it feels like
now you know
this is what it feels like

the clouds will part and the sky cracks open
and god himself will reach his *f-word *ing arm
through
just to push you down
just to hold you down
stuck in this hole with the *s-word * and the piss
and it's hard to believe it could come down to this
back at the beginning
sinking
spinning

and in the end
we still pretend
the time we spend
not knowning when
you're finally free
and you could be (but it didn't turn out the way you wanted it to)
(it didn't turn out quite the way that you wanted it)

now you know
this is what it feels like
now you know
this is what it feels like

what you did was try to stop it ((this line is actually so damn quiet I am nto sure what he says))

now you know
this is what it feels like
now you know
this is what it feels like (you can try to stop it but it keeps on coming)
(you can try to stop it but it)

We're In This Together Now: Following Ivory's few exploits on this very board, it may have become apparent already that he is sort of built of two parts. Gross contempt but also immense potential. Once the two parts were indistinguishable from eachother.

i've become
impossible
holding on to when
when everything seemed to matter more
the two of us (all used)
all used and beaten up
watching fate
as it flows
down the path
we have chose

you and me
we're in this together now
none of them can stop us now
we will make it through somehow

you and me
if the world should break in two
until the very end of me
until the very end of you

awake to the sound
as they peel apart the skin
they pick and they pull
trying to get their fingers in

well they've got to kill what we found
well they've got to hate what they fear
well they've got to make it go away
well they've got to make it disappear

the farther i fall i'm beside you
as lost as i get i will find you
the deeper the wound i'm inside you
for ever and ever i am a part of

you and me
we're in this together now
none of them can stop us now
we will make it through somehow

you and me
if the world should break in two
until the very end of me
until the very end of you

all that we were is gone we have to hold
all that we were is gone we have to hold
when all our hope is gone we have to hold
all that we were is gone but we can hold on

you and me
we're in this together now
none of them can stop us now
we will make it through somehow

you and me
even after everything
you're the queen and i'm the king
nothing else means anything


It's leangthy, but then again...
I know most of us really do love the characters we play. We have all written, begun to write, or made hints to our origins. I think a better understanding and appreciation of other player's characters can come from simply understanding not the story of their life, but the story behind the story.

It seems the thread is somewhat popular... inbetween my last post and my drive home, you have managed to take this thread to almost its second page.

While the majority of my characters are a result of a twisted imagination, wishful thinking and a host of cinimatic and textual refrences, my character concepts often arise from the music I listen to. Sometimes it's the lyrics, sometimes it's simply the music itself.

Character Name: Ivory
Server: Virtue
Archetype: Technology Blaster (rifle, gadget)
Inspiration:

Ivory is perhaps one of the most complicated characters I have ever envisioned. SO much though that writting his origin has become a monumental task I have yet to complete to my own satisfaction. The character's duality, inner battle, daily struggle to persist as a decent human being all while knowing in full that he is a terrible person, that he is indeed condemned and that he is destined to bring nothing but suffering to everything he touches in many ways, come from a slightly skewed interpritation of Nine Inch Nails' album Halo 14 "the Fragile"

I have to get out of here (I'm at work :P) but I'll elaborate later.

For some people, it leaps from their mind like life from nothing: ideas brought together and woven into a cohesive thought, the origon unknown entirely to even the creator. For some, it is artaints, pastels, chalks, inks and stones; the inspiration from which comes another form of expression.

The characters we play are as diverse as we are numerous. What inspired your creation? Why are you playing the character you play? Perhaps you read something in a book, or a newspaper. I vision in the clouds, sun spots or rippling water?

This thread is not for your origin. This thread is for out of character discussion. The question I propose is this: what was your inspiration?

Deatails: we want them.

Was it a painting? Post a link. Perhaps a poem? Give it to us. A paragon image of yourself? Why?

Here's a nice little format to follow, feel free to copy and paste.

Character Name:
Server:
Archetype:
Inspiration:

Brief Explanation or a link to my origin:

Strolling casually down the street, his fists stuffed into his pockets Jackson Beojackson admired the construction wall of plywood papered with his likeness. This heavy investment into the Earth people's food enterprise was a wise decision. In mid stride, his body froze as he passed a flyer carelessly stapled over one of the many likenesses.

Still in mid stride, Galactic Jack took a moment to read it over.

"Hero rights eh? These Earth people get more interesting every day."

Glancing to see the name of the host at the bottom, Galactic Jack nodded to himself and continued his stroll down the streets of Steel Canyon.

*spinning letters*
ELSEWHERE: KINGS ROW!

A calm, unfaltering pace marked the familiar stride of Ivory as he made his way through the streets of Kings Row. Each crosswalk he would instantly reappear on the other side, his pace unchanged. A piece of paper noticeably torn from the top was held in his hands, his gaze intensly fixed.

The paper floated to the ground and blew away with the breeze as its final audience drifted into the forest of projects and complexes.

"Large gathering of heroes. Sounds like a trap."

*spinning letters*
x0m3wh3r 3lx: 0n 4 s3rfb04rd!

ThE M@n in wH1tE 5H0Rt5 4ND M@+Ch1n9 "NiNJ@" m45K 5T4R3D 4+ +3H p4rCHm3Nt 83ForE +UrN1n9 A wIcK3D 1080 B4cKfl1P, bO@rd hU9, D1v3, REVER53 $w4N, bARR3l RoLl oN H15 5UrFB04RD. OH YeAh! I'lL Be +H3r3! 90tT4 R3Pr35EN+ T3h l33T!

Meff guts that guy forever more.

Meff watches from above at the chaos. From a near mile above the thread, he waves both arms in an insultingly dramatic gesture. The heavens crack open and red light pours accross the thread. Poultry and crowbars fall from the sky at impossible speeds, impalling all within the thread's scope by means of clucking death.

The purple squirel menace wiped from the planet, the puse chipmunks reveal their death-o-ray and proceed to obliterate all breathing life with impossible arcs of corruscating recycled paper.

The internet gains conciousness and hijacks the computers of millions of horney teenagers to become "Ult1m4n3rd!!!!11". As the fourty thousand mile tall mass of tower cases and cold cathode lights moves to crush and maim all n00bx0rz, moononites pull down the internet's pants and spank it with moon rocks.

Meff quickly dies from being bludgeoned to death by his earlier rain of crowbars. He tumbles from the sky and craters in the back storage warehouse of "Propane World", sending a cloud of flame and smoke rising into the sky above the thread.

((Oh yeah, Meff is thrusting in the direction of the problem.)

"Listen," Ivory finally spoke up after the awkward silence, "It isn't hopeless." Ivory pointed his finger at a blot on the map. "This is the collapsed portion of the tunnel the Column cleared last month. Cynergetic's satalites suggest the entire are is unstable. A little shake and we can force the entire section to collapse, not just the small portion the city blew in years ago."

Ivory leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest.

"The trapped area between the collapse they are clearing and the collapse we could create has surface access at only two points which means Paragon PD could pick up the exiting soldier without any issue. Their machines will be all tied up in clearing so once that section is clear they no longer have their equipment as a bonus." Ivory leaned forward, the dim light in the room glinting off the corner of his glasses as a sly smile came accross the man's perfectly shaped face. "If we time it at a shift change, we can trap their only train in the same tunnel as their equipment."

"No access to their base, months worth of rubble clearing in both directions and a limited exit route. If we can pull it off, there will be minimal loss of life and we don't even have to mop up, we can leave that to the blue suites."

Ivory shut his briefcase after removing a small, folded piece of paper. Standing to his feet, Ivory placed the folded parchment on the coffee table and took his briefcase into his hand.

"I could handle the situation on my own with ease." Ivory spoke as he walked twords the door to the room. "But it seems to me you might want a stake in this." An obvious tinge of dishonesty, a misleading undertone so cold it could chill spines accompanied his last words.

As Ivory opened the door to exit, Contact unfolded the piece of paper. A list of heavy explosives graced the page in clean fanciful handwriting. The list was heavy and the items were of incredible quality. At the bottom was a number labled 'estimate cost of operation'.

Contact's head snapped tword Ivory as he began to disappear into the blue light he had come to associate with Ivory's coming and going. "You must be joking."

He knew the answer before he let the question slip from his lips.

Galactic Jack flips off his 280 inch ultra slim high defenition lcd with the flick of his wrist. The annoyed frown quickly disappears as he glances out the window of his corner penthouse in Galaxy City and watches a PTA bus go by, the advertisement on the side printed with his likeness.

"City of Gyros, your premier gyro destination!"