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- Creating Original Fan Characters
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| Creating Original Fan Characters; A Guide to the Previously Stated | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 8 2008, 05:51 PM (4,460 Views) | |
| Lil Avii | May 8 2008, 05:51 PM Post #1 |
Home for the Holidays
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How to Fashion a Good Sonic Character – One Method A Guide for those Creatively Challenged - by the Avid Dreamer Hello This is a guide for making well-crafted, creative fan characters for the SEGASonic© fandom. The intent is to help and teach fans some dos, don’ts, tips, and tricks relating to the character creation process. This is by no means the supreme guide, nor does the Dreamer claim to showcase the most practical creation method(s). Please, enjoy. Let’s Get Started The Dreamer as heard many (including herself) say, “I just can’t think up a good character!” Nine times out of ten, you’re not going to just sit there, muse, and come up with the end-all character of characters. Oftentimes, ideas start with an inspiration: a catalyst for creativity. Admit it, if you have a few characters, at least one was thought up while you read or watched or heard some form of media and decided “Hey! That’s cool!” Creating things is easy when you have something to draw from, isn’t it? It’s definitely a good way to start off a character, but it has it’s faults; if you find some factor in some media interesting, odds are others have as well, and odds are still that they may create a Character X just like your Character Y. It’s fairly unavoidable. Elemental characters are often good examples of how a single shared idea- fire, for example- can create overwhelming similarities. How many pyro-kinetic characters have spiky up-do hair, a brash attitude, and an overwhelming amount of red-and-orange in their features or attire? There is a word for this; it’s spelled C-L-I-C-H-É. (The Dreamer humbly apologizes if the above example has offended you or your pyro-kinetic. That being said, if the Dreamer just correctly profiled your character, you need this guide or another of equal merit.) The first step to making a character is to avoid Cliché. This step repeats itself alongside every other step in the creation process, for there is always room for hackneyed ideas. Sometimes, you may not, within your own creative limits, be able to avoid a little bit of overused something. That’s okay; no one is perfect or perfectly original, and anyone who claims to be can come see the Dreamer. Rhetorical challenge aside, the main idea in this is that you should, within all power, avoid overused factors. Even if a drop of cliché runs onto your creative masterpiece, the remaining originality should dwarf it to nothingness, or you can bend it into something original. In terms of rooting out cliché, you may want to check with someone to see if they think ability X, name Y, or species Z is overused. Asking another person frees your project from its creator’s personal bias. Now that we’ve gotten over that hurtle, we’ll move onto the next step. The Dreamer would like you to take a look at something: Sonic the Hedgehog: speed, cool, carefree; Wind Dr. Robotnik: evil, intelligence, humor; Mad Miles “Tails” Prower: intelligence, sidekick, innocence; Curiosity Knuckles the Echidna: strength, fury, aggression; Power Amy Rose: pink, spirited, innocence: Girlishness Shadow the Hedgehog: power, danger, indiscretion; Volatile Rouge the Bat: sly, secretive, alluring; Spy You’re looking at the main cast of characters for the SEGASonic© Universe. Next to them are three general words that characterize them (notice some repeat). Bolded are single, specific words that wrap up that entire individual. These characters share something in their creation; every part of them (as they are, now) was worked around a central theme or idea. In my opinion, the best way to create a Sonic character is to build them from a theme; official characters all have their own themes, and you’re trying to make a character that fits the world. It’s not enough to be original, no; how well can you take that original idea and weave it so tightly into the character that he becomes the very embodiment of that concept? How symbolic, how witty can you make him? The second step is to choose a theme. So here’s what you do: brainstorm. Throw out as many ideas and concepts as you can. Write down- yes, write- every idea you can, no matter how realistic or far-fetched. Chose totally different concepts, or let them branch from each other. There’s almost nothing you can’t write down: emotions, colors, occupations, activities, random nouns, random adjectives, interesting anythings. Stick to things that interest you, not what everyone else thinks is cool, and avoid references to established media or concepts, for now. Search the web. Go on Wikipedia and hit random links; whatever you find that interests you, log it. You can even base your character off the lyrics of a song (while minding cliché, of course).
When you’re tired of that odyssey, you can check over your list, what in it appeals to you? What seems broad enough to build a whole character on? Which seems least used? These three questions can help you choose a topic. This method also works if you have an idea and want to expand it or narrow it down. The Dreamer is going to take RFMD’s list and go with “Gods.” The Dreamer is well aware that making a god character is wrong on a lot of levels, but the Dreamer has assured herself that the end result will not be as bad as she or her reader is thinking. Remember, you can take cliché and warp it so well that no one ever realizes the mutant products’ origin. It’s a bit tricky to do, but it can be done. Once you have a basic theme, look into it. Read about it. The Dreamer read into “gods,” specifically Celtic gods, and found something interesting in the matter of Loki. He was the God of Fraud and a menace to almost every other mythical Celtic being, able to shapeshift at will. While reading about your theme, it is good to jot down any idea inspired from your research, in case you lose them further down the line. Step three in this menagerie is to build your character from the theme. Remember, just as Sonic and Wind are synonymous in almost every aspect, your character should be metaphorical of your theme. Entwine every detail of your new person with the idea you chose. The references don’t have to be literal; sure a character revolving around bombs may have a fuse and shell for a necklace, but what if she had an explosive personality, snapping at a moments notice? What if her hair spread out like a starburst, or curled and puffed like smoke? Get even deeper than that; what if she was fickle, easily excitable? What if she was slim like a stick of TNT, or he was round like a grenade? Do they move in quick burst of speed? Hiss? Are they obsessive-compulsive? No-nonsense? Of course, the Dreamer doesn’t mean for you to think up your character point blank. Make a plan for yourself, or use a character template:
Every aspect of that sheet can be influenced by your theme. Every part has a role to play in embodying that theme. The most important of all is the name; it is the first thing anyone will read of your character, and it can make or break him. Let’s take a look at Sonic Team’s name choices. Sonic: Directly referencing Sonic’s speed, obviously. Not too long. Not too short. Very strong, yet simple. Perfect for the blue blur! Dr. Robotnik/Eggman: Plays right off the mad scientist theme! Robotnik means worker and also references his skill in robots and technology. Miles “Tails” Prower: A pun on speed terminology. If you haven’t noticed, “Miles Prower” sounds like “Miles Per Hour.” Tails is a direct reference to the fox’s twin tails. Miles is a very tame, elegant name, and though the canine may not be classy, his knowledge is plenty refined. Amy Rose: Girlish and Flowery. ‘Nuff said. Rose reflects on her red attire, and roses also have thorns. The apparently sweet girl has piercing voice and horrific temper. The Dreamer’s character is based off Loki; she could choose to simply call her character ‘Loki’ or make the reference more subtle. Locke, perhaps? Be creative with your character’s name. The Dreamer thinks every name should reference his quality or theme, though many argue that characters should have realistic first and last names, since parents cannot discern the quality of their children at naming. Whatever. If you want to be realistic in a non-realistic world, go ahead. At least make a reference in a nickname. Age is one of the trickiest aspects to work with, simply because there is no age that isn’t cliché. Many fans choose to have their characters as teens or young adults. This is understandable; they themselves are often young, and the official characters are young. Some want extremely young or old characters that look and-or act like teens. The Dreamer has to take a moment to let the jibblies run down her spine. Please. Please. PLEASE do not make your character “really old but looks to be in the lower two-digits.” If only one age-group could be cliché, it would be the “really-old-but”s. Make your character fit their age- spirit, god, or otherwise. There are very impressive exceptions to this, Tikal being one of them. But, what-ho? Despite millennia encased in a frikkin’ emerald, Tikal is still listed as, what? Twelve! Not “2000 but looks twelve.” Twelve. One glued to two. Six times two. The square root of one-hundred-and-forty-four. The number of periods in these last two paragraphs. Go ahead and count. The Dreamer is done ranting. She decided that her character, Locke, will be mischievous 15. Loki was a prankster and an annoyance, so the Dreamer felt it necessary to make the character a carefree age with little responsibility. You should really analyze your character before aging them; heck, you could wait until you do his or her history, as history is the one thing really reliant on age. Personality can be, and often is, subject to age, but maturity can extend beyond or before years. For instance; the Dreamer aged Shadow to be between seventeen and twenty. That hellish scream you heard a few months ago when the Sonic Channel updated Shadow’s bio? That was the author of this guide. Sex is probably the least-most cliché aspect of a character, simply because there aren’t many choices. Male, female, androgynous, and hermaphrodite are all that this uncreative author can think of, and if you think of more than that, The Dreamer applauds you on your creativity but also, politely, doesn’t want to know. Be careful, though a character’s sex isn’t overly cliché, the characteristics you attach to it can be! You may want to choose a name after choosing sex. Locke is so totally a girl. Though Loki is male, he could and did shapeshift into a female. He even gave birth on multiple occasions! Loki is also not a very masculinity-oriented God. He did not fight, wrestle with the big guys, wield weapons, or do other manly things you’d think a God would do back then. He just kind of chilled and turned into women and gave birth and stuff. This guide will continue when the Dreamer recovers from being struck by a lightning bolt. Species, however, is a very important part of your character. Though it rarely makes a character, it very often breaks one instantly and entirely. You should base your character’s species off of his other traits and theme and avoid cliché. Official species such as hedgehogs, hedgehogs, hedgehogs, hedgehogs, foxes, and definitely echidnas should be avoided. The Dreamer isn’t sure why echidnas exist at all, considering Knuckles is the last of his kind. But, the Dreamer digresses. She wants you to think outside the box. Research species, and make them fit. In a previous example, a character based around bombs would do well to be of a species associated with fire or heat. A dalamander or desert lizard would work well. Also, since black powder is thought to have originated in China or Asia, a Chinese or Asian animal would also fit. Since Loki is Celtic and Celtic is Norse and Norse is Icelandic, the Dreamer decided to choose from animals from that region. After a bit of research, the Dreamer concluded that there are no animals in Iceland. Moving on. The Dreamer actually found that artic foxes and minks take up residence on the lonely island, but she will stretch her search to weasels, those crafty creatures. Locke the Weasel-.. oh wait a second.. Goshdarnit, Nack! So, Locke the Polecat-who-is-actually-a-Weasel. Great. Physical Appearance. PA deals with your characters biological traits. What color is his fur? Eyes? Does he have noticeable features? A peculiar hairstyle? Does he have a different color scheme, or carry the natural pelt of his species? Though your aesthetic creativity shines in this area, you should also remember to tie in your theme and, again, avoid cliché. Finding your character’s color scheme is pretty fun; make the colors bright and clash for a hyper, happy individual, or make them monotone and dark for calm, contemplative, characters. Let his appearance fit his personality, as well, which means you should probably save this part for one of the last. Avoid color schemes that mimic official characters, and for the love of Shadow don’t use black-and-red stripe patterns even if your character is neither hedgehog nor male. Recolor has a twin; his name is Respecies. If you must have a hedgehog, avoid common quill styles. Fox fan characters should avoid three-point bangs and multiple tails. Echidna-characters should go easy on spike knuckles and white crescents. Essentially, if you can describe your character by saying “has (insert feature here) like (insert character here),” you need to rethink your design. Attire goes hand-in-hand with physical appearance, and really doesn’t need a whole paragraph. Some tips would be to give the character clothing unique to his or his species’ place of origin (a polar bear wearing a parka, for instance). A common theme in Sonic characters is that they all have at least a pair of gloves and shoes, but even those small articles are unique to each individual. Of course, don’t forget to tie your theme in. This is really where said idea can take shape and color, so go get as much symbolism into them fibers as possible! Avoid giving your character clothes identical or even similar to Official characters. Recolor and Respecies have a twin. It’s called Refashion! Personality is another cliché magnet, so you should be careful. Unless psychotic (which surprisingly isn’t used much), your character’s actions should have rhyme and reason to them. A villain is villainous for a reason; he just doesn’t walk around and rob a country of its gold supply or murder a random person on the street just for the fun of it. This is where you give your character some depth; make your reader really attach to and understand them. This section defines how your character will act- the walk he’ll walk and the talk he’ll talk; it breathes life into what has since just been an inanimate picture. Does your character have trust issues, or is he open to everyone? Does he start conversation, happily contribute, shyly enter, or avoid speech at all costs? Is he smart? Dumb? How smart? How dumb? How does he treat strangers, friends, enemies? Is he forgiving or resentful? What are his philosophies in life? What’s his motto? If one word could describe your character, which would it be? Does he fit a social class? This is the place to flesh out your creation; don’t leave him anorexic! Again, consider your theme while imagining your character’s personality. A bomb-throwing pyrokinetic panda may be pacifist until disturbed, a dud, or filled with sparks of life. He may be passionate like fire. He may not be very levelheaded. He may be open to strangers and able to mingle with anyone, but said persons may not be able to hang with him for long. Locke’s back. She’s a sly individual, calm and surreptitious as not to attract attention. Though she may seem a bit dense, behind those half-lit eyes is a calculating machine, said fact manifesting itself in the complex pranks she strings for unsuspecting or suspecting victims. Though others may have problems with her, she’s fairly accepting of most people around her, holding no one in higher or lower regards than anyone else (there are a few exceptions to that rule- namely, family and close friends). She may let anyone walk up to her, but that doesn’t mean she trusts them. She’s a thief, and she knows just how problematic trust can be; a single detail can lead to imprisonment for herself, her family, and-or her friends, so even her lightest secrets barely pass to another soul’s ears. These facts don’t stop her from enjoying herself around complete strangers, however, and the young polecat is quick to make the acquaintance of, and hang out with, just about anyone. She does have some loyalty issues though; thieves don’t pledge fealty to many. Some are cutthroat to the very end. Locke isn’t so bad; her loyalties lie with her family, and though she would help her friends any day, she’d just as easily forsake them if it were to the benefit of her kin. At least, that’s what said kin would expect. In truth, Locke has been exposed to more outside morals than her family would appreciate, and she constantly teeters on the fence between the Yard of Righteousness and the Lawn of Gratification. This mental vacillation has lead her to a bit of hypocrisy; she detests other forms of crime and will play vigilante if the scene and circumstances are right. All in all, Locke is someone great for hanging out and poor for confiding in. She’s gaining more independence with age and is still working on separating her free thoughts and feelings from her family’s expectations. Abilities are also fun, treacherous cliff faces. Abilities can be anything from household skills to occupational talents to battle prowess. Many fan characters are honed around battle ability with little else going for them, and they all can’t fight as an occupation. Of course, this is true for Official characters as well; Shadow, Rouge, and the Chaotix are the only characters with stable jobs, and those manage to involve some form of combat, at that. Tails has skills that are useful outside of fights, as well. But that’s okay. We don’t care what they do when the cartridge or CD isn’t in the system. Our characters, however, exist on a day-to-day basis, so the need for skills and aptitude is a bit more of a requirement. Giving your character homely abilities along with battle wit makes them more realistic and may boost their likeability, but even so, realism isn’t a requirement in the world of Sonic! What you’re aiming for in abilities is creativity, fairness, and zero drama! By “zero drama,” the Dreamer means that your character doesn’t have to have some Omega Phi Zeta Ultima move that they unleash as a last hope. That is definitely overused, and often abused, as a failsafe for winning even the paltriest of battles in roleplays, and though it may make a flashy ending and win to a battle, it’s very cheap. Look at what Sonic and Shadow have as attacks and powers- …okay, the Super form thing may be a bit “Last Chance”-ish. Speaking of super forms, though it’s nice that your character can grab seven emeralds of varying power and go super when the need calls, it’s really unneeded. It undermines the abilities of the official cast. Sonic’s really nobody if anybody can grab those shiny gems and best him at killing World Destroying Monster A. Speaking of undermining official characters, don’t do that. If there’s one thing the Dreamer hates in a character, it’s when he’s “(insert adjective)-er than (insert character that is hailed to be the best in terms of said adjective)” or even remotely able to keep up with them. It destroys the purpose of the main cast in favor of, face it, insignificant fan characters. Let the cast members have their bragging rights, and don’t have your character try to give them a run for their money in holding said Village Name. As a general rule, if you can compare your character to an official cast member in describing ability, you need to take a breather and scrap that crap. Leave the competition for Sonic Team to create. They do a much better job of it. Moving from the don’ts, let’s go on to the dos. Do use your theme to create abilities for your character. What connotations or feelings emerge when thinking of the theme? Sometimes, your chosen theme can manifest directly into a power, ability, etc. The Bomb-oriented Oriental Panda Dude with a round bomb-belly and pacifist attitude? He could use bombs as weapons. His melee attacks may pack a punch, and he may be an overall strength-centered brawler. A character based on in-line skating could move quickly, but have very weak melee attacks that are counterbalanced with the fact that he can attack in speedy combos. He could also be acrobatic and very balanced. Of course, your character doesn’t have to be a CQC fighter or a fighter at all. Themes and battle ability could manifest into strategic prowess, magical skill, defense/healing/support, or general fail at anything dealing with having to hurt another individual. Also, your character doesn’t have to be built or programmed to fight, but may have comedic or arbitrary moves drawn from their theme. A gardener may throw needle-sharp rose stalks, or a fisher may strike with her rod or catch people with her net. It doesn’t mean they spent years training in a dojo or target range. In this case, moves are often light add-ons to supplement the character and portray his theme. The Dreamer actually enjoys these types of characters. Yes she does. Locke is a special little kid. Like her inspiration, she is able to transform her physical appearance and attire at will, which is especially useful for sneaking around restricted-access areas. The girl can even take on the visage of another person, though any abilities of the duplicated character are not retained, and she must first come in contact with the individual or have direct, unbroken, visual contact for a time. The girl is also an exceptional climber and has very good balance, able to scale walls, lines, and other objects in order to reach her destination or target. Being a general nuisance, her fighting strategy is centered on baiting the enemy until they tire, often taking their form and jumping around, avoiding attacks. Once the opponent is thoroughly tucked out, she makes her move. Locke carries a collapsible, weighted pole that she uses for high-wire balancing and striking enemies. Simple, no? When you keep things simple, fair, and absent drama, like the official characters, your character’s likeability is more likely to increase. Try to keep abilities consistent with character. If our explosion-embodiment of a panda is dim, he won’t have the best ability at strategizing, or at least coming up with sure-fire strategies on the spot. History is a big cliché catcher. The Dreamer admits it; she often hates thinking up and writing out a long boring biography for her characters. Maybe it’s because most official characters don’t have pasts. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t like writing. Whatever the case, she hates it. But for the sake of you all, the Dreamer will do something in the way of explaining the ins and outs of history. The history section is, point-blank, the place to explain the whys and hows of your character. It’s a way to put “in character” meaning to the theme you used around your character. Why is he so brave, rebellious, or well-meaning? Where and why did he learn to fight? What about his family; are they influential? Where did he pick up his ideals or morals? Did something odd happen in his life? Was his life normal? If personality is where you flesh out your character, history is where you flesh them out even further (what, you thought the Dreamer was going to say something witty?). People often use history as the “emo-making field.” Many fans are quick to give their characters somber, depressing, unsettling, or generally negative backgrounds. This can be for many reasons; some want readers to sympathize and therefore like the character, others need an outlet for their character to be dark, emo, or mysterious. Some, yet, just want an interesting background, and dark, suspenseful situations are a great way to make a background flashy. While some excitement, plot, strife, or adversity is good for a history (it actually does build character when executed correctly), loading it down with melancholy events only makes it and its subject bland and uncreative. Find otherways to keep readers glued to the history. You can give your character obstacles and excitement in his life without downright breaking his spirit or throwing him into a spiraling plummet into depression. While it’s fresh in her mind, the Dreamer would like to note that killing off your character’s whole or immediate family is unacceptable. This plot element has been done to obnoxiousness; if you want your character to be independent, have him leave home on good terms, or okay terms. Let him be given the chance to travel. Do something to get him away from his family and on his own in some way that doesn’t involve brutally or humanely euthanizing his family or friends. If you need him to have a cause to fight behind, try to stay away from vengeance. Of course, the Dreamer enjoys reading about how characters had normal births and childhoods. The official characters do fine without histories at all; the Dreamer doesn’t see why extravagant novella’s are needed. As always, there are exceptions. Long, well thought out histories, when written right, are joys to read and are boosts to the character. If you can do it, more power to you, but don’t think you have to. Don’t get comfortable with quick histories, either. Short biographies can be too short and blank for the character’s good, and leave the reader asking, “that’s it?” A good way to write a history is to pre-plan it, pick out the important or turning points, and focus on them, only briefly touching on the life in between. Important points would be events that caused a dramatic change to the character or his environment (family, friends, location). Detail these events. Skim others. This should cut back on the length of the history while not making it too brief. The history/biography section is also where you can place any information about his family and its history, but you must remember; it’s about your character, not his blood; include only family tidbits that deal specifically with him, and make it brief, at that. If you want to include a back story of his family, make a miscellaneous section to the profile. The final step in creating your character is pruning. Go through his new profile, read it a few times. Improve on what you can improve on. Send it to an objective person you can trust not to steal, and have him or her look over it. Prepare for some potentially harsh criticism on the return, but remember it’s all for the best. Don’t be disheartened if Original Character A isn’t as spectacular or original as you thought; give him a big hug and throw him back on the drawing board. Or ask for help. Pruning is a continuous process; every time you submit a character to an RPG, the criteria involved changes; some role-plays may want more, some may want less. Some may want more details such as likes, dislikes, family and friends, and enemies. Whatever is asked for, if you stick to your theme and keep things consistent you should be able to handle the extra tasks! All in all, the character creation process, or at least the good-character creation process, is a lengthy and complex one, but when care, thought and time are given to a project, it generally turns out better. With this method, you have a chance to create a character that is indisputably your own: one that you can be proud to call your own, that no one can give you any flak about. The Dreamer hopes this lengthy guide has given you some inspiration or help. She’ll be adding more to this little project, and look out for a full profile of Locke (and maybe Mr. Panda Bomb). If this guide helps you, please pass it along to your friends! Questions, comments, and concerns are welcome! Thank you and good night! ----- Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are © Sonic Team, SEGA This Guide, Locke the Polecat, and Panda Bomb, and all other character examples are © 2008 Avid Dreamer. Disputes as to authorship can be resolved by contacting the Dreamer at “aviddreaming(a)gmail.com” Unauthorized copies of this guide are strictly prohibited. If you’ve happened upon this and would like to display it on your website, please contact the Dreamer at the above address, “LilAvii” at sonicblast.org, or “Dakoter A.” at Sonic Aftermath RPG forums, or "Avid Dreamer" at Technoguild GDB. Neither of the aforementioned forums is owned by this author and is property of its respective owners. Edited by Lil Avii, May 14 2014, 09:09 PM.
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| Lil Avii | May 8 2008, 05:51 PM Post #2 |
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Home for the Holidays
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=D Place Holder for Tips and Tricks List. |
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Sorry for my ridiculously long posts all the time! 8P Avii's Famous Last Words: Cos, If you are reading this message, then I have literally dug myself into a hole from which I cannot escape, and desperately need someone to /tp to. It's... It's dark and... I think there's something down here with me. So cold. Starving... " PS: I was digging an accessway straight down to the new tunnel. My calculations were off. I seem to have hit bedrock...." PPS: I can't see the sky from here... - Avii, Playing Minecraft with survival teammates | |
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| Lord Master of Darkness™ | May 8 2008, 06:35 PM Post #3 |
 
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Dude, I'm liking this ^^ the only major issue I have is that pruning bit... I prefer to take the raw character and throw them into a situation, see how it works out, and edit that way. Sure, it might not work for a dedicated roleplay forum, but for general fanfics I like my method. I mean, look at Teh Lilac One now  he's awesome as I've developed his character.Back on topic. This has MoD's Seal Of Approval. Please read and use ^^ |
 Click to go to my YouTube channel - now over 1,200 subscribers! The Gaming MoD - a blog about gaming, by the Master of Darkness. Other links!
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| Rai | May 9 2008, 05:26 PM Post #4 |
Launch Base Act 2
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This is damned useful! This topic has gotten me so motivated I've decided to request a quick scann and judge of my character Rai's profile. I'm planning on changing it some time and maybe you can help me get less craptastic. http://sonicblast.org/index.php?showtopic=9219&hl= |
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| Lil Avii | May 9 2008, 06:25 PM Post #5 |
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Home for the Holidays
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=D Avii the Fanchar Critic will take the case! For others interested; a sample:
=P Coming to a Fanchar Bio near you. Ereki © 2008 DJ Fl0ofy |
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Sorry for my ridiculously long posts all the time! 8P Avii's Famous Last Words: Cos, If you are reading this message, then I have literally dug myself into a hole from which I cannot escape, and desperately need someone to /tp to. It's... It's dark and... I think there's something down here with me. So cold. Starving... " PS: I was digging an accessway straight down to the new tunnel. My calculations were off. I seem to have hit bedrock...." PPS: I can't see the sky from here... - Avii, Playing Minecraft with survival teammates | |
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| Rai | May 9 2008, 07:31 PM Post #6 |
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Launch Base Act 2
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Will I be left in suspense? What is the judgement on my little Dragon char? |
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| Lord Master of Darkness™ | May 9 2008, 07:53 PM Post #7 |
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Yo Avii, do the same to Quartz ^^ you should know him well enough to rip me to pieces
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Click to go to my YouTube channel - now over 1,200 subscribers! The Gaming MoD - a blog about gaming, by the Master of Darkness. Other links!
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| Hoffman | May 9 2008, 08:09 PM Post #8 |
Guitarist
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Great guide, LilAvii. Lengthy, possibly tiring to read through it all (but worth it), and it covers a lot of important stuff. As an RP and Sonic fancharacter-makin' veteran myself, I think it's really useful for people who are new to the Sonic fancharverse (or needs tips). Hoff seal of approval'd! d('_'d) Random note: Sometimes I wonder if I'm even that good at all. Can I really consider myself a veteran? D; |
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THE HOFFMAN STILL LIVES (MAINLY BECAUSE HE'S DONE UNIVERSITY AND HAS NOTHING ELSE TO DO DURING THE SUMMER) | |
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| Lil Avii | May 9 2008, 09:48 PM Post #9 |
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Home for the Holidays
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Rai the Sky Dragon Rai; Rai, Rai, Rai... Rai is quite obviously a character that was given thought and time. From his appearance to his history, Rai presents a very consistent theme throughout. This arrogant, cocky character is powerful, mentally and physically and, despite his unorthodox visage, portrays characteristically draconic features. The character is arrogant, and the royalty-associated-purple coloration hints at his high-and-mighty, egotistic views. A 'crown' of horns adds to the overall feeling of sovereignty. A lack of attire leaves the commanding features in the center of focus. Again reflecting on his species, Rai is given a legendary background, invoking a sense of deeper power below the surface. Rai also has a personal plot and mystery surrounding him, which adds to the overall appeal of the character. At this point, Rai seems very well crafted. Themes repeat and generally work well. However, the drake does have his faults; ultimately and unfortunately, it is the dragon's complexity that pulls him from an A-class idea to a less prestigious creation. The character begins to feel overloaded with glamorous ability and history while other areas, such as personality and weakness, are neglected. Though the description of personality is short, it summarizes the dragon's disposition very thoroughly; Rai is, as was said, arrogant, thinking not only highly of himself but lowly of others. Though there's nothing wrong with the section, a deeper look into the character, or an explanation as to why he acts as he does would definately not hurt. Rai's personality, though fitting of such a proud creature as a dragon, feels hurriedly chosen and, not to mention, is overused; this combination generally takes the character down. Something as simple as an explanation for his personality would ultimately negate any "cliche'" connotations. Where personality may be a bit lacking, Rai's battle statistics are stuffed. Rai seems too strong without much going against him; he flies, controls wind, breathes fire and acid, can see through illusion, gains boosts while battling, has an impressive apnea tolerance, and can absorb electricity. He isn't extensively effected by elemental moves. This resume of power is overwhelming, to the point where it seems that Rai was given as many relative moves as possible. The potential themes of "Sky Dragon" and "Speed" are almost lost under the pile of skill; even move names relating to dragons seem tacked on. The battle section- Strengths, Weaknesses, Skills/Abilities, and Attacks- needs extensive revision. The History section is also shaky. Again, Rai seems too complex. Though the backstory is creative and flowing, it is so all-encompassing that it limits the character. Rai's origin depends on universal acceptance of other concepts- such as the Beast, Yggdrasil, alternate dimensions, and the S.D.U.- concepts that may not work in the setting of roleplays, or the official SEGASonic(tm) universe. Such a backstory would do well to be stand-alone in an original narrative, rather than a adaptation to an established world. Still, the link to Rai seems choppy, at best. It isn't explained what truly happened during the Basilisk's final battle, nor is it clear whether Rai is at conflict with the Beast or if the two share common beliefs in destruction. Overall, Rai seems like a diamond in the rough, covered by all manner of unhelpful extra. He can shine like a gem; you just have to get past the dull rock, and there's quite a bit of it. Always there to help if you decide to switch him around a bit =3. |
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Sorry for my ridiculously long posts all the time! 8P Avii's Famous Last Words: Cos, If you are reading this message, then I have literally dug myself into a hole from which I cannot escape, and desperately need someone to /tp to. It's... It's dark and... I think there's something down here with me. So cold. Starving... " PS: I was digging an accessway straight down to the new tunnel. My calculations were off. I seem to have hit bedrock...." PPS: I can't see the sky from here... - Avii, Playing Minecraft with survival teammates | |
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| Lord Bowie | May 9 2008, 11:43 PM Post #10 |
What is the difference between a duck?
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Hmm, If you have the time could you do one for whichever of my characters that you choose, I would rather be surprised by the choice and read what you have to say rather than tell you which. I know its already linked in my sig, but this means you wont have to scroll as far down
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Saff Profile // Kam Profile // Sadistic Profile Stop by my art thread ----------------------------------------------- SUPER DA PAGE WARNING: Above Post May Contain Sarcastic/Harsh/Stupid/Offensive/Idiotic/Blasphemous Content. Deal With It. ______________ What's the difference between a champion and a challenger.. a challenger is trying to become, a champion became. | |
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| Rai | May 10 2008, 10:59 AM Post #11 |
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Launch Base Act 2
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Thank you this means alot to me and is a big help. I knew my character is a bit too much for even myself to handle, so many abilities merged into him I could certainly use some help simplifying him. |
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| Haro | May 10 2008, 06:12 PM Post #12 |
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"Hmph."-In slow motion
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Lil, mind rating? You're like, the best rater I've seen thus far. If not allowed I'll delete the post. |
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| Katsuko | May 10 2008, 08:53 PM Post #13 |
Sandopolis Act 1
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*pinned for merit* |
 <3 All you need is love <3 | |
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| Dominican Stats | Jun 14 2008, 06:17 AM Post #14 |
All Hail Orange!
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I got something to say about this that I found really not good... About the age, so what if someone makes a character extremely old, if the dreamer wants him to go fast than he can you cannot say that you don't want them to do that because this isn't real life, it's fantasy, so basically anything could happen like a squirrel that has a lab under tree which is well prepared for world domination XP So yeah... that is all I find that in wrong here, there is if and buts, if you are the dreamer and you want a old guy than so be so have him because I'll find it great to see a old wise man able to do stuff like that xD Another thing, it doesn't matter what species one uses, what matters is the creativity that you do for him... |
 Jeremiah Gottwald Stats: 50% Human 50% Machine 200% Loyalty Sig and avi is made by CAPTAIN FAB-U-LOUS | |
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| Lady BlizShadow | Jun 14 2008, 08:49 AM Post #15 |
I still can't use this.
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Uhh, she can say what she wants them to do regarding any matter because that's the whole entire point of a guide: you're guiding someone based on your own knowledge, thus telling them what you want them to do.... =/ Anyways, this guide is for creating a well-put together fan character, and doing so involves avoiding common cliche's, including misrepresenting ages and certain types of species. It doesn't matter if it's fantasy or not. It matters if it's been done 15 billion times when there are other, more creative options. After all, we already have four hedgehogs in the series with one of them actually using the "misrepresenting age" cliche'. If someone decides to use these same devices for their own character, especially if they don't add any depth to them, then why exactly should they be called original on the grounds? |
 Because staff made me do it. =P Art Topic ~ Drawing Tutorial ~ The Seven Chaos Forum | |
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