"Original characters"

[Danger_Girl]

On 2006-07-12 21:24, TheyCallMeJoe wrote:
Oooh....Sorry, I assumed you were discussing PSO FanWorks exclusively. And would you mind helping a noobie out and telling him what DA is . I'm a culture fool lol.

http://www.deviantart.com/

[CupOfCoffee]

AzureBlaze, wow. This is really cool. I had no idea you'd actually published a how-to fanfiction book. Can I get an Amazon link or something? I'd like to check that out.

On 2006-07-12 21:26, AzureBlaze wrote:
I do mind them when they're waaaay OOC (in this case out of context, not out of char) Like guys with billions of stupid powers you don't get in the game, like your girl can run as fast as The Flash and use her psychic powers to throw people across the room, designs you can't possibly get in the game, like your guy is a transformers helicopter but somehow gets into the hunter guild and no one notices.
Why?
Because it busts up the context of the game story. It makes it feel unreal and that it doesn't belong in PSO. It also screams "Mary Sue" and becomes a front for boasting about yourself/avatar.

As I was reading this I was nodding and grinning furiously, but then I realized that it depends more on the author for me.

In theory, I agree absolutely with the idea of a completely out of context character being a bad idea, especially in a scope so narrow as PSO. However, if done correctly, an "unnatural" character can actually be really entertaining. Even if they've got stupid powers or other things that break story parameters left and right, I don't mind so long as the character isn't about their powers. If the writing paints the character through their personality and reactions to various events rather than how many boomas they psychically slammed into the wall, I think OOC can actually be a quirky, endearing quality.

Take the movie Pirates of the Caribbean, for instance. While the story seems to take place on Earth, in Europe no less, the occasional sea monster or skeleton seems to freak out no one at all. Tarantino has a few more examples like that--the briefcase in Pulp Fiction, the contents of which are never revealed, is another slightly supernatural item in an otherwise grounded plot, but it seems to work.

Hopefully that all made as much sense on paper (screen?) as it did in my head, haha. Anyway, yeah. I like this discussion.

Oh, and I hope you do read my story, DangerGirl. *grin* I'm working on the next chapter right now.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: CupOfCoffee on 2006-07-12 23:02 ]</font>

[HUnewearl_Meira]

Being an author myself, not just of fan fiction, but of speculative fiction as well, original characters are fairly important to me. I've got quite a host, thus far; from Sir Evanoroth, the honorable Knight who contrasts with the pirate Captain Serbin, to my embellished Sci-Fi wonderboy, Jube Acinonyx.

Also being a world builder, I find myself drowning in the need for original characters. My game world, Guardians & Demons is filled with them. Hicarno Delfine, Eschard Zeta, Atus Nytix, Ackrazor, Tyran, Seiraph, Psymalocus, Grommet Aldredge, Krimesh Komenholv, Mr. Yellow... And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

As for original characters in Fan Works... When this forum was founded, it was just a place for people to share their fan art and fan fictions. One day someone posted a Legend of Zelda fan fic, and it started straying off from that. It's grown into so much more than just a place to share your fan work. It's become a place to practice and grow-- to improve yourself as an artist or writer. Sometimes that means branching off from Phantasy Star related stuff, and that's fine. We've developed a rich tapestry, here, and personally, I'm rather proud of it-- I've seen it grow into what it has become, and I look forward to seeing how far it goes.

On 2006-07-12 21:44, Danger_Girl wrote:


I'm up to about 20,000 words now. *grin*

Between five complete full-length fics, an incomplete full-length fic, five shorts, two incomplete shorts (one of which I will probably scrap), and an incomplete radio play, Microsoft Word informs me that I am up to 240,740 words.

[Nai_Calus]

Am I the only one who finds the OP really condescending? :-/

I'm... Sorry I've put a lot of time and thought into coming up with my characters? I'm sorry that it offends you that someone on Deviant Art decided to give the pretty bishounen they drew a story? Or even came up with a story and a personality and then drew them?

Seriously, though, no matter how I try I can't read your statements as anything other than really offensive.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but it also usually isn't very good at conveying a backstory. I find writing much more involving than drawing. OK, there's a picture of Nai that tells you jack-all about him, other than that you can infer that he's probably a Force because he's wearing robes. But if I write some trite little piece in which he goes about his day, you actually learn about what he's like.

Maybe I'm just not enough of an artist to get it? I did decide after I went to an art college for a couple of semesters that I can't stand most artists, so maybe I'm not. D:

I realise that the English language has its limits, also, but the phrase 'I'm an artist, not a writer' without any clarifications can be interpreted in a very negative light - Implying that people who write are not artists, when writing is in fact an artform. Much like the so-called division between 'art' and 'crafts', it strikes me as so much elitist BS. I realise that that probably was not your intent, but a phrase like 'I don't write, I draw' conveys the same meaning without seeming elitist.

As someone who both draws and writes, I find that it's very important to me to have a character to draw. I don't want to just draw something to be 'pretty', I want there to be a story behind it, a reason. Usually if I draw something it's fanart of either established characters or my own characters, or it's an attempt to establish a character design.

As for characters themselves, you do get stereotypes, yes. I do have several characters who fit the 'snarky bastard' type(Write what you know! ), but I try to make sure I also have characters who don't fit that type.

As for out of context, you'd probably hate Fluffy, Azure. XD

It's possible, though, to write fics revolving around an original character in a non-MMORPG setting without it being a 'Sue. Many of Darrell Whitney's PS fics are like this.

I've even seen an original character used in a fic as an NPC, and it worked out quite well and didn't feel the least bit Sue-ish. (Chris Tyler in Joel Fagin's The Other Side) It works best with a completely unexpanded character, mind you, you wouldn't really be able to get away with trying to make your original character be Elly.

So, no, it doesn't bug me at all, nor does the concept strike me as 'obnoxious'. I occasionally find the concept of drawing/having something with no meaning behind it incomprehensible, but I don't find it obnoxious - Unless the person doing it goes on a diatribe about how people who DO put meaning behind something are obnoxious. (Then again, that one girl who broke down crying in a drawing class and said in a tearful voice full of near-religious fervor that she never wanted to draw anything just because it was pretty again also struck me as obnoxious, but that was mostly because it seemed psychopathic. XP)

I'm sorry, your post just really annoyed the hell out of me and reminded me once again of that old divisive, elitist attitude that I hated so much.

I'll keep my obnoxious unoriginal Mary Sues and I'll enjoy them very much, thank you. ^_^v You go back to your pretty and leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone and we'll pretend to be all kittens and rainbows and sunshine, k? ^_^b

[isahn80]

I read prolifically and I love it, and that includes fanfics. I think Ishan80's Enslaving the Darkness has been fantastic so far, as has xxTrystanxx' Trial by Fire.

Thanks! I'm glad someone's enjoying it!

I don't really see why original characters are a bad thing. I mean, I'd much rather read about someone's original creation than simply an expansion on an established character, (not that the latter is a bad thing).

For example I've greatly enjoyed Danger_Girl's fanfic, and how could anyone not like the main character Danger Girl? Well-written and fleshed-out fics based on original characters can bring a game or anime universe to life moreso than established characters, in my opinion.

As for my fanfic, HUnewearl_Meira mentioned people have posted 'fics outside the PSO universe. This made me feel better, as I was starting to feel dumb posting a PS4 sequel on a PSO board. My main character, Isahn, might be a little cliched (oh no, another "dark" character!) but I've used him since I was pen-and-paper RPG'ing almost 14 years or so ago, back when I like to think that sort of thing was still semi-original. Just for the record, things usually end badly for the dude (what can I say, I have a thing for tragedy).

Anyway, I know I'm new around here but I hope I can become part of this community, (the fan-works community I mean) as this is my favorite section of PSO-World so far.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: isahn80 on 2006-07-12 23:50 ]</font>

[Sayara]

I use to have a hugmongous assortment of pso type characters, spawning from wannabe anime folk to a group of diseased angsty folk but the entire idea flopped

usually i design a character just to use as a dummy for my art. (Case point La-abe, Tingly and such)

[KodiaX987]

Depends on the character. I see people making an original character and base him on a known universe, and there are good ones and bad ones. I recall a person who had created a set of original characters based in Shadowrun and the thing held together pretty damn well (her comic is called "Bulletproof".) Naturally, it's much easier to create an entirely original character in an open-ended RPG-like universe than things that are more linear, like mangas.

Naturally, I've got the same pet peeves as anybody else considering originals: hate of uninspired names, children of demons and angels, fated to save the world and all that other bullshit. Among names, I could go on for days: Cloud, Killer, Blade, Sakura, etc. The funniest is when someone leaves his online nick unchanged to become a character in a story. I can't seriously read something where the MC has a name like Xx_UltraDude_xX.

I like in best when original characters are placed in an original universe. I feel it aids in circumventing the trap of "winning the game" when you base him in a game universe (I mean, who has not written a fic about his PSO dude beating Dark Falz? ) It also forces one to rethink the world around his character, which may introduce new potential scenarios for him. When I started getting serious with my PSO chars, I severed them from the PSO universe as soon as I could, and I'm extremely glad I did so. From a constrained spaceship and a planet full of monsters, I moved the whole story to a continent at war, a capital city full of political tension and black marketing, and a set of abandoned bunkers full of unused ammo and weapons. Anything my characters couldn't do in PSO, they can in the new world, and it's become a lot easier to write up an outline for their respective stories.

[PJ]

Wait, original characters as in designed by yourself, or original characters than can come from, for example, PSO?

I think part of the fun is making backstories for the characters. Main word being making, because I can't write for crap. I come up with all these ideas in my head, and if anyone asks, I could ramble on for hours and hours about my characters background. I just can't get it on paper.

Which, I'm thinking is part of the fun. I dunno why, I can't imagine playing PSO as my characters without a story/personality to them.

Let losers... run away!

[FOAtHeart]

On 2006-07-12 23:44, Ian-KunX wrote:
Am I the only one who finds the OP really condescending? :-/

Probably not, but you're the first to call me on it, certainly!

I am condescending. I am elitist. I have an extrememly strict standard of how I think things should be done, and an extremely low tolerance for things that don't follow that standard.

Obviously not a healhty attitude...but I am working on it.

I realise that the English language has its limits, also, but the phrase 'I'm an artist, not a writer' without any clarifications can be interpreted in a very negative light - Implying that people who write are not artists, when writing is in fact an artform. Much like the so-called division between 'art' and 'crafts', it strikes me as so much elitist BS. I realise that that probably was not your intent, but a phrase like 'I don't write, I draw' conveys the same meaning without seeming elitist.

"I don't write, I draw," certainly would have been better. In no way was my choice of words a slight against writers in general. I have a high respect for what they do; the art that they create.

As someone who both draws and writes, I find that it's very important to me to have a character to draw. I don't want to just draw something to be 'pretty', I want there to be a story behind it, a reason. Usually if I draw something it's fanart of either established characters or my own characters, or it's an attempt to establish a character design.

I think is where our priorities when making a picture differ. No right or wrong way, of course, but this element of a backstory being important, I can't relate to.

As for characters themselves, you do get stereotypes, yes. I do have several characters who fit the 'snarky bastard' type(Write what you know! ), but I try to make sure I also have characters who don't fit that type.

Kudos! My complaint was more towards people who don't put in that same effort.




Long post! I am really enjoying all these viewpoints. Thanks!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: FOAtHeart on 2006-07-13 07:30 ]</font>

[HUnewearl_Meira]

On 2006-07-13 05:43, KodiaX987 wrote:
I mean, who has not written a fic about his PSO dude beating Dark Falz?

Me!

And I still have no plans for a confrontation with Dark Falz.