...Am I RP?

It's as much a personal question as it may be a helpful thread for others who are asking themselves that very question.

The thing is: I have never really had the opportunity to be in an RP group. Thus I don't really know how I feel about RP... The one thing I do know is that I wouldn't wanna be doing it all the time when I'm ingame.

So I'm asking you for your advice.

Help me figure it out. To what extent do you usually/personally RP? What do you think is the best about it? Other comments that you think might be useful.

Thank you!

RP is all about the character and not so much about the player behind the character... What am I saying? RP is not about the player at all.

So basically RP is about being in character, though not everyone takes it equally serious. But when I RP I only break character when I need to. When you try to explain something to a Non-RPer, staying in character won't help. When there's a piece of out of character information spilled and it's taken in character, that's when it's time to jump out of character to correct it as fast as possible.

Can't RP if you're not in character. So I stay in character as much as possible and the RP comes on it's own.

Global channels are not RP channels though, so there it makes no sense to RP. Everything in speak/shout (shout being a larger range version of speak and not area-wide) range channels is going to be RP by default for me, when it's not I'll let it be known (like typing OOC for "out of character" infront of what I type).

Rp is entirtely personal mate.

For example, I have been in some pretty serious RP guilds, but no, I do not RP all the time, personally I enjoy it at times, others I just wanna goof around and just be me.

RP is a lot of fun if your with the right people, and if you have never got into it before, I would suggest starting small.

For example, don't go into RP wanting to be the Dark Lord of the Sith. If your simply not a good enough RP'er you simply won't be able to pull it off, and you will just loose your way with it.

I started doing RP about 5 years ago when i grew board or PVP and the L33T RULZ group.

I started off RP'ing a grunt trooper, I followed around a friend of mine called Pandorren who was a pretty decent RP'er, just followed orders and so on, but as the 1st week or so went by I grew more confident, then more so the week after and so on.

I eventually went Dark Jedi with my char, also named Ty-Odi, then I read a book on Sith Inquisitors and well...that was kind of that, lol, I began building my Dark Jedi's character and given this was in SWG where many RP'ers simply refused to RP with anyone who played a Jedi type character due to the timeline I was quite honoured when my character was accepted as an actual Inquisitor in game. Took a while, but I was able to play him in such a way that it worked.

I.E. he was not overly powerful, certainly not powerful enough to take on a group of well trained Rebel Soldiers on his own, and it just kind of worked.

So to sum up, my advice if you wanna do RP is find a group who are not overly RP fanatic, as it will just be too much for you to begin with, start small, and slowly built your character, the slower the better in some regards as it just become natural.

Anyways hope it helps

I have akways felt a place where people can go OOc is always needed, Guild chat is commonly used for this a place to shoot the shit, while generally treating the rest ( spatial interactions) as IC.
Some guilds have strict IC rulings no matter what set up and that works for them

Find a group that has a story you like and work with them

I love RPing. It's a different world of it's own. It's definitely something you should experiment with. One way to kind of get a feel for it is to walk around cities and listen in on other people's conversations and going ons. Would your character get involved? Would your character make snipe and rude comments? The biggest thing about your character is his background and what makes him who he is.

From there it kind of just takes over. I've always found that a turning point in RP is when you realize your role playing your character and he's doing something that you know you WOULDN'T do if you were in his shoes, yet you feel compelled to have your character act that way because somehow you just know that that is how he would have acted in that situation. It's a big turning point to realize you're sympathetic with the character you are writing yet he's not necessarily completely you.

And I probably dumped a bit much on ya there. Anywho RPing is a blast. I'd encourage going out and walking (no really...walk IN GAME...it's pretty much the easiest way for other RPers to realize you are currently playing IN character) around the towns and seeing what trouble you get yourself into.

There is no real right or wrong way to do it, some create themselves, others twisted crazy characters

This is very helpful guys! Thank you a lot!

I guess I'll start thinking about possible characters.

If you have any other advice, don't hold it back!

Well some character hints and tips.

These are far from cast iron hehe, but these are things I try to stear clear of when I create a character.

The Cliches

1) The Orphan Story - Every man woman and child in RP seems to be an orphan of some kind lol, and as such I have tried to stear clear of this cliche.

2) Brought up in adverse poverty/supreme wealth - Again a staple for almost everyone.

3) Being someone important or from/connected to an important family (Story Arc wise) - this is just difficult to carry off, unless you know your lore inside and out, and are good at RP, it is usually quite flimsy.

The Do's

Do some research in your class
Do some research into your home Planet
Do some research into the time line.

Summary

Really think about your char, write up a nice little Bio for him/her and then try to sticktrue to that character as best you can, the more you are able too, the easier he is for others to identify with, and for you to carry out.
Most important? Keep it simple. If your story has more twist and turns to it than a grandprix circuit, you will find it impossible to keep it on track.

Your character will evolve and change anyways through RP, so a simple beginning is often the easiest to pull off.

Caveat

If and when you see my Bio, I may well completely ignore everything I have written above lol, but I do so knowing what I am doing relatively speaking. I will avoid the cliche's as best I can, but my Bio's tend to be pretty intense and in depth. Its basically a chance for me to let my creative juices flow, and hell I love writing anyways

Wow, that is really useful Ty, thanks! Will try to stick to that to begin with! My only problem is that I am not 100% certain of my class yet. RP-wise I'd really enjoy a smuggler though! So I'll probably work on that.

Keep it coming guys if you have similar advice!

I am an old time PnP RPer but was never able to get into in MMO's. I am looking forward to trying it in this game and with this group. The group you are with helps a lot.

Another thought/warning: I have a great rough concept of a Kel Dor Jedi. However, we don't know yet if they will be playable. I am definitely going to wait and see what more information we get from Bioware before I delve too deeply in my character background. For example there is no point in coming up with a character concept fro a person who comes late to the Force, if Bioware's story has us as raised by the temple.

I think better than coming up with a 10 page bio it is better to come up with a personality and then fill in the background as it reveals itself. I think one of the things non-RPers hate the most is when an RP spends reams and reams of text describing their character. So your bio is useful but you should never read it to someone in-game. Even having a tab on the character sheet with a bio is kind of a cop out. people should discover the story/personality of your character through interaction and not have it given to them by reading your bio.

I am going to shamelessly steal some questions from DnD that some may find useful in defining their character's personality.

How do others perceive you in social interactions?

Cheerful, Talkative, Reserved, Charming, Witty, Relaxed

How optimistic are you?

Enthusiastic, Hopeful, Fatalistic, Grim, Self-Assured, Brooding

How trusting are you?

Gullible, Open-MInded, Skeptical, Suspicious, Naive, Trusting

How assertive are you at a decision point?

Humble, Adaptable, Commanding, Timid, Easygoing, Impatient

How conscientious are you about following rules?

Scrupulous, Pragmatic, Dutiful, Honest, Flexible, Wild

How empathetic are you?

Kind, Stern, Thoughtful, Protective, Hard-Hearted, Oblivious

How courageous are you in dire straits?

Brave, Competitive, Steady, Cautious, Reckless, Fierce

How do you feel when faced with setbacks?

Stoic, Driven, Happy-Go-Lucky, Vengeful, Bold, Impassioned,

[b]How are your nerves?

Calm, Skittish, Restless, Impulsive, Patient, Unshakable

Just keep in mind your personality traits when dealing with NPCs and other players. Additionally, remember not all of your decisions need to fit the pattern you chose and they can evolve over time (OMG character growth).

I hope someone finds this useful or I just did a lot of typing for no reason.

Very much appreciated Godric; that's a great list!
There are bits in there I never even thought of.

How do you experienced RP-ers feel about portraying traits that go against common accepted stereotypes for races?
ie: a timid Wookie, a reckless/unorganized Chiss, ....an altruistic Jawa

Shoddy, poorly researched character development or viable alternative?



Oh, and if I may:

Along Ty-Odi's "Do's" - I would include trying to know your race's naming conventions. Try not to stick a Wookie sounding name on a race who typically have short names (ie: Kel Dor) or a short name on one which would have a normally very long or elaborate one (ie: Chiss) unless your have a reason for it.

It's your dime paying for your time; but ... it might raise some eyebrows or cause some questions (which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing either)
<pleasssse let me have those examples right; they're just off the top of my head>

Natheless wrote:

Very much appreciated Godric; that's a great list!
There are bits in there I never even thought of.

How do you experienced RP-ers feel about portraying traits that go against common accepted stereotypes for races?
ie: a timid Wookie, a reckless/unorganized Chiss, ....an altruistic Jawa

Shoddy, poorly researched character development or viable alternative?

Utterly depends on how you portray it, and the reasoning behind it. By that I mean, if you wookie is smiply timid just because he is, it might smack as a bit.....odd? But if he is timid due to him having been kept in slavery and beaten since he was a child, then it would make more sense that he was timid and wary?

I am all for viable alternatives though, so long as someone can pull it off, I honestly don't care what they do, or how they wish to play a class or species.

Natheless wrote:

Very much appreciated Godric; that's a great list!
There are bits in there I never even thought of.

How do you experienced RP-ers feel about portraying traits that go against common accepted stereotypes for races?
ie: a timid Wookie, a reckless/unorganized Chiss, ....an altruistic Jawa

Shoddy, poorly researched character development or viable alternative?

I actually love playing against type. I think the difference between shoddy, poorly researched character or viable alternative is the reason why the character is not typical.

[Thank you both; it really does come down to whether your research and planning are properly thought out doesn't it?
God, that sounds stupid; but it's true.

Natheless wrote:

[Thank you both; it really does come down to whether your research and planning are properly thought out doesn't it?
God, that sounds stupid; but it's true.

I would say nothing is more important personally. It does not have to be 'War and Peace' lol, but a good back story can make all the difference. It just enables you to know where they came from, why they are like they are, and so on.

I might sort out my Bio sometime, it might help you guys come up with something for yours?

Taking time to have a good understanding of the situation is nice, but i like to leave room for character to have its own life. I try not to operate within strict confines because i find that limits me.
Im happy with my characters back story, it covers the history of who i am with out going over the top

best bet for RP is to really take that step, find a group you can fit in with that will encourage and support growth rather then tell you how to play your character
Check out
www.swtor-rp.com

Godric_Barbarosa wrote:

For example there is no point in coming up with a character concept fro a person who comes late to the Force, if Bioware's story has us as raised by the temple.

Actually, I don't think you should allow BioWare's story to limit your character. I know I plan to pick and choose what I use RP wise for my character outside the story. My current character only joined the Jedi when she was 19 after a year in the Republic Military, where it was discovered, not sure how exactly, she was Force Sensitive and offered a position with the Jedi. Even if they say this and this about your character, I plan to just ignore it and use what I have established. Now, for someone brand new to RP, that may not be the best way to go, but it is up to the individual.

I don't find operating within the confines of Bioware's story limiting. To me it would be like complaining that I'm not allowed to play a vulcan as part of the Force Academy guild. It's all an exercise in group story telling between me, Bioware and the other players. I'm not going to change Bioware's backstory just as I wouldn't change the story created by the posters in the free flow rp story thread.

Godric_Barbarosa wrote:

I don't find operating within the confines of Bioware's story limiting. To me it would be like complaining that I'm not allowed to play a vulcan as part of the Force Academy guild. It's all an exercise in group story telling between me, Bioware and the other players. I'm not going to change Bioware's backstory just as I wouldn't change the story created by the posters in the free flow rp story thread.

That is your choice, and I have no problem if people want to use the backstory BioWare offers in-game, but, for my character, I do not want to, and so am not going to. And I do not think it is exactly the same as trying to play a Vulcan in a Star Wars game because I AM trying to stay within what lore allows while not necessarily using the story BioWare gives for your background. I mean, for all we know, they may say you had a Master this whole time and are taking the Knights trials right at the beginning of the game, but, for our Guild, everyone, except Darka's Character, Modos, starts as a Padawan and has to work there way up, so most people that I have seen have it either A) there Master died at some point and they have not been assigned a new one because there are not many available, or B) they came late enough to the order that they have not been assigned a Master yet because there are so few available at the moment. Personally, with my character Kristina, I am going with B, she was discovered when she was 19 after a year in the Military and offered a place in the Order. And within the lore established, that does work, because they have been willing to take adults at this time.

I think that how you choose to RP within this game is all a matter of a style. Neither way is inherently wrong or right. It just all comes down to different mindsets and beliefs on RP.

Personally, I plan to create a character that I find interesting. I'm not choosing to RP within Bioware's set class story arc. I'm choosing to RP within their created world, in this case the Star Wars galaxy during the Old Republic era.

Some will believe it's best to only work within the story Bioware provides, and they're not wrong or right for doing so. You have to create characters, story, and RP that works for you and those you're playing with.

However, I think the example about the Vulcan is a little over the top. As long as a person creates a character that fits within the lore of the IP and Era, they should be allowed to create a character of any type they wish. Obviously they will be limited by things such as a race selection and class/skills, but every game has limitations in place that affect RP.

My biggest issue with trying to RP only within the confines of the provided game story arc (in this case I mean the class story arc) is that it doesn't allow either myself or others to stand out. If we treat every mission and background as part of the story we must contend with then we're going to find 20 Jedi Knights who only differ in name and looks. Because every Knight will have had one of a few backgrounds, gone through every missions, and for the most part made the same choices.

I'd much rather create a character with an original background, who is a Jedi during the Old Republic Era and work from there. Instead of saying "My Knight was sent on a mission to put and end to Lord Guy's plans on Tatooine" like every Knight does as part of their class story arc. (READ: That is an example and not an actual mission from what I'm aware), I'd instead create a story about receiving a mission to stop a Sith, but not give names. If I keep true to the exact questline, then every Knight I meet will have gone through it to. And my question would be "How the heck did they do the exact same thing I did if I already stopped him?"

Now you could argue that another person stepped in and took over the same name/mantle and just continued their work. But, for me that need can be avoided by not sticking absolutely to story provided by Bioware.

In the same way, I'm not going to call myself a "Jedi Knight" or "Jedi Sentinel" when RPing. I'm a Jedi, whose skills happen to lean more towards using lightsabers in melee combat.

As I stated, whether you RP within the story arc, or the simply the lore and world and is up to each individual player and neither is inherently wrong or right. I personally, and I know many in my guild, believe that we'd rather RP within the lore and world because it allows for us to create our own stories and situations through RP without being forced down a particular path or relying on Bioware's story.

I've no problem with someone creating a character where they're late to the Force as long as they follow lore and canon and show themselves as not being as far along as a Jedi who's been training their whole life. But that goes hand-in-hand with not making a Mary-Sue, which really is the one rule all RPers should hold above all else.

First of all people should RP as they want to RP. I never meant to suggest otherwise.

Second, yes I suppose that the vulcan senerio was a bit over the top, but what about a race class combination that doesn't work. Why would rp-ing an Kel Dor Jedi (if they aren't an allowed combination) be any different than choosing a backstory that is incongruous with what Bioware has given us. Kel Dor fit the IP and the time period.

Furthermore, a couple of points about Biowares story not allowing one to "stand out" and the quests giving everyone the same background. We know very little about the background story for the Jedi. Even the little we know about the Sith leaves lots of room for customization. We know that the Warrior is of the upper class and the Inquisitor is/was a slave- thats it. There plenty of room to work with to make one stand out.

We are presumably in our late teens to mid twenties (standard age for the Jedi trials) at the start of the game. We have in the neighbor hood of twenty years of backstory to differentiate our selves even if we do say we all grew up as part of the academy. Additionally, we have our parentage, our personalities, our mannerisms, ect- all ways to differentiate ourselves. Finally, Bioware is giving of choices in how we complete tasks/interact with others, unlike other MMO's which the only choice is taake quest/don't take quest.

This whole thing makes me think of Ty post about avoiding cliches (which I personally don't agree with, I've have had as much fun RPing cliches as I have turning them on there head). Isn't the coming late to the force the most common Jedi cliche. Luke, Anakin and Revan were all too old to train.

Again I repeat: people should RP as they want to RP. I just think that the claim that Bioware's story is too limiting and makes characters "who differ only in name and looks" to be absurd.

P.S. I too will go by the simple title of Jedi and not the class name because classes are a game convention and not based on the lore.

P.P.S. I wonder if I have talked my way out of ever being a member of the Force Academy- which was a guild I m seriously considering.

Concerning your first point: If Kel-Dor aren't a playable race in game, then it's going to be rather hard to RP one don't you think? You can't "make it work" because you quite literally can not be one. This is of course assuming they aren't playable. You can't simply be playing as a human or zabrak or twi'lek and pretend to be a Kel-Dor. No one is going to accept that. Though to be fair I guess you could try RPing another race that for whatever reason is so delusional/confused/mentally unstable that they *think* they're a Kel-Dor. It'd certainly stand out as a character, though I'm not sure how much I'd personally agree with that choice.

There are going to be some things about your character that you are going to have to live with. The selection of races are one of them because not every race will be allowed. Trying to compare playing a race that is literally not included in the game as a viable choice to not strictly following an optional story line that Bioware has included is a bit of a stretch don't you think? This isn't a single player RPG. We are not bound to Bioware's story, however we are bound by some game mechanics, as in the available races/classes. This isn't Mass Effect or Dragon Age, where no matter what you HAVE to be Commander Shepard or the Warden. This is an MMO, and you won't be required to follow specific stories just to advance in level or forward. You could avoid all the class story arcs and just focus on the planet arcs and individual quests and flashpoints that aren't tied to your class if you wanted. Just as you could play through the class story arc without your character being entirely entrenched within the confines of that story.

And I think perhaps you misunderstood my initial post or perhaps I didn't clarify what I meant properly.

You are choosing to work within the guidelines/barriers of the story being told for the Jedi class but Bioware. At least that's what I inferred from your post.

I am choosing to work within the guidelines/barriers of the Era and lore as well as the mechanics of the game. So while you might make a Sith Inquisitor who was originally a slave, I might not. However we would both be incapable of making our Sith Inquisitors wield 2 single lightsabers or be Wookies. Because our abilities/weapons and our options for race are going to be limited because of game mechanics.

In the end we're both making characters we're interested in, and we both will more than likely heavily enjoy ourselves (unless, knock on wood, the game sucks and flops) and both are correct in the way we're approaching it. I mostly was responding to the post you had stating that something along the lines of there being no point in us creating back-stories and characters that came late to the Force because it didn't fit within the back-story provided by Bioware for the class. Because, on that subject I carry a different opinion.

Also, for no reason should you think that your view on RP has "talked you out" of being a member of FA. Every RPer, even those withing FA, are going to have different opinions and approaches when it comes to RP. If you choose to make a character that fits within Bioware's story, I've got no issue with that as long as you're a cool person and the character fits the lore and isn't a Mary-Sue

Just like I expect you to feel the same about my character who was given more freedom in his backstory and doesn't stick within the guidelines of the Bioware's story for the class arc, but does fit within the rules of the lore and the game. (IE I'm not a nonplayable race).

However, FA does have a guild back-story in place you'd need to be aware of when joining. And as Leon stated we are all starting out as padawans (so your character would be one as well if joining us, unless you were a trooper/smuggler in which case we have other ranks in place). Much of our guild is built on that "Jedi experience" that is gained from starting as a padawan and rising through the ranks as well as our Master/Apprentice system.

We don't care how you go about creating your character as long as you're a good person and have a character that fits in with the lore and canon.

P.S.-To be fair, Revan was technically a Jedi his whole life. It's just that in KOTOR you're taken in as Revan as an adult for other reasons. Remember, prior to falling and becoming Darth Revan, he was a Jedi who had spent his entire life training as a Jedi as far as we know. And as for Luke, he became a Jedi at a time when there were all of like 3 left. For Anakin your point mostly stands. However, most Jedi do not join in the training late. For me, whether a character has been there since he was 2 or 22 all weighs depends on the type of character you're making and wish to play. I think the issue I have with people bringing in someone late to training at times is because they seem to usually go the route of "even though my Jedi has only been training for 5 years he as good as all you guys who have been training for 20!" which honestly except for a "chosen one" like Anakin or Luke just doesn't work.

Edit: Also, referring back to another post of yours concerning what you said about not finding it limiting to work with the confines provided b Bioware. I both disagree and agree to some degree. Truthfully an RPer is only limited by their imagination, and should be able to work within any guidelines. In fact good RPers work within the confines of lore and canon all the time regarding characters they make and live.

The problem I have with that approach is this: What if I want to play a Sith Inquisitor who isn't a slave? Should I be forced to be one and make my character that way just because the class story arc provided by Bioware states that? In a single player game, the answer is: Yes, I would. In an MMO the answer is: No, I don't.

Just because the class story arc provided for Bioware states that all Sith Inqusitors were slaves doesn't mean my Sith Inquisitor has to be one. I'm playing the class because I like its play style, not the fact that they were all once slaves. This is of course assuming that all backgrounds for the Sith Inquisitor are slaves, which has been hinted at since Purebloods are not allowed to be SI's because no Pureblood would ever be a slave in the lore. THAT is a limitation I have a problem with. MMO's have always been about freedom of player choice and that's the approach I take to creating my characters for them. I don't want every SI I meet to be a former slave, that would break immersion for me that EVERY single player who is an SI once was a slave. You mean only former slaves are allowed to be healers or wield a saberstaff for the Sith?

True, every SI may have a different personality and different parents and been different things before becoming a Sith. But, ever single one have been a former slave, which I find very, very hard to believe.

It's like I said: There is no wrong way to RP or create characters as long as you aren't making Mary-Sues or breaking lore/canon (or game mechanics). You and I just have different approaches to them. Your way is right, so is mine. We just approach RP and creating characters for swtor in a different way is all

Which is exactly what I am avoiding, by game launch my character will have only been a Jedi for 7-8 years, and while skilled, she knows and admits that anyone that has been training since they where children are much more skilled then her in most Jedi things, especially Lightsaber combat, as she has only been a Padawan for 3-4 years.

Edit: Also, I agree, everyone RP's differently. My initial Character WAS someone who was raised by the Jedi, but, through RP he evolved in ways that made me dislike him and a series of events caused him to leave the order, basically retiring. I also have an alt Twi'lek who has been a member of the Order since she was a child, but she is not joing the guild because she has a Master and I can't think of a way to kill him off without having negative affects on the character that I do not want.

Edit 2: I do not believe you have talked your way out of joining the guild, as Pole said, everyone RP's differently, and as long as the character is not a Mary-Sue, fits our guild story, and we can get along/ you are a cool/ nice person, I see no reason for you not to join the guild.

Yet ANOTHER Edit, to answer the OP's question:

Grome wrote:

It's as much a personal question as it may be a helpful thread for others who are asking themselves that very question.

The thing is: I have never really had the opportunity to be in an RP group. Thus I don't really know how I feel about RP... The one thing I do know is that I wouldn't wanna be doing it all the time when I'm ingame.

So I'm asking you for your advice.

Help me figure it out. To what extent do you usually/personally RP? What do you think is the best about it? Other comments that you think might be useful.

Thank you!

I personally plan to attempt to be in-character almost 100% of the time, with certain things being non-rp for me, like Guild Chat, whispers, and certain channels. I like to RP often, have been getting involved in Forum RP on the Guild site, and sometimes in MSN chat. Our RP runs normally like in-game RP, where the group will get together, through MSN usually, and talk about things while we all post back and forth in the thread, usually go for a couple of hours any night we are together, getting to know eachother personally on MSN, and our characters through the Forum RP, which usually goes at a fast pace, unless we get caught up in something in the MSN chat, lol.

Polemos wrote:

Concerning your first point: If Kel-Dor aren't a playable race in game, then it's going to be rather hard to RP one don't you think? You can't "make it work" because you quite literally can not be one. This is of course assuming they aren't playable. You can't simply be playing as a human or zabrak or twi'lek and pretend to be a Kel-Dor. No one is going to accept that. Though to be fair I guess you could try RPing another race that for whatever reason is so delusional/confused/mentally unstable that they *think* they're a Kel-Dor. It'd certainly stand out as a character, though I'm not sure how much I'd personally agree with that choice.

There are going to be some things about your character that you are going to have to live with. The selection of races are one of them because not every race will be allowed. Trying to compare playing a race that is literally not included in the game as a viable choice to not strictly following an optional story line that Bioware has included is a bit of a stretch don't you think? This isn't a single player RPG. We are not bound to Bioware's story, however we are bound by some game mechanics, as in the available races/classes. This isn't Mass Effect or Dragon Age, where no matter what you HAVE to be Commander Shepard or the Warden. This is an MMO, and you won't be required to follow specific stories just to advance in level or forward. You could avoid all the class story arcs and just focus on the planet arcs and individual quests and flashpoints that aren't tied to your class if you wanted. Just as you could play through the class story arc without your character being entirely entrenched within the confines of that story.

I really don't see ignoring what you learn about the story arcs as different than ignoring the class choice, with two caveats. One is that you only RP people who accept where your character differs from the story arc. If you play a SI you are going to have to accept that a lot of SW are going to call you a slave. The second is that, you are correct, you can skip the story arcs. I can't imagine doing that personally, but one could conceivably skip the story arcs. This would likely mean a lot more grinding and PvP to level. A lot of people, me included, are playing this game for Bioware's stories. They are the best in the business at it, so skipping the classes story arcs would be missing a major portion of the game.

Polemos wrote:

And I think perhaps you misunderstood my initial post or perhaps I didn't clarify what I meant properly.

You are choosing to work within the guidelines/barriers of the story being told for the Jedi class but Bioware. At least that's what I inferred from your post.

I am choosing to work within the guidelines/barriers of the Era and lore as well as the mechanics of the game. So while you might make a Sith Inquisitor who was originally a slave, I might not. However we would both be incapable of making our Sith Inquisitors wield 2 single lightsabers or be Wookies. Because our abilities/weapons and our options for race are going to be limited because of game mechanics.

In the end we're both making characters we're interested in, and we both will more than likely heavily enjoy ourselves (unless, knock on wood, the game sucks and flops) and both are correct in the way we're approaching it. I mostly was responding to the post you had stating that something along the lines of there being no point in us creating back-stories and characters that came late to the Force because it didn't fit within the back-story provided by Bioware for the class. Because, on that subject I carry a different opinion.

I didn't misunderstand your post, but it appears that you missed the context of mine when I said:

Godric_Barbarosa wrote:

I think better than coming up with a 10 page bio it is better to come up with a personality and then fill in the background as it reveals itself.

I was advancing a different point of view than Ty's advice to a new RPer to come up with a fully fleshed out BIo. The important point here is that this was advice for a new RPer. I think for a new RPer it would hurt immersion to be playing a class story arc that constantly contradicts his long-labored over bio. Hell, it break my immersion and I've been RP for over 25 years. If it wouldn't break your immersion or you plan on skipping Bioware's class story arcs, by all means, come up with whatever backstory you want. But I wouldn't advise a new RPer (or anyone, for that matter) to skip the class story arcs. That doesn't mean that they aren't free to ignore my advise or that I would think any less of them if they did.

Polemos wrote:

Also, for no reason should you think that your view on RP has "talked you out" of being a member of FA. Every RPer, even those withing FA, are going to have different opinions and approaches when it comes to RP. If you choose to make a character that fits within Bioware's story, I've got no issue with that as long as you're a cool person and the character fits the lore and isn't a Mary-Sue

A confession of ignorance on my part, what's a Mary-Sue?

Polemos wrote:

Just like I expect you to feel the same about my character who was given more freedom in his backstory and doesn't stick within the guidelines of the Bioware's story for the class arc, but does fit within the rules of the lore and the game. (IE I'm not a nonplayable race).

None of my characters will assume any knowledge about your character that they don't get from interacting with your character. To do otherwise would be to confuse player knowledge with character knowledge. (If any new RPers are still reading this and need a clarification on the difference let us know). Just don't be surprised if other players don't make that distinction.

Polemos wrote:

However, FA does have a guild back-story in place you'd need to be aware of when joining. And as Leon stated we are all starting out as padawans (so your character would be one as well if joining us, unless you were a trooper/smuggler in which case we have other ranks in place). Much of our guild is built on that "Jedi experience" that is gained from starting as a padawan and rising through the ranks as well as our Master/Apprentice system.

We don't care how you go about creating your character as long as you're a good person and have a character that fits in with the lore and canon.

Here's where my character wouldn't fit in this guild, unfortunately. At lest not iniitially. The state of my characters' masters will be determined by Bioware's story (by my choice). I imagine I will have one. I also foresee at least one character watching his master get killed in an important point in the story. I expect at least one other character will have a chance to slay his master that has fallen to the other side of the light/dark divide. Hell, the Sith will probably kill their masters just as a right of passage. In any circumstance I will likely be a full Jedi by the time my master dies or I will be assigned a new master in Bioware's story.

Polemos wrote:

P.S.-To be fair, Revan was technically a Jedi his whole life. It's just that in KOTOR you're taken in as Revan as an adult for other reasons. Remember, prior to falling and becoming Darth Revan, he was a Jedi who had spent his entire life training as a Jedi as far as we know.

In KOTOR II Kreia, Revan's master, does state that he came to the force originally when he was older. This fact is also alluded to by the cranky master on Dantooine in the original KOTOR.

Polemos wrote:

Edit: Also, referring back to another post of yours concerning what you said about not finding it limiting to work with the confines provided b Bioware. I both disagree and agree to some degree. Truthfully an RPer is only limited by their imagination, and should be able to work within any guidelines. In fact good RPers work within the confines of lore and canon all the time regarding characters they make and live.

The problem I have with that approach is this: What if I want to play a Sith Inquisitor who isn't a slave? Should I be forced to be one and make my character that way just because the class story arc provided by Bioware states that? In a single player game, the answer is: Yes, I would. In an MMO the answer is: No, I don't.

Just because the class story arc provided for Bioware states that all Sith Inqusitors were slaves doesn't mean my Sith Inquisitor has to be one. I'm playing the class because I like its play style, not the fact that they were all once slaves. This is of course assuming that all backgrounds for the Sith Inquisitor are slaves, which has been hinted at since Purebloods are not allowed to be SI's because no Pureblood would ever be a slave in the lore. THAT is a limitation I have a problem with. MMO's have always been about freedom of player choice and that's the approach I take to creating my characters for them. I don't want every SI I meet to be a former slave, that would break immersion for me that EVERY single player who is an SI once was a slave. You mean only former slaves are allowed to be healers or wield a saberstaff for the Sith?

True, every SI may have a different personality and different parents and been different things before becoming a Sith. But, ever single one have been a former slave, which I find very, very hard to believe.

There are several things at play here. First, you may very well have to deal with a lot of SW who aren't in your guild and know your SI's backstory will call you slave. Second, every MMO that I can think of has some sort of race/class restriction so I'm not sure your point about that stands up. Lastly, I'm afraid giving up some freedom is the exchange we make for getting story that isn't one size fits all vanilla story that is the standard in MMOs.

TL;DR: My original points were made as advice to a new RPer. Bioware is the best in the business at story, and I think it would be a shame to skip it.

A Mary-Sue is a character who is usually OP (for those who do not know, that means Over Powered), is perfect at everything, regardless of whether it makes sense or not, and usually, in a story at least, is loved by everyone.

Sorry, just figured I would answer because I saw the question and was not sure when Pole would.

Edit: Wikipedia basic Deffinition: is a fictional character with overly idealized and hackneyed mannerisms, lacking noteworthy flaws, and primarily functioning as a wish-fulfillment fantasy for the author or reader. Perhaps the single underlying feature of all characters described as "Mary Sues" is that they are too ostentatious for the audience's taste, or that the author seems to favor the character too highly. The author may seem to push how exceptional and wonderful the "Mary Sue" character is on his or her audience, sometimes leading the audience to dislike or even resent the character fairly quickly; such a character could be described as an "author's pet".

Basically, a term usually used in Fiction, alot of Fanfiction writers tend to end up creating these when they try to bring themselves into the story, and published Authors have also been known to occasionally.