Eliseth's Guide to Character CreationIntroductionOne of the most difficult parts of playing Planeshift is creating a truly original and imaginitive character. In fact, many people don't give it much thought when the start their Planeshift characters, they rush through the character creation screen because they're anxious to get into the game, after all, thats the fun part right?
Well yes, it is fun, but that entertainment can be multiplied dramatically if you have an interesting and roleplayable character. I admit if it's your first time you may feel you want to create a quick character so you can test the game and get used to the controls. Although such a chracter isn't actually necessary, if you insist on doing it, please at least use the name generator and don't type in names like "UberRock" or "Fishman".
But, as I said, test characters are not actually necessary. Once you have created your character, spend a bit of time getting used to the controls without interacting with other people. Once you have the controls under your thumb, you'll want to know how to start making money and how to get weapons and such. This is where most newcomers make their mistake. If you go up to a random crowd and type "Hi I'm new, how do I get a weapon?" The likelihood is you'll be ignored. The result will be you'll get frustrated and end up leaving the game, probably forever.
I'm not saying you shouldn't ask questions, not at all. But if you act like a noob, you'll be treated like one. My suggestion is to try and RP your questions as far as possible. For example, let's say you've just created a character by the name of "Ghurtis", and you approach a group of people.
This is an extract from my log, the newbies name has been replaced with Ghurtis
(22:11:48)
Ghurtis says: where can i get a weapon?
(22:12:09) Irri looks at Treinos' wet ankles and shrugs as she quenches her blade in the dirty water.
(22:15:12) Manope keeps hammering and hammering...
(22:15:56)
Ghurtis says: where can i get a weapon?
(22:17:44) Auction from Zwenze: Bronze Broad Sword of the Defender /2.43, Quality is at 50. 1k trias. Meet me at Harnquist.
As you can see the people around him ignored him completely, however, had he tried to roleplay a bit, things might have gone differently. I remember of such a case, a newcomer came up to me wanting to know the same thing. Although the original log was lost since I changed operating systems, it went something like this:
Ghurtis says: Excuse me my lady...
Eliseth smiles warmly
Eliseth says: Hello there, how may I help you?
Ghurtis says: I'm afraid I'm new to the land and I'm a bit lost.
Eliseth smiles and nods "Ah I see, well never mind my dear, I have a bit of time to help you find your way"
Ghurtis says: Thank you my lady, it would be much appreciated.
The newbie was pleasant to talk to and therefore a pleasure to help. Remember that written words are your only tool to communicate, and people judge you by what you say.
Of course most questions can be answered by simply reading the player guide, but well, people are lazy when things are free. Once you get to know how the game works, you can really start roleplaying your character, and thats where a well thought out character comes in handy. So how do you create one? Read further.
The BasicsThe first thing almost everyone does when creating a character is to make up a name. This, believe it or not, is one of the hardest parts of character creation. But when thinking of a name, keep in mind this is a medieval setting, and the names should be likewise. You should try to make the name suit both your characters personality and race. If, like me, you're terrible at making up names, use the name generator, you'll be surprised at how good some of the names are.
If you're going to use names from your favourite fantasy book, try not to use well known books. I mean names like "Frodo" and "Arwen" are going to be frowned upon. If you know the book isn't well known, by all means use the names. For example my characters name "Eliseth" comes from a fantasy series I've read, but not many people know that. Remember that you name is the first thing people will see if you approach them.
Now you should decide on your characters personality, and here you should be look beyond simply good and evil. No one in the world is all good or all bad, therefore if for example you want your character to be a thief... that doesn't necessarily mean he has to be illtempered and bad mannered. You should try to make your character as interesting as possible. As a simple example:
Character name: Dritford Struidham
Dritford is a male Ylian. He's a master of disguise and an excellent pick pocket. His language is immaculate, he speaks clearly and pleasantly, and enjoys things like art and poetry. Although his nature is what you would call easy-going, but just make the mistake of not opening a door for a lady, and he'll quickly correct it, with your life as the price.
Bear in mind I made that up as I went along, but as you can see with even just a little bit of effort you can create a character who is fun to roleplay with, and will therefore be very successful in Yliakum.
The rest of the basics are more or less the things you have to select on the character creation screen. Remember however, that you don't necessarily have to be bound by the options you choose in the beginning. The character creation screens options are there to determine your beginning stats and skills, but you don't have to develope your character around them. Also remember when choosing a profession, you don't have to stick to game mechanics. Virtually ANY profession can be roleplayed.
What I mean by this is that you should try to break away from the typical "I want to be a 1337 swordsman" mentality that most new players have. This doesn't mean you mustn't learn to use weapons and such, but if you base you characters profession around it, it can be a bit boring. Sure you can be a warrior or a mage, but what about being a lawyer, a singer, a belly-dancer, a street sweeper, a chef, a salesman, a guide, a beggar... you get the picture.
Ok so now you have the basics of your character, at this point you can already upload your character and begin experimenting with the game a little. The next part of your characters developement can take a while, but in the end, if done right, it'll be well worth it. Now that you have your character running around Yliakum you need to develope its history.
The HistoryPlanning is key to this step, so before delving deep into your characters past, it would be a good idea to write a brief outline first. What I mean by that is to write something you can tell other characters if they ask about you. Once you have the outline, you can start filling in the details. I would advise you give it a lot of though too, because inconsistencies will only weaken your characters image.
I would also like to give a word of caution here. Many characters in Yliakum at the moment have a very similar outline... in other words either one or both of their parents died when they were young and they've had to struggle to survive ever since. It is a good history if done right, but quite frankly, it gets very boring.
This is where creativity and imagination will do you credit, you need to make your characters history as original as you can possibly get it. Most people enjoy a good story, and if yours is fun to read, it'll make your character all the more popular. One thing you can do that can really strengthen your characters image, is if you get multiple characters involved in your history.
If you have friends who play PS, try to get them to team up with you and create history in which you're both involved. This will help make your history seem more believable. Make your history as interesting as possible.
One other word of caution... don't make it too far fetched. People will find it hard to play along with you if your history is too far fetched. For example, I met this fellow fenki once, she seemed nice enough so I took her to the tavern for a chat. After generally chatting for a while I asked her about her past, and eventually I stopped listening. This was because she had this very far fetched and unbelievable story that hardly even fitted in the Planeshift setting. In brief; her mother and father were two massive energy forms residing in the crystal, and then there was some big battle and a huge explosion produced her.
Now that is original and all, but it sounds like something a typical 10 year old would write. Make sure you read about Yliakums history and setting before writing your own history.
Ok, now you have a fully developed character, now you can really start living in Yliakum, and to make your Yliakum life fun and interesting, remember to roleplay as much as you can.
The Finer DetailsOk, the last part of developing your character is what I call the finer details. These are things like accents and mannerisms. You don't have to do too much here, just small things like for example your character limps, or stutters. You need to incorperate these mannerisms into your RP. Once you've done that, you're on your way!
Now you just need to enjoy the game. Go
here for a guide to roleplaying.
