Mine own curious observations, after having read the first and reading the rest of the replies in this thread, including the derailment, heh.
1.) Be aware that PlaneShift is a persistent world inhabited by non-persistent characters. You as a player, and the players around you, are unable to play a constant 24 hour cycle, where when you sleep, your character sleeps, etc. Ergo, unless you are constantly thinking about it, chances are you don't RP your character pooping, eating much, sleeping much, doing the constant little niggling things that make an entity an entity.
-You should. If you can get into the habit of making your character more than a plain sheet of evil, greyness, or goodness, you'll go far. Why does *player* brush his fur a certain way? Why does he eat with his left or right hand, when he's dexterous with the opposite? What everyday routines does he go through that make him (or her) the way who he is RIGHT NOW?
That being said, NEVER forget the RIGHT NOW. A lot of us, myself included, get caught up in writing a marvelous backstory, and we're so eager to share it, that we cozy up to the fire with a nice, well-spoken fenki who has a good backside, and we share it, hoping walls of text will endear us to the next RPer.
Neh. A pox, I say! No one absolutely needs to know your backstory but you. I say, to hell with it, create a NOWstory. I won't get into the whole "how to roleplay your character" type thing, because that would exhaust me, and you.
Suffice to say that what you do now is all that matters.
2.) So your character is a renegade, who doesn't come into Hydlaa much and is gunshy.....
Oh, man....screw that.
Yes, I'm aware these characters are necessary. Make on as an ALT (i'll touch on alts later).
But really? I hear complaints that this game is dying, and player base is rotting. On the off chance that a new player joins who really wants to get involved and really wants to become something, then you had sure as hell better be ready to accommodate them, NO MATTER YOUR RP PREFERENCES (which show as your characters actions.)
Sure, strong statement. But factual. If you have a vested interest in this game, then show it. I don't like elitism, never have. Come to the newbies, don't make them come to you.
3.) Alts kill guilds/games/rps. Unless you have a LOT of time to spare, and the ability to play more than one character consistently, just don't do it.
I say this only because I honestly feel that to get a character "Right", you have to invest a lot of time and effort into it. You can have a mold, sure, but once that character hits Yliakum it's an open book of sorts. You have to take the time and the frustration and suspense, and what else have you, to make that character worth while and worth it. You can choose to populate this world with several one-offs that are well and good, but the best characters have longevity, nowstory, backstory, and will be here till permadeath do us part.
Same applies to guilds. If you want a good one, it takes time, because you don't want alts. You want mains, and you want them to interact honestly and really.
I'll stop there, lest I rant.
