The Space Opera Working Thread

Topic for Discussion

Cross Charactering

I wanted to bring up this subject as some may not have experience in traditional RPGs and it's always been an issue in every RPG I've had the pleasure of being involved in - namely real time RPGs either online or traditional sit-at-the-table-for-hours-on-end-rpg-marathons, old school with dice and such.

As this collaboration moves forward and many of us bond, have falling outs, the normal human relationship issues...it's important to not let these issues bleed into the actual story line. This is known as cross-charactering.

Letting our personal, real life emotions effect the tone and progression of the story line. Your character is not you but a being of it's own created by you the author. We must put on our author hats when writing for our character dispite our personal feelings.

For the sake of argument let me use the sub plot of Whisper and Scurvy. If somewhere along the line, me and Scurvy (the ATS member and human...i think ::tickles:: ) were to have a knock down drag out over some other ATS issue or any other discord, it would be imparative to the oprea storyline to not let these real life issues effect the characters therein. Difficult as it may be, this is a basic rule in the realm of RPGs. I've seen it numerous times and it can seriously effect, disrupt, confuse, and taint the authenticity of the story.

I just wanted to bring this up early for an idea for us to ponder and consider. I'd like to hear others expereince with this phenomonon as well.

Thanks for reading & happy posting all.

~Whisper


[edit on 3/28/2009 by Whisper67]

[edit on 3/28/2009 by Whisper67]

reply to post by questioningall


I was busy, shining my shoes... she took unfair advantage...

If you guys don't see me around tonight...I may be in a tornado.



I love the wind element but, all things in moderation. ]:>

reply to post by Whisper67


I feel like I have character traits attributed to my character by other writers according from my personality that I have showed here in this thread. So I just went with it. I was going to make her more aloof but I (Me) am very friendly and some say funny. However the Yydryl could use some comic relief and a lighter place to go at times so Im cool with it.

Loam you mentioned my diction and I used the word yall here on this thread but I am not so sure having an Earth 20th century southern accent is right for the character.

Also I have to get the hang of moving on and possibly putting words in other characters mouth as I feel I haven't had a chance to integrate the character into the story. Doesn't the character deserve to be questioned or know why they blew up a moon with her sitting outside the Yydryl. Why the Captain that hired her is not here and so on. (even though she knows these things from observation).

So basically I am asking was it cool for me to ask Whisper those questions?

Also Antar what kind of stats am I to U2U you?

Not complaining just trying to get into the groove.

PS: I was having some computer problems with ATS anybody else?

Originally posted by Whisper67
If you guys don't see me around tonight...I may be in a tornado.

I love the wind element but, all things in moderation. ]:>

OH Be safe!
Hope it passes you by, what state do you live in?

reply to post by cindymars


I had some problems with ATS last night (kept getting a message that the servers were down for maintenance), but so far none today. I've only been here sporadically, though. The 'server down' message said try back in a couple hours, but it didn't take that long to reconnect.

Holy... go out partying for one Friday night and I have 6 pages of OOC to read and 2 pages of in character, U2Us... and I still have to write my post. There goes my Saturday ... wait... this feeling... a craving... coffee... peace out!


I'll be bach.

reply to post by Whisper67


Damn your good ideas...

My $0.02 is that the best way to avoid moving, speaking for, or manipulating another character is to either A.) U2U them and okay it, B.) generalize their speech (Scurvy listened while CindyMars explained event X); this way I'm not making Cindymars say anything directly and she can fill that dialogue in at her leisure, or leave it be for less details. C.) Express the sentence as your character observed or your character interpretted or your character felt that... these kinds of phrases don't have to shape a situation, it's just your characters interpretation of the going ons.

I'm not saying I'm good at this, nor am I innocent of manipulating some of you, my reasoning is that generally to keep consistency through-out the story I feel I should account for all the people I've been interacting with or in the same room with before I move elsewhere. My "character" is very into details ... should I ever piss any of you off with this just send me a U2U and tell me to shove it and change my post. More nicely worded if you so choose. I won't get offended. Cross my heart and hope to die.

Shot of Penelope at L2. Still needs work. Penelope's skin it too dark against the blackness of space, and there's a HUGE square that shows up that I have to turn on edge to get it out of the shot.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/9d31ee314163.jpg[/atsimg]

Also, I've not been able to discover how far L2 actually IS from Earth, so the distance to Earth in the background may be askew.

[edit on 2009/3/28 by nenothtu]

reply to post by questioningall


ROFL!!! Them's is fightin' words, Neno.

reply to post by mf_luder


One minor emergency at a time, Cap. I'd HATE to have to get Seeker to blow up all of L2 just to catch her... I mean PERMANENTLY catch her....

reply to post by cindymars


Your post is fine and I loved how you commented and went on with business. Give me an opportunity to just fill in the blank. That's how a lot of bar talk is anyway with a busy tender I wasn't trying to make a point about any posts, the phenomon is something I had yet to see here but, it usually comes up eventually. Various personalities and such.

If you have traits of your own characters, no problems, I was just speaking to how we may interact *here* versus within the oprea. I hope I'm explaining this right...

Examples:

Person x and y develop a wonderful friendship here on ATS, real life, in the working thread but, if perhaps they already have an animosity in the actual opera then they can't suddenly be friendly... There'd have to be a story within.

Unfortunatly, it's been my experience in role playing games that the opposite emotion tends to effect the story especially after many late hours, people become frustrated with how others play or while off topic of the rpg they get into about other issues....but then...they let real life bleed into the game.



[edit on 3/28/2009 by Whisper67]

Originally posted by Scurvy
My "character" is very into details

... should I ever piss any of you off with this just send me a U2U and tell me to shove it and change my post. More nicely worded if you so choose. I won't get offended. Cross my heart and hope to die.

Just to clarify, I wasn't exatly speaking to how we interact within the oprea or even how others may write this or that. It's just not what I was addressing which I think is an important issue all it's own.

You had some good ideas on how to deal with those issues, so thanks for that. Collaborative eh?

I was more comenting on how you the person allows real life issues to play into the you the character.

[edit on 3/28/2009 by Whisper67]

reply to post by mf_luder


Naw... not fightin words from little ole me!
:shk:


Btw: thank you Whisper for your very nice comment on my writing... and yet I found another mistake in the last post, your name was left in at one spot. Silly me.

took care of it, and yes I delete all those other "edits" at the bottom.

Originally posted by Whisper67
As this collaboration moves forward and many of us bond, have falling outs, the normal human relationship issues...it's important to not let these issues bleed into the actual story line. This is known as cross-charactering.

Letting our personal, real life emotions effect the tone and progression of the story line. Your character is not you but a being of it's own created by you the author. We must put on our author hats when writing for our character dispite our personal feelings.

This is gold.

Any problems are to be worked out in this thread and CAN"T appear in the main thread. You are all actors on a stage and, as actors, you need to stay in character. How would it look if Clint Eastwood decided to order a double latte in the bar during Hang Em High wearing a Hawaiian shirt and Adidas shorts?

Personal conflicts get pushed aside for the integrity of the play.

Nicely said, Whisper.

reply to post by Whisper67


No, I did not think your post was referring to me. It just gave me an opportunity to further communication. We cool.

How's the weather all well?

Originally posted by masqua
Letting our personal, real life emotions effect the tone and progression of the story line. Your character is not you but a being of it's own created by you the author. We must put on our author hats when writing for our character dispite our personal feelings.

I agree as well. It is imperative that we stay in character in the Story thread.

I have to ask, does anyone believe this is happening?

Or is this just something that might occur and thus something we should watch out for?

Originally posted by cindymars
reply to post by Whisper67

 

How's the weather all well?

Calming. I actually like thunderstorms...just not with tornados and as with seeming all MSM news, there's a lot of hype. I do take note when my weather alarm thingy goes off tho

And regarding the CCing, I for one haven't seen evidence of it here, it's just been my experience especially with long lasting rpgs it does come up eventually.

reply to post by Studious


If it IS happening, it hasn't been really obvious.

That doesn't mean it can't.

Like working out things over the badges, some love them, others hate them and a few are indifferent.

The point is... does it make it better for those non-participants trying to read the story? We need to think of them too. If some of us decide we don't like them and refuse to use them in the main story, is that our dissatisfaction impacting things in a negative way?

Isn't that what this thread is for... to work things out and come to a consensus, if not a unamimous agreement?





[edit on 28/3/09 by masqua]

reply to post by questioningall


Glad to see you're still with us. I just got up from watching that line of storms roll over TN. Looks like they're nearly to Knoxville now. I reckon I'm next (mid NC). Woohoo!