For those who are just starting out with new characters or those of us who sometimes have a hard time flipping from one character to another, there's a bit of a trick to helping flesh this out: Character Diamonds.
Each person and each character has solid traits that are unbending and unyielding. These are qualities that will stick with them at their very core. Some "buzzwords" that could be used are things like "passionate" and "assertive". These are more of the sort of things that won't alter with most moods or situations as easily as others, such as "nervous" or "afraid".
There are a few ways to go through the process. One method is to pick how your character relates to four major things that are important to him/her. An example given by David Bowers in the All The World's a Stage column on WoW Insider was "self, time, work, and others." As well, Bowers went on to mention that it could also be taken from a more WoW-oriented perspective, speaking towards the four areas of race, uniqueness, professional, and quirky.
For those who would be more comfortable just starting with a giant list and weeding through to organize, the website Dramatis Personae advocates just that very method. Write down a list of fifty or so traits you see in your character. Once you have your fifty, begin to organize and separate them, sweeping them into the "corners" of the diamond. An example would be something such as "trustworthy" and "loyal". Once you can separate them into the four areas, go through and remove ones that might seem a bit redundant. Further paring will let you see what the gist of that corner of the diamond is, and gives you one of their core traits.
Regardless of method, your ultimate goal is to get to know your character and what will help breathe life into them. We may all only have a given number of hairstyles, faces, and outfits to choose from in WoW, but what you're really seeking for good roleplay goes beyond game parameters; it goes beyond what you can see, and into what you create in your mind. Working on the core of your creation will help you achieve that goal.
Peace, Love, and Lok'tar,
~Bells
For more information on Character Diamonds, please visit:
Each person and each character has solid traits that are unbending and unyielding. These are qualities that will stick with them at their very core. Some "buzzwords" that could be used are things like "passionate" and "assertive". These are more of the sort of things that won't alter with most moods or situations as easily as others, such as "nervous" or "afraid".
There are a few ways to go through the process. One method is to pick how your character relates to four major things that are important to him/her. An example given by David Bowers in the All The World's a Stage column on WoW Insider was "self, time, work, and others." As well, Bowers went on to mention that it could also be taken from a more WoW-oriented perspective, speaking towards the four areas of race, uniqueness, professional, and quirky.
For those who would be more comfortable just starting with a giant list and weeding through to organize, the website Dramatis Personae advocates just that very method. Write down a list of fifty or so traits you see in your character. Once you have your fifty, begin to organize and separate them, sweeping them into the "corners" of the diamond. An example would be something such as "trustworthy" and "loyal". Once you can separate them into the four areas, go through and remove ones that might seem a bit redundant. Further paring will let you see what the gist of that corner of the diamond is, and gives you one of their core traits.
Regardless of method, your ultimate goal is to get to know your character and what will help breathe life into them. We may all only have a given number of hairstyles, faces, and outfits to choose from in WoW, but what you're really seeking for good roleplay goes beyond game parameters; it goes beyond what you can see, and into what you create in your mind. Working on the core of your creation will help you achieve that goal.
Peace, Love, and Lok'tar,
~Bells
For more information on Character Diamonds, please visit:
- Dramatis Personae - Character Diamonds: http://lore.dramatis-personae.com/creation/diamond.php
WoW Insider - All the World's a Stage: Character Diamonds: http://wow.joystiq.com/2008/05/25/all-the-worlds-a-stage-character-diamonds/
Edited by Bellamuerte on 3/16/2011 7:34 PM PDT
