I offer this topic to be a list of ways to remember you are not your character, or for you to keep from feeling like you are your character.

Feel free to add to the list, that's what it's here for! I'll add what others say to it as they say it. (or as fast as possible. )

YOU ARE NOT YOUR CHARACTER


- Always refer to yourself by your own name, or say me and I, when talking out of character. When talking in character, refer to your character by your character's name.

- If you feel exactly what your character feels, and you find yourself unable to step back and tell where you and your character are different, then you might be in trouble.

- Your character can have a similar life situation to you, but if the only differences you and your character have is that your character isn't human and you are, you might need to worry.

- Make your character interesting, unusual, or at least noticeably different from yourself.

I never really understood the insistence in using 'I' or 'char name here', we're all a smart bunch, we're pretty sure we know what you mean when you say 'I' or whenever you describe something that happened IG. More annoying when it's applied to the weirdest things.

That's just me though.

Though I'd also argue that if you didn't feel -anything- for your character during times of great stress/joy, you're not properly enjoying this kind of game.

Every time you heartpierce me... You pierce my heart...

Oh wait 130 cutting plate prevents that nonsense.

Nevermind.

Most of the time typing "Nejii went and raided yesterday" sounds weird and/or pretentious more than anything else, so I try to avoid it unless I'm going out of my way to make the distinction (like if people are accusing me of failure to seperate IC and OOC.)

And there is absolutely no problem with sharing a personality with your character, though it's not a requirement. If nothing else it gives you a much more robust personality than either a gimmick or inexperienced people trying to go for someone completely different (not that more experienced people can't do the latter well, of course.)

Pretentious is a good word for what I described. Insert disclaimer that not everyone who does this is like this, etc.

Also, whenever I pierce your heart Desitrus, you could say that I get knocked down in return. (For a double tap)

You, sir, are made of ridiculous.

I personally go for 100% immersion. As in, my brain functions the way I've set up my character, and as such it always takes me a few minutes to either "snap in" or "snap out". I find it immensely enjoyable, almost like a sort of meditation, though I do take special care to stay off the forums when I'm in my Lusternia trance. Then again, my characters don't know about the forums so it's really not particularly difficult, now that I think about it...

So... that's why you're obsessed with pie. It all makes sense now.

I feel this is too true. I mean when you lose a raid ig, you lose a raid OOC.

When I lich ig, I lich ooc too. :,(

P.s nerf trueheal.

I... You.... GAH!!! I != my character! AERIHAWERIHGH.

It's true, when I'm bashing I cut myself a little each time I get hit so I know how my character feels. It's a true bond.

OMG IT'S HOT HERE!

Good topic for a post, actually.

There's nothing wrong with identifying a bit with your character and lending them a bit of your personality and/or habits, likes/dislikes while roleplaying. It tends to lend some realism. Personally, I play Sthai with a couple of my traits, albeit not my full self. A few Sthai alts have other facets. One or two characters are pretty much completely unlike me, one or two have aspects I've seen in other people.

On the other hand, I've also known people who've become so enmeshed with their characters that having them die has driven them to the brink of suicide. I'm really not kidding. As much as telling people to get up and go get some fresh air, read a book, drink some tea is really a cliche, it's a cliche for a reason - there's a kernel of truth to it. There's no harm in getting pissed off about being griefed or somesuch, but there's a point at which things go too far.

So I guess what I'm saying here is, if you find yourself at the point where the game is stressing you out too much, you're taking things done IC too personally, and you can't help but react OOCly in inappropriate ways, then you need to walk away. It's a fun game, but nothing is worth losing your sanity over, and it's certainly not worth spoiling your entire day.

But what happens if your character is human?!

It's easier said than done, Sthai.. Trust me, I've been through the whole getting bummed OOC cause of what happens IC. Especially when you've done SO much to get where you are, and a few little pricks who don't like you ruin YEARS you've put into a game.

If you're fully immersed in your character, your character can only be as interesting as your OOC self. If I were interesting OOC, I wouldn't play roleplaying games. IC, I can be apathetic, murderous, cruel, racist, sexist, fanatical, illogical, and a myriad of other things that sane people try to avoid in real life because of the negative consequences.

So, I would add to the list, "Make your character interesting, unusual, or at least noticeably different from yourself." It helps me remember that, whether at level 39 or 100, whether with 50 credits to his name or 4000, if my character is deleted today I the real person will not have lost anything. Not to mention, playing a character as yourself makes IRE games nothing more than a glorified, expensive chatroom whose only benefit is pretending to be more attractive than you are in real life.

*FLEX*

It's true, when ever something bad happens IC, you worry about it ooc. When ever I'm talking to some one who I know also plays lusternia, we ham it up, speaking about whats just happened or what the most recent news is on their side of the basin. (It dosen't help all of my roomates now do)
I think the funnest, is playing a char that is like yourself a few years ago. It helps you learn a bit about yourself, and is easy to snap in and out of. Bleh, more to come. Lost my train of thought

Do you know how many times I cut myself because of you? DO YOU?!

Am I a horrible person for wanting to meet one of these people for the sole reason of pointing and laughing?

Sometimes I won't use Aison's name to describe things she's done or whatever, on forums. Like, "Oh, I remember that time I beat Malarious up in Shallach as a faeling celestine." But... you know, people know I'm talking about Aison .

Otherwise, I like people who roleplay like Sthai do, it looks very fulfilling, but also like a lot of work.

There's nothing wrong with the casual RPer. The person who basically plays themselves, but doesn't go blatantly OOC... they stay in character, but they aren't going as far as people like Sthai. They are here to enjoy the game for what it's worth.

Then there are people who just use it for a chatroom... no sense of RP and they just want to be obnoxious. I try to avoid these people.

Not as many times as he cuts you, I'm sure.