Pawns of time (Inactive)

Game Master Cr500cricket

It sounds like you tried to force something, rather than letting something come to you? I've never had much success with that. I'd suggest lots of books and movies, television and games... all manner of things. Get your inspiration going. Find creative spark, get ideas and let them run wild. I'm by no means an expert at making characters or stories or the like, but it is something that I do as a means of having fun. :) So, the practice for me is free. Maybe it can be for you, too :)

The practice is far from free. I have at least 20 unused character ideas just sitting around.

This one just happened. I started thinking, took to a sorcerer, took to an ifrit, and ran with it.
This is what happens, over and over, even when not applying to campaigns.

I form an unhealthy attachment to my characters before they even hit play, and by never playing them, I get rather... Something. Not sure how to express it, but it's unpleasant.

And, in the end, the ideas are worthless, because they aren't good enough to see play, nor will I use them again, because I think they are too awful to see play in anyone's campaign. Yet, I still like them, for some stupid reason.

Maybe they're not worthless, or it's not that they're not good enough to see play. Maybe others simply don't see them as you see them. I've had characters that I played and fell in love with, that I know for certain would -not- survive through a normal GM choosing whether or not to let me play it.

It's not at all unhealthy to fall in love with what you create. What's unhealthy is fixating on that loss. Also... not every character has a home. Not every character ever -will- have a home. It is depressing, and I'm fairly certain that everyone goes through it. Don't treat your character as not good enough for other people. Treat it as not the right fit. Every key has a lock. Work on that key until you find the right door to the right world. Scath, just as an example, has been applied to something like 3 different campaigns since I started browsing the recruitment forums, just that I've seen.

The biggest thing you need to realize, I think, is that even if your character does get into a world, worlds 'end'. But they don't really end. Just because there aren't any more Harry Potter books doesn't mean that the universe just ends. The characters go on, the dreams go on. You may not be telling their story to other people, but the characters are still alive, in some distant place, if only in our minds or memories. And that's not depressing. That's -beautiful-.

Cool I'm in
Sorry you aren't icehawk
Magic you in?

Maybe to you.

For me, it is an end. The lingering thoughts are torment to me, and ends are heart-wrenching in and of themselves.

Yet, to see one never used is worse. I play becuase it lets them see the light of day, even if only to return me to the same state I was in before. It's the short time of relief.

Honestly, I don't expect pity. Heck, it makes me feel worse.

I shouldn't really be talking about this at all, it just needlessly exposes myself on the internet to random people.

Cool I'm in

Sorry you aren't icehawk
Magic you in?

Yes. He's in.

Sure. But there's another thing there. As awkward as it probably makes you. As awkward as it makes me. As awkward as it's probably going to make the majority of people that read it, you're still a person, you still have feelings, and you still need help in dealing with those feelings. I may not be the right person, but I've got it in me to try to help you out as best I can.

And believe me when I tell you I know where you're coming from, at least to some degree. I had an online community or something like two years, spanning something like thirty different characters that I absolutely adored (and that's just mine) that I played on a daily basis (not all thirty of them, just that I played int hat world) for hours on end. People grew bored with it, and I fought for it. I made adventures every week, sometimes more, did my very best to roleplay with anyone and everyone as soon as they sought roleplay, and really was, for all intents and purposes, a pillar of that community.

Eventually, regardless of what I did, it all fell apart. The moment I stopped trying, it was all over. Thirty characters, just mine, gone in a flash. If I looked at them as dead, I would be in a far worse state than I am today. But Anna, Alicia, Sivvi, Waltz, Cree, Kaban, Neri, Mae, Newlyn, Edan, Brooke, Valus, Harmony, Cecilia, Trystia, Autumn, Tofa, Phoebe, Hotaru, Varissa, Stela, Dream, Hala, Lynn, and Hatter all still very much live in my mind, even as the others may have come and passed. They're just all looking for a home. :)

May I suggest looking for more real-life games? You can often do more in those than you can online - especially if you have a good group of people. I can say that it's important to have a well-thought-out personality for your character, and try to express that as well as you can. Frankly, one block of stats looks a lot like every other block - so working on personalities (and trying to match them to a game) may improve your chances of getting into games. ^^

When I recruit for games, one of the things I really look for is if the character is liked by the person submitting it. One way I can tell that is the amount of energy they put into it's background and personality.

It's not the only thing I look for, but it's a big one.

I also try to leave a couple of slots open for people who are new to the forums, it's a gamble, as I tend to have high turnover, but new people need those entry slots to get their feet under them and get established.

Don't be afraid to be picky on signing up for recruitments either. There's tons of recruitments I take one look at and go 'No thank you.'

for example, things that usually make me go 'No thank you.'

1) Core book only (Shows the GM can't handle anything outside the box)
2) Core races only, and a rant on non core races (Shows the GM is hydebound)
3) One Race Only* (This is variable, for example, a game that starts off in the real world, ok, everyone human makes sense. A Paizo AP that's Human only doesn't).
4) Sillyness (I have a low tolerance for silly games, if I wanted Silly, I'd play Paranoia while drinking sake)
5) Tons of House Rules (I expect each GM to have some house rules. If it takes an external link and 200 pages, no thanks. House rules for specific classes is fine, I do that myself sometimes with Summoner and Gunslinger)

Yep. Sounds right.

Of course, I've been in about 4 of those, and ran 4 campaigns that I gave up on.

The People I knew in the first four groups faded away, and I occasionally wonder if they think of me, and realize they probably don't.

Of course, I don't see characters as alive outside thier universe. If they stop acting, they die.

I usually refuse to read any comic that has already ended, because I only find my joy in waiting for that next page.

Knowing that page won't come, that it's stopped being written, is what kills me.

When I recruit for games, one of the things I really look for is if the character is liked by the person submitting it. One way I can tell that is the amount of energy they put into it's background and personality.

It's not the only thing I look for, but it's a big one.

I also try to leave a couple of slots open for people who are new to the forums, it's a gamble, as I tend to have high turnover, but new people need those entry slots to get their feet under them and get established.

Don't be afraid to be picky on signing up for recruitments either. There's tons of recruitments I take one look at and go 'No thank you.'

for example, things that usually make me go 'No thank you.'

1) Core book only (Shows the GM can't handle anything outside the box)
2) Core races only, and a rant on non core races (Shows the GM is hydebound)
3) One Race Only* (This is variable, for example, a game that starts off in the real world, ok, everyone human makes sense. A Paizo AP that's Human only doesn't).
4) Sillyness (I have a low tolerance for silly games, if I wanted Silly, I'd play Paranoia while drinking sake)
5) Tons of House Rules (I expect each GM to have some house rules. If it takes an external link and 200 pages, no thanks. House rules for specific classes is fine, I do that myself sometimes with Summoner and Gunslinger)

are you saying I didn't like my character?

May I suggest looking for more real-life games? You can often do more in those than you can online - especially if you have a good group of people. I can say that it's important to have a well-thought-out personality for your character, and try to express that as well as you can. Frankly, one block of stats looks a lot like every other block - so working on personalities (and trying to match them to a game) may improve your chances of getting into games. ^^

Apparently my backstory didn't reveal personality. So noted. Probably too short.

As for ill games, that involves getting to know people. And honestly, I've had 2 friends close enough to call friends, and they are now 3 states away from me.

Well, the length for Timotej was fine. XD In fact, that's what I usually like to see - length shows effort and interest, but it's not the sole deciding factor. Ultimately, it's a matter of personal preference on the part of the GM. Really, half the challenge is figuring out what kind of character the GM would like to have in the game, then looking through your own ideas and seeing if anything fits.

So I wasn't paying enough attention to what he wanted to see. Once again, so noted.

Anwyay good luck with this game. I hope it goes well for you.

In the end, I'm thankful I got to talk about my stresses, and it helped a lot.

I'll do better next time, and the time after that.
I'll try and cheer up a little.

Feel free to send me a PM if you'd ever like to talk more. ^^ I may just be able to help you.

Icehawk. If this means anything to you, I flipped a coin to see who I'd pick. Heads you, Tails Scath. I got Tails.

Heh. Tails... Cat...

When we flip the coin for odd tips at work I always get tails for the same reason.

Icehawk. If this means anything to you, I flipped a coin to see who I'd pick. Heads you, Tails Scath. I got Tails.

That... Means a lot, actually. Thanks.

I usually get heads.

Heh. Tails... Cat...

Yep. That's kinda how I chose it.

Cricky, you got an idea of when we're gonna start? :)

Not tonight.

I assumed that much. XD

Can we at least dot the page.

here is my avatar/alias.

are you saying I didn't like my character?
I'm running two campaigns right now.
I'm satisfied with neither, but the players seem to somehow enjoy them.
One of them is a semi-custom system, that I am also dissatisfied with.

1) No, I didn't say that. I only said things I look for when recruiting.

2) Good for you running two campaigns.

3) I'm sorry to hear you are unhappy all around.

bummer I didn't get taken...at least it's practice making characters. I forgot to make a backstory for my submission, so i had that going against me. Oh well...have fun with the game guys.