Skip to main content

Forums » Smalltalk » Doesn't fit in well

Dahaka Viles (played by JasintheDemon)

Me and my creator are new to this site, but I have been rejected by all who I have spoken too.

Is my concept too unique to fix into a RP or have I not looked hard enough?

If you wish to RP with me, i could set something up, taking requests.
Hey there!

So I am not sure how your DM's have gone without both sides or any conversation in general. Though I can give a few tips perhaps into helping you connect better with potential writing partners.

Firstly make sure your character sheet has adequate information for the plot that you are trying to do. If you have a relatively complicated plot idea, then it's important that you have a character sheet that matches. Make sure you have adequate descriptors that give people an idea of what your character looks like. Give a background story that really draws the writer in and matches up with your desire plot idea. Perhaps some gallery pictures on the side as well just to give a visual representation. Also, get a background as it will catch the eye and make people stick around a little longer to enjoy what you have created.

Secondly, try to work your concept around the people you are talking with. If you see their character may not exactly match up with the plot, either open the floor to ideas or flex the plot to make it work. It's all about communication when writing with people, and it being a 50/50 street.

That being said, sometimes people just don't have the muse to write that type of plot! There is nothing wrong with that, and it may just take time to find the person that is interested. Don't get discouraged by it all, if you ever need help really delving into a character shoot me a message and we can hash it out.

I hope this can help a little, you got this. :)
Dahaka Viles (played by JasintheDemon) Topic Starter

Thanks for the tips. Most of the time I try to ask to RP and either no one gets back to me, or I get rejected. Hopefully i'll find someone a bit more willing soon.
A demonic god? Honestly... not all that unique. ^^;

As already mentioned, some folks want to see more info. Especially with you describing him as just wanting to alleviate his boredom, some may take that to mean they'd have to carry the whole RP themselves against a character that can be assumed to be a shallow jerk.

There are also a lot of folks who are wary of characters that seem overpowered, which definitely makes it difficult to find placement for god type characters. I've actually had a couple of characters who had plots in which they developed into gods, and even though that was with a proven partner and friend, those characters have since only made appearances because it's just... hard to have a worthwhile plot with them anymore.

It can also take a lot of patience in general. Many of our players have busy lives and we encourage personal boundaries for mental health and wellbeing here, so folks tend not to go for anything that they don't really get excited over. Some folks also stick to people they have already gotten familiar with OOC, so being active in the community should help.

Best of luck!
So, I'm gonna be frank...

I agree a lot with Zelphyr. Dahaka is... not really unique. Superpowerful godly overlords are *very* common in RP. The issue is that they're also the hallmark of those just starting out. It's not that Dahaka is unique... it's that he's (and I say this absolutely with the intent to help) uninteresting. Anyone can make a superpowerful godly overlord who happens to be bored. The key is in what he brings to a story.

Reading the biography makes it seems like you're looking for an RP in which you've already set the bar really high. A naturally antagonistic character such as Dahaka means that nobody but characters that are equal or of greater power to him can actually provide what every story needs... a conflict. Using my own characters as references, that would leave Jing Zhou (a god himself) and Evan King (the personification), and neither of those are intended for an active fight RP. So all on all, an RP with Dahaka sounds... boring. There'd be no conflict, no character introspection, no story (at least from reading the very scant bio).

However, 'is he fixable'? Absolutely, but his biography is going need to be fleshed out more than just a few sentences, tops. You also need to decide on an adequate foil for your character. Darkseid from the DC universe comes to mind when looking at your character, but Darkseid really isn't a character... he's a force of nature, designed to be powerful for the good guys to have something to struggle against... and that's just not something you want to do in a character-driven medium such as roleplay.

What is your character's end goal?
What is your character's foil?
What is your character's conflict?
Can you envision your character failing?

These questions need to be answered, even if it means making a significantly weaker character, as they need to have room to grow in your story. A demon god older than time itself ruling an entire universe... doesn't have much room to grow.
JasintheDemon Topic Starter

Wow, ok, i did not know how common this idea is...

I'm kind of new to this, and it looks like i'm up to a poor start.

Maybe a revision would be the best. Something more, simple, or flexible.

Eh, you know what, someone will be ok with this. I'll just make different characters to fix more flexible needs, i have 7 slots left.

Thanks for the feedback, appreciate it.
Jasinthedemon wrote:
Wow, ok, i did not know how common this idea is...

I'm kind of new to this, and it looks like i'm up to a poor start.

Maybe a revision would be the best. Something more, simple, or flexible.

Eh, you know what, someone will be ok with this. I'll just make different characters to fix more flexible needs, i have 7 slots left.

Thanks for the feedback, appreciate it.

I wouldn't say a poor start, you're honestly off to a great start simply because of the fact you're willing to learn and ask questions. I've been rping for 15 years, and I started where you were; really only making a few sentences at best at a time. I didn't even really have the capacity to make an OC, even; I just relied on playing already established characters.

My BIG recommendation, however, is to flesh out your biographies to more than just a sentence of description. Take a look my character bios and Zelphyr's bios. Notice how they're paragraphs to several paragraphs long of details. You could have an absolutely stand-out character, but RP is a marketplace of ideas. You are advertising your characters so that people can give you their time and dedication. A single sentence per character won't cut it for a description.

If you feel Dahaka can work as he is (and he can if you take the time to work out what his end goals, conflicts, and flaws are), then that's fine; just put more meat on those biographies. SELL him to me, because not only what makes your character unique, but is the hallmark of how much you're willing to commit to a story.
Keith (played by JasintheDemon) Topic Starter

Ok, flesh out the bio, no problem, but i do like the idea of making a new character.

Been working on this one for a while, i think it has the ability to grow and change depending on the RP.

Wish i had some art for these, eh, i made the art for the last one.
Keith wrote:
Ok, flesh out the bio, no problem, but i do like the idea of making a new character.

Been working on this one for a while, i think it has the ability to grow and change depending on the RP.

Wish i had some art for these, eh, i made the art for the last one.

Keith is much more fleshed out, well done. If you need to, you can easily just use a temporary playby until you find something, or get a commission. RPR is fantastic in that it has several artists who are willing to draw for a price.
Agreed, you're not off to a bad start at all! Part of why we mentioned the character isn't so unique is because things like that - characters that end up overpowered, vaguely or weakly defined (at least in terms of what's communicated, even if the character in our heads is very rich and full!), etc are things we have all created. Certain types of beings - demons, elves, dragons, vampires, etc - are super common as well (and this is not inherently a flaw). And indeed, seeking input, and furthermore showing that you were seeking in earnest (there are those who ask, but get upset at anything but praise and reassurance), is also wonderful and an excellent sign!

You are also right that there are those who enjoy all sorts of different characters. It may be difficult to locate someone who will enjoy some particular character, but that doesn't mean that you were wrong to make that character, nor does it actually mean it's a bad character. It does imply there's problems, but sometimes it's really just suited to a narrow crowd - for example, I have a friend with some toon characters, because he loves toons and silliness and would love to do a toon RP or something with setting like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but for a majority, toons in RP just isn't their cup of tea. His characters aren't bad, particularly in the context of being toons; they just don't have a popular appeal as an archetype here.

Also, a counter I'll add to Kami (or rather, perhaps more of a clarification): details are usually good, but quantity =/= quality. If you do find you have a lot to write about a character, awesome! Some folks adore lengthy, detail-rich profiles that let them feel like they could know the character! But there are also those who mostly just want to make sure there is content and who will only read the most basic details and maybe summaries, and beyond that opt to learn about the character in-game. (And some can even be spooked off by long profiles, but I think that's less common.) Neither is wrong, it's just preference.

Sorry if my post is a mess or anything, brain is hopping around and "new" tends to put me into, er, an "exposition" mode of sorts. ^^;

Oh, and yes, we do have a number of artists! Some are costly, but very worth the price. There are also those who sometimes offer free art. :)
JasintheDemon Topic Starter

I don't know if anyone is paying attention still. But I finally fleshed out Dahaka's history, I don't know if it is any good, but I enjoy it.

You are on: Forums » Smalltalk » Doesn't fit in well

Moderators: Mina, Keke, Cass, Auberon, Claine, Ilmarinen, Ben, Darth_Angelus