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~Corvus~
2015-07-29, 07:41 PM
Hey there playgrounders!

I've been in a PBP game since August of last year, and to date it's been the longest consistently-running forum game i've ever been in. So here's the dilemma: I'm getting out of touch with the character I've made.


To boot, I've played in a few four-year-long games in person, and a few several-year long skype games, and yet this problem rarely cropped up, perhaps because I had the character-sheet handy 90% of the time.

Perhaps I need to elaborate on the details of WHAT this character is, but I'd first like to see how people do character-refinement or general suggestions before moving to more concrete samples.

Oberon Kenobi
2015-07-29, 08:03 PM
IME, character interest can only run on autopilot for so long without them having a goal to work towards. This can be something in-character, like wanting revenge or finding something lost or whatever else; it can be out-of-character, like you want to see them come to grips with a certain aspect of their personality or past that they're not really aware of. Whatever works for your character–but if that journey and growth isn't there, the interest won't be there for long either, I find.

So, I would examine what you set out to do with the character when you made them; what were their goals and motives for being involved in the campaign? If those goals have been met, how does that change their outlook, and do those accomplishments or campaign events up to this point give you a new direction to take the character, however subtle or radical? If those goals haven't been met, do you still care about them, as a player and as a PC, and if not, why not? If you can nail down what specifically isn't clicking for you, that can guide you in a new direction.

On the other hand: even in long-running shows, sometimes a favorite character has to leave because their journey is over (or because the actor needs to do something else with their life), and RPGs are no different. If you like the campaign but are out of touch with the character (for either in-character or out of character reasons[/i]), it may be time to give that story its satisfying end and introduce someone new, so talk to your table about that if you can't figure out any way to reinvest yourself. The goal is to have fun, after all. :smallsmile:

~Corvus~
2015-07-31, 11:38 AM
This is excellent advice! I'll post character details Saturday =3