Role-Playing: Are you your PC?

[Bee Hoon]

I was just wondering how people generally approach RPGs and play through. For instance, my approach differs somewhat based on the story but all my PCs are variations of me, which explains why I have some trouble trying to play Dark Side. Some just have certain characteristics exaggerated; i.e.:

The Exile (TSL): She is very sad, no thanks to Chris Avellone. As well as generally emo. A product of my teenage years, but with epic added She is thoroughly Light-sided, although rather scornful of authority.

Revan (KOTOR): I play him as a stereotype of every annoying guy I have met. Which somehow makes Bastila go ga-ga over him. Go figure He would do anything for love. Created to complement the Exile :P

Radiant Jen Zi (Jade Empire): Quite tough, and views Master Li as a father figure. Likes smooth-talking roguish boys in blue fabric that shrinks when washed. She's a little too trusting for her own good, and not very good at riddles >.< I always play Open Palm, but I think I should play Closed Fist soon.

The Knight Captain (NWN2): The most innocent and childlike of my PCs, and probably the one closest to my heart. She has a quirky way of looking at the world and saying random things. Likes unshaven rangers with attitude problems and serious commitment issues. And smexy voiceovers, of course :P

Commander Shepard (Mass Effect): The least fleshed out of my PCs, probably because Bioware pretty much wrote her for everyone:P All the same, has the distinction of being the only PC to be good with guns and is the most mature (besides being the most staid and boring). Will settle for unshaven sentinels with blandly emotional issues since said sentinel has nicer abs than female alien (I don't care about the whole mono-gendered thing).

So....tell me about your PCs!

[igyman]

Well, for starters, if there's some kind of an appearance customizer, I tend to make my character's face look as close to mine as possible. (I've managed this in KoTOR and Mass Effect so far.) I also tend to choose the class that allows me to combat my enemies with the most effectiveness, though not always. I first finished VTM Bloodlines as a Ventrue, mostly because I liked what it said in the class description - namely that they were considered a clan of the elite (meaning I can also choose a class that satisfies my ego best at that moment).

When I play a RPG I tend to be the good guy on my first playthrough. I always choose the Light Side/Open Palm/Paragon/etc options, I choose a more evil option only if it results in a hilarious scene. Now you might think "Wow, this guy is a really good person", but keep in mind that, although I prefer the "good" choices on my first playthrough, I don't choose them only because they make me look good - I've reached a conclusion that in most cases the rewards are much better/more useful when you do the "good" thing. Of course, if there's a dialogue option to annoy a character to the point of LMAO, I will choose that option 'cause I do like a good laugh.

[TriggerGod]

The Exile: Evil, Narcissistic, (Holy crap I spelled that right ) and Jesus. Need I say more? (also, very manipulative) A vision of how I progressed to be who I am.

Revan: Light sided Dark Side power Master Flurry spammer. My fighting style. I fight for the greater good, use the lesser evil's tricks, and send my fists flying.

Morrowind PC: Dark Elf, Elemental Powers, speed, and Dremoric Weapons. Don't know how that fits into me, but, it does.

Fable (TLC) PC: Starts out good, but slowly becomes Darker. Throws Sister into abyss. () 'Finds' many legendary uber weapons.

[SW01]

For some reason, I always take the path that leads to power, authority, respect or fear. Thus, I usually take a dark path. With character customisation, if it exists, I do the same as igyman - I try to make the character as much like myself as possible. I always go for the more luxuriant clothing option too! The most expensive suits in GTA and The Godfather, the best robes in Star Wars, etc.

I always try to go through the game at least once with a PC designed to fit the character's personality, but the rest of the time, it is designed to suit myself.

[Sabretooth]

KotOR: Good guy in general, ethical, strict system of justice, decent soldier. Hard guy that fits the description of Darth Revan.

KotOR II: One confused, irritated mofo. Pissed off at party arguments, curious but cynical of the outside world, and listening to Kreia while opposing her.

VtM: B: Snazzy male Tremere who generally plays it cool but can kick ass when needed. Conflicted between serving the Camarilla and other factions.

Fallout: Resourceful lone adventurer who'd like to stay out of trouble as much as in it.

Morrowind: An atheist Dark Elf Rogue who's in it for the cash and adventure, and not really into any faction as such.

Deus Ex: Kickass newbie.

Deus Ex: Invisible War: A bio-modification supporter and a smartass when it comes to fighting.

Fable: A valiant, but flawed hero who tends to give into his anger, but be very gallant in general.

And now, with some unhealthy inspiration from TriggerGod, my non-RPG personalities:

NFS Most Wanted: Top speed addict, loves breaking roadblocks and has a penchant for hunting and destroying cop cars. Lamborghini FTW!

Half-Life: Harried, horrified survivalist. Hmm, a geekier Bruce Campbell, if possible.

UT2004 Singleplayer: Tactics-centric strict team leader relying on experience than statistics.

Jedi Academy: Lightsabre wielder extraordinaire with a penchant for killing enemies as stylishly and effortlessly as possible; fighting with finesse.

Operation Flashpoint: Lone wolf who attacks from the sides and usually uses unconventional war methods, such as vehicular manslaughter, rockets, throwing grenades, sniping etc.

[TriggerGod]

Dues Ex: Assault Shotgun, Assault Shotgun, Assault Shotgun

And, because I can:
Half Life 2: One pissed off mofo who keeps getting shot. Oh, and is "Buddha" Jr.

[Miltiades]

KotOR: Good guy with a sense of humor (as far as you can get that in this game) but also a sense of duty all the way through.

KotOR II: A patient and nice guy, but confused and a little wary of everyone and everything. A little worried about what may come, but his experience always puts him through, always staying calm no matter what.

Jade Empire: An innocent young man, a little naive but with a heart of gold.

NWN2: Overall nice guy, but with a sarcastic sense of humor and a little impatient sometimes.

Mass Effect: Tough guy, doesn't let anyway push him around and loses his patience rather quickly. Does have a sense of duty, and while he can be rough sometimes, he's nice to people who deserve it.

In general, I'd like my PC's to be nice guy's with a sense of humor. Mass Effect is different, because I thought the Renegade options were far better than the Paragon ones.

[mur'phon]

I don't usually play games multiple times, so I always end up playing as myself, which tend to make being a goodie rather hard.

Mass Effect: makes both renegade and paragon choices, choosing the lesser of two sillies, and a folower of the "head shot = no nasty scars" philosophy.

KotOR: Jedi guardian who enjoys not wearing a tinn suit. Sees no need to piss off people needlessly, but makes an exeption when offered the princes and the whole galaxy.

MotB: Really only in it for the cure, but concern for his long term happines makes him pissed that he can't go "mister Kelemvor, tear down this wall".

VtMB: A stealthy gangrel searching for a way out of the mess, can't stand the camarilla, otherwise he goes where the bad things aren't. Is very much in favor of diablerie, and have dosen't believe in fantasy stuff that hasn't tried to kill him, luckily, he is given a helping paw and survives.

The Witcher: The only game where I end up making different choices each time I play, whithout feeling out of character for doing so. That said, I tend to support the squirrels.

[Alkonium]

Probably not. Typically, my characters in fantasy RPG's are Chaotic Good male human Fighters (in Dungeons & Dragons terms), who act independently of the government, and are willing to break the law if they feel it serves the Greater Good (ie; illegally freeing slaves). Though, that's not always the case.

Morrowind: Male Imperial Warrior named Curudir Therias. Though not a spellcaster, he makes frequent use of Scrolls and Enchanted items (ie Amulet of Opening, Dwemer Boots of Flying, Scroll of Ondusi's Unhinging). When he can, he will steal slave keys in order to free slaves.

Oblivion: Male Imperial Knight named Alkonium Kaltas. Prefers the Claymore and makes light use of magic in combat. Acts for the good of others at any cost.

Fable: Spellwarrior named Sabre. Wields Avo's Tear and had Lady Grey arrested.

NWN: Chaotic Good Human Fighter named Curudir Therias. More than happy to help find the cure for the Wailing Death, but his methods are highly questionable.

NWN2: Chaotic Good Human Fighter named Curudir Therias. Willing to take what help he can get with his quest, and tries to maintain the peace between his companions.

Kotor: Light Side Male Jedi Guardian named Kale Kaltas. Always seeks the peaceful solution, though this often fails and is forced into the agressive solution, which usually works.

TSL: Light Side Female Jedi Guardian named Shara Kin. Deeply regrets her actions in the Mandalorian Wars, but still feels they were necessary, and actively seeks to redeem herself in the eyes of what remains of the Jedi Order.

[Corinthian]

Not really, no. For example, with VtM, if it were actually me, I'd have told LaCroix, Nines, Jack, and everyone else to go butter their own muffins and then swum the Pacific and set up shop somewhere in Hawaii as a Vampiric P.I.

[Revan 411]

Well, for me I play lots of RPG's and I'd like to think my PC has a inpatient, ignorant, person till he see's the light.

Revan: He's a wise, but deadly foe. He's inpatient at the start, but he starts to see redemption along the way.

The Exile: A person who lost connection to the force, and wants to clean up the galaxy and cares about everyone.

Mass Effect: A solder who was raised on a bad street on Earth, and tried to survive through skills. After he's older, he joins the Alliance military and it go's on there.

Fable: Uhh.. not much to say there. Your character is just a blank piece of wood.

[Ctrl Alt Del]

I most certainly always chose the good side, but not exactly the lawful one. My characters will normally try to take advantage of a situation and help himself before thinking on a way to help others. That's kinda like me and I think that would fit on Kreia's description of Atton "such a man serves himself first and his allies later".

It's funny that my characters have a persistent desire for popularity and respect, and will love money, the Force, Karma, Demon Souls, Ayleid artifacts, women or anything that equals to richness on that world. As myself, he'll oftenly be driven by his emotions, doing actions that completely differs from that of his usual behavior.

Originally Posted by Revan 411

Well, for me I play lots of RPG's and I'd like to think my PC has a inpatient, ignorant, person till he see's the light.

Sorta like Tom Cruise's roles on every movie he acts.

[patient_zero]

My default instinct is to make a character that leans good, but I generally don't go full blown Lightside/LG. A lot of them are some sort of "reluctant heroine".

KotOR: Cassie Novak, LSF Scout/Sentinel
Though well-meaning, she's always honest even if that means being a bit tactless. She does what she thinks is best, and tries to be a good leader once she finds that her team looks up to her, but in truth she's a little scared because of how fast everything is moving (See: Telling the Jedi Council to stuff their suicide mission)

KotOR II: Lena Karat, LSF Sentinel/Watchman
Cynical and world-weary tech specialist, the last thing Lena wants to be is a Jedi. Given the choice, she'd tell Kreia to buzz off and go back beyond the Rim, but she finds herself sucked into the mission due to the dangers that seem to follow her. She's good at putting up a front and getting on her party's good sides, but the only one she's ever completely honest with is T3.

NWN2: Tamara Webb, Female NG Sorcerer
She's sweet and kind, but a little naive, and easily influenced. She's fairly intelligent, but not very good at articulating it, leaving most of her acquaintances thinking she's a bit of an airhead. Despite apparances, she's tough, and won't let bad times slow down her quest. When she can articulate herself, she's a very good liar. On occasions her blunt answers can surprise her allies. (See: "Why do you carry that shard in your chest?" "Because I can't get it out.")

Mass Effect: Jennifer Shepard, Female Paragon Soldier
In outward appearances, she's the opposite of Tamara: level-headed, persuasive and stubborn. Though she has little technical expertise, she's good at what she does: Blasting robots. She cares deeply for her allies, but often finds herself disconnecting in order to continue when she hits a tough spot in her mission.

Jade Empire: Flowing River Song, Female Magic Type (a.k.a. Scholar Ling)
She tends to strike a balance between the closed fist and open palm. Though she is often polite in outward appearance, she is highly focused, and reluctant to take up too much of her time doing menial tasks for others. Although she prefers to take a quick path to her goals, she will sacrifice her time if it means "getting the job done right".

[Ascendant_Justice]

I always play myself for the first playthroughs. I feel like an important part of games like these is lost when people restrict themselves to extremes. Decisions are predetermined when people do that, and the value of choices and consequences becomes diluted. That said, most of my playthroughs consist of a "grey-light" PC. While my ultimate goals often include preserving the "good government" (the Republic in KotOR), I'm not afraid to take some distasteful measures and project my authority (using a good bit of intimidation and renegade options in Mass Effect) in order to achieve those goals.

[PastramiX]

Darn, I wish this thread was just called "Are you your PC", as I would've posted something very entertaining. I hope you're proud of yourself.

As for KotOR, unfortunately, as it doesn't have a custom character creator, or CCC, there's not a real portrait that matches my looks. Since I have long hair, it looks I have to settle for the guy who looks like Solid Snake, but mine is blonde, so I guess that's a no go. But whenever I play my character in KotOR, he's a good doer at the core, but he always has a large amount of sarcastic wit as his shell. Think of him as Crow T. Robot from MST3K

[Serpentine Cougar]

If the game has lightside/darkside options, I typically go for the "good guy" ending on my first playthrough, and then the evil ending on my second. But most RPGs I play already have a pre-defined character (e.g. the Final Fantasies) or it doesn't matter how you "role-play" your PC because it'll play pretty much the same anyway (e.g. Morrowind).

[stingerhs]

i tend to just go with the flow and do what comes to me at best. i rarely create "characters" that i go and play act within the game. to do so is difficult with such rigid dialog systems and black n' white morality systems. you're either a good guy or a bad guy with similar good and bad outcomes.

i'm sure that trying to be somebody else within the game adds a degree of fun and immersion, but i'm just a tad too casual for that type of thing.

[Trex]

I'm one of those weird ones who always plays as himself in game, to the point of modding both KOTORs to make a custom PC that fits the bill.

[Bee Hoon]

Originally Posted by igyman

Well, for starters, if there's some kind of an appearance customizer, I tend to make my character's face look as close to mine as possible.

Ditto, although I daresay that you would have far more success than me in doing so

Originally Posted by PastramiX

Darn, I wish this thread was just called "Are you your PC", as I would've posted something very entertaining. I hope you're proud of yourself.

O rly? And what is that, hmm?

[PastramiX]

Originally Posted by Bee Hoon

O rly? And what is that, hmm?

Oh, something like this:

[Rogue15]

i just went all out on the dark side in both kotor games. my first playthough i played as 'myself' and stuff that i would choose, came out as a gray lightsider....second playthrough was far more darker and i enjoyed it much more, the sadist in me came out at the sandral/matale fight....i had to replay it like 100 times it was too freaking funny.

in SWG i have a character set that uses the crazy side of my personality, which really fits the species and profession i chose.

[Bee Hoon]

@ PastramiX, lolz! That's hilarious!