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[GUIDE] Going through character development with Slipky

Slipky

Retired Admin
Retired Admin
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Going through character development with Slipky.
Hello there, folks! Today I will try and cover up some aspects of character development in the most detailed way I can. Being around RP for over three years, I truly believe my knowledge can help others out.

So, what is character development?
Character Development is, by definition, the change in characterization of an individual, who changes over the course of a narrative. At its core, it shows a character changing. Most narrative fiction in any media will feature some display of this. While the definition of "good" and "bad" character development is subjective, it's generally agreed upon that good character development is believable and rounds out a well-written character.
So... How do you take a character and develop it to new heights? I'll try to sum it up into a few parts.

PART I : Your age.
While developing a character, it would be wise to age it up as you develop yourself throughout the path your character walks in. Let's take an example - I RP a 16 years old LS High drop-out. I slowly get involved with a crew of drug dealers until finally taking shifts on a corner. After a while, I get trusted enough to hold a gun within my hands. My character is now close to 17. He goes and tries to hotwire a car, but is caught by the LSPD and sent to the San Andreas Correctional Facility. Due to his age, he gets a light sentence of two years. You see, age is a very important factor in development. With age, comes the IC life expirience and street smarts. Many of my characters began in their youth, and reached their 30s. The slowest development was my character Preston "Priest" Weaver, a Crip affiliated gangster that have been rapping aswell. When I began my RP as Priest, I had a Tampa, ICly belonged to my mom, and a BMX. That's all. That's when the rap RP came in. I started making serious cash, so yeah, I could afford a normal car. What I'm trying to say is, don't get a luxury car unless you got the IC reason to do so. That's a very general example of how development comes into account, but it's a good one.

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Murder, or development?


PART II : Your surroundings.
It is very important, in my opinion, to adopt traits and RP opportunities from your surroundings as you develop. The city around you got so much potential in it - It's just waiting for the right person to come and use it's different areas to his own development and progress. Imagine roleplaying an old Vietnam war veteran living in Ganton, once a calm and quiet neighborhood, but fourty years later - It's the biggest ghetto in Los Santos. The people that RP around you is a gold mine of RP, regardless of their abilities. Throw some harsh insults at them, yell at them for interrupting your daily beer & chill session outside, call the police and report them if they're too noisy... That's just the tip of it. This can go much more in depth, but that depends on you.





PART III : Yourself.
What do I mean by 'Yourself'? Your development is totally up to you and your judgement on how to take the shit thrown at you while developing, and deciding over the effects of that over your character. You saw a crime scene for the first time of your life? You'd probably be terrified, and start shaking - Hell, you might even freeze and just stand staring at some general direction. You're being frisked by the LSPD for the first time, and holding drugs on you? RP the panic, and more importantly - On every occassion, try roleplaying the effects caused after the event. How did this affect your character for good or for bad? I feel that this is the time to say - Development isn't going to always smile at you. I'll give a personal example, not long ago I had to make one of my characters half blind because aerosoul spray paint was sprayed into his eyes by a member of a street gang. Why did I do it? Development. It simply opens up more and more roleplay opportunities. Now, my character is not only half blind, but he also wants his revenge.

PART IV : Conclusions.
Never miss a chance to do some development.
Your surroundings is just as important as yourself when developing a character.
Emotions and general reactions to events is critical.
Age up.
Stick to your RP doesn't matter how much shit this throws in your face.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this guide!
 

Deketa

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May 26, 2016
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Well-written, kudos!

If I may add, for any new roleplayers lurking this topic, know you and your character are not the same; Part III touched this near-perfectly. It's the very idea of roleplay to basically pretend you're something you're not, so have some fun! Don't allow your character to be bound to a specific lifestyle or anything due to your beliefs or opinions IRL, but instead, allow your character and their development to decide what's up. :thumbup:
 
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