Heroica Theatre

[Palathadric]

Pretzel definitely regrets not having killed the Death Progg. His glory for killing a massive demon is gone and it hurts him, especially since he knows that he didn't avenge Daxus' death. He still tries to brush it off and insist that he did kill the Death Progg, but I think he knows otherwise.

Letting Daxus die is another big regret.

Another regret is letting the Sewer Slickers go in his last quest or rather his not having been able to control his party and get them to do what he wanted. At least Sylph was able to explain this in such a way that Pretzel didn't feel completely betrayed.

Another, I suppose, but this is not very major, was his inability to find out what and who was behind the Rorik's assassination. He feels ashamed to have played into a woman's hands.

[Kintobor]

Kintobor, you started us off, aren't you going to weigh in?

I was going to, I just wanted to see what others had to say before I did.

Biggest failure for Karie? Failing 84. After what happened in 70, and seeing what she did to the party left more of an impression than anything else. So when the scenario came to her again to betray the employer, she felt the right choice was to give the bombs to the people who they were hired to give them to. And then Dyric and Thothwick vetoed with a majority rules. She was left not sure who to side with or what to do, and she sided with the party, not wanting to ever be on the opposing group of heroes. And then Dyric and Thothwick told her off, making her question whether she should have helped them or left them to the Hinckwells.

Karie joining the Syndicate lost her trust with Arnulf and Boomingham, but gained her respect and backing with the Syndicate, as well as something she lost: someone she could love again. Karie lost everything in 84: she gained nothing. She lost respect from the Hinckwells, and she made enemies with two heroes.

Edited November 14, 2013 by Kintobor

[Dragonfire]

You mean 84?

[Kintobor]

I goofed.

[Dragonfire]

Too bad that happened. If I was there I'd have stuck with the Hinckwells...

[Zepher]

[Kintobor]

Too bad that happened. If I was there I'd have stuck with the Hinckwells...

Eh, it's how the game works. I really don't hold grudges to players, only the characters they play.

Typical.

[Zepher]

Even my quieter and lighter-hearted quests are apparently crushing failures for the players. Hurrah!

Only a few quests left before we get going on some finales.

[Scorpiox]

I'm hoping to steer Haldor and Jess' relationship in a direction both more interesting and realistic; and I'd love to read some criticism as to how I can better do this for my character's side.

[Sisco]

I would also gladly listen to any advice you all would have.

[Zepher]

You're both doing a good job. Find what about them clicks, and what about them causes tension. That will take time, of course. Haldor has been through a lot since they last met. He is a different man... with a few more secrets. You can play that up. Jess too can have changed, we just haven't seen it. Or maybe as an elf she's stayed the same, and that could cause some tension. It's really just roleplaying together long enough... and maybe you two will end up on a quest soon together if you both sign up for the same one.

[Pyrovisionary]

Right so I've finished my first/only wall of text Roleplaying thingy over on quest #81. How badly have I done?

[Pyrovisionary]

I'm going to try and be as unoffensive as I can but this is a matter of which I feel deeply for. Something I've noticed whilst playing Heroica, about 80% of the characters in this game are well read intelligent, polite, agreeable, literate people with excellent vocabulary. And I feel that this basically, no matter what the backstory or roleplaying skill or gear, gives most heroes the exact same personality. Most of us are calm, calculating and cautious and that's lovely... However I think we could all benefit from little speech mannerisms and accents in our dialogue. I am afraid that I don't read other quests as much as I should so I cannot really criticize. I see two goals for a player in Heroica. Progress your character statistically and then progress them as a person. We all want to make our character famous, well known and complimented throughout our community, but I feel that without trying to make your character sound.. Or read differently, we cannot truly distinguish ourselves from each other.

I apologize if I have caused any insult.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Pyrovisionary

[Kintobor]

No, that's an excellent and valid point. The one big counter point is that it's hard to communicate an accent through text.

As much as I like the characters of Umbra and Cula, their accents being written out as if it were an accent is really distracting. I considered writing Karie's dialogue as if she had a Brooklyn accent, but I eventually drop it (although when i read it there is a very faint accent). I think that's the only reason people avoid it because it is distracting and hard to write.

[Zepher]

There's a rule in writing that specifically states that you shouldn't write out accents. It is generally considered extremely distracting, and without actually knowing the accents that different Heroica areas would have, it becomes more of a challenge. I believe a tilt towards speech mannerisms would be better. Suggesting an accent that way is how most authors go about it.

[Pyrovisionary]

I slightly disagree . Overdoing it makes it hard to read and very boring to write but merely exchanging a few words for slang works a treat. I'm saying that we shouldn't all speak the queen's English.

It's not impossible to do very well. I'm going to use Skrall and Hybros as examples here:

"I don't think ya can make that weapon any more fragile, might not hurt to try it on the blob though. Ya know anything 'bout minimizing dust?"

"Eheh... thank you."

They're not distracting, they're not hard to write and yet they distinguish these characters from everyone else.

Edited January 24, 2014 by Pyrovisionary

[The Legonater]

I wouldn't really call those accents, but mannerisms. Accents generally affect more than a word or so here and there.

[Endgame]

Speech mannerisms are definitely the way to go - as much as I like Dr. Cula as a character, his accent is pretty much the sum of every Transylvanian accent ever.

Sorrow actually speaks with a Massachusetts accent (We're gonna get in the cah and go to the mahket, and we have to try hahdah to eat well), but obviously it'd be a bit weird written out.

Also, I'm surprised Karie has a Bronx accent and not a French.

[Kintobor]

I don't think the way someone talks is distinct enough to make them a unique character. It helps in identifying a character, but if the only thing going for your character is it's accent, your doing something wrong. You shouldn't tack on a quirk just because you can. Accents for me just muddle things up. If the character's french, throw in a few french nouns and proverbs. Je for I, tu for you, maison for house, etc. If he's got a Brooklyn accent, throw in some slang. Full on accent can really muddle things and slow down the flow of dialogue. I'll disagree with Hybros having accent, since it's more like a mannerism, but Skrall does it right. It's subtle and still flows right.

Iv I dezided tu tauk laike zis, itz confuzing and zlow tu read, n'est pas?

The way I'd rewrite that is:

If I decided to parle like this, it's confusing and slow to read, n'est pas?

See? You still get hints of a french accent, and it flows nicely.

Also, I'm surprised Karie has a Bronx accent and not a French.

It stuck as a child and never left. I imagined Karie being slightly high pitched (but not to the point of nasally) and with hints of a bronx accent, but not to the point of being up front. I should start using it a bit more though. Her adoptive sister has somewhat of a Charisian accent, but it's also down played due to her father being from Dastan.

The real reason was Harley's got one, and I thought Karie would fit with one.

[Endgame]

The real reason was Harley's got one, and I thought Karie would fit with one.

Masson doesn't speak with Joker's accent, by the way. (He, like much of my cast, defaults to New England.)

Typically, I work backwards, for both Sorrow and other characters: Determine their personality, then determine their mannerisms, then any speech mannerisms, then any accent. For example, Aquos: Generally passive aggressive and snobby, meticulous and cunning, tendency to sound someone eloquent and calm at almost all times, upper crust British accent.

Yes, Aquos had a British accent.

[Pyrovisionary]

That's essentially what I said earlier:

Overdoing it makes it hard to read and very boring to write but merely exchanging a few words for slang works a treat.

. Accents for me just muddle things up. If the character's french, throw in a few french nouns and proverbs. Je for I, tu for you, maison for house, etc. If he's got a Brooklyn accent, throw in some slang.

Anyway. Accents, mannerisms call it what you will but I'm tired of the same personality in too many characters. There aren't enough malevolent characters. I mean surely a mercenary organisation would at least attract a few sadistic killers right? Greed, dishonesty, bad manners and recklessness are very hard to find in heroica. Whereas righteous, polite, calm, intelligent Lawful good characters are by the dozen. I fell that there's not enough variety. But there is no point in my ranting....

Yes, Aquos had a British accent.

What, Cockney, Liverpool, Northener, Jordy, Welsh, West country or Cornwall? Oh gosh, Aquos with a west country accent....

Edited January 24, 2014 by Pyrovisionary

[Zepher]

If I ever get up to a high enough level to introduce my secondary character...

[Endgame]

Liverpool, mostly.

I think that there are enough overtly malevolent characters out there - what I think will really make the personalities of heroes shine is when the house factions turly come into play. Then we start seeing the ugly side of some heroes.

[Cutcobra]

The only times Heckz is righteous, polite, calm, intelligent, lawful and good is when someone calls him beautiful, then he is exactly the opposite when someone even says "Not that pretty." in a conversation with him.

Speaking of which, what does everyone think about Heckz? I have a backstory for him but I'm not sure I should reveal it anytime soon, partially because the opportunity never comes up.

[Kintobor]

Anyway. Accents, mannerisms call it what you will but I'm tired of the same personality in too many characters. There aren't enough malevolent characters. I mean surely a mercenary organisation would at least attract a few sadistic killers right? Greed, dishonesty, bad manners and recklessness are very hard to find in heroica. Whereas righteous, polite, calm, intelligent Lawful good characters are by the dozen. I fell that there's not enough variety. But there is no point in my ranting....

I think it's easier to play a "good guy" than a sociopathic killer. Everyone has flaws, and everyone faces adversity in their own way. If they brush it off with a shrug and a sigh, they're a Mary Sue. I think Spoony said it best when he said that if there was even one villainous character, the party dynamic just stops, and the good or neutral heroes outright kill the evil one, because honestly, why should they trust him? He's going to stab them in the back, he's going to do something for his own self gain, so why should the party deal with it? And no, this isn't a rant, it's a discussion. I think it's important we bring this up, because as much as I disagree with suggestions, I do so with an intent to improve others roleplay. If you want an accent, go for it. You feel your character should be religious, go ahead, by all means. But do so with a reason. A character who casually worships a deity is less interesting than one who feels devotion to the point that they'd adopt it as a lifestyle, since when the time comes for them to question it, it feels important and it feels real! I'm glad we had this discussion, Pyro, because it gets the community talking!