Lesson 2 - message board

[Radzeer]

Lesson 2: Message board topics

- Discuss various ways to advance character development (tests, misfortune, success, different motivations, etc.). Use examples from the two characters you were asked to follow.

- How can you use negative characters in AARs?

[Paragon]

I know I've been seemingly ignoring this for a while, but I've been very busy these days and you can thank my parents for the most part. I've spent a while with a computer that didn't have Office Word, and as a non-native speaker, I refuse to write in the notepad. That would breing a number of typos comparable to that of a 8 years old. I'll try to get my homework as soon as posisble.

Whatever. What the hell is a "negative character"?

[Radzeer]

A negative character is a character with predominantly evil traits. This has been an issue with AARs that tend to focus on positive characters that are more common for building empires.

[Paragon]

Er, well, I think my main character is on average far eviler than most, not in an attempt of being cynic of edgy, "everyone in the Middle Ages was like that" but that being just the story of the AAR I choose for him. Currently he'd be an Anti-Hero at best, and is getting worse, not to mention one of the ancillary members that is directly a pychotic criminal, while the other two members are a greedy but "good" mercenary that treats his men like brothers and the much more positively portrayed as a loyal and horonable and all that, so I guess it's... 2-2? More positive-to-negative ratio if we count his family, mostly nice guys.

Maybe this driving off any possible sincere admiration is one of the reasons I get few comments, but whatever. What I mean is that I don't make any particular o great distinction between good or evil characters, I don't write "good vs evil", a character being "positive or negative" is just a trait more of the personality.

[The Kybrothilian]

Of character development, besides the mentioned ways in the OP, one way to advance the character personality would be through interactions with other characters. Perhaps a new minor character pops up, and his/her views and actions rub off to another character, affecting him/her as well. I remember planning to do something like this, when I was writing the "tale of the Celtic empire" AAR. I had one aged warlord meet up with the main character, and this new character had ambitions of his own separate goals from the faction leaders that would now influence the actions of the main character (unfortunately I didn't continue my AAR far enough to reach the effects that the new character had)

The two example characters had a common character development method, that of promotion. They both rised from relatively low position to a very important one. (though Oslyabya advanced much higher than Takamasa) Promotion can also affect the character negatively (rising greed, arrogance and ambition)

Of negative characters, these can prove to be useful for an AAR. Having 1 or more characters messing up things and undermining the faction's progress either intentionally or unintentionally can really create new conflicts and twists to the story. I am infact planning to introduce one such negative character to my current AAR. (once I manage to finish the chapter)

[Paragon]

Why should negative characters undermine the faction's progress?

[The Kybrothilian]

Well for example they could be trying to be glory hogs, making rash moves like attacking another faction without the permission of their faction leader (and then possibly even failing in this), or they could actually be traitors trying to destroy all that the faction leaders have achieved and bring their empire crashing down from the inside.

[Robin de Bodemloze]

Rhetorical question: don't all those things make for good storytelling?

[Paragon]

Well, but I try to make a difference between "positive-negative" and "useful-unuseful"

A good character with high chilvary can be popular with the people and avoid unrest, maintain alliances or give you good reputation, but it can also die because he chose the least practical way to deal with a battle, or was easily fooled. A bad character can have useful if grim pragmatism and accept any job, but as you say he can also be a glory hound or a traitor. It's just a trait more of the personality, not the defining characteristic of how they effect the story.

[Robin de Bodemloze]

Well, but I try to make a difference between "positive-negative" and "useful-unuseful"

A good character with high chilvary can be popular with the people and avoid unrest, maintain alliances or give you good reputation, but it can also die because he chose the least practical way to deal with a battle, or was easily fooled. A bad character can have useful if grim pragmatism and accept any job, but as you say he can also be a glory hound or a traitor. It's just a trait more of the personality, not the defining characteristic of how they effect the story.

Good points.

Personally I think some moral greyness helps make a story more interesting than just good vs. evil. What do people think?

[The Kybrothilian]

Something I've yet to see is an AAR where the protagonist is an evil bastard, and the antagonist is a bastion of chivalry.

[Robin de Bodemloze]

See Skantarios' Pagan Vengeance for the former. Not sure about the latter - would be interested to read if such a thing existed.

[The Kybrothilian]

Yes I've read that AAR.

Well, I read it until the point where he returned to the Rus frontier.

[Paragon]

Read teh rest Herald

And well, the problem is that there aren't that much characters controlled by the IA that get to be "Bastions of Chilvary" so if anything it would be something puntual, and not the whole plot of the AAR.

[The Kybrothilian]

Well, as the assignment guidelines and the guides which it linked to have said, the character traits and stats are only guidelines to be used when it fits, but can be ignored at will.

[Robin de Bodemloze]

Well, as the assignment guidelines and the guides which it linked to have said, the character traits and stats are only guidelines to be used when it fits, but can be ignored at will.

Aye.

How you guys finding this week's lesson/assignment? There's quite a bit to read I realise.

[The Kybrothilian]

Yeah, it's a very long read. Good thing though that I have passed through all that and am now working on the assignments themselves.

[Paragon]

Not to mention a completely evident, half-assed attempt at publicity

And it's even more for me, planning to read both AAR's, and since I don't want to spoil or ruin the experience for these mid-way, I'm planning to read it from the very beginning

Well, I think here nobody reads me, but about my AAR

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I am indeed planning to have a "evil main character vs chilvaric antagonist" chapter (or 2 chapters) in a few updates from now:

[Robin de Bodemloze]

Not to mention a completely evident, half-assed attempt at publicity

the intention was to not intrude on other people's IP...

[Paragon]

the intention was to not intrude on other people's IP...

Yes, yes, the old excuse