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Thread: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

  1. #1
    Barry Goldwater's Avatar Mr. Conservative
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    Default [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    As you may have guessed from the title, this is the character-writing thread I mentioned I'd post from the discussion in the Eagles thread. Feel absolutely free to build a common history (war buddies from the F&I War or even earlier if you're old enough, business partners, childhood friends or rivals, what have you) with other players' characters if you'd like.

    A few pointers:

    1) We can start in either May of 1775, one month after Lexington & Concord, or July 5 1776, immediately after the Continental Congress has adopted the DoI (which for simplicity's sake we'll assume to be OTL's unless you guys really want to write a new one). Either way, the ARW has to have actually started. Feel free to vote immediately, btw.

    2) You all have to be Patriots. I hope we all still remember what happened the last time we decided to have two camps in WEF - 1960 ring any bells? You can pull an Arnold later as long as you have good reasons to do so (which means no randomly switching sides to troll the game) but you have to at least start as a Patriot.

    3) I'll be listing ethnicities, backgrounds and religions below, but since I haven't actually finished the game's rules yet consider all of their effects (if they even have them) provisional & subject to change as needed.

    Format
    (insert image here if you want)

    Name:
    Date of Birth: (include age at game start)
    Ethnicity:
    Religion:
    Occupation:
    Home State: (one of the Thirteen Colonies or just 'Western Frontier' if you happen to be from unorganized western territories like the future Kentucky or Michigan)
    Allegiance: (as I said, y'all have to be Patriot at game start, but you can switch this to Loyalist later if the right circumstances - say, getting screwed over by whoever decides to be totally-not-Horatio-Gates - arise)
    Commands: (list your present commands here, ex. 'Major-General of the Army of Canada')
    Money: (you'll be paying your forces out of your own pockets unless you want to trust the Continental Congress with your purse instead)
    Personality: (at least one paragraph of 6 sentences, as usual)
    Biography: (at least one paragraph of 6 sentences, as usual)

    Issues:

    Ethnicities
    Northern Anglo-American: You're an American of primarily English stock and come from New England or the Mid-Atlantic states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland. You might have been born in the Thirteen Colonies or in the Home Isles, but either way you are now here, standing alongside your fellow Patriots in arms against the Crown you once served. You are especially likely to have been a merchant and/or naval officer prior to the war; your political views are likely to stray towards the radical end of the spectrum, but favor centralization (ex. sweeping federal powers, a strong standing military in peacetime, taxes ranging from moderate to borderline oppressive, a national bank) over the decentralization preferred by the Westerners; and you are likely to be a more independent-minded Protestant as opposed to an Anglican with the serial numbers filed off Episcopalian.

    Southern Anglo-American: You're an American of primarily English stock and come from the Southern states of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Georgia. You might have been born in the Thirteen Colonies or in the Home Isles, but either way you are now here, standing alongside your fellow Patriots in arms against the Crown you once served. You are especially likely to have been a major planter prior to the war, the mirror image of the landed gentry across the Atlantic; your political views are likely to stray towards the conservative end of the spectrum in contrast to your more radical Northern and Western hopeful-countrymen; and you are likely to be an Episcopalian, which is to say, the closest you can get to your traditional Anglicanism while fighting the head of that particular church.

    Western Anglo-American: You're an American of primarily English stock and come from the rugged & sparsely-populated Western frontier, which has yet to be organized into formal states. You might have been born in the Thirteen Colonies or in the Home Isles, but either way you are now here, standing alongside your fellow Patriots in arms against the Crown you once served. You are especially likely to have been a soldier or yeoman farmer before the war; your political views are likely to stray towards the radical end of the spectrum, but favor decentralization (ex. a weak federal gov't, a reliance on state militias, low or even no taxes, multiple competing independent banks) instead of the centralizing policies favored by the Northeasterners; and you are likely to be a more independent-minded Protestant as opposed to an Anglican with the serial numbers filed off Episcopalian.

    Irish: You're an Irish-American, likely driven here by the policies of the British government back on the Emerald Isle; alternatively, your ancestors fled here for the same reason, and you were born in the Thirteen Colonies. Either way, hating British tyranny is practically your national sport, and for good reason....or well, it would be if there was an Irish nation, but since an independent Eire is unlikely in the foreseeable future you'll settle for the next best thing and fight alongside the Patriots for a new homeland. You're especially likely to be a Catholic, which means you most likely hail from Maryland or one of the other Mid-Atlantic states such as New York, but politically you tend towards the radical end of the spectrum, though whether you support centralization or not is entirely up in the air.

    Scots-Irish: You're an American of mixed Scottish and Irish lineage, and your ancestors would have had an easier time under British rule than your purely Irish cousins. Nevertheless, for whatever reason you have joined the rebellion against King George. You're likely to be a soldier or yeoman farmer hailing from the Southern states or the Western frontier, especially the Appalachian area where you've been stuck since you or your ancestors decided servicing the whims of the Tidewater planters was a bad idea; you're likely to favor decentralizing policies, but you can well be a conservative in other matters such as slavery; and you are almost certain to be a hardline independent Protestant.

    Dutch: You're a Dutchman, whether a recent immigrant or one born in the Thirteen Colonies; in the latter case, your family may have reached back to the 17th century, when Dutch settlers first built New Amsterdam - and now you have a chance to relive their conflict with the English, only hopefully this time you & your people will win instead. Your people are concentrated primarily in New York and the Mid-Atlantic states, particularly the former New Netherland colony. You are likely to either be either a more conservative patroon, essentially the Mid-Atlantic Dutch-flavored equivalent to Southern planters who's more reliant on nominally-free tenants than actual slaves, or a liberal-minded merchant tycoon following in the footsteps of his trading ancestors, and to follow a Protestant creed.

    French: You're a Frenchman. Whether you were born in the Thirteen Colonies or moved there, you've opted to align with the colonials against your forefathers' (and possibly yours, if you fought in the French & Indian War) traditional enemies over in Blighty. Depending on where you are you could be a soldier who fought in the French & Indian War, a successful merchant if you're up North or a Southern planter with Huguenot roots. You can hail from any of the Eastern states, from Massachusetts to Georgia, but either way you're likely to be a Catholic or Huguenot, and to carry traditionally pro-centralist but otherwise moderate political leanings.

    German: You're a German. Well, it makes some sense for you to be in the Thirteen Colonies, after all the Royal Family themselves are Germans! Nevertheless, you're fighting with the Patriots for whatever reason - any feelings of ethnic solidarity with the House of Hanover have long faded by now. You're more likely to hail from the Northern or Mid-Atlantic states than the South and to have been a soldier or pauper before the war's outbreak, and have plenty of freedom in terms of religious choices; Prussian Protestant or Austrian Catholic, it's all up to you.

    African-American: You're a free black man. Whether you were born free or became that way (legally or illegally), you've thrown your lot in firmly with the Patriots against the British authorities who have ruthlessly exploited your people for centuries (granted, a good number of said exploiters are Patriots too, but hey). You are especially likely to hail from (or at least have fled/moved to) New England, where anti-slavery sentiments are strongest, and to follow any religion save Enlightenment Rationalism; if nothing else, your people are known for their fierce religious devotion even in the face of systematic oppression. You are especially unlikely to get along with any planters regardless of ethnicity or creed, and though you will heavily favor radical politics & can be of a centralist or anti-centralist tendency, the nationwide abolition of slavery in whatever country arises from this mess (enforced by gunpoint if necessary) is extremely likely to be your highest priority.

    Native American: You're a Native American from a pro-Patriot tribe, such as the Tuscarora or Oneida. It may grieve you to have to fight against your kinsmen, many of whom have remained loyal to the British, but for whatever reason you have decided that siding with the colonists is the best way forward for your people as a whole. You're especially likely to hail from the Western Frontier for obvious reasons, to follow one of the Protestant sects or your traditional Native Spirituality, and to favor decentralization alongside radical or conservative politics. Whether you define yourself as a conservative or radical though, the settlement of new treaties forbidding further white migrations into your lands should be your highest long-term priority, for obvious reasons.

    Religions
    Episcopalian: You are an Episcopalian. Prior to the outbreak of war you were an Anglican of variable devotion, but since it's rather difficult to continue calling yourself that while you're making war upon the British King, you've opted to transfer your prayers and oaths to the cause of the Revolution while still preserving as much of the central hierarchy & traditions of the Anglican Communion as you can. You are likely to be a moderate or conservative, and especially likely to be wealthy and/or Southern.

    Lutheran/Reformed: You're what one could call a 'normal' Protestant, or in other words, part of the religious majority of the Thirteen Colonies - Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Calvinists, what have you. You are likely to have come from a poor or middle-class background in contrast to the primarily upper-class Episcopalians, and to favor moderate or radical policies. You may believe that any future central government should be weak, as surely as your church does not rely on any intricate hierarchy, or you may not allow your faith to have any place in your politics at all; you are generally not likely to be as fanatical as your Congregationalist cousins, to be sure.

    Congregationalist: You are part of one of America's many Congregationalist churches and sects. You are an heir to the Puritan tradition of the 16th and 17th centuries, the same zealously disciplined men and women who set up communities such as the ever-famous Plymouth. You are almost assuredly a zealous believer, perhaps even an outright fanatic who wants to see everyone else converted or destroyed, but one who favors the same decentralizing tendencies mirroring the lack of organized hierarchy in your faith. You're not at all likely to get along with those of other faiths, especially not the Papists you fully expect to sell the Revolution out to the Roman Antichrist or those supposed 'Episcopalians' who are in truth Anglicans.

    Catholic: You're a Catholic, a relative rarity in America at this time. Back in Britain you would have been oppressed into the ground, but here you have a little more breathing room...despite the desperate wishes of the likes of those Congregationalists to shut you down just the same. You may be an ordinary believer or a zealot, but either way you're likely to be Irish or French, to favor government protections for your faith and perhaps even for other religious minorities, and to have little love for those close-minded Congregationalist fanatics, truly Cromwell and his Puritan boors reborn.

    Native Spirituality: You follow the spiritual traditions of your people, the same traditions they were practicing well before the strange white invaders came with their One God and His Son. You might be animists, or you might have tribal shamans, or what have you - it all really depends on which tribe you come from. Either way, you've got to be a Native American to have this religious background.

    Deism: You're a Deist. You believe in some kind of Supreme Being, but it sure isn't the omnipotent and omniscient Abrahamic God - surely miracles, the Trinity and such are the work of less sophisticated minds than yours. You don't count on preachers to make your arguments for you, but at most you proselytize to your fellow intellectuals behind closed doors in salons. You're marginally more likely to be a Southern Thinker than a Northern one, those arrogant fools who go too far and decry the existence of a deity in entirety.

    Enlightenment Rationalism: You follow no creed, in truth an agnostic or outright atheist. How can you be expected to follow something you have no physical evidence for? God and the gods are for the superstitious commons to follow, not a man of reason like you, no - if there's anything you believe in, it's human reason & will, and (probably) the physical universe around you. You're more likely to be a Northern Thinker than a Southern one, those weak-kneed fools who can't seem to live without the concept of any deity to cling to.

    Occupations
    Merchant Tycoon: You are a successful businessman, whether you specialize in one area (such as the construction of ships or the trade of luxury silks) or you're a generalist merchant with a thumb in every pie, and turned a considerable profit every year from Atlantic and/or inland trade routes...until the British started locking down every harbor. You may also have previously served in the navy. Merchant Tycoons have a baseline income of 5000 pounds & make an additional 3000 pounds per year for every major city (Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston) in Patriot hands. Merchant Tycoons also have a bonus to commanding fleets.

    Planter: You're the owner of a decently-sized to massive plantation and at least 20 slaves, and combined with the likelihood of your family also being planters (possibly all the way back to the 17th century), you are effectively the closest any colonial will get to the landowning aristocrats back home. You may even have had a minor title prior to the outbreak of war. Cotton, tobacco, sugar, indigo, rice - all of it makes you a great profit, and the best thing is you don't even have to actually lift a finger to rake in all those pounds when you have so many others to do it for you! Planters have a baseline income of 15,000 pounds & 1000 pounds for each Southern State (Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia) under Patriot control. To be under Patriot control more than half of the provinces in a state must be in rebel hands. Planters also have a bonus to commanding cavalry.

    Religious Leader: You're a preacher of any religion besides Deism or Enlightenment Rationalism (and the latter isn't even really a religion anyway). You've been spreading the Good Word to the masses for much of your life, now it's time to spread some revolutionary fervor instead. You could be a Protestant preacher, an Episcopalian bishop, a Jesuit still hoping that the Holy Father will eventually rescind his suppression of your order, or a Native shaman, whatever. Religious Leaders gain 1000 pounds per year from every State in Patriot hands.

    Soldier: You're a career soldier. You are almost certain to have fought in the French & Indian War or even in the Seven Years' War in Europe, and possibly even older wars than these depending on your age. You have a baseline income of 4000 pounds and a bonus to commanding battles on land.

    Thinker: You are the lifeblood of the Enlightenment, a well-to-do scientist and/or philosopher who alone (in your head, at least) holds the key to the future. Unfortunately, the war does put a damper on your ability to trade thoughts & witticisms with your similarly egg-headed friends, but on the other hand it also provides you with a great opportunity to finally make your ideals into reality. Like Religious Leaders, Thinkers have a baseline income of 2000 pounds per year from every major city occupied by Patriot forces (Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston), and they also gain a bonus to diplomatic interactions with other European Great Powers.

    Farmer: You are a yeoman farmer, likely living in the Appalachians or beyond. You may have hoped to continue living in peace (aside from the occasional Indian raid) but now's the time to put such hopes behind you, and put your frontiersmanship to good use in service to the Revolution instead. Farmers make a baseline 1000 pounds per year + 1d4 X 1000 pounds (representing that year's harvest in their home state), and have a bonus to commanding militia or light infantry in particular.

    Pauper: You are part of the urban poor. You've experienced homelessness, starvation and the contempt of those above you first-hand, at best you've gotten semi-steady jobs as a menial worker for one of the great merchants (up North), a planter's farmhand (down South) or another farmer's contract labor (out West) but even then you've had to live from paycheck to paycheck, but now you've somehow catapulted yourself to the forefront of the Revolution & have a chance to change everything for the better. Paupers make a baseline 500 pounds per year + 1000 pounds for every major city (Boston, NYC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston) occupied by the Patriot forces, and have a bonus when commanding militia or heavy infantry.

    Any and all suggestions are welcome, as I've said I haven't quite finished the rules yet after all.

    EDIT: Also, some basic issues to get you guys started.

    Issues
    As a rule, the leftmost position is the most Federalist, the rightmost one is the most Anti-Slavery. Slavery is the biggest exception, since it is totally possible to be a Federalist slaver (Charles Pinckney) or an abolitionist Anti-Federalist (Aaron Burr).

    Central Government: Sweeping federal powers-->balance of powers-->Weak, if not nominal federal gov't-->confederation of independent states

    Tariffs: High tariffs-->Moderate tariffs-->Free trade

    Slavery: Total, uncompensated abolition-->total compensated abolition-->state-by-state compensated abolition-->deport slaves to Africa-->no abolition-->expansion of slavery into the Frontier

    Military: Strong standing military-->balanced military & state militias-->small standing military, reliance on state militias-->no standing military at all, exclusive reliance on state militias

    Foreign relations: Non-interventionism-->realpolitik, take opportunities as they come & align with Great Powers as needed-->isolationism & inward perfection (actually, this could also be supported by members of either camp)-->export the revolution no matter the costs

    Again, feel free to suggest new issues, this part of the game is especially incomplete. This probably won't be really relevant until after the revolution since national survival should be everyone's highest priority & I'd rather not see the Continental Congress devolve into an 18th-century Russian flag debate about tariffs while the redcoats are knocking on Philly's doors, but it'd be a good idea to establish these for future games. Alternatively, if you think we should absolutely do away with a distraction like this, I can remove them & let you define your stance on issues in your characters' biographies for 1775/6 instead.
    Last edited by Barry Goldwater; February 17, 2014 at 09:53 PM.

  2. #2
    Gone 2 the Celts's Avatar Primicerius
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    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    (insert image here if you want)


    Name: Seamus Ó Braonáin
    Date of Birth: July 5, 1742
    Ethnicity: Irish
    Religion: Catholic
    Occupation: Pauper (Trained as a sailor, though)
    Home State: Rhode Island
    Allegiance: Patriot
    Commands:
    Money:
    Personality: Seamus is quite like most of the other Irish immigrants to the New World- poor, and filled with hatred towards the British Crown. After being sent to Jamaica, he spent all of his savings on liquor to drink away his suffering. When the money goes dry, Seamus' personality flares up. Not only does he have no respect for authority, his temper and harsh tongue attack those who may or may not have actually slighted him. When he doesn't have the money for alcohol, Seamus often digresses to a thief, stealing bread, tobacco, and of course, alcohol. This has caused him to be hated by upperclass civilians, but he often finds himself supported by his fellow poor. To repay them, he goes out of his way to make sure 'his' people are safe, warm, and fed, even stealing for those who cannot do it themselves.
    Biography: Seamus was born in the Irish city of Limerick, in Munster. His family worked for one of the many absentee landlords, earning enough wages to keep his family of nine alive. This lasted for sometime, until the specific landlord they worked for went bankrupt, selling his manor off. The new owners cut down on the staff, removing Seamus' family from the payroll. To help support his family, Seamus attempted odd jobs whenever he could find them. Specifically, he worked for the British Royal Navy, learning everything there was about ships. After the Seven Years War ended, Seamus once again found himself without work. No jobs could be found, so he resorted to becoming a highwayman, exclusively robbing Protestants and English people. This lasted for a very short time, and Seamus was captured in 1765. He was subsequently sent to Jamaica to work with African slaves on the sugarcane plantations. In Jamaica, he learned respect for all races, becoming a vocal abolitionist, although his opinion did not matter in Jamaica. Eventually saving up enough money, Seamus hired a crew from Rhode Island to take him to the Thirteen Colonies. He has stayed in Rhode Island since then, serving the poor and others in need until thoughts of revolution reached Providence.

    Issues:
    Central Government: balance of powers


    Tariffs: Moderate tariffs


    Slavery: Total, uncompensated abolition


    Military: balanced military & state militias


    Foreign relations: realpolitik, take opportunities as they come & align with Great Powers as needed
    Last edited by Gone 2 the Celts; February 14, 2014 at 09:03 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by Kip Bohannon View Post
    I'm actually quite fond of Egyptian mythology. I'm quite fond of anything with golden penises, really.

  3. #3

    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    Name: Peter Campbell
    Date of Birth: March 4th 1744
    Ethnicity: Northern Anglo American
    Religion: Enlightenment Rationalism
    Occupation: Merchant Tycoon
    Home State: Rhode Island
    Allegiance: Patriot
    Commands: none yet
    Money: 5000?
    Personality: Peter is a complex person. He has two sides, one side is his happy and personable one. At times he could charm the shirt of the king himself! However, at other times he is quiet and melancholy. Peter is definitely an intellectual and well read, but he also is an excellent physical specimen, excelling in many activities. He prefers others as intelligent as himself to converse with, but he is friendly to anyone who doesn't offend him or his companions. He is loyal to his friends and treacherous against his enemies. Perhaps he has too much intelligence, he can be cruel at times and lacks quite a few morals. Helping his business of course.
    Biography: Peter was born the son of a New England merchant tycoon and an Irish mother. He was raised as his father's protege and was schooled very early both in the art of handling ships and taught other things. He was given command of his first ship at age 18 and managed to successfully complete his voyage. Since then he took many voyages, still reading much of the time and when a group of pirates threatened to take his ship off of Algiers he bloodied their noses and escaped with excellent seamanship. When his father died Peter took over hid shipping business and has since been caught up in running the business and making voyages. Increased taxes and British laws have angered him and he firmly detests the home government.


    Issues:


    Central Government: balance of powers


    Tariffs: Free trade


    Slavery: total compensated abolition


    Military: Strong standing military


    Foreign relations: Export the revolution no matter the costs
    Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.
    Napoleon Bonaparte


    While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die.
    Leonardo Da Vinci

    If I cannot find a way I will make one.

    Hannibal Barca

  4. #4
    Dan the Man's Avatar S A M U R A I F O O L
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    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    First off, I think this is meant to be discussion here, not actual sign up. Barry can correct this if I'm wrong but in the mean time, don't jump the gun.

    Secondly, if you insist on being anachronistic and playing a Catholic Irishman in the staunchly Protestant 13 Colonies, please at least make your character's name pronounceable.
    Proudly under the patronage of The Holy Pilgrim, the holiest of pilgrims.


  5. #5
    Gone 2 the Celts's Avatar Primicerius
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    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    But Daaannnn, jumping the gun is my thing! I will change his last name, though

    And Pyrrhus, perhaps my character has worked for you at some point/currently?
    Quote Originally Posted by Kip Bohannon View Post
    I'm actually quite fond of Egyptian mythology. I'm quite fond of anything with golden penises, really.

  6. #6
    Dan the Man's Avatar S A M U R A I F O O L
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    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    And why is everybody from Rhode Island?! Nobody lives in god-damn Rhode Island!
    Proudly under the patronage of The Holy Pilgrim, the holiest of pilgrims.


  7. #7

    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    @Celts-Whichever you prefer mate.
    Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools.
    Napoleon Bonaparte


    While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die.
    Leonardo Da Vinci

    If I cannot find a way I will make one.

    Hannibal Barca

  8. #8
    Barry Goldwater's Avatar Mr. Conservative
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    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan the Man View Post
    First off, I think this is meant to be discussion here, not actual sign up. Barry can correct this if I'm wrong but in the mean time, don't jump the gun.

    Secondly, if you insist on being anachronistic and playing a Catholic Irishman in the staunchly Protestant 13 Colonies, please at least make your character's name pronounceable.
    I don't have a problem if you guys really want to start posting characters, but yes, this thread isn't so much a formal signup thread as it is meant to generate discussion. Draw up concepts & see what everyone else thinks of them, map out inter-character relationships, maybe plan ahead & start planning for specific military positions too (commander of X army in the south? commander of X fleet in New England? Just a plain ol' member of the Continental Congress? Diplomat? A mix/ etc). Oh yeah, and provide me with suggestions for the final ruleset

  9. #9

    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    Ethnicity : Dutch to be added?

    I think (not sure) that the Dutch played a role in the war through trade with the rebels and eventually declaring war.

  10. #10
    Pericles of Athens's Avatar Vicarius Provinciae
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    Icon2 Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

    Name: William Fredrick Wallace
    Date of Birth: May 6th 1741
    Ethnicity: Southern Anglo-American
    Religion: Episcopalian
    Occupation: Planter
    Home State: The Most Noble State of Georgia
    Allegiance: Patriot (But old loyalties run deep in Georgia..)
    Commands: Prospective Leader of the Georgian Militia and/or General of the Forces in the Southern Theater
    Money: 15,000
    Personality: A conservative man of dignity and wealth William, or Willy as his family and close friends know him, in truth he is a well rounded Southern Gentlemen. Honor and bravery are the cornerstones of this man's life, but so too are some less than positive ideals like White Superiority. He is a properly religious man, though he prefers not to shove it into other people's faces. The name Wallace carries with it a high degree of respect in the Southern Colonies and even across the sea in the Home Islands(well before this whole independence thing), something William has been known to use to his advantage at times. He loves his family deeply and is even known for treating his slaves with respect and dignity. He can be a hot head at times, storming out of events when he sees little option and he's even taken part in a number of duels over affronts on his honor. For the time being he is in favor of the revolution, but his loyalties run first to Gerogia, second to the South, and third to this new nation of "United States".
    Biography: Mr. Wallace was born in 1741 into the prestigious plantation running Wallace family of the most noble state of Georgia. His father, Fredrick Henry Wallace, was a renowned general both on the islands and in the colonies; personally responsible for many of the British victories in the American theater, during both the Seven Years War and the French and Indian war, and had direct command over the British forces that wrestled control of Florida from the Catholic Spanish.

    He was raised in the lap of luxury and never wanted for a single thing during his youth. At that time his family owned the bar none largest plantation in Georgia, along with all the wealth and power such a position affords. His house was large enough to keep ten score within its walls comfortably for a life time, but instead it housed just him, his two distant parents, his three younger brothers, and his two beautiful younger sisters. And of course his family was a slave-holding one, being the wealthiest of the wealthy his family owned nearly half a thousand of which two score worked within the house the rest worked the fields day in and day out. Young Willy was raised to understand that white people were meant to run plantations and blacks were meant to work them, and more over that black people, in order to understand and function in society, needed the guidance of the white ruling class. His youngest brother died of a harsh case of the sniffles in the winter of ’55 and another died of the summer flu in the late summer of ’59. The deaths of his siblings left a dark cloud over his family, never again would his parents have another child and never again would little Willy feel the warmth of his childhood home at least not the same way he used to.

    In his youth his father sent him to study military academia and when he came of age he enlisted in the British armed forces and served at one time or another as a Sergeant, a Lieutenant, a Commander, a Commandant, a Colonel, and finally a Brigadier General. Though he did fight, and fought competently I might add, in the French and Indian War it was mostly his father’s influence in the British command structure that rose him through the ranks. When his father passed away so too did his interests in remaining with the military, he served out his term and retired with intent on remaining peaceably on his plantation caring for his aging mother and keeping the shattered remnants of his family together. It was in these years of peace and prosperity that he married a younger and beautiful southern girl, one Rosaline Jefferson of the Carolina Jeffersons. He has had three children by his wife, a boy of four, a girl of three, and a second boy no more than four months old.

    Wallace heard the whispers of discontent coming from the northern colonies, but like any good southern of the time, he saw little reason to resist British control, they were fairly just rulers and had provided well for his family and his state. He saw and sympathized with the plight of the other colonies, but he was a Georgian first and foremost and being so he had to look out for Georgia first. Despite this when the Declaration of Independence was signed and distributed across the colonies Wallace threw his hat in with the new nation that they were birthing.. though support in Georgia is wavering between the two sides.

    Issues:
    I'll go with the proverbial flow and hold off on this here part.

    I only posted this so that everyone can get a feeling for my character (and give constructive criticism as needed) and perhaps have some sort of relationship with him if they are fellow Southerners, or even Northerners within good reason. As you can see I want him to lead the Georgian Militia and perhaps larger forces in the Southern Theater (I'm talking Georgia and the Carolinas here, not Virginia) if allowed. Discuss!
    Last edited by Pericles of Athens; February 16, 2014 at 03:14 PM.


  11. #11
    Barry Goldwater's Avatar Mr. Conservative
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    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    @Rose Done, the Dutch desc now sits between Scots-Irish & French.

  12. #12
    Dan the Man's Avatar S A M U R A I F O O L
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    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    Can we have a limit on how many foreign characters we have? If the intent is to mirror the Revolutionary War's social, cultural, and political climate with only minor changes, we're really going to need a WASP majority.

    Also, I seriously don't think we should be making characters right now. Everybody's so busy rushing to make their 'special snowflake' that nobody's bothering to actually discuss how this is going to work. If we're going to ensure that this thing survives, we need to lay down hard ground rules that don't leave room for -ups. We've made these mistakes before, let's not make them twice!
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  13. #13
    Barry Goldwater's Avatar Mr. Conservative
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    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan the Man View Post
    Can we have a limit on how many foreign characters we have? If the intent is to mirror the Revolutionary War's social, cultural, and political climate with only minor changes, we're really going to need a WASP majority.

    Also, I seriously don't think we should be making characters right now. Everybody's so busy rushing to make their 'special snowflake' that nobody's bothering to actually discuss how this is going to work. If we're going to ensure that this thing survives, we need to lay down hard ground rules that don't leave room for -ups. We've made these mistakes before, let's not make them twice!
    I'd say a limit of 1 character to each of the non-WASP ethnicities. Maybe an extra one will be allowed if that additional char's bio is really impressive?

    Hm, well what do you need to see first? The character format is already mostly done, the only area that's really just bare bones right now are issues. I don't see too many changes (if any at all) that have to be made to everything else, maybe a new Clerk job or something to round out the middle class & other stuff along those lines. And ofc, posting characters does help generate discussion about them and makes it easier for others to forge background relationships here since they can see what they're working with (also, if I catch any glaring mistakes in this thread I'll deal with them, this could well serve as a trial run for the formal signup thread) Essentially, what Perry said at the tail end of his bio is what I'd like to encourage more of.

  14. #14
    Pericles of Athens's Avatar Vicarius Provinciae
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    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    Quote Originally Posted by Dan the Man View Post
    Can we have a limit on how many foreign characters we have? If the intent is to mirror the Revolutionary War's social, cultural, and political climate with only minor changes, we're really going to need a WASP majority.

    Also, I seriously don't think we should be making characters right now. Everybody's so busy rushing to make their 'special snowflake' that nobody's bothering to actually discuss how this is going to work. If we're going to ensure that this thing survives, we need to lay down hard ground rules that don't leave room for -ups. We've made these mistakes before, let's not make them twice!
    Agreed, WASPs need to be the majority if we're going to have any sense for realism. And it should really be harder for non-WASPs to get into important positions and the like.

    I was just throwing it out there for consumption so I can work out the kinks and perhaps interlock my history with other people's histories. But what kind of hard ground-rules would you propose Danny boy?


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    Barry Goldwater's Avatar Mr. Conservative
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    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    To discuss the characters so far:

    @Pyrrhus/G2TC That's actually a pretty good idea. Pyrrhus' merchant has the financial power to make G2TC's more important than just some random Irish laborer, and G2TC's guy can have the ambition & will to work hard to get noticed by the merchant in the first place. Having the former employ the latter would be a good way to build an inter-character friendship or at least get them to remember each other's names, as well as giving the latter a reason to be in the Continental Congress/commanding troops.

    @Perry What can I say man, your guy's looking pretty damn good so far Excepting the Soldier-Planter thing, since we've got actual bonuses attached to jobs now you can only stick with one. Nothing stops you from keeping him a soldier & a planter in the backstory, but mechanics-wise he can only have the bonuses of one occupation.

    Also, major cornerstone for the game: which starting year would you guys prefer? 1775, after Lexington & Concord to really start at the beginning of the ARW, or 1776 after the DoI for a more 'established' setting?
    Last edited by Barry Goldwater; February 14, 2014 at 10:34 PM.

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    Pericles of Athens's Avatar Vicarius Provinciae
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    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    Fair enough my good man, still not decided on which I'll end up going with. I suppose I'll see the rest of the game mechanics and finalize stats/adjust my back story as needed when the time comes.

    I'd prefer a 1776 starting date.


  17. #17
    Dan the Man's Avatar S A M U R A I F O O L
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    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    I do apologize for having been so blunt about this the last few days, but this is quite literally the game that made us as a forum. No matter how silly we think its original incarnation was in hindsight, we need to make sure this is worthy to be called its sequel. We're treading on holy ground here.

    Quote Originally Posted by Barry Goldwater View Post
    I'd say a limit of 1 character to each of the non-WASP ethnicities. Maybe an extra one will be allowed if that additional char's bio is really impressive?
    Gospel truth, preacher man!

    Hm, well what do you need to see first? The character format is already mostly done, the only area that's really just bare bones right now are issues. I don't see too many changes (if any at all) that have to be made to everything else, maybe a new Clerk job or something to round out the middle class & other stuff along those lines. And ofc, posting characters does help generate discussion about them and makes it easier for others to forge background relationships here since they can see what they're working with (also, if I catch any glaring mistakes in this thread I'll deal with them, this could well serve as a trial run for the formal signup thread) Essentially, what Perry said at the tail end of his bio is what I'd like to encourage more of.
    What do I need to see specifically? I wasn't exactly going to rattle off a list of demands (I've done more than my share of that the last few days), but I want to make sure that if anybody does have ideas that they want to see put into action, we're providing an appropriate platform for that and not totally jumping the gun on them.

    But as long as you're asking...

    1) The whole ethnicity thing: Glad we got that settled here though.
    2) No heroes! We're fighting early-modern warfare here, which requires tactics. Anybody who throws away troops either for lack of well-considered strategy or for personal glory should, if they survive their exploit, be absolutely susceptible to having their position revoked and given to somebody else. This will be decided by their fellow commanders, of course, but it should definitely be on the books.
    3) Make your views on the issues as realistic for the time period as possible: Barry has already framed this pretty well, but at the dawn of capitalism we really, really don't need pseudo-socialists, or anything else in that regard.
    4) Have realistic expectations: If you're a Native American mercenary or a freed slave from the south, do not expect to be able to make it very high up in either the military chain of command or the political arena. Sorry to say it, but these are not fair times for your people. Give it a couple centuries.
    5) Treat religion realistically: Religious minorities (non-Protestants) should be just as uncommon as ethnic minorities. The irreligious (Deists and especially "Enlightenment Rationalists") should expect to keep their mouth shut about it, especially in the public eye. Enlightenment era though this may be, your ideas are pretty far from acceptable in the eyes of the general public.
    6) If I can't say your character's name out loud, and especially if you can't say your character's name out loud, you need to find a different name. Seriously, I'm not debating somebody in congress with a name like Amhlaoibh.
    7) Violators of any of the above who get fairly called out on it should absolutely expect to have to change - or scrap, in extreme cases - their character. I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but I am absolutely insistent on keeping people in line this time. I don't want to make it seem like I'm sucking the creativity out of the game, because that's the last thing I want to do. However, we do need to mix our creativity with a generous helping of logic and historical accuracy if this is going to survive its initial growing pains (and there is no doubt in my mind that there will be growing pains).

    My two (or, you know, seven) cents, again.

    Quote Originally Posted by Pericles of Athens View Post
    Agreed, WASPs need to be the majority if we're going to have any sense for realism. And it should really be harder for non-WASPs to get into important positions and the like.

    I was just throwing it out there for consumption so I can work out the kinks and perhaps interlock my history with other people's histories. But what kind of hard ground-rules would you propose Danny boy?
    Fine by me, just don't let it distract from making sure we work out the actual game's kinks first. A single well-written character is nice, but it isn't worth much in a circlejerk.
    Proudly under the patronage of The Holy Pilgrim, the holiest of pilgrims.


  18. #18

    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    I have a few questions about these issues:
    As a rule, the leftmost position is the most radically progressive, the rightmost one is the most conservative/reactionary.

    Central Government: Sweeping federal powers-->balance of powers-->Weak, if not nominal federal gov't-->confederation of independent states-
    Wouldn't this be reactionary->progressive?

    Tariffs: High tariffs-->Moderate tariffs-->Free trade
    Wouldn't this be reactionary->progressive?

    Slavery: Total, uncompensated abolition-->total compensated abolition-->state-by-state compensated abolition-->deport slaves to Africa-->no abolition-->expansion of slavery into the Frontier
    This doesn't really fall on that spectrum, I guess.

    Military: Strong standing military-->balanced military & state militias-->small standing military, reliance on state militias-->no standing military at all, exclusive reliance on state militias
    Wouldn't this be reactionary->progressive?

    Foreign relations: Export the revolution no matter the costs-->realpolitik, take opportunities as they come & align with Great Powers as needed-->non-interventionism-->isolationism & inward perfection
    This one seems accurate.
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  19. #19
    Dan the Man's Avatar S A M U R A I F O O L
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    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    This should be a useful aid in determining your character's ethnicity:

    Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 
    Proudly under the patronage of The Holy Pilgrim, the holiest of pilgrims.


  20. #20

    Default Re: [WEF 3.0] Prospective Character Building Thread

    I would also like to suggest changing "Presbyterian" to "Reformed," that way all of the organized Calvinists--from Scottish Presbyterians to the Dutch Reformed--can be fit into this category
    Quote Originally Posted by Dan the Man
    obviously I'm a large angry black woman and you're a hot blonde!

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