How do you characterize your Characters? AKA: Inspiration

[Luke Danger]

Something that I've always been intrested in is where we get insperation for our characters. Every character isn't just a blank slate that's filled in ambivelently, there's a reason and then there's comparable characteristics. There's the base insperation, and as personality grows there are subtler influences on characterization.

I'm kind of curious as to what kind of influences affect EfU. I'll share mine later once the post gets off the ground.

But for a rough format, probably
"Basic Insperations"
"General Insperations"
"More Specific Insperations"

Or whatever floats your boat. Works for me.

[Spiffy Has]

I just watch RwG,  he is my inspiration for all things, non-sexual included.

[TheImpossibleDream]

Jurrasic Park The Lost World

[Lenthis]

Ideals, Like I make a char an Avatar of honesty or somesuch and build him around that idea.

[Craig210]

Conflict- Whether its political, religious, playing a monster race or even just the desire to be a murdering bastard.

I then look at how I can go about doing that with unique and outstanding goals. For that I look to books ive read, movies ive watced or whatever i can come up.

I look through the ideas and combine the bits I like and boom, new character.

[Divine Intervention]

I just come up with an idea, sometimes the class, sometimes the goal, sometimes it's the background I want to play.

"I want to play a barb"
"I want to play a criminal"
"I want to play an exile from Cormyr"

etc.

[Luke Danger]

I'll use Gloin as an example for my own.

The most basic concept for him was a Dwarven Guardian from LOTR: BFMEII. Those guys were frankly my favorite mainline unit, and I used that as the basic premise. I then decided to focus on the meaning behind the name "guardian", so developed him as a defender who has teeth when it's time for the best defense. However, one thing I overlooked was his crappy CHA, and since I already established him, balancing him became a trick. I took insperation from Gimli, of course, but I focused more on his guardian side that just KIN KIN ALE KIN
I eventually went with the warm and approachable soldier who's just trying to make his way through politics and what not, not quite  a young-eyed idealist but not a hardened veteran either, all with the goal of protecting the dwarves stuck on Ymph. I took some insperation from Orik from Christopher Pallini's Eragon books, but that was more just because it was an awesome example of dwarf that's not all KIN KIN ALE KIN. Then I took a loooong break from him.

When I returned, I had more maturity and finally found his niche, that of being the #2 clanker (and a technical DD wannabe) to whoever the dwarven faction leader was. I realized how to play his low CHA without compromising his previous characteristics; he's fine in his comfort zone, but afraid outside of it. I actually took some insperation from Ron Stoppable of all characters, as he really is a low CHA character who's a great #2 and his wisecracking, lampshading attitude felt very approperiate for a character who technically has been in Ymph for a few years (though the wisecracking was heavily limited due to Gloin's lawful nature, of course). And that's pretty much how he went, stepping up to the plate and getting his ass handed to him taking Beholders down and getting lit up like the 4th of July or Guy Fawkes day.

So yeah, there's sort of my style. I go for the most basic concept, I get my feet wet, then build it up and take influences as I feel are approperiate for the character.

[Wafflecone_Hiatus]

I like to look for what I feel is an underserved gap, a concept or class that doesn't have large representation, then build from there. I find giving them a culture or place in the world helps immensely.

[you axed for it]

Combination of what Wafflecone and Craig said, for me.

[Random_White_Guy]

I just watch RwG,  he is my inspiration for all things, non-sexual included.

<3

[O Fortuna]

My favorite way to get some characterization rolling is probably just going through the portraits list and finding something that will incite me.

[derfo]

I try to find out what will have opposition in game, or whatever idea happens to feel interesting to me at the time.

[PlayaCharacter]

I roll up a bunch of good builds, then I open up the toolset and make about twenty badass-looking character models, preferably that match one of the portraits. Then I look at what's missing in the server, and mix and match concept to a build.

95% of the time this results in a female human with exposed thighs.

[Money's Dew]

Most characters I look at the server, and then at my life. Some of my characters are based off of people I know, friends, family or famous folk.
I look for something that is fun, interesting, and unique but fits in my stellar time zone.

[12 Hatch]

Whatever I think will be most challenging.