i had no idea where else to put this shit but yeah i thought it would be a good idea to put good/bad character traits to help newer nerds (and ones that need help) create more in depth and unique characters without overusing traits or creating special snowflakes or overly edgy dudes i'll start off good traits that make characters interesting - ineptitude and racism - not all characters are morally and academically/physically adept. this doesn't mean be shit at everything, or you might end up with an anti-sue (a character so inept that it's unrealistic) and an overly offensive shitlord (unless you're good at that shit and don't make it seem like "offensive" is a character trait) bad traits that take away from a character - overused character traits/descriptions and not allowing development ie the common "moderate intelligence, great in a fight, quick on his/her feet, but loses temper easily", which can be played very well, but more often than not it's just a generic and uninteresting character description. many characters that do not experience development can be described as characters that have a personality that is set in stone, often associated with the "mysterious" or "edgy" character type where it's too heavily focused on that trait that very little to no original development of said character can occur.
ho-lee shit, not only is this the first post I've ever seen you say anything useful, but it's actually useful. Thank you for posting this. <3
Good: Have a flaw that is possible. Did your character witness someone die right in front of him? Probably going to be haunted by their blood gurgling face for a long time and possibly forever. Bad: Wearing all black and sitting in a bar drinking bottles of whiskey with no chance of alcohol poisoning.
Good flaws are anything that allow you to develop your character and make them believable to everyone else and make them easier to empathize with, as well as setting up interesting RP opportunities to them as well as the characters around them. - Glauen grew up being taught to be virtuous and just. He almost always speaks the truth, and when he lies it is painfully transparent. It has gotten him in trouble several times over. He has very high standards of morality that he expects to see on others and he ends up getting in heated debates with people he would normally rely on. - Nano is excessively proud of himself and his skills as a programmer. He will boast and make daring comments about his own skills that he will sometimes be unable to follow through. He refuses help from outsiders, even in situations where it would be beneficial, and he gets very defensive about his own skills. - Tenshi is hideously ugly for a Hylotl and is extremely self-conscious about it. He is constantly wearing a helmet and refuses to take it off to talk to his guardsmen co-workers and even to socialize. It has left him lonely and untrusted by his own peers. - Natalya is paranoid and with atrocious self-esteem. She will not strike up conversations with anyone, is incredibly jumpy, and is terrified that others will think she is useless. She is scared stiff of everyone around her and latches on to the precious few she believes to be trustworthy to the point of being clingy and annoying. Bad flaws are flaws that do not impact the character and are just there for you to say "Here! My character is flawed so they are not a Mary Sue!". Bad flaws are flaws that are not truly flaws. Bad flaws are flaws that can be twisted to be positive with no drawbacks in and on themselves. A flaw should be seen, not told about. Claiming to be terrible at lying then lying effortlessly makes it a bad flaw. Claiming to be proud then not showing it makes it a bad flaw. Claiming someone is bad at socializing and then talking to everyone at the bar is a bad flaw. Claiming to be paranoid and trusting everyone is a bad flaw. These will lead to other players resenting your character for the contradictions. This is just as bad as a character with no flaws. When the community is around and the RP depends on what others see in your character, having others dislike your character is the first step to having a bad rep and a bad time with others.
