Hydaelyn Role-Players
Character Age - Printable Version

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Character Age - maoilmhin - 08-02-2017

How does your character (or you) determine the age of a character it is interacting with?   Does your character find a way to work it in the conversation?   Do you expect it to be tagged OOC some how?   

It seems rather difficult to make a female PC look older than mid twenties in FFXIV.

RE: Character Age - Kilieit - 08-02-2017

I have a couple friends who put their female character's age in their search info.

I tend to check the search info of someone I'm chatting to for details like that - stuff like "magitek left arm" "smells of sewage" "super gaudy clothes" "limsan accent" tend to make their way in there too, so I find it's usually worth a peek. It's a good way to make information about your character that isn't obvious from the model, but would be obvious to people looking at them, at least accessible without having to ask people to go to third-party websites.

Mine always has my character's height (he's off-model), and I usually include any immediately obvious injuries there too. I will say that not everyone checks it all the time, but like - the number of people who react correctly to my character's height is higher this way than it would be if I didn't put the info anywhere.

RE: Character Age - Lydia Lightfoot - 08-02-2017

I find that the best method for details you want others to remember is to come up with a list of such details, ideally with some alternate phrasings or circumstances where the detail would come up, and then inject them into your RP on a routine basis. Repetition drives memory. Thus, any time I mention Lydia's eyes, I don't merely say "Lydia set her eyes upon Fred", I write "Lydia set her sky blue eyes upon Fred", because as her writer I want the color of her eyes to stand out as a physical feature. 

That said, most players won't grab ahold of the details you offer up, regardless of whether they remember them or not. To continue the example, experience has told me that it'll be a rare day in which anyone will have their character comment upon Lydia's eyes, or make note of it in any other sort of side conversation (e.g. when discussing Lydia, "The guildmaster of the Reliquarian's Guild? Blonde hyur, with rather light blue eyes, you can't miss her."). It's always a heartwarming moment when somebody does take hold of some detail I've thrown out there, though, but I definitely don't expect it to happen often. It's just a practicality thing, mostly - people look for the hook of your post that they can reply to, and tend to gloss the minor aspects (but that glossing doesn't mean the detail didn't sink in as memorable).

RE: Character Age - maoilmhin - 08-02-2017

Well more about appropriately speaking to the other side of the conversation. If Niamh was to be talkin to an elder the conversation would be vastly different than talking to a young adult.

RE: Character Age - Eses Fafa - 08-02-2017

In part, I use the fact we all look hella young for comic effect since this one is going on 30 next year, but she looks like she could be barely past 18.

The urge to blurt that out aside, I'd take the advice of the first two. Suggestions via emotes or search info helps to determine certain factors off the bat, which we unfortunately lack addons like TRP3 or MRP in the game for.
Otherwise, let 'em fluster if you start calling them young. I'm sure granny 'qote will give you a big ol' kiss on the cheek for it!

RE: Character Age - Valence - 08-03-2017

If the game wasn't erasing half the time the show info panel I would put some details in there, even with the very limited amount allowed.

So I mostly trust myself to sometimes squeeze such details in my emotes when it makes sense and seems important. I also trust people to go take a look at my wiki if they really are looking for exhaustive info.

Note: the strenght of character itself carries a lot of this. If you manage to impress a strong image and/or trope over other players through your RP, those details are immediately printed in their memories.

RE: Character Age - Virella - 08-03-2017

I just try to put it in her search info and just toss my hands up and go "good genes" or something like that

RE: Character Age - Nebbs - 08-03-2017

First I suppose I assume mist folk are aged based on how the character looks. If there are other clues, like their search info or emotes I will use that.

Actual age is a bit meaningless as the world time seems vague and RP passage of time does not really fit. So I go with young, middle age, old.

RE: Character Age - Es'mena - 08-03-2017

(08-03-2017, 08:02 AM)Nebbs Wrote: So I go with young, middle age, old.

This is what I default to a lot of the time. For age, height, weight, it's sometimes easier to just use vague "young adult, average, thin" etc.

RE: Character Age - Erah'sae - 08-03-2017

I have a notepad next to my computer that I keep track of things on.  I tend to be age indiscriminate until someone pops a descriptive emote that states otherwise.  Most people, I've found fall into the 'you see what you see' category.

The outliers seem to be pretty descriptive about their non-obvious characteristics on first meeting someone.

Take notes, it's a good habit to get into as it helps separate character vs player knowledge.

RE: Character Age - ExAtomos - 08-03-2017

I've found that most people, if playing a character whose age doesn't quite line up with their appearance, will put that detail in their search info. Otherwise, they usually work in into conversation: "My husband and I own a silversmith shop; our son apprentices there." or "I'm trainin' to be a gladiator! Or would if my mom ever let me out of her sight..."

If your character is the type to conform to strict politeness, just do the Southern thing and call everyone ma'am/sir til they correct you. lol.

RE: Character Age - Jean L - 08-08-2017

I lucked out and Jean looks more or less in his early 30s. 
For my Elezen who's fat I have it in his description and pray people read it. I try to bring it up in narrative, but it gets a bit tedious if people ignore it.

RE: Character Age - Arashin Kujqai - 08-08-2017

I still have yet to see a miqo'te woman that doesn't look like she's from 15-23. Seems impossible to make them look older, made it difficult when I wanted to make Valic's parents (or at least a concept of what they would look like).

Personally I fantasia'd because my character before looked like he was early to mid twenties. Too immature and boyish looking as a male miqo'te, even with the beard.

I eventually wanted a character that looked more mature, handsome, and respectable looking than the average miqo'te boy. Ya know, something away from my old persona as an ignorant noble treasure hunter blinded by glint of the coin and more a sexy scholar of magic. I was fully capable of making him look even older, such as X'ruhn Tia has shown in the RDM questline, he's about 30-40+ with his wrinkles but still manages to be good looking(at least so I hear). However I didn't want anything that looked past it's prime, I just didn't want an ignorant young man... So, below are the results, before and after.

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Overall, I make my character's age relatively believable and more akin to how they would act. age is wisdom, and young is more free spirited. The biggest difference though is in personality of course, as people can still assume a char to be quite young looking despite these changes. Jaw lining and eyes seem to make a big difference in it though.

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Just a couple more I found in char creation ^, but as more related to the topic... Typically I leave age up to imagination until someone asks or I imply it through years of history. Such as bringing up 6 years of military service(that alone implies he had to be probably late teens to even join, so he'd be at least of 23?) then sometimes mentioning 15 years of study (5 years for each area to a degree). Casually thrown into conversation whenever it's reasonable to say or I just straight out tell them my age if I'm asked ICly or OOCly. Though of course I expect them to not use any OOC knowledge ICly of course without a good reason. Most importantly though is the demeanor that conveys wisdom and age that has other players assume he's a "man" rather than a teen or early 20's guy.

I'm probably just tired and babbling but to more accurately answer these...

How does your character (or you) determine the age of a character it is interacting with? Simply put, I don't. Age doesn't matter to me most of the time, but I generally make a broad range depending on how they act. If they're acting cute or ignorant, anywhere from early teens to late. If they're high spirited, adventurous, or sound like they've been in business a while, early 20's to 30's and beyond. I often give the same treatment to every character regardless of their age, very minor change of wording here and there but nothing significant.

Does your character find a way to work it in the conversation? Not particularly, though it can happen in casual talk. Such as a conversation leading to "how long have you been doing etc" or "when did this happen to you?". It's not a goal in conversation I feel I need to reach as like above, I just judge based off feeling out how the character is portrayed. I guess it's also because OOCly I'm a firm believer of "you're as young as you feel" regardless of your age. You act young, you are young! You act old, you are old! Big Grin

Do you expect it to be tagged OOC some how? I mean, I could put it in my search comment to let someone know but I feel as though it wouldn't do much good anyways. By that point it metagames IC a bit in having to figure out or ask how old my char is and I wouldn't want that. I leave it up to perception through conversation of how my character speaks and if anyone implies I look young, I take it as a compliment like anyone would typically and correct them to a degree. It's not really an expectation or too big a deal, I'm complimented when I meet RP'ers who recognize his age simply through RP, it shows I'm doing a proper job portraying what I created in the first place.


My first persona was 23(pics above), Valic's now 28(maybe going on 29?) and so far it hasn't been too relevant of an issue. It definitely seems more an issue for female characters(race varies here) to depict age correctly. I say if you can't do it through the faces and models provided, do it through alternative methods. Clothing(glasses are a big one) can help show maturity/responsibility as well as implication the person can read a lot or is smart. I guess it's a stereotype but it works? Clothing as well, wearing skimpy stuff as compared to something more dignified and fitting of someone of age. Ragged clothes can be either way but dancer-looking clothes are probably more younger suited whereas robes and etc fancy outfits may be more classy and reserved looking. Then of course through how you talk, can vary on what kinda feel you want.

Need to sound like a wench that's had enough of what life has to offer? Pick up a lazy accent that implies you tire of speaking, sound more annoyed at life and how the years have treated the char. Imply you have some wisdom that only age can offer by condescendingly talking to people like they haven't experienced what you have.

Need to sound like a qualified scholar that likes a good read? Use fancy words, refined grammar, and visit a website that gives you a "word of the day" so you can implement it into your speak regularly. Replace simpler words you use regularly with more profound sounding ones that resemble that of someone who takes time in understanding vocabulary and reading to such a degree that it's used by their own tongue. Talk about stories or what you read and how often like you've had experience in reading it for ages and adoring doing it ever since you were a child.

In the end, I find personalities paint the picture better than the models we have in game. The key concept being in "experience" to depict just how old your character might/could be.

RE: Character Age - Savarah - 08-08-2017

Echoing what has already been said here...if there's something going on that doesn't quite match with the avatar, it usually comes up in search info. If there's more going on than can be summarized with a few words (damn character limits!) I've had people send me /tells saying as much.

What I did come here to contribute was that I know someone who is incredibly skilled and managed to make a Keeper female look older (she's supposed to be the mother of their previous character, who has been shelved due to her story ending). Said 'new' Keeper is supposed to be in her early fifties, and while she doesn't quite look /that/ old, uses some level of glamouring with her mastery over the element of ice to justify her youthful skin and such.

Once I'm home, I'll post a screenshot (because lodestone is just not cutting it).

EDIT: Screenshots! First is a normal one, second is a close-up. A paler shade of hair than she had in her youth, accented with some greying...all makeup options used, but in a neutral way...use of facial markings/warpaint juuuust a shade different than her skin tone to simulate 'impurities'...subtleties like that.

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