(09-03-2015, 03:03 PM)Oli! Wrote: Uniqueness comes in the way that you sell something, and the way that you add on more to it. The background is not the be-all and end-all.
If I were to tell you that Superman and Dragon Ball Z are the same series and are therefore not unique, you'd look at me like I was crazy, and I'd say, "yeah, their main characters are both super powerful alien children that came to earth from blown-up planets in pods when they were little, get adopted by old people out in the middle of nowhere that teach them Earth Morals, and then go on to save the world over and over with their Good Punching Skills," and then you'd call me an idiot because they're not the same at all.
That's because they diverged and went in different directions, and also sold their Same On Paper backstories differently.
(09-03-2015, 03:17 PM)Warren Castille Wrote: There are no original stories, only original ways of telling them.
Or something.
This is true. However, I'd take into consideration that this line of thinking is a bit different in terms of RP communities. In RP communities 'character trends' are something that happens often. For example, ever since astrologians came out, there has been a huge surge in RP character population of characters who can do tarot card readings.
Because we are in a RP community where we cannot control what other people play as vs. being just a gamer/spectator/movie-goer/reader where we can choose what stories we partake in, there are certain types of stories, traits, ideas etc. that can easily be loaded up on. I would argue that after a certain number of these within the community there are points where I get tired of some things. (Though it would be rude of me to go around advertising such things!)
Another example: I'm sure writers can still write some original ways in telling stories about princesses. But right now I am so overdosed on them that I don't honestly care how well done they are.
You can only do so much when you are cohabiting the same universe too. (DBZ and Superman examples which have the benefit of being in separate universes/canons and thus vary widely because of it.)
Anyway, this isn't about what everyone else wants. It's about what you want as a roleplayer. What would you have fun with? The difference here is that OP is asking for feedback. Otherwise I would never see much worth in bringing up what other people might think.
Now with a wiki! Flickering Ember's wiki
