Anyone else feel this way when you ask your players to write a minimal backstory for their character?
I just want to make adventure hooks for you :_:
Writing it all out is such a bother. I typically have no problem coming up with a good backstory, but fuck. I'm here to be entertained by you, not to work. Now give me my adventure!
>>46348782
Most of my friends are like this. As a result GMing switches between me and one other guy. We basically write the stories, the settings and the character backstories because the most anybody else is willing to put into the whole thing is "I'm playing an adventurer (insert a mix of two races) (insert a non existant class that should be O-P)"
In my experience, I write the better stories but my compatriot makes the better game systems and handles balancing much more subtly. We're thinking of just getting it over with and co-writing a setting/system/story.
>>46348818
What's the appeal of making a character, if not to hand-craft them yourself and form a bond with them so that the story has more gravitas?
>>46348782
>I just want to make adventure hooks for you :_:
>I just want your parents/ siblings/ spouse/ children to get kidnapped/ tortured/ raped/ etc by the BBEG. :_:
Yeah, that's why players tend to go minimal on the backstory.
>>46349158
i mean that isn't what I mean when I ask players to come up with backstories.
>>46349158
And yet the Old Man Hendersen Gambit relies on the fact that GM's won't read your length backstories so you can in fact write and rewrite the damn thing to suit exigent purposes of your ongoing adventures.and why games that have you develop your backstory via random roll mechanics as the game proceeds are munchkin proof and SUPERIOR
>>46349050
You - leave this board. Do not ever return. Hide far away and regret with each day that your rotting form drags on that today you SINNED, yea, that you have sinned and disgraced the gods. Away with ye!
>>46349158
>Yeah, that's why players tend to go minimal on the backstory.
Oh come off it. It's because they're lazy and just want a Monty Python/Avengers movie simulator.
>>46349158
I don't think that's a common theme. Not to mention that most character backstories have their family/people get murdered or shun them in some way. So bringing those elements into play in the way you're suggesting wouldn't be feasible/advisable most of the time.
>>46348782
Maybe I don't want you to make adventure hooks for me. Maybe I just want to go on regular adventures. You can make adventure hooks for the other characters! I will go on those adventures. But sometimes maybe I just want to be the helper guy instead of the plot guy.
That said, I am usually complete shit at making up backstories in the beginning of the campaign. I have to play the character for awhile to get a feel for how they react to things, what sort of things they might do, and then the backstory flows backwards from that.
At the start of the campaign the best I can manage is something like, "I'm <x> a <z> from <y>. I'm adventuring for money/power/fame/boredom. I am prone to [BASE CHARACTER TRAIT]."
By the end of the campaign I've got thirty pages worth of backstory, including incidental details about my character's home life, their hobbies, and favorite foods.
None of which is written down.
>>46349202
Or you could answer my question.
>>46349158
>>46349158
Everyone knows it's better to introduce some lovable side character, wait for the PCs to become attached to it (if they hate your first try just keep making characters until something sticks). Let them interact with the NPC a lot, have the character act as their biggest fan and look up to them etc. Try and develop a parental / big brother or sister feel towards the character.
Play the long game, get the PCs on some kind of campaign to push back and destroy the forces of evil and such. They succeed and head home.
What's this, smoke from your base of operations?
The BBEG faked a retreat to sneak around and attack the PCs home base. Lovable NPC sidekick has been torture/raped/killed/all of the above.
>>46349259
Maybe its just the group I run with but we've never had a npc or pc get raped. Killed/kidnapped? Sire, once or twice. But I just don't see anybody going for a plot line based around
>"Oh hey, you know that smart talking Cleric that you all liked? Well, she's been raped and disfigured by the Orc-King. Yep, hips torn apart, face scratched away. Just an oozing pile of blood and tears... and of course all of that semen. Well, off to have a jaunty adventure to take revenge or somethnig!"
Why would anybody think that was a good story device. I write some heavy shit at times, but that just seems weird and fetishistic to me.
>>46349050
Who says I'm not bonding with my character?
>>46349225
I write down my family members (and my relation to them) properly. I just don't write a lengthy tale of how I met my mother and how she got that scar and why dad and my sister aren't allowed to be alone in the bathroom any more.
>>46349357
>I write down my family members (and my relation to them) properly.
And that's really all I'm asking for. Where you're from, what your town/culture is like and some vague reason for you to be adventuring(even if that reason is "I was so bored of living on the farm that i decided to take a gap year as a murder hobo")
A lot of the people I play with don't even do one of those things, let alone all 3.
>>46349394
>what your town/culture is like and some vague reason for you to be adventuring
I'm not giving you that in written form. Half the reason I'm writing down my family members (and the village) is so I don't forget their names. I'm bad with names. I'm not bad with story elements. I assure you I have all the reasons in my head. I'm just not going to write it all out for you.
A simple game of twenty questions with each player will net enough backstory for any competent GM to work with.
>>46349436
I would probably talk to you before hand to get a basic gist of all your characters pertinent information. I like to add an optional character quest that the entire group can do.
My main issue is with people who give me nothing more than their class specs and then complain later on down the line when they feel like I'm not staying "true to their character" even though that character may as well be a calculator.
>>46349468
That's actually a pretty good idea. I might try that the ext time I'm GMing.
>>46349158
I have to say the one time I GM'd a game which involved the players becoming heavily involved in building the game world, as well as making full backstories, parents, siblings and spouses, none of them got killed.
What really tore them up was whenthe parents of the paladin started crying at his funeral and learning that his father had taken to drink. Worse, because the next character that player used was the paladin's sister.
>>46349468
I would say just fucking ask them at the start of the campaign,
> "What's your character's name"
> "Why are you adventuring"
- if they say "I don't know", throw out some suggestions, like "money", "fun", "women", etc.
> "name one thing your character does"
- any thing is acceptable, including "fighting", "drinking", "women", etc.
Boom, done. Just some very basic question and answer things for even the most single minded of players. Because even a guy who's phoning in their character can make a fighter who likes to drink beer. That's still a character trait.
Feel free to ask additional questions and gauge reactions as the campaign goes on, like, "The mayor is doing <x>, how do you feel about that", and noting any reaction or lack thereof.
Because you don't have to make your plot hooks in a vacuum, man. You can do stuff as you go.
>>46349519
That's pretty rough, but I can see that working as an underlying plot point.
>>46349158
Funny how that didn't need to be over the top or part of someone's magical realm, huh?
>>46349228
Ha! I just got the pic for the first time.
>>46348782
Are you asking me if I feel like a faggy tranny when I have to write a backstory?
The answer is no.
>>46349664
You're perfect
>>46349197
I never understood this, especially after the beautiful selkie arc.
Then again teenage years are weird.
>>46349158
Players go minimal on backstory because they want to play a game as a faceless, unvoiced video game protagonist who is a block of stats not a person.
>>46349977
That's alright in my book as long as the mood of the campaign allows it, but what gets on my nerves is when players assume that you're doing their backstories for them and complain when they don't get their thoughtful flashback or heartfelt reunion with a loved one.
>>46349228
I know this feeling - when I first make a character, I usually start with some sort of gimmick or idea I like, and then build from there as the character is forced to interact with things and react to things, or events happen to them.
I find if I work too hard to make a backstory with a lot of weight to it, that ends up dragging my character down because their entire focus is on things that happened in the past, not necessarily what's going on in the future. If you keep the backstory light, you can tweak it as you go along to explain some personality traits, but overall it's not necessary for the overarching story that hopefully you'll be going through.
My first character ever was a flop. A fighter who had a fairly lengthy backstory compared to the rest of the group, where he'd been in a militia group and thought it was honorabu but a new commander made it sucky. He was supposed to have a stutter as a fun character trait, but otherwise the rest of the backstory didn't matter - until the militia commander suddenly came in as a boss in one of the first missions, and I got a taste for the deliciously horrible roleplaying style of 'yelling emotionally about everything.' Then the 'PTSD' of my character became an overwhelming anchor when nothing was really motivating the group forward. Nothing we came up against was overriding this backstory, and the game fell apart.
But my second character - a paladin - had next to no backstory. I'd actually written extensively about his parents, but not about him. He was quiet, looked rather shoddy for a paladin, and he tended to have back luck. But as the campaign went on, the early humorously depressive air faded, and I started working his personality around an idea of basically being part of a wider system of karmic justice. He became a much better character as events happened and I got to have him have a few badass one-liners, or he felt sorry about some villagers he had to kill, and interacted with other characters.
>>46349197
What the fuck kind of a name is "Blinton"?
>>46349664
Hey, fuck you, Hanners is a qt and was (and probably still is) the best part of that comic by far.
>>46350076
There's only so much she can do when the plot barely moves, and when it does move, I've just stopped caring about it. Characters get together, something happens, break up, sadness, get together with other people.
>>46350063
Linton+Blossom=Blinton.
'tis a pune or play on words.
>>46349977
The character art thread speaks volumes about this. At least half the images posted there have no faces.
>>46348818
>>46349228
As a DM, I respect that not everyone wants to make a backstory and, although I encourage them, I don't require them.
I do require a character, not a race/class/statblock.
>>46349569
>>46349468
This.
A few questions gets more results than pushing your player to complete their writing assignment.
>>46349050
>gravitas
Using that word at my table is worse than pronouncing "BBEG".
I love crafting characters, but just no.
>>46351131
>Using that word at my table is worse than pronouncing "BBEG".
what if it's for a ship's name
>>46350032
I've come across this a lot. At this point I just write a dozen backup story-lines for characters before a campaign and use the most pertinent ones as the story goes on. Though every once in a while one of the pcs surprises me and puts little effort into their character's background so I can tailor something towards what they want.
>>46351131
>Using that word at my table is worse than pronouncing "BBEG".
It's fine with my group, they like the stories I produce. Moreso than a GM I'm a storyteller. If worst comes to worst I can keep a group entertained with a story whilst making them feel like they're involved. Though I prefer it when the group stay involved in the story throughout.
>>46351287
Questionable choice in a ship's name, but I suppose it's pardonable.
Using it conversationally is grounds for a slapping.
>>46351406
>It's fine with my group
You can't put on chapstick while looking manly.
You can't use "gravitas" while not sounding like a pretentious twat that needs to be slapped.
It may not be fair, but there it is.
I always found character stuff more interesting, even if its other character's stuff.
I don't always put a big backstory in, but in that case I always narrow it down to a few sentences about key events or people they can use as potential work ins to make things more interesting
>>46351563
What, are you afraid of using words that accurately describe a concept?
How minimal are we talking about here? It usually means I'm letting you fill in the blanks and I throw in at least 2 concrete writing hooks that can play out in a number of ways.
>>46351406
>>46348873
I'd hate for a DM to just throw a backstory at me without asking me first. I'd rather be an amnesiac nonperson without a family or history than find out all of a sudden that that dude over there is my wife, that little shit at her hand is my son and I don't have a cute daughter!
>>46351678
>afraid
Heh, that's cute.
I think my last post made it perfectly clear.
Generally, if you don't care whether or not you are alienating others by sounding like a pretentious twat, it means you *are* a pretentious twat and someone should probably slap you.
>>46349664
>>46350076
>>46350117
You could always flip out and stab yourself in the hand.
>>46351841
I'm not that guy, but let me fill you in on a fun little secret. Gravitas is a few thousand year old word describing a virtue held by a society now long gone that somehow survived into modernity , how are you this upset people use it? We don't even have an easy to way to describe what it means to have gravitas.
Reality is, it's a good word when used to describe certain people and things. One that should be used sparingly, but when it's appropriate to use we shouldn't shy away from it. Also you're a cunt.
>>46351841
>>46351678
To put it another way:
You know the expression "You catch more flies with honey, than with vinegar."?
By sounding pretentious and not caring because it's a perfectly serviceable manner of communication, you are asserting that flies should be attracted to your vinegar because of all the wonderful traits vinegar has.
It doesn't matter how great your vinegar really is, flies still are going to think you're being pretentious.
>>46351678
What, like BBEG?
>>46352163
You're projecting your own bias on every English speaker in the world. This is a new level of projection.
>>46352163
And yet flies are still attracted to vinegar over honey.
>>46352108
Sparingly used is right.
100% of people who I have heard use the word, have sounded pretentious each time.
Appropriate location of use another important factor.
The gaming table or /tg/ is not best setting to whip out "gravitas".
And for the record, I'm not upset, just aware.
And I'm not saying men can't use chapstick either, they should just be aware that putting it on is not a manly look.
>>46352426
Oh, that's fine then. I retract my calling you a cunt.
>>46351563
The only thing the word 'gravitas' is good for is Culture ship names.
>>46352209
Not really.
Disprove me by writing a convincing line or two of dialog including the word gravitas, used conversationally, that is decidely unpretentious.
>>46352279
Yeah, but the expression doesn't work if you use feces.
>come up with elaborate character backstories
>detailed personalities
>think about how characters would react to various hypothetical situations and how to make them have things in common with the other party members
>too fucking awkward to roleplay any of them without getting self-conscious and stuttering
>become the GM of group because nobody else wanted to
>have to roleplay NPCs all the time now
>worry incessantly about making NPCs stand out from one other and making them memorable
>can't do voices or accents for shit
>have to roleplay as female NPCs without dropping my spaghetti
JUST
>>46353286
Be less autistic.
Like, stop crying and actually try.
Or, shoot yourself and prevent anyone from having to waste their time while you pretend to DM while stuttering through every sentence.
>>46352569I'm going to be honest. I can't think of anything outside of a eulogy for a career politician or general who was particularly well respected.
That or a historical context.
>>46353319
Go fuck yourself. There's no need to act so edgy, we're not on /b/ you fucking child.
GM's who demand a backstory for a premade where they don't intend to make any use of your backstory are the fucking worst.
>>46353319
>Like, stop crying and actually try.
For what it's worth, I think it's getting easier as I go. Doing villains is actually kind of fun because you can ham it up a little and it doesn't matter so much because the party is going to kill them anyway. People have expectations for your average stock villains and deepening my voice a touch isn't too hard.
Oh, and fuck you. Whose idea of advice is "just, like, try HARDER, brah"? What a completely worthless thing to say.
>>46353409
>>>/hugbox/
>>46353428
>Whose idea of advice is "just, like, try HARDER, brah"? What a completely worthless thing to say.
Nigga, that's literally the only advice that matters. Your entire life is just you being a miserable failure and never putting any effort in, and then making shitposts about how you're "so awkward and bad" but you don't want to improve, because you prefer the fake-sympathy of people responding to you on fucking 4chan.
The truth is, your group fucking hates you and they deserve better than you. Either actually put some work in and give it to them, or stop complaining.
>>46353433
Finally a situation in which edgy can be used appropriately, Jesus gonna need some stitches from all those sharp corners
>>46353319
Clearly he became DM for a reason, and despite his personal view of what's wrong with him he is retaining his players. I doubt he's blackmailing them into playing, so the only ones "wasting their time" are the players themselves. Pro-tip: they clearly don't think it's a waste of time if they continue to devote free time to it.
>>46349394
Well that's not what I think of when I hear backstory. tell me that and i'd give it to you no fucking problem and then spend the rest of my time Not feeling horrible for not being able to write stuff good
>>46350452
I just always thought it was way more badass to be a dude who semi-permanently had something covering his face personally.
>>46353510
>>46353409
He's right though, it's not even bad advice in the first half.
Stop being such a bitch and just try instead of whining.
>>46353552
Nah no need to be a dick
>>46353581
Have you never had a job or been in a field where you have to take criticism regularly? Fun Fact: If you need all of your critique to be super-nice and not mean or rude in any way or you'll ignore it, you're already a fucking failure who's never going to go anywhere.
And in that case, all you're accomplishing by posting about how bad you are is just a cry for attention, not an actual request for advice on how to get better.
>>46353468
>The truth is, your group fucking hates you and they deserve better than you.
>Group keeps coming back to play
>Hate him though
what?
>>46353526
It was pointed out to me all my characters either wear a mask, have horrible scars, or both. I think it's got some psychological basis of self-image problems that I don't care to analyze farther than that.
Or I just find it smart to commit PC-typical crimes while wearing a mask so later I can change clothes and not have to sneak past guards and wanted notices, which is why I first started the mask thing.
>>46353552
I feel pretty sure someone is samefaggin it up.
>>46353623
It's not even critique though, it's literally "git gud" in edgier words.
>>46353623
I get you but honestly is it worth getting this worked up over something that probably isn't actually happening?
>>46353468
>Your entire life is just you being a miserable failure and never putting any effort in, and then making shitposts about how you're "so awkward and bad" but you don't want to improve, because you prefer the fake-sympathy of people responding to you on fucking 4chan.
These are literally nothing but assumptions. Sometimes it's nice to be able to sympathize with people. What's wrong with that? But it's idiotic to assume that's the only possible reason to post something like that. It's highly possible that other people here have stories of similar experiences, maybe even ways they had similar problems and got over them. I'm talking about advice that doesn't just consist of "get gud faggot, muh bootstraps."
>>46353623
Harsh critique without substance isn't critique at all. It's just being a douchebag. There's a difference between saying "This art looks terrible because that pose is impossible. They wouldn't be able to have bones," and saying "This art looks terrible, and you suck. Try harder."
>>46353662
I'm not "getting worked up" over that faggot crying about being bad at DMing. I'm not going out of my way to do what /tg/ apparently thinks is a good idea and writing multiple pages of essay on how to be a good DM to someone who doesn't take advice to begin with.
The one I'm pissed off at is you, and everyone else who's saying "lol u gotta be nice stop bein mean". Fuck off.
>>46353682
>I'm talking about advice that doesn't just consist of "get gud faggot, muh bootstraps."
Except that if this isn't your mentality, then any advice is wasted.
>>46353704
So now your pointlessly angry at me, that's even worse
>>46353719
>get gud is now good advice and not just a joke
Oh god what a bleak future we live in
>>46353704
>someone who doesn't take advice to begin with.
Why would I make that post if I didn't want advice?
>because you wanted attention
What makes you think that I wanted attention instead of advice?
>because you didn't want advice because you wanted attention because you didn't want advice because you wanted attention...
You're going in circles.
>>46353719
Some problems can't be solved by sheer effort alone. Climbing a sheer wall, for example, is probably more easily done with a rope or something than just clawing away at the thing and trying to find a handhold. Therefore, if your mentality is "anything other than sheer effort is a worthless distraction," you're actually less likely to accomplish something because you dismiss legitimate advice as... I don't know, weak or something.
Have fun with your wall. I'm going to go ask some fellows and see if they know of any ladders I could use.
>>46353704
>"lol u gotta be nice stop bein mean"
More like you don't have to be anything. You don't have to reply at all. There is nothing forcing you to re- oh shit, have they got a gun? Quick, pretend you're ordering a pizza. Ask for sausage if you're a faggot, ask for pepperoni if you're a faggot, ask for cheese if you're a girl and can't actually be raped by the man with a gun.
>>46353704
>The one I'm pissed off at is you, and everyone else who's saying "lol u gotta be nice stop bein mean". Fuck off.
I know you think you're being helpful by showing a stranger on the internet the harsh reality of the world, but as someone who works as a counselor as my actual job and spent grad school reading academic articles on this subject I feel the need to point out that pretty much the entirety of the modern psychology literature on anxiety and peer counselling indicates that this is literally and without hyperbole the worst way to motivate people.
![tumblr_o4pus6MdEH1u5srk8o1_1280[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/zjSEfMT.jpg "tumblr_o4pus6MdEH1u5srk8o1_1280[1].jpg")
>>46348782
Questionable Content is an awful web comic and you should feel bad for posting it in any other context than mocking it.
>>46353856
>that this is literally and without hyperbole the worst way to motivate people.
Do you think that might be why most people come out of "counseling" as complete failures?
I dunno man, I just spent my college and professional career doing portfolio critiques, I ain't got no experience with motivation.
>>46353902
>SoL webcomics in general
Let's face it. If their art and content was bearable they'd be published.
>>46353960
It boggles my mind that Handstab can actually make a decent living off his shitty webcomic. He gets paid more than some professionals with infinitely more skill than him. It infuriates me. At least Unsounded and KSB9 are doing pretty great now with their Patreon.
>>46354030
It's the amount of Patreons. The guys for Unsounded and KSBD have 397 and 487 respectively. If they had as many Patrons as Handstab, they'd be doing better.
>>46353902
So... If I understand this comic correctly, the person, who is a "Trans" (I'm assuming this is either short for transvestite, or trans-gender, this particular page does not seem to specify) is talking to a robot about how she is the target of predjudicwe and bigotry on a daily basis, even though she openly admits that she is surrounded by a supporting and accepting family, a loving boyfriend, and even the "asshole" robot is polite enough to never bring the subject up. her life is still a "living hell"
...
...
...
...
Question: Is this meant to be parody?
>>46349158
I mostly just do it for political reasons, barbarian could use his family to ally his tribe against the BBEG and his army, a nobleman could arrange a marriage between himself and the daughter of a prince to gain his support. Having specifics helps, if your dad is a major nobleman or rules over a strategic area you might have some bargaining power, if your uncle's horde numbers thousands of warriors you could tip the balance of the war in your favour.
>>46353526
Look, the armor isn't even permanent. You're gonna change it the moment you find something better. A portrait that doesn't show your face is completely worthless.
They're scared of personality.
>>46353627
>It was pointed out to me all my characters either wear a mask, have horrible scars, or both.
There are some that are just very boring middle-aged brown-haired dudes.
>>46354359
Yes, it's a parody of the webcomic named in the post.
>>46354359
>Question: Is this meant to be parody?
to be blunt about it, no shit senpai
>>46354366
>if your dad is a major nobleman
You shouldn't be getting nobility status for free anyway.
Also, if you're nobility then the DM needs to know no matter how little else you tell him of your background.
>>46354366
>Having specifics helps
I try to avoid this because it always brings up questions in my head about if my character is from here or has this connection, shouldn't I be able to make use of that? Basically I am well aware that I am That Guy when it comes to trying to wing more resources based on what is supposed to be fluff and thus just stay away from temptation.
>>46354511
so, I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that the original dialogue for this comic is far different than in the post, and probably much more irritating.
>>46354554
it doesn't have any "original dialogue." I's a completely made up parody, not an edit. The original image is not from the comic it is parodying.
>>46354554
Nope, that's the original dialogue. It's a parody comic of QC, not an edit of a QC comic.
>>46354591
>I's a completely made up parody, not an edit. The original image is not from the comic it is parodying.
darn...
I guess some small part of me was hoping that that was an actual, unaltered, page from a webcomic...
because then I might get the impression that the author might be a clever writer.
>>46354554
I think, based on how the trans has buck-teeth and a unibrow, that it's pure parody not even edited dialogue. Compare it to OP's post, which is much newer than the last comic I read, both of which are much better drawn than the comic in question.
>>46354658
yeah I just found QC's entry in the Bad Webcomics Wiki.
http://badwebcomicswiki.shoutwiki.com/wiki/Questionable_Content
>>46353960
I've read a lot of webcomics some years back and I can only disagree with your opinion. Yes, a lot of it is garbage. But remember Sturgeon's law.
>>46349648
I didn't even realise there was a joke in that pic till you replied. Thanks.
I generally focus more on the character as a singular then their overall life experience because I dislike coming up with something, and then having the GM basically say "no".
"The character is kind of like x, he comes from a culture like y."
"Sorry Anon, but that's not how their culture works in my setting. It's more like b."
I'm really not that interested in playing a character/race that totally breaks the mold within the setting, I'm more inclined to have my character comply to their own "cultural norms". I dislike just adding things to the GMs setting because I don't want to fuck around with their own vision of the setting. The problem I usually find myself in is when I try to ask questions about the setting so I can put together a character that fits within the setting, I only get "Yeah, I'm pretty liberal with my setting blah blah blah" and when I present a character I get "It's more like x, y, z." Why did you just tell me that before I put the time into making this? Now I'm not interested in having my character come from that specific setting. So I have to come up with something else, which usually has a lot less backstory.
I found a neat set of questions on reddit I think, it doesn't feel like you've sat down and written a huge story but by the time you're done you have a much clearer idea of your character. I think it's in the sidebar even
>>46349338
>weird and fetishistic
Because you made it weird and fetishistic, you sick fuck.
People talk about not making backgrounds and shit, but it can bite you.
Last game I was in, I wrote a background, fairly expansive, how the pc came about, they were older, on a mission, a little about their family and why they were in the region that they were.
Apparently, I was one of 2 people that wrote a backstory, and because of it, the GM put me in the spotlight because I reciprocated. I achieved almost all of my objectives, accomplished far more than I had planned to, and by the time the campaign was over and my pc was returning home, I was on a first name basis with all the power players of the region, and the player party a byword for unstoppable resolve and get shit done ruthless justice.
I asked the gm about it all partway thru, because I worried I was hogging limelight, and the gm told me he was giving it to me because I gave him something to work with, fair, honest hopes and goals that can drive plot and create a good time.
>>46348782
Lol. The first thing you are going to do is kill all of my family and friends then try to make me think it was my fault. I am damn sure not going to tell the GM a goddamn thing.
>>46358069
>this meme
Just write things your character has done or experienced up to the start of the campaign without mentioning family.
>>46349259
>instead of writing drama
>just kill-off beloved chars
Go home Joss, you're tiresome.
>>46359310
If you're sure they don't like it just move the finale closer. When the campaign is over you don't start the next one until they ask you for it. If they actually do that then at least you know that they want more.
>>46348782
You don't need a backstory to make an adventure hook though.
Personally I avoid any game requiring a lengthy detailed backstory. Very rarely do I find a group where the PCs can spend a whole session entertaining one another's stories and actually playing together as opposed to the GM spending hours entertaining a particular PC while the others wait their turn.
>>46354658
>trans has buck-teeth and a unibrow
That's not actually parody funnily enough.
>>46354359
>>46354554
It's a parody comic of the actual comic shat out by Plebcomics in less than an hour. The comic itself isn't nearly as funny, well drawn, or self-aware.
>>46353623
Good critique is mean yet meaningful
Being rude in any shape is completely unneccesary.
>>46360483
Good lord, the SJWs just demand more and more political correctness every day.
>>46360669
No the SJWs would NEVER have any level of 'mean' in any form wwith good critiqueing, all they do is hug each other.
Good proper critique is being blunt and honest of what the heck sucks in what is being done and tips on how to improve it so it stops sucking so much. adding any amount of rudeness just generates debate and is bloat material with no purpose.
If he is still offended and can't improve himself after that then he is a friggin bleeding heart and needs a training montage of being yelled at by drill sergeants.
>>46354554
Here's a link to the original comic:
http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3185
But half of the dialog in the parody is original. I've been reading and keeping up with it for a few years now (along with a few other webcomics), but lately it's really been going downhill. There was a time when a 12 or 13 year old went into an electronics store to get a microphone for a Let's Play series she was starting only to get mocked by a male employee...who then backed down immediately when she stood up for herself.
I'm a pretty heavy sleeper, so this wake up call was big and overdue for me. The guy that makes these comics tries to write a Slice of Life comic without taking into consideration real human interaction. A lot of what he writes is really stretching what people would say just so that he can stand on his soap-box.
Anyway, this is /tg/ not /co/. I've written pretty awesome backstories for my characters (as a player) but not too many people cared. Though it gave the GM an NPC to throw into harms way to have me make interesting decisions. I'll definitely be writing more backstories in the future.
>>46349158
Making a character with family is a good idea. If the family member is tortured, raped or killed by the BBEG, you know that the DM is a cunt and there's nothing to lose by walking away.
>>46361713
>http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3185
That seems very uncharacteristic for PintSize. Does he still act like this on occasion? http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=1812
>>46354359
Yes, its a parody.
Out of nowhere in one of the newest comics the trans-gender character suddenly complains about bigotry, and how hard life is. Dispite it never been shown before in the comic, or even mentioned.
Same character have however been shown to have loving and supporting friends, family, and a boyfriend. Overall having a really great life.
Meanwhile the robot have been shown multiple times to be on the receiving end of both physical violence and verbal abuse from other the characters. And it is then told it got it easy.
The Robot can be a bit of an ass to other characters sometimes, but its never been it to the trans-gender person.
So... There is a whole world of stuff happening off-panel in that comic that suddenly pops up when its convenient. And we suddenly have to accept with no reason given, as why characters suddenly and drastically changed.
The greatest stories NEVER told.
>>46362578
No today's comic http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3188 is pretty representative of his "hi-jinks" now-adays. He wrote "wolf urine" on a sticky note, then put it on someone's shopping list that was on their phone....and we're only told about it. We're not shown it, only told. I think today's comic really was the nail in the coffin, and I've been putting quite a few nails in it's coffin. I'm pretty sure it can't get out now though.
>>46362639
This.
>>46362792
>http://questionablecontent.net/view.php?comic=3188
That one comic strip and the countless edits the one where that character hooks up with Marten. Are we supposed to think of this person as an unfunny, unlikeable tart or does is that just ad writing on the authors part?
>>46362964
>That one comic strip and the countless edits of the one where that character hooks up with Marten.
...are the only ones of her I've seen. Lost a bit of text there.
>>46362964
She was actually an interesting character at the beginning. Now she's just turned into a microphone for the writer to voice social justice without feeling guilty about shoe-horning it in. but then shoe-horns it in anyway.
