In-Character How do I backstory

[ford-michigan]

How do y'all make backstorys for your characters that are more than 2 pages in length? This is actually asking how do I make a good backstory?

 

[Curbalas]

character development

 

[boots]

Typically? Try to describe your characters' backstory with as much description as possible, from who they are, to how they got to where they are now; what path they took and what experiences have shaped them to be who they are today.

Nowadays I just make it up in the moment when people ask and I just roll with it. Eventually you end up with a cohesive story that others enjoy. I used to be really into detailing character backstories before I made a character but after doing it for so long I lost the enjoyment. Still though, if you are making an app, then it's required, and so I would just jot down notes of what you want your character to be and work from there.

 

[Orphan]

Inspiration from shit I’ve read.

 

[ramen]

Bros looking for advice on his vortigaunt application

 

[Tzangdilli the Erudite]

What you wanna do is come up with some really cool and sicc backstory about a military specialist who survived the seven hour war due to his will of steel. Then you're gonna say he killed 500 combine soldiers with one bullet. Then, you say he lost his wife and kids (they're not dead, he's looking for them ) Then you write about how deep and dark the combine world is, how depressed your character is because they live in deep dark combine land.

 

[Triviality]

How do y'all make backstorys for your characters that are more than 2 pages in length? This is actually asking how do I make a good backstory?

You make a character you wish you could engage with more personally, then it just comes from there, just for this post, i'm gonna shit out a sad origin story and character background just to just

 

[Light]

I purposely keep mine broad and then develop them over a period of time in-server. Of course you'll need an idea of what you were doing before, occupation, education et cetera. But what matters is what you get out, not what you put in. Of course if its a vortigaunt then you need more to account for several hundreds of years under your belt, which is why I won't make a vort ever, too rigid for me.

Or you can go with " The combine kill my family, now I want a revange."

 

[TRL]

How do y'all make backstorys for your characters that are more than 2 pages in length? This is actually asking how do I make a good backstory?

Generally? Fill out your basics, if you're making a character you gotta go broad and file things down. Think about what makes humans human: Culture, love, loss, victories and defeats. Most balanced characters have a good mix of all of them.

Maybe your character got addicted to drugs, saw his friends all slowly rot out of their own bodies, and as the last man standing to go cold turkey to honor their memory.

Perhaps your character was just a nothingburger before the war happened, and then was thrust into a position of action by forces outside of his control.

Maybe your character was a civil rights lawyer before the war, struggling to overcome predjudices against Vortigaunts for killing his mom.

Backstory isn't just text, it's like a reference sheet for when your unsure how your character might act, and serves as a jumping off point to improvise from. My character for example travelled a lot in the post Combine world, and from there I just tend to make up stories of weird shit that happened in the wastes.

If you'd like I can help u create a backstory

 

[Triviality]

updated my bio quite literally because of this thread thanks for the inspiration

 

[shore]

backstories don't matter, you just make shit up about your character as you go along or if someone asks.

 

[ford-michigan]

Generally? Fill out your basics, if you're making a character you gotta go broad and file things down. Think about what makes humans human: Culture, love, loss, victories and defeats. Most balanced characters have a good mix of all of them.

Maybe your character got addicted to drugs, saw his friends all slowly rot out of their own bodies, and as the last man standing to go cold turkey to honor their memory.

Perhaps your character was just a nothingburger before the war happened, and then was thrust into a position of action by forces outside of his control.

Maybe your character was a civil rights lawyer before the war, struggling to overcome predjudices against Vortigaunts for killing his mom.

Backstory isn't just text, it's like a reference sheet for when your unsure how your character might act, and serves as a jumping off point to improvise from. My character for example travelled a lot in the post Combine world, and from there I just tend to make up stories of weird shit that happened in the wastes.

If you'd like I can help u create a backstory

I mean... My character so far has been a john combine. I do have a place of origin but nothing else. I have also been using the character for at least a few months now...

 

[ford-michigan]

How do y'all think about me doing a "nobody" backstory?

 

[shore]

How do y'all think about me doing a "nobody" backstory?

elaborate

 

[Craw]

Honestly, write one sentence about anything you're character is related to, then just keep going from there. Make it up as you go

 

[Killian]

I'm going to be completely honest here. There are a few things I do when I start writing backstory information. Of course, this varies but one of the very first things I do is figure out the following:

- Gender
- Ethnicity
- Place of Birth
- Name (typically based on their place of birth)
- Age
- Siblings/Parents w/ names, genders of siblings, etc.
- 3 Positive Traits, 3 Negative Traits

The second to the fifth one I occasionally use a wheel spinner to pick for me. Once that's been established, I move into other details such as:

- 1st to 12th grade schooling (If they dropped out, obtained their GED) And/or if they attended university or college (And if they dropped out halfway through)
- Life experiences up to this point. (Were they a troublemaker in their teens? Were they an overachiever in their schoolwork? Were they a bully? Athletic? God-Fearing/Religious? Parents together or divorced? Any time spent in the police/military? Any criminal experience? Elaborate on these throughout your backstory, best to work in a timeline fashion)
- Previous job experience (If any, elaborate on that. If there's a lack of you can mention responsibilities from watching siblings, chores from parents, and other smaller things like mowing the lawn for neighbors which also ties into life experiences tbh)
- Political alignment. (Views on the government before, and now. How they've shifted, etc)

After this point, and you feel comfortable with everything written, you can add your character development or other things that have happened recently that may have shifted your views on the world. A lot of the time my characters have long backstories that I don't post due to the fact that I don't want others to understand everything about them right away. Having people discover things through storytelling in game is rewarding.

thank u for coming to my TED talk

 

[Kamilisha Haijulikani]

Coombine killed my wife

 

[ford-michigan]

elaborate

I mean as in he was a normal middle class American.

 

[Rebel RP Philosopher]

In the shadowy underbelly of City 17, amidst the throngs of downtrodden citizens, lurks Mr. Ford Michigan, a figure veiled in anonymity but harboring a secret past. Once a proud operative of the elite Special Air Service (SAS), Ford's life took a dramatic turn when he found himself stranded in this dystopian metropolis without equipment or support. Forced into hiding among the masses, he now traverses the city streets disguised as a humble scavenger, collecting refuse to maintain his facade and evade detection by the ever-watchful eyes of the Combine.

Despite his covert status, Ford's training and instincts as a seasoned operative remain intact, a silent weapon lying dormant within him, awaiting the call to action. Beneath the guise of a mere trash collector, his mind is a wellspring of tactics and strategy, ever plotting his next move in the clandestine battle against the alien overlords. Yet, for now, survival dictates patience and discretion, forcing Ford to bide his time and blend seamlessly into the fabric of City 17's oppressed populace.

But within the depths of Ford's heart burns the unquenchable flame of resistance, a fervent desire to reclaim his identity and join the fight for freedom. Though his current circumstances may obscure his true purpose, Ford remains vigilant, awaiting the opportunity to shed his guise and once again don the mantle of a warrior. Until that moment arrives, he navigates the perilous streets of City 17 with cunning and determination, a silent sentinel in the struggle against tyranny, his true allegiance known only to himself.

---

after having your background, you can just write names of people you like and use your favorite colors based on how you like them

 

[ford-michigan]

Is this something that can be moved to the discussion thread? I feel now that this is relevant to rp and would see more input.