Advice for the Independant Magi Mind?

[Jsc]

Okay. You're a Force User who wants to do you're own thing. Boom.

No seriously. You really are. You're independent, you're a individual, and you're free. No code, codex, creedo, or lifestyle fashion can compare to your personally-personal opinion. Case closed. And, while we can all recognize that this is definitely the starting point for just about every single FU character every created? Well... Many of us seem to believe that our personally-personal level of freedom is lost the moment we join a Faction. Gone. Fwup! Nada. Lost. No more opinions allowed.

Ahem. So let's talk about that for a second. Let's let some of our veteran members give the 'Independent Thinkers' among us some advice. Here goes. Let's discuss.

• Q1: What would you say to someone who believes that joining an existing group or faction of FU's is too restrictive, complicated, or mainstream for them?
• Q2: &, why might many new members gain that mentality immediately?

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[Hailey Sosis]

Q1: None of groups I joined have ever seen as restrictive apart from the Jedi orders, but they do have code of conduct. Though you could argue main stream
Though if they where worried about that, I would point out my character [member="Elaine Thul"] resides with the GA, who are opposed to dark side. Though I have had no grief running with them

Q2: pass

 

[Sanya Val Lerium]

[member="Jay Scott Clark"]

I've always rolpayed characters on what I'd do in that situation. As this char may be a Fu and always been apart of big fractions not once have I thought I've no freedom of how I write my character and it should be the same for everyone. If someone wants to write a darksider that loves flowers then go for it. If you want to write a depressing dark lightsider go for it. But from my personal opinion the best characters are the ones who reflect their writer in some way. That part allows a deeper connection to you the writer and your character.

A1 the restriction is in your head. NO ONE can tell you how yoyouyou write.

A2 maybe because they don't fully understand how everything works in the major fractions. My advice is choose one and play around make stories with other characters there but don't limit yourself to just that fraction always look to expand outside.

 

[Matsu Xiangu]

• Q1: What would you say to someone who believes that joining an existing group or faction of FU's is too restrictive, complicated, or mainstream for them?

I would say hey - maybe that's true! But if they're interested, try it first. There's no harm in throwing in your chips with a faction only to find you don't like it and go your own way. In a lot of instances this has given further substance to my characters. For example, I have always written Matsu as her "own thing". She's Sith mostly because she's far too twisted to fit anywhere else. She found a true home with the Lords of the Fringe when I first joined the board, but when they disbanded (the wound is still raw!) she drifted, aimless. Eventually she joined up with the One Sith mainly because of personal connections, but she never felt comfortable there. She thinks the Dark Lord is Santa Claus and everyone there is deluded. Now that she's left, she feels FREE! And that adds this wonderful texture to her weird crusade of pain around the galaxy.

Basically what I'm saying is try it, you might like it. And even if your character isn't the 'norm', you can absolutely find a place for your character to fit. It's dynamic may actually add to the faction as a whole, or give you more content to work with and shape your character against the grindstone.

And if you end up not liking it, bop around. That's just as fun.

• Q2: &, why might many new members gain that mentality immediately?

To me, two reasons. One - Star Wars is full of a lot of black and whites in a good chunk of canon. Sith are very EBIL MWHAHAHA and Jedi often have no dimension. Joining up seems like limiting yourself from that alone.

Secondly, we're a HUGE site. It can seem overwhelming to join a group like the Republic or the OS that's established and enormous.

I don't think there's much to be done about that but applaud examples of individualism, and make it obvious there's a place for them. And if they still decide to do their own thing, remain inclusive of them. I think we can start to feel like there's "nothing to do" if we don't have a faction. But once I started solo'ing with Matsu, a whole new chapter opened up for her.

 

[Grrwunhoooll Agaburry]

My response to both questions.

Its RP have fun and do whatever..

 

[Jsc]

...I don't think there's much to be done about that but applaud examples of individualism, and make it obvious there's a place for them.

qft <3

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

Q1: What would you say to someone who believes that joining an existing group or faction of FU's is too restrictive, complicated, or mainstream for them? Q2: &, why might many new members gain that mentality immediately?

1. I would say that's perfectly understandable. About half my characters were trained within a formal structure (be it Jedi, Sith, Angelii etc), and half were trained by or are rogues. It comes down to individual choice.
2. New members reprising old characters, especially transfers, might not want or need to join a group. Alternatively, joining a big group can be daunting to start off, so some stay independent for a while to feel out the setting before asking to join a group.