You know what I see?

[Nikolas Faselli]

Oh hey, one of this threads! I've been waiting for a while to get this stuff off my chest and lay out my pet peeves!

• "Hopelessly Romantic" is not a weakness if all you do is shag a random NPC every other night and call it a day, especially if you don't play off the angle set forth by something like that and simply leave it as a means to get pretend-laid.
• "Shy" is not a weakness unless you have some bloody social anxiety or the character has issues interacting in public. Shyness / Introverted =/= Crippling fear of people / Inability to work with other people / Social Anxiety.
• "Inexperience" is not a weakness if the character acts like they have done something for thousands of times and have no issue doing said thing they are inexperienced in. On that note, "Grasps Knowledge Slower" is not a weakness if it takes the character two posts instead of one to understand something / learn a skill.
• "Bad Pilot" is not a damn weakness unless said character is part of the Air Force and / or relies heavily on Airships for transportation or other usages. It's the equivalent of saying a character has limited / zero knowledge and experience regarding Large-Scale Military Operations while he is nothing more than a damn prepubescent teenager with an attitude. On that note, "Bad Marksman / Bad Driver / Bad Leadership Abilities / Bad Whatever The Hell You Want" are not weaknesses if they do not actually come into play in the characters story both past or present, or will never be brought up again ever again in an actual play, it's just a poor excuse to get those two minimum required weaknesses in.
• "Schizophrenia / Bi-Polar / Multiple Personality Disorder / PTSD" is not a weakness if you are literally only playing it up to make your character more quirky or interesting while making a mockery of the diseases themselves. Stop romanticizing mental illnesses and make it seem "fun and hilarious", preferably stop using them unless you actually bother researching them and are a good enough writer to create a compelling and gripping story about said characters and how it affects them from one thread to the other. They aren't a damn on-off switch.
• "Force Sensitivity" IS a strength! Despite the demographic of Chaos regarding NFU and FU, being able to tap into the Force is in of itself something special. You are, quite literally, one in a million if not billion that has the ability to rely on the force for guidance, even if the power itself is in its infant stage.

Now that I got that stuff off my shoulders, I agree with [member="Silara Kuhn"] and [member="Jyn Sol"]. A weakness is not necessarily something permanent and it doesn't have to be. With time, training, or assistance, weaknesses can be erased and transformed into strengths if enough effort is placed towards this particular goal. But with the passage of time, new weaknesses will also appear because the characters will get the possibility to expand their horizons and perform actions they previously have never had to perform. Eighty percent of the time, they will suck at it. At the end of the day, the phrase "You are still human" holds weight despite whatever race your character actually is. They will never be perfect, they will always have their ups and downs, and that will make them a better character and you a better writer by being able to play off both the bad and the good.

Nobody wants to read about the adventures of Mary Sue #232323 in a galaxy far, far away that somehow bends to her every whim despite not really doing anything for it. When trying to discover new weaknesses for a character, or when making a character from scratch, don't look at most other profiles on Chaos to draw inspiration from. The characters that are played are most of the time above average. They are old and have lived through many wars and many hardships, they have the command of armadas at their finger tip and the ability to draw from the Force for prolonged usage without breaking a sweat. They are the outlier. Look towards the rest of the galaxy, the nameless NPC soldiers, civilians, and scoundrels that give the world it's life. Those are the people you should draw inspiration for weaknesses from because, like it or not, we all start out as one of them until we progress through the ranks.

/end rant

Most of the things you pointed out are actually weaknesses. Maybe not Hopeless Romantic and Force-sensitivity. But weaknesses influence a character's personality, just like they do with ours. And even though these weaknesses you pointed out won't come into play directly, a good writer still makes them believable via the story the character tells as he/she progresses.

Romanticising mental illness is something I've personally never seen. Maybe there are some who do that, but in my case (I had a character with schizophrenia), it's all about giving the character a more real look. Seriously, in the huge galaxy, there is no possible way a person doesn't have a mental illness. And if it isn't approached in the RP, the game loses its real look. All characters turn into monsters, robots. Force-sensitive robots in most cases.

All mental and emotional things can be weaknesses. And while they don't affect a character's behaviour directly most of the times, they still do affect their personality.

And seriously, people have to stop confusing shyness and introversion. Most introverted people aren't shy and these two words are not synonyms.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

And seriously, people have to stop confusing shyness and introversion. Most introverted people aren't shy and these two words are not synonyms.

Do they really? Is it a big enough deal to even warrant a comment? I would say no, because anyone with half a functioning brain cell understands that the people who write here are (probably) not mental health professionals, psychologists, doctors, lawyers, etc.

Just my two cents. In my experience I find it's best not to sweat the small stuff (like shy/introverted) because a) it doesn't really matter in the long run and b) making a fuss of it tended to make me look quite priggish and nobody wanted to roleplay with me because I was an insufferable know-it-all.

 

[Ellie Mors]

I'd argue against the mental illness thing, being that it is a weakness, but I'm not going to debate that how you've seen some writers write a weakness does not make it any less of a weakness for someone who writes it properly when it's apparent you've made your mind up.

 

[Ellie Mors]

Yvette is entirely correct.

I have seen some hilariously unbalanced characters who use 'bad pilot/can't shoot a blaster' etc. My personal favorite is headaches; chronic or not, take some fething space advil and you're ok. It's a highly advanced galaxy so I am willing to bet there's meds for that.

Seriously, not being able to pilot a ship is not really a weakness. It's easy to work around with npcs or allies who can fly. Can't shoot a gun? If you're a Force user, it doesn't matter. The Force is worth a million blasters. You also have some kind of lightsaber weapon probably. If you're a politico, you can have npc bodyguards.

Mental illnesses, yeah. People who write about their characters having them often have no reference point to how it actually works.

For every point you've made there is a counter point. Sure, frivolous things such as "untrained" aren't necessarily weaknesses in the long-term, but just as you and others say that various writers aren't capable of writing a mental illness correctly, I could say the same about all of those who can't write being blind, missing a limb, suffering from physical disabilities, etc, just as well.

How is a terminal disease a weakness? Because you'll expire sooner whenever you decide you wish to die? There isn't anyone here to make you kill your character off because of it, and plenty of people use this an excuse to take the proverbial high road to make selecting a weakness easy.

 

[Ellie Mors]

People need to understand that weaknesses may or may not be permanent. One day I might be blind, but thanks to star wars technology I can fix my eyesight, or lack thereof, or even use other senses to overcome that weakness. Of course, that doesn't make it not a weakness, because if I'm in a Ysalamari field I am at a disadvantage to an NFU who isn't blind - in fact, in such a situation I might as well sit down and put my hands up to be cuffed.

Have a genetic issue where your bone structure is weak or made of cartilage? Well you can make use of an exoskeleton to not only bypass that issue but even create a good strength from it, or you can even go as far as to become a sithspawn experiment (like I did) and trade it in for some other weaknesses.

Everything is circumstantial, just because you see a way to exploit a weakness to make it less of one does not mean everyone else will write it the same way. I don't use force sight, yet here I am - blind and a master force user. Sure, I use force enhance on my hearing and touch and such, but I already possessed skills in the force that make seeing really only a benefit, but as I mentioned prior if I were to be without the force I would be completely helpless. Sure, I can use a lightsaber - but what good is that when I can't see where I'm slashing at and don't have the force to guide me?

 

[Ellie Mors]

unless you actually bother researching them and are a good enough writer

I do not agree with this view. Though I did do the former and assume I am the latter.

 

[Thurion Heavenshield]

I think as long as you balance combat and story traits, it should be fine.

None of my strengths and weaknesses would really affect my characters during combat. All are traits based on personality, good or bad.

 

[Yvette Dusong]

Seriously, not being able to pilot a ship is not really a weakness. It's easy to work around with npcs or allies who can fly. Can't shoot a gun? If you're a Force user, it doesn't matter. The Force is worth a million blasters. You also have some kind of lightsaber weapon probably. If you're a politico, you can have npc bodyguards.

The point is not that they can be nullified by the introduction of other PC's in the form of Allies / Friends or even NPC's, it's that weaknesses such like that are chosen, from what I've seen at least and this is purely subjective, as a filler to get the quota fulfilled and to not be brought up again. If you're a bad pilot and you got some NPC's to drive you around the galaxy, said NPC's can be killed in order to force the character in the seat of the pilot and put his weakness, as well as the writers skill, to the test. It's just that it rarely happens.

Despite the fact that I'm generally against self-righteously telling others how to do things (unless, you know, I'm the one self-righteously telling others how to do things)

I am, admittedly, an outspoken hypocritical tit in a lot of things.

As for the examples provided - complete nonsense. Being a bad pilot CAN be a weakness, even if you aren't in the space Navy.

If it's ever going to actually matter, either from a Gameplay / Mechanical point of view or a Story-Telling point of view, sure. But usually, and again this is purely subjective, I have not really seen that. I just consider that weakness and to a lesser degree those like it the equivalent of a civilian listing "Can't do Nuclear Physics" as a weakness when he has absolutely nothing to do with Nuclear Physics and doesn't plan on having anything to do with it.

I would say no, because anyone with half a functioning brain cell understands that the people who write here are (probably) not mental health professionals, psychologists, doctors, lawyers, etc.

It's possible to study said fields, or give them a cursory glance at the very least, instead of simply doing whatever and using a Holywood script of what you believe said professionals do or talk like.

Seriously, in the huge galaxy, there is no possible way a person doesn't have a mental illness. And if it isn't approached in the RP, the game loses its real look. All characters turn into monsters, robots. Force-sensitive robots in most cases.

I'm not saying don't approach it no matter what, I apologize if it came off that way. But don't half ass them either. Study them, go online and read up about them, watch interviews or documentaries about people suffering from this conditions and use those to deliver the most compelling and realistic writing you can. And don't take that like a personal jab or anything, this is mostly a generalization.

I do not agree with this view. Though I did do the former and assume I am the latter.

I haven't read all your work yet to be able to confidently say "You are a good writer" without either lying to you, lying to myself, being full of it, or kissing your rump. So far, you're doing perfectly fine as far as I'm concerned.


Take this how you will folks, it's mostly me and my pet peeves.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Take this how you will folks, it's mostly me and my pet peeves.

On the subject of pet peeves -- people addressing others as "folks" is pretty close to the top of my list. It's perhaps one of the most condescending ways to speak to people.

I'm not asking/expecting you to take notice, just pointing out the subtle irony here

It's possible to study said fields, or give them a cursory glance at the very least, instead of simply doing whatever and using a Holywood script of what you believe said professionals do or talk like.

It's also possible for people to stop taking themselves so seriously and just enjoy each other's company, but I think we both know that neither of these things is going to happen. You may treat RPing like a job (from my limited exposure to your work, I doubt it, and that's how it should be) but for most people it's just a fun hobby.

 

[Yvette Dusong]

On the subject of pet peeves -- people addressing others as "folks" is pretty close to the top of my list. It's perhaps one of the most condescending ways to speak to people.

My apologize on that one then, I don't actually mean it in a condescending kind of way. Mostly something I've grown accustomed to using over the years while learning English.

It's also possible for people to stop taking themselves so seriously and just enjoy each other's company, but I think we both know that neither of these things is going to happen. You may treat RPing like a job (from my limited exposure to your work, I doubt it, and that's how it should be) but for most people it's just a fun hobby.

Eh, can't argue with that really since the specifics change from one individual to the other while the overall idea is correct. Mostly, I just have a stick shoved where the sun don't shine in regards to certain things.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

My apologize on that one then, I don't actually mean it in a condescending kind of way. Mostly something I've grown accustomed to using over the years while learning English.



Eh, can't argue with that really since the specifics change from one individual to the other while the overall idea is correct. Mostly, I just have a stick shoved where the sun don't shine in regards to certain things.

No need to apologize. There's no way you'd have known and even if you did, who cares?

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

I use folks a fair bit as a gender neutral term since some people get quite upset about other catch-all terms like 'guys' being masculine specific and therefor sexist and getting into those arguments makes me snarky.

[member="Avadreia Lacroix"] [member="Yvette Dusong"]

 

[Yvette Dusong]

People get quite upset about other catch-all terms like 'guys' being masculine specific and therefor sexist

Laugh in their face, is what I do. Honestly, I know I'm being a damn hypocrite here after my lil' rant, but if stuff like that get's you enraged enough that you start slinging buzzwords left, right, and center such as Sexism when it's no were near such a thing, I can't do anything but laugh at you.

[member="Avadreia Lacroix"]

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Laugh in their face, is what I do. Honestly, I know I'm being a damn hypocrite here after my lil' rant, but if stuff like that get's you enraged enough that you start slinging buzzwords left, right, and center such as Sexism when it's no were near such a thing, I can't do anything but laugh at you.

[member="Avadreia Lacroix"]

I heartily agree. The world isn't tumblr or the university, people will need to grow up sometime.

 

[Vas'ka Janik]

I love that this was resolved peacefully and without name-calling. Good grief, mature peoples can be difficult to find on the internet; makes me grateful I stumbled upon this Star Wars Roleplay instead of another.

 

[Natasi Fortan]

I love that this was resolved peacefully and without name-calling. Good grief, mature peoples can be difficult to find on the internet; makes me grateful I stumbled upon this Star Wars Roleplay instead of another.

Shut up with your stupid face!

 

[Vas'ka Janik]

Shut up with your stupid face!

*flees and hides in a corner* I'll never compliment you again, I promise! ;A;

 

[Edward Vyperion]

Honestly, I dislike, no... hate elitists everywhere I see them

 

[Natasi Fortan]

Honestly, I dislike, no... hate elitists everywhere I see them

I'll be sure to strike you off my dinner party list.