A really neat site for developing/fixing characters

[Guest]

http://www.springhole.net/writing/marysue.htm

Firsthand, I highly recommend you take this litmus test before going onward. You'll need it. Don't chicken out, seriously, this will definitely help you roleplay better. Make sure you use one of your most used/commonly used characters for this. It only takes 20 minutes, on average. Answer these honestly and without reprieve.

I scored a 20 on this using Talia. Though, really I'm not sure if I answered some of the questions honestly. It might actually be higher.

Afterward: peruse the links shown within the litmus test, and here: http://www.springhole.net/writing/index.html

Seriously, you will enjoy your results from your new-found knowledge.

Edited February 6, 2015 by Guest

[SierraKomodo]

Ziva is a 10 XD

Reading stuffs now

[Conspire2Ignite]

Made a 9 with Kay Lee. Have to admit, number 64 made me fall over in laughter.

64. Does your character just always happen to have on hand (or in pockets or boots) whatever tools, gadgets, or weapons are needed to get xir out of most scrapes at any given time?

The Engineer Creed: Why go through the airlock when you can take out the wall?

[Vittorio Giurifiglio]

26 with Vittorio

[Guest]

For question 11-B, would missing an eye count?

[LordFowl]

Dr. Crane got a -2. I found a lot of the questions personally to be a bit off-base (Many of the De-Suifiers would actually make you a Mary Sue in my book, sometimes being overly-bad is also a bad thing. Although I suppose this might qualify as the "anti-sue" they mentioned.)

This may also be a result of the fact that he doesn't have a too extremely developed backstory.

Two-Birds scored a 13.

I thought it was a bit suspicious, so I tested the Dionaea as a race, and scored an 8.

I'm not sure how to take these results.

[Guest]

It's not 100% accurate nor is it a sure-fire indicator of whether your character is badly written or not. But if you have something like, say, above 30? Maybe you need to fix them a bit. Or a lot. This test tends to focus a lot on the various, yet common, extremes most people have issues about with writing their characters.

[Gollee]

Inis scored a 1...

[enkas]

Made a 9 with Kay Lee. Have to admit, number 64 made me fall over in laughter.

64. Does your character just always happen to have on hand (or in pockets or boots) whatever tools, gadgets, or weapons are needed to get xir out of most scrapes at any given time?

The Engineer Creed: Why go through the airlock when you can take out the wall?

 

I don't think that having tools at a workplace should count. Well, unless he literally carries his toolbelt everywhere D:

Anyways...

Garry Milders is 7

Raymond Tanner is 4

[SierraKomodo]

Made a 9 with Kay Lee. Have to admit, number 64 made me fall over in laughter.

64. Does your character just always happen to have on hand (or in pockets or boots) whatever tools, gadgets, or weapons are needed to get xir out of most scrapes at any given time?

The Engineer Creed: Why go through the airlock when you can take out the wall?

 

I don't think that having tools at a workplace should count. Well, unless he literally carries his toolbelt everywhere D:

Anyways...

Garry Milders is 7

Raymond Tanner is 4

 

Ziva always has her toolbelt, never know when an engineer needs their gear,

[Baka]

Samantha Mason is a 9.

Maxwell Mason is a 10.

Abbas is a 5.

[Doomberg]

Avery gets a 9.

I'm too lazy to run my other characters through this.

[Rechkalov]

Woohoo!

Scored nice round zero on Baranova!

Thank God for those De-Suifiers, and for Baranova being a big, limping, chainsmoking and easily discouraged loser.

[EnderM5]

Tomek Dardos got a -1. He seems to be exactly the opposite of what I want to be IRL, which is why I like playing him so much.

Also, some of the de-suifiers didn't make sense. For example, "Not having a problem with killing?" That would actually contribute to being a Mary Sue, at least in my book.

[Cassie]

Woohoo!

Scored nice round zero on Baranova!

Thank God for those De-Suifiers, and for Baranova being a big, limping, chainsmoking and easily discouraged loser.

Wait, you're not supposed to get a 0, that's bad.

[BadLemonsXI]

Eava got a 19. So the safe zone that's nice. But can't people with low scores be a "Mary Sue" anyway because there community statue can come into effect?

[SierraKomodo]

Eava got a 19. So the safe zone that's nice. But can't people with low scores be a "Mary Sue" anyway because there community statue can come into effect?

 

There was something mentioned on the site about an 'Anti Sue' which is also bad.

[Frances]

Something to note is that the most enjoyable characters (for others) might not be the most realistic or average ones, but the ones that act in the most entertaining or unique manner.

All the "good" SS13 characters I remember have been unique in some way. I remember Crane because he's a fucking dick. I remember Imraj because he does incredibly funny shit that doesn't 100% makes sense sometimes (and isn't a pretty, white young adult). I remember Haruspex for its unique method of speech, and I remember Phoebe for being so over the top in her selective aggression it wasn't even funny. (No, but seriously, it was actually ridiculous. But she still deserves a mention).

I don't remember "average" characters. They don't bother me, but I won't remember everyone with a dark, convoluted past, because if you want someone to appreciate your characters, you have to make them relatable and noticeable in some way. And the best characters push their "uniqueness" in a way that's funny, enjoyable, touching, or just believable.

Don't go over the top, but for god's sake, do something.

[Guest]

That might be why a few of my characters are considered 'better' than the others I play. Because when I'm playing them, they stand out. Quite a bit. They're either really funny, really weird, someone you can relate to a bit.

Fuck, actually. In this post: Character feedback.

Imraj Brar. There are really tense moments aboard the station, sometimes. Everyone's burning and dying in a fire, people screaming HALP HALP over comms, and meanwhile, medbay's not where it's supposed to be while people are dying in said fire. You know why. Despite all of this, there is always *that guy* who will provide for comic relief in a crazy situation. That guy, is Imraj. He's probably one of the most human humans on the station. He copes with stress in pretty hilarious ways and influences the crew morale in that manner as well. I miss him as security, he's a guy that you can learn quite a bit from.

Phoebe Essel. This character is really interesting. One of those borderline sociopaths that just as nearly borders on psychopathy as well. But Nursie plays this character to the point where it's fun to experience this personality in action. When I'm roleplaying, it's half in awe in this character and half in terror that this kind of person could exist out there. To reminisce a bit from a rather STELLAR nuke round, I remember her monologue about her beef with authority roles, and relating to Stein about that little tick, that little pleasure you get from making those with power kneel before you. It was powerful. It was a really powerful moment, there.

There are some others that I silently praise, but they have so much about them as well to even describe.

Like Frances said though, it's still possible to execute the role of a special snowflake and not look like an awful RPer. You just have to be careful about it.