Backstage - OOC Forums
EVE-Online RP Discussion and Resources => EVE Character Development => Topic started by: Seriphyn on 31 Mar 2011, 07:26
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So, previously on the chargen (and now instead on the bloodline pages on EVElopedia) there is a description of a typical male/female of each of the 12 bloodlines. Obviously, this is dependent on cultural engineering, environment, social upbringing.Iie. how an Amarr girl will grow up if surrounded by an Amarr culture, or easily how an Amarr girl will grow up surrounded by Gallente culture (she will end up similar to the Gallente female).
Not a universal rule, but I figured it would be fun if you looked at your character's bloodline, looked it up on EVElopedia, and see if it fits what you described. Seriphyn is Jin-Mei/Deteis, but grew up thoroughly Gallentean so...
Gallente males tend to be highly ambitious and inquisitive, though also opinionated. Honesty is the most valued virtue among them, and in their eyes the views of conscientious objectors and altruists earn just as much respect as those of famous leaders or war heroes. Gallentean men are generous in their friendships but also make ardent adversaries. They are widely recognized for their selflessness and valor in times when they sense that the freedom of others is threatened.
I think this fits Seriphyn a bit, especially with being extremely opinionated and having a very firm sense of his own personal morality. He does go into freakout mode when forced to "protect" the freedom of others, particularly friends. [/marysue]
Able to quickly assimilate the essential data of any situation, the male Deteis is a strategic thinker, but is also a stickler for rules and regulations. While somewhat vulnerable to bureaucratic formalities, the Deteis male tends to do everything by the book—but does so to impose order and stability wherever he goes.
Probably just "stickler for rules and regulations" in this one, particularly with how he expects those in the EL-G to conduct themselves (military tradition etc.)
The Jin-Mei male is generally carefree and good-humored about all things except his class status, which is of critical importance to his personal well being. Favoring security and stability, Jin-Mei men tend to harbor an aversion to change unless it guarantees an advance in social standing.
Would only take the good-humoured bit from this. When with friends or in a non-hostile environment, he likes to behave below his age and whatnot (likely because of Anette's influence).
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I don't recall whether I noticed the Sebiestor descriptions when I first created Casiella a long time ago, but it certainly influenced her development.
Female Sebiestor are generally kind and intelligent, and like their male counterparts have a natural talent for mathematics. But they have earned a notorious reputation for occasional cruel streaks— perhaps a relic of older, harsher times under Amarrian rule. Highly pragmatic individuals, they take most things in life at face value.
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The Intaki male is methodical and reserved, never outspoken or confrontational. He generally enjoys quiet reflection, and Intaki homes are traditionally places of peace and tranquility. The typical Intaki has absolute control over his emotions and is able to remain calm even under the most trying circumstances.
Simon's methodical and reserved and can control his emotions, but letting people know what you're feeling is part of the Ida for his background, so he often lets emotional cues show. Quiet reflection not so much, but he can keep his head in an emergency.
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Long before the Amarr Empire took to the sky the Khanid males were recognized as the best ground fighters in the Empire. During the Reclaiming Khanid warriors were at the forefront in the subjugation of the Ealurians, the Ni-Kunnis and the Minmatars. Though physical stature and bravery counts for less today, many Khanid males keep up the warrior tradition.
Kazuma hasn't been the focusing on being a good fighter lately. I guess that is more my change in goals as of lately, more then how I have been developing him.
I think I more built him around his Ancestory then his gender. When I created him, I chose Cyber Knight, since I was looking at him doing combat (hasn't happened too much outside of missions). But since I have developed his character he has maintained his view of being a cyber knight, but also became somewhat a Zealot towards the Amarrian Religion.
Many Khanids want to keep their warrior traditions alive, but the only way to do so in the modern world is through massive body enhancements. The extensive knowledge on cyber implants possessed by the Amarrians is just the thing they need. Some still aim to excel in physical combat, while the more progressive ones seek to become masters of modern warfare.
The Khanids are not known to be as religious minded as the Amarrians, but when they are they tend to be even more fanatical. Religious Khanids are often involved in a cult of some sort, based to more or less extent on the Scriptures. The Amarrians regard religious Khanids with suspicious interest; on one hand they are alarmed by the extremism often shown by the Khanids, but on the other the religious fervor displayed often results in deep theosophical insights.
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Like their male counterparts, Intaki females are quiet and contemplative, moving through the world seemingly without making a ripple. Yet their contemplative manner often embraces great beauty through both physical and literary arts. A great number of the universe's most notable contemporary artists are of Intaki heritage, and among them a disproportionately large number are female.
Yes and no. I have tried to imbue GoGo with a certain reflective mindset certainly and an innate ability to find an almost spiritual experience in everything. That said, she is not really the peaceful type. Like an early bio of her said, "she is a rare Intaki interested in the vagaries of strife and conflict." So, she's a bad Intaki girl. Not really your best choice as representative .. and precisely for this reason she's a very appropriate figurehead for the disruptive separatists and why I've assumed she's pretty popular with rebellious Intaki youth (who have also seen her nekkid in b-grade pirate exploitation holo movies).
So it's not about simply conforming to the stereotype, it's about being in a dynamic and tense relationship with it - which is usually exactly how I do this sort of thing. But it's a relationship of which the character is aware of as well and the resolution of conflict vs serenity within her is one that aches to be resolved.
All this also suggests that her bringing up of the separatist agenda into galactic politics was maybe not a genuine outpouring of a will to change things for the better. Instead, it's a manifestation of the inner discontent within her soul. So, perhaps just deeply selfish and dangerous, but then again that's how capsuleers roll.
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Shin falls into a similar boat as GoGo, compounded by her relatively bizarre "pocket culture" origins. Much of what she's done since Emigrating (a word with very specific connotations in her clade) has revolved around trying to find a place for herself in a universe that is very alien to her - she's in much the same position as a Chamorro who's moved to New York. Technically, Chamorro's are as American as anyone else, but culturally they're very different. What she brings out of all that, then, is a very global worldview - Gallente culture is as alien to her as Caldari, so why should she not adopt whatever aspects of each culture she wants?
In the years since I first created her, I've thought more than a few times that I should just junk her as too Mary Sue-ish (oooh! Shin comes from this bizarre pocket culture! She's so unique!) and make a new main who's more mainstream. It's just too fun playing her, though.
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Hmm... Mitty is Ni-Kunni and spent her earlier childhood as such:
Ni-Kunni females are deceptively engaging individuals. Harboring an innate suspicion of others, they often use their charm to probe people for weaknesses. They are masters of reading intentions and motives while disguising their own emotions, and thus find gainful employ in numerous professions, legal and otherwise. Beneath their measured and delicate manner, Ni-Kunni women are more sly and cunning than their male counterparts
But... from late childhood on was raised in a True Amarr family:
Amarr females tend to be class-conscious and formal in their dealings with others. Masters of subterfuge and machination, they forgive little and forget nothing. They are natural matriarchs who are fiercely protective of loved ones and obsessed with preserving the integrity of their family name. For the Amarr female, the family bond is sacred and unbreakable, persisting across generations.
I try to play Mitty favoring her True Amarr upbringing, and from the description here I think I've done at least a reasonable job. The biggest compliment her husband ever gave her was implying she was more True Amarr than Ni-Kunni :D
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The Amarrians rule a vast Empire, the largest and oldest of the four empires. Ruled by a mighty Empress, this vast theocratic society is supported by a broad foundation of Minmatar slave labor. Amarrian citizens tend to be highly educated and fervent individuals, and as a culture adheres to the basic tenet that what others call slavery is in fact one step on a spiritual path towards fully embracing their faith. As a result, the Empire remains the most stable and militarily powerful nation-state in New Eden, despite several setbacks in recent history.
Esna's certainly fairly well educated and religious, and while his view of what slavery should be is far, far different than the Amarr mainstream, Esna does believe that slavery remains a vital element in guiding others toward God. Probably the biggest difference between him and the average Amarr is that he's learned that throwing his views in everyone's face constantly is an idea that sits somewhere between "counterproductive" and "just plain dumb"; hence, only his closer friends are likely to know what he actually feels with regard to spiritual/religious issues.
Amarr - True Amarr
True Amarrians – direct descendants of an ethnic group that conquered all the civilizations of its home world – are proud and supercilious, with a great sense of tradition and ancestry. They are considered arrogant and tyrannical by most others. The Empire's defeat at the hands of the mysterious Jovians, and the Minmatar uprising that followed, left an indelible mark on Amarrian culture. This double failure, a turning point in their history, has shaped an entire generation of policy and philosophy among the imperial elite.
Esna's kind of interesting in this respect, as he was originally a commoner. His sudden introduction into space, the cluster at large, and holdership has left him with the opinion that the Empire has drastically changed his views on the "superiority" of the Amarr. At this point, he figures that the recent setbacks of the Empire are more indicative of a deeply ingrained rot that will need to be burned out before the Empire can return to its old glory.
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Shin falls into a similar boat as GoGo, compounded by her relatively bizarre "pocket culture" origins. Much of what she's done since Emigrating (a word with very specific connotations in her clade) has revolved around trying to find a place for herself in a universe that is very alien to her - she's in much the same position as a Chamorro who's moved to New York. Technically, Chamorro's are as American as anyone else, but culturally they're very different. What she brings out of all that, then, is a very global worldview - Gallente culture is as alien to her as Caldari, so why should she not adopt whatever aspects of each culture she wants?
In the years since I first created her, I've thought more than a few times that I should just junk her as too Mary Sue-ish (oooh! Shin comes from this bizarre pocket culture! She's so unique!) and make a new main who's more mainstream. It's just too fun playing her, though.
I can definitely sympathize with this, although its in a different vein for Nikita, whose culture isn't small by any stretch, just under-represented. I'd honestly like if she was less unique. I want others to be able to be a part of her culture, because it seems like a really interesting place to come from, just from the little snippets we know from chronicles. A lot of my interaction between Nikita and other cultures has sorta been me fumbling around in the dark, because I just don't know where they would stand on certain things.
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A martial, strong-willed people, the Brutor hold their tribal heritage close to their hearts. Strong advocates of transforming the Republic into a tribal-based government, they would love nothing more than for all seven of the Minmatar tribes to reunite as one nation. The Brutor are renowned for living regimented, disciplined lives. Despite presenting a tough, no-nonsense exterior, they are deeply introspective and "in the moment", aware of even the smallest detail. Immersed in ancient martial traditions that begin at childhood, they are physically robust individuals and intimidating to face in the flesh.
Male Brutors present a stoic front, but are patient, vigilant, and determined. They are keenly aware of their surroundings—physically, and socially—at all times. Despite their gruff demeanor, they are passionate individuals, and are capable of pursuing any task with relentless focus and determination.
I've tried very, very hard to make Gottii follow that, with certain personal exceptions and interpretations. One thing I screwed up on was the "Slave Child" background, I assumed it meant he escaped as a child, when in the background it says the children escape as infants. However, everything else I've tried to use as a touchstone.
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Hm, I think it used to say they escaped as children (had a character with that background myself, once upon a time).
I'd also note that characters of course do not have to fit the stereotypes. In that case, however, the player might at least put some thought into how the character feels about those stereotypes.
Given my demographics (race, gender, age, specific area where I grew up, general religious background, etc.), folks often make certain assumptions about me. Those assumptions rarely hold past the first few minutes of meaningful conversation.
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My slave-child character (not Mata) was manumitted as a young adult, and I was surprised when I later read that slave-children had supposedly been smuggled out as babies. I'm not sure whether it was a later clarification/retcon, or whether it just wasn't clear in the earlier chargen.
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I've always taken it to mean that "typical" slave children are manumitted as infants, but that slaves are freed at all ages. I mean, there are only so many bloodlines and backgrounds available, so we can't take them too literally.
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I think racial stereotypes are as silly as linking a New Eden directly to a real life culture.
As a background material to give you insight into the dominant culture of the nation that your character is a part of, its doable. The problem is that I've noticed that there are people out there that do their utmost to be special, therefore they suffer from the tendency to do everything opposite that 'their' dominant culture is about. Bizarro people are silly :D
I do like the fact that all the stereotypes have positive things in them, among negative aspects as well.
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Imagine if they made "Earth: The game" and you had to choose a human race, and they summarized each group and gave broad generalizations about their attitude and behavior. You know how agitated/insulted people would be?
Point is, racial stereotypes are pretty pointless when you consider all the factors that make up an individual's personality, and what kind of impact that has on roleplayers trying to live up to that ideal. I think instead of focusing on racial traits, maybe some background on the subsects and impact on their culture would have been a lot more useful.
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Maybe. But all of us, even those who don't fit the primary demographic stereotypes, at least see the kernel of truth in them.
So I'm a white Christian male, mid-30s, born and raised in North Texas (Dallas) going back lots of generations. Generally speaking, my cohort supported President George W. Bush at the time, now supports the Tea Party, believes that helping others should occur primarily through their churches and that taxes are the devil, and wants to increase public safety through harder crackdowns on anyone violating the law. (I could go on and on about the generalizations.)
Generally speaking, none of that really fits me (though neither does the popular conception of the educated liberal opposition). But I understand why the stereotype exists and I know how I feel about it.
To Kaleigh's point, if I were a character in a RPG, the player would have to decide: go with the sweeping generalization, or simply use it as a referential data point?
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Point is, racial stereotypes are pretty pointless when you consider all the factors that make up an individual's personality, and what kind of impact that has on roleplayers trying to live up to that ideal. I think instead of focusing on racial traits, maybe some background on the subsects and impact on their culture would have been a lot more useful.
I've wondered if it's CONCORD that insists on segregating every capsuleer into tidy racial boxes, or if that's also being done by their empires of origin (or the alliance that holds whatever null sec station they were born in). Is there any official nod to racial blending at the empire level?
We've seen people like Celes Aguard (note her "Gallentean" names) talking about her Jin-Mei heritage during a Lirsautton stump speech. Is she officially Gallente? Officially Jin-Mei? Registered within the Federation as a percentage of races?
Then there was Orin Sitsui the half-Vherokior in The Better Part of Valor. He grew up in a KK creche. Is he registered as Vherokior with KK? Or Deteis-Vherokoir? I'm guessing he wasn't half-Civire, and he'd spent a lot of time around other hybrids, since he had a problem identifying a pure blood Civire during his interview (or this was something that just slipped the mind of the author when the piece was written).
Subtangent behind the spoiler tag.
[spoiler]As a side note, it surprises me that CCP didn't make an NPC for the Celes Aguard character. FYI, if one turns up after this post, it won't be me behind the sockpuppet. <soapbox>While I'm fond of my Mies stuff, I'm not about to go try faking it into canon, or sticking a spork into the eye of CCP for deciding to change everything. If I cared more about my personal interpretation of PF being 'the right one', I'd be trying to sell stories to EON and novels to CCP. </soapbox>[/spoiler]
But, back on topic -- yeah, I have used mashups of the racial/background descriptions as baselines for my characters. I imagine they're probably fairly obvious ones.
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I decided to play minmatar at the first place because I wanted to fly minmatar, in a time when starter race meant something in terms of skills. Then I chose brutor in a time when starter bloodline meant something in terms of attributes.
I have always deeply regretted that choice since then, siding with the Amarr in RP, and coming to play the natural conclusion of this : ammatar. This is what happen when I come in a MMO after its release, thus not focusing on RP in the first place (even if I still had it in mind).
If I had to compare Lyn to the brutor description, it would be the worst description ever, and the most disappointing of all the bloodlines to picture her. The female description is even worse.
Brutor females are in many ways the opposite of male Brutors. They are dominant, persistent, and egocentric. When they set their mind on something, they usually succeed. Between their wits, grace, and beauty, they are masters of manipulation.
Eek.
It would be more of a sebiestor actually, very much like a sebiestor.
Female Sebiestor are generally kind and intelligent, and like their male counterparts have a natural talent for mathematics. But they have earned a notorious reputation for occasional cruel streaks— perhaps a relic of older, harsher times under Amarrian rule. Highly pragmatic individuals, they take most things in life at face value.
Anyway, she is ammatar, so Im doing what I want until they release racial traits for the ammatar article (comon, even Jove have some).