Backstage - OOC Forums
EVE-Online RP Discussion and Resources => EVE Character Development => Topic started by: Silas Vitalia on 02 Jan 2013, 11:56
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While many of our characters are our own creations, there are numerous influences from popular fiction, movies, television, etc that we sometimes take cues from. I'd love to hear from some of you regarding these influences.
This isn't so much related to physical appearances but more in mannerisms, personality, those sorts of things! Keep in mind none of these are 'dominant' but are more 'sprinkles' of inspiration if you will.
For Silas, some of the current larger influences during the out-Sabik phase are:
Atia of the Julii from HBO's "ROME" series:
"she is depicted as a cheerfully amoral and opportunistic manipulator."
Atia always struck me as precisely the sort of Amarr Matriarch Silas is, especially regarding other Amarr holders, etc. Cheerfully amoral and decadent!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atia_of_the_Julii
Trevor Goodchild from the old "Aeon Flux" animated series from the 1990's. Don't even think about the ridiculous movie abomination...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Goodchild#Character_overview
How about you all?!
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http://backstage.eve-inspiracy.com/index.php?topic=202.0 :P
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I thought that thread was for physical appearances? My mistake if not!
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Vicky was originally based on Victor Stecker-Epps (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Burn_Notice_characters#Victor_Stecker-Epps), one of the most entertaining TV characters in a show not named Firefly. Needless to say, the character changed a ton, retaining few similarities besides violent behavior.
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I'm not totally sure. Kala tends to be a sort of general mix of my own attitudes, those I think a person who's grown up in the universe of New Eden would have, and maybe a bit of Kaylee from Firefly :P
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I thought that thread was for physical appearances? My mistake if not!
Your inclusion of "movies, television" in the OP may have thrown me off. :p
No worries, but I think the thread belongs more in the char development area, so I'll move it over there. If you could make your intent a little clearer in the OP and (edit: I'm a derp and missed the second paragraph) thread title that'd be awesome, though, so we don't have confusion about "duplicate" threads. :)
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Bahah, nice call on Trevor Goodchild, Silas. I can see it.
There's a bit of mannerism influence here too, but in my mind Safai sounds exactly like Helena Blake in Mass Effect 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mj36GB6E1k). I had also been reading about the Desert Mothers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desert_Mothers) when conceptualizing Safai, along with a bit of influence from the Bene Gesserit (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverend_Mother_%28Dune%29).
Appearances aside, her long-term RP is driven by the question: is Safai a Joan of Arc, or is she merely a Don Quixote?
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Mh, I must admit that I do not think I ever got a conscious choice based on a fiction character, but influences sure went in the process.
Lyn was initially fleshed out with some Bene Gesserit influences, maybe a slight bit of Alia Atreides (young). Since we are speaking about Firefly references, and considering I have actually watched Firefly for the first time long after I started playing Eve, I was slightly amused to see that some bits of River Tam personality were very similar, probably coming out of the same stereotypes used for the creation of the character, especially since the character is always scared to hell of some random stuff where Lyn has an irrational phobia of mirrors.
But that's for the wicked side.
Otherwise I have of course heavily based the character on a mix of two major stereotypes for which I can't find a clear example fiction character (other than Arya Stark for young Lyn), which are the frail, excited bookworm and the tomboy.
Maybe a bit of Tali in Mass Effect, on the more gentle side.
I thought that thread was for physical appearances? My mistake if not!
I personally took it for personnal appearances as well in my reply.
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Arnulf's background was originally a blend of three films.
Partly his parents were lifted from "Once Were Warriors" & "What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?" Like Jake & Beth his mother was a middling rank woman from a respectable Sebiestor clan and his father is an clan-less escaped Brutor mine slave turned Republic Fleet marine. They divorced in his youth, albeit in less dramatic circumstances than the originals. Arn was raised in his mother's clan, but bears his father's name.
The second film is "An Officer & A Gentleman." Arn is partly modeled off the Richard Gere character in that his father was an NCO (now he's an officer due to fathering two capsuleers by different women). Like the Gere character he felt he had something to prove to his father. Unlike the Gere character his mother was alive when he entered the RMS and died after his graduation of natural causes.
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Originally, I don't think I had any particular character in mind when I started playing my not so well known character, Rin. Though sometime last year, when reminded of an older game I use to enjoy, I noticed that Rin shared a lot of similarities with the character Celes Chere.
http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Celes_Chere (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Celes_Chere)
Maybe I was subconsciously using her as a reference? I don't know. Things that Celes has that wouldn't fit Rin would be the obvious magic using (substituted augmented implants in place of the magic instead), obviously different looks and origins, and also the Gesthalian Empire in that game is rather obvious evil, where the Amarr Empire isn't exactly black/white evil.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Cullen
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Cullen
Win. :D
Katla is a blend of Withnail, Erich Mielke and the White Witch of Narnia. If that sounds self-contradictory, it's because she is.
If you can imagine Tim Burton making a Peter Pan movie, that's pretty much the guideline I go by when I play Ruby. I've also drawn a bit from A Clockwork Orange.
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The problem with popular fiction is the fact that the characters are pretty much tropes, card board cut-outs and very, very one dimensional.
When you throw in the fact that most actors in Hollywood are not allowed to act then what is left is the British/Australian actors from the Shakespeareian tradition that do have the tendency to be a tad overly dramatic.
Of course there are a few good people that get to stretch their talent in some series but the lifespan of any series where good acting is involved is miserably short.
The inspiration for Lallara did not come from popular fiction, not per se.
The basic concept was a true believer in a dystopian theocracy, parts of the personality came from the inspiration for the name itself.
Lallara, came from the Forgotten Realms zulkir of abjuration. (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Lallara_Mediocros)
Zhuul, well, from Ghostbusters demigod Zuul that was a female minion of The Destructor.
This pretty much flew out of the window because of the awe that I was struck with when I started playing EVE and she started to grow into something completely different through the interaction with the people that she encountered in the cluster.
Of course she never lost her Faith, unlike the whole fucking Empire and all its pilots.
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Of course she never lost her Faith, unlike the whole fucking Empire and all its pilots.
Wow.
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Of course she never lost her Faith, unlike the whole fucking Empire and all its pilots.
Wow.
:psyccp:
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Llalara: Never not trolling
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Saede is a combination of Kimiko Ross from Dresden Codak with Marigold from Questionable Content, mentally compiled after reading through all of Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. I would be honestly pretty hard pressed to come up with one archtype that perfectly defines Saede.
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Tib's just this guy, you know?
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Mannerisms:
Liara from Mass effect, for the "Oh, it must be a Human Thing" for when Synthia Does Not Understand.
JohnnyCab from Total Recall (original), for Synthia's literalmindedness at times. "where am I?" "You are in a JohnnyCab!" "how did I get here?" "The door opened, and you got in!"
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I don't really have any characters in-mind right now, but Seriphyn has, through no direct intent of my own, ended up as somewhat of a Byronic Hero (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ByronicHero). I think I have CCP to thank with the live event back in 2010 that offed/Sansha'fied his childhood sweetheart and infant son. In this regard, Seriphyn's moodiness and indulgent in suffering is not forced or deliberately attention-seeking, but something that became of the character, not something that the character was born into.
I dunno, I guess I feel it's legitimized, me otherwise taking an elitist attitude to self-loathing characters in general. Not that that's my rational side speaking.
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I hadn't a specific fiction reference in mind when roleplaying Adreena, rather a collection of attitudes seen in myself, friends and strangers.
But recently, during a rp, I had this OOC comment : "She reminds me of Tali". Which I'm perfectly fine with :D
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Karmilla has some influence from Tara Knowles from Sons of Anarchy.
It's not fiction, but still it was a television influence so I'll mention it. My Minmatar character's background was heavily influenced by an episode of "Beyond Survival". It was a documentary where the host spent time living with members of an ocean-living culture. It was such a fascinating lifestyle and I think that in some elements of Minmatar life, survival could come down to whether an old spark plug works or not.
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Tali ftw, btw.
Regarding Sak and the rest of the girlie horde? No distinct influences, at least in terms of personality - as I've said elsewhere, I'm a fan of strong women, especially the types that strike the right balance between strength and femininity. So when I see anyone in RL, games, TV, etc. that strikes me as having the right kind of attitude, I keep them in mind if possible use for the influence comes up.
Some examples I can think of for each of the sisters, off the top of my head, range from:
Sakura - Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell)
Akusa - Andromeda (Gene Rodenberry's Andromeda)
Ereka - Samantha Carter (SG-1)
Eri - Kaname Chidori (Full Metal Panic!)
Ami - Asuka Langley Soryu (Evangelion)
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Making Ieze, I was definitely thinking Kara "Starbuck" Thrace of BSG, except looking at it now she looks nothing like it.
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Ava is... you know, I have no idea who Ava is modeled after? As far as who she resembles, I suppose Eivør Palsdottir http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpiFmZLICgM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpiFmZLICgM)
As far as how Ava acts, I am not sure? Maybe Mulan? :?:
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Tarquin Markel: more than a few genes from Kir Kanos, from the "Star Wars: Crimson Empire" comic books I read about the time I originally created the character. They're a pretty good read, if a little, um, comic book-ish. I liked Kir's attitude; it was refreshing to encounter an unabashed, principled monarchist positively portrayed in a Star Wars book.
I did not particularly like his overly-high level of awesome, however.
Aria Jenneth: no major influences, too many minor influences to list.
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Luna's got a long backstory simply because I've been roleplaying her for a long time (all the way back to pen and paper days) and sort of decided to try to shoe horn her into Eve, carving off some aspects of her history and modifying others. Can't really say any one character influenced her, especially how she is now is, but in the past...
When I first started to play her she was modeled loosely off Laurana (the younger, spoiled Laurana) in Dragonlance.
Later as she matured and got into various combat RP, I was probably influenced by what I was reading at the time, Sturm Stormblade(in terms of the attitude of a Paladin), the older more mature Laurana, and Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr's in Tonya Huff's Valor series. Honor Harrington also had some influence at least in mannerisms and as a Steadholder in a religiously conservative world.
Luna now is a bit shell-shocked and disillusioned with some of her prior choices/experiences and took a similar turn to Sgt. Kerr in the later Valor books in leaving the service except instead of space salvage, Luna went into mining.
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Alizabeth, the Goon (Hail Mittani! (and Rydis, who loves me)), is modeled a lot after Hans Landa and combined with Bridgett von Hammersmark from Inglorious Basterds in terms of interactions and mannerisms. Unlike both of them, she would never betray the Goons, however.
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I never actually modelled new-seph after anyone specific. Just didn't want to play a complex and twisted character as old-seph was, so a direct military type was the plan. Someone from any military movie originally would have fit.
But, after a month developing him, I believe too much of old-seph has gotten into him (damn me!) and he evolved to somewhere in between. So I think that, if I should have to see a reference, it would be in the main trio of human characters in Babylon 5:
-Originally, as military-oriented as Ivanova.
-With a past with many resemblances to Garibaldi's and quite a bit of his cinic ways on many subjects.
-But, probably, the closest reference would be Sheridan.
Oh, and when old-seph is strong in me, he'd come closer to Sinclair. :)
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Hmm. Hard to say...
A lot of her came from a character a friend of mine ran in a Shadowrun game a few years ago, who had the whole normal person in to deep and coming to grips with a huge change in their nature thing going on, as well as her thing for history and pointless trivial knowledge. Beyond that, probably a bit of Kaelyn the Dove from Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer, and a dash of Tsukiko from Paranoia Agent. And I guess her spiritualism just comes from the setting itself.
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Totally random, and not from popular fiction, but I should share it. Was browsing the interwebs for "Oveur EVE-Online drunk", or something similar for the meme thread, and somehow this picture came up as a result:
(http://community.eveonline.com/bitmaps/quafequeens/109_2_XL.jpg)
Probably one of the closest Sak-lookalikes that I've seen so far. Even has the style of Quafe shirt she's wearing in-game right now. :psyccp:
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Stecker was originally based on Victor Stecker, a minor villain from the Burn Notice series. I think the character evolved into something more akin to Sapphire, Christina Hendrick's character from Firefly.
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I think the character evolved into something more akin to Sapphire, Christina Hendrick's character from Firefly.
Yosaffbridge.
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Luna's got a long backstory simply because I've been roleplaying her for a long time (all the way back to pen and paper days) and sort of decided to try to shoe horn her into Eve, carving off some aspects of her history and modifying others. Can't really say any one character influenced her, especially how she is now is, but in the past...
When I first started to play her she was modeled loosely off Laurana (the younger, spoiled Laurana) in Dragonlance.
Later as she matured and got into various combat RP, I was probably influenced by what I was reading at the time, Sturm Stormblade(in terms of the attitude of a Paladin), the older more mature Laurana, and Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr's in Tonya Huff's Valor series. Honor Harrington also had some influence at least in mannerisms and as a Steadholder in a religiously conservative world.
Luna now is a bit shell-shocked and disillusioned with some of her prior choices/experiences and took a similar turn to Sgt. Kerr in the later Valor books in leaving the service except instead of space salvage, Luna went into mining.
Now that Wurblewind noticed and commented on OOC - I'd like to add a major influence on this Luna has been Dolly Levi from Hello Dolly! with her matchmaking, business cards and other antics. I was wondering when, if ever, someone would make the connection! :lol:
Thanks Wurblewind for being a good sport by the way.
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Disney's Aladdin (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkwMEwenaQQ). Yes, I shit you not. That was part of the very first concept for Vince and it was big part of him for a long time too. He's gone from Aladdin closer to Jax from SOA over the course of the years and from there on to evolved into something new down the line but can't really put my finger on what it is.
PS. This is what a proper Angel Cartel pusher (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8rnMc22AG8) should sound like.
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Of course she never lost her Faith, unlike the whole fucking Empire and all its pilots.
Wow.
:psyccp:
One needs to pull that if one goes for the 'last Mohican'-trope. :twisted: