Workshop Thread: For characters in the works!

[Todd Ingram]

This is the thread to post designs/ideas for characters that don't have profiles yet, or are just floating around in your head. Run them by other smithers to see what they think before getting to work on the recipe and profile!

TIPS: (to be edited)

FOR CRITIQUERS: Be constructive!
Telling a person their ideas are only "good" or "bad" does not help them! It just tells them what you think, and it doesn't do it very well, either. Try to build upon the ideas that someone has posted, rather than trying to do something different with them. A writer once described critique to me as "a sandwich, with compliment bread." Even if you think an idea is misguided, try to work within the intentions of the smither and run some ideas by them.

FOR CHARACTER MAKERS: Be patient and polite!

If a person has taken the time to help you with your idea, they deserve a little respect! Thank them for their input, and try to start a conversation with them if you have questions about their ideas rather than shooting them down.. Bluntly disagreeing with criticism negates the idea of criticism to begin with. If you're posting an idea here, you should be prepared to work with it a little rather than to have people tell you how awesome it is.

[arcaneScribbler]

...I... I wanna make a Puni. Any suggestions?

[Shailsnic]

Well, first we gotta deal with appearance. Any ideas on where to start with it?

[arcaneScribbler]

I was gonna put a link to the mario wiki entry for Punis, but I apparently can't post links until I've been on the site for a week... :/

....Ummm.... I know I want it to be a girl, for one... Ooh! Maybe I could do a nice Jabby like Jabble if my Puni turns out well to be her friend, because then I could make this adorable little team/duo that... umm... .......I have no clue yet...

....Ummmmmm..... Punis are little grey buggy-looking cuties with colored antenna-thingies, so I guess the first thing is to pick an antenna color?

[Shailsnic]

....Ummmmmm..... Punis are little grey buggy-looking cuties with colored antenna-thingies, so I guess the first thing is to pick an antenna color?

Correct, the color would be the best place to start, though that isn't the only thing one should focus one when it comes to making a Puni. Some of the Punis have markings on them. Petuni and Punio are both examples of this. Is there any set markings that you want on them, what size do you want, any general body shape specified?

Also, it seems you already have an idea as for some sorta but not really backstory, you could work with that a little bit of needed be.

[arcaneScribbler]

Umm. The markings are where I'm stuck. I have NO idea what to make them... x.x;

Doodling her using my tablet to try and work things out right now; she's got the generic/basic Puni shape with eyelashes like Petuni does, Pungry's black eyes (Is it possible to make a blind Puni? How would that even work...?)

[Shailsnic]

Umm. The markings are where I'm stuck. I have NO idea what to make them... x.x;

Doodling her using my tablet to try and work things out right now; she's got the generic/basic Puni shape with eyelashes like Petuni does, Pungry's black eyes (Is it possible to make a blind Puni? How would that even work...?)

First off, try a heart, it'd work.

Secondly, yes, yes it is, just make the eyes an obvious greyish color maybe and you should be fine. At least, I THINK you should.

[arcaneScribbler]

Hmm... A heart... symbols... ...Maybe... *off to go look at GS's zodiac*

I meant how would she manage to survive in Boggle Woods blin-- ...DEFINITELY making that Jabby to be her friend/partner.

[LoganAura]

ooooh, that's an interesting duo.

The Jabby'd really need a lot of selflessness personalities then.

[CrimsonMage]

Or be selfish, but the Puni deals with it anyways.

[Shailsnic]

Hmm... A heart... symbols... ...Maybe... *off to go look at GS's zodiac*

I meant how would she manage to survive in Boggle Woods blin-- ...DEFINITELY making that Jabby to be her friend/partner.

NOW we're getting somewhere. It seems like you're getting the hang of it now. Not only do you have an idea for one character, but you're starting to grasp the concept of a second one as well! You can probably have an easier time creating a personality for BOTH of them now considering you got these facts.

[arcaneScribbler]

Wow, lots of people are helping me now... This is so cool.

...Maybe an acrophobic Jabby (a winged being with a fear of heights, lol!)...? I used the Leaf to make a pattern for my Puni, her little sketch is done. So are the Jabby's lines, but I need to give him/her/it some kind of appearance quirk to make the Jabby unique... any suggestions, everyone?

Also any personality/Humor suggestions? I really don't quite understand Humors that much yet... I figure my Jabby'll probably have a bit of Turnabout, though, for the acrophobia and the whole NOT being an enemy to a Puni thing...

[Todd Ingram]

Maybe the Jabby can have bugged-out eyes, or his wings can be a little frayed from lack of use (if he's acrophobic).

Humors we can help you with when more of the personality is set out.

[arcaneScribbler]

I finished my drawing! I had no idea how to draw frayed wings, but I did figure something out for the Jabby. Here they are!

...

...OH ARE YOU KIDDING ME. I can't post images or links until 7 days pass. Ummm. Ummm... Should I post it on the MSPFA thread or something?

Anyway, umm, I gave the Jabby a belt with a chain attached to a 0.5 Lb. weight. The Puni has dark grey-black eyes and a dark grey antenna ball with muted rainbow colors ringing it. She's also got eyelashes and a Leaf Zodiac Symbol pattern on her back. I have NO idea what to name them or much of anything I want to do with them but have the Puni be blind, the Jabby be acrophobic, them be partners/a pair of some kind, and, umm, probably for them to have left Boggle Woods. I mean, the Jabbies probably wouldn't have liked my Jabby for A, 'being a wuss', and B, 'siding with the enemy', and being blind in "Laws Of Physics and/or Common Sense? What Are Those?" Central probably wasn't very easy for my Puni... ...Maybe they can be assistants to someone like Booracle?

[LoganAura]

Imgur it and do something like this:

w ww . linky . com

[Todd Ingram]

Harvest has an idea for a character he'd like to run by us:

I have an idea for a character...

ChinaBlosque(or Chi)
Pile Driver Micro-Goomba(With a coon tail)

~S Grade Vision 10% (Note Capsule)
+Focus
+Creativity

~B Grade Concord 40%
+Intuition
+Perception
-Depression
-Anxiety

~A Grade Relief 35%
+Sincerity
+Generosity
-Naivete

~A Grade Blithe 15%

+Playfulness
-Bluntness

I've been trying to get a more mother-like character figure here who genuinely cares about others but often fails to take care of herself.

Chi came from a large Goomba family in the Dry Desert, she was born mute at birth. Her father was fired from his job as a desert guard, leaving her mom and her to pull the money in for there large Goomba family.

Any thoughts on where to take this?

Personally, I think the relief and concord work very well for this character and their motherly instincts. The Vision, I'm a little confused about.

[Shailsnic]

The Vision should be replaced with Ardent considering the main objective is to go for a mother-like character.

I also notice a distinct lack of Mend, that's kinda something that'd be useful as well.

[arcaneScribbler]

Umm, what's imgur? I used photobucket... maybe like this? Sorry for all the spaces.

http: //i760. photobucket. com /albums /xx242 /hypernirani /PuniandJabby. png

Anyway, personality-wise, I was thinking of doing these:


Puni:
Mend- good for heroes
+ Selflessness, Empathy, Compassion
- Insecurity, Instability, Envy
Aegis- good as a foundation
+ Steadfastness, Conviction, Security, Hope
- Pride, Stubbornness, Recklessness
Concord- good for peace-makers
+ Tactfulness, Perception, Intuition
- Nosiness, Depression, Anxiety
Sublime- good for performers & showboaters - just a splash of this? Or maybe a capsule?
+ Inspiration, Imagination, Individuality
- Melodrama, Abstraction, Vanity

Jabby:
Relief - good for caretakers
+ Generosity, Sincerity, Inner Peace
- Naivete, Inaccessibility, Forgetfulness
Turnabout- good for eccentrics - just a splash, for the acrophobia
+ Uniqueness, Quirkiness
- Overly disturbing tendencies
Mend- good for heroes
+ Selflessness, Empathy, Compassion
- Insecurity, Instability, Envy
...And one more... Maybe Flow? Would Flow work for the Jabby?

[Todd Ingram]

I think this'll do it.

[arcaneScribbler]

Harvest has an idea for a character he'd like to run by us:

I have an idea for a character...

ChinaBlosque(or Chi)
Pile Driver Micro-Goomba(With a coon tail)

~S Grade Vision 10% (Note Capsule)
+Focus
+Creativity

~B Grade Concord 40%
+Intuition
+Perception
-Depression
-Anxiety

~A Grade Relief 35%
+Sincerity
+Generosity
-Naivete

~A Grade Blithe 15%

+Playfulness
-Bluntness

I've been trying to get a more mother-like character figure here who genuinely cares about others but often fails to take care of herself.

Chi came from a large Goomba family in the Dry Desert, she was born mute at birth. Her father was fired from his job as a desert guard, leaving her mom and her to pull the money in for there large Goomba family.

Any thoughts on where to take this?

Personally, I think the relief and concord work very well for this character and their motherly instincts. The Vision, I'm a little confused about.

...Huh. So I'm not the only one playing with disabled characters... I have no idea really, since I'm so new to this, but, um, I agree with relief and concord!

[LoganAura]

Humors don't always give all of the traits listed, just a note. But I really like the designs and what you have

[arcaneScribbler]

Thanks Todd! I still can't do that yet, though. The forum blocks me. :/

Thanks, Logan! I know they don't; I was just listing all the traits from the Wiki. ^_^; What kind of personalities would my combos make, though...? I have trouble figuring it out...

[gloomyMoron]

Thanks Todd! I still can't do that yet, though. The forum blocks me. :/

Thanks, Logan! I know they don't; I was just listing all the traits from the Wiki. ^_^; What kind of personalities would my combos make, though...? I have trouble figuring it out...

You're going for a Mother-type right? So Focus is probably what the Shine would give you. Concord would probably net you Perception and Anxiety. Relief would probably be Sincerity and Naivety. And Blithe could net you playfulness and bluntness.

So:

+Focus
+Perception
-Anxiety
+Sincerity
-Naivety
+Playfulness
-Bluntness

It all about equals out. If you removed or replaced a humor, you could probably eliminate a Negative Trait if you chose one that negated it instead of complimented it. In my mind, you have chosen "complimentary Humors". If you are focused and perceptive, you are prone to anxiety. If you are perceptive and sincere, you tend to be blunt. If you are playful and sincere, you tend to be naive. They complement each other well on both Positive and Negative traits. That's why sometimes it is good to have a humor that is non-complementary to the others. At least, that's my approach to it.

[Shailsnic]

gloomy, Harvest Ty (who for some reason isn't in the thread yet) is the one going for the motherly character, arcane is the one making a duo.

[gloomyMoron]

Woops. I am blind. DERP. Right. A Duo. Their relationship is important. You can make them very different from each other (and can even avoid the cliche of "Overwhelming Pity and Kindness" if you craft their humors well).

Like, the Jabby doesn't need to pity the Puni in order to want to help it. It could have a selfish reason for doing so (which can be a negative trait). Or, if you craft their back story in such a way, the Jabby could owe a debt to the Puni (either it was saved by the Puni or it owes the Puni money or something). There is a lot you can do with Backstory as well as Humor. So in the case of Duos and the like, work on figuring out what you want their relationship to be.

Edit: Seriously, I am not used to this whole "Name and Avatar on the right" business. It is seriously throwing me off. >.>

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