Character Creation

Role Playing Games mean a lot to me. I've always enjoyed stories, whether reading or creating them, and what is an RPG if not a grand story. I tend to get very attached to my characters, especially the ones I create for tabletop games. I have a habit of infusing each character I play with some essence of who I am, and explore that aspect.

I think I learn a lot from the characters I play. Some people may not understand how I could be heartbroken over a game ending, but I think the nature of RPGs is such that one is fully invested in the story, even more so than a movie or a book. I love the power of choice that comes from playing a character in a well constructed scenario. Or even a not so well crafted one.

The point is, if a movie can bring you to tears, but a role playing game can't, you might just be doing it wrong. I know plenty of people whose sole joy is the numbers and creating overpowered characters whose sole purpose is 'winning,' but I don't necessarily think winning is the whole key to fun.

The struggle is what makes a tale worthwhile. If it's too easy, if there's no challenge, then maybe you haven't built in enough humanity. (I use 'humanity' loosely for lack of a better term - I'm not sure what the equivalent word is for Dwarves or Elves might be. Dwarfitude? Elveness? Oh never-mind, you get the point.)

I often find system games convoluted for my taste. That's probably due to my outlook. I used to spend a lot of time in online role-playing games on forums where systems didn't exist. We had a really good group of players who were more than willing to introduce their own hardships and respond to situations in a reserved and well balanced way. It was one of the best games I ever played, and maybe it was just a rare and perfect coalescence of the right people at the right time. It was still a beautiful thing.  

The main point of this rant is, I tend to subscribe to an 'easily gained, easily lost' approach. If you have to really fight for it, it makes victory all the sweeter. I very much doubt that I would have had nearly as much fun playing Dragon Age: Inquisition if every choice was easy. I am far more drawn to complexity of story than just game mechanics. That and I love a good character creation interface. I'm not afraid to admit I spent hours tweaking my Inquisitor before I played. It's the same for any character I create. I love the process.

Speaking of character creation, it's was about time I started really considering my party selection for Final Fantasy I. Having given it plenty of thought, I intend to play with a fairly standard party. Warrior, White Mage, Black Mage - and swap the Thief out for a Monk. So there you have it. I am still open to name suggestions for these characters, and I promise to make it amusing, referring to each character by their chosen name throughout my write-ups.

So it's up to you, readers. Suggest a name (6 characters or less) for each of my heroes of light - make sure you specify which of the following classes you want to suggest a name or names for: Warrior, Monk, White Mage, and Black Mage. I'll choose my favorites.