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 Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2018 8:00 am
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A Guide to Flaws (and Virtues)
Hello!
I've been asked a few times about how to make a character trait into a flaw, so I've decided to make a brief handy dandy guide on what makes a trait cross that line over into "flaw" territory.
Here are some questions you should ask your character when attempting to assign flaws:
1. Does this trait hamper their daily lives in any respect?
2. Does this trait actually bother other people? I mean, does it cause others to dislike them at times?
3. Does this trait fit with their overall personality, and make sense with the virtues?
Most virtues actually do have corresponding flaws.
Take for example a character who is bold. That character may also be insubordinate, or feckless, or foolhardy. I like to think of traits as being rounded. For each character, I sit them down and I do a thought experiment, wondering what the consequences of each trait might be.
If there are no consequences to a trait, it is not a flaw. It might be a thing that makes them an interesting character, but as a trait it probably belongs in their general personality write up, rather than in the flaws section. However, some traits can be pushed a little farther, to the point where they do have consequences for the character, and then of course you can use that as a flaw.
Virtues are pretty similar. A virtue should give that character a benefit in a situation. An edge, if you will. Is the character at a party where they don't know anyone? If they are out going, or loquacious, they might find it easier to settle into the situation.
Similarly, a flaw should detract from their ability to cope with a situation. Maybe that character is avoidant, reclusive, or anxious. Some situations should be difficult for characters, and examining what makes them hard is a good route toward finding a true flaw.
We're not strong sticklers, but it does help when pairing a character with a dragon to know what makes them tick.
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2018 7:08 pm
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Impressions and You!
Several times Uta and I have been asked what goes into the process of pairing dragons with Candidates. As such, we have taken it upon ourselves to write up some of the factors that determine how, when, and why a Candidate may Impress - and to whom!
So, without further adieu, here are a few things that we keep in mind while selecting pairs:
Does the possible pairing promote growth in the dragon and/or rider? It is highly important to us to come up with matches that may assist your characters in the future, even down to helping them to become even more themselves.
Do the dragon and rider pair have complimentary flaws and virtues? Or alternatively, are they a spot on match?
Has this character been roleplayed before? While we are not a RP required shop, sometimes traits come out in a RP that are absent from a profile. After all, you often never really know a character until they are in play. Also, we like to reward RP and plotting in whatever they take with great RP moments like this one. It might swing us one way or another.
Are we likely to see this dragonet ever again? This is not the determining factor, but it might decide between two equally suitable Candidates.
Do we have another dragon planned for the future who would better suit your Candidate in some way? We have planned out a number of clutches, and we have vague ideas about the personalities in all of them, so we might have plans for your character of which you are not aware. For example, if we have a female character who is a certain way, that might fit a future Gold, in which case we may reserve said character, as those particular dragons can be hard to match. However, that "must have" match could as easily be a Green. You just never know. We do have hopes for all of your characters, so please have patience with us.
We cannot guarantee that every Candidate will Impress. However, we can guarantee that every player will! Just give us time to get our kids out there, and we'll make sure you have that special match.
Another really important factor is whether you as a player have given us trouble during past Hatchings or over past Impressions. We have it in our rules that that can disqualify you from all future clutches. While we have not disqualified anyone yet, unless it's a perfect match, we may be discouraged from pairing your character up.
Very importantly, if you have been unhappy with any matches we've previously made, we may also be hesitant to make another one for you to avoid disappointing you again.
We want every Impression to have that special book-like feel. We want your character to feel as though they are the center of the present story, and that their moment of Impression is magical. Crafting those stories is a labor of love, and what we most enjoy about this shop. Therefore, you might have to wait for us to find that perfect moment.
If you have never Impressed before, we will try very hard to find you a good match, as we feel that it's an important part of being a member of our community, and a Pern shop in general. We know that this is one of the reasons why you have joined us, and we value your trust and faith in our process.
Please note that we try not to make adjustments to the dragons. We write these profiles out months in advance, so we're looking very hard for what we feel is a proper match. Your character may not Impress if we can't find a dragon that fits, or if there is another character that is a better match for that dragon.
One thing to keep in mind is that we sometimes do have waves of Candidate whose flaws and virtues are very similar, and that may mean that those players who write different characters may Impress more frequently as a result. We do not like them better, and we have no favorites. Please don't think that that is remotely a factor in any determination we may make. If we have five shy Candidates and only one shy dragon, unless we find a dragon who wants to help a shy Candidate, only one Candidate will Impress.
Please feel free to ping me if you have any questions.
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