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In this guide, I will be discussing how to make an interesting, yet realistic, three-dimensional character. I've noticed that a lot of people's characters are just dead boring to talk to, without any real opinions of their own or stories to tell. That makes me sad, especially when some of these people are veteran roleplayers. I struggle to think of how difficult it must have been to RP for years and years if your characters have all been the narrative equivalent of beige. So I'm going to help you take your characters out of the beige zone here with a few simple tips.
On Alignment
Hopefully you are familiar with the traditional alignment scale used in tabletop RPGs such as Dungeons and Dragons. If not, take a look here. It's important to consider things like this, but the older alignment scale does not directly apply to something as complex as HL2RP. However, it's quite important to consider one axis of the scale: Chaotic -> Lawful. It's important to consider this because it will help decide whether or not your character rebels or embraces the UU, rather than you simply making an OOC choice for them. So try to place your character somewhere on that spectrum before you start roleplaying. Or, if you are unsure, start neutral but be prepared to let your interactions with others shape your character into something new.
On Rebels and Loyalists
Anyone with experience with HL2RP will have some knowledge about rebels, loyalists and neutral citizens, and how they tend to interact with one another. But one thing many fail to understand is that you're not forced to pick one and only one and stick with it. You're encouraged not to be a full-on loyalist and absolutely nothing else. Your character is supposed to be a human, and humans aren't hardwired that way. Instead, remember that your ideals have a breaking point, and that even a hardened rebel should be willing to report atrocities committed by his own side, if he has nowhere else to turn. And that a hardcore loyalist may even turn coat if he observes the suffering the UU causes firsthand.
So if you take anything away from this guide, it's that you should not pick a side the same way you would pick a team in a multiplayer action game, and to remember that, in HL2RP, things which go on are indeed very personal to your character, as even a small change in either the UU or the resistance could severely affect the individual citizen's life. So play both sides when it makes sense.
On Not Being Boring Assholes
Come up with some interesting stories for your character to tell. Nothing makes a character feel real like a past that people actually enjoy hearing about. Even if you're brand new to the server, and haven't really experienced anything worth retelling yet, you ought to get something in your mind so that you can tell it in IC conversation. While you don't have to write the whole thing out, it's encouraged to at least take down a short version of it so that you don't end up accidentally changing it each time, and, more importantly, so that you can remember which story belongs to which character (if applicable). But be careful when coming up with these, as you should also make them realistic or they will not be relatable, and therefore less interesting. If you're so inclined, feel free to run them by an admin in steam chat to get an unofficial opinion before you start telling it to people.
On Societal Changes
In real life, there's a bond that family have, no matter how rational, that keeps them together and keeps them protecting one another. It's an evolutionary advantage to have a big group of people on your side. However, the UU has broken up families and spread people all around the globe, to unfamiliar places and with unfamiliar people. Now, with no family to protect you, it's important to make friends. And when you make friends, remember that they're more than just friends now. Without them, you have no protection; no safety in numbers. So those friends, who you might have done nothing more than had a drink with on a Saturday before the war, become your only lifeline now. So whether you're in the MPF or a citizen or part of a rebel cell, remember that you're not going to want to mistreat people around you, because they're the only way you can stay safe.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to discuss any of these tips with me if they are unclear. Hell, I'll probably add on to them if you give me a good idea or two.
On Alignment
Hopefully you are familiar with the traditional alignment scale used in tabletop RPGs such as Dungeons and Dragons. If not, take a look here. It's important to consider things like this, but the older alignment scale does not directly apply to something as complex as HL2RP. However, it's quite important to consider one axis of the scale: Chaotic -> Lawful. It's important to consider this because it will help decide whether or not your character rebels or embraces the UU, rather than you simply making an OOC choice for them. So try to place your character somewhere on that spectrum before you start roleplaying. Or, if you are unsure, start neutral but be prepared to let your interactions with others shape your character into something new.
On Rebels and Loyalists
Anyone with experience with HL2RP will have some knowledge about rebels, loyalists and neutral citizens, and how they tend to interact with one another. But one thing many fail to understand is that you're not forced to pick one and only one and stick with it. You're encouraged not to be a full-on loyalist and absolutely nothing else. Your character is supposed to be a human, and humans aren't hardwired that way. Instead, remember that your ideals have a breaking point, and that even a hardened rebel should be willing to report atrocities committed by his own side, if he has nowhere else to turn. And that a hardcore loyalist may even turn coat if he observes the suffering the UU causes firsthand.
So if you take anything away from this guide, it's that you should not pick a side the same way you would pick a team in a multiplayer action game, and to remember that, in HL2RP, things which go on are indeed very personal to your character, as even a small change in either the UU or the resistance could severely affect the individual citizen's life. So play both sides when it makes sense.
On Not Being Boring Assholes
Come up with some interesting stories for your character to tell. Nothing makes a character feel real like a past that people actually enjoy hearing about. Even if you're brand new to the server, and haven't really experienced anything worth retelling yet, you ought to get something in your mind so that you can tell it in IC conversation. While you don't have to write the whole thing out, it's encouraged to at least take down a short version of it so that you don't end up accidentally changing it each time, and, more importantly, so that you can remember which story belongs to which character (if applicable). But be careful when coming up with these, as you should also make them realistic or they will not be relatable, and therefore less interesting. If you're so inclined, feel free to run them by an admin in steam chat to get an unofficial opinion before you start telling it to people.
On Societal Changes
In real life, there's a bond that family have, no matter how rational, that keeps them together and keeps them protecting one another. It's an evolutionary advantage to have a big group of people on your side. However, the UU has broken up families and spread people all around the globe, to unfamiliar places and with unfamiliar people. Now, with no family to protect you, it's important to make friends. And when you make friends, remember that they're more than just friends now. Without them, you have no protection; no safety in numbers. So those friends, who you might have done nothing more than had a drink with on a Saturday before the war, become your only lifeline now. So whether you're in the MPF or a citizen or part of a rebel cell, remember that you're not going to want to mistreat people around you, because they're the only way you can stay safe.
Thanks for reading, and feel free to discuss any of these tips with me if they are unclear. Hell, I'll probably add on to them if you give me a good idea or two.
