Post by Tout-Perd on Jul 26, 2009 4:00:18 GMT -5
One note before starting: Kevin did not get a vote in, so I just saved us all the trouble and did not apply votes either way towards his cast. That is all.
Many thanks to the rest of you for bearing with me through this procedure. With no further delay, I present to you the complete compiled list-
Well, actually, there's plenty of worthy delay, as I have a heap of public comments by various RPers. Read up, and enjoy!
BOOM’S RATINGS:
(Note: Only gave opinions for character he knew well enough not to auto-1)
Zebedee - 3. Would get a 4, but I'm not too fond of the holy stuff.
May Grimaldi (Embio) (APCARP) - A solid 2. APCARP hasn't taken off yet, but I think she has potential.
Sly - 4. A good, well-established character.
Ender - Another 2 for me. Ender never stood out much to me, but he seems well enough.
Terrian - 2. I've never interacted with the character, but I like the concept.
Rho & Hig - 4. I love the concept here.
Albatross - 3. I like this character, but certain things (Hawaiian PUNCH!) are a little cheesy.
Prime - 3. Prime's got his flaws (sometimes seems to have almost too much going on) but I think the character is respectable enough.
Primus - 4. This character intrigues me a good deal. It actually inspired me to make a mock character but I haven't used it yet. (Prolly won't either)
Lucas - 3. How could I not give Scar's BFF in crime at least a 3? This character works very well with mine.
Eragon - 2. I actually fought Eragon once, but he hasn't stood out much beyond that.
Kuro - 2. Ever in the background. I know he's got potential, but I can't put him anywhere on my own which detracts from his value.
Karcharos - 4. One of my favorite villains. He's not used all that much, but I loved the idea of him.
Rain - 2. Not a strong character, but I'm trying to take him places.
Scar - 3. My version of a wild card of sorts. He fights and kills because it amuses him. There need to be more villains in the RP.
Zarago - 2. Not a strong character either, but I made it for Prime's RP and I've grown fond of his methods.
Jacqueline - 4. My only regret with Jackie is that I don't get enough chances to use her. Her concept was one I made as a joke, but the more I thought about it, the more I loved it.
Ben Higgs (APCARP) - 4. I love Ben. He reminds me of my favorite cat because he just doesn't care (not in a bad way though) He's an underachiever, but that won't stop him from doing what needs to be done.
Yoshimitsu - Honestly? -1. I stop shy of a -2 because I think he's redeemable, but he just has WAAAAAAAAY too many abilities and things going on. He has so much stuff going on, he's become cluttered with abilities.
CHOOB’S RATINGS:
My anti-knowledge of all these characters will be so embarassing. Whatevs!
My "in depth comments" will just be the first couple sentences I think of when I rate.
Thyra - 3 - she's a pretty cool guy, i guess
Nat - 4 - Ender likes her, and that's good enough for me. Brash attitude hiding layers of issues. So tight.
Zebedee - 4 - So much angst! But he's interesting in his religiousness
Miko - 4 - Also angsty! But a pretty cool villain because he got his own personality other than "lololol kill"
Dace - 1 - wut
Achenes - 2 - I think i've been in one RP with her. Swinging around heavy objects is kinda meh
Blaise - 2 - Eh. my poor memory isn't helping me rate her
May Grimaldi (Embio) (APCARP) - wat
Sly - 4 - he's an Andalite. Really nice guy, too
Helen - 4 - I like her magical rhymes. One day she'll grow up to be a rapper
Ender - 3 - he's a pretty cool guy. The personality would make him a 4, but I detracted a point because psionics is the most ridiculous power set you can imagine. Literally.
Rie - 4 - She only really started to shine when i had her and Ender conversing with each other. Before that, her personality, mannerisms, and speech went through several iterations before I understood her. Otherwise I do in fact like her because she's insane in an understandable and useful way. Also, her powerset is versatile without being game breaking.
Cobra - 0 - eugh. I only made him to be Ender's rival back when I was like 12 and thought rivalries were needed.
Eddie - 5 - omgwut? Yeah, he hasn't had much of a spotlight on him, so I think I'm the only one who thinks this highly of him. But I really like his personality in that he is an absolute p***y. His only solace comes from the thick metal surrounding him at most times and the joint in his mouth. Also, he is completely human. In fact, a normal human could probably beat him up in a fist fight.
Nick - 3 - one of my many characters whose personality I can't nail. His power set is versatile while not being broken, but it's just the way he acts that makes him hard for me to use.
Ysane - 3 - I liked the idea behind her, but again, I need to nail down her personality. Potato helped me out a bit in pointing out that she'd have a ridiculous god complex (moreso than she has now), but I have yet to act it out.
Lexi - 3 - she's fun, I guess. Pretty much acts like all my other characters, though. I need to figure out the obsessive part of her personality.
Artifex - 4 - I ended up really liking him after Dark Materials. Pretentious and powerful. Good times. He needs his reasoning for being evil reevaluated, though. Revenge is so standard.
Max Andurin - -2 - lolol first charaters
Vieve - 4 - Yay children with tattoos.
Terrian - 5 - I'm pretty sure everyone loves Terrian for being a sleezy guy with a sleezy power set.
Rho & Hig - 5 - he is adorable
Tanner - 4 - an interesting guy. I feel like he and Artifex would be fast buddies and would start a pretentious magical country club
Laksha - 1 - wat
Aquara - 1 - wat
Albatross - 2 - never really struck me. he's a nice fellow, i suppose, but the only thing that i remember about him is his giant sea serpent
Misu Kaelin - 1 - wat
Summer - 3 - she's ok. Butterflies are pretty cool guy
Masumi "The Forgotten Samurai" - 2 - she's pretty cliche, honestly. If she didn't have such attention to her bosoms, I might've rated this higher
Dracon - 1 - wat
Arnold - 1 - wat
Alyssa - 1 -wat
Durant - 1 - wat
Prime - -2 - wat
Primus - 1 - wat
Aya - 1 - wat
Ryuu - 1 - wat
Hex - 1 - I don't like hyper fast ships that have lasers that can slice anything that are controlled with the mind.
Lucas - 1 - wat
Eragon - 0 - minus points for name
Kuro - 1 - he is a saiyan who regenerates instantly. I'm pretty neutral about that because I haven't seen that completely abused.
Karcharos - 2 - i've seen the guy and he intrigues me. That's all, though.
Rain - 1 - wat
Scar - 1 - wat
Zarago - 1- wat
Jacqueline - 3 - she shares names with one of my friends. Also, she is a mime.
Ben Higgs (APCARP) - 1 - wat
Yoshimitsu - 0 - Yoshimitsu, the super powered can opener.
Vincent - 1 - wat
Alex - 1 - wat
Araini - 1 - wat
Fratley - 1 - wat
Alexxia - 1 - wat
Ophelia - 1 - wasn't she in Hamlet?
Landers - 1 - wat
Emily - 1 - wat
Ariel (Asikne Kiror) - 1 - wat
Hector - 0 - meh
Vathale - 1 - wat. at least i recognize the name, just not the person
Ivan - 1 - wat
Dimitri - 1 - wat
Nadeshi - 1 - wat
Epsilon - 1 - wat
LOOG’S RATINGS:
Thyra - 2. Fun straight man(woman) to Hector, otherwise, I find her boring.
Nat - 4. I don't know all of her backstory, but from what I do know, she's a well-developed character.
Zebedee - 4. See Nat. Also he's really funny.
Miko - 3. I think maybe the whole anti-hero thing is too overplayed at times.
Dace - 1. Not a clue o.O
Achenes - 1. She's still very undeveloped, right?
Blaise - 1. Another one I don't know.
May Grimaldi (Embio) (APCARP) - 1. I left APCARP before her, I think.
Sly - 4. Well developed, and apparently a fun fight.
Helen - 3. She could use a little more fleshing out. But probably really fun to battle.
Ender - 4. See Sly.
Rie - 1. For the most part, I haven't been in RPs with her. Sorry. L
Cobra - 1. Pretty unfamiliar I'll say.
Eddie - 1. Same.
Nick - 1. See above.
Ysane - 1. Who?
Lexi - 1. Geez, I left RP and missed a lot huh.
Artifex - 1. Yep.
Max Andurin - 5 if he's anything like the real Andurin/ch00bs, but 1 otherwise.
Vieve - 1. o.O
Terrian - 3. He's pretty fun cakes to be in an RP with.
Rho & Hig - 3. They're also pretty fun cakes. Also, they're like Jekyll and Hyde, which is pretty cool too. Right?
Tanner - 2. He's like fun cupcakes, which do not contain as much fun as Pohatu's Homemade Fun Cakes(c)
Laksha - 1. WHO.
Aquara - 1. Some of Kevin's characters tend to fall into some cliche traps. Not to say others don't, but really, the guy can't quite dig himself out of them it seems.
Albatross - 2. See above, except he's a lot better developed.
Misu Kaelin - 1. I repeat. WHO.
Summer - -1. I never found her to be interesting.
Masumi "The Forgotten Samurai" - 1
Dracon - 1
Arnold - 1
Alyssa - 1
Durant - 1
Prime - -1. Not to bash on Prime, but the bursting with raw power DBZ type characters are never fun to RP with, at least by my standards.
Primus - -2. Same as above I'm imagining, except on supersteroids. Which cause superpowering.
Aya - 1.
Ryuu - 1
Hex - 1
Lucas - 1
Eragon - -5 if it's based on anything from the book of the same name, 1 if it's not.
Kuro - 3. He's a well developed character but not my kind of character to be in an RP with.
Karcharos - 1
Rain - 1
Scar - 1
Zarago - 1
Jacqueline - 1
Ben Higgs (APCARP) - 1
Yoshimitsu - -2. This guy used to be waaaaaay more fun, but the superpowering got old fast, with more than one person apparently.
Vincent - -2. Aren't they pretty much one and the same by now?
Alex - 1. If this is Elliot's Alex, then as far as I know the guy wasn't ever really a well developed character.
Araini - 2. I remember he was kinda fun to RP with back in the day. I'm not sure about now though.
Fratley - 2. Same. Not sure on the current character development of either.
Alexxia - 1
Ophelia - 1
Landers - 1
Emily - 1
Ariel (Asikne Kiror) - 1
Hector - 3. I feel like he could use some more character development, but has changed much in his five year history. He's fun to RP as, but I don't know exactly how fun he is to RP with. So eh.
Vathale - 1. Needs WAAAAAAY more character development other than being Hector's baby machine. For that, I am disappointed in myself. Like before, when she was supposed to be awesome Amazon woman. With some really nice boobs.
Ivan - 2. This guy actually was going to get some character development, but I kind of tossed him aside the minute Hector did. I think someone needs a comeback.
Dimitri - 2. See above.
Nadeshi - 2. Again, haven't really fleshed out his character enough.
Epsilon - 1. See above, only less so. Anyone else think it's time for Hector to stop being in the limelight acting like a drunken sexaholic? I sure do.
LEE’S RATINGS:
Thyra: I like Thyra, personally. She’s very distinctive, and manages to flow well with most RPs without causing any friction. Her main problem though is her lack of ability to grow. Anything that makes her grow also pollutes her distinctive image, making her kinda stuck in character stasis. 3
Nat: Hmmm… Natalie has some issues too. Though a lot more mutable than her friend, she suffers from a real lack of direction ever since “Pulse” got scrapped. Ender’s passing may make her have a new developmental arc, though, so I like the potential. 4
Zebedee: Zebedee’s high rep always puzzled me. I mean, sure, in theory, he’s my main, but he’s really a much less compelling character than the majority of my supporting cast. He has some good bits though, and I’m working on honing him. 3
Miko: Miko’s always underrated and ignored. It seems like the only people that really pay attention to him are DL, El, and Kevin, so it’s tricky getting anything with him to work. I honestly really like his set up though. Figurehead emperor of a race of hatemongers against hate, when he himself found out the North isn’t so bad, and his own race is the badguys? Possibly my deepest character, I think. 4
Dace: My other big prize. Dace simply is herself, and by way of the best characterization I’ve ever written in the RP boards, has proved to be very likable for readers. She manages to be the standard of “brash, overly optimistic trainer” without becoming generic (prolly the whole cruelty and “student of the tutor” aspects helping her there) Well, that and managing to use a Burmy in PRP without being boring. 4
Achenes: Loaded with author appeal, I’m afraid. She still lacks purpose beyond “avenge generic murdered parents”. On the other hand, she has one of my favorite character designs, a very amusing personality, and some upcoming fun, so I can’t sell her short. 3
Blaise: Hard as hell to write, tricky to read. But it’s a fun puzzle for the builder and the decipherer. She’s a web of lies, misrepresentations, mixed up memories, and sheer bravado that ends up complicating anything she touches. And when she touches another character in that vein, say, Terrian, for example, well things get marvelously tricky. 4
May Grimaldi (Embio) (APCARP): Hard to differentiate her from Achenes, but I’m working on it. She’s got some great power concepts I want to reveal later on, a solid design setup, IIRC, and some great story potential. Really, it seems like separated families are better than dead ones for plots, y’know? 4
Sly: Sly is cursed, and blessed, with being an artifact. He can not be reinvented without meeting scorn, or stay the same without becoming a boring decoration in most plots. BB still is doing a great job with keeping him growing and developing, now staying more low key with it and mostly doing it via subtle supporting roles. 4
Helen: Helen’s biggest problem is her sheer versatility. She can conquer almost any plot with ease, meaning she’s very hard to use right. When she does show up, she’s great fun and typically flaunts one of my better designs, though. Hopefully, the Merc Mage arc will bring her back into vogue. 3
Ender: Always cursed with hate by his own writer, a really tricky thing to work with. Ender still is a fun character, and really balanced the whole Cherrygrove core four. It was like he was happy, Zeb was somber, Nat was angry, and Sly was neutral. Now, well, the whole thing goes and shifts. (I still hope that via continuity hiccup, we get to give him one last topic or something, but what’re the odds?) 3
Rie: I’m not as much of a Rie cultist as some, but I do like the hints of straying from type that she betrays from time to time. They give a lot of depth, like the glimpses do more than a full view of her innermost soul could. 4 (Though to be accurate, this is more of a 3.5 rounded up)
Cobra: Totally underused, yah. Ender’s rival missed the boat on like twenty topics where he coulda gained some depth and added much drama. Now that Ender’s dead, what’s next? Tormenting Rie and Natalie? It’s an uncertain future for him. 3
Eddie: Good idea, nice ‘nam feeling to it. Brings some grit to the mecha topics. But, on the other hand, drops out like a punk while the rest desperately fight for their lives. 2
Nick: Always seems to fall into topics that die. His powers are useful, but never really seem to distinguish themselves fully. 2
Ysane: I like Ysane a lot, personally. A unique threat, a unique personality, and awesome familiars. I would like to see much more of her. Especially if it’s a fight with Narcissa. 4
Lexi: Never really RPed with her. She felt kinda “Eh, generic Choobs”, though, so never quite caught my eye. 1
Artifex: Pretty good villain. Props on him winning once, a nice touch. He doesn’t feel like much of a team player, so hard to collaborate him, but he’s got some menace and minions. Always nice. 3
Max Andurin: I didn’t ever do much writing with him. 1
Vieve: Fun character, and the only time I can think of a real “Child” character fitting well into ORP. Doesn’t really contribute much to plot, but adds a lot of flavor to the stories she’s in. 4
Terrian: Great character. He tends to steal the spotlight by acting unlike any other RP character, but manages to avoid disastrous derailings of plots, which is always nice. His power never struck me as the most original, but he rode to this score on personality alone. 4
Rho & Hig: A big duo in many ways, but they really have issues with fitting into almost any RP. Though they can dial up or down easily, making them act believably at either extreme is tricky, and they’re a nightmare for choreography. Still, very fun to read. 3
Tanner: Cultured villainy is nice to see. Tanner brings that in spades to the table. Or, at least, the cultured part. He really needs to back up his villain rep. 3
Laksha: Great character, and the most open of the Fallfish trio. Not necessarily better than the two with greater amounts of relevant backstory and planned futures, not necessarily worse. Just different. 4
Aquara: I’d like to see more brought to the forefront than just “Likes fighting” and a sense of style. She has a dynamic personality that can drive RPs, now, let’s see some of it, eh? 3
Albatross: Interesting character, and actually, in his own way, becoming more developed than Zebedee. Great design ideas meeting a solid personality. 4
Misu Kaelin: Not much is established with her, but I like her design, and it’s always good to have more players in the FRP ground game. 2
Summer: Kinda has issues with standing out (always seems stuck behind somebody or other) but has unique imagery and good fundamentals. 2
Masumi "The Forgotten Samurai": I like Masumi a lot. It’s a shame that she always tends to be left behind. The combination of heartless killer and vulnerability from her illness fits together intriguingly. 3
Dracon: Dracon always feels like a bit of an odd duck to me. But he has begun fleshing out, showing traces of unique actions and opinions for ORP. Another one with a lot of promise. 2
Arnold: Arnold failed to really establish himself in GNR. He’s got all the pieces. Decent power setup? Good background? Unusual personality? He just falls flat on assembly. Still, that was Blood’s first RP here, and the future holds many opportunities for redemption. 2
Alyssa: IMO, Blood’s best written character, though her personality gets a little aggravating to work with at times. 2
Durant: A beam of sunshine to lighten the dreary RP landscape, at least usually, he complements his traveling companions well along with bringing a plot-hook loaded backstory into the mix. 4
Prime: The detour into human form helped the concept of Prime greatly. It gave him a human point of reference for us to tie other experiences with the character into, and made a sterile, unlikable character into one that had flaws and strengths. It took him from a 1 or 2, to, well, 4
Primus: Eh, he’s still not thrilling me too much. He’s got some interesting pieces (the discussion of the nature of divinity and what it entails, ties to Prime, past/present), but his personality fails to do more than feel like the lesser of Prime’s efforts. 1
Aya: Hmmm… Really hard to say. I don’t dislike her, and am fine with her concept. I see some potential, but I can’t gauge how much. I’ll vote higher, since a 1.5 should round up. 2
Ryuu: I like him quite a bit. Much more timid and subtle than Prime’s usual characters, adding some diversity and flavor. Not to mention that his vampiric nature has been mostly teased without full revealing, so it leaves interesting gaps to fill. 3
Hex: Suffers from the “Pacifist” issue of Prime’s, where a character kinda chokes on their dislike of combat and turns into a killing machine. 0
Lucas: One of Prime’s best he’s produced as of yet. Interesting powers, intriguingly unnerving personality, seeds of a new alliance? A pleasure to read, and to write with. 4
Eragon: Ehhh… Not really stirring my spirit. He feels somewhat generic amidst the rest of his roster. Has some basic traits coming through, but still feels kinda like “Sword delivery system number 35”. 1
Kuro: Good character, personalitywise, but he’s trapped by his power level. Hopefully he can shake this, some day. 2
Karcharos: Interesting fellow, especially his connection with Rain. I want to see more of this. 2
Rain: See above, except for even more in need of showing up. 2
Scar: To me, he felt like the weaker part of the pair, but I was approaching the RP from a different angle. Still a solid villain, and unsettlingly competent when he puts forth the effort. 3
Zarago: Should get bonus points for being the only name on here I don’t recognize. 1
Jacqueline: Great concept, and I can’t wait to see where she goes. As is, she hasn’t really spoken to me, though. 2
Ben Higgs (APCARP): I like Ben. He fleshes out the feel of the setting very well, and is fun to write with. I hope that I’ll get to do more interacting with him before too long. 4
Yoshimitsu: Good character idea, amusingly ambiguous, but feels rather cluttered on all fronts. He could use some focusing, maybe a back-to-the-basics plot or two, or some choreography refinement. As is, he’s a bit overwhelming for readers to keep track of (though the bottomless bag of tricks/powers is an idea with great merit as a character concept.) 3
Vincent: Eh, Vincent really feels like the odd one out. It may just be that I’m used to the Hector/Yoshi rivalry, and Kioshi/Vincent rolling in on that feels like cheap replacements to a great chemistry. I’ll try to read up on him more before the next poll, to get a better feel for him, though. 1
Alex: Didn’t really strike me poorly, or well. I haven’t seen much of him, though. 1
Araini: I like a lot of the ideas here. He has a personality that fits together well, while still leaving mysterious gaps, and a power set that makes it interesting to write duels with him. 3
Fratley: Use him moar. He’s worth it. 2
Alexxia: Haven’t seen enough of her to judge. Feels kinda generic, TCGPlayer Era for some reason. Yet again, if I saw more, this’d probably rise. 1
Ophelia: Cruel, but understandable in some ways. One of the best varieties of villains. An unfortunate snafu with Matsya made it harder to sell her as a villain, but we’ll just need to do a few auto-hits next time, won’t we, Blood? 3
Landers: Better than Arnold, thusfar, but only two or three posts into his career. 2
Emily: Fun, fun, fun. It’s hard to dislike Emily, considering. Her ditziness is a role few RPers are willing to cop to, and it leads to a lot of fun moments. Props to Clicker on stepping into the role. 4
Ariel (Asikne Kiror): Still getting fleshed out, and feels a bit too much like she’s just there to keep the plot in line. Still, she has a unique, distinctive personality and creative imagery going, making her stand out very well. 3
Hector: It’s good to see him coming back. As Photu said, RP needs more simple, good hearted heroes, and seeing Hector struggle with both the evil in the world, and himself, while remaining otherwise a sweet, albeit sometimes misguided force, is quite the treat. (Granted, I get access to all the bonus materials, too, making it a deeper story from my angle.) 4
Vathale: Feels kinda like an accessory to Hector. I’d like to see her strike out on her own more often, get some individual experience. 1
Ivan: Ehhh… Ivan needs to be put back together with his trio (Shannon, Dimitri). There, he’ll thrive. But as is, he’s languishing in his absence, slowly fading away to but a specter. 2
Dimitri: Lots of fun ideas, and a good personality, but needs more use and spotlight. 2
Nadeshi: Prolly my least liked of Steph’s main guys. Just didn’t really feel like much beyond “Valon Junior”. 1
Epsilon: I love timid characters fighting their fear to attempt to cause a change for the better in the world, and in themselves. Epsilon and Yuni really have need of returning. 3
POHATU’S RATINGS:
(Since we saved the best for last, amirite?)
I only ever RPed with her in C’est Noir and, just recently, Mirror of Urakuni, but she seems cool. I’d need to see her taking more distinguishing action before I rated her higher, though.
2
NAT
How could I not love Nat? You know what they say: “The enemy of my main RP character is my friend.” They totally say something like that.
4
ZEBEDEE
Waiting to see more Zebedee, since he hasn’t exactly been the most vocal presence in End Game (which is in character for him, I know). Still, I gather from reading older RPs that he’s quite a good character.
3
MIKO
I’m neutral toward him, having never RPed with him. He gains a point for being cool but promptly loses it for being at the head of Summoner Style. I always hated seeing Summoner Style get posts.
1
DACE
Really solid character, with a well-thought-out personality that rings familiar while also seeming distinctive. I look forward to RPing more with her after Fallfish winds down.
4
ACHENES
For some reason, Achenes really hasn’t generated much of an impression on me in Kaida. Sorry, Lee. I did like her in Beyond the Bullet, though.
2
BLAISE
Yay Blaise! You knew a good rating was on the way here. She’s a highly memorable and entertaining member of the Lee roster. And you were considering throwing her out after Chords…!
4
MAY
I like her, but not enough yet to warrant more than a two. As I said when I excluded Orsini from my list, there isn’t enough APCARP material yet to render any lasting judgment on its characters.
2
SLY
Here it is, SPOILER ALERT the only five on the list. But don’t misunderstand – I’m not saying Sly should be considered the very best character in all RP. I’m focusing on Lee’s description of a 5 as “a character that you can honestly think of no way to improve.” I see Sly as being roughly at the end of his character arc. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing more to do with him, only that there’s not much more about his personality that needs to be progressed. He’s at the stage of development that we all strive for. Even more than other characters who’ve been around just as long, Sly gives the impression of having experienced a complete life.
5
HELEN
I can’t help but like Helen, given that she’s the first character Terrian ever interacted with. And I really dig the ingredient and couplet system. I hope to see more of her in the future.
3
ENDER
All right, after what I’m sure we can all agree was a diverse survey of Lee’s characters, we move on to Choobs’ roster, which for me is a lot more polarized. Of all the characters on his list, either I really like them or I’ve never RPed with them. Ender, of course, is square in the former category.
4
RIE
So’s Rie. She’s a great counterpoint to Ender while also standing on her own very well (which she’ll have to when Ender finally dies AMIRITE HAHAHA DISREGARD THAT, ENDER IS NOW DEAD).
4
COBRA
What an enigma. By Choobs’ own admission, he’s underused. But I’ll give him an extra point for being a villain. There’ll be too many 1s in this set as it is.
2
EDDIE
I liked him in that one topic, but I’ve never RPed with him. This is undoubtedly unfair since I have no FRP characters. But there you go. Tough luck, Eddie.
1
NICK
He’s the one with mechanical arms, right? Yeah. He’s cool. Never RPed with him. Sorry, Nick.
1
YSANE
Bonus point, like Cobra, for being a baddie. Why didn’t I give Miko a bonus point on the same grounds? Because there are so many damn 1s in Choobs’ set!
2
LEXI
Again, she’s FRP, so out of luck where I’m concerned. But never fear, bereaved FRP characters! Frederick Arkwright, steampunk airship baron, will take to the stars someday soon!
1
ARTIFEX
He’s the one with the thing at the place, right? Yeah. Super cool. Never RPed with him. Apologies, Artifex.
1
MAX
Lolwho?
1
VIEVE
Oh thank God! I like Vieve a lot. A great friend for Rhometer. I’m glad they met in Kaida. Now, was it Rhys who can also control shadows? We need that trio topic…
3
TERRIAN
Yeah, I guess he deserves a four. I do believe he has “contributed meaningfully” in every RP he’s been in (not counting the freshest two, yet).
4
RHO & HIG
A two? For a character(s) of my own design? What is this? I’d rank Rho & Hig higher, but it’s just so hard to write them, both in terms of language and behavior. I can’t in good conscience give a three or four to a pair of characters I actively try to avoid RPing with too much.
2
TANNER
I like Charles Tanner. I’m happy with what I’ve done with him so far. Not as happy as with Terrian, but that’s a given: Tanner isn’t my main, after all.
3
LAKSHA
See above. (I’m counting her Pokemon in as a unit with her, as with other trainers.) I’ll give her one more because I think her potential, which is smaller right now than Tanner’s, has nonetheless been slightly better realized so far than his.
4
AQUARA
Boy, Kevin’s characters are all just so good-looking, aren’t they? I mean, damn. Terrian would move in on that in Whisper, if he weren’t mildly concerned that Aya would suck his blood out for being a crude human male.
3
ALBATROSS
Don’t know him. But he seems like a nice guy. RP needs more nice guys. That's right -- more baddies, but also more nice guys. Fewer of these amoral wisecracking mercenary douchebag types.
2
MISU KAELIN
Who? I’ve never heard of her. But I bet she’s gorgeous.
1
SUMMER
She’s the one who can control plants, yeah? That’s cool. Nobody goes for plants. I approve.
2
MASUMI
Masumi is mighty attractive, I will give her that. Also she has a good personality and stuff I guess.
3
DRACON
My favorite Kevin character! Obviously, because he’s in Triannual. Even though I don’t feel like I know tremendous amounts about him, I still give him mad cred for participating in Triannual. Plus, Kevin’s very visual RP style lends itself well to a shapeshifter.
4
ARNOLD
There’s an RP character called Arnold? I do not know who is this Arnold of whom you speak.
1
ALYSSA
I like her. She’s a cool one. Blood has handled her well in Shrinking.
3
DURANT
Ah, there’s that Fallfish bias again… Durant rounds out the trio very well. And I quite like the playmate/rival relationship that’s emerged between Taraek and Ganesh.
4
PRIME
What, you thought Prime was going to get stomped on? Not so! His current incarnation is good peeps. Still a cocky sonofabitch, but in a great way. I like that he fails at diplomacy so hard. It helped make Triannual very entertaining at a low-action juncture.
4
PRIMUS
“Primus”? What? So – so Primus is different from Prime? I don’t get it, man. This is some Transformers sh*t right up in here.
1
AYA
I have yet to see her demonstrate that she’s something more than the Ass-Kicking Female Who Could Totally Kick The Ass Of The Guy She Hangs Around With. But I’ll see that in time, I’m sure.
2
RYUU
Poor Ryuu. He’s really trying to make friends with Terrian now. I almost want to let Terrian give in and start pallin’ around with the vampires. But this cannot be. Oh, well. Keep fighting the good fight, Ryuu.
3
HEX
He’s from FRP, isn’t he? Yeah… about that…
1
LUCAS
Yeah, I’m one of those people who really likes Lucas. The Lucas-Scar pairup… It’s a match made in hell. This is almost certainly the only four I’m giving to a character I’ve never RPed with so I don’t want to hear no whining from you, Prime.
4
ERAGON
Man, I… I don’t know. Okay, you’re right, Ender’s name was ripped straight out of a bestselling novel too, but… you know… Ender’s Game was actually… oh, well, I mean… good? Okay, sorry. You know what, I shouldn’t judge Eragon. I will start respecting him as the Ulina Tournament goes on.
2
KURO
Oh, poor Kuroboom. All right, I’ll make this quick. I really know nothing about Kuro. But I’m sure he’s a great character.
1
KARCHAROS
Karcharos likewise except come on, he’s got a shark motif. That’s damn sweet. An extra point for that.
2
RAIN
I may or may not have ever heard of Rain. However, if he’s purple, I’ll give him a five on that alone.
1
SCAR
Yeah. Lucas and Scar. As I said, that’s a killer combo A HERP DERP DERP
3
ZARAGO
Who? Cool name though.
1
JACQUELINE
She’s nice I bet.
1
BEN
I think he’s got a really cool power but more importantly, thanks to Ben’s codename, ol’ Orsini with his “explosions” isn’t the only APCARP member plagued by awkward sexual undertones! Yaaayyyy
3
YOSHIMITSU
I like how I talked Elliot into submitting his characters, and yet I have never actually RPed with Elliot at any point. So his characters remain a mystery to me. Could I read about them in other RP topics? Sure. And I have! And Yoshimitsu is cool.
3
VINCENT
Aaand that’s all I’ve got. Wait, no, I remember Vincent. He’s cool.
2
ALEX
Oh my god it’s a character named “Alex” I AM FROM ARCHIE EXIE I HATE ALEX WITH THE RAGE OF A THOUSAND BALD EAGLES RARRRRGH GODDAMNED ENGLISHMAN THAT HE IS
1
ARAINI
Boy or girl? I can’t tell.
1
FRATLEY
Now this is a character that I legitimately have never come across in my RP reads. But I’m giving him an extra point for having a funny name.
2
ALEXXIA
Oh my god it’s a character named “Alexxia” I AM FROM ARCHIE EXIE I HATE ALEXXIA WITH THE wait
1
OPHELIA
I’m digging Ophelia. I like what Blood’s said about the characterization and Pokemon set he’s aiming for with her. ‘Course, she’s a total bitch, but PRP needs more baddies.
3
LANDERS
That’s a pretty cool name.
1
EMILY
Sure 'nuff, Emily is a good character. She’s added some much-needed pep and good cheer to Triannual. (I mean, Lee wrote about half her stuff there, but she’s still cool.)
3
ARIEL
Not following Arachne Furor, I can’t comment.
1
-------
And now... THE FINAL RESULTS!
Character Ratings Results, 2009
Sly 35
Nat 33
Terrian 33
Rho & Hig 33
Zebedee 28
Helen 25
Ender 25
Rie 25
Lucas 23
Miko 22
Emily 21
Albatross 21
Thyra 21
Tanner 20
Karcharos 20
Laksha 19
Durant 19
Kuro 18
Dace 18
Ophelia 18
Vieve 18
Blaise 17
Ben Higgs 17
Ariel 16
Eddie 16
Scar 16
Ysane 16
Artifex 16
Dracon 15
Jacqueline 15
Hector 14
Rain 14
Aquara 14
Achenes 14
May 14
Nick 14
Ryuu 14
Fratley 14
Araini 13
Arnold 13
Cobra 13
Lexi 13
Landers 13
Vathale 13
Masumi 13
Misu Kaelin 12
Summer 12
Dimitri 12
Nadeshi 12
Prime 12
Alyssa 11
Zarago 11
Vincent 11
Hex 11
Alexxia 11
Epsilon 11
Max Andurin 10 (Yes, he averaged higher than a one per vote)
Aya 10
Eragon 9
Alex 9
Ivan 9
Yoshimitsu 7
Primus 5
Congratulations to BB on taking first in the ratings (you owe me one, bud. ) Thank you again to everybody that participated, and remember. Keep posting in the RP, and trying to hone your skills. No matter how good you are now, the only direction to go is upwards!
This has been Lee after four hours of straight work. Good night, and take care!
Many thanks to the rest of you for bearing with me through this procedure. With no further delay, I present to you the complete compiled list-
Well, actually, there's plenty of worthy delay, as I have a heap of public comments by various RPers. Read up, and enjoy!
BOOM’S RATINGS:
(Note: Only gave opinions for character he knew well enough not to auto-1)
Zebedee - 3. Would get a 4, but I'm not too fond of the holy stuff.
May Grimaldi (Embio) (APCARP) - A solid 2. APCARP hasn't taken off yet, but I think she has potential.
Sly - 4. A good, well-established character.
Ender - Another 2 for me. Ender never stood out much to me, but he seems well enough.
Terrian - 2. I've never interacted with the character, but I like the concept.
Rho & Hig - 4. I love the concept here.
Albatross - 3. I like this character, but certain things (Hawaiian PUNCH!) are a little cheesy.
Prime - 3. Prime's got his flaws (sometimes seems to have almost too much going on) but I think the character is respectable enough.
Primus - 4. This character intrigues me a good deal. It actually inspired me to make a mock character but I haven't used it yet. (Prolly won't either)
Lucas - 3. How could I not give Scar's BFF in crime at least a 3? This character works very well with mine.
Eragon - 2. I actually fought Eragon once, but he hasn't stood out much beyond that.
Kuro - 2. Ever in the background. I know he's got potential, but I can't put him anywhere on my own which detracts from his value.
Karcharos - 4. One of my favorite villains. He's not used all that much, but I loved the idea of him.
Rain - 2. Not a strong character, but I'm trying to take him places.
Scar - 3. My version of a wild card of sorts. He fights and kills because it amuses him. There need to be more villains in the RP.
Zarago - 2. Not a strong character either, but I made it for Prime's RP and I've grown fond of his methods.
Jacqueline - 4. My only regret with Jackie is that I don't get enough chances to use her. Her concept was one I made as a joke, but the more I thought about it, the more I loved it.
Ben Higgs (APCARP) - 4. I love Ben. He reminds me of my favorite cat because he just doesn't care (not in a bad way though) He's an underachiever, but that won't stop him from doing what needs to be done.
Yoshimitsu - Honestly? -1. I stop shy of a -2 because I think he's redeemable, but he just has WAAAAAAAAY too many abilities and things going on. He has so much stuff going on, he's become cluttered with abilities.
CHOOB’S RATINGS:
My anti-knowledge of all these characters will be so embarassing. Whatevs!
My "in depth comments" will just be the first couple sentences I think of when I rate.
Thyra - 3 - she's a pretty cool guy, i guess
Nat - 4 - Ender likes her, and that's good enough for me. Brash attitude hiding layers of issues. So tight.
Zebedee - 4 - So much angst! But he's interesting in his religiousness
Miko - 4 - Also angsty! But a pretty cool villain because he got his own personality other than "lololol kill"
Dace - 1 - wut
Achenes - 2 - I think i've been in one RP with her. Swinging around heavy objects is kinda meh
Blaise - 2 - Eh. my poor memory isn't helping me rate her
May Grimaldi (Embio) (APCARP) - wat
Sly - 4 - he's an Andalite. Really nice guy, too
Helen - 4 - I like her magical rhymes. One day she'll grow up to be a rapper
Ender - 3 - he's a pretty cool guy. The personality would make him a 4, but I detracted a point because psionics is the most ridiculous power set you can imagine. Literally.
Rie - 4 - She only really started to shine when i had her and Ender conversing with each other. Before that, her personality, mannerisms, and speech went through several iterations before I understood her. Otherwise I do in fact like her because she's insane in an understandable and useful way. Also, her powerset is versatile without being game breaking.
Cobra - 0 - eugh. I only made him to be Ender's rival back when I was like 12 and thought rivalries were needed.
Eddie - 5 - omgwut? Yeah, he hasn't had much of a spotlight on him, so I think I'm the only one who thinks this highly of him. But I really like his personality in that he is an absolute p***y. His only solace comes from the thick metal surrounding him at most times and the joint in his mouth. Also, he is completely human. In fact, a normal human could probably beat him up in a fist fight.
Nick - 3 - one of my many characters whose personality I can't nail. His power set is versatile while not being broken, but it's just the way he acts that makes him hard for me to use.
Ysane - 3 - I liked the idea behind her, but again, I need to nail down her personality. Potato helped me out a bit in pointing out that she'd have a ridiculous god complex (moreso than she has now), but I have yet to act it out.
Lexi - 3 - she's fun, I guess. Pretty much acts like all my other characters, though. I need to figure out the obsessive part of her personality.
Artifex - 4 - I ended up really liking him after Dark Materials. Pretentious and powerful. Good times. He needs his reasoning for being evil reevaluated, though. Revenge is so standard.
Max Andurin - -2 - lolol first charaters
Vieve - 4 - Yay children with tattoos.
Terrian - 5 - I'm pretty sure everyone loves Terrian for being a sleezy guy with a sleezy power set.
Rho & Hig - 5 - he is adorable
Tanner - 4 - an interesting guy. I feel like he and Artifex would be fast buddies and would start a pretentious magical country club
Laksha - 1 - wat
Aquara - 1 - wat
Albatross - 2 - never really struck me. he's a nice fellow, i suppose, but the only thing that i remember about him is his giant sea serpent
Misu Kaelin - 1 - wat
Summer - 3 - she's ok. Butterflies are pretty cool guy
Masumi "The Forgotten Samurai" - 2 - she's pretty cliche, honestly. If she didn't have such attention to her bosoms, I might've rated this higher
Dracon - 1 - wat
Arnold - 1 - wat
Alyssa - 1 -wat
Durant - 1 - wat
Prime - -2 - wat
Primus - 1 - wat
Aya - 1 - wat
Ryuu - 1 - wat
Hex - 1 - I don't like hyper fast ships that have lasers that can slice anything that are controlled with the mind.
Lucas - 1 - wat
Eragon - 0 - minus points for name
Kuro - 1 - he is a saiyan who regenerates instantly. I'm pretty neutral about that because I haven't seen that completely abused.
Karcharos - 2 - i've seen the guy and he intrigues me. That's all, though.
Rain - 1 - wat
Scar - 1 - wat
Zarago - 1- wat
Jacqueline - 3 - she shares names with one of my friends. Also, she is a mime.
Ben Higgs (APCARP) - 1 - wat
Yoshimitsu - 0 - Yoshimitsu, the super powered can opener.
Vincent - 1 - wat
Alex - 1 - wat
Araini - 1 - wat
Fratley - 1 - wat
Alexxia - 1 - wat
Ophelia - 1 - wasn't she in Hamlet?
Landers - 1 - wat
Emily - 1 - wat
Ariel (Asikne Kiror) - 1 - wat
Hector - 0 - meh
Vathale - 1 - wat. at least i recognize the name, just not the person
Ivan - 1 - wat
Dimitri - 1 - wat
Nadeshi - 1 - wat
Epsilon - 1 - wat
LOOG’S RATINGS:
Thyra - 2. Fun straight man(woman) to Hector, otherwise, I find her boring.
Nat - 4. I don't know all of her backstory, but from what I do know, she's a well-developed character.
Zebedee - 4. See Nat. Also he's really funny.
Miko - 3. I think maybe the whole anti-hero thing is too overplayed at times.
Dace - 1. Not a clue o.O
Achenes - 1. She's still very undeveloped, right?
Blaise - 1. Another one I don't know.
May Grimaldi (Embio) (APCARP) - 1. I left APCARP before her, I think.
Sly - 4. Well developed, and apparently a fun fight.
Helen - 3. She could use a little more fleshing out. But probably really fun to battle.
Ender - 4. See Sly.
Rie - 1. For the most part, I haven't been in RPs with her. Sorry. L
Cobra - 1. Pretty unfamiliar I'll say.
Eddie - 1. Same.
Nick - 1. See above.
Ysane - 1. Who?
Lexi - 1. Geez, I left RP and missed a lot huh.
Artifex - 1. Yep.
Max Andurin - 5 if he's anything like the real Andurin/ch00bs, but 1 otherwise.
Vieve - 1. o.O
Terrian - 3. He's pretty fun cakes to be in an RP with.
Rho & Hig - 3. They're also pretty fun cakes. Also, they're like Jekyll and Hyde, which is pretty cool too. Right?
Tanner - 2. He's like fun cupcakes, which do not contain as much fun as Pohatu's Homemade Fun Cakes(c)
Laksha - 1. WHO.
Aquara - 1. Some of Kevin's characters tend to fall into some cliche traps. Not to say others don't, but really, the guy can't quite dig himself out of them it seems.
Albatross - 2. See above, except he's a lot better developed.
Misu Kaelin - 1. I repeat. WHO.
Summer - -1. I never found her to be interesting.
Masumi "The Forgotten Samurai" - 1
Dracon - 1
Arnold - 1
Alyssa - 1
Durant - 1
Prime - -1. Not to bash on Prime, but the bursting with raw power DBZ type characters are never fun to RP with, at least by my standards.
Primus - -2. Same as above I'm imagining, except on supersteroids. Which cause superpowering.
Aya - 1.
Ryuu - 1
Hex - 1
Lucas - 1
Eragon - -5 if it's based on anything from the book of the same name, 1 if it's not.
Kuro - 3. He's a well developed character but not my kind of character to be in an RP with.
Karcharos - 1
Rain - 1
Scar - 1
Zarago - 1
Jacqueline - 1
Ben Higgs (APCARP) - 1
Yoshimitsu - -2. This guy used to be waaaaaay more fun, but the superpowering got old fast, with more than one person apparently.
Vincent - -2. Aren't they pretty much one and the same by now?
Alex - 1. If this is Elliot's Alex, then as far as I know the guy wasn't ever really a well developed character.
Araini - 2. I remember he was kinda fun to RP with back in the day. I'm not sure about now though.
Fratley - 2. Same. Not sure on the current character development of either.
Alexxia - 1
Ophelia - 1
Landers - 1
Emily - 1
Ariel (Asikne Kiror) - 1
Hector - 3. I feel like he could use some more character development, but has changed much in his five year history. He's fun to RP as, but I don't know exactly how fun he is to RP with. So eh.
Vathale - 1. Needs WAAAAAAY more character development other than being Hector's baby machine. For that, I am disappointed in myself. Like before, when she was supposed to be awesome Amazon woman. With some really nice boobs.
Ivan - 2. This guy actually was going to get some character development, but I kind of tossed him aside the minute Hector did. I think someone needs a comeback.
Dimitri - 2. See above.
Nadeshi - 2. Again, haven't really fleshed out his character enough.
Epsilon - 1. See above, only less so. Anyone else think it's time for Hector to stop being in the limelight acting like a drunken sexaholic? I sure do.
LEE’S RATINGS:
Thyra: I like Thyra, personally. She’s very distinctive, and manages to flow well with most RPs without causing any friction. Her main problem though is her lack of ability to grow. Anything that makes her grow also pollutes her distinctive image, making her kinda stuck in character stasis. 3
Nat: Hmmm… Natalie has some issues too. Though a lot more mutable than her friend, she suffers from a real lack of direction ever since “Pulse” got scrapped. Ender’s passing may make her have a new developmental arc, though, so I like the potential. 4
Zebedee: Zebedee’s high rep always puzzled me. I mean, sure, in theory, he’s my main, but he’s really a much less compelling character than the majority of my supporting cast. He has some good bits though, and I’m working on honing him. 3
Miko: Miko’s always underrated and ignored. It seems like the only people that really pay attention to him are DL, El, and Kevin, so it’s tricky getting anything with him to work. I honestly really like his set up though. Figurehead emperor of a race of hatemongers against hate, when he himself found out the North isn’t so bad, and his own race is the badguys? Possibly my deepest character, I think. 4
Dace: My other big prize. Dace simply is herself, and by way of the best characterization I’ve ever written in the RP boards, has proved to be very likable for readers. She manages to be the standard of “brash, overly optimistic trainer” without becoming generic (prolly the whole cruelty and “student of the tutor” aspects helping her there) Well, that and managing to use a Burmy in PRP without being boring. 4
Achenes: Loaded with author appeal, I’m afraid. She still lacks purpose beyond “avenge generic murdered parents”. On the other hand, she has one of my favorite character designs, a very amusing personality, and some upcoming fun, so I can’t sell her short. 3
Blaise: Hard as hell to write, tricky to read. But it’s a fun puzzle for the builder and the decipherer. She’s a web of lies, misrepresentations, mixed up memories, and sheer bravado that ends up complicating anything she touches. And when she touches another character in that vein, say, Terrian, for example, well things get marvelously tricky. 4
May Grimaldi (Embio) (APCARP): Hard to differentiate her from Achenes, but I’m working on it. She’s got some great power concepts I want to reveal later on, a solid design setup, IIRC, and some great story potential. Really, it seems like separated families are better than dead ones for plots, y’know? 4
Sly: Sly is cursed, and blessed, with being an artifact. He can not be reinvented without meeting scorn, or stay the same without becoming a boring decoration in most plots. BB still is doing a great job with keeping him growing and developing, now staying more low key with it and mostly doing it via subtle supporting roles. 4
Helen: Helen’s biggest problem is her sheer versatility. She can conquer almost any plot with ease, meaning she’s very hard to use right. When she does show up, she’s great fun and typically flaunts one of my better designs, though. Hopefully, the Merc Mage arc will bring her back into vogue. 3
Ender: Always cursed with hate by his own writer, a really tricky thing to work with. Ender still is a fun character, and really balanced the whole Cherrygrove core four. It was like he was happy, Zeb was somber, Nat was angry, and Sly was neutral. Now, well, the whole thing goes and shifts. (I still hope that via continuity hiccup, we get to give him one last topic or something, but what’re the odds?) 3
Rie: I’m not as much of a Rie cultist as some, but I do like the hints of straying from type that she betrays from time to time. They give a lot of depth, like the glimpses do more than a full view of her innermost soul could. 4 (Though to be accurate, this is more of a 3.5 rounded up)
Cobra: Totally underused, yah. Ender’s rival missed the boat on like twenty topics where he coulda gained some depth and added much drama. Now that Ender’s dead, what’s next? Tormenting Rie and Natalie? It’s an uncertain future for him. 3
Eddie: Good idea, nice ‘nam feeling to it. Brings some grit to the mecha topics. But, on the other hand, drops out like a punk while the rest desperately fight for their lives. 2
Nick: Always seems to fall into topics that die. His powers are useful, but never really seem to distinguish themselves fully. 2
Ysane: I like Ysane a lot, personally. A unique threat, a unique personality, and awesome familiars. I would like to see much more of her. Especially if it’s a fight with Narcissa. 4
Lexi: Never really RPed with her. She felt kinda “Eh, generic Choobs”, though, so never quite caught my eye. 1
Artifex: Pretty good villain. Props on him winning once, a nice touch. He doesn’t feel like much of a team player, so hard to collaborate him, but he’s got some menace and minions. Always nice. 3
Max Andurin: I didn’t ever do much writing with him. 1
Vieve: Fun character, and the only time I can think of a real “Child” character fitting well into ORP. Doesn’t really contribute much to plot, but adds a lot of flavor to the stories she’s in. 4
Terrian: Great character. He tends to steal the spotlight by acting unlike any other RP character, but manages to avoid disastrous derailings of plots, which is always nice. His power never struck me as the most original, but he rode to this score on personality alone. 4
Rho & Hig: A big duo in many ways, but they really have issues with fitting into almost any RP. Though they can dial up or down easily, making them act believably at either extreme is tricky, and they’re a nightmare for choreography. Still, very fun to read. 3
Tanner: Cultured villainy is nice to see. Tanner brings that in spades to the table. Or, at least, the cultured part. He really needs to back up his villain rep. 3
Laksha: Great character, and the most open of the Fallfish trio. Not necessarily better than the two with greater amounts of relevant backstory and planned futures, not necessarily worse. Just different. 4
Aquara: I’d like to see more brought to the forefront than just “Likes fighting” and a sense of style. She has a dynamic personality that can drive RPs, now, let’s see some of it, eh? 3
Albatross: Interesting character, and actually, in his own way, becoming more developed than Zebedee. Great design ideas meeting a solid personality. 4
Misu Kaelin: Not much is established with her, but I like her design, and it’s always good to have more players in the FRP ground game. 2
Summer: Kinda has issues with standing out (always seems stuck behind somebody or other) but has unique imagery and good fundamentals. 2
Masumi "The Forgotten Samurai": I like Masumi a lot. It’s a shame that she always tends to be left behind. The combination of heartless killer and vulnerability from her illness fits together intriguingly. 3
Dracon: Dracon always feels like a bit of an odd duck to me. But he has begun fleshing out, showing traces of unique actions and opinions for ORP. Another one with a lot of promise. 2
Arnold: Arnold failed to really establish himself in GNR. He’s got all the pieces. Decent power setup? Good background? Unusual personality? He just falls flat on assembly. Still, that was Blood’s first RP here, and the future holds many opportunities for redemption. 2
Alyssa: IMO, Blood’s best written character, though her personality gets a little aggravating to work with at times. 2
Durant: A beam of sunshine to lighten the dreary RP landscape, at least usually, he complements his traveling companions well along with bringing a plot-hook loaded backstory into the mix. 4
Prime: The detour into human form helped the concept of Prime greatly. It gave him a human point of reference for us to tie other experiences with the character into, and made a sterile, unlikable character into one that had flaws and strengths. It took him from a 1 or 2, to, well, 4
Primus: Eh, he’s still not thrilling me too much. He’s got some interesting pieces (the discussion of the nature of divinity and what it entails, ties to Prime, past/present), but his personality fails to do more than feel like the lesser of Prime’s efforts. 1
Aya: Hmmm… Really hard to say. I don’t dislike her, and am fine with her concept. I see some potential, but I can’t gauge how much. I’ll vote higher, since a 1.5 should round up. 2
Ryuu: I like him quite a bit. Much more timid and subtle than Prime’s usual characters, adding some diversity and flavor. Not to mention that his vampiric nature has been mostly teased without full revealing, so it leaves interesting gaps to fill. 3
Hex: Suffers from the “Pacifist” issue of Prime’s, where a character kinda chokes on their dislike of combat and turns into a killing machine. 0
Lucas: One of Prime’s best he’s produced as of yet. Interesting powers, intriguingly unnerving personality, seeds of a new alliance? A pleasure to read, and to write with. 4
Eragon: Ehhh… Not really stirring my spirit. He feels somewhat generic amidst the rest of his roster. Has some basic traits coming through, but still feels kinda like “Sword delivery system number 35”. 1
Kuro: Good character, personalitywise, but he’s trapped by his power level. Hopefully he can shake this, some day. 2
Karcharos: Interesting fellow, especially his connection with Rain. I want to see more of this. 2
Rain: See above, except for even more in need of showing up. 2
Scar: To me, he felt like the weaker part of the pair, but I was approaching the RP from a different angle. Still a solid villain, and unsettlingly competent when he puts forth the effort. 3
Zarago: Should get bonus points for being the only name on here I don’t recognize. 1
Jacqueline: Great concept, and I can’t wait to see where she goes. As is, she hasn’t really spoken to me, though. 2
Ben Higgs (APCARP): I like Ben. He fleshes out the feel of the setting very well, and is fun to write with. I hope that I’ll get to do more interacting with him before too long. 4
Yoshimitsu: Good character idea, amusingly ambiguous, but feels rather cluttered on all fronts. He could use some focusing, maybe a back-to-the-basics plot or two, or some choreography refinement. As is, he’s a bit overwhelming for readers to keep track of (though the bottomless bag of tricks/powers is an idea with great merit as a character concept.) 3
Vincent: Eh, Vincent really feels like the odd one out. It may just be that I’m used to the Hector/Yoshi rivalry, and Kioshi/Vincent rolling in on that feels like cheap replacements to a great chemistry. I’ll try to read up on him more before the next poll, to get a better feel for him, though. 1
Alex: Didn’t really strike me poorly, or well. I haven’t seen much of him, though. 1
Araini: I like a lot of the ideas here. He has a personality that fits together well, while still leaving mysterious gaps, and a power set that makes it interesting to write duels with him. 3
Fratley: Use him moar. He’s worth it. 2
Alexxia: Haven’t seen enough of her to judge. Feels kinda generic, TCGPlayer Era for some reason. Yet again, if I saw more, this’d probably rise. 1
Ophelia: Cruel, but understandable in some ways. One of the best varieties of villains. An unfortunate snafu with Matsya made it harder to sell her as a villain, but we’ll just need to do a few auto-hits next time, won’t we, Blood? 3
Landers: Better than Arnold, thusfar, but only two or three posts into his career. 2
Emily: Fun, fun, fun. It’s hard to dislike Emily, considering. Her ditziness is a role few RPers are willing to cop to, and it leads to a lot of fun moments. Props to Clicker on stepping into the role. 4
Ariel (Asikne Kiror): Still getting fleshed out, and feels a bit too much like she’s just there to keep the plot in line. Still, she has a unique, distinctive personality and creative imagery going, making her stand out very well. 3
Hector: It’s good to see him coming back. As Photu said, RP needs more simple, good hearted heroes, and seeing Hector struggle with both the evil in the world, and himself, while remaining otherwise a sweet, albeit sometimes misguided force, is quite the treat. (Granted, I get access to all the bonus materials, too, making it a deeper story from my angle.) 4
Vathale: Feels kinda like an accessory to Hector. I’d like to see her strike out on her own more often, get some individual experience. 1
Ivan: Ehhh… Ivan needs to be put back together with his trio (Shannon, Dimitri). There, he’ll thrive. But as is, he’s languishing in his absence, slowly fading away to but a specter. 2
Dimitri: Lots of fun ideas, and a good personality, but needs more use and spotlight. 2
Nadeshi: Prolly my least liked of Steph’s main guys. Just didn’t really feel like much beyond “Valon Junior”. 1
Epsilon: I love timid characters fighting their fear to attempt to cause a change for the better in the world, and in themselves. Epsilon and Yuni really have need of returning. 3
POHATU’S RATINGS:
(Since we saved the best for last, amirite?)
I only ever RPed with her in C’est Noir and, just recently, Mirror of Urakuni, but she seems cool. I’d need to see her taking more distinguishing action before I rated her higher, though.
2
NAT
How could I not love Nat? You know what they say: “The enemy of my main RP character is my friend.” They totally say something like that.
4
ZEBEDEE
Waiting to see more Zebedee, since he hasn’t exactly been the most vocal presence in End Game (which is in character for him, I know). Still, I gather from reading older RPs that he’s quite a good character.
3
MIKO
I’m neutral toward him, having never RPed with him. He gains a point for being cool but promptly loses it for being at the head of Summoner Style. I always hated seeing Summoner Style get posts.
1
DACE
Really solid character, with a well-thought-out personality that rings familiar while also seeming distinctive. I look forward to RPing more with her after Fallfish winds down.
4
ACHENES
For some reason, Achenes really hasn’t generated much of an impression on me in Kaida. Sorry, Lee. I did like her in Beyond the Bullet, though.
2
BLAISE
Yay Blaise! You knew a good rating was on the way here. She’s a highly memorable and entertaining member of the Lee roster. And you were considering throwing her out after Chords…!
4
MAY
I like her, but not enough yet to warrant more than a two. As I said when I excluded Orsini from my list, there isn’t enough APCARP material yet to render any lasting judgment on its characters.
2
SLY
Here it is, SPOILER ALERT the only five on the list. But don’t misunderstand – I’m not saying Sly should be considered the very best character in all RP. I’m focusing on Lee’s description of a 5 as “a character that you can honestly think of no way to improve.” I see Sly as being roughly at the end of his character arc. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing more to do with him, only that there’s not much more about his personality that needs to be progressed. He’s at the stage of development that we all strive for. Even more than other characters who’ve been around just as long, Sly gives the impression of having experienced a complete life.
5
HELEN
I can’t help but like Helen, given that she’s the first character Terrian ever interacted with. And I really dig the ingredient and couplet system. I hope to see more of her in the future.
3
ENDER
All right, after what I’m sure we can all agree was a diverse survey of Lee’s characters, we move on to Choobs’ roster, which for me is a lot more polarized. Of all the characters on his list, either I really like them or I’ve never RPed with them. Ender, of course, is square in the former category.
4
RIE
So’s Rie. She’s a great counterpoint to Ender while also standing on her own very well (
4
COBRA
What an enigma. By Choobs’ own admission, he’s underused. But I’ll give him an extra point for being a villain. There’ll be too many 1s in this set as it is.
2
EDDIE
I liked him in that one topic, but I’ve never RPed with him. This is undoubtedly unfair since I have no FRP characters. But there you go. Tough luck, Eddie.
1
NICK
He’s the one with mechanical arms, right? Yeah. He’s cool. Never RPed with him. Sorry, Nick.
1
YSANE
Bonus point, like Cobra, for being a baddie. Why didn’t I give Miko a bonus point on the same grounds? Because there are so many damn 1s in Choobs’ set!
2
LEXI
Again, she’s FRP, so out of luck where I’m concerned. But never fear, bereaved FRP characters! Frederick Arkwright, steampunk airship baron, will take to the stars someday soon!
1
ARTIFEX
He’s the one with the thing at the place, right? Yeah. Super cool. Never RPed with him. Apologies, Artifex.
1
MAX
Lolwho?
1
VIEVE
Oh thank God! I like Vieve a lot. A great friend for Rhometer. I’m glad they met in Kaida. Now, was it Rhys who can also control shadows? We need that trio topic…
3
TERRIAN
Yeah, I guess he deserves a four. I do believe he has “contributed meaningfully” in every RP he’s been in (not counting the freshest two, yet).
4
RHO & HIG
A two? For a character(s) of my own design? What is this? I’d rank Rho & Hig higher, but it’s just so hard to write them, both in terms of language and behavior. I can’t in good conscience give a three or four to a pair of characters I actively try to avoid RPing with too much.
2
TANNER
I like Charles Tanner. I’m happy with what I’ve done with him so far. Not as happy as with Terrian, but that’s a given: Tanner isn’t my main, after all.
3
LAKSHA
See above. (I’m counting her Pokemon in as a unit with her, as with other trainers.) I’ll give her one more because I think her potential, which is smaller right now than Tanner’s, has nonetheless been slightly better realized so far than his.
4
AQUARA
Boy, Kevin’s characters are all just so good-looking, aren’t they? I mean, damn. Terrian would move in on that in Whisper, if he weren’t mildly concerned that Aya would suck his blood out for being a crude human male.
3
ALBATROSS
Don’t know him. But he seems like a nice guy. RP needs more nice guys. That's right -- more baddies, but also more nice guys. Fewer of these amoral wisecracking mercenary douchebag types.
2
MISU KAELIN
Who? I’ve never heard of her. But I bet she’s gorgeous.
1
SUMMER
She’s the one who can control plants, yeah? That’s cool. Nobody goes for plants. I approve.
2
MASUMI
Masumi is mighty attractive, I will give her that. Also she has a good personality and stuff I guess.
3
DRACON
My favorite Kevin character! Obviously, because he’s in Triannual. Even though I don’t feel like I know tremendous amounts about him, I still give him mad cred for participating in Triannual. Plus, Kevin’s very visual RP style lends itself well to a shapeshifter.
4
ARNOLD
There’s an RP character called Arnold? I do not know who is this Arnold of whom you speak.
1
ALYSSA
I like her. She’s a cool one. Blood has handled her well in Shrinking.
3
DURANT
Ah, there’s that Fallfish bias again… Durant rounds out the trio very well. And I quite like the playmate/rival relationship that’s emerged between Taraek and Ganesh.
4
PRIME
What, you thought Prime was going to get stomped on? Not so! His current incarnation is good peeps. Still a cocky sonofabitch, but in a great way. I like that he fails at diplomacy so hard. It helped make Triannual very entertaining at a low-action juncture.
4
PRIMUS
“Primus”? What? So – so Primus is different from Prime? I don’t get it, man. This is some Transformers sh*t right up in here.
1
AYA
I have yet to see her demonstrate that she’s something more than the Ass-Kicking Female Who Could Totally Kick The Ass Of The Guy She Hangs Around With. But I’ll see that in time, I’m sure.
2
RYUU
Poor Ryuu. He’s really trying to make friends with Terrian now. I almost want to let Terrian give in and start pallin’ around with the vampires. But this cannot be. Oh, well. Keep fighting the good fight, Ryuu.
3
HEX
He’s from FRP, isn’t he? Yeah… about that…
1
LUCAS
Yeah, I’m one of those people who really likes Lucas. The Lucas-Scar pairup… It’s a match made in hell. This is almost certainly the only four I’m giving to a character I’ve never RPed with so I don’t want to hear no whining from you, Prime.
4
ERAGON
Man, I… I don’t know. Okay, you’re right, Ender’s name was ripped straight out of a bestselling novel too, but… you know… Ender’s Game was actually… oh, well, I mean… good? Okay, sorry. You know what, I shouldn’t judge Eragon. I will start respecting him as the Ulina Tournament goes on.
2
KURO
Oh, poor Kuroboom. All right, I’ll make this quick. I really know nothing about Kuro. But I’m sure he’s a great character.
1
KARCHAROS
Karcharos likewise except come on, he’s got a shark motif. That’s damn sweet. An extra point for that.
2
RAIN
I may or may not have ever heard of Rain. However, if he’s purple, I’ll give him a five on that alone.
1
SCAR
Yeah. Lucas and Scar. As I said, that’s a killer combo A HERP DERP DERP
3
ZARAGO
Who? Cool name though.
1
JACQUELINE
She’s nice I bet.
1
BEN
I think he’s got a really cool power but more importantly, thanks to Ben’s codename, ol’ Orsini with his “explosions” isn’t the only APCARP member plagued by awkward sexual undertones! Yaaayyyy
3
YOSHIMITSU
I like how I talked Elliot into submitting his characters, and yet I have never actually RPed with Elliot at any point. So his characters remain a mystery to me. Could I read about them in other RP topics? Sure. And I have! And Yoshimitsu is cool.
3
VINCENT
Aaand that’s all I’ve got. Wait, no, I remember Vincent. He’s cool.
2
ALEX
Oh my god it’s a character named “Alex” I AM FROM ARCHIE EXIE I HATE ALEX WITH THE RAGE OF A THOUSAND BALD EAGLES RARRRRGH GODDAMNED ENGLISHMAN THAT HE IS
1
ARAINI
Boy or girl? I can’t tell.
1
FRATLEY
Now this is a character that I legitimately have never come across in my RP reads. But I’m giving him an extra point for having a funny name.
2
ALEXXIA
Oh my god it’s a character named “Alexxia” I AM FROM ARCHIE EXIE I HATE ALEXXIA WITH THE wait
1
OPHELIA
I’m digging Ophelia. I like what Blood’s said about the characterization and Pokemon set he’s aiming for with her. ‘Course, she’s a total bitch, but PRP needs more baddies.
3
LANDERS
That’s a pretty cool name.
1
EMILY
Sure 'nuff, Emily is a good character. She’s added some much-needed pep and good cheer to Triannual. (I mean, Lee wrote about half her stuff there, but she’s still cool.)
3
ARIEL
Not following Arachne Furor, I can’t comment.
1
-------
And now... THE FINAL RESULTS!
Character Ratings Results, 2009
Sly 35
Nat 33
Terrian 33
Rho & Hig 33
Zebedee 28
Helen 25
Ender 25
Rie 25
Lucas 23
Miko 22
Emily 21
Albatross 21
Thyra 21
Tanner 20
Karcharos 20
Laksha 19
Durant 19
Kuro 18
Dace 18
Ophelia 18
Vieve 18
Blaise 17
Ben Higgs 17
Ariel 16
Eddie 16
Scar 16
Ysane 16
Artifex 16
Dracon 15
Jacqueline 15
Hector 14
Rain 14
Aquara 14
Achenes 14
May 14
Nick 14
Ryuu 14
Fratley 14
Araini 13
Arnold 13
Cobra 13
Lexi 13
Landers 13
Vathale 13
Masumi 13
Misu Kaelin 12
Summer 12
Dimitri 12
Nadeshi 12
Prime 12
Alyssa 11
Zarago 11
Vincent 11
Hex 11
Alexxia 11
Epsilon 11
Max Andurin 10 (Yes, he averaged higher than a one per vote)
Aya 10
Eragon 9
Alex 9
Ivan 9
Yoshimitsu 7
Primus 5
Congratulations to BB on taking first in the ratings (you owe me one, bud. ) Thank you again to everybody that participated, and remember. Keep posting in the RP, and trying to hone your skills. No matter how good you are now, the only direction to go is upwards!
This has been Lee after four hours of straight work. Good night, and take care!