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On Playing Multiple Characters...

BenthicDreamer

BenthicDreamer

Super-Earth
Joined
Oct 25, 2017
I’m curious, who here enjoys playing multiple characters? There are so many ways to do this and options, I want to know what people prefer and why.

For example, do you enjoy playing a “game master” type role where you play as the world and NPC’s against a single character? Even here though we have options, for example, “the unfortunate adventurer who gets repeatedly taken advantage of” vs the “dominant personality who amassed a harem.”

I’m in a couple at the moment, some where I’m playing as a single character against multiples, some the inverse where I’m playing multiples against a single. I’ve GMed and on rare occasion had someone willing to Gm for me. My satisfaction personally has come more from my gaming partner than either one in particular.

Is anyone intimidated by the prospect of playing multiple characters? Excited?

What would prompt you to give it a try if you’re on the fence? What style appeals to you—being a victim of the world or an agent of change? Multiple against multiple?

Would love to hear other player’s thoughts.
 
Multiple vs multiple, most of the time. I've found that it is very rare for a satisfying story to involve only two characters of any complexity, and taking on the entire load myself is both stressful and boring.

Having an ensemble cast allows me multiple points-of-view by which to tell a story, especially when the story contains strange twists and turns where exposition from a new perspective can be important and even necessary. It also means the action doesn't have to be spudged into centering around only two characters, and multiple threads of a plot can be developed in parallel. Multiple characters also let me explore multiple sides of a story, playing characters who are opposed in motivations, alliances, etc, either in tandem with or against my writing partner. And at times I can get... bored with one character's development, so having someone else to swap to and flesh out can be very satisfying.

Finally, how do you expect to have a proper orgy with only two characters? I mean, c'mon!
 
I have one story where there are so many side characters, I feel it was a mistake. We each have about a dozen a piece. Usually I will not go into anywhere near that many, but you cannot build a world around two people.
 
I have played multiple characters as well as having characters which can be played by either partner as required. Depending on the story sometimes it is easier to have that dynamic.
 
I will never write a story with only two characters. That, in my opinion, is less than a story and more of a one shot. That being said, I also will not be responsible for creating the entire cast of a story against one character either. A good story requires an equal amount of effort from both partners. I think it's only appropriate in a GM type story with a group of people playing, that way there is more variety and opportunities for the Storyteller.

I have definitely written stories where the amount of characters got out of hand, but it was only because I would introduce people as plot points and got attached to them, or my partner's characters that weren't meant to stick around...and I would find myself not being able to let go of them. But, it's never actively made me lose interest in a story...it just got cluttered and I've had to redo a stories just to fix that.

But the best way is to pick a main character, and have a few side characters that progress the story along, in my opinion. I can handle writing 5-6 reocurring side characters in addition to my main.
 
I love secondary characters but will only develop them if the other is doing similar. I also do stick with one main, sometimes two if the other main is male. Like I may have two mains, the wife and the husband's lover (male) but my cowriter will have to write the husband and, whatever, someone else, and/or many of the background characters.
 
Always play multiple. I like to really fill-out whatever setting our characters are in, and that means side-characters and one-offs. Sometimes I'll GM scenes here and there, like when my partner's character is on a solo-mission, I'll control the enemies/sidekicks/NPCs they'll possibly run into. For me, it's about bringing the world to life. The scope of it depends on the plot and if my partner takes on some too.
 
Princess Pittooey said:
I will never write a story with only two characters. That, in my opinion, is less than a story and more of a one shot. That being said, I also will not be responsible for creating the entire cast of a story against one character either. A good story requires an equal amount of effort from both partners. I think it's only appropriate in a GM type story with a group of people playing, that way there is more variety and opportunities for the Storyteller.

I have definitely written stories where the amount of characters got out of hand, but it was only because I would introduce people as plot points and got attached to them, or my partner's characters that weren't meant to stick around...and I would find myself not being able to let go of them. But, it's never actively made me lose interest in a story...it just got cluttered and I've had to redo a stories just to fix that.

But the best way is to pick a main character, and have a few side characters that progress the story along, in my opinion. I can handle writing 5-6 reocurring side characters in addition to my main.
Click to expand...

That's pretty much my exact same answer.

Hell, I'm controlling ... I think around the same - if not a few more - people in me and Razgriz's story. Two main characters and ... like 5-6 supporting side characters [give or take a few], and he's got about the same.

But I completely agree with that above post. I can't really think of much to add or anything. Beautifully said, Princess.
 
I always end up playing multiple characters, both by design and as a way to make the RP feel “larger”. Sometimes those other characters are walk-on bit characters, designed to make a scene more interesting. Sometimes, they are designed to be major or minor supporting characters. And sometimes, a “walk-on bit character” is interesting enough and takes on enough personality to demand becoming a recurring character.

But, yeah. I love me some ensemble casts. And I will cheerfully abandon the “main” plot for a while to follow supporting characters around.
 
I can't fathom only having two characters. There's always something else that can be happening, someone else that might have a role to play that might enhance the whole experience.

Being said, I'm often afflicted by what I call 'Bit Character Syndrome' where said bit character winds up with way more development than they really warrant, and bloom into a much bigger character. Irritating, and yet gratifying when it pans out!
 
Honestly I'm not that good or comfortable playing as multiple central characters myself, even though I'm pretty good at coming up with dynamics & relationships for them (in my opinion). It is something that I would like to work at and acclimate myself to, though.

Shit, if anyone has a good idea for a plot with multiple dudes and is willing to put up with someone finding their feet, hit me up.
 
I enjoy it. Having just one character for me to play would get boring but while playing multiple characters is fun, if it feels like I'm the only one contributing I would shut that down immediately. Carrying on a variety of characters, their personalities, and leading the story would be like writing solo.
 
Playing multiple characters is easy. Playing them at the same time is hard. ;)

I GM quite a lot, and it's no problem to play minor NPCs simultaneously, or to control the broader cast of characters as the player moves about the world. But I'll admit I do struggle when I'm in the player role, and am asked to control a party of two or three "protagonists" travelling together.
 
I normally enjoy playing more than one character for the same story. Although if I end up handling more than three per post it gets somewhat tiring since posts end up feeling way, way long. But in general portraying multiple characters helps me get even more entertained and keep interest in the story I’m writing for at each moment. So it’s usually of my preference. I’ve found out recently that it also helps move the story if it ever seems like it just went stale or something...I don’t know if that only ever happened to me?
 
Often times, I'll be playing a huge cast of characters while my partner is playing only one character. Though this might be because I RP exclusively on Discord, and there is a writing efficiency level associated with using Discord: people tend to give little effort and are intimidated by my own level of writing. Not that I'm just this godlike writer that writes to perfection, but because the people who do end up contacting me are thinking something along the lines of "Well gosh, they only want a paragraph minimum? That's like probably 4 sentences. I can do that!" While yes, my minimum is 4 sentences, that's kind of like showing up to a date with minimum effort required to get laid. Not to mention writing multiple characters with 4 sentences is practically impossible without putting me to sleep.

Writing a character is like starting with a T-pose in animation. You need to work the model into doing what you want it to do, move the legs, arms, show some personality, emotions, why are they walking this way? Why are they doing this thing right now? How are their emotions being plastered on their faces while doing this thing? If you've performed an action, you should have described at least some of this in your response to me. This can cause lower tier writers to bottleneck their responses and suddenly sink from being a good writer, to a bad writer, very quickly. There is also the problem that, do I need to describe this? Does this action or mood need to be described to my partner, or will the fluff get into the way of progressing the RP? What can I throw away, and what can I keep? Is what I'm writing going to be effective in what I'm trying to transpire; or is it extra material to fill the void?

This is why, I think, a lot of people struggle with using additional characters. When I write new character for my partner to interact, I tend to focus on a few particular attributes that I want to convey to them. These things need to mean more than one single identity. An accent is cool, but why though? If the why has been explained, like a history rife to be explored, then that identity is no longer a flanderization of a concept, and makes the character more 3 dimensional. The accent isn't just there to be an accent, it's there because they come from a particular X X X and that impacts literally everything about the character. You suddenly know how to act, how not to act, how to befriend them better, how to piss them off easier; this knowledge has completely transformed your own behavior on how to interact with this character. This flanderization is not a healthy way to make a new character.

This is an issue I see people having with multiple characters. The fact that flanderization is such a popular tool to make new characters doesn't actually make them new characters, it makes them a concept that is a 2D, easily copy and pasted identity. This is boring because the focus if it's smut is "how can I get some dick from this person?" If it's not smut, the focus would be something that is a vacuum and unchanging despite the character: "How can I achieve my goal with this person?"
 
I refuse to write secondary characters just so they can get fucked by someone's main.
 
I think playing multiple characters is easy. I just think a lot of people aren't able to adapt with having multiple characters because they have trouble distincting the different personalities of each character and end up blending them together by accident.
 
I'm 100% all for multiple characters, especially if it helps with the narrative or character development. I tend to go for more of an unfortunate adventurer route mostly due to having a thing for making my characters suffer.
 
BenthicDreamer said:
I’m curious, who here enjoys playing multiple characters? There are so many ways to do this and options, I want to know what people prefer and why.

For example, do you enjoy playing a “game master” type role where you play as the world and NPC’s against a single character? Even here though we have options, for example, “the unfortunate adventurer who gets repeatedly taken advantage of” vs the “dominant personality who amassed a harem.”

I’m in a couple at the moment, some where I’m playing as a single character against multiples, some the inverse where I’m playing multiples against a single. I’ve GMed and on rare occasion had someone willing to Gm for me. My satisfaction personally has come more from my gaming partner than either one in particular.

Is anyone intimidated by the prospect of playing multiple characters? Excited?

What would prompt you to give it a try if you’re on the fence? What style appeals to you—being a victim of the world or an agent of change? Multiple against multiple?

Would love to hear other player’s thoughts.
Click to expand...
I'd try my hand at that kind of guy with an harem so I can invite some of the characters I'm creating as part of my main work
 
i absolutely need to play multiple characters! i get so bored otherwise - and i think relationships are so crucial to character development, beyond just their romantic one. my best friend and i have been world building together for almost two years and have over 40 characters together, all with unique and fleshed out relationships to each other! i would super highly recommend branching out to anyone who may be too intimidated to play multiple characters, it makes everything else soooo much more lively.
 
So the problem I have when playing DM is that my players feel like that's an excuse to play an absolutely bland character, making me have to create the fun for myself as well as for them, which is why I've done it less and less. Playing multiples is a blast though, having the characters interact with themselves as well as the partner's is pretty fun, so long as they aren't doing the same thing I mentioned above. Either way, both are fun, you just need a partner who is not waiting for you to make the fun for both of them.
 
Always played with multiple characters if I could. Even if we had a play where we were the last two people alive, I'd make a dog or cat or something to play as.
 
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