Back from a hiatus

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Staltos · #1 Post by **Staltos** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 8:03 pm

So I was wondering if anyone had tips on bringing back a character from a rather long hiatus? I probably haven't played for more than half a year and just recently started a new character to get back the feel for things. But I would like to start playing with my main character again.

ganandorf · #2 Post by **ganandorf** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:01 pm

Yeah i just experienced the exact same thing less than 2 weeks ago, as have others, I've seen some people just say that they have been sleeping for a long long time, others have gone places and come back with stories to tell, it really depends on what you want to do

gojin · #3 Post by **gojin** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:17 pm

Ive done this quite a few times. My usual excuse is that ive been high in a cave in Giat meditating. I usually rp this by quitting up in Giat if I know I will be away for a long while. But its not unusual for chars to be gone for several years and then pop up anew.

anglachel · #4 Post by **anglachel** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 2:03 am

The common exuses are:
- making a long journey
- take care of relationship far away in the last valley behind nothere
- study an interesting theme that needs all the time.
In my oppion is there no big story needed. Playing after some time is a ooc thing,
It is the same like logout and login after two days. In the game nearly a week has past. There is no ic explanation for the total absense.
So i think you need no big story for a longer absense. But if you have fun to excogitate such a story, you can do it.

eirikeld · #5 Post by **eirikeld** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 2:49 am

I think this falls into the same realms as most of the game. The more you put into your character, the more you get from it. I offer two of my characters as an example. The OOC reason was I was moving across country, and unsure of how long my absense would be.

First, Kerlorin. A young half-elf from the woods near Elvandar. He wanted to be a healer, that was all I had for him to that point. He heard of the alchemists, and had mailed Naga about such. Knowing I had to be gone, he mailed Naga again, explaining his mother was ill, and he would be gone some time tending to her. A few weeks became a few months, and when I finally came back, 5 or 6 had passed. Well, that's a very long illness [3 years geas time] so instead of ill, she had a lingering illness and then passed. This has helped shape his RP for me, and others. Ask those to whom he has shown the spot in the forest where his house once stood.
Second, Eirikeld. A young human, barely started out in adventure. Wandering this way and that, training to be a fighter. My absence began during the crusade / asral war, or there abouts. I returned from my long break, and he needed a reason to have been gone. So... his house [which was near the temple suddenly, it had never been located before] was burned down. He's not sure from what, but oh well. So I picked a small town for him to have washed away his pains in... Naarved was perfect. It was rough, dirty, and full of hard luck and bad times people. So he ends up spending a few years in an alcoholic haze in Naarved. Explaining this, he sobered, and stayed that way for a year game time before sliding back into drinking.

Long post, sorry, but in both cases, you see how a little thought of why, can lead to full blown character development that will guide both of these characters for the rest of their lives.

tessa · #6 Post by **tessa** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 2:59 am

If it helps, I always figured Staltos was off doing some Crusader mission or another in a far off region.

And I doubt anyone would blame you/your char. for being a bit rusty with old routines or lack of knowledge of current events, either.

Pretty much, you can just come back and stick to a simple reason (a few have been given), or you can come up with an interesting story that fleshes out some of Staltos' personality or background (ie, what poEirikeld did, which was very creative). I think most people are going to be understanding and not think twice of it.

Delia · #7 Post by **Delia** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:05 am

Creating atleast a tiny story will definitely help. Atleast you can transcend from your numerical values that way. Usually if anything BIG hasn't happened one could fill in with some relatively mundane 'real-life' stuff that the character might do. If something like the destruction of the organization you happened to be a part of(or something similar, insert your favourite cataclysmic event here.) happened one might wish to spend a moment in meditation just why you weren't there at the gates or something.

Whatever the little(or big) story behind one's absence might be, it is usually the few little details which make it colourful for others. Spending some time in introspection might reward you with some sudden insight regarding your character also.