Character revamps, or lvl new character?

Looking at my list of characters, I noticed I rarely RP with any of them with the exception of Aishling and Xen-tau. That's because Aishling has such a rich background, and her place in society is known to everyone and is a character of some renown. However, I am thinking of revamping quite a few characters of mine! I got stuck with them because they were... well... let's say dull.

Now, I want to revamp them. Different backgroundstories, different personalities etc. But the username stays the same and all(I don't feel like paying for a namechange). How does the community(you guys) feel about that? Do you level new characters, or are you okay with dusting off and changing old characters?

Quite a few people on Alliance side already do this. Hurley for example has used the same toon for at least 4 or 5 different characters.

Just use TRP! Make sure they don't look too similar and you'll be fine. If they -do- look similar, a cheeky little method would be to have them as a relation to your previous character so that you can say "Ha, you must be confusing me with "

I have recently done this with Kyven. From a blonde, well kept looking toon to a savage Northrend born tribesman - it's pretty easy to tell it isn't the same char!

Alright, then I will do that I guess! Thank you all! =D

And never underestimate the power of "New last name!"
The idea that there's only one character with the same first name in the world is bogus.

If you are serious about using the same character for...a different character, be sure to actually go the extra mile and pay for a namechange. Not everybody uses MRP or a similar addon and it can get very confusing when you call your character something differen than he is called in game. Don't be suprised when people sometimes still refer to you by your character's name (I sure will, seeing as I often use "%T" in my emote macro's)

Thelos wrote:If you are serious about using the same character for...a different character, be sure to actually go the extra mile and pay for a namechange. Not everybody uses MRP or a similar addon and it can get very confusing when you call your character something differen than he is called in game. Don't be suprised when people sometimes still refer to you by your character's name (I sure will, seeing as I often use "%T" in my emote macro's)

Don't listen to this in the slightest. Even if it is slightly confusing, it's a complete waste of money! The people that don't use addons are a minority and if you're not killing off your character, you would have to pay again when you want that character back.

I agree, it's fine to just rp as a different character with the same name. Loads of people irl have the same name as me, even a few in the zone I live in (Glos), let alone the server (UK). Just change hair colour and you will probably change clothes style anyway to fit the new personality you create.

Best of luck with the revamp, more diversity of rp characters the better

Vaell wrote:Don't listen to this in the slightest. Even if it is slightly confusing, it's a complete waste of money! The people that don't use addons are a minority and if you're not killing off your character, you would have to pay again when you want that character back.

Disagreeing with me is perfectly fine, Vaell, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't directly tell people not to follow my advice if it didn't follow your own. Let's allow people to make their own decisions, fully weighing the pros and cons of each option, shall we?

The bolded part is, as I believe, a factual falsehood. I have no statistics to back this up. I do have the common sense thought though that, whenever there is an addon that improves upon one aspect of gameplay, there's bound to be more people that don't use it than that do. Not everyone who tries their hand at role-play is so serious about it they do their research and download the recommended addons. I don't think role-play is any different than any other aspect of the game in this regard. I don't think every DPS out there doing instances has downloaded recount, for example. To be sure, there are many that do, and those that have are so vocal they might give the impression that they are in the majority, but there are hordes of people out there that quietly enjoy the game without bothering with all the fuzz of addons.

In fact I think the paradigm thinking of assuming everyone uses an AddOn while role-playing is in a way detrimental to the experience, especially to beginners. If yet another thing a role-player has to do, besides learning all the unwritten rules of conduct, is to download a bunch of AddOns, they're even less likely to seriously try it.

We shouldn't have to rely on AddOns for our role-play. They should be an addition; they often are a very valuable one, but they should never be a necessity, and if your role-play requires those you role-play to use the same AddOn as you, I think - note, this is my opinion; I think, you are failing at one of the tennents of role-play players on these boards often value: openness. If you don't have any inclination to role-play with folks that don't use the same AddOns than you, you can completely ignore what I wrote. Do note though that even in that case, I consider a too big of reliance on AddOns to be an ugly thing, but that's just my taste (implied by the word "ugly) and nothing more.

Thelos wrote: (I sure will, seeing as I often use "%T" in my emote macro's)

Interrestingly Enough, %T, isn't an issue. its fully typing out the name that's an issue.

That said, I kinda agree with you Thelos, but there's nothing wrong going for the cheaper option imo.

That said, I don't think i've ever really used RP addons bar to make fun of RP addons.

Amaryl wrote:

Thelos wrote: (I sure will, seeing as I often use "%T" in my emote macro's)

Interrestingly Enough, %T, isn't an issue. its fully typing out the name that's an issue.

That said, I kinda agree with you Thelos, but there's nothing wrong going for the cheaper option imo.

That said, I don't think i've ever really used RP addons bar to make fun of RP addons.

Neither do I, Amaryl (bolded part), I'm just voicing a different opinion. I'm not thoroughly unreasonable: if people don't have the cash to burn on name changes, I'm sympathetic for them using AddOns to fill this gap. I just want to point this filling the gap out for what it is, though; a cheaper alternative for a more cleaner one: changing the name of your character.

Heck, I've done the same on Thelos in the past, but it always felt wrong playing him as a different character. I never felt comfortable doing it. If I were to seriously play another draenei anchorite now, I'd pay for a name change, taking my considerations in this thread and my past experiences into account.

As I said before.

Change some aspects of the characters name. And go to the stylist and change apearance.

You go from being "John Charlse" into being "John Jones" who is a 100% different person.

Cheaper, simpler. And since it'll look almost nothing like the old one. Shouldn't be any mistakes unless it's done by idiots who only go "OH I KNOW THAT NAME!" and doesn't think.

Thelos wrote:

Amaryl wrote:

Thelos wrote: (I sure will, seeing as I often use "%T" in my emote macro's)

Interrestingly Enough, %T, isn't an issue. its fully typing out the name that's an issue.

That said, I kinda agree with you Thelos, but there's nothing wrong going for the cheaper option imo.

That said, I don't think i've ever really used RP addons bar to make fun of RP addons.

Neither do I, Amaryl (bolded part), I'm just voicing a different opinion. I'm not thoroughly unreasonable: if people don't have the cash to burn on name changes, I'm sympathetic for them using AddOns to fill this gap. I just want to point this filling the gap out for what it is, though; a cheaper alternative for a more cleaner one: changing the name of your character.

Heck, I've done the same on Thelos in the past, but it always felt wrong playing him as a different character. I never felt comfortable doing it. If I were to seriously play another draenei anchorite now, I'd pay for a name change, taking my considerations in this thread and my past experiences into account.

Then we agree!

Thelos wrote:

Vaell wrote:Don't listen to this in the slightest. Even if it is slightly confusing, it's a complete waste of money! The people that don't use addons are a minority and if you're not killing off your character, you would have to pay again when you want that character back.

Disagreeing with me is perfectly fine, Vaell, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't directly tell people not to follow my advice if it didn't follow your own. Let's allow people to make their own decisions, fully weighing the pros and cons of each option, shall we?

The bolded part is, as I believe, a factual falsehood. I have no statistics to back this up. I do have the common sense thought though that, whenever there is an addon that improves upon one aspect of gameplay, there's bound to be more people that don't use it than that do. Not everyone who tries their hand at role-play is so serious about it they do their research and download the recommended addons. I don't think role-play is any different than any other aspect of the game in this regard. I don't think every DPS out there doing instances has downloaded recount, for example. To be sure, there are many that do, and those that have are so vocal they might give the impression that they are in the majority, but there are hordes of people out there that quietly enjoy the game without bothering with all the fuzz of addons.

In fact I think the paradigm thinking of assuming everyone uses an AddOn while role-playing is in a way detrimental to the experience, especially to beginners. If yet another thing a role-player has to do, besides learning all the unwritten rules of conduct, is to download a bunch of AddOns, they're even less likely to seriously try it.

We shouldn't have to rely on AddOns for our role-play. They should be an addition; they often are a very valuable one, but they should never be a necessity, and if your role-play requires those you role-play to use the same AddOn as you, I think - note, this is my opinion; I think, you are failing at one of the tennents of role-play players on these boards often value: openness. If you don't have any inclination to role-play with folks that don't use the same AddOns than you, you can completely ignore what I wrote. Do note though that even in that case, I consider a too big of reliance on AddOns to be an ugly thing, but that's just my taste (implied by the word "ugly) and nothing more.

Amen to this. I didn't use rp addons for much time(like months) before starting using one, and was confusing at best, especially when people used them to change their char. I don't like addons, I prefer not having them at all while playing the actual game. They can be useful and work well, they're mostly a nice addition to the game, but they shouldn't be needed and, in my humble opinion, they aren't needed. This said, I name changed at the time, my char, when he was presumably killed, to prevent meta and eyerolls. I would do it again? Depends, but I think so. And I'm no rich in any sense, I get little money from the classes I give.

I think whether to actually pay for a namechange or just use an RP-Addon to change it is about how active you will be on that character. For one I changed my main RP characters name from Acil to Buren because I knew that would be my active one, for the time being at least. But then on the other hand on Krashm, that used to be my main, I use an addon to change his name because I wont play on him enough to make it worth a namechange. Then again, if its played out correctly it doesnt matter how you change it.

To answer the question. Go ahead, use a TRP(or whatever addon you prefer, or none at all!) to change your character name!

Thelos does have a point but I don't see why anyone should pay blizzard any money for a name change. Especially a rper, since greedy, slacky blizzard has neglected rp realms totally, and has done nothing to enrich the rp experience nor prevent rp grieving. I wouldn't give them one cent more than what I pay for subscription. Trp2 or mrp wil get the job done and most rpers do use one or the other. As for those who dont use the addons, they should, I always remind ppl who dont have an addon to get it, its something that enriches the rp

Muzjtah does make a good point... If your character's name is a decent first name.

I'm on the fence about name/race/appearance/faction-changes myself, but a little bit less after reading here

Thelos wrote:
The bolded part is, as I believe, a factual falsehood. I have no statistics to back this up. I do have the common sense thought though that, whenever there is an addon that improves upon one aspect of gameplay, there's bound to be more people that don't use it than that do. Not everyone who tries their hand at role-play is so serious about it they do their research and download the recommended addons. I don't think role-play is any different than any other aspect of the game in this regard. I don't think every DPS out there doing instances has downloaded recount, for example. To be sure, there are many that do, and those that have are so vocal they might give the impression that they are in the majority, but there are hordes of people out there that quietly enjoy the game without bothering with all the fuzz of addons.

I have role-played with most of the RPers on our server at one time or another. I have very rarely ever seen someone without an addon. Now, I don't have a statistic but I'm pretty sure most could agree with that. I could log on now and prove it. "Enjoy the game without addons" - acting like it's a hastle. Addons improve the game. They do exactly as the name suggests - they add to it. Whilst you're eating your bland chicken, I'm digesting a perfectly spiced, flavoured and seasoned piece of Azeroth fried beauty. It adds so much depth.

Thelos wrote:In fact I think the paradigm thinking of assuming everyone uses an AddOn while role-playing is in a way detrimental to the experience, especially to beginners. If yet another thing a role-player has to do, besides learning all the unwritten rules of conduct, is to download a bunch of AddOns, they're even less likely to seriously try it.

Anyone who whines about having to download a 30mb (tops) addon in 2013 (I mention the year because of download speeds) is an idiot as far as I'm concerned. One addon to give you so much more depth to the world and you go "It's too much, I quit!" Fair enough, someone may choose not to download an Addon. I see no reason why you wouldn't want to - that seems really backwards to me - but if they don't try RP because it's too much effort... Good. They don't sound like patient people and from my experience, impatience in RP is the biggest sin.

Thelos wrote:We shouldn't have to rely on AddOns for our role-play. They should be an addition; they often are a very valuable one, but they should never be a necessity, and if your role-play requires those you role-play to use the same AddOn as you, I think - note, this is my opinion; I think, you are failing at one of the tennents of role-play players on these boards often value: openness.

Pros of RP Addons:
- Allows full character name with title so that it can help people's memories in the future. "But if you forget their name, so can your character!" No. I forget the names of people I've RPed with but if they're the general to my character and he spends all of his time in Azeroth, he's not likely to.
- Allows instant description of a character that you would initially notice upon approaching them, therefore enhancing the immersion.
- Further to point 2, it also allows you to edit your race/class to
- Allows for the altering of language to create deeper immersion.
- Allows the creation of items of all sorts to build stories, create jokes around and again enhance immersion.
- Allows the player to announce they're OOC/IC
- Allows player to alter their name entirely.
- Allows the player to announce if they're new to RP and need assistance.
- Allows the player to write books/a background so that people can read them during slow points in RP.
(Need I go on?)

Cons of RP Addons:
- Sometimes they break and it takes 10 seconds to turn them off.
- It takes 20 seconds to download them in the first place.

Your point of view seems one of two things to me: Lazy or elitist. "I don't need addons, I'm just so down with the newcomers and feel the vibes of RP flowing through me." and the irony being you're telling me if I need addons to better my RP, then I'm doing it wrong meanwhile you're telling someone they have to pay real money to have an OOC name tag changed because otherwise you lose immersion. Great argument.

The reason I shot you down in the first place is because the person is a little insecure that they'll be mocked if they don't change the name with real money, the irony of your entire argument being the fact that a new player (which I am not saying the original poster is) would be completely put off paying £5 over taking 5 minutes of their time to sort out and change up an addon.

I gave my honest opinion in a respectful manner. It disagreed with your own.

That's all I'll say about the matter. I see no need to make it any bigger than it has to be - it seems opinions are divided on this matter, and I stay true to what I said earlier: that I think it is best to have heard both sides of an argument before you make a decision.

I completely agree with Thelos in every way.

Again, more irony. Everyone saying "I agree with Thelos" yet all of you use addons! Hypocricy.

Vaell wrote:Again, more irony. Everyone saying "I agree with Thelos" yet all of you use addons! Hypocricy.

I do not like having words put in my mouth, Vaell. I do not disprove of the usage of addons entirely. I use them myself. I enjoy using them.

I just think that when it comes to changing your name, actually paying to change it is better than using an addon for it.

In addition to that, I think it is bad to assume everyone uses an AddOn and would consider it bad if you needed to use addons as a prerequisite to enjoy role-play.

Is that such a strange or offensive opinion to defend?

Lets just say that I don't have that much cash, and that if there is a way to change names for free, I'd rather go for that than putting what cash I have in Blizzards pockets whenever I decide to rename the character for RP purposes. I had about 5 alter egos on Cid before (one got killed in Arathi, poor old Modoc Doorbrew the beige rifleman), and not having to pay a penny for the renaming is just a plus.

For those that doesn't use addons I just explain in emotes rather hastily that I'm not the name that is lit up over my head.

Cid wrote:For those that doesn't use addons I just explain in emotes rather hastily that I'm not the name that is lit up over my head.

This, I usually copy over what I've written in my Current/OOC to those that cannot see as it covers everything that is actually important (while keeping the text extremely simplistic)
Which is quite necessary for those around me which obviously can't see that Copper is missing her right arm and has bandages covering her entire upper head.

I use addons but only for PvP or quality of life stuff (like bartender). I don't like rp addons and would rather discover a character by rp'ing with them than by a wall of text in my face.

To me, rp addons are like the times when supermarket assistants wore oversized badges saying "Hello, my name is Susan Sopwith! Ask me about the special offer this week on turnips!"

Back on topic - knowing a characters name by the tag above their head is meta-gaming anyway, like advised elsewhere, just give a different surname. Arli often gives his brother's name when arrested, similar situation..ish...