DU10: Characters, Evolution, and the Creative Process

[Crescent]

1. This place is deeeeeeaaaaaaaaaad. Our Discord has killed it deeeeeeeeaaaaaad.

2. This has been DU's 10th YEAR, dudes and dudettes. I don't think we've really made much of a deal out of this >_> We're technically at 10.5 years now, since roleplay began on June 30th, 2008.

Hence, on both counts, let's do some threads here to reflect on DU stuff in longer-form o 3o If you have an idea, go ahead and start a thread (with HASHTAG #DU10, gotta stay hip!)

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I think our characters are some of the nearest and dearest aspects to us as individuals here. These are characters that some of us have, beyond ~10 years on DU, have also used in other incarnations elsewhere for even longer. So let's write way too much about them! Their origins, influences, what you intended for them, how plans may have changed, whatever.

I'm gonna start with three of mine, if this catches on, I may reply with more u 3u But for now, who I'd say are my core characters... and the funny thing is, only 1 of these 3 were planned to be (and plans for the 1 have drastically changed for that matter lol)

Add some thoughts on your own characters, add any observations/comments/questions, etc o 3o


Junko/Camille

I put Junko together as my first DU character shortly after the game started. It was a matter of happenstance, really. She had been created for another game shortly before that died upon its launch; it was a school setting, where the characters all had powers that came with conditions. Junko's were that, despite her shy/reserved archetype, she had to act out in some way, which is where the "Camille" magician's assistant persona came from. So Cam's Kamen Rider Den-O wish concept for DU, along with contract powers etc was a perfect fit. The difference was, whereas in the first game, the "acting out" portion was written right there on Junko's character sheet from the get-go, for DU, I (now infamously >_>) decided to up the ante. I had the idea to make Camille even more of a full-fledged split personality... and hide the fact that she and Junko were actually the same character from everyone but Cam. Needless to say, it worked to perfection (::chefkiss::)

However, as I think I've elaborated a bit on in the past, she's still evolved differently than planned, specifically how Camille's concerned.

Originally, the plan was for once we reached the point where the secret was revealed - where Junko was also forced to acknowledge Camille's existence - the Camille personality would rapidly wind down, with Junko coming to terms with something that she was basically subconsciously refusing to acknowledge. But as DU progressed, I began to have thoughts along the lines of "....well, maybe Camille won't go away entirely". At that point, I was planning along the lines of using a Digimental of Deceit, maybe along with an artifact or something, and using that would bring the Camille personality back out. Buuuuuuut, as things then continued to progress, I had a thought, which was basically:

"....You know.... Yeah.... Camille is my favorite DU character.... by a long shot"

So, at that point, things changed again, landing us where we are now. Camille ain't going anywhere. Well, hell, it's still been a fairly fluid situation. At first it was still more "Camille ain't going anywhere... at least for a long while". Right now, I honestly don't know.

But I think, specifically for that reason, I don't have a lot of Junko and Camille's future development planned. Especially not anymore, since we've gotten to the point where Junko has joined Stability. I have some vague plans for the more immediate future - mainly dealing with how, for the first time over the course of DU, the pendulum is starting to swing toward the possibility of Junko being the more capable force. I have one other thing I want to get to ability/toolkit wise. That's honestly it, beyond a couple Digimental concepts and a general direction for the near future as far as Malcolm x Junko and Anubus x Camille goes.


Kai

Kai has settled in as my lead male PC. "Kai Arith" is my primary legacy character. He was my lead in D-Zero. And while he wasn't my lead in DDT, he was there from early on, and I probably gave him the second most attention of all my chars there.

The funny thing is that he was never intended to be in DU. I decided to instead do carryover by giving Shinn the Arith last name and a Ryumon -> Soldramon partner (giving said Digimon a sort of high-tech makeover, coincidentally similar to what Cam did with Stragomon for DU). When a few of my potential more minor male PCs I had been tinkering with didn't really click, I decided to finally introduce Kai to DU as Shinn's older brother.

Kai's turned out a lot different in DU. His previous incarnations were a lot more moody/edgier. Here, despite being introduced late, he... has a much more protagonist-like personality XD He has Kai's trademarks from D-Zero and DDT - a Voltmon partner and a weird boomerang-sword weapon. But that's about it. I dig the sort of determined, mildly sarcastic straight man role he's fallen into. He has a new powerset planned that'll probably be introduced after Shadow Riders that should be fun.


Nana

I like Nana for a lot of reasons. How she's become my Aph/Hermes-like lecherous voice being one of them >_>

She was originally meant to be nothing more than a civilian. She debuted 8 years ago after Mariah and I had tossed together some potential ideas for her and Zephy... in fact, I believe her first appearance is Nana promptly getting flirtatious with Zephy, so that aspect of Nana was always there XD

We never really followed up with them, think there were a few random reasons, including Mariah getting some other ideas for Zephy instead. After that, it was about two years before Nana appeared in a thread again.

The nature of her reappearance was determined a few weeks/months before that, when... Cam, do you remember at all? Did you specifically suggest her as the new Divine Crown Lion? Or were you "Do you have someone to use as the new Lion?" and we came upon Nana in discussion?

Anyway, we decided to use her for that, and then shortly thereafter REDACTED PLOT SECRETS OMG SPOILERS, which became the final piece in fleshing out her character some more. So I designed a partner, added some goals, a dash of Machiavellian tendencies, gave her a slightly more stylish (and thicc) makeover and, voila, Nana as a full-fledged PC was born.

Though speaking of her lecherousness... I'm trying to remember the exact circumstances, but it was Graham who approached Nana catching Suzuhana's eye, so don't blame me for that shit >_>


...I actually want to add an "How other characters have affected yours" addendum now, but I've written enough for now >_> I'll add some of that later, since there's some interesting bits there, particularly as far as Camille's concerned.