Acting your age

[Gnomad]

A lot of the time, I feel like I'm one of the few people in the game that give the fact that characters have age any weight.

If your character is "very young" and you're trying to talk politics with an elf who is 500 or 700 years old, you shouldn't expect to be treated as an equal.

If I chastise someone for being a child, half the players take it as "you're not level X".

It's getting annoying. Do your characters act their age?

[kallindra]

Honestly I've worried about the very thing, and I can honestly say, yes.

In some cases that can make at least one of them annoyng to the people around her. But its more fun to have them act age appropriate than it is to act otherwise.

Conversely you'll never see my characters labeled as 'very young' with someone 'extremely old'. At least not with out a LOT of back story as to how that happened.... but... it could be just me.

[CrystalTears]

Conversely you'll never see my characters labeled as 'very young' with someone 'extremely old'. At least not with out a LOT of back story as to how that happened.... but... it could be just me.
Ageist

[Fallen]

Yes. Evarin is a brat by Dhe'nar standards, and rightfully so. Given to sometimes disgraceful displays of temper. He is set to Extremely young, or should be.

Good topic, BTW, age is often only given consideration when roleplaying if some prat decides to RP a 7 year old.

[kallindra]

Ageist

I know... someone needs to call the ACLU (ECLU..?)

[Back]

The last time I played I had my Vaalorian set at mature. I just took that as he didn’t engage in youthful folly (if a Vaalorian could). I had him make cracks about the difference in lifespans in conversations with other races.

But this sounds more to me like a conflict between those who study GS history/race docs and those who don’t. While my char could discuss the superficial aspects provided by the race pages I would be hard pressed to get into an indepth political discussion about Elanthian elven politics. While I RPed to the hilt I really did not have the time to memorize that much information.

I get the age vs. level frustration though.

[Drew]

My main is human in his mid 30s but I really play him a bit younger, I've just never set his age and feel like if I do I would immediately regret it. I often consider it but I don't think most people do.

[DCSL]

Really, Drew? I always thought of your character as being older (older than what, I don't know) and kind of.. "You damn kids get off my fucking lawn!"ish. Maybe it's his resistance to wearing pants, like some senile old fart.

/kidding. I'm bored tonight.

[Drew]

Yeah I know what you mean, I tried to go for that but I can't help but being a wiseass a lot of the time and a bit rash which I generally associate with youth. It's hard being consistent.

[Moist Happenings]

My characters generally act their age, but admittedly I usually take sort of the middle ground age-wise so I don't have to think about it too often.

I have met some really excellent characters that did. One stands out in particular because it was recent. Guy by the name of Arkhaine. Absolutely perfect job of roleplaying his character's age, and roleplaying in general really. Without even being able to look at the guy, you could get a sense and feel for his character and age just by talking to him. Seek this guy out if you can. It's worth the trip to River's Rest.

It does kind of bug me occasionally that people disregard it, but so many people ignore the age thing that I tend not to let it bother me unless I'm at some sort of roleplay type gathering.

[thefarmer]

I always thought of your character as being older (older than what, I don't know) and kind of.. "You damn kids get off my fucking lawn!"ish.

That describes my main to a "T". When I actively sought out RP opportunities, I used the Hearthstone lawn/porch combo as my setting and screamed at people I didn't know to 'Get off my lawn". It was especially fun when it was someone with their age set to 20's when I could add kids to the yelling.

[Ignot]

I always played the age of my character but I set his age based on how his personality was. He was bitter, selfish, and easily annoyed so I made him old. My half-elf was more upbeat and social so I made him young. That way I wouldn't have any problems. I would hate when people would have a mature age setting and then walk around bouncing off people and asking for healums and spellies.

[Elvenlady]

That describes my main to a "T". When I actively sought out RP opportunities, I used the Hearthstone lawn/porch combo as my setting and screamed at people I didn't know to 'Get off my lawn". It was especially fun when it was someone with their age set to 20's when I could add kids to the yelling.

I definitely got that impression from Vivaldi during my brief interaction with him. He looks and acts the part. Well played!

What really gets me is those that have their characters age set as elderly yet have ridiculous feature alters with sparkling eyes and luscious lips or bounce, skip and giggle all over the place.

[Sweets]

Not enough people associate age with the actual age of their character. I'm with ElvenLady and Ignot here. Giggling and bouncing with sparkling eyes and cascading hair set on elderly need a slap. From that guy...you know the one....the one that slaps the shiney (insert appropriate vagina name here)...what was his name?

[Khariz]

I think some of the game's races make it hard to "Act your age". I mean...if being 150 years old as an elf makes you young...you've still lived 150 years right? You still have 150 years of experiences to make you who you are. You may be young compared to 35 year old human "culturally", but you still have 115 years on the guy to have matured in society in general. I dunno, I find it hard, especially when I'm playing an elf, to properly act my age.

[MotleyCrew]

It's all pretty subjective really. Just because the game says 'wizened with age' or 'bloom of youth' means a certain thing doesn't mean thats how someone might perceive it in their minds eye.

I have characters across the board in age, I just play them as I see fit, but I am not a bouncy, lick everyones cheek type.

And Khariz makes a good point. Just because someone 'appears' to be youthful, doesn't necessarily mean they are. There are people who are chronologically old(er), but they don't feel their age, and don't act it either. Then there are people who are wise beyond their years.

To each his own I guess.

[GSKynthelig]

I think some of the game's races make it hard to "Act your age". I mean...if being 150 years old as an elf makes you young...you've still lived 150 years right? You still have 150 years of experiences to make you who you are. You may be young compared to 35 year old human "culturally", but you still have 115 years on the guy to have matured in society in general. I dunno, I find it hard, especially when I'm playing an elf, to properly act my age.

This is one of the things I have been thinking about lately. Is an Elf that appears very young still the same mentally as a Human would be? The Elf could still be 75 and though their bodies look young, their minds would not be.

I think the titles they give with ages may not always be fitting or at least to how people should be acting. Though if I had known then what I know now, I would probably add another 100 years to Kynth.

[TheLastShamurai]

i think its pretty amusing when there is like a 2000 year old elf dating a 21 year old human.

[Drew]

Not enough people associate age with the actual age of their character. I'm with ElvenLady and Ignot here. Giggling and bouncing with sparkling eyes and cascading hair set on elderly need a slap. From that guy...you know the one....the one that slaps the shiney (insert appropriate vagina name here)...what was his name?



Arkans, but he slaps it twice.

[Fallen]

From the fantasy i've read, elven and human children act fairly similar. Past the teenage years, though, I believe they start to differ.

[Tisket]

Giggling and bouncing with sparkling eyes and cascading hair set on elderly need a slap.

You've described my rl gramma perfectly. Except you forgot to mention the iPod earbuds. But I can't slap her, she'd kick my ass.

[Gnomad]

I always played the age of my character but I set his age based on how his personality was. He was bitter, selfish, and easily annoyed so I made him old. My half-elf was more upbeat and social so I made him young. That way I wouldn't have any problems. I would hate when people would have a mature age setting and then walk around bouncing off people and asking for healums and spellies.I did this too, and it's really a lot easier. My empath rarely heals in public, and doesn't like to hear people complain about bruises, so I made sure he was much older and tired of the youngins complaining.

My Vaalorian is brash, headstrong and haughty; he's a young adult.


This is one of the things I have been thinking about lately. Is an Elf that appears very young still the same mentally as a Human would be? The Elf could still be 75 and though their bodies look young, their minds would not be.As I see it, yes. I just take the human age range and apply it to elves/dwarfs/whatever. They mature at a much slower rate than humans. Sure, at 100, an elf will have myriad more experiences than a human who is in their teens, but they don't have the mental/emotional capacity to properly assimilate and learn from them.

[Gnomad]

What really gets me is those that have their characters age set as elderly yet have ridiculous feature alters with sparkling eyes and luscious lips or bounce, skip and giggle all over the place.

>bounce
As you throw yourself against Gigglesface, you hear something snap!
... 25 damage
Hard blow breaks the femur!

[Khariz]

As I see it, yes. I just take the human age range and apply it to elves/dwarfs/whatever. They mature at a much slower rate than humans. Sure, at 100, an elf will have myriad more experiences than a human who is in their teens, but they don't have the mental/emotional capacity to properly assimilate and learn from them.

Maybe it's because I AM a human, but I can't see how this would be true.

I mean...have you ever seen those stories of 10 year olds who have shitty drug-coma induced parents who take care of the toddlers, and do as good of a job as adults, cooking meals, changing diapers, comforting them, etc.

What I'm trying to say is that environmental stimulae can engineer psychological development in ways that we aren't hardwired to naturally progress. I think an elf who is an "adventurer", living in a melting pot society, killing monsters, saving kids from monsters, watching fireballs singe their scrotums, etc, would grow up pretty damn fast. Maybe I'm just thinking about this too much now.

I just have a hard time believing that a 100 year old elf that toughs it out in the Landing for a couple years would still act like a teenager.

[CrystalTears]

People who try to attach real life situations and psychological development arguments to ELVES make me laugh.

Because for some reason it's okay to imagine a HUMAN who is 50+ behaving like a teenager but not an elf? :lol:

[Clove]

Newsflash. Elves don't exist. Nobody knows how they would act. Deal with it and play your own character, not others'.

[Khariz]

Wow, Clove, way to be a moron.

[CrystalTears]

Way to miss the point that people are overanalyzing how fast elves mature when fucking humans can't even get it right.

[Khariz]

Way to miss the point that people are overanalyzing how fast elves mature when fucking humans can't even get it right.

Your point was fine. His was retarded. I said in my own post that I was thinking about this way too much.

Nobody is trying to tell anyone how to play their character though. That's just Clove being dumb.

[CrystalTears]

Meh, when people start deciding what ages and what races should or shouldn't be together, or whether the age is or isn't okay to act a certain way, yeah people are judging (and basically telling) how people roleplay.

[Khariz]

Meh, when people start deciding what ages and what races should or shouldn't be together, or whether the age is or isn't okay to act a certain way, yeah people are judging (and basically telling) how people roleplay.

Nobody is saying they can't do that, or even shouldn't. I'm just saying I personally think it's dumb when they do. I'm not going to say anything to them about it or anything.

[Gnomad]

Way to miss the point that people are overanalyzing how fast elves mature when fucking humans can't even get it right.

I minored in human development in college. It happens!

[Trallihn]

Yeah, I play Trallihn as old... lean on his cane or shield, askin folks to speak up. Tellin folks to respect their elders (They can be great lord so and so for all I care, age is not training.)

But when ya look as old as Trallihn, well it only makes sense.

He is stooped and appears to have one foot in the grave. He has wrinkly-cornered sharp steel blue eyes and leathery liver-spotted skin. He has shoulder length, mangy grey hair encrusted with filth and blood and pulled back at the neck through a series of yellowed kobold vertebrae and braided moldy hemp twine. He has a haggard face, a crooked nose and a long, matted brown beard heavily streaked with oily grime and singed in various places along its tangled length. His scarred skin hangs in wrinkled folds across his bony cheeks and squat forehead.

[Sweets]

You've described my rl gramma perfectly. Except you forgot to mention the iPod earbuds. But I can't slap her, she'd kick my ass.


Point taken! I don't recommend slapping her either. Gramma's are usually tough cookies.

[Clove]

Nobody is saying they can't do that, or even shouldn't. I'm just saying I personally think it's dumb when they do. I'm not going to say anything to them about it or anything.And remember I said "with all due respect..."...