[Ranylyn]

Adding onto what Ryu and Blissus have already said, here is how I create a new character, in three simple steps:


1) Decide on a very rough theme or gimmick. Say a spear user. Search for images that can work for that gimmick. Say, going to safebooru and typing "spear" in the search. Depending on how picky or open minded you are, this could easily be either the easiest or hardest step.

- This is important due to flexibility. You'd be amazing how looking for more specific things you have in mind can be cripplingly limiting. Keep your net wide an pick something you like from your options instead of narrowing your search to a needlepoint. For example, an image may not be tagged exactly as what you're searching for, and it's easier to ignore the legions of girls in skirts with spears than it is to rely on searching for something specific like "armored spear user." You might also find something else you like that wasn't what you initially had in mind, such as someone in a robe with a spear that just happens to look too cool to ignore. Even if you have a specific character from a specific series in mind from the moment you decide to make a new character, deciding on their gimmick is helpful in deciding which picture to use to best convey YOUR character and not just the character whose picture you're using.

2) Upon finding a good picture, examine it for other details you can build on, such as a scar that could be an interesting bit of backstory. This is LIKELY the easiest step.

- This is important since your profile image is what people see. Some might skim the description, but the picture is grabbing. Sure, your zeran icon might have two full horns, or your corbie might have two wings, but what if one is broken/missing in the picture? Why is it broken? You could handwave it in the description as pointing out that it's not really broken, but it's easier for others if you just roll with the image, so they don't need to either memorize your details or keep referring to the written description. As such, having aspects of the picture have canonical importance is a great way to build a new character from only a rough concept.


3) Build your icon to reflect the image. Again, depending on how picky you are, this can be the easiest or hardest step.

- Making the icon at least ROUGHLY resemble the picture is helpful to the people you're roleplaying with since they can tell some basic information at a glance, like hair color, armored vs unarmored, caped or capeless, etc. In a heated moment, they're not going to want to double check your profile to read if you're actually wearing a cape or not, if one of their ideas is to pull on your cape to get your attention before someone else does anything, or having a sword strapped over the icon's back compared to an axe in the description. It's NOT a MUST, but it DOES make things simpler for those replaying with you.


This is what I go through for nearly every new character. And it helps, a lot. Sometimes it takes me 4 days to find a picture I like because I'm picky. But the end result is that I'm largely satisfied with every character I make, and I stick with them, when I follow this. When I just make a rush job to try something out, that character will not last long.