There does come a point, I would imagine, when the quest for new and original character types/backgrounds starts to conflict with Tolkien canon. I don't really see all that much room for groundbreaking new ideas in a format that is contained in a set world, even one so large and mysterious as Tolkien's.
I have enjoyed the one RPG I was in immensely, and was trying to find the time to explore the rest of the RPG forums. Unfortunately, for myself, I have a hard time conforming my mindset to Tolkien canon, so that process hasn't been going smashingly, so far. After all, my only characters have been a half-elf who spouts the worst poetry in the galaxy and an orphaned half-hobbit (granted, it was a parody) but you can see my mind tends to twist Tolkien with evil glee. When I try to think up a character to sashay into the White Horse, I either lapse into thinking about the characters from the novel I'm writing, or I speculate on what the child of a Dwarf and a Hobbit would be like. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]
I have a point, don't worry. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] I consider myself a "good" writer, as I've been doing it since before I could even spell well enough to write my ideas down. But, when faced with an RPG, I have a rather hard time thinking up a character who is both non-stereotypical and true to Tolkien. This from a person who has spent over a decade crafting stories and characters as her main pursuit in life. I don't even have lack of skill or practice as an excuse, and it's still hard.
So I'm saying you ought to have a little patience with new, young people who want to get involved because they see other people having fun. Naturally, they're going to want to have the same kind of fun, so they'll copy what they see. It's not that easy to whip up a stupendously interesting and unique character, especially when you're dealing with the restraints of someone else's world.
Of course, I agree about the boringness of perfect, uber-skilled warriors whose only fault is a shady past and a moody 'tude. Most of the characters I create in my original works are the most pathetic screw-ups you'll meet. But then again, Aragorn was annoyingly perfect, with a mysterious past and orphaned to boot, and no one's jumping down Tolkien's back about it. So have a little patience with the menagerie of differently skilled writers you're bound to meet.
~ Diamond
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All shall be rather fond of me and suffer from mild depression.
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