[Mithadan]

First of all, I'd like to caution everyone against singling out particular members whose characters you might not be fond of. Whether you like their characters or not, their creators have likely put some time and thought into their crafting.

If you study writing, you will learn that there are two kinds of conflicts which a character can encounter; external and internal. An example of an external conflict is "I have to destroy the Ring." An internal conflict would be "I am not strong enough or smart enough to destroy the ring."

The "suffering character" who has lost parents/friends/siblings comes with a ready made internal conflict as well as an external conflict if he or she seeks revenge. This character is easier to write and has something to talk and emote about. That is why this device is used so often in our Inns and RPGs.

It also happens to be Middle Earth authentic. As Child commented, Middle earth was a violent and difficult place where the loss of loved ones is not unusual. Just read the Silmarillion. Is this device overused? Perhaps. Are there more subtle or creative devices which could be used? Yes. But that does not make "suffering character syndrome" a bad thing.

As for the Shield-Maiden issue, there appear to be at least 2 women for every man on this site interested in RPGs. It is simply not reasonable to ask all these women to play stay at home housewives.

Are there non-shield-maiden characters that could be played? Yes. Child's role in the Lonely Star series (Elvenhome and The Shire) exemplifies such a character. But such a character requires a degree of writing ability and confidence. A new RPer can't be expected to write such a character effectively, first time out. Besides, I'll guess that shield-maidens are more fun for some people. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

So far as Mary-Sues are concerned, avoiding this style of character comes with experience. Everyone deserves to learn.