Character Development

Character Development in The Future! is both simple for those who want to engage in dynamic character development and immersive for those who want to fine tune. Players are assumed to have a general idea of their character before joining in the RP. After they are assigned to a 1x1 RolePlay with a GM, the GM will give a custom in-game character/'application' sheet. It will at least ask for these four elements:

Identity: Gender: Age: History:

Now let’s isolate these four elements of character creation and elaborate on their functions:

Identity
Identity comprises your character’s name, alias, rank or any other type of identification. It has a nominal effect on your characters actual status. Since your characters identity is often the first impression made on others, it may have a factor in social relations. For instance, a clean-cut town might not take well to a mercenary who goes by "Kafgar the Monster" and you probably don't want to be in a seedy, backwater town with the name "Pee-wee Hermin"!

The importance of rankings and alias' are subtle, yet very real. Ranks only hold as much authority as the organization's influence itself, and typically they only really give authority over those inside the organization. Alias' are important for your character to have because it hides your characters true identity from any enemies, restricting them from finding about your characters past or from reaching your character in the future.

Gender
Gender helps define a characters social status, their propensity towards decisions and certain physical traits. It has an important effect on your characters status depending on the environment. Gender does not define a characters potential to learn, however certain social situations may entail different benefits or detriments.

The primary concern of gender lies between the chemistry of the group; it's important to consider what your character is bringing to the group and whether or not gender will be a challenge to that role. Female and male characters typically form their own gender sub-group.

ADDRESS TRANSEXUALS, HERMAPHRODITES AND GENDER CHANGES

Age
A characters age is essentially the ever growing container of your characters experience. It is the second most important element in character development. An older character has more potential for experience, however his physical and mental traits deteriorate after a certain age. This trade off helps equal the playing field with younger characters. The important thing to remember about age is that regardless of being a highly trained veteran soldier, they can still bleed and die like their inexperienced counterparts.

Anti-Aging Supplements exist in The Future! but often have severe consequences. While they may extend age or allow a character to grow older while retaining the physical prowess of a younger body, supplements are usually addictive and may include adverse side-effects. It also may require a persistent supply of the supplement to prolong the anti-aging effects.

History
History is defined as a list that identifies all of the characters important and over-arching experiences. It is the most important element in developing a character. Having a character with a wealth of experience is important, however if the character does not receive adequate downtime then it will lead to mental, physical and social consequences.

Experiences include participating in any kind of wars or skirmishes, academies or training camps, whether he worked for a specific corporation or non-affiliate group. Additionally, they include any university training, competitions or apprenticeships.

The measurement of a characters experience is based both on the intensity and duration of the activity. This system is not mathematical, but realistic and organic. It is designed equalize any attempts to create ‘overpowered’ characters while still retaining an atmosphere for balanced characters to grow.

For instance:

Say a character is 25, and 10 of those years were dedicated to high-risk combat in an extremely intense urban warzone. His experience during those years should not only provide ample knowledge in ways of combat, but also physical injuries, mental deprivation that may result in psychotic breakdowns and post-traumatic stress disorder-- social anxiety and a range of other defects.

Experience in war is important for defining a character and is encouraged, however the 'experience' is never just beneficial. Having breaks between a characters combat experience to take a vacation is called downtime and is important for character growth because it allows a character to breath and reevaluate his introspective health. To players who believe characters are just vehicles of progress, downtime is wasted time because a character doesn't necessarily gain any skills.

An alternative option to downtime is non-combat vocations which include a range of options from janitor to neurosurgeon. They provide up to roughly half the stress relief that downtime offers while also allowing a character to learn a new skill. The actual stress relief provided depends on the intensity of the non-combat vocations which is reflective of what the actual vocation is as well as how intense the training program is.

A third option for managing downtime is a non-military combat vocation which is any shade of criminal or law enforcement career. This path provides at the most a quarter of stress relief that downtime offers but provides an opportunity to receive combat training and experience. The actual stress relief is determined by the intensity of the program; being in a paramilitary unit, an assassin or special squadron of any kind is considered military activity.

Emotional Health
Determining emotional health is both stochastic and determinate. The stochastic portion is for initial factors and the determinate factors are dependent on post traumatic growth.

Initial Emotional Health
Initial Emotional Health is the baseline of the characters emotions and it is dependent on whether or not they're more introverted or extraverted. Since most people are a mix of both, use these variables to determine where they stand.

1 = Pure Introvert

2 - 19 = Intra/Extrovert

20 = Pure Extrovert

The closer someone is to a certain variable, the more like that variable they are. For instance, if a 2 is rolled, then the person isn't a pure introvert but is much more likely to be melancholic than choleric if they become emotionally unstable. Likewise, they are more likely to be phlegmatic than sanguine.

Emotional Stability
Emotional Stability is influenced by both trauma and post traumatic growth. When emotional stability becomes unstable, the effectiveness of a person is reduced. Depending on the persons initial emotional health, they can either become selfish or over controlling. To stochastically determine the effects of trauma, these variables are in effect:

Step 1

Determine the skill of the soldier and roll a d20

Because those with higher tiers of certifications often see more combat and are used to trauma, they are more likely to be unphased by some events. Rolling on an even number means that the character successfully avoided being traumatized and retains mental control, rolling on an odd number induces trauma.

Tier 0 = Even number, x>6

Tier 1 = Even number, x>11

Tier 2 = Even number, x>16

Tier 3 = Even number

Step Two Draw a card for level of trauma. The more extreme the trauma, the greater instability is incurred.

Green = Minor trauma

Orange = Adequate trauma

Red = Severe trauma

Black = Extreme trauma, roll d20: if on a 5, 10, 15 or 20 then it results in complete mental instability. The person breaks down in tears, panics or acts in any sort of irrational manner.