It suddenly occurred to me a bit ago that we have a bit of a problem. Our characters are hardly static, while our character profiles remain so.
Here's an example. My character, for example, didn't have his biomod for a good deal of Season 0. Gina didn't exist as anything but an AI until
about six months into Season 1, and still further changes and evolutions are planned.
I personally feel that character profiles, as they are now, are fine and good for introducing a new character. However, as characters evolve after their
establishment, a profile must also change so show this evolution, and at what point in time the changes occurred so there is nothing to be confused about if
you're a newcomer.
I propose an addition of a time line to each character's profile to ensure such clarity. Even if an exact date cannot be given, a rough "right about
there" point can be provided so a new reader can grep the order of events in a character's evolution. I'll use my own character's profile as
an example.
Benjamin Rhodes
Primary Writer: BlackAeronaut
Appreance
Mundane Attributes
Biomod
He has Kazuma Torisuna's right arm, complete with transformation abilities and super-charged attacks.
Handwavium Quirks
Time Line
Oct 2007 - Received his first batch of handwavium and proceded to wave his computer and then his car. Accidentally created an AI, Regina Langley, based
off of Asuka Langley-Soryu of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The two leave the US, becoming fugitives in the process, and become refugees in Australia. Benjamin
temporarily sets up his home base on Australian soil, running his courier deliveries into space from there.
2007-2012 - Benjamin becomes a pioneer in a racing sport known as Asteroid Racing, which gains rapid popularity not
among the Fen, but on Earth as well. Benjamin's name, among others, become synonymous with names like Mario Andretti and Dale Earnhardt.
Aug 2011 - On a chance meeting with The Professor, Benjamin contracts the Mad Scientist to give him a biomod: Kazuma
Torisuma's right arm. The Biomod is a success, but with the disadvantage of the 'Idle Hands' quirk - the arm has a mind of its own, especially in
the presence of a well-endowed woman. Fortunately, this is only while the biomod is active.
May 2012 - Benjamin takes part in the infamous SOS-con. Here, he makes the literal back-door deal with Haruhi Suzumia
to become an ace pilot for Operation: Great Justice in exchange for an SR-71 Blackbird. This, of course, is the seed that starts the Roughriders.
Additionally, Benjamin's status as a Spark/incipient Mad Scientist is revealed when het takes 'Honorable Mention' with his hair-raising cackle.
Jun 2012 - Ben takes delivery of his Blackbird, which had come from his home town of San Antonio, no less - Haruhi had
done her homework. Benjamin and Gina set to work refitting the plane into a properly armed heavy space-superiority fighter with assistance from The Professor
and his own assistants. Fortunately, nothing blows up, but the Blackbird suddenly sparks an AI before the computer system was even finished, which was to be
Gina's place. Miffed, she takes the Bullet Boy Express and goes to see AC Peters without telling Ben. Benjamin
was surprised then, when she came back a week later and stepped out of the space-car.
Jul 2012 - After the refit of the Magnificent Midnight, Benjamin and Gina come to the realization that O:GJ doesn't
really have enough purpose-built combatant ships. So, the two set out to begin building that fleet with "Fezig"-class parasite fighters and
Blackbird-class heavies.
Nov 2012 - O:GJ carries on, but casualties are heavy in The Belt. To help remedy the situation, Benjamin contracts the
construction of B-36 replicas to run long-duration patrols in the asteroid belt with Fezig escorts. The Peacemaker-class ships are a massive success as they
drop the hammer on Reaver operations in The Belt.
Feb 2014 - With things from O:GJ settled, Benjamin shifts the Roughriders into a mercenary-group for peace-keeping
operations. Benjamin's family, after a visit from his Mother, also decide to join Ben in space where they promptly fall victim en mass to the largest loss of Handwavium containment in history - even the family dog is subject to contamination and biomodding.
Apr 2014 - Benjamin winds up with a daughter when, curious about what its like to be human, the Magnificent Midnight makes an already biomodded human form to occupy. Mayonaka Langley-Rhodes joins the family and is soon having
misadventures with Oliver, the Bologna Loaf Express.
Here's an example. My character, for example, didn't have his biomod for a good deal of Season 0. Gina didn't exist as anything but an AI until
about six months into Season 1, and still further changes and evolutions are planned.
I personally feel that character profiles, as they are now, are fine and good for introducing a new character. However, as characters evolve after their
establishment, a profile must also change so show this evolution, and at what point in time the changes occurred so there is nothing to be confused about if
you're a newcomer.
I propose an addition of a time line to each character's profile to ensure such clarity. Even if an exact date cannot be given, a rough "right about
there" point can be provided so a new reader can grep the order of events in a character's evolution. I'll use my own character's profile as
an example.
Benjamin Rhodes
Primary Writer: BlackAeronaut
Appreance
- Height: 5'7"
- Weight: 140 lbs.
- Build: Light
- Hair: Long (see quirks for details) Dark Brown (looks almost black)
- Eyes: Brown
Mundane Attributes
- Neat and Clean: Ben likes to keep all things neat and orderly, but still allows a certain degree of 'lived in'.
- Tenchi Masaki Syndrome: Through sheer luck in his draw from the genetic deck, Ben has the sort of looks that attract vast quantities of
border-line under-age femme-fens.
- Mario Andretti, eat your heart out: He's a racing fiend! The whole courier thing just helps support it.
Biomod
He has Kazuma Torisuna's right arm, complete with transformation abilities and super-charged attacks.
Handwavium Quirks
- "What's the Magic Word?": In order to use the special Shell Bullet attacks, Ben has to use Kazuma's attack lines,
"Shocking Fist Bullet!" etc...
- Idle Hands: The arm, when it is active, has a mind of its own and it is a very perverted one at that. If Benjamin is not careful it will grope
any attractive females present, save those he is closely familiar with (apparently it is only interested in 'New Territory'). To prevent this
he uses a 5,000 lb. test nylon cargo strap fastened to his waist. He can disuade it through sheer concentration, but it requires constant focus; if his
mind wavers from restraining the heinous acts of his perverted arm it will require physical restraint to bring it back under control.
- Dramatic Wavy Hair of Doom: One of two side effects that the Handwavium was able to get away with under the Professor's guidance was that
Ben's hair gained a mind of its own and whips around as though it were in a constant breeze, exponentially increasing his dramatic air and Fen-girl
attraction factor.
- James Dean's got nothing on me: The other side effect. If he wears a scarf, it whips around just like the hair.
Time Line
Oct 2007 - Received his first batch of handwavium and proceded to wave his computer and then his car. Accidentally created an AI, Regina Langley, based
off of Asuka Langley-Soryu of Neon Genesis Evangelion. The two leave the US, becoming fugitives in the process, and become refugees in Australia. Benjamin
temporarily sets up his home base on Australian soil, running his courier deliveries into space from there.
2007-2012 - Benjamin becomes a pioneer in a racing sport known as Asteroid Racing, which gains rapid popularity not
among the Fen, but on Earth as well. Benjamin's name, among others, become synonymous with names like Mario Andretti and Dale Earnhardt.
Aug 2011 - On a chance meeting with The Professor, Benjamin contracts the Mad Scientist to give him a biomod: Kazuma
Torisuma's right arm. The Biomod is a success, but with the disadvantage of the 'Idle Hands' quirk - the arm has a mind of its own, especially in
the presence of a well-endowed woman. Fortunately, this is only while the biomod is active.
May 2012 - Benjamin takes part in the infamous SOS-con. Here, he makes the literal back-door deal with Haruhi Suzumia
to become an ace pilot for Operation: Great Justice in exchange for an SR-71 Blackbird. This, of course, is the seed that starts the Roughriders.
Additionally, Benjamin's status as a Spark/incipient Mad Scientist is revealed when het takes 'Honorable Mention' with his hair-raising cackle.
Jun 2012 - Ben takes delivery of his Blackbird, which had come from his home town of San Antonio, no less - Haruhi had
done her homework. Benjamin and Gina set to work refitting the plane into a properly armed heavy space-superiority fighter with assistance from The Professor
and his own assistants. Fortunately, nothing blows up, but the Blackbird suddenly sparks an AI before the computer system was even finished, which was to be
Gina's place. Miffed, she takes the Bullet Boy Express and goes to see AC Peters without telling Ben. Benjamin
was surprised then, when she came back a week later and stepped out of the space-car.
Jul 2012 - After the refit of the Magnificent Midnight, Benjamin and Gina come to the realization that O:GJ doesn't
really have enough purpose-built combatant ships. So, the two set out to begin building that fleet with "Fezig"-class parasite fighters and
Blackbird-class heavies.
Nov 2012 - O:GJ carries on, but casualties are heavy in The Belt. To help remedy the situation, Benjamin contracts the
construction of B-36 replicas to run long-duration patrols in the asteroid belt with Fezig escorts. The Peacemaker-class ships are a massive success as they
drop the hammer on Reaver operations in The Belt.
Feb 2014 - With things from O:GJ settled, Benjamin shifts the Roughriders into a mercenary-group for peace-keeping
operations. Benjamin's family, after a visit from his Mother, also decide to join Ben in space where they promptly fall victim en mass to the largest loss of Handwavium containment in history - even the family dog is subject to contamination and biomodding.
Apr 2014 - Benjamin winds up with a daughter when, curious about what its like to be human, the Magnificent Midnight makes an already biomodded human form to occupy. Mayonaka Langley-Rhodes joins the family and is soon having
misadventures with Oliver, the Bologna Loaf Express.