Help with history writing

I’m sure everyone has noticed the flood of new players we have had lately, and that they seem to be better than the usual classes we get.

What you may not have noticed is that their histories seem to be lacking! I’ve started this thread as a way of sharing tips and suggestions for keeping a fun history going.

I’ll get the ball rolling.

[b:wf8os2s8]Work on it in Notepad, then copy/paste[/b:wf8os2s8]. It is a lot easier to manage, especially with the size and all the crazy color tags that are floating around.

[b:wf8os2s8]Save a copy to your hard drive.[/b:wf8os2s8] I have a LOTJ folder in My Docs, and in it, a ‘character bio’ folder. I have years and years worth of information on my past characters. It’s fun to pull them out and reminisce about the good ol’ days where your first character got permed in a few hours by Imperial Stormtroopers. Saving your notepad files also makes it a LOT easier to edit and expand histories in the future. Bonus tip: You can save more than histories!

Below is one of my files.

[code:wf8os2s8]&p(&w+&p)&O

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&zAccessing Public Datanet File Number 18308-213A...
Access granted. Displaying file
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&gSubject Name: &&zIlm
&gSubject Number: &z157
&gSubject Age: &z23 standard years since emergence from cloning facilities
&gSubject Place of Birth: &zCloning Facility 113-8 &R(&CKalist VI, Deep Core&R)
&gSubject Parent(s): &zIlm 156
&gSubject Offspring: &zIlm 158 &R[&zassumed&R]
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&gEmployment History
&z-Ilm 157 operated at cloning facility 211-3, responsible for the creation of Khommite Striders, until his banishment from his homeworld.
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&gHistory File
&w-The Ilm breed of Khommites are particularly unusual in that they are not subject to the general parameters of Khommite society and have not for over two hundred years. Ilm 37 was banished from Khomm for unauthorized modifications to the planet’s Strider population. The Khommite in exile made its way to the core worlds where it soon became a resident engineer with Sorosuub Corporation. Exact details beyond this point are relatively sketchy. Shortly after the collapse of Czerka Corporation, Ilm 37 left Sorosuub. Having invested wisely in the Galactic Stock Market, the Khommite had amassed a rather sizable personal wealth. He used the credits to establish a cloning facility on Kalist VI, a planet located in the Deep Core not too far from Khomm. The facility’s purpose has never been clear; while its founder claimed it was to carry on its genetic line, Khommite experts have always feared the planet was being used to raise an army that would one day ravage Khomm.

What IS known is that Ilm 37 continued his genetic line. There were periodic encounters with Khommites of the Ilm genetic line over the years, but all were very brief. Each of the Khommites claimed to simultaneously be the original Ilm while also possessing its own unique numeral.

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&gSubject Notes
&w-Claims to be the original Ilm 37. This has not been confirmed.
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&BClosing link. Thank you for accessing the Public Datanet.

Before you stands a being humanoid in apperance, but clearly not a baseline
human. Standing just over four feet tall, this being’s stature is is
relatively unassuming. Its rough skin is relatively dull in color and
tone. There does not appear to be a single strand of hair on the being’s
entire body although several brambly ridges run the length of its head –
from the forehead to the rear of the skull. A pair of dark eyes are sunk
into the being’s skull.

&zC&Bharacter &zN&Bame: &OI&gl&Om &W1&w57

&zC&Bharacter &zH&Bistory: &gBorn on a planet of perfection, Ilm 157 spent its entire life free from the constrains of Khommite society. The Khommite’s attitude is incredibly lax (even vulgar) especially compared to other beings of his species. Ilm 157 has little desire for the ‘natural’ order and structure that is typical of Khommite and their society.

&z[ &BCivil War on Khomm &z] &gAt the time of the Ilm Genetic Line’s (IGL) departure from Khomm, the planet had been immersed in a Civil War over genetic purity. Ilm 37 was banned from its homeworld after a bio-bomb it develope spread out of control, nearly wiping out the Khommite’s homeland. It was quickly banished, a move that eventually warped Ilm 37’s belief about the Khommite species. This is reflected in all its predecessors. At this time, the planet of Khomm’s Civil War has been over for nearly a century. The land the IGL called home lost and was eventually purged; those of the IGL are now considered to be bastardized offspring and not truly Khommite (hence the reddish skin).

[ Banishment from Khomm ] In order to help gain headway in its people’s crusade for genetic superiority, Ilm 37 lead a cloak-and-dagger research project. Under the guise of a standard Khommite Strider cloning facility, Ilm 37 lead a team of dedicated scientists to craft a biological weapon to specifically pin-point and eradicate ‘lesser’ genetic strands of Khommites. The initial test was an astounding success, wiping out 99.99% of the target landmass (Island land mass of 7.7 thousand kilometers, population of 21 million). Tragic circumstances in the form of strong wind currents and an unforeseen mutation lead for the virus to make its way towards Ilm 37’s native continent. Nearly 13% of the continent’s east coast succumbed to the disease. To prevent the total eradication of the ideal Khommite genetic strand, an orbital seige was laid on the surrounding coast line to prevent further viral infection. Ilm 37 was immediately apprehended and brought before a tribunal. Standard procedure would call for its immediate execution, however the leaders of Ilm 37’s government recognized his significant contributions. He was ‘merely’ banished from Khomm. There is no solid evidence, but it is likely that Ilm 37’s genetic virus research program was resumed under a different head.

[ Work in the Core Worlds ] Having found itself removed from Khomm, Ilm 37 soon became immersed in the Core World (and decidedly human-centric) culture. It soon became clear to it that it’s prefered method of extermination (fine-tuned weapons of mass destruction) were not perceived as acceptable and would spell a quick end for it. Ilm 37 soon identified a new outlet for its thirst to express itself- Mister Sorosuub’s Corporation. Their promising research and development program headed by a fiesty Arkanian combined with their expansive shipyards meant that Ilm 37 could soon be developing new manners and methods of destruction.

&rFrom the desk of &OI&gl&Om &W3&z7

&PP&preface

&wIn my relatively-short time emerged in the Core-World culture, specifically my time within Sorosuub Corporation, I had

It has been only a relatively short time since my emergence in the Core-World culture, specifically Sorosuub Corporation. However, I quickly adapted to my situation and began field studies pertaining to spacecraft. The following is a summation of my initial observations, and recommendations to exploit a soon-to-emerge market for a class of vessel that is inevitable.

&PO&pbservations

&wMy main source of observation (indeed, the entire inspiration for this concept) stems from viewing various battlefields of the Republic – Sith/Mandalorian War. The Navy of the Galactic Republic has made use of remote starfighter manipulation. In several different incidents I monitored, the Republic deployed squadrons (consisting of 12 starfighters) from Invincible-Class Dreadnaughts and, by making use of battlegroup tactical computers, were able to use these squadrons to great effectiveness against their foes.

&PC&poncept

&wThe principal starship used by the Republic to deploy starfighter screens are the Invincible-Class Dreadnaught which has an overall capacity of 60 units, the equivalent of 30 starfighters. The Republic has proven this tactic to be effective and of versatile use on the battlefield; the role of starfighters will only expand. With that in mind, a market for starships specifically designed for hauling starfighters is inevitable. A large-scale capital ship engineered primarily to haul and supply starfighter squadrons would prove to be profitable, especially in this time of war.

&PC&ponclusion

&wIt is my hope that the Board of Directors will authorize my project to fund, research, develop, and bless this project.[/code:wf8os2s8]

I don’t do this often, but an amusing (but generally depressing) way to generate a backstory is to use the ‘Real Lives’ edutainment game to generate a history and adapt it to Star Wars.

So that’s what I’ve got for now. LotJ, show your moves. New players, feel free to ask questions!

I second everything that Walldo’s said (though, I haven’t used the Real Life method myself; I’d start playing that game and forget to write my history).

On that note, here’re my tips:

1. While this really applies to ANYTHING you write, COME BACK TO IT A DAY LATER. Seriously, you’ll be surprised at what you can find/correct after it’s been out of your mind for hours on end.

2. Try your best to avoid cliches. Really. Just like being a "badass to the end" is going to get you permed instead of thrown in a jail cell to grovel at a later date, being born an orphan, being raped, etc. = overused to the point of annoyance. In certain situations, it can work–but only in certain situations.

3. Take inspiration from literature, television, movies–anything, really. They’ve been doing this for as old as the concept of a "story" has been around (see: monomyth). I don’t mean copy a character, but, by all means, go ahead and take a specific element of their backstory. Take, for example, my (successfully applied for, if that says anything) Sith, Vilhar: I’d recently read Darth Bane: Path of Destruction… in that novel, Bane is imprisoned for (unknowingly) using his force powers to go against authority; he’s then pulled from jail by a Sith Master and trained. I took that, fit it to Vilhar’s history as a con artist, and went with it.

[b:2auzob7f]What is the ‘Personal File’? in histories?[/b:2auzob7f]
The Personal File represents your character’s background. Here is an example from one one of my history files I have lying around:

[quote:2auzob7f]&RP&zersonal Account
&wA refugee of war, Seevi-and-Ganice Marcos-Breanna (assumed name Marcos Daclif) only has faint memories of his childhood. Born on Lorrd in an Argazdan re-education camp, Daclif was liberated at the age of seven by Lorrdian freedom fighters. Having lost his parents at a young age, Daclif was shuffled off to a refugee camp on the newly-colonized world of Naboo. This era in his history has become somewhat blurred, although there are a few clear details. What is known is that he soon rose to prominense in the Human Youth League, an early component of Senrex Fash’s ever-expanding Empire. Daclif attended the Public University of Theed where he majoed in Human Psychology.

As Feth’s Empire gained momentum in the public realm, Marcos Daclif left Naboo to become a public figurehead first as a new anchor for the Imperial News Network and then as a narrator for INN documentaries. Daclif’s captivating and passionate voice inspired billions to rally to the New Order’s cause. He soon found himself working closely with the Imperial government to create some of the most renowned and beloved holofilms in generations. Far and away his most successful film was "Birth of Peace". In it, Daclif played an oppressed and downtrodden human victim of war on the alien-dominated world of Ord Mantell. Forced to watch his parents’ brutal murder at the hand of Rodians, Daclif’s character became a member of a human-based Underground, working to liberate the planet. The film was a success beyond anyone’s wildest dreams; statistics show it was responsible for at least seven human-driven uprisings in the Mid Rim, and Imperial recruitment spiked seven percent in the months following the film’s release.

Daclif’s success as an actor performed him into the most eliete level of the quickly-forming human-centric social heirarchy. He is an avid spokesman for both the reconstruction of Lorrd and the galacticization of the New Order. He currently resides on Lorrd with his wife and children. [/quote:2auzob7f]

[b:1iir2igt]Walldo, what would you consider a not-good history?[/b:1iir2igt]

[quote:1iir2igt]
|| Subject Name: Franklin
|| Subject Race: Human
|| Subject Age: 25
|| Subject Birthplace: Coruscant
|| Subject Parent(s): Michelle and Deluth
|| Subject Sibling(s): None
|| Subject Spouse(s): None
|| Subject Offspring: None
||
|]========================================================
|] CRIMINAL RECORD |
|]=======================================================
|| Entry: None
||
|]========================================================
|] PERSONAL FILE |
|]=======================================================
|| Entry: He’s a nice guy who tries to get along with everyone.
||
|]========================================================
|] DATANET ENTRY NOTES |
|]=======================================================
|| Entry: Nothing to note.
||
|]========================================================
|] EDUCATION RECORD |
|]=======================================================
|| Entry: Engineers’ Academy on Coruscant
||
||__________________________________________________________

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If you take out all the ‘none’ or empty fields, it is a pretty short history. I frequently leave things like ‘offspring’ or ‘spouse’ out if they don’t apply, and I build from there. In this example, there is really only one extra line added from the chargen questions, in addition to it being prettied up.

[b:1iir2igt]What is an awful history?[/b:1iir2igt]
[quote:1iir2igt]history[/quote:1iir2igt]
Yeah, someone had this. Expect no mercy <!– s:twisted: –><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_twisted.gif" alt=":twisted:" title="Twisted Evil" /><!– s:twisted: –>

The thing I hate about [b:k25z0g83]history[/b:k25z0g83] is that a lot of the time, the things you’d flesh out your character with in a history entry are the sorts of things that no government would know or report on your personal file. It becomes a balancing act of giving some information away, but not telling the whole story… it’s a tricky thing. But if you do it right, you’ll have a full history and maybe some shady background parts to RP with later on.

This is why I like think logs. I can put bare amount of information on my history (just enough to get by with the History Nazis up there in Immland) and just flesh out my character story in my think logs. I’ll admit, sometimes I get lazy/forget to update my think logs, but my past few characters, I’ve been trying to keep up on them.