When Do You Create A Bio . . . And Why?

[aethereal]

Having a backstory is different from having a bio.  Bios ought, in my view, to either communicate a little elevator pitch teaser for what this character is like, or else to communicate public or non-visual information that's really apparent to people interacting with them but awkward to for into RP.

[UltraAlt]

2 hours ago, aethereal said:

Having a backstory is different from having a bio.  Bios ought, in my view, to either communicate a little elevator pitch teaser for what this character is like, or else to communicate public or non-visual information that's really apparent to people interacting with them but awkward to for into RP.

 

Well, it is listed in game as "character description", which could lead to a myriad of interpretations. 

 

I don't alway use the origin story of a character at the bio. That being said, an origin and "backstory" aren't necessarily the same thing.

 

People started using the term "bio" to mean a character's "character description" aka "whatever is written on the character description section on the character".

 

Honestly, I had the same situation that others did with the use of "bio" for the "character description". When I first ran the use of "bio" back before the Sunset (I started playing just before Episode 2 release), I thought "character description" was "bio", so people "bio" during missions seemed very odd ... until I found out out they were doing something "biological" and not working on their "biography".

 

I'm sure that the use of the term "bio" was started for the same reason that "red" was (leading to the term "blue") as it is using a few characters to mean a longer word or phrase (which simply doesn't work for "blue" because "hero", so no reason for that.)

 

To me, it is for character empowerment. That is to say, to lock it closer to my conception of the character and make the character more fully completed and realized for myself first ... and for the reading and enjoyment of others second. To link them deeper to the game world and providing me a deeper connection with (each) character. They are not just my "power/power archetype"; the are their own entity with their own goals, behavior, mindset, etc.

Edited August 31, 2021 by UltraAlt

[Grey-Ghost]

My bios are usually tied to roleplaying. So if I have a roleplaying concept, they will get a bio. These days my bios may just be what City Hall would have as a record on the character and possibly some hooks.  Other times if I'm testing a power set I use a generic saved name 'Under Construction' and often don't even do a costume.  If the character/set seems to be something I enjoy then they get the full bio/costume treatment.  I can usually write a semi-decent bio given time.  Costumes I'm not the best at so they take longer and even then, don't match some of the really wonderful ones I've seen. Some characters get a name because it sounded cute or fun or I wanted something humorous to play.

[Luminara]

4 hours ago, Ukase said:

"It was too long/short and not enough symbolism." 

 

Is this text or sex?  I've lost track.

[Ukase]

2 hours ago, Luminara said:

 

Is this text or sex?  I've lost track.

Yes

[Crysis]

Occasionally I’ll make an alt without having a bio/costume first, but that’s very rare.  Usually just a placeholder all single color costume and a name that I’ll come back to later.  But that’s pretty rare for me to have the character before the bio.

 

In 99% of the cases of rolling an alt, I’ve got a conceptual idea in mind for a character, bio/background included.  I need a “reason” for their existence.  They have to have an origin story for their powers.  Then I’ll try to find a way to tell that story in 1024 characters or less.  Then I’ll work thru dozens of names.  I’m a history buff and often pull from history that can easily thread its way into their bio to create a name.  Then its time to decide powersets to match the bio/origin/reason for existence.  Costume often comes last, but there are times I’ll see a great costume posted and it will inspire a story and from there the character creation process.  

 

The hard part for me is often the 1024 character limit.  How to tell their story in so few words.

 

Not coincidentally, I created PnP RPG characters the same way for many, many years.  Used to write full backstories for many of them, which helped to role play them.  In AD&D I couldn’t create an alignment without that backstory since it spoke to the why they were the way they were.  Old habits in an older gamer I guess. 

[Scarlet Shocker]

I'm late to this and haven't read every response but for me it's when I'm hit by some inspiration for a character. I have some characters that I'm emotionally invested in, maybe a concept character that has come to me when I'm not even in game. So those are the ones likely to get the bio and wil generally be significantly more successful in terms of my playing style.

 

I make many toons but the majority of those are simply "I wonder how this powerset combo will work?" and those do not get a bio, unless they prove exceptional in play or something significant happens to them in game, such as joining a really good team (often repeatedly) or an SG that involves its members a lot, or perhaps an exceptional Mission Arc/TF/SF that brings inspiration.

 

I do find that the bio page is very hard to edit and write up so that is an absolute disincentive to write up a good bio. Character length is also an issue so many of my bios come across akin to a tweet, a short burst of info that tells you the most salient points such as "Once an ordinary shop worker, caught up in a Rikti raid, injured simultaneously by a Rikti blast and a magical spell, a strange confluence of opposing forces and MagicBlasterBob was born" or similar.

 

Only my dearest characters get a "proper bio" and rarely at the very beginning of their existence.

[0th Power]

Usually by level 10, for most characters.  I try to have at least something in the bio.

Edited September 2, 2021 by 0th Power