![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
TLV - Potential Application Discussion (Old Form)
Thinking about applying for a character, but not quite sure if they're a good fit? This post is dedicated to discussion of that very thing! A jury of your peers will help you in deciding whether or not a character you suddenly have a hankering for would be a fit for the Barge!
THIS IS NOT COMPULSORY. Nobody HAS to participate, and nobody HAS to post here before they post an application! This is just for people who are unsure and would like to have a discussion before they apply.
However, there are some rules.
1. Mods are the final decision makers. So, a lot of people love your character? Got great feedback? But then-- whaaaat?-- you post your app and it's REJECTED? GASP! Sorry, approval here does NOT substitute mod approval. Do NOT use this thread as basis for whining at the mods if your character is rejected. If you do, this thread is getting shut down. (PS: This rule applies EVEN IF ONE OF THE MODS GIVES YOU GOOD FEEDBACK IN THIS THREAD)
2. No content-less posts. I don't want to see any "OMG YES!" or any "HELL NO"s. You have to provide reasons. This post is for constructive discussion.
3. No flaming. This kinda goes with the above. If you think the character is fine but the player can't pull it off, BE CONSTRUCTIVE and don't insult the player.
4. BE HONEST. Speaks for itself. You think a character would be a terrible fit? Then don't say "Oh, it'll be wonderful!"
5. No plotting. A lot of times, people get all excited about making up plots for characters who aren't even in the game yet (and who MAY NOT BE ACCEPTED), leaving those who are in the game with nothing to do with... well, nothing to do. It's distracting and the excitement over "what-ifs" diverts too much from the actual game.
6. Don't take this personally. You do not equal your (potential) character. If everybody thinks it's a lousy character who wouldn't fit, it's NOT an attack on you or your RPing.
Put the character's name as the subject line (ONE CHARACTER PER COMMENT), and be sure to fill out the following form. Yes, some of the questions seem stupid, but these are things we'd like you to keep in mind BEFORE you apply for a character.
HAVE FUN.
Anna Valerious
Series: Van Helsing
Warden or Inmate: Warden
Do they meet all rules and requirements?: Yes
Do you think they will be active and interact with others?: I believe so.
Would this character be active in ports and floods, or sit out?: Yup
Why do you want them?: Because I've been told that it would be interesting to have her here as opposed to elsewhere and I've always wanted to try the character out and expand on her a bit. There's so much that's hinted in the movie about her history and connection to people.
Potential Concerns: Well, she's a vampire hunter so that might create some conflict with those on board like Spike and definitely Aleera but I think it would make for interesting times, seeing that if I do put in the application and she's accepted then I would take her from before Van Helsing finishes her off because a dead Warden isn't a good Warden. =(
Also, I believe one of the mods doesn't really like the character so there's that little road block. D:
Re: Anna Valerious
I give this my wholehearted endorsement and not just for links to my own character. :) Firstly, I think she'd be in her element in many of the ports. Even in what I'm told of the Venice one, I could imagine her being in something like that (because of the ballroom scene). Also, there is comedic potential, because of language barriers! Aleera sometimes has those, but I don't play on them as much as an Anna would, because Aleera tends to twist things into scariness, by default.
There would also be the value of Giselle having someone to go to, to get personal answers from, when Aleera is being too amnbiguous or not very forthcoming.
As a character, however, although the film have her a superficial foundation, I know for a fact that you're able to take characters well beyond that and round them out. As you say, there were hints of this and that in the film, which the writers never seemed to bother to revisit (or were perhaps cut out of later drafts of scripts), which would give you plenty of material to explore or have them think about.
One more thing, which I just thought about: This doesn't necessarily apply to many characters who come here, but this one would have the emotional twist of still needing to properly grieve her brother's death. Not dwell on it, because she's a strong and fearsomely independent character, but it would give you some extra emotional material to bat around them with.
This is one of those characters which have potential and saddened me that the production team did not explore properly. Given sufficient writing skill, I definitely think you could be someone who does her justice.
Oh and, someone was saying, earlier, that they were feeling iffy about too many vampire characters potentially being around? Anna's accustomed to at least confronting and potentially hunting them down, so, would be useful in that particular regard!
Conflict with Aleera, in this case, would be a good thing. :) They would play off of one another, without doubt.
The only potentially troublesome thing, would be her unfamiliarity with modern technology, but I personally see Anna as adaptive and resourceful. Not someone who would encounter too much 'culture shock' for a very long time.
Re: Anna Valerious
Even if one of the mods doesn't like the character, I think that shouldn't deter you from writing up an application (unless a bunch of players ALSO express a dislike of the character, as you may then have difficulty finding people to interact with)-- after all, I believe the problem that had been expressed about Anna was that she was a Mary Sue (I don't remember myself, having not seen the movie since it was in theatres)-- this, I think, can be overcome by adding enough depth of character into the application that personal gripes about her portrayal in the movie can be set aside.
If you can make her a well-rounded character in your application (which I think you can), and you really want to play her, then you should try.
Re: Anna Valerious
I remember that she said she was sitting in her trailer, during 'Van Helsing' and getting depressed that she was not doing something more creatively fulfilling, at which point her agent called and offered her the role in 'The Aviator', which thrilled her to do, but that she just simply had a ball simply making 'Van Helsing', even if it was superficial. :)
Selene, in 'Underworld', had the potential to be extremely flat and one-dimensional and I don't think that character would have become nearly so popular, had it not been for the depth Beckinsale gave it. But you hear her having a laugh on the commentary and she knows fully well that it never had a chance of winning an Oscar or anything; she just enjoyed the chance to do an action thing. :)
One of the things I liked about her, is that she's one of the few actors who's been doing things for for as long as she has and still has a very down to Earth sense of humour.