More sorting

Because I can't get it out of my head (or off my internet):

People who object to games as art by categorical definitions don't bother me. It's easily possible to define "art" in such a way as to exclude games. At least that position is internally consistent. And it's not like we have a really good working definition of "art" anyway.

People who object to games as art on the basis of games being inherently of minimal value bother me. There's plenty of bad art. Being valueless to a particular observer can't negate the art-ness of something. If you want to say video games are a waste of time, just say that... as opposed to trying to dress it up as a philosophical argument.

ETA: Also, from ten years ago.

Characterization

So, a friend of mine talked me into a short-run campaign he's running until he leaves town at the end of summer. Which means I'm currently in the process of character creation. Being who I am, I'm of course trying to do something different with this character than I normally do-- which means I need to get a clear picture of the things I've done before and the patterns they make. So let's see.

I almost always play heroes: people who are essentially good even if they're sneaky or have issues. At the same time there are always shades of gray either in their background, their methods, or in the story of the campaign: playing the purely good paladin bores me to tears. They rarely get angry, but when they do you want to get out of their way.

My characters tend to be imaginative and wry, although the exact nature of those traits varies considerably. They're generally sociable, educated, and mentally competent. Usually they're cautious but brave, vulnerable to fear but able to overcome it. Normally they're humanists without any real faith in a genuine higher power.

When they have powers they're usually subtle, things that don't isolate the character or make them alien. Building a character for me always means building a family, a history, a group of friends: points of reference to help define their edges and behaviors. I like to know what kind of music my characters prefer, what they do for fun, and generally where they are when they're not being heroes. Context is paramount; they have to live in the world, not just play in the game.

Within those bounds there's what feels like a lot of internal variation: I've been rich and poor; male and female; black, Asian, draconic, and white from cultures other than my own; fighters and facilitators; sportsmen and artists; parents and children; elegant and tactless. But on examination there are a lot of threads that tie all of them together.

I wonder which ones I can break this time.

Book review: The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick

( Full review within. )

Verdict: Absolutely worth reading once, will recycle. (6.5/17 keepers, recalibrated)

Completed: 13 (6 female authors, 7 male authors)
Rejected: 4 (4 male authors, 0 female authors)

Next book due: 5/5