What character will you play?

[erhershman]

I wasn't sure which board to put this on since the boards for Coda are more limited than for Icon. Maybe we should have a "Player's Board" as a parallel to the Narrator's Ready Room?

I did this survey on the Decipher boards, to enthusiastic response, so I'll try it here. What chararacter will you want to play in a Coda campaign, assuming you're buying the DecTrek system and assuming you play in a campaign? Keep in mind the species that have been listed for availbility on the Decipher boards (cruise on over there if you haven't seen them) and that the new game allows you to be any kind of character, not just Starfleet officers.

Myself, I'm going to convert my character from the USS Venture PBEM and use him in a tabletop game...

[Phantom]

I to probably will convert my Venture PBEM character (Lt. Solon, Vulcan ops officer.) Also, I don't think I will be able to resist making an old character in the new system...Lt. Thorin P'Trell, Andorian Security officer.

Of course this all hinges on whether or not the new system "knocks my socks off" the first time I look at it. If not, then I will stay with ICON.

[Perrryyy]

Posted by erhershman

What chararacter will you want to play in a Coda campaign, assuming you're buying the DecTrek system and assuming you play in a campaign? Keep in mind the species that have been listed for availbility on the Decipher boards (cruise on over there if you haven't seen them) and that the new game allows you to be any kind of character, not just Starfleet officers

Well it depends on several factors.

1) If when the game I'm in converts to Coda (which no doubt it
eventually will), I'll have to take a look at the conversion rules, as the one character I'm running isn't one of those species listed.

2) If the conversion rules are simple, and agreeable to the narrator of the 1 PBEM I'm in (yep, the Venture), then I might consider converting over.

3) If I still feel like playing that character, I'll convert him (I'm leaning towards replacement, however, I'd like to see the conversion rules first).

[Dan Gurden]

My two tests are;

Lt jg Woy Lizanne - Cardassian/Bajoran starfleet comms/ops officer. A good test of the character building rules as a 'half-breed' with dodgy past...

Also an NPC from the Venture. Jeez, that name seems to crop up an awful lot around here...

Secondly is Commander Hauq Tranatas. My Bajoran Tactical/Security chief. An advanced character of myriad experience... And a good test of creation of advanced characters.

As for who I will play.

I'm the narrator, I get to play everyone else.

[The Tatterdemalion King]

First thing I'm gonna do (probably have to wait for the NG though) is convert Chiossai Verrissil, a Pselliad merchant. Never played him ('cause I never got to play LUGtrek at all, actually), but I think the Pselliads are a pretty cool species.

[Lt.Khrys Antos]

I will definitely convert my XO Lt.Cmdr.Khrys Antos, had him for two years now and I don't intend to create another character just because of a new system.

[Ineti]

Assuming I can find enough bodies to play in a new campaign, and a Narrator to co-run the game with, I'd like to try my hand at a junior officer for once. I've almost always played the captain or the XO. I'd like to narrate every other week and have a LT or LTJG to play during the other weeks.

[Capt Daniel Hunter]

Well I converted Daniel Hunter to ICON from FASA, so no doubt I'll be converting him to CODA as well. He's been my character for well over a decade now.

[AndorMan]

First Officer and Chief Helmsman of the U.S.S. Alliance, a TOS Era Dreadnaught...my first character from my first campaign back in 1983 using the FASA system. I've converted him to ICON and with any luck to CODA sometime...soon?

AndorMan
The Six Million Credit AndorMan

[Don Mappin]

Wow, a lot of conversions.

I hate conversions. (But like taking unpopular positions.)

Personally I like to make new adventures and new memories. I see (and game with) players that just can’t seem to let go of old characters. There’s nothing more annoying than a gamer holding you hostage and telling you about his FASA Trek character that he played for eight years…

Every game is a new opportunity to tell a new story. I’ve played old characters. I’ve done what I set out to do with them. Now I make a new and interesting character. At some point I’ll let that one go and repeat the cycle.

I contend that “going back to the well” too many times just breeds mediocrity and suppresses creativity. Plus, what about new players that join your games/groups that don’t have the benefit of eight years of backstory?

I think I’ve officially hijacked the thread at this point, so I return you to your normally scheduled thread.

Retire them. Make new characters—all of you. Make some new memories.

[Perrryyy]

Retire them. Make new characters—all of you. Make some new memories.

I'm leaning this way anyhow, so I no doubt will

[Don Mappin]

h geesh, I never answered the original question.

Well, I’ve made bunches of characters in Coda thus far, but if we were starting a new game soon there are a few ideas that I’ve been itching to play:

• Betazoid security chief. Takes the whole “sentient rights” very seriously and is played more as the classic Poirot-type investigator. Shuns combat because of his/her empathic abilities, possibly even a pacifist.
• Split-personality character. I did one in Spacemaster years ago and it was simply fantastic. I’d love to try one in Star Trek. Take the rigid command structure and really mess things up with multiple personalities. Is a command officer, of course, to maximize the possibilities of getting into trouble. I get giddy just thinking about it! (By no means do I trivialize those that suffer from multiple personality disorders.)
• A wet-behind-the-ears junior officer cast in the same mold of Harry Kim. A character that doesn’t have the benefit of my years of Trek knowledge and has to slowly figure out things around him or her. While the character itself isn’t really unique, I think the role-playing challenge of having to rein in all my knowledge would be fun.
• A genetically-engineered CO who’s risen through the ranks due in part to his patron, an Admiral who shares his beliefs: genetically-engineered species are being treated as second-hand citizens in the Federation. Plans on doing something about it. A real “shake things up” kind of guy who has long-term plans to undermine Starfleet and provide a “genesis” for change.
• Holographic character. Mechanics aside, I think the role-playing opportunities there are too good to pass up. Another nice challenge.

That’s all off the top of my head. I’ve got similar lists for other games, such as D&D, but it comes down to the classic problem: too many games, too little time. (And I tend to run half of them.)

Hope that answers the question of what I’d like to play when Coda comes out.

[Phantom]

Don,

You are forgetting those Trek gamers who have a current game running right now. If the characters are next to new...Who would want to make new ones just for a new system? I wouldn't. It could also throw the GMS plans for the series out of whack. Conversion rules are good for somethings.

Plus, some of us old gamers sometime like to re-live the old memories of characters past by remaking them in new systems, (first thing my group did when the D&D 3ed came out was re-make some of our old characters) just for the sake of making them. I know I do, anyway, but that may be just me.

[Don Mappin]

Phantom:
No, I’m not forgetting. The thread wasn’t about whether or not people would switch to Coda, only what characters they’d play in the new system. I’m in a current Icon game and have two other Icon games on hold that we’ll likely return to. To my knowledge (I’m only running one of them), none of them will be converting to Coda. We don’t plan to convert just for conversion’s sake. I’m not advocating anyone do so either.

So, as to your remark about “new ones just for a new system” in Coda versus converting over a new Icon campaign, I’ll go a step further and submit you keep playing in Icon until you have a collective desire to switch. It’s not like Decipher’s putting a gun to your head.

Don’t worry—I understand I firmly reside in the minority on this issue. I’ve been around enough gamers in my time to see them get all misty-eyed talking about their old characters and how they’d like to convert them over or import them into 3E for old time’s sake as an example. I guess I’m just old fashioned: I want to leave fond memories where they belong—in the past.

[Phantom]

I'm not sure, but I think a misunderstanding has occured;

1) What if one of the current games you are in does switch? You'd make another character for it even if the current storyline continues?

2) I wasn't being critical of the new system, I plan to take a very close look at it when it does come out on the market. If it is a good game then I probably will switch.

3) I wouldn't go so far to say "misty-eyed", but when my group gets together we do talk about old (character) exploits. What, you don't reminisce from time-to-time?