I'll go a bit vague for now because this is what comes to mind.
Make sure you get the "feel" for your character early, so that it feels right to play it and you don't have to think too much about what the character's choices are in a certain situation (unless the question is really hard for the character that is). There are many ways to do this. For some it just comes natural. Others never really manage to get in-character. If you need a bit of help, there are various theatre exercises you can do. One of the most useful ones in role-playing is to set up a list of questions only your character would know (such as "what is your favourite colour?", "what do you think of your name?", "what is the first thing you remember?" and so on.) Once you've gone through some of these, you'll most likely find it gets easier and easier to come up with the answers.

This is something I subject all my players to in PnP if we're going to play something seriously. It's great for exploring a character and adding some detail and texture to the personality.

Last edited by Ahnion (2006-10-07 09:28:20)

I can also recomment creating a character with some form of backstory that ties in with others. It needn't be much, it needn't be anything as 'invasive' as sharing the same background (family). It can be a chance meeting the characters have had in the past, that has influenced them. When they then meet each other again, they have a hook to launch their RP from.

Such a hook is not only a tremendous help in fleshing out your character and getting the first RP started, it also makes it easier to get a deeper relationship going with some of the other players. And it needn't be much, it can just be that you met, had a positive impresion on each other and then left again. Something like that would enable you to start a friendship and go adventuring together when you meet in the camp. Of course, you could also make a darker, more complex mutual background and see where that took you. There are many possibilities.

I recommend this to those who want to give some extra spice to each others' stories:

Make those four extra character slots useful by creating sort of semi-NPC characters you use to drive a storyline forward. Bring back someone's long-lost lover just to have him killed off in a tragic accident, bring a message from someone's relatives from a faraway land, have a mysterious figure give the PCs an equally mysterious quest... Perun's mother is one such character, created only for a few nights' play, and I think it worked quite well.

Unfortunately, these character's must start from nothing, like all other PCs do. However, the first few crafting quests are a pretty quick way to get enough money to clothe your character appropriately, and by adding in the Yubo quests you get a pretty visually convincing avatar.

Of course, you may want to be careful and make sure your target accepts you messing with his storyline.

Ok, you're not exactl making it easy on my eyes