Yet Another Character Test

[Neo Samurai]

This one might be more appropriate for RPGs than a Mary-Sue test:

www.geocities.com/moonstone_jp/clichemeter.html

Plus, you can check the different options rather than having to figure it out yourself. I ran Cloud through it and he got a 76 (ouch ).

Have fun.

Edit:

Ah yeah, and for villains, check this one.

www.geocities.com/moonstone_jp/cliche_villain.html

I should run Sephiroth through it. See how bad he gets it.

[Doan the Nado]

Do note that while Cloud and Sephiroth may score high, FF7 was a game that created a lot of these cliches. What I' saying is that it's not really appropriate to go back and say an old game is cliched, because it was actually original at the time. Other games saw which games were successful and mimicked a lot of the devices in those games.

[doyleman]

best explanation EVAH!

strangely, i've been going back to old-school RPGs and find them still, in their own way, beautiful masterpieces.

yay for oldies.

[Neo Samurai]

admin said:

Do note that while Cloud and Sephiroth may score high, FF7 was a game that created a lot of these cliches. What I' saying is that it's not really appropriate to go back and say an old game is cliched, because it was actually original at the time. Other games saw which games were successful and mimicked a lot of the devices in those games.

True, but even then, some of the elements found in Cloud were common elements in other anime characters.

And remember that this list wasn't made exclusively for RPG characters. It was actually intended for general fantasy (though RPGs can definitely fit the bill).

I'll admit that Cloud definitely was responsible for producing most of the cliches in the RPG genre, though.

Edit:

I just want to also add that I'm not saying that cliches are bad things. Some of them are necessary and others make a lot of sense. It's just when those cliches are used badly that the hits the fan.

Even a completely original idea can be botched due to bad writing/presentation.

[dailycolbert]

Thanks for the links Neo. I found them helpful.

My lead protagonist got a 10. Yay! Although my lead antagonist got a 23. Oh well, I knew he was one of my most cliched characters beforehand. 23's still pretty good, too.

[Dungeon Warden]

Since this topic has been bumped, I might as well add to the discussion.

I just want to also add that I'm not saying that cliches are bad things. Some of them are necessary and others make a lot of sense.

I recently discovered that cliches are always bad because the word 'cliche' means an idea that is over used or used inappropriately. Good "cliches" are actually called Tropes.

Tropes are ideas that are commonly used to define a genre. They are used to allow readers to identify with your story. For example, many common character types and settings are used to define a genre. A sword wielding Knight is a common trope in a fantasy setting. However, A Knight who has to rescue a princess from a dragon would be a cliche (unless you throw in a twist to the story).

Sometimes you can use an idea that seems like a cliche to fool your readers into thinking your are taking the story in a certain direction when you are really doing something completely different.