If there isn't a requirement that I actually play a Kender that might be fine. You must understand, I can't role-play kender. It's not in my blood... however repeatedly getting riled up by other kender... that I can do.
I can't get into the whole kender vibe. It's fine for a short skit of entertainment, but I'm a serious player when it comes to Role-Playing. I like to develop my own motivations and goals without needing to worry about the story someone else has built up around me. I know how to play in a game laissez faire (it's French, so therefore I cannot spell it correctly). Not all players can or will do that.
It means that the DM provides certain factors (IE: Background material including NPCs, cities, countries, problems, religions, places to go, and other interests), and I can create my own motivation for the campaign.
Let me go over my four current online games (ignoring my 50+ characters for different home games):
In Gnomeworks Psionicle I have a character that I dearly am endeered towards, but he's not exactly free to decide things. There are a bunch of other players first of all, and I can't name all their characters sadly. Our group has a set goal that cannot be avoided without looking like a bunch of side-trecking slackers. We MUST do what we are doing, because there are already too few people fighting for anything other than themselves.
In Heroes of the World I am playing a relatively bland-but good natured character that is basically "on the run" (although technically we are trying to get somewhere, not run from someone, but I'm sidetrecking). Samanosuke is not the kind of character that takes the initiative to do anything other than fight. He's reactive, but not a story setter. He reacts to his enemies, his friends, those that would endeer themselves towards him, and all such things.
In the IR games, I am given that freedom, but it doesn't really last. While your given the ability to do everything you want, literally, you don't see the reactions directly. There are 30 authors, and each one is basically telling the story of his/her faction. Although you can say what your people think, it's very much different in scale. Everything is blown out of proportion to the point where the individual NPCs matter so insignificantly that thousands of them are reduced to a single number. The game, at least with Edena, was incredibly pro-active, pro-creative, and pro-originality. I like that feeling, but with the scope involving world destruction at all times... well let's just say you need to watch your back.
In the LHHS, I'm trying to keep true to the hack n' slash principle by providing ample combat. I'm also trying to be funny by providing some "easter eggs" as the party goes. Most of the jokes won't culminate unless certain things happen, but none-the-less it is fun. I also enjoy the fact that to me, the players appear to be doing what they want. Although Kalanyr is taking them through a "we will do this because we are good people, and we won't expect anything from it" scenerio, I keep the party informed of extra things to go do while they travel. They should have fun because they really are free to go do what they want, although sometimes one player must give in so another player can be appeased. Now that I look back, I wish I had started them at least at 3rd level, but hell... they are there already (soon enough). Hopefully I'll have that group in the graces of some interesting NPCs and at approximately 5th or 6th level, and then they should have a fuller game.
That's more my play style. Give the players every tool they need to go play. Make sure the world has something in it that you can see around every corner. If there isn't much to see, skip the extra crap and go right into the meat of the matter. Sometimes that's combat, other times it's a box of tic-tacs that looks like a bunch of magical, rounded, stones stored in a strange clear case.
So far, almost all games I see on this forum relate directly to an adventure. I like adventures and all... but I want a break-ish game. A game that skips the low level adventures that help character development and training, and jumps right into the heart of being a hero with his own intents and purposes.
A little bit of my gaming philosophy, take with a grain of salt.
The first levels are somewhat forced feeling. Your not quite strong enough (and likely not developed enough) to really see the campaign setting as a world. Your more interested in the quick target, and testing your metal. It's odd how perfect that flows with a character who just finished his normal training.
You will probably take the first or second opportunity you hear about, even if it's a death trap. Your a bit naive in character, but out of character you really just want to get it over with and become a hero instead of "just another ranger." Sometimes I've played with DMs that never let you out of this phase. They also tend to be those that keep on informing you of how much they hate "high" level games (5th?).
You have fun, and you probably encounter at least 1 creature per character level that you have trouble with for some unforseen reason (the invisible, regenerating, damage reducing, fire resistant, immune to weapons, improved grabing whatever that is the first real challenge). OOC you might know what your fighting, but you ignore it IC if your any good. You probably know trolls are weak against acid and fire... but not every character should know that.
Your character learns a little more about combat in these levels, about your limits, and about your goals. You make friends and enemies (the best of which should be the party members). And, eventually you reach that final point where all of you have something to anchor you, finally. You have a community that offers to endorse your fighter to be the new captain of the guard. The cleric is invited to lead the church or do something similar. The wizard becomes the apothecary/mage/enchanter, and your rogue either leads a guild or does some other work (politician in my experience...
).
Those are four VERY generic examples, but that's where the meat of the game is for me. The meat comes from having all that history to call upon, and knowing that there is a great deal more to explore. Your characters don't settle down, that is definitely true. Your probably doing twice as much questing in a month (and traveling) to accomplish the things that you think your character would be motivated to handle. Your no longer asked to take care of problems, or forced into it (sometimes), but instead your taking it upon yourself to enrich the world and leave a mark.
At least that is my experience... probably just mine.
