Making an NFU - Community's Feedback

[Nikolas Faselli]

Hey!

People who've known me for longer may know that I practically never play NFUs. Even though I've made a few attempts, these characters haven't been successful and I've abandoned most of them.

However, I do want to fix that. And I think this time, I would like some feedback from the community.

What kind of an NFU do you like to RP the most and what kind should I make? Why so?

Any opinion is valuable.

 

[Alric Kuhn]

Having written several NFU with two Arguably being somewhat successful I'm going to weigh in on this.

For me the biggest thing is that in this universe the Force is always kind of shown to be the end all be all. Yes there's characters like Bobba or Thrawn who are also super talented and great and even beat Force Users, however all these characters have a trait that is extremely honed and defined, Thrawn had arguably the best tactical mind of all time for instance. As such these characters have skills that effectively "match" force using characters.

This is a big part of how I create NFU. If you look at my Non-Force Users they all have some skill or characters trait that to be honest if far enhanced beyond what any 'normal' person would have. In Alric for Instance it was his natural charisma and charm, something that I have none of IRL but managed to pull off pretty well in writing(I like to think so) which helped Alric get Sith Lords, Jedi, and Business Women on his side. For Kurt it's the same thing, he's not really good at many things but he is an excellent pilot, and one of the best pod-racers in the galaxy(by my own claim obviously).

It's a big facet for me at least. Star Wars was created to central and star the Jedi/Force(at least in my opinion) so creating a character that matches that aspect is essential for the character to work and survive in the universe. Of course you could also argue this is essential for all protagonists but I'm not here to argue that.

So my advice if you create a NFU is to give them something that makes them unique, don't let them be generic and just "Good with a blaster!", "Has a Doctorate!", etc. Give them a skill that they can harvest and use to advance themselves like a Force User does the force. This will allow you to drive the character forward and give you "purpose" much like going from Padawan to Knight to Master gives force users some ulterior purpose aside from their main character drives.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

So my advice if you create a NFU is to give them something that makes them unique, don't let them be generic and just "Good with a blaster!", "Has a Doctorate!", etc. Give them a skill that they can harvest and use to advance themselves like a Force User does the force. This will allow you to drive the character forward and give you "purpose" much like going from Padawan to Knight to Master gives force users some ulterior purpose aside from their main character drives.

This is really good advice. It's probably why I've stuck with Alec for so long; she's even been my main character from time to time. To add to that, Alec's unique skill is as much a hindrance and a curiosity as it is a +1, and it affects her life in any number of ways. It comes back to Sanderson's Second Law.

 

[Zef Halo]

There is hardly anything for me to add as Alric and Alec have already given substantial advice which I completely agree with.

I am a complete opposite to what you have been doing as I have mainly been always going with NFUs while I have struggled with FUs (Ironic due to the Force being a main factor in differentiating Star Wars from other sci-fis). Personally, I find that NFUs are much more flexible than FUs, I've always found Force Users quite dogmatic, perhaps dur to Star Wars being more or less black and white.

As an advice, I would say that NFUs must have a purpose (just like any character in my belief) but I strongly suggest it because FUs tend to be easier when finding an aim. Eitherways, if you are going for NFU, my other advice is to be prepared for flexibility as in my opinion they are more 'dynamic' to FUs.

 

[The Noble Scoundrel]

[member="Haileigh Dheed"]

When they're vulnerable, but unique. That way, they have a need and a reason to associate with and hang out with others. Take [member="Poro"] for example.

 

[Casandrae Vau]

[member="Haileigh Dheed"]

Yarr, be a mighty space pirate

 

[Fabula Caromed]

One other thing to remember is that no matter how hard you try, you won't ever find anything an NFU can do that a FU can't. Your skills, whatever they are, won't be unique, because the Force isn't a tradeoff. Every FU is capable of everything that any NFU can do in addition to the Force. Trying to be unique will end in disappointment, and even trying to be peerless is tricky for most NFU skills, since FUs seem to take their gift of cosmic psychic-magic to mean that they can already conquer all mortal endeavors.

What FUs often don't have, however, is perspective. Not many FUs care about being a galactic-class salesman, an incredible software developer, or a brilliant admiral. Lesser-known but still fantastic skills are easy places for NFUs to shine. On top of that, NFUs don't have to split their focus, which means that as long as you keep doing your job in every thread you're in, you'll chalk up unholy amounts of experience at whatever that job is, especially in comparison to the FUs who try to do that thing in addition to being Jedi/Sith/whatever. Being a galactic merchant tycoon is the province of NFUs not because being blind to the Force makes you somehow better at managing money, but because Alric and Danger and Alna have a ton of time to spend in-universe and no silly "mysteries of the galaxy" to contemplate.

Something else to keep in mind is Boba Fett, especially when considering what Alric said in post #2. Every NFU needs a fantastical asset, etc etc. Alric has his charm, Danger has her connectedness, Thrawn had his military brilliance, so what kind of exemplary quality does Boba Fett have that allows him to contend with a Galaxy tailored for Force-users? The same thing his daddy had. Resourcefulness. This is a hallmark of a lot of NFU fighters on this board ([member="Triam Akovin"] comes to mind). Having a trick up your sleeve for freakin' everything goes a long way to making your NFU a genuine threat to psychic-space-wizard-laser-ninjas.

 

[Gilamar Skirata]

Don't be afraid to throw your character out there. It seems like most of the time (since a majority of the characters on this site are FU) that people aren't interested in NFU characters. Don't let that stop you. Similarly to Fabs, I would suggest not focusing on being "special". Instead I would say just pick a job, do the job and do it well or often.

 

[Judah Dashiell]

I think [member="Zef Halo"] makes an excellent point about being an NFU and having a purpose. It might take several 'exploration' threads to figure out what will drive this purpose. Badass assassin with a sarcastic NPC droid sidekick? Warlord? Salvager? Underworld hacker [aka a Mr.Universe]?


Whatever you do, do it well and push it as far as you can. FUs won't have the time to build a company, create a 'dark web', or become the most feared pirate in the Rimma Trade Route. I would also say take your time and make it organic as possible. No one becomes rich and powerful overnight. You'll have a whole lot more fun with your NFU experience if you start from nothing and build it into a empire all your own.



Source : NFU on Chaos.

 

[Ignatius]

I have played a few NFU's in my time. And if I were to make a fighter character, They always carry some kind of an advantage. It may seem like nothing at all, but most force users half ass things. *while most of my characters are guilty of doing this* Take this for instance.

I had a Mandalorian by the name of Jorn. He was fighting a Sith Knight Daxton. They got into a fight, literally in a kitchen of a house. because of the closer space, It would have been hard for a beskad, and a lightsaber to be swung around. As such, they both went into a literal brawl. Punching, kicking, elbow thrown. However, Daxton used the force. particularly he used wiring from lights above the two warriors to attempt to choke Jorn. However, Daxton used the force on just moving the cords. Not reinforcing the strength of the said cords.

Jorn used his electable vibroblade from a wrist gauntlets to cut the cords and prevent himself from a hanging. That one part. Daxton thought his job was done as soon as he put the cords around Jorn's neck. However, he was wrong because he didn't think about how Jorn may react to get out of the situation. Normal people would simply flail, and try to tear at their neck. But instead of thinking about clawing at his own neck, he went for the base.

You don't step on a snakes tail to kill it.

In that instance, Jorn was using what I like to call. "OUT OF THE BOX THINKING" Where the character sees something in a different light, than what is expected. And that is what made Jorn a very formidable foe against Daxton.

Now that was forever ago, and I am not 100% sure if the writer was just going easy on me, but nonetheless, the point still stands. When you make a character, make them have something where they see one or two things differently about the world/Galaxy as a whole, and you will find yourself a character you just may enjoy.

Hopefully this helps. Cheers!