Best & Worst OC Designs

[Khaoios 1,970]

Alicorn OC is a bad OC just sayin.

Well.....i can agree to an extent.  That is if they make it "over-powered" and "too-godly" then yes, that is a bad OC.  Alicorn OC's that are well-written, detailed, contain some significance to something/someone, etc. then its fine.   I've got 5 of them, but try to avoid one of those "OP and beyond Invinicble" type of things,

[~Sole~ 852]

Ultimately, a character you create is your own and you can create it in whatever image you see fit. When I'm hosting a RP though, there are a bunch if things that I look for as warning signs:

- Plain bad writing - lack of spelling, grammar and punctuation.

- 'Magical' crossbreeds (half demon, vampire, werewolf, dragon...)

- Races which are obviously overpowered (You can argue all you want, demons and Alicorns are not 'just like everyone else')

- On that note - Timelords... Just, why?

- Tragic backstories with no purpose.

- Human names.

- Broken horns.

- 'Drainbow Rash' who is even faster than rainbow dash, and 'Swilight Tparkle' who us even better at magic than Twilight.

- Relations with canon characters.

- Anything else that deviate too far from canon to be believable in the universe. I can believe that dark things happen - i can believe that grimdark things are possible even... but I can't believe that Cthulhu hounds your character, torturing and killing everything they love, because they once accidentally murdered Luna...

... Is that everything? Oh!

- Guns. Just... ponies don't have fingers! second to this, 'special talents' to do with guns, or killing in general. You know if ponies were born with a natural inclination towards slaughtering others? They would probably be locked up the minute they got their cutie mark for 'knife based combat'...

Now, these things don't automatically make a character bad - I've seen loads if these traits on characters I've loved - hell, I've used a few myself! But if someone applies for a roleplay I'm hosting, these are what set alarm bells ringing and make me think twice before accepting.

"James was an Alicorn - but his horn is broken so he can't do magic and he's not royalty... so he's not overpowered!"

So make him a Pegasus then!

Check, check, check, not check, not check, not check, not check, check, check, not check and not check. Man, I see why you dislike sole. He's basically everything you hate in a character lol

[baltoist 303]

best is mine duh worst is.......MIDNIGHT FROST XD JK

[Lightning Bliss 1,674]

When I think of "bad OC" I think on an animator level as well as a story level and whether or not they are eye catching in general.

 

It's a living nightmare to animate an OC who has more colors then the rainbow on their palette, and expect animators to do flawless work and still match up to every detail. If there's too much stuff on a character, it's not attractive to the eye. In the animator world, less is more.

 

I know some don't like alicorn OC's, but I've worked hard to keep my OC realtively simple in regards to color palette as well as backstory and how she can fit in RPs. For instance she was once a pegasus and it wouldn't make since for her to know magic right off the bat, she might as well be a baby unicorn, having spontanious spurts of magic now and then, and can only really do the basics, where as her elemental calling reacts out of reflex, which is unity.

 

I love alicorn OCs, and hybrids, long as they are done right. Which is what I hope I accomplished with my own.

[Doc. Volt 2,561]

 

 

Guns. Just... ponies don't have fingers! second to this, 'special talents' to do with guns, or killing in general. You know if ponies were born with a natural inclination towards slaughtering others? They would probably be locked up the minute they got their cutie mark for 'knife based combat'...

 

WAIT! somepony said weapons??

Edited April 22, 2014 by Doc. Volt

[The Elusive Cinder 1,328]

Sorry everyone, but this is the best OC:

 

http://mlpforums.com/page/roleplay-characters/_/0-a0-the-pimp-controller-r6241

 

@@Doc. Volt,

 

You did mention that you specifically went out of your way to be as far from canon as possible, so that kind of makes sense.

[Doc. Volt 2,561]

@,

 

ahaha XD

 

nah i have made that pics out of fun (still Volt was  a cyborg for a brief period of time)

 

for the rest i tried to make him as much as my ponysona as possible (yes  i own the same Ducati XD)

 

[Shadling 348]

@@Doc. Volt,

I should have seen that coming...

 

OT : Eyes burning color, OPness and too cannon-wrecking backstory... On the other hand, I don't think that alicorn OCs should be demonized, but it's hard to make a such OC cannon-friendly, which is why (IMO) this type of creation is usually hated around here. Ah, and also, I personally consider grimdarkness in backstory not necessarily bad, sure it can easily turn bad and horribly cliche, but I like to see that even place like Equestria aren't perfect.

(Hint : I like fanfics like Fallout: Equestria and The Rainbow Factory)

Edited April 22, 2014 by Shadling

[~Sole~ 852]

Sole is basically the kind of OC that most of you would probably hate, but I love him like a bro and couldn't change him if ya paid me. I've been though more with him then a lot of friends have. He's almost like a Tulpae of sorts.

 

Go ahead and read his profile and judge him how you may, but he gives zero fucks about ya'll's opinions of him being a "Gary Stu" or "OP". He's just that Badass link in sig haters, go nuts

[Cassafrass 249]

Best OC designs - Ones that have a normal backstory, are a regular pony (NOT an alicorn), have nice-to-look-at colors, don't have crazy patterns, and are not overpowered (with tons of special powers or a cheesy backstory).

 

Bad OC designs - Alicorns (unless you have a REALLY good backstory and character to make up for it), ugly colorings, piercings or weird markings, too overpowering with their powers and stuff, are hybrids (again they can be good if they have a good backstory and design though), and aren't BFF's with main characters from the show (which screams mary sue).

 

Hopefully that made sense. XD

Edited April 23, 2014 by Cassadragon

[Anneal 2,198]

"Bad" OCs kind of boils down to how you play them. A person might say their personality, yet do something utterly contradictory when they ACTUALLY roleplay...that would be considered Mary Sue as well, along with being OOC (out of character). 

 

Intentionally going ahead of the group or interrupting before someone has a chance to act (unless say, you did the first strike.) is also considered to be Mary Sue godmodding. One example would be killing a gang before anyone has posted on what they should do, or shooting an OC and claiming that the bullet hit when the player him or herself didn't have time to react.

[Ion 279]

Best OC designs - Ones that have a normal backstory, are a regular pony (NOT an alicorn), have nice-to-look-at colors, don't have crazy patterns, and are not overpowered (with tons of special powers or a cheesy backstory).

 

I agree with this. I do however find that its ok to push some aspects of an oc above the normal levels so long as there is a convincing justification for it. If you tone down the character too much it ends up becoming bland and uninteresting.

 

 

Bad OC designs - Alicorns (unless you have a REALLY good backstory and character to make up for it), ugly colorings, piercings or weird markings, too overpowering with their powers and stuff, are hybrids (again they can be good if they have a good backstory and design though), and aren't BFF's with main characters from the show (which screams mary sue).

 

I agree with the alicorn point, but I do think that it is possible for an OC to be friends with a canon character so long as they aren't pushed into a role that another canon character would fill for that pony (For example, a party loving oc, being good friends with Rainbow Dash). As Equestrian culture is all about friendship, it isn't unreasonable for OC's to be friends with a mane character or minor character, just not close friends. Plus the mane six always seem to be everywhere in Equestria these days.

[Star Saber 114]

Ergh; it's not my fault half my OCs are related to canon characters; most of them I made for specific roleplays where they fit and then I just kinda... kept them.

[NinjaFlutterbat 6]

Black and red, red eyes, alicorn, bat wings, hair is recolor of one of the Mane Six and overpowered abilities all makes the worst possible OC.

[FlutterForever 330]

Best: A good OC is one that has been thought up well with a good story and history to it while being a normal colour with normal hair (multi colours to the hair is fine). Drawing it would be good but I know not everyone can draw so that is a must.

 

Worst: When someone makes their OC an alicorn just because they can. Other things are: not having any kind of story, making the skin different colours or just making them look plain horrible.

[Shadow Beam 1,180]

I never asked anyone about mine...

 

 

It's not THAT bad, right?

Edited January 16, 2015 by ShadowBeam

[RainbowTashie 379]

red and green should never be seen old but gold

[Rethajni 2,826]

well personally i dont see my OCs as something with good design, i mean, they are just normal ponies with no special talent.

well i have encounter really horrible OCs of other guys, im not gonna post but am gonna describe them... one of them was a zebra alicorn with dragon wings and bad mane, other was just a pony with rainbow colors on her skin with snake eyes, the other wasa bat pony with horns and goat eyes and the hooves colored.

PErsonally i dont see why some bronies should make those horrible design i mean i suport the idea of make whatever you like but son come on! this is too much you are trying to be original, sometimes be original and creative must follow some standars, does anypony remember the video of Dont hug me am Scared? maybe some do, is a video about puppets that for get creative they began to make horrible things, my purpose here is not make feel bad anypony who admit that they did a horrible OC, my first oc was an alicorn and i turn her into a pegasus, so this is where the big internal fight begins, who am i suposed to follow? the brony likings or myself? because i can make a dragon zebracorn and i would love the design, but it is considered ugly for the rest of bronies so you have to follow the rhythm of this dance and you have to choose unicorn, pegasus and earth ponies, i feel that we should make only the OC we want and dont mind other's opinion if you feel that you are not gonna like them but if you make the OC for be creative, original, cute and everypony like it just dont cross the border (i get it i get it) dont cross the border of normal design, we must follow a single concept that is, one race, one color and one simple talent, there are so many ocs that are really cute but others, by all the accessories and design, they ruin that concept, me for example i did a OC that was a zebra unicorn, gray with white stripes, and purple mane and eyes, and am proud of him but i dont show it to people i already know they are not gonna like and thats nothign wrong about that, some ocs has a role, RP, drawing, even our ponisona, so if you wanna have a bat pony zebracorn dragon creature of Chaos, is alright as long as you keep it in the proper channel, thats my honest and personal opinion and it isnt my intention to offend anypony

[Overdrive 5,366]

The big thing for me when it comes to bad OC's is seeing no originality in it. An OC isn't something you should throw together just for fun. You should spend some time and really develop a character with a personality and story.

 

Also, another thing that I think makes a bad OC is when you don't tie a little of yourself into it one way or another. It is your creation, but at the same time it is more than just a character. It's a fictional being with emotion. Don't be afraid to inject a bit of yourself into it.

[zombienixon 333]

...well i have encounter really horrible OCs of other guys, im not gonna post but am gonna describe them... one of them was a zebra alicorn with dragon wings and bad mane...

 

Would this be my OC, by any chance?

 

 

If so, I'm glad it's terrible enough to have been memorable.  

 

I can say without a doubt that this was the greatest thing I ever created while drunk.

[Rethajni 2,826]

Would this be my OC, by any chance?

 

Godawful OC.jpg

 

If so, I'm glad it's terrible enough to have been memorable.  

 

I can say without a doubt that this was the greatest thing I ever created while drunk.

 

omg what happened to that poor pony !? well is not that one, is another one of DA

[zombienixon 333]

omg what happened to that poor pony !? well is not that one, is another one of DA

 

Wait, someone did something like what I did, but not as a joke? ...I can't say I'm not surprised.

[Rethajni 2,826]

Wait, someone did something like what I did, but not as a joke? ...I can't say I'm not surprised.

n..no.. my friend's OC was a creation for RP avatar and ponysona... wait you say you make it as a joke?

[zombienixon 333]

n..no.. my friend's OC was a creation for RP avatar and ponysona... wait you say you make it as a joke?

 

Yes. Did you not read the part where I said I was drunk when I made it? I took every cliche in the book and threw it all together.  Well, the machine gun leg and cyborg eye were more personal touches.

[Rethajni 2,826]

yes i read it. i think i saw the machine gun thing in a movie though and that proves my point enough. by the way, i like the drawing

 

Yes. Did you not read the part where I said I was drunk when I made it? I took every cliche in the book and threw it all together.  Well, the machine gun leg and cyborg eye were more personal touches.