H: Well, this would be a little talk about my perspective about both the Toolbox character and the Evolutionary character.

Let's start saying that even though those two have some similarities in the making processes, they are also opposites. The Toolbox focusing on having an answer for multiple situations with multiple powers, weapons or methods, and the Evolutionary having multiple powers, but they are gradually increased and often when they gain a new power, they also gains a new weakness or loses one of their previous ones, just like Pokemon do it.

The Toolbox Character -
This character is designed with the purpose of being a multipurpose character, with characteristics that wouldn't be able to even match or link together. The most common thing that you would do to make a toolbox is to keep adding and adding powers or weapons to increase the "power" of your character and having more options to finish off your opponents.

Let's give you an example that most of the people would know, Dante from the Devil May Cry series. He is a weapon wielder, having an arsenal of melee, range and other weapons to finish off his opponents, but also he has what are called Devil Arms, weapons from the previous demons that he defeated before, each with an attribute or element, effective towards some kind of enemy. He also has the power called Devil Trigger, as most of you know, he is a Cambion or what normal (that doesn't really know about names of mythical creatures) people call Half Demon, the Devil Trigger makes him able to shift into a full demon and also change to different forms depending on the Devil Arm that he was using before shifting.

This was an example of a toolbox, even though he's from a videogame, the rules are still applicable as he has normal weapons, demonic weapons with attributes and a full demonic form that changes with the weapon he was wielding. Most of the novice writers start with one of these as they see their characters as themselves and they don't want themselves to be weak, they want to be strong, so that's one of the issues.

Another one would be wanting to make an Evolutionary character, but not knowing how to do it, they end up making an OP Toolbox with timers for their powers, but the fact is that they don't really put a good amount of time to their cool downs. Such a "Hyper Beam" that would be able to be used once every three minutes, and they don't even put why they have timers.

Another example would be Delsin Rowe from Infamous second son. He has the power to absorb other abilities without any known limit, in the game he absorb three and a half powers, gaining the ability to control smoke (that is more like fire or cinders to me), neon light/gasses, Video or tangible holograms, and concrete to some degree. With these four powers, he was more than one way to finish off someone, though this one has a weakness that is compensates his OPness, he needs to absorb one of the listed elements to be able to use them continuously. He can't change from smoke to video if he pleased, and therefore he would be stuck on smoke until he could absorb some sort of technology.

He is also equipped with a chain that could be used with the element that he's using, though he only uses it with smoke and neon, being with smoke a red hot whip like chain and a hardened and sharp edge with neon. The power of Video doesn't use the chain as it projects weapons for him to attack (A great sword if he's good and a pair of claws of he's bad) and the concrete one is projected through hand to hand combat.

The thing is that the TBC would be always a multifunction characters with little to none or pretty lame weaknesses.

Evolutionary Characters -
The Evolutionary characters like the toolboxes has multiple powers, they gain them over time, but they also gain a new weakness or loses one or even more of their previous powers. This characters have a set status because of their powers, if it focuses on pyrokinesis then it is a pyromancer/fire bender, if it focuses on attacks with a blade then it is a swordsman, they can't act away from their statues without going through a type of adventure or situation involving them to leave their former selves to be new ones.

The most common evolutionary characters are the characters from MMOs, Pokemon and other evolving creature games (that are lame compared to Pokemon), to put an example, let's give up one of my favorite Pokemon.

Piplup, it is a blue penguin Pokemon, based on the emperor penguin from Antarctica. First it comes as a little penguin with only two moves, but with each battle, it gains experience points and with them, it levels up to gain more moves and to evolve into Primplup to finally Empoleon. With some levels it gains a new type of move that makes it control water, but also if it has four moves, it needs to forget how to do one of the older ones to be able to learn the new one, this is a great example of an evolution.

The most common subjects that a writer with an EVC would use are:

Power locking - The powers or weapons would be locked, God knows why and they won't even remember about them or know that they have any kind of power or are able to wield a weapon, this makes them to use any other method to fight until a great and dangerous situation comes out and then they unlock a minimal part of their powers or they remember a little how to use their weapons suddenly to defend themselves.

Power/Weapon regulation - The power or weapon regulation is also used very often. The power/weapon would be constantly watched by an organization, group or even an entity inside their bodies or the weapon itself to regulate them as they are "too powerful" to even control them and then they needs an external help to be able to stand them.

Novice - This is not really used as often as the other two, the character is a total novice when it comes to use the power or weapon that acquired. This one is primarily used in weapon wielders and people that gained powers by some reason.

Mix - Finally, the one I like to use. The mix of concepts is equally the most used, but also the least used when it comes to writers. Why's that? Because they do it unconsciously, to make a toolbox one but they end up making an evolutionary as a toolbox. The mix is often made between the regulation and novice concepts, but locking and novice are also usually seen though not as often as the first mix. I usually make my characters very experienced using their powers or weapons, but for some reason they loses their memories and have to start all over again.

Well, I hope that I helped some people that were confused by the terms, this is also made in my perspective, so if someone knows or things something different then I respect that. ^^

H: Well, Ron was made in the concept of a mix between being a novice and the lock. As the story says, he was a master of the three styles of the Feretta dojo and fighting with his cousin, he lost his memories connected to the teachings of the dojo. What we are planning to do, is that he would start with the Stone body style, then with the Broken Blade and finally with the Great Turtle's Shell. Gaining a different style, but losing the previous one.

Btw, are you like the same guy with the gimmick of two people or are you actually two people using the same account?

Quote from Hewitt

Look above

S: We are two people/adopted brothers using the same account. My personality isn't all rainbows and flowers like Alan (H).

It amuses me that there is a CLEAR reference to Al.ice and what problem you have with her. No sense derailing this, but Al.ice is actually Evolutionary. But I like your opinion on this. Good shit.

The madness brothers have not even said the words "Ai.ice" or "DoomsDruid" in any of his 33 posts, why the hell do you assume that he's targeting you. I'm willing to bet that he doesn't even know who you are.

I'm oddly proud that Toolbox has become a proper term around these parts. As the bloke what made the term, feel free to ask me about it. But I figure the concept is simple enough to understand!

Quote from 969_DoomsDruid_969

It amuses me that there is a CLEAR reference to Al.ice and what problem you have with her. No sense derailing this, but Al.ice is actually Evolutionary. But I like your opinion on this. Good shit.

S: Well, Wannabe Meme Master:

1. My brother made this thread to help the new writers that would come to the lounge.

2. He didn't mentioned Alex, the tri-character, nor Al.ice. He mentioned characters that were known by the people to not make any conflict.

3. We don't actually care about the issues that you have with your character, nor if it is a TBC or EVC, so please stop saying that we have something against you, when it is more than obvious that we don't care.

4. Finally, in the perspective of many people here, Al.ice is a toolbox that wants to be made evolutionary, so if you want to fight, then fight with those people that think that, not with us.

I would classify Winston as an evolutionary character, then. That's enough of a green light for me to keep going :D

Great thread, m8. Pretty useful for some of the newer guys.

Just a note, it is easily possible for an "evolutionary" character to evolve into a toolbox. Anything can become a toolbox if you decide to keep adding things or balance poorly.

Quote from Azure

Just a note, it is easily possible for an "evolutionary" character to evolve into a toolbox. Anything can become a toolbox if you decide to keep adding things or balance poorly.

H: Yeah, that is why an evolutionary needs to have an explanation for their new powers and gain new and totally valid weaknesses and lose some of their previous abilities to make a good balance.

@S and Devi: Sorry for giving the wrong impression. I saw an example that made me think that it was a reference. And S- don't talk shit about my name. I had bad experiences, and I'm not gonna deal with that shit.
@Waffle: There is no fucking reason why people would not use your awesome shit.
@Azure and H: True, which is why when eventually I add shit to Al.ice, I'm gonna remove/compartmentalise tings and gain (potentially debilitating) weaknesses.