Concerning Character Deaths

[Grakor456]

The server rules say that all participants must be comfortable with the RP that is being done with/to their characters. So, unless you are outnumbered or you have looked for a conflict like this, then I'd say that you can always refuse to accept the character warning, isn't that so?

EDIT: By 'looking for conflict' I mean, sticking your character's nose in the wrong places and acting like the world is yours, treating other characters like they are your servants, etc... the usual things that can tick off someone just enough to kill someone else.

Funny this is brought up...

History lesson time! When the Character Warning system was first imagined, it was made in an attempt to do two things. The first is to allow character death in the case when a character is clearly asking for it by doing something clearly stupid. The second was to make character death still something that is essentially voluntary. Sometimes your actions will rule out the possibility of your character living, but in general your character dies when YOU choose, not when someone else does.

I had really hoped that character warnings would be more of a last resort sort of measure. Obviously this did not happen, and certain players (and yes, some GMs) began to throw them around very freely. The whole situation was, and still is, very concerning to me, but I've not changed the system for lack of a better one.

(As an aside, and to explain my earlier stance, I feel that there are two particular instances in which your character's actions justify death without the acceptance of a character warning. The first is if he does something clearly moronic that is hazardous: running into combat solo against a large group of hostile PCs, leaping into a dragon's maw, so on. The second is when a character continues trash-talking or otherwise being a prick directly after losing a fight. If the player is not accepting his defeat, he'll have to accept the character's death.)

[Abishua]

...Sadly that didn't work when she called for help and got a flock of groupies to run to her aid...

Awww man, its happened innumerable times with me, people calling up their friends to intervene in a fight just sucks. More than getting ganked, I am more pissed me off by seeing half a dozen people "suddenly" arriving at the site of the battle.

Actually it -was- done ICly, so I have no issues with them showing up. Makes me sad though, I was winning! *shakes fist* Actually, it's kind of ironic that the 'good guys' showed up and ended up causing my character to die.

[Spiralin]

Hehe, I'm not one to kill off others or give character warnings. I've never liked the idea of just killing someone off and ending their character, or ruining their roleplay. I usually talk to people and always discuss a non-death fight, but of course if it's non-death then there's usually some sort of serious injury involved in what would happen.

[Miah]

Honest opinion, I believe that, to make people more aware of the seriousness of issuing a character warning, it should be a mutual thing, between two characters. If you issue it, its essentially like initiating a fight to the death between the two, where other players are not permitted to intervene, but may be available to step into the fray if one character dies, acting as their second, or their avenger, though at that point it's the murderer's choice if they want to take the next challenge or flee.

With the current system people throw character warning's about because its a fairly risk free thing to try and kill someone, to lay your own character on the line as proof of how intent you are on killing another I believe is the only fair way to resolve these conflicts, other than an a separate, OOC agreement on how it should go.

So rather than, say "Miah, character warning." It should go. "Miah, if you agree, this is a character warning, for a fight to the death. Could anyone observing please respect that it is a fair fight, and not a free for all, at least untill one of us flee's or dies."

[Aphetoros]

Unless, Miah, if your character is like mine the fight wouldn't be fair. He'd likely have another or at least his demon with him. Its not always a fair fight is what I'm trying to say.

[Miah]

Then don't fight to the death? Or organize your rules between your opponent if you have a special case. Anyhow, I always simply factored in a pet's emotes as part of the character's emotes, such as having either your minion or you attack, as you take the turn giving them the command.

If you bring backup, have them ready to jump in if you fall, find a way to make it one by one, if its an egotistical "This one is mine, do not intervene!" Or a battle so intimidating in its force that its clearly dangerous for any interveners to get too close *nod*

After all, dispite what "your character would do" it shouldn't involve killing someone elses hard-worked at character unless you can mutually agree. And heck, just my opinion on this last point, Id find a villian or hero far more awesome if they stepped up to the fray, either so sure of their own awesomeness that they felt they cannot lose, or a hero willing to sacrifice themselves to take down foul villian, especially when any lackey's or surrounding people form a circle, looking on horrified as the two battle it out to the death, preferably with this tune in the background and much circling with witty dialogue.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyhhFzE5O5U[/youtube]

[DaveM]

The point of Char Warnings is making IC consequences for IC actions real. When one is issued to Char X, it means - either get your char X out of this situation or continue down it and assume that he or she might die/get hurt/ etc. I for one have a policy to never permakill, but to offer CWs often because some of my characters are preety chaotic, violent and impulsive.

A char warning always means a chance to get out. Or should mean that. Robbery/ambush: CW if you leave the city. Conflict: CW if you continue to be agressive at my character in this context without guards. There should always be an if, and a way to get out of it.

That said, you should have to often pick between your character's ego and risking his life, which is just the point of IC actions-> IC consequences.

That it would be best to extend conflictual relationships and deepen them while avoiding actual kills is obvious, but rather a question of quality RP rather than wrong/correct RP.

Since the subject's open, I'd like to bring up another issue: Throw-away characters or throw-away-ish characters killing long standing approved characters. I think this is a problem that could be adressed. Of course, you can't call anyone's character throw-away ever, but a policy on approved VS non-approved could be useful. I don't want to have to curve my character's agressive personality and back up because he's surrounded by characters I -know- their owners don't mind losing. When it's bad-ass VS bad-ass with CWs on, both should be risking similar values, and I believe profile status and maybe even character "play-age" could perhaps be factored in as they are part of what's being risked.

[Dotsy]

I've, personally, never liked the character warning system because of two reasons.

One, it's used way too early in situations at times. Like, if two characters started talking and started arguing half-way through, a character warning wasn't far behind from either player.

Two, sometimes it's sublimely clear when you're character is in danger of being killed. If you're in a fight, of course there's a chance that your character could become mutilated or even die, it's a fight.

I never thought there was much need for a character warning system. I, myself, think that the players involved should OOCly come up with an outcome to certain debacles between characters and once they agree, they can RP it out. After-all, everybody just wants to have fun.