Alts and Character Death

[Grakor456]

First of all, we're making a rules adjustment. We included a rule that characters cannot revive from suicide for two reasons: one, a suicidal character wouldn't want to come back to life, and two, we don't want people getting wishy-washy and killing their own characters off on a whim. In the spirit of the latter point, we're making the following rule:

Characters killed by the owning player's alts can no longer be resurrected. So, if you essentially kill your own character with one of your alts, he's no longer viable for revival.

I'd also like to take the time to make a general announcement to please be careful with how one plays alts, especially when dual-boxing or having your own alts be integral to your other characters' storylines. There will likely be a more in-depth discussion on this at some point, but for now it's enough to know that having your own characters interact with each other can be pretty dangerous. It can lead to accusations of meta-gaming, as well as creating RP that ends up feeling less than active for others attempting to interact with it.

These changes are not retroactive. Please don't use this thread to point fingers, this is a general announcement to everyone.

[flammos200]

I am happy with this. As someone who has offed their characters using alts, it was simply an attempt at getting rid of 'Extras' in an elegant manner that makes sense IC. Simply dropping off the map may not satisfy players, and an IC death can be preferable.

Though, so long as characters aren't used to meta-game / multi-box attacking another player's characters, I see multi-boxing as perfectly fine. I.E. As long as it doesn't hurt anyone. Plus, using alts as background characters can be a huge boon on immersion. Having an environment that reacts actively to the main characters'(Main storyline-wise) actions can be very pleasant. The simple act of having tea with three people instead of two may add something, or perhaps the third person - the dual-boxed alt - is simply a waiter responsible for bringing the tea over.

[ImagenAshyun]

Guh. I'm still working on that guide.

BRB.

[Rowgen]

You have my full support in this statement.

[Kaghuros]

I find it funny that people have their own characters kill each other. Not sure I've seen it happen before, but my rule has always been to never have alt characters interact directly. The only times I've tried have been disastrous for plot continuity and sanity due to figuring out what goes where and who does what.

[ImagenAshyun]

I find it funny that people have their own characters kill each other. Not sure I've seen it happen before, but my rule has always been to never have alt characters interact directly. The only times I've tried have been disastrous for plot continuity and sanity due to figuring out what goes where and who does what.

Storytellers kill their own characters often, usually for plot progression. It's not different from writers writing their own characters' death. The only difference between a short story or novel and RP is that RP involves other players' interaction while the one-person prose is the person telling the story one-way only.

I still would caution against using one's own alt to kill off their own character unless it's to provide permanent character retirement.

[Cassius]

Oopsie daisies!

[CappnRob]

Oopsie daisies!

Pffft, like Giovanni's coming back after what happened to -him-.

[Cassius]

Oopsie daisies!

Pffft, like Giovanni's coming back after what happened to -him-.

Oh of course not!

Not to mention the three other elves I made and got them killed off.

[Reigen]

I find it funny that people have their own characters kill each other. Not sure I've seen it happen before, but my rule has always been to never have alt characters interact directly. The only times I've tried have been disastrous for plot continuity and sanity due to figuring out what goes where and who does what.

I follow the same rules, and I always feel dirty if my alts do, by chance, interact. I'm always worried about being accused of meta-gaming if one character contacts another. The only time I think I would ever have one char kill of another is if I really wanted to retire them, but then it would be more fun to have other players kill them.

[ImagenAshyun]

I find it funny that people have their own characters kill each other. Not sure I've seen it happen before, but my rule has always been to never have alt characters interact directly. The only times I've tried have been disastrous for plot continuity and sanity due to figuring out what goes where and who does what.

I follow the same rules, and I always feel dirty if my alts do, by chance, interact. I'm always worried about being accused of meta-gaming if one character contacts another. The only time I think I would ever have one char kill of another is if I really wanted to retire them, but then it would be more fun to have other players kill them.

Usually when information is passed on from one character to another from the same player, I'd ask permission first.

You can also have other players witness the passing of information.

[Kage]

Occasionally I would make an alt just to be killed off. You know, temporary bad guy for my own character and others to kill? But yeah, I support this.

/sagenod.

[Krent]

I support this myself....but I haaaaaaaaaaveeeeeeee to ask....

What of instances where characters sacrifice themselves for the sake of others? Like jumping on a hand grenade to save a group, or staying behind on the front lines of battle to buy others time to escape? Technically, those are forms of suicide, but they have very different intentions.

I know the meta-factors behind this sort of decision still fall into the "intentional death on will of the player", as many events go on the rule of "your character dies only if you want them to die".

But, still. I'm wondering. I've always toyed with the idea of a "heroic death", and it'd be a real shame if this new rule prevented that.

[Xigo]

There's a difference between sacrifice and suicide.

Sacrifice is giving your life for another, or a greater cause.

Suicide is... well, just killing yourself.

Jumping on a grenade to save someone else's life =/= jumping off of a rooftop to go splat on the ground.

It's hard to describe. But ultimately I think it should be easy to call the difference between the two.

[Krent]

There's a difference between sacrifice and suicide.

Sacrifice is giving your life for another, or a greater cause.

Suicide is... well, just killing yourself.

Jumping on a grenade to save someone else's life =/= jumping off of a rooftop to go splat on the ground.

It's hard to describe. But ultimately I think it should be easy to call the difference between the two.

Right, and I very much agree with the distinction. My only concern is the meta aspect of "The player intentionally killed off their character". Technically, that's true, but the circumstances seem to varied and hard to tell. What if that type of death fits into the nature of the player character? What if there was no other option available within the unfolding of the combat? Would those incidents be blanketed under this new rule?