So far in my 5-year RP career I've retired 3 main characters in games I continued to play for a while yet, and a small host of alts and characters that were abandoned in games I did not continue to play, such as GW2 and SWTOR.
For two of them, it was the clear sensation of that they had run their course. There just was no saving them, and both of them died as a result of the plots they were involved in. One of them got so "evil" that she had gone utterly insane, and as a result she was more reckless with her public appearances, making her self traceable in the end. We had a very nice event where a group of five adventurers found her hideout and there was a 3-4 hour fight, resulting in hers and one of the attackers death. It felt right to do, at the time, and I have never since regretted it - I had played that character for 1½ years.
The second one happened after some 2-and-a-something-months after I had created her, and for her it was a mix of not being able to advance her further - She was at and beyond her peak, and also to do story justice, because of her crimes of neutrality (In a setting where being neutral between factions is like being evil) and just out right crimes against other people had her as a desirable target to kill for any bounty hunters and go-happy heroes. Sometimes I regret the way that I sent her off, but I do not regret that I chose to do it.
So anyways, I'm very much in the belief that characters can run their course, and I also think it's important to do something about it before you taint the good memory of that character. Death may not always be the right option though, and if you're doing it in a game where you intend to keep on playing, I would recommend running an alt into position first so as to make the shift more effortless and natural - regardless of if the character is going to die or disappear.
But you need to be as sure as you can be before you do it, if possible have that "time is right" feeling with you, and once you do it, be sure to do it right - Plan as best as you can, and try not to leave unintentional plotholes for people to stare at.
Oh, and to add.. In my experiences it's something that doesn't occur too often. If it does there may be something else causing the problem. And I'm sure there are many characters out there that can last far longer than mine have
For two of them, it was the clear sensation of that they had run their course. There just was no saving them, and both of them died as a result of the plots they were involved in. One of them got so "evil" that she had gone utterly insane, and as a result she was more reckless with her public appearances, making her self traceable in the end. We had a very nice event where a group of five adventurers found her hideout and there was a 3-4 hour fight, resulting in hers and one of the attackers death. It felt right to do, at the time, and I have never since regretted it - I had played that character for 1½ years.
The second one happened after some 2-and-a-something-months after I had created her, and for her it was a mix of not being able to advance her further - She was at and beyond her peak, and also to do story justice, because of her crimes of neutrality (In a setting where being neutral between factions is like being evil) and just out right crimes against other people had her as a desirable target to kill for any bounty hunters and go-happy heroes. Sometimes I regret the way that I sent her off, but I do not regret that I chose to do it.
So anyways, I'm very much in the belief that characters can run their course, and I also think it's important to do something about it before you taint the good memory of that character. Death may not always be the right option though, and if you're doing it in a game where you intend to keep on playing, I would recommend running an alt into position first so as to make the shift more effortless and natural - regardless of if the character is going to die or disappear.
But you need to be as sure as you can be before you do it, if possible have that "time is right" feeling with you, and once you do it, be sure to do it right - Plan as best as you can, and try not to leave unintentional plotholes for people to stare at.
Oh, and to add.. In my experiences it's something that doesn't occur too often. If it does there may be something else causing the problem. And I'm sure there are many characters out there that can last far longer than mine have
