RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes

FreelanceWizard · **04-09-2015, 11:44 PM**

I've killed off characters before. Mostly they haven't been my mains, but when I stop playing an MMO permanently, I usually like to wrap up the stories of my characters, and sometimes, that involves their deaths. I've also killed off characters when their stories naturally come to an end or I feel I can't do anything more with them. A few of my CoH alts met their demises that way. In all of these cases, the players close to the character know it's coming OOC, so it doesn't come as a huge shock to them and their stories.

Ultimately, the death has to serve a story; in an MMO, I personally don't see the benefit of killing a player character off just to prove "no one is invulnerable" (NPCs, naturally, are a different thing altogether Smile

).

Cato · **04-09-2015, 11:59 PM**

FFXIV isn't very alt-friendly so this is the first MMO where I only really have one main character. With that in mind it's unlikely that I'll kill off my character at any point in the immediate future.

If I ever reach a point where it's the only realistic outcome or I feel as though his ongoing story is becoming stagnant, however, then I'd happily go ahead and write a satisfying death as the conclusion for his tale.

In WoW I killed off quite a few of my major and minor characters over the years that I role-played there. It served to fuel the stories of those close to them so that was an added bonus.

T'caska Khevo · **04-10-2015, 02:42 AM**

Is it bad that I've considered killing off T'caska at least 4 times since I've made her? I tend to be a very emotional person and I've built her up to be a lot like myself. When things don't go her way I sometimes feel like throwing my hands up and saying "F*ck it!".

Maybe that's irrational or immature but I sometimes wonder if I would feel differently if my main character was someone or something that was vastly different from the way I actually am.

It also doesn't help that I've been running to a ton of negativity from the RP community lately.

Lekka Meyren · **04-10-2015, 03:09 AM**

I think I generally agree with a lot of the sentiment going on here. Since this is an MMO, I feel like killing off your character serves less purpose than it would in say... a long-term DnD game.
Other people you interact with have their own personal stories, and though you probably have some overarching story that binds you, it's not as focused an affair.

So I guess killing off a character mostly makes sense if you need to move on from it in some way; but others will still be persisting.

That said, Lekka is totally the kind of lady who would jump in front of a blade for a friend. Which is why I'm a little careful about initiating any kind of combat RP. Would have to be with only people I trust or she'd just go and get herself severely injured.

Kismet · **04-10-2015, 03:33 AM**

All of my characters, in ANY MMO I RP in, can be permanently killed. (I find revivals to be pointless and tasteless, personally.)

In FF14, I'm a little reluctant for that to happen because that means $10 for a name change (each of my chars has at least 1 Fantasia -- dem baller Legacy perks). But at the end of the day, I take "IC consequences for IC actions" very seriously. That and if it makes for good storytelling while not seeming to be over-the-top dramatic or illogical, I don't see why not. My characters are tools, not people. I'm no more attached to them than I would be to a screwdriver or something.

SicketySix · **04-10-2015, 08:11 AM**

I wouldn't really have an issue killing off Manasas, but then I'd OOC fantasia him into someone else, simply for the fact that I'm not going to level another character.

Melodia · **04-10-2015, 08:21 AM**

Melodia is not really in a place to be killed but she is defintiely killable. I have no supremacy over the specter of death and should it happen it would happen. I probably wouldn't fantasia her.....just would putÂ a not in the info box that she was not rp-able as she was dead (as I am too poor to afford a fantasia)

Ruru is MUCH more likely to be killed as he lives in that world where the risk is huge. And honestly I'd considered doing it before. Had even thrown the suggestion Zhavi, my rp partner with Ruru and she spared him with big sad eyes lol. I have imagined Ruru's death more than a few times sadly and it makes me sad each time not because he'd be gone but because for his arc it's a trajectory that would make the most sense. Sad

Hammersmith · **04-10-2015, 09:27 AM**

Hammer's an old concept. A lot of his "story" is already put into frameworks, so I know what directions he's headed when he runs into people.

I know what happens when he dies, probably circumstances that'd lead to it, how it probably won't happen, and have for a while.

But, as others have said, it costs dollah dollah bills to deal with that kind of thing so as far as I'm concerned in this kind of Venue (MMOs) death isn't something you put on the table on a whim.Â

Long haul yall.

allgivenover · **04-10-2015, 10:10 AM**

I once tried to kill a character off when I switched mains, but other RPer friends convinced me not too. It was a mistake, as her story would have ended much better had she died.Â

So if you ever feel like a character's time has come, don't let others change your mind.

Makyn Loneseeker · **04-10-2015, 10:19 AM**

Oh yes, i've permadeath'd a character in GW2. Only a couple people know him,
though, fortunately. >u>

Mak is killable. Super killable.

Each time Mak goes into a fight, i roll on a death system i've devised for him. He can die in any one of a future fight. Death hardly comes at an oppurtune moment.

Rosamund · **04-10-2015, 11:09 AM**

I've killed off characters in other MMOs. In GW2, my asuran assassin got what was coming to her. In WoW, I wanted to race change my mage into a new character so she started meddling with forces beyond her control and met an untimely end. That said, I avoid permanent death unless I'm 100% sure I'll never play that particular character again. My unplayed characters more often get an ending where it's feasible that they might come back some day, like settling down with family or disappearing to investigate a new land.

Menelwen · **04-10-2015, 11:10 AM**

Yes, I have. I have both planned my character's death and have had an occasion where it wasn't planned.

The Menelwen back on GW2 died back in October 2013 in a very...gruesome matter. After gathering information on the one who had one of her allies held prisoner, she sought them out. Of course a fight ensued, and originally the assailant was going to escape. Thing is, we had a third party member with us who forgot to mention the tiny detail in the corner that was dressed as a bomb.

You see where I'm going with this?

Now I could have pulled her out, saying that she would leave the fight for another day. Thing is, that wasn't her character, and with the bomb so close to Divinity's Reach, (The main human city for those who are not affiliated with GW2,) she took her chances.

Menelwen attempted to drive the bomb down and into the earth to absorb the blast, but it was a vain attempt. It went off and just obliterated her. I think a bone fragment or two survived.

Her last words were spoken over her company's MMT, ie radio. Don't have a screenie of the guild chat, as the server had just gone down, but I think I remember it.

"Blackclaw, I'm to be murdered. My killer goes by the call name 'Hellmane'. Large Charr, black fur. Necromatic abilities. I--" And that's when the explosion occurred, giving them about a half second scream as she was torn apart before the line went dead.

Now that so much time has passed, I've had regrets killing her. However, that is only because the two I was roleplaying with quit the game the following week, so there was no chance of follow up rp for my guild mates.

Warren Castille · **04-10-2015, 11:16 AM**

RPing in any game is just telling a story (or a series of them) and all stories have an end. I'm not a fan of random chances of death, though I can understand why that's tempting to get a reaction out of readers. If anyone's read my forum stuff lately you can see I've got no qualms introducing characters to serve a purpose and then murdering them, though.

I don't know where Warren's story will end right now. I'm enjoying telling it too much to wonder how it closes.

McBeefâ„¢ · **04-10-2015, 11:38 AM**

I have no issue killing off characters. I've done it before and I'll likely do it again. I generally don't plan it, but if it comes around in RP and I don't always fight it.

The more interesting issue is how it effects OOC relationships. I had never RPed in an MMO before this, so a lot of these things are new to me. After my previous main character died (Natalie Mcbeef), it tore apart my OOC situation in game. One forgets how many OOC ties are predicated off of IC ones.

Killing her destroyed my FC and my relationship with almost everyone I associated with in game. It even effected things IRL, as many people I know play the game, and I can no longer participate in those conversations about what is going on in in game stories.

I don't regret the decision, I now have a new web of relationships, both IC and OOC, but it was a huge change, especially one to me, who was ignorant of the fact it would happen.

If you're going to kill your main character, I can only suggest you either clear it with the people who are OOCly most important to you, or you prepare yourself for a similar rocky road of rebuilding your social base in the game.

Aldotsk · **04-10-2015, 12:11 PM**

I personally haven't decided in whether I want Anelia to die or not. But I probably might consider that after maybe 2nd or 3rd expansion pack after A Realm Reborn/Heavensward. I feel that there is still a plot potential to move on for her, but I want her to at least see the possibility of Garlemald falling apart (Even though that may be really for a long time).

I am perfectly okay with killing off my other characters. Perhaps I want Mizuho to stay alive until the end too. But this hasn't been really a good subject to talk about for me, because I am always the type of "Kill em all Tomino" style of writer when I make a plot.

« Next Oldest \| Next Newest »
Pages (3): « Previous 1 2 3 Next »

Famous Last Words: Character Death and You

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes