Death

[Ice1]

Do you let your RP characters die? Are you willing to switch them out? How do you deal with RP death?

 

[Shak]

I haven't let an RP character die yet. Mainly because I've not had one long enough, I'd be happy to if it was for the sake of the story.

 

[Charizard_Man]

I think if the plot allows it, and it fits the general theme of the roleplay (for instance death wouldn't be applicable to a PG roleplay full of candy and sunshine) I think it would be best to have characters die if the roleplayer must drop out of the roleplay due to real life circumstances. It would give the character a way out of the plot without simply disappearing into oblivion and would even help out the roleplay by sparking revenge stories, or maybe unrequited love, etc. In this case I would gladly let my characters die if it helped out the roleplay as a whole, otherwise I'd be too attached haha

 

[Karma]

I get entirely too attached to characters to write them off, even if it provides an excellent plot device at a crucial moment in the rp. Then again, I suppose if it is a long running game and the character itself grows tiring to write, an unexpected death could be the solution. It certainly makes for an awesome post if written properly.

As for dealing with deaths, I would say that if it was too early on, there had been no indication either IC or OOC, or it just didn't work in the theme of the game I would find it rather disheartening, especially if my character interacted often with the now deceased one. Deaths should be thought out and well placed. It should have some kind of meaning, because if it is the end for the character it should prompt a new beginning for the plot. Otherwise it's just a means to a quick, unessential end.

 

[moon]

I'd only kill one of my main characters if I was bored of them. Wouldn't want someone I worked on a lot to disappear ;; However, NPCs are a different story. They're just there to make things more interesting for the players. Sometimes, a dead NPC can make for great stories.

... I recently killed my trainer's Pidgey in Crossroads. It was kinda weird.

 

[Sonata]

I haven't had anyone die yet. However I do have the majority of my characters' deaths already planned out. I do have backup characters in mind though in case someone wants to kill off one of my mains and actually has a good reason for it. NPCs are totally different though. Most of them can just be thrown into a bottomless pit for all I care. Got a few deaths planned out with certain people already.

 

[Judge Mandolore Shepard]

There have times in RPs that I have been in (ones from before I joined PokeCommunity) where I have permanently killed off my characters before. I even remember which characters I have killed off.

 

[Winter]

I'd let my character if given the opportunity and people start begging me to not kill them off lmao. Honestly, I have no favourites when it comes to my characters so I'm always down for offing them as a dramatic mechanism. ;3 Living is overrated.

 

[SV]

I've had quite a few characters that have died. Of the three completed RPs I've been apart of, two of my main characters have died. Along with that, many side characters also met the same fate along the way. There are many reasons to kill a character: to advance a plot, to increase the emotional stakes and severity of a situation, or simply because that seems like the best (or only) outcome for that character. I don't kill characters off because it's an available idea, but more to serve a purpose. After all, you get attached to a character if you end up playing them for months, or in some cases years. Sometimes, it's hard to let go, but ultimately I do it because the pay-off is a better-told story.

I do notice that the idea doesn't sit well with a lot of people though, especially if they played those characters for a long time. That's why I usually leave the fate of the characters up to the RPer, rather than take it into my own hands as a GM.

 

[Nakuzami]

I had two characters die in Odyssey 3, though not through my own choice.

I have no problem killing a character for story purposes. I mean, for the books I eventually intend to write, well . . . the question wouldn't so much be who dies, but who survives. haha.

 

[Sweet Dreams]

While I haven't had any of my characters die yet, I wouldn't be 100% against it either. I do get attached to my characters, but that's mostly about the possibilities they may have for development and growth and how they may affect the plot. If my character goes through enough of all that and formed a few friendships etc, I would be fine with killing them off... but only if it was satisfyingly dramatic/important/helped someone ELSE'S character achieve growth etc.

TBH I think iit would probably be more satisfying killing off my characters than keeping them suspended forever in another dead RP xD. I wouldn't lay awake and think of wasted potential, I suppose.

 

[JukeboxTheGhoul]

A point I wish to ask about, is how do you people write death? as in does it fade to black? Do you switch perspective? Do you follow a specific way of representing it (rather than "X died" Do you put how Kung-Fu Panda did for an example, disappearing with falling petals. That's just a example.) ? I might be treading on controversial ice, but do you depict an after life?

 

[gimmepie]

A point I wish to ask about, is how do you people write death? as in does it fade to black? Do you switch perspective? Do you follow a specific way of representing it (rather than "X died" Do you put how Kung-Fu Panda did for an example, disappearing with falling petals. That's just a example.) ? I might be treading on controversial ice, but do you depict an after life?

That would really just depend on the circumstances etc and what sprung to mind for me.

 

[Legend]

I have been tempted to kill several of my characters but yet to have successfully done it. But like the others, it serves the story well, I will do it without much hesitation.