I create my characters based on many factors. I have characters that have basic traits and personalities, but I put them in multiple timelines and universes to see what effect it might have on them. I often change up part of the personality, what they look like, and even family members depending on how it might happen in another world. Usually though, the main name and some small part are the same between all incarnations. For instance, Kytsora's tells are that she either loves or is a wolf girl, and has emerald green eyes regardless of species. It also helps that she is an extension of me.
I was just wondering who else does this? I only do this because I cherish the idea of each character, like my own child. My character profiles look a little screwed up and need maintenance, Which I am attempting to get a start on; I have so many characters and ideas.
I would like to know if anyone else does this, or if I am just one special nutcase.
(EDIT: I made a booboo already.
)
I want to apologize for some of my posts below. I did get defensive. However, we all have our reasons for why we do or don't do this. I understood that. I know you may have had bad experiences or feel that it will fall flat, but I always have hope for it, and wish to keep trying to improve my skills.
I was just wondering who else does this? I only do this because I cherish the idea of each character, like my own child. My character profiles look a little screwed up and need maintenance, Which I am attempting to get a start on; I have so many characters and ideas.
I would like to know if anyone else does this, or if I am just one special nutcase.
(EDIT: I made a booboo already.
)I want to apologize for some of my posts below. I did get defensive. However, we all have our reasons for why we do or don't do this. I understood that. I know you may have had bad experiences or feel that it will fall flat, but I always have hope for it, and wish to keep trying to improve my skills.
I am just going to stop trying to be fully aware of my grammar while writing at this point.... I keep noticing small things that shouldn't be a big deal...
I also decided to speak "Engrish" today. For those unfamiliar with that term, I spoke English as if I were Japanese. It was purely by accident.
I also decided to speak "Engrish" today. For those unfamiliar with that term, I spoke English as if I were Japanese. It was purely by accident.
I enjoy making bade templates of characters, or a character that can be easily inserted into different situations - for example, one of my characters was created specifically for a couple of friends that have a very long running fantasy story rp (between 8 - 12 years). It's an interesting challenge for me to sometimes try and genre-swap characters, but I don't often meet with success.
I think this sort of thing varies per person and how pliable you want a character to be, but on the whole I think everyone has done the "Let's put character X in Y scenario!" game.
I think this sort of thing varies per person and how pliable you want a character to be, but on the whole I think everyone has done the "Let's put character X in Y scenario!" game.
rolled 10d100 and got 521
I'm really not a huge fan of this myself and I try to avoid roleplaying with people who do it. I make exceptions for people I know well, but strangers usually don't fit the bill for me. The reason is not that I don't enjoy the creativity of it all or their willingness to be flexible, but it's so unfair to my characters.
I like to think that, just like in a book, what happens to my character defines them as a person. It directly influences their decisions, their personalities and the way their story will move forward. Usually there is no magic button for them to press and rewind and do it all over (specific circumstances left out here).
So in short, if your character breaks my character's heart, s/he will remember forever. In the next RP I go into, that moment in their life is carried with them. It may affect the way they treat new relationships. It may affect the way they react to certain words, gestures, even people with certain physical traits. It's forever. What they learn is knowledge carried with them a lifetime.
But when I roleplay with someone who flings their character around into different settings and basically erases their the consequences of our game, it feels like I wasted my time. Like what my character went through doesn't matter, because the person who did that to them basically doesn't exist anymore.
I dislike it greatly for that reason. I put a lot of thought and effort into my characters and unless my character has gotten 'stuck' in their story or doesn't get much of any RP because they're too hard to work with, I will never revise them in such a way. It creates situations where I have to be creative to solve a problem, or it creates depth to a plot. I wouldn't want to erase that.
I have made one exception with a character in the past and it was a fun RP while it lasted, but the multiversing didn't really work out that well for me. I had two stories going on at the same time and I didn't feel too comfortable making one story 'not matter' to her development. I did clarify on her profile that any storyline not with my friend wouldn't count, but I feel bad all the same about it.
It's not necessarily a bad thing to multiverse characters, but it can be hurtful and be a blow to someone's gut to simply wipe away what occurred and never having it last. I understand why it's attractive to do, but I sometimes also feel like a new character might be better suited to explore different paths and situations rather than continuously remolding an existing character.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that it would be nice if people communicated about this more clearly with their partners. It's all a matter of preference, not right or wrong, but just doing whatever and not taking your partner into consideration isn't fun in the least! It's surprising for me to see how often people don't realize this when I discuss plots with them.
I like to think that, just like in a book, what happens to my character defines them as a person. It directly influences their decisions, their personalities and the way their story will move forward. Usually there is no magic button for them to press and rewind and do it all over (specific circumstances left out here).
So in short, if your character breaks my character's heart, s/he will remember forever. In the next RP I go into, that moment in their life is carried with them. It may affect the way they treat new relationships. It may affect the way they react to certain words, gestures, even people with certain physical traits. It's forever. What they learn is knowledge carried with them a lifetime.
But when I roleplay with someone who flings their character around into different settings and basically erases their the consequences of our game, it feels like I wasted my time. Like what my character went through doesn't matter, because the person who did that to them basically doesn't exist anymore.
I dislike it greatly for that reason. I put a lot of thought and effort into my characters and unless my character has gotten 'stuck' in their story or doesn't get much of any RP because they're too hard to work with, I will never revise them in such a way. It creates situations where I have to be creative to solve a problem, or it creates depth to a plot. I wouldn't want to erase that.
I have made one exception with a character in the past and it was a fun RP while it lasted, but the multiversing didn't really work out that well for me. I had two stories going on at the same time and I didn't feel too comfortable making one story 'not matter' to her development. I did clarify on her profile that any storyline not with my friend wouldn't count, but I feel bad all the same about it.
It's not necessarily a bad thing to multiverse characters, but it can be hurtful and be a blow to someone's gut to simply wipe away what occurred and never having it last. I understand why it's attractive to do, but I sometimes also feel like a new character might be better suited to explore different paths and situations rather than continuously remolding an existing character.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that it would be nice if people communicated about this more clearly with their partners. It's all a matter of preference, not right or wrong, but just doing whatever and not taking your partner into consideration isn't fun in the least! It's surprising for me to see how often people don't realize this when I discuss plots with them.
I do a version of this with some of my characters; after a fashion, at least. When I have a character that can potentially show up in different worlds or settings, generally, it's the same character with the same string of experiences behind them who has, through magic or artifice, managed to travel to another dimension or time or layer of reality. All of my characters exist in a sort of multi-verse model, as is, so this isn't out of the question for any of them--but some happen to be voidwalkers by nature or through dedicated study.
I also have some long-lived characters who can appear at different points in history.
In this manner, the storylines I've had with a given character are never 'nullified'.
All this said, I wouldn't be completely averse to experimenting with the 'what ifs' that arise when you take a given personality and futz with its backstory. I reckon I'd be more likely to do that in short fiction than RP, though.
I also have some long-lived characters who can appear at different points in history.
In this manner, the storylines I've had with a given character are never 'nullified'.
All this said, I wouldn't be completely averse to experimenting with the 'what ifs' that arise when you take a given personality and futz with its backstory. I reckon I'd be more likely to do that in short fiction than RP, though.
I do this hardcore- by hardcore I mean long before I was RPing my character and long before I even knew of the show Doctor Who [yes I compare my story to them because Doctor Who has been around longer than me- proof that my idea was not as novel as I had thought many years back]
I digress
Telelia is my main plainswalking/voidwalker w.e. you call it- She opens up portals to different dimensions and quite often encounters 'herself' in these dimensions. The paradox in this instance usually requires either one or the other to 'die'- however unlike true death the memories and experiences of the one paradox get 'learned' by the other after one is destroyed- they both cannot exist once they meet as its like the universe is all of a sudden "OH SHIT THERE'S TWO" type deal.
However why its imperative for one or the other to survive is quite simple: the memories are just that- memories. They aren't really yours even if that person was you- its a different dimension, etc. It's like watching a movie of yourself when you really aren't the main character- the main character just happens to have your face and name. Thus you try to be the dominant one- and that's just it- once you gain the paradox's essence you can pretty much do what you want with it, in fact you could even deny it even existed, erasing all those memories like we do when we wake up from dreams.
Telelia herself has a reincarnation curse on her- once her physical body dies her soul has to find another host. This may lead to people feeling the RP I do with them is all for naught if I can simply just erase everything- I play Telelia is having a chance to remember her past incarnations; as in some of her incarnations never knew what they were and thus lived a normal life while others, like Telelia's instance, realized they were much more and thus allowed that side of them to grow and bloom. But when Telelia finally moves on who's to say if the next incarnation will remember- however if they do remember then that's just it: they remember. I never play that none of your actions simply didn't mean a thing, often times your actions will give choices, some of which may lead down darker paths and others not so much. I often play all my characters as this- I give the other person freedom to have sway over my character- hence why I don't often do a 'always/never' chart because the always list will be so long and the never list be so short- I can't RP my character with a lot of constraints because its not realistic- and how can I expect you to give way if I'm not willing either.
Again I digress...
All of my characters have existed in a different universe- that's scientific- there are multiple universes with countless variations- just leave it to the imagination. Thus I apply science and imagination to my characters making it fantastical realism.
Many have existed in different times, many in different dimensions- however there are some that are not this: put it simply some just are that old that they have been around a while, and others quite new and will never be around for longer than 'humanly' possible.
But yes- I do partake in different universes- its brilliant and amazing and allows the player freedom to play a character in more than one setting- and quite honestly I love the awkward RP of a space pirate realizing they landed in Middle Ages- or better yet lets put them appearing at Chichen Itza. Would they be treated as a god or as an outcast- and how would that affect the streams of time? [yes I do play different time streams and messing with them- it leads to time bending/shattering results and that too is quite fun to RP when a main character realizes their folly and has to fix it]
I digress
Telelia is my main plainswalking/voidwalker w.e. you call it- She opens up portals to different dimensions and quite often encounters 'herself' in these dimensions. The paradox in this instance usually requires either one or the other to 'die'- however unlike true death the memories and experiences of the one paradox get 'learned' by the other after one is destroyed- they both cannot exist once they meet as its like the universe is all of a sudden "OH SHIT THERE'S TWO" type deal.
However why its imperative for one or the other to survive is quite simple: the memories are just that- memories. They aren't really yours even if that person was you- its a different dimension, etc. It's like watching a movie of yourself when you really aren't the main character- the main character just happens to have your face and name. Thus you try to be the dominant one- and that's just it- once you gain the paradox's essence you can pretty much do what you want with it, in fact you could even deny it even existed, erasing all those memories like we do when we wake up from dreams.
Telelia herself has a reincarnation curse on her- once her physical body dies her soul has to find another host. This may lead to people feeling the RP I do with them is all for naught if I can simply just erase everything- I play Telelia is having a chance to remember her past incarnations; as in some of her incarnations never knew what they were and thus lived a normal life while others, like Telelia's instance, realized they were much more and thus allowed that side of them to grow and bloom. But when Telelia finally moves on who's to say if the next incarnation will remember- however if they do remember then that's just it: they remember. I never play that none of your actions simply didn't mean a thing, often times your actions will give choices, some of which may lead down darker paths and others not so much. I often play all my characters as this- I give the other person freedom to have sway over my character- hence why I don't often do a 'always/never' chart because the always list will be so long and the never list be so short- I can't RP my character with a lot of constraints because its not realistic- and how can I expect you to give way if I'm not willing either.
Again I digress...
All of my characters have existed in a different universe- that's scientific- there are multiple universes with countless variations- just leave it to the imagination. Thus I apply science and imagination to my characters making it fantastical realism.
Many have existed in different times, many in different dimensions- however there are some that are not this: put it simply some just are that old that they have been around a while, and others quite new and will never be around for longer than 'humanly' possible.
But yes- I do partake in different universes- its brilliant and amazing and allows the player freedom to play a character in more than one setting- and quite honestly I love the awkward RP of a space pirate realizing they landed in Middle Ages- or better yet lets put them appearing at Chichen Itza. Would they be treated as a god or as an outcast- and how would that affect the streams of time? [yes I do play different time streams and messing with them- it leads to time bending/shattering results and that too is quite fun to RP when a main character realizes their folly and has to fix it]
The only reason I disagree is because the idea isn't necessarily that I hit a "reset" button. The universes just aren't compatible for the character to remember what they did in a previous one. Think about it like multiple timelines. One version, the character is a good magic user with a shyness to them. The next one, they become a rogue with a dark past and a shadier personality. And then we jump to the universes that aren't just fantasy, but science fiction, and then realistic fiction itself.
I'm not saying you have to RP with me, nor agree. Just defending the idea more or less that they aren't always exactly the same each time.
I'm not saying you have to RP with me, nor agree. Just defending the idea more or less that they aren't always exactly the same each time.
I'd like to point out that I don't consider 'planeswalkers' (i.e. characters who retain their full memories and simply end up in a different dimension, but keep their development) part of the kind of characters I tend to exclude from my roleplays. I'm talking strictly about people who end a roleplay, then plop the character into another dimension or time period and forget everything they did before.
Doesn't that equal to your character not retaining memories and development from one of these universes? What you're describing is that a character steps into a different universe, forgets everything that happened to them (ergo erasing the whole progress and development you had) to start over with something different?
I understand they're multiple timelines, but it still makes it so that the other character you play with would end up being the only one who remembers what happened. Unless you save a particular version of that character and continue to RP them with the memories they made and the development that occurred, you're basically still resetting them and recycling only their name and a few other basic attributes, rendering everything you did with other players void.
That's always been my biggest issue because I do the exact opposite. Their actions in the past have consequences, as do their thoughts and feelings. That's not something your characters retain according to your own description, correct?
Kytsora wrote:
The only reason I disagree is because the idea isn't necessarily that I hit a "reset" button. The universes just aren't compatible for the character to remember what they did in a previous one. Think about it like multiple timelines. One version, the character is a good magic user with a shyness to them. The next one, they become a rogue with a dark past and a shadier personality. And then we jump to the universes that aren't just fantasy, but science fiction, and then realistic fiction itself.
I'm not saying you have to RP with me, nor agree. Just defending the idea more or less that they aren't always exactly the same each time.
I'm not saying you have to RP with me, nor agree. Just defending the idea more or less that they aren't always exactly the same each time.
Doesn't that equal to your character not retaining memories and development from one of these universes? What you're describing is that a character steps into a different universe, forgets everything that happened to them (ergo erasing the whole progress and development you had) to start over with something different?
I understand they're multiple timelines, but it still makes it so that the other character you play with would end up being the only one who remembers what happened. Unless you save a particular version of that character and continue to RP them with the memories they made and the development that occurred, you're basically still resetting them and recycling only their name and a few other basic attributes, rendering everything you did with other players void.
That's always been my biggest issue because I do the exact opposite. Their actions in the past have consequences, as do their thoughts and feelings. That's not something your characters retain according to your own description, correct?
boop.
Beinnj wrote:
What I do with a character who is used in multiple universes is have one central universe, with the other 'what if' or alternate universes branching off from it. Think of it like a tree; the main universe is the trunk, and the alternate universes are the branches that spread out and away from it, endlessly splitting into various different situations depending on what that particular universe is like.
Kind of like "Home Base"- I'm particularly fond of the idea. Or perhaps using Furcadia as an example a Nexus.
Beinnj wrote:
As with characters that can travel transdimensionally, I tend to be a little iffy on them too. Namely because I never really see it being played well, or it is like a sort of indication that the particular player of that character is unable to dedicate themselves to a story line or continuity, and thus I find myself more unwilling to roleplay with someone who has more of a potential to grow bored of a plot that requires development very quickly. Just my opinion though, and I certainly don't use this as a marker to judge a person as a whole. That's just how it comes off to me.
I'm still going with Furcadia as an example- and the main reason I LOVE to RP there; I've RP'd Telelia in that particular game for seven years? Eight? And still keeping with that time line- for all we know those eight years translate to hundreds- but I digress. OOCly I see that particular game as allowing players to travel between dimension- IE the "Dream's" of others- its a pocket plane of existence. Granted other 'dreams' are actually a part of the main planet while others are literally in a different universe entirely. This doesn't mean you can't decide for your character or that you can't decide and thus just toss them in the wind so to speak- Telelia's story is vast, not many will know it IC and that's fine with me. There are reasons why she travels and basically that plays on the whole "Home Base" sort of deal- she'll always call that particular instance 'home' even if she likes your particular instance better. Now granted not everybody plays this as there are many variations of time/dimensional traveling
I however can understand unwillingness to not RP with a character that isn't played well- heck I myself sometimes find my own characters hard to play, of which I'll try to re-work them so I can. I say this because I myself am always up for "a good story": I don't care who or what you are or what fandom/mythos you came from, I just like something well written, or played well.
Sanne wrote:
So in short, if your character breaks my character's heart, s/he will remember forever. In the next RP I go into, that moment in their life is carried with them. It may affect the way they treat new relationships. It may affect the way they react to certain words, gestures, even people with certain physical traits. It's forever. What they learn is knowledge carried with them a lifetime.
But when I roleplay with someone who flings their character around into different settings and basically erases their the consequences of our game, it feels like I wasted my time. Like what my character went through doesn't matter, because the person who did that to them basically doesn't exist anymore
But when I roleplay with someone who flings their character around into different settings and basically erases their the consequences of our game, it feels like I wasted my time. Like what my character went through doesn't matter, because the person who did that to them basically doesn't exist anymore
If I may address this part, because I do what the OP is describing! Unless I'm misunderstanding what Kytsora is saying, the 'original' character doesn't go away--they still exist with their experiences, memories, thoughts, heartbreaks, and so forth. A new version of them, separate but just similar enough to be an AU/Timeline variation, comes to life, and in such a case one probably won't be playing a Planeswalker unless they intend to deal with the consequences of meeting a character's AU.
For example, I have two alternate versions of my paladin, Draconus: a dragon tamer Pokemon trainer, and a vampire who is CEO of an oil company for the Vampire: The Masquerade canon. Those are two very particular canons, I know, but bear with me.
Let's say I RP the paladin (main universe) Draconus with a princess. By no means do I expect the princess' player to plop that exact same character in one of the two universes mentioned above, and the paladin hasn't vanished from existence just because I play in a VtM campaign as the vampiric one. I also wouldn't expect the princess to show up because the canons are so vastly incompatible that there's no logical reason for the princess to appear anyway!
So really there hopefully shouldn't be a risk of one canon being ruined by another canon's self mysteriously being erased or getting mixed up in the tales of their other selves--because that's not what's probably supposed to happen in the first place! If it is, I kind of consider that poor playing; there is no reason one version should be reset just because an AU cropped up in another setting, and there's really no reason one version should get into the story of another unless the players want to handle that sort of story (which done well might actually be a decent RP!)
boop.
[Hey guys, as a heads up, I moved this topic here into the RP Discussion board! It doesn't appear to be showing up on the main forum "last post" section yet (but I imagine it will after this post), so I don't want anyone to think it suddenly vanished. 
Happy posting!]
Happy posting!]
I did this accidentally.
I had one main character on Furcadia who started visiting different continuities and canons, and developing beyond my control. However I'm not the kind of person who likes to "retcon" rolepays, so in the end I split the character into two completely different entities. One meant for play in one universe, and the other in a different universe. In effect, they became two different characters with the same name. I even have two separate RPR profiles for them. I've honestly found the whole process quite frustrating, however, as it can get really confusing for myself and for my RP partners.
However, I was able to keep all the history I liked, and not disappoint anyone by saying our RP never happened. Now that the characters are separate, everything that happens to them stays "in-continuity." They have the same basic backstory, but I try to make it clear that they exist independent of one another. To be honest, I wish I had seen this coming, and had just made a new character e.e
I had one main character on Furcadia who started visiting different continuities and canons, and developing beyond my control. However I'm not the kind of person who likes to "retcon" rolepays, so in the end I split the character into two completely different entities. One meant for play in one universe, and the other in a different universe. In effect, they became two different characters with the same name. I even have two separate RPR profiles for them. I've honestly found the whole process quite frustrating, however, as it can get really confusing for myself and for my RP partners.
However, I was able to keep all the history I liked, and not disappoint anyone by saying our RP never happened. Now that the characters are separate, everything that happens to them stays "in-continuity." They have the same basic backstory, but I try to make it clear that they exist independent of one another. To be honest, I wish I had seen this coming, and had just made a new character e.e
See, the reason I do this is because I believe there to be a possibility of multiple versions of me out there, not here in this particular universe, but in infinite universes with infinite combinations of backgrounds and changes to them.
The idea isn't to erase the character from the RP or forget the RP ever existed or happened. I understand that a few of you are saying I would forget it, and in time everyone does forget an RP because it happens to fall away from priorities or something occurs to someone OOC that prevents them from being able to continue. And I never asked if you would RP with me either, honestly. I just simply wondered if you did this, or if I was one of a few people.
I call myself a creature of infinite creation. I like to create new things. And most of my characters, before I had honed my artistic and my intellectual skills to a reasonable point, were actually OC for games I played and shows I watched. So the reason I create new universes for them is because I am unable to really put them in the position they should have been in, which is usually a side-story that happens in tandem with show and game storylines. I also don't want some of the characters to die off in my mind, so I refresh and renew them so I don't leave them behind. I have stated they are precious to me above.
All I am saying: Please don't argue your point into the ground, even if you are trying to explain yourself. I commend everyone here for having an opinion unique to them. I only ask that you understand it from my point as well.
The idea isn't to erase the character from the RP or forget the RP ever existed or happened. I understand that a few of you are saying I would forget it, and in time everyone does forget an RP because it happens to fall away from priorities or something occurs to someone OOC that prevents them from being able to continue. And I never asked if you would RP with me either, honestly. I just simply wondered if you did this, or if I was one of a few people.
I call myself a creature of infinite creation. I like to create new things. And most of my characters, before I had honed my artistic and my intellectual skills to a reasonable point, were actually OC for games I played and shows I watched. So the reason I create new universes for them is because I am unable to really put them in the position they should have been in, which is usually a side-story that happens in tandem with show and game storylines. I also don't want some of the characters to die off in my mind, so I refresh and renew them so I don't leave them behind. I have stated they are precious to me above.
All I am saying: Please don't argue your point into the ground, even if you are trying to explain yourself. I commend everyone here for having an opinion unique to them. I only ask that you understand it from my point as well.
As I re-read some of the posts, I note that the common theme is that, again, I am taking the character, picking them up out of that story, and then placing them, forgotten knowledge and such, into another timelime.
That's not the case.
The idea is to change the character so that someone can tell it's based on the main idea of the original, but that it lives in that world/dimension/universe separate from the other versions of itself and has had different experiences and such.
The problem I have had is that each RP I have been in with friends (Which is why I am defending how I do this so vastly) has changed things that are allowed in the world setting of the RP. So I can't move them from one to the next and retain the entire idea. So I modify and work around what I can. The idea is more like how the idea of infinite universes can happen: When you make a decision or do an action, the other options create new universes that, in their own time, create drastic differences between the two.
In the end, it's your own preference to which you hold your standards. I am open minded, perhaps so much so that I don't entirely understand my own logic sometimes.
I may or may not return to this topic, only because of underlying tones of disapproval of me as a person and a writer/artist are cropping up between a majority of the posters here. Nothing against you at all. Personally, to me, after reading some of the posts, it feels more like I titled the topic "Judgement Day" instead.
That's not the case.
The idea is to change the character so that someone can tell it's based on the main idea of the original, but that it lives in that world/dimension/universe separate from the other versions of itself and has had different experiences and such.
The problem I have had is that each RP I have been in with friends (Which is why I am defending how I do this so vastly) has changed things that are allowed in the world setting of the RP. So I can't move them from one to the next and retain the entire idea. So I modify and work around what I can. The idea is more like how the idea of infinite universes can happen: When you make a decision or do an action, the other options create new universes that, in their own time, create drastic differences between the two.
In the end, it's your own preference to which you hold your standards. I am open minded, perhaps so much so that I don't entirely understand my own logic sometimes.
I may or may not return to this topic, only because of underlying tones of disapproval of me as a person and a writer/artist are cropping up between a majority of the posters here. Nothing against you at all. Personally, to me, after reading some of the posts, it feels more like I titled the topic "Judgement Day" instead.
I'm trying to understand your way of roleplaying characters this way, but I admit I have a hard time wrapping my head around it. I'm not sure how a character could be put into a new universe as the same person with retained memories and development, when the character who was rped with yours doesn't fit in the new universe. How does that work? How does your character remember things about that past when in the new universe, such memories can't exist?
I'm not talking about you, the player, forgetting anything in a roleplay. I'm strictly talking about character development. Usually when a character is played for a while they change over time. Just like we do. The reason people change is because of the things that happen in life. In my RPs I prefer that these changes are permanent. I usually don't go back and pretend something didn't happen. What I've been getting at is that by placing a character in a different universe, their old version no longer exists. That old version is no longer played, and things they learned and did before are no longer relevant to their current self. That's what I'm getting from your posts, but I'm having a hard time deducting if this is an accurate assumption of mine or not. I'm also confused because in my eyes, I'm reading contradictions in your posts that just confuse me further.
I understand you feel the way you do, but I'm sure that's not anybody's intention. You asked for opinions and opened a discussion that allows everyone to express how they think of this subject, while taking a look in each other's minds. I'm trying hard to understand how this works for you but I keep coming back to the same thing because I feel like you're not quite understanding what I mean, or perhaps I'm not getting something important that would make me understand.
I'm not talking about you, the player, forgetting anything in a roleplay. I'm strictly talking about character development. Usually when a character is played for a while they change over time. Just like we do. The reason people change is because of the things that happen in life. In my RPs I prefer that these changes are permanent. I usually don't go back and pretend something didn't happen. What I've been getting at is that by placing a character in a different universe, their old version no longer exists. That old version is no longer played, and things they learned and did before are no longer relevant to their current self. That's what I'm getting from your posts, but I'm having a hard time deducting if this is an accurate assumption of mine or not. I'm also confused because in my eyes, I'm reading contradictions in your posts that just confuse me further.
I understand you feel the way you do, but I'm sure that's not anybody's intention. You asked for opinions and opened a discussion that allows everyone to express how they think of this subject, while taking a look in each other's minds. I'm trying hard to understand how this works for you but I keep coming back to the same thing because I feel like you're not quite understanding what I mean, or perhaps I'm not getting something important that would make me understand.
I'm with Sanne, I'm not quite sure how you RP from what you're saying. From what I gather, you keep one character that you've RPed with, that has grown on time, and move it between different continuities or timelines, doesn't necessarily forget previous RPs, or just forgets things or changes if it isn't allowed in another continuity?
Everyone is certainly welcome to RP the way they wanted! So it is very interesting hearing both sides.
My concerns are similar to Sanne's, and not saying you do this but lots do, if I RP with someone whose character moves between different plots and resets with each plots it feels like a waste of time. My second concern, as a Furcadia dream owner, is someone who comes to the dream from the 'future' or a 'different plane' when none of that would actually exist in the continuity of a dream. This is typically done so they can RP within the continuity of the dream/group but doesn't quite work.
I'm of the mind that I keep certain characters to specific continuities; if it is a modern setting, they stay there, if it is medieval or fantasy, they stay there. It is too difficult for me to change my character or void past interactions since they make up who my character is. I also stick with strict-roleplaying, the rules are (bit obvious) stricter to keep things seem more realistic within the frame of the continuity and roleplay.
Everyone is certainly welcome to RP the way they wanted! So it is very interesting hearing both sides.
My concerns are similar to Sanne's, and not saying you do this but lots do, if I RP with someone whose character moves between different plots and resets with each plots it feels like a waste of time. My second concern, as a Furcadia dream owner, is someone who comes to the dream from the 'future' or a 'different plane' when none of that would actually exist in the continuity of a dream. This is typically done so they can RP within the continuity of the dream/group but doesn't quite work.
I'm of the mind that I keep certain characters to specific continuities; if it is a modern setting, they stay there, if it is medieval or fantasy, they stay there. It is too difficult for me to change my character or void past interactions since they make up who my character is. I also stick with strict-roleplaying, the rules are (bit obvious) stricter to keep things seem more realistic within the frame of the continuity and roleplay.
boop.
Sanne wrote:
I'm really not a huge fan of this myself and I try to avoid roleplaying with people who do it. I make exceptions for people I know well, but strangers usually don't fit the bill for me. The reason is not that I don't enjoy the creativity of it all or their willingness to be flexible, but it's so unfair to my characters.
I like to think that, just like in a book, what happens to my character defines them as a person. It directly influences their decisions, their personalities and the way their story will move forward. Usually there is no magic button for them to press and rewind and do it all over (specific circumstances left out here).
So in short, if your character breaks my character's heart, s/he will remember forever. In the next RP I go into, that moment in their life is carried with them. It may affect the way they treat new relationships. It may affect the way they react to certain words, gestures, even people with certain physical traits. It's forever. What they learn is knowledge carried with them a lifetime.
But when I roleplay with someone who flings their character around into different settings and basically erases their the consequences of our game, it feels like I wasted my time. Like what my character went through doesn't matter, because the person who did that to them basically doesn't exist anymore.
I dislike it greatly for that reason. I put a lot of thought and effort into my characters and unless my character has gotten 'stuck' in their story or doesn't get much of any RP because they're too hard to work with, I will never revise them in such a way. It creates situations where I have to be creative to solve a problem, or it creates depth to a plot. I wouldn't want to erase that.
I have made one exception with a character in the past and it was a fun RP while it lasted, but the multiversing didn't really work out that well for me. I had two stories going on at the same time and I didn't feel too comfortable making one story 'not matter' to her development. I did clarify on her profile that any storyline not with my friend wouldn't count, but I feel bad all the same about it.
It's not necessarily a bad thing to multiverse characters, but it can be hurtful and be a blow to someone's gut to simply wipe away what occurred and never having it last. I understand why it's attractive to do, but I sometimes also feel like a new character might be better suited to explore different paths and situations rather than continuously remolding an existing character.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that it would be nice if people communicated about this more clearly with their partners. It's all a matter of preference, not right or wrong, but just doing whatever and not taking your partner into consideration isn't fun in the least! It's surprising for me to see how often people don't realize this when I discuss plots with them.
I like to think that, just like in a book, what happens to my character defines them as a person. It directly influences their decisions, their personalities and the way their story will move forward. Usually there is no magic button for them to press and rewind and do it all over (specific circumstances left out here).
So in short, if your character breaks my character's heart, s/he will remember forever. In the next RP I go into, that moment in their life is carried with them. It may affect the way they treat new relationships. It may affect the way they react to certain words, gestures, even people with certain physical traits. It's forever. What they learn is knowledge carried with them a lifetime.
But when I roleplay with someone who flings their character around into different settings and basically erases their the consequences of our game, it feels like I wasted my time. Like what my character went through doesn't matter, because the person who did that to them basically doesn't exist anymore.
I dislike it greatly for that reason. I put a lot of thought and effort into my characters and unless my character has gotten 'stuck' in their story or doesn't get much of any RP because they're too hard to work with, I will never revise them in such a way. It creates situations where I have to be creative to solve a problem, or it creates depth to a plot. I wouldn't want to erase that.
I have made one exception with a character in the past and it was a fun RP while it lasted, but the multiversing didn't really work out that well for me. I had two stories going on at the same time and I didn't feel too comfortable making one story 'not matter' to her development. I did clarify on her profile that any storyline not with my friend wouldn't count, but I feel bad all the same about it.
It's not necessarily a bad thing to multiverse characters, but it can be hurtful and be a blow to someone's gut to simply wipe away what occurred and never having it last. I understand why it's attractive to do, but I sometimes also feel like a new character might be better suited to explore different paths and situations rather than continuously remolding an existing character.
I guess what I'm trying to say is that it would be nice if people communicated about this more clearly with their partners. It's all a matter of preference, not right or wrong, but just doing whatever and not taking your partner into consideration isn't fun in the least! It's surprising for me to see how often people don't realize this when I discuss plots with them.
This sums up what I was going to put perfectly, to be honest.
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