(recently created/new!)
Experimenting & Dropping Characters
The whole point to the existence of Nexus is to experiment. Experiment with storylines, with characters, with concepts, with building, with code and with other ideas: nearly anything goes, so long as it doesn't break the MUX, upset people or break laws.
But there comes a time sometimes when we realize that something we experimented with just isn't working. So, what do we do?
Well, if no one else has gotten involved in the project, dropping it outright is an option (in the case of a theme being worked out, a game grid, etc.). But dropping a character or storyline or an established game entirely might have ramifications on other people, so this isn't always the best option. If we drop a character, for example, someone else may suddenly find their character is left floundering with the IC void which is left. This isn't to say you're not allowed to drop from a game or drop a character; just that there are some issues to consider when doing so.
If dropping is the only option, taking strides to help the other player work beyond that void is preferable. Helping them to figure out why there is suddenly this void and how to RP around it is helpful:
e.g. I'm dropping Grandpa Fred, but I realize this leaves your Molly without a legal guardian on the game, so why don't we say he died of a heart attack and she's shipped off to an orphanage or to an aunt… let's see if someone's willing to play that aunt, or maybe I can try that character on for size…
Retconning
Retconning is something which many people don't like on MU*s.
- Retconn
- To nullify IC events which have already occurred.
Basically, this is kind of like the 'cop' saying, "Bang, bang! You're dead!" and the 'robber' says, "Whoa, wait… no I'm not. I didn't say you could shoot me!" There is a bit of a stigma that if something is retconned, it means someone whined about it. It's also generally disruptive because now all parties involved have to figure out how far the retconn goes (depending on how much time has passed since the event occurring, as the more people who know about it ICly, the wider spread the damage and clean-up will be).
But on Nexus, we suggest that retconns can be used, if sparingly, in cases where you've experimented and realize after the fact that a scene didn't sit well with you, that you felt you weren't in-character, that your character really didn't respond the way they should have because you were off your game or because you felt railroaded into a particular action. Retconns can effect an entire scene or just a single pose; the choice is yours.
We simply warn that you consider the ramifications of a retconn before you call for one, but that you ask for one sooner rather than later if that's your decision, to keep fallout at a minimum.
(work in progress… will finish soon)
File last updated: 06/13/09
