Advice on Screen Names and Character Deaths

[Kami no Kenshin]

Okay..... I'd like people's advice on a hypothetical situation. Say I'm RPing in a thread using this screen name, but I'm not actually playing this particular character. Instead of playing Kami no Kenshin with this SN, I'm playing say...... Bob the Fighter.

Now, Bob gets himself into a fight and it seems appropriate for Bob to get himself killed, for whatever reason.

My question is, should the screen name also suffer a death? I mean...on one hand the character being played is not the one normally played by the SN, but on the other, a character played by the SN DID die....... I'm just a bit confused as to the proper "Etiquette".

 

[Ssussunriyh]

I would say as long as you've made it clear that "Kami is playing Bob on the message boards," and those participating in the same thread can keep the identities straight, there's no need to "kill" your screen name.

 

[Kami no Kenshin]

Hmm.... I was thinking the same thing. Thanks for answering, but I'd like to get a few more POV's before I decide what I'm going to do.

 

[Eidrog]

My Opinion

I would have to agree with Ssussunriyh, as long as all those involved know you were working a different character, there's no need to get rid of your screen name. Especially if your screen name is a character you enjoy playing!

What I do to simplify (or complicate) matters is make a new screen name for each character I play. That way it's quick and easy for other people to know which one of my characters I'm working!

Eidrog

 

[Drindin]

I've killed many characters, but never stopped using their screen names. I create new characters and use old screen names (for simplicity, I will call these 'reincarnations'). These reincarnations may be different characters with the same names, descendents of the dead character, a raised version (or as in one case, reincarnated version) of the same character. Or, I may let the screen name die (as has been many cases, such as Trith).

 

[Dread Pirate Gonzo]

I'm still relatively new to the boards myself, but my impression so far is that it really depends on which kind of thread you're participating in.

For example, right now I'm involved in a regular "play-by-post" where each of the players are playing a character of their own creation and a different name.

On the other hand, there are several "IC" boards and threads, and it appears to be expected that your screen name
is your character.

My best advice is, when in doubt, ask the GM or DM of the thread in question.

 

[WizO_Pounamu]

The IC ISRP board forums tend to be supplementing the IC Isrp chat, whereas the Map of the Planes etc are less likely to connect directly to a chat storyline.

On the chat, it is certainly easier to keep characters separate with separate names because you are playing in real time. You don't have the time to look back over everything else to figure out whether the character is the same as the name the player is writing from or not.

I myself will sometimes use one boards name to write for another character (noting it) because I don't have the boards name for that character yet, but I would very rarely do that on chat and only in a GMed game such as in Limbo, not in the general isrp rooms.

But it is always a good idea to ask if you get confused, whether it is on the boards or the chat.

- Pounamu