Hardest Bit To Play

[NoteworthyFellow]

It may seem odd, but I've always wanted to be responsible for a PC's death.  I don't know why, it could be because I've never had a character in the position to kill another PC before, and it's an aspect of the game I've yet to experience.  It could also be because I rarely have my characters killed by fellow PCs, so maybe I'm trying to bring karma down on myself.

Who knows.

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

I'll kill a PC in a heartbeat, given IC reason to do so. I don't feel bad about it ... they -knew- they were getting into some shit when they created a character here.

Lord knows whoever keeps killing -me- doesn't feel bad about it.

Edit: Prolly oughta add that I will roleplay their way out of it if I can, but at a certain point, just gotta lay an axe to their ass.

[brytta.leofa]

I would find it difficult to kill (heh, or even mug--story there) a PC "in cold blood."  Justice/retribution/defense is a whole different deal.

[Mood]

I agree with Venomz.

[RogueGunslinger]

I must be somewhat different than most here, regarding that my favorite part IS the characters creation. I love the aspect of creating a whole life wrought solely from my imagination. It's just fun. So I'm not afraid to kill or otherwise ruin another PC's existence.

The hardest part for me would probably the times when -nothing- seems to be happening.

[Gimfalisette]

I think my score for PKills at this point is probably in the "plenty" range. But overall I don't really OOCly enjoy it, and I definitely try to avoid it as much as possible. Here's a summation of why from this thread where we talked about brutalizing/killing other PCs:

I often struggle when it comes to imposing my will upon other players and making the decision to remove someone from the group dynamic we all create.

I play to create stories and add my voice to the song of Armageddon with the hope that a few notes will be remembered. Sometimes creating the story trumps the individual decisions of my character in how I approach a given situation. Sometimes letting someone live is bad for your character, but good for the game. That isn't to say that someone should feel obligated to be nice, fair, or merciful. It's simply a statement that there will be times when your actions, both ICly and OOCly, can have a profound effect upon the tapestry we weave, and sometimes letting a stray thread survive will result in an even more wondrous product than if you had simply tied a knot.

It's pretty rare that killing another PC makes the story -better-. Usually, killing a PC just means the complete end of that thread. In all the PKills I've done or helped with, I think only one has actually led to significant further plot stuff. Also, looking back on the times my characters have been PKed, I can say with some certainty that none of those kills led to any plot developments.

Now, I agree that there are times when a character just HAS to be killed, like when someone's attacking you and won't quit, when someone's cursing Tek's/Muk's name to a templar, etc etc. But even so, those kills don't really help weave the threads of the story, even though they do create ARM flavor.

[Gimfalisette]

P.S. However, I have no problem playing being really mean and brutal to other characters. I'll do it Tuluki style and subtly insult them to their face, I'll do it 'Nakki style and openly insult them to their face, I'll beat people up, I'll tell nasty rumors, I'll attempt to discredit them and ruin their reputation, I'll steal or extort from them, I'll use psychological warfare, and I'm a fan of creative torture scenes.

I just very strongly prefer that all of this not end in the other character's death.

[staggerlee]

I must be somewhat different than most here, regarding that my favorite part IS the characters creation. I love the aspect of creating a whole life wrought solely from my imagination. It's just fun. So I'm not afraid to kill or otherwise ruin another PC's existence.

The hardest part for me would probably the times when -nothing- seems to be happening.

Look at it this way.  You can do the right thing, or you can do the interesting thing.  Often killing someone can profit your character or ensure that they don't rat you out to the guards, come back for revenge or whatever.  But that doesn't mean it's going to be more fun.

If you leave them alive, they get a potential enemy, you get a potential enemy, and both characters grow from the experience.   In the long run, the more interesting your interactions with people are the less you'll have those moments where nothing seems to be happening.

Basically, as Gimf just said, there's far more potential for fun from a scene where two people walk out than a scene where one person walks out.

I've killed a lot of people on a lot of different muds, and it's almost always been in a blind panic because I didn't know what else to do.  Plain and simple, the longer I play, the less players I kill.  

Corpse objects only have so many uses. It's way more fun to have some disfigured bastard banished to the wastes  and hating your guts, or a new slave, or a rinther cowering in terror in a shack somewhere.  For both of you.

[Gimfalisette]

Often killing someone can profit your character or ensure that they don't rat you out to the guards, come back for revenge or whatever.  But that doesn't mean it's going to be more fun.

Another thought to add to this.

You know what happens when your character gets ratted out, punished, disciplined, beaten, demoted, humiliated, exiled? You get plot. You get potential character development. You get the potential of relationship development between characters.

Plot and character and relationship development come from bad things happening to characters, not good things.

So when you PKill in order to prevent bad things from happening to YOUR character...you have just cut off some potential for getting into plot and developing your character and meeting new people and strengthening or tearing relationship bonds. Unfortunately, it seems to me there are a lot of players who don't want anything bad to happen to their characters. They want to always "win."

To totally mis-quote Dune, "Fear of bad things happening to one's character is the fun killer."

[Maybe42or54]

To me, being killed by another PC is a lot better than dieing to random npc #5. All of my favorite character's died to NPC and I don't really remmeber what they died to, but a few of my disliked Pcs that died to another pc? Priceless.

[Rairen]

I have to add a caveat - while it's nice to always try to seek out alternative forms of torture and give players options, the "people who hate bad things happening to their characters" thing should also extend to not underevaluating the value of pkills.  If you OOCly recognize that other players don't want to kill you, the 'tension' in life or death situations falters, and that tension is a draw of a permdeath mud.  (In this case I'm not disagreeing with anyone above, but that I hate to see the balance shift too far in either direction.)

Death does have extreme impacts on other players and plot.  The absense of a person impacts plots in themselves, create new ones, and can have significant impact on the murderer or those close to the murdered.  Death is the ultimate drama - even if you don't get to experience the aftershocks thanks to the mantis head.

Especially when people start killing their loved ones.  :wink:


Edit:  And, boy, did I let this thread get tangental.  I have trouble playing the polar ends of the intellectual spectrum.  Slow-witted characters can be entertaining for a time, but I start to miss more serious conversations.  Likewise, I can't play evil masterminds.  I don't have the strategic mind to take over the world.

[staggerlee]

That's partially true, yeah.  I'll try to illustrate my point a bit better.

Scenario:

A templar has a nameless man strapped to a table and is torturing him.  The man staunchly refuses to name the names of his confederates, and spits in the templar's face, unyeilding to the end.

What you as the victim are doing is backing the templar up into a corner where he either has to kill you, or sacrifice some of the game's infamous harshness.   (Barring an exceptionally creative templar)

Now, take that same scenario, and assume the more realistic premise that everyone eventually breaks under torture.  Now this time you're babbling whatever the templar wants to hear, and he suddenly has to decide whether or not he believes you and what to do next.  He can continue torturing you, kill you, or let you go. None of those will seem particularly mild after you've spilled your guts and lost an eye.
And whichever of those he chooses, he's left with information that may or may not be accurate.

And now... maybe we have a possible criminal back on the streets, slinking back to his confederates (is he being paid by the templar now? did the templar just let him go?  did he sell them out?)  A former criminal deciding whether to be scared straight, plot against the templar, be awestruck and try to learn to be as badass as that templar in their own right... however they want to take it.

Conclusion:

Basically my point is that it's fun to 'lose' the game sometimes, and can open up unexpected opportunities. But both of you need to be willing to play along.  

And sure... that situation could eventually lead to someone dying, there's no way we want to get rid of PKing.  But the more interesting players can develop some very dynamic, fun relationships and incredibly dramatic stories if they're willing to have fun with it, draw it out, and trust each other on an ooc level.

----> I'm bad at playing political movers and shakers.   (pretends to stay on topic)

[My 2 sids]

[Quote:]
Conclusion:

Basically my point is that it's fun to 'lose' the game sometimes, and can open up unexpected opportunities. But both of you need to be willing to play along.  

And sure... that situation could eventually lead to someone dying, there's no way we want to get rid of PKing.  But the more interesting players can develop some very dynamic, fun relationships and incredibly dramatic stories if they're willing to have fun with it, draw it out, and trust each other on an ooc level. [/quote]

GREAT Point!   exactly, well done, and kudos!

[Barzalene]

I must be somewhat different than most here, regarding that my favorite part IS the characters creation. I love the aspect of creating a whole life wrought solely from my imagination. It's just fun. So I'm not afraid to kill or otherwise ruin another PC's existence.

The hardest part for me would probably the times when -nothing- seems to be happening.

I can totally relate to that.