What do you do when your beloved PC dies?

[Better off dead]

No one lives forever, and every PC dies.  But we all have PCs that we love and hold dear. PCs that live for IC (even RL) years.  I'm interested to hear what other people do when they lose a beloved PC that they have put so much into?

Better off dead

[Bestatte]

Five minutes after the beep, I was applying for my second character. I needed the five minutes to dry my eyes, and then roll them because "it's just a game, silly!"

The other deaths were mostly pretty "good" deaths, as such a thing goes in Arm. Bummed that my characters were gone, but not so overwhelmed or upset that I couldn't get right back in there with a new one.

[cisalus]

Well.. I had a Salarri Corporal die some time back.. I had him for maybe three months... It was terrible to see him die.. But then I reallised he was a terrible combatant. I moved on..  

[Praetorian]

I think I have only had 3 beloved PC's in the last 10 years or so, and the death of each typically led to a 4-6+ month departure from the game.  Not so much due to bitterness as much as the simple fact I didn't have the drive or energy to do it all again.  I'm probably due another beloved character right about now but seriously doubt my present one will progress to that point...but who knows.  My general outlook on the game has changed in recent years though - mudding is no longer a forefront priority and as such I'm not so fanatical about it.  That outlook has also led to a somewhat wider detachment that might even prevent me from ever experiencing  that 'beloved' sensation again.    I suppose time will tell.

[Northlander]

Heh. Well, I'll be the first sucker, then. Not too many things truly get to me, but losing that long-lived character sure did.

The death came just before a planned vacation of mine, so I got to conveniently spend a couple of weeks away from computers. After that, I went on to find no joy whatsoever in one rather neat character concept, had a second helping of something similar, then had one that was almost fun, and right after that found myself with a character I really liked playing. I also feel like I'll have no trouble creating a sixth. But that's not necessarily a good thing.

Like Praetorian, I don't take Arm nearly as seriously anymore and I'm definitely a better player for it.
It's just a shame I don't really enjoy the game as much as I used to.

So. My advice here is that breaks are your friend, and you should know that no one's forcing or expecting you to either create or enjoy your next character. Nor the ten after that!  :wink:

[Larrath]

I shout 'Krath!', get annoyed, rest a little, wipe my eyes, go 'Thank goodness he's dead, now I can make that Tuluki/'rinthi/dwarf' and immediately app.

I always keep two or three really cool concepts in my head, just in case my char dies.

There's always more to do, like a Red Storm dwarven ranger/scavenger who wants to place a giant statue of Muk Utep on Meleth's Circle...and build it completely out of spice.  Or just whatever.   But I always app on either the same day or the day after it.

[sacac]

I'll be the first one to be honest.
I cry.
I sit.
I think for a moment.
I read my sig.
I try and bug the imms to let me have a special apped nenyuki with a silver ring.
Then I create an elf.
I wait one day.
I play said elf for 3 hours and 2 minutes.
I think on how the elf died.
I come up with a better concept.
I app again.
(then that character lives for a while and it starts over again)

[Lasakar]

I hate if my chars die. It seems they all were candidates for the "Darwin Award". They died all through some stupid mistake. It hurts really to loose a good char this way.
But I have always (or most of the time...) the desc and bio ready for a new charakter. So I have not to think to much about my old char while creating a new one.

[UnderSeven]

The question should be, what do you do when your beloved char lives?  I had a char, a certain noble, who was like a bad inlaw.

I swear they made hymms about them, about praying the noble would just go away.

But he wouldn't go away. He never went away.  

Death is best.

[Comrade Canadia]

Ahh... PTCDS

Or, Post Traumatic Character Death Syndrome

Basically, you dela wiht it - suck it up, life goes on.  My favorite way to deal with it, is have a second character written up ahead of time.  When your beloved fifty day character gets killed in a freak gith incident, you can immediately get excited about the new concept.  Not sure if this works for everyone, but it always did me well.

-Der Comrade

[Irulan]

My first character, it took a little bit of time for me to get into. I was just learning how to play Arm and so there was a while for adjustment. Then, as it went on I really started to get into the role and have fun with it. I played her to fourteen days before her unexpected and untimely demise...after which I was pretty heartbroken. I really just couldn't come up with another character idea that suited me after that and I took a couple of weeks away from the game to rest up and think about it. Then I was offered a chance to play a really neat character and jumped into that role. I've been playing that one ever since. So, I guess my solutions to Character Loss is a little bit of time, and a really neat character idea. It is a tough process if you care about your character, but it is all part of the game and Permadeath is part of what makes Armageddon so fun, there is real risk invoved. Good luck, and have fun with your next character.

-Irulan

[UnderSeven]

One thing I've found about jumping into a role after a pc dies is while it CAN be refreshing to play something new.  More often than not it's hard.  You be the judge it you are ready for a breath of fresh air or not, but if the answer is no, you might consider a short break from the game to think up that fresh idea that you can love as much as the pc that just died.

Anyone else ever wonder if these people REALLY exist somewhere and their afterlife is really just learning that all along they were just some part of a game and their soul consists of the arm-addict who plays them?  Wow what a let down that would be.

[flurry]

For me what helps is to play a very different role than the previous character.   Different city, different type of personality, different goals, different class.   I don't want to fall into the same routines.  I don't want to see my old PC's friends around.   I certainly want to avoid being in the same clan for consecutive characters.  No worlds colliding for me, if I can help it.  That will just make it harder.

[sparrowtm]

Hmm hmm hmm ...

I think I miscalculated how long my first character lived the last time I mentioned her ... 10 months! Wait ... she's still living! What the hell do I know how you feel when your character dies!

Sorry .. I simply can't stop to brag ...  :oops:

[Boggis]

I lost a 21 month character a short while back. He'd done some pretty cool stuff, had been involved in plenty of plots along the way and got in numerous scrapes. Dammit he even had a metal dagger. In the end his death was completely meaningless and it was sad to see him go but I think the best thing is to look at it as an opportunity to experience something new and different. Like Flurry I went down the route of something completely different in a different region. Maybe it was because almost all my experience in Arm was in a particular type of class that I can say I don't miss my old PC much as I'm seeing so many new things I never had a chance to experience before and never would've been able to with him. And when this one is finished there's the magick system to explore. That's the great thing about Arm - there's always something new out there for just about anybody who's not a complete veteran of all the classes. Also, I think a good idea once you get your new PC is to set goals and ambitions for the character. If you just amble along with your new one your thoughts might stray back to the old one and the great stuff they had going on. With new goals to work towards you can keep yourself thinking towards the future and you stand a better chance of enjoying your new PC in my opinion.

[Tamarin]

I recently lost a character, and thank god it was in a well-rped, -not- insta-death situation.  I probably had no way of talking myself out of it, but ah well.  I honestly couldn't sleep the night after, which sucked, because I had a 9 AM class.

The next character will be a loner.  Basically, I suggest doing some kind of 180.  If you were a fighter, play a merchant or servant, or rogue of some sort.  If you played in clan, try playing a loner.  I wouldn't mix everything up, because that will probably make it pretty difficult to latch onto the game, but mix -something- up.

[Anonymous]

I recently lost a character, and thank god it was in a well-rped, -not- insta-death situation.  I probably had no way of talking myself out of it, but ah well.  I honestly couldn't sleep the night after, which sucked, because I had a 9 AM class.

Uh oh... I think someone else isnt gonna sleep much, either.  

[Tamarin]

I recently lost a character, and thank god it was in a well-rped, -not- insta-death situation.  I probably had no way of talking myself out of it, but ah well.  I honestly couldn't sleep the night after, which sucked, because I had a 9 AM class.

Uh oh... I think someone else isnt gonna sleep much, either.  

Yeah, um....to that person...I'm really sorry.  I mean....-really- sorry.

[Akaramu]

I doubt I'll ever miss any of my own PCs as much as I currently miss someone else's character.

[ashjpd]

For me when my characters die, it depends on their death. My last, favorite character, was about to make sarge in a clan. I was excited, never having played a sargent before, but one day, just out on a regular patrol outisde. Internet goes screwy, kicks me out, right when I was about to skin something, I had lowered my weapons at the time, about to draw my skinning knife. I quickly try to log back in, but it wont let me. Try again, and see that it wont let me log onto my character, I was extremely mad and...... well... you get the idea. That just tells you that once you start having internet troubles, quit playing arm then and there.
Otherwise, if it was a well rped character and stuff, I like the idea of making a new character.

[Callisto]

Please, do NOT post information about recent IC information.

By posting, OMG my character died I'm so sad, you're giving away IC information. Just because someone IC might know, don't assume it is common knowledge. It might seem insignificant, but it is still enough to ruin the fun of people figuring it out in-game.

Thanks.

[Tamarin]

I figured it would be Callisto to post that message.

[Akaramu]

In a perfect world, no one but imm's would know the character names related to GDB names  

[Krath]

Please, do NOT post information about recent IC information.

By posting, OMG my character died I'm so sad, you're giving away IC information. Just because someone IC might know, don't assume it is common knowledge. It might seem insignificant, but it is still enough to ruin the fun of people figuring it out in-game.

Thanks.

I have to agree with Callisto. I would edit both of your posts as it is aparent what happened.

[spawnloser]

Calm thyself, John Spartan.

[Anonymous]

In a perfect world, no one but imm's would know the character names related to GDB names  

Well, I don't think that's the point.  The point is that if I come on the GDB 5 minutes after someone killed me and say 'I just got killed, but it was a well-roleplayed scene' then chances are the killler(s) are going to know who the person was behind the PC they offed.

[Tamarin]

Who said it was yesterday?

[mansa]

When a character of mine dies, I keep it a secret.

The best secret I ever kept was 2 RL months.  Heheh.  And -then- they found out I died...and some thought I just 'retired'.

But..see..  I -had- to tell someone, so I just vented off to my clan immortal.  She liked it.  Hi Jolanda!

[Tamarin]

I think this whole thread was a trap.

[Delstro]

Hmm.. If anything I would say we know who the killers are.. But that is just one notion of a kille.. um.. I mean.. One persons view of the scene.. *mind Shrug*

My point being.. uberjazz didn't come and say "Hey! I just died! I am pissed off! It was a Well-rp scene, so it was ok.

All I saw was: I -recently- lost a character, and thank god it was in a well-rped, -not- insta-death situation. I probably had no way of talking myself out of it, but ah well. I honestly couldn't sleep the night after, which sucked, because I had a 9 AM class.

He didn't say it was five minutes ago or just a couple days ago.. I thought it was vague and not really IC.. Awhille Maybe I don't have a point.. I don't know.. do I care if his PC died OOC? No.. I probably don't.. Am I looking for a lot of people I like IC but don't know if they are dead or not? Probably. Probably Not. If it was in the city, then There are usually people around that would tell people about it and those people would tell people and the chain just keeps going.

[Forest Junkie]

When I die, I take a deep breath, shout forth a resounding "fuck", then go sit on the pot for an hour, thinking about what I did wrong, and how I can avoid said mistakes in the future.

It's all gravy.

[Akaramu]

What was wrong about his post? And Krath, who else should edit? I'm a bit confused. People jump to conclusions too quickly, and can easily be mistaken.

[Tamarin]

Hmm.. If anything I would say we know who the killers are.. But that is just one notion of a kille.. um.. I mean.. One persons view of the scene.. *mind Shrug*

My point being.. uberjazz didn't come and say "Hey! I just died! I am pissed off! It was a Well-rp scene, so it was ok.

All I saw was: I -recently- lost a character, and thank god it was in a well-rped, -not- insta-death situation. I probably had no way of talking myself out of it, but ah well. I honestly couldn't sleep the night after, which sucked, because I had a 9 AM class.

He didn't say it was five minutes ago or just a couple days ago.. I thought it was vague and not really IC.. Awhille Maybe I don't have a point.. I don't know.. do I care if his PC died OOC? No.. I probably don't.. Am I looking for a lot of people I like IC but don't know if they are dead or not? Probably. Probably Not. If it was in the city, then There are usually people around that would tell people about it and those people would tell people and the chain just keeps going.

I love Destro...platonically.

[Krath]

COBRA LA!

[The7DeadlyVenomz]

COBRA LA!

IC info. Please edit.

[deviant storm]

I mope around, bug imms (sorry bout that) about roles needing filled, then usually make a new app the same day or day after.

Some characters are easier to lose than others. And sometimes I hae a concept ready already and I don't pester imms.

[gfair]

I used to care about every PC I played, but after taking a break from Arm I really could care less if they die now.  Lately, some of my PCs have had some really fun times in game, and some late night inspiration sessions while I've been trying to get to bed have brought out some fresh ideas I'd like to try, so now what is of paramount importance is the fun that happens while they're alive, and it's all about keeping things fun.  Getting all uppety about a PC dying isn't fun, isn't worthwhile.  There are too many sayings along the "water under the bridge" line of thought to care about when they die.  Think up something new and try it, get excited when one PC dies so you can try and push things a little more the next time.

[Akaramu]

I envy you, gfair.

I was wrong in my statement. Didnt sleep much the last two nights, and didnt even log onto my new character, mind kept circling around the things I wanted to do so badly. What really, really bugs me is that she was pregnant. I know its just a game, now someone tell this to this knot in my stomach.

[Agent_137]

Characters in arm are just as real as characters in a fiction book, or a movie.

It's not unreasonable to have feelings for these characters as you would in a book or in a movie.

I've had fiction books bring tears to my eyes before. Same with fiction movies.

But they never bring TOO much emotion. If they do, I tell myself, "Suck it up, you wuss, they're not REAL."

And i forget about it and keep moving.

Don't hang on to your chararacters, folks. They aren't real.

[Angela Christine]

It is ok to grieve.  You lost something, and that sense of loss is real, even if what you lost was fictional.  You lost the opportunity to explore that role, and that loss is real.

Heh, at times I've wondered if my erdlu was ok after I died, and an erdlu is even less real than a PC.


AC

[Flying Erdlu]

Heh, at times I've wondered if my erdlu was ok after I died, and an erdlu is even less real than a PC.

As much as I am touched by your concern for my fellow Erdlu, AC, that is still very disturbing.

[Akaramu]

Is it normal to still miss your last character after a week with the new, and not really enjoy the new character?

[Ralin]

Yeah, but it give it time. I hated my new character after my first 'loved' PC died, but after a while I got into it.

[__Torax__]

What do I do when a loved PC of mine dies?

Well, usually my deaths are something completely retarded so I usually call another Armageddon player, talk about my death and swear I'll never play again. Then, after a cool down period of about 2 days I start wanting to play really bad that I just have to make a character and do anything.