Character Secrets

ThomasRaith · Joined: 12 May 2008 Posts: 1408 Location: USA - NY

Here's an old pet peeve of mine but I'm seeing it sprout it's ugly head with the new surge of role players.

Disclaimer: This is only my opinion and does not impact anyone in regard to their own games, this is just my view and I hold it in regard to the games that I, myself, maintain.

My personal philosophy is you keep secrets from the character, not the player.

I know there are some players who cannot resist revealing everything they know about a plot or storyline to their character. But you really should not do that. You should only give your character knowledge if it makes sense for the character to have that knowledge. If someone OOC tells you a secret about their character you should not have your character figure out that secret unless there's a legitimate in game reason for them to find out. If you cannot accept this than you probably are not dividing in and out of character.

I also find it annoying if someone feels the need to keep a secret from a player as to keep that secret from the character. To me that shows a sign of mistrust of the player. It means you beleive the player will automatically give that information to their character and I find that insulting.

Again, if you cannot separate yourself from your character you probably shouldn't be playing.

For me role play is part spectator sport (watching) and part improv acting. And I like knowing things my character does not know for my own entertainment purposes. It's like watching a play and acting in it at the same time and it spoils some of the fun for me if I, the player, am kept from watching part of the show just because my character's not party to it.

I do understand that some people feel the need to reveal everything to their characters but I don't think legitimate, good players, should be penalized for those types of players.

If I tell a player a secret about my character that does NOT mean their character should know that for no reason, it's not the same as giving the character information and it should not be viewed as such.
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YardanDuran · Joined: 17 Jun 2007 Posts: 3301 Location: USA - LA

My only disagreement to the above is in the event that finding out a character secret is a riddle for both the character and the player. Take Yardan/Ardat for instance. His demon name is something anyone could ICly claim to know, but for the fun of the player as well as the character, it is required for the PLAYER to find out the name (through research) and, if they discover the name OOCly, then it is accepted ICly to RP knowing the demon name. Sometimes it's just fun for more than just the character. Sometimes, great RP requires making it a challenge for the player as well.
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RaggedWizard · Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 585 Location: USA - NY

Skimmerskir · Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 569 Location: Sweden

YardanDuran · Joined: 17 Jun 2007 Posts: 3301 Location: USA - LA

It becomes even more of an issue when the player insists they have the right to know secrets. When a player expects to know everything going on before the character does, then it becomes a dull script instead of something more vibrant and exciting. Like a suspense novel or a good movie, you want to be left in anticipation of what is to come.

I've had this happen before and have tried to avoid such situations again, but alas it isnt always possible: The player automatically gets offended because you dont reveal all of the character secrets. Yes, it does happen and I've seen it many times where the player automatically assumes that you dont trust them as a role player or that you MUST be plotting against them because you wont spill a secret. Yeah, because we ALL want Fluffy Bunny Rp, and plotting is just OUT of the question, right? Then it becomes a mass of unnecessary drama and for what? For wanting to keep the storyline enticing? Lets make it simple: Whether I trust you or not as a role player, you will not be told the secret beforehand. This way, no one can get bent out of shape and twist my motives unless they want to. If you decide you want to behave like that, then I know I dont need to RP with you.
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RaggedWizard · Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 585 Location: USA - NY

If I'm a GM I will not allow secrets from the GM for a specific reason. The reason is when I've made the mistake of allowing this I'd get something like...

*Surprise, I'm really a God-like being, I just never told you and NOTHING can destroy me!*

YardanDuran · Joined: 17 Jun 2007 Posts: 3301 Location: USA - LA

In an IMVU Roleplay setting, is a GM actually required? I mean, arent we all basically reacting to one another equally? A GM is a different concept altogether... unless I am WAY off base in assuming the meaning of GM.
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SiNafay · Joined: 01 Mar 2006 Posts: 7077 Location: USA - CA

I suppose it depends on the setting. However, it does help if there is a person there that can guide the flow of RP or give it a goal.

Otherwise you just end up with..tavern interactions of everyone trying telling everyone else their own story that isn't even involved in that particular setting.

I prefer to call them 'Storytellers' myself, but each person has a personal preference on that.
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RaggedWizard · Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Posts: 585 Location: USA - NY

YardanDuran · Joined: 17 Jun 2007 Posts: 3301 Location: USA - LA

I see. Personally, owner or not of my own rooms, my rooms are there to RP in, not necessarily to preside over and tell people what the rules are. Those are posted in my groups and my mods enforce them. Otherwise, RP as thou wilt.
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CountVladDracula · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 8309 Location: USA - NY

Bumpage

Skimmerskir · Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 569 Location: Sweden

Oooh, yes, this was the other thread. ^^'

CountVladDracula · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 8309 Location: USA - NY

TheLastProtagonist · Joined: 06 Oct 2007 Posts: 117 Location: USA - NY

I'll be the first to admit that I usually don't plan much for my characters.

For instance, I recently was in the Harry Dresden room and started a character that was an ex-occult writer. He'd been mixed up in some seriously dark stuff when he was younger and had actually been a rather well-read author amongst the goth crowd. However, he had recently converted to Protestantism and was a sound Christian when the actual first post of mine began. Well, here's the fun part:

Christian > Determined before I ever started posting as this character.

Background in the occult that he was deliberately hiding from Harry > Made up on the spot out of no where while I was writing his introduction posts and first getting him into the plot.

My point is, this happens with a lot of my characters. If I don't reveal a secret to someone, it's usually because I don't even know myself. I free-write while on IMVU and point of fact, I only have maybe three or four characters that are absolutely planned out and all of their background developed which I usually don't use anyway since, hey, I don't want people to know about them.

So it seems a trifle unfair to say that people don't trust one another when, at least in my case, it's spur of the moment. I just happen (to toot my own horn) be a little bit better at it because I've been doing whimsy writing like that for years.

CountVladDracula · Joined: 07 Oct 2010 Posts: 8309 Location: USA - NY

I think something that annoyed me a lot was when I was RPing as Dracula and someone brought 'what looked like a helpless damsel" to his castle. So I asked OOCly "Is she really human?" I was getting annoyed with disguised vampires revealing they were vampires only after he'd go in for the feeding. You'd think Dracula could sense something like that. And her reply was "I'm not going to reveal that yet." Yeah, but what if someone else is playing a character who can sense something like that? And I'm the room owner, I need to know what sort of creature is in my room to make sure it's allowed.