First, I want to say something to anyone out there who is/has/wants to "kill off" their character. While I'm usually brief, I feel as if I need to elaborate more than necessary, so this is long. Read if you'd like, or if it pertains to you. Before I begin, I'm just going to let you's all know that I am AGAINST "voiding" anything. Unless there is truly a situation where there are no other alternatives but to "void", I'll remain against it. I have yet to find myself in a position where I had to "void" anything myself personally.

1. Do NOT decide that your character must ultimately die due to the fact that they had survived too many previous hardships.

2. Do NOT decide that your character should be killed off due to non-existent stimuli, like some daunting feeling that people might be annoyed with you if you don't do it. That's bull shit. You, the one who portrays the character in which you roleplay, is ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT in control when it comes down to this decision, and it should never be due to OTHER people becoming frustrated with your choices as a roleplayer.

3. While I believe that it's alright to "resurrect from the dead", it MUST be done while maintaining the consideration of those who had participated in the scene of your character's death, as well as to those whose roleplay stories you have impacted. The scene, if at all possible, should NOT be voided or taken in vain; rather, it should be made sense out of so that all parties involved can manipulate it into their character's story. It CAN be done, and it HAS been done. And, quite frankly, it shouldn't be a big deal to anyone.
I'm strictly talking from a general perspective anyway, where there are two roleplayers [murderer and victim, and maybe a witness] who roleplay out the death, only for the murdered character to want to return.

4. However deaths with an impact or some kind of plot-driven motive involving many people should NOT be undone. For example, things like the public execution of Harley Riler, or the death of Carly's oldest child Desi Martini, shouldn't be undone due to what had build up as a result of the death of the character and how it has affected other characters.

5. Like-wise, if you'd like to kill off your character, ONLY do so while remembering that death in reality is permanent. Do NOT do it and simply figure that, after reading what I've got to say, that it's Ok to die only to return 'cause you agree with Carly. Not-uh, bro. It's aaall you. Do NOT abuse the notion of "resurrecting" a character.

6. And especially do NOT kill off your character in some grandiose, epic or otherwise big spectacular display involving many, many people, only to decide that you'd like to resurrect the character later on. THIS is the kind of "resurrection" that I frown down upon. You had wanted to kill off your character in some glorious way, and you did. Now you'll live with it. You'll look like an asshole if you decide that you'd like to have your character survive after you had impacted many other roleplayers who were involved.

I'll be the very first to say that, until all criteria of my roleplay have been met, I ain't killing off my character. It's nine years later for me here in The Crack Den, and I STILL enjoy roleplaying this same character. My character is the very same character that I had debuted with here in The Crack Den, back in 2006. Since then, almost ten years later, there is A LOT of intricate details and significance behind the way that my character thinks and acts, and - forget about detailed "back stories" here - EVERYTHING WAS ROLEPLAYED OUT! With the exception of some short stories and a couple of roleplays I had done on a forum shortly before roleplaying here, this character had been almost one-hundred percent fleshed out as a result of what had taken place in The Crack Den, from 06 to now. There are still a handful of things left that I'd like to roleplay out before an ultimatum, and if and when I do reach that point, the death will be spontaneous and unexpected, just as it is in life.

"Oh, well most gangsters die without living a long life." You're right, you're absolutely right if you're going to say that. Being a gangster yields many, many consequences. Statistics show that most probably won't live past 30. But, needless to say, it isn't unheard of for a gangster to survive their supposed life-span. It's happened, and it can continue to happen.

"You survived way too many run-ins with death!" Sure. But there are people in reality who had managed to survive when it appears that death is imminent. But more than once? Alright, I'll humor you. You gotta point there. But if we ALL welcomed that kind of thought into roleplay, you'd find that your stories with other roleplayers would be cut short due to the fact that a majority of roleplayers pride themselves upon the notion to be "realistic" and therefore they must die, and that roleplay in general would become less interesting, for you, for the one who had died, etc.

Just a side-note here on "realism". I've said it once, and I'll say it again - One person's perspective of the concept of what is "real" is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from that of another person's perspective. I say this with real world experience. In other words, I can share with you something that has happened to me personally in reality, but if the same scenario were to happen in roleplay, there might be criticism on it's "real" authenticity. And let me tell you something, if it's happened to me, personally? I'll believe that it's pretty fucking real. Unlikely, maybe, but real. You ain't gotta agree with me, but there-in lies the concept of "realism". I have been ridiculed in the very distant past about some of the actions that my character had decided to take, and how it isn't "realistic", despite the fact that from MY perspective, it had happened to me in reality, and therefore I can vouch for it's authenticity.

For those of you who have already "resurrected from the dead", I'll tell you now, it's happened MANY times before. Many GREAT roleplayers have done it after receiving the impulse to do so in the midst of their last roleplay, only to decide that they regret the decision and would like to continue roleplaying as that character. It CAN work out just fine. I had a few roleplayers influence my character that had ended up "resurrecting from the dead" with a reason for survival that takes into consideration the roleplayers who had been involved in the scene of the death, as well as their story. And so far, I've worked them all into my story without having to "void" a single thing. It's possible. But while it's possible, don't feel like you have a way out if you kill your character and think you might regret it later.

Anyway, that's all just some ranting. The absolute bottom line, is that we're here for roleplay, and as a roleplayer, you should only be concerned with building upon character development by paving the path of your character with factors influenced through roleplay. With the exception of the fact that you might want to build a reputation in the criminal underworld through gangs, or that your might enjoy roleplaying as a Lieutenant in the precinct, or even just to flesh out a business that had been neglected potential roleplay, there should be no specific roleplay goal. Much like life, I believe that roleplay should be engaged as if it is just another day, and that what you'll roleplay tomorrow is left in the dark because, at any given time, the path of the roleplay can divert or change due to the influence of the other players.

Hmm... I had more to say on a different note. I had a roleplay related idea to share, but I think I'll just throw it in a seperate post. I got a little carried away here. Feel free to crticize/share/agree/disagree.

YOURS TRULY,
CARLY