How do you handle Level 100 Syndrome?

[Jorus Merrill]

Level 100 Syndrome - thanks to [member="Marek Starchaser"] for the name - is when your character has finished his or her arc, you've done everything you want to do with that character, and they've got all the toys, titles, experience and history you want them to have...basically, when you feel your character has run its course. What do you do? Multiple options can be chosen in the poll; I've certainly tried most or all of these at some point.

 

[Abigail]

I'd leave mine on the back burner till they become interesting again, or RP them on Skype xD

 

[Ayden Cater]

It depends on the character. Some get the axe, others retire. Still, some find a way to keep going in a new direction.

 

[Grrwunhoooll Agaburry]

Since Kezeroths story has slown down ive found time to rotate and give my other characters more time to develop. Its nice.

 

[Hailyn]

It was a rare thing for me to lose interest in my main PC, but I have seemingly lost the want to write Silara further. She will be 'going away' (retired, unofficially killed off) and a new character made in her stead.

 

[Siobhan Kerrigan]

I'm not sure whether I've reached it yet. The character I have that's closest to level 100 syndrome is probably Siobhan since she's had the longest arc, the most experience and probably the biggest impact. Truth be told, I've periodically toyed with the idea of killing her off, completely retiring her as a character or doing something similarly radical. Like her going completely dark side to spice things up. ICly she's been semi-retired for a good while.


But I've always found ways to make her interesting to write again. Her arc on Kaeshana has run its course...but that planet is doomed to be wiped out via natural disaster, so she'll soon have new experiences! Moreover, I've been periodically rotating to have other chars to focus on, e.g. Moira, Sumiko and Kaida.

 

[Kitty]

I am not overly interested in the stuff my character gets. What gives me the most joy in my character development is the building and changing relationships with others, because its always changing it never gets boring. I also never stop developing weaknesses for my character. I don't know how to describe it but it always makes things really interesting. I would say I have as much fun developing weaknesses for my character as others do developing strengths.

Point is I never get sick of my characters as I never reach level 100 so to speak.

 

[Danger Arceneau]

I have so many characters and so many ideas that bounce between my writers and I that something new always comes up.

 

[The Spark]

A beautiful death - is the best option.

 

[Sarge Potteiger]

Depends on the character. Most wind up retired after a failed marriage.

 

[Fatty]

lol, I think the farthest I've gone is probably level 50. I've never gotten to a point where I feel like they've done it all.

However, muses do die, but I always try to get it back unless they were unnoteworthy flash in the pan, spur of the moment, hey-this-will-be-funny-guys characters.

Unfortunately, sometimes they have to be unofficially killed, or converted into NPC's for new characters I create

 

[Orick T'ane]

It honestly depends on the character, each one has lived a unique life, so their end would be different as well. In my time I've had more than one anti-hero get a knife in the back in some dark alley and that just be the end of it. A life ended how it was lived. Other times i've had the typical heroic death, or the typical villainous death.

I'm honestly hoping I don't reach that point here anytime soon. there's enough conflict and change about that it's hard to be totally finished with a character.

 

[Aithne Charr]

Depends on the character and honestly there is always something you can do with a character like you can always do with your own life. You just have to be inventive with their future. I mean, sure you could kill them off or you can try and give them a nice life away from war or do something that could leave them with a legacy outside of dying from something.

 

[Asemir]

I get bored with the character. Sometimes I move on, other times I grind some more becomes I'm too attached. And that means I end up as an OOC lurker.

Case in point: Asemir has been done for many years now, but I still hang with him for some reason.

 

[Chiasa Kritivaas]

I am a big fan of death, if you can make it impactful and a good story. That said I'll often hold onto them and just play as someone else if they might be useful in someone else's arc.

Like if you are a FUer and know a bunch of stupid rare abilities because of your crazy long arc, I'd hold onto the character and whip it out now and again to train newcomers. Or if I had a godly NFUer I might save them to remind FUers that they aren't all powerful now and again ;p

So like most say, it depends.

One thing is a constant though, if I kill someone, which I've not had the chance to do yet on this site, they stay dead. Otherwise it's not meaningful and what's the point?

 

[Delila Castillon]

This character is certainly a case of Level 100. I've done almost everything I've wanted with Dells and let her story take some odd twists and turns. Currently I have her in one thread because I don't know what to do with her. Its been extremely tempting to kill her off but right now she's more or less in a quasi-retirement mode until I can figure out if thats the best path.



Been toying with making new alts but the only alt I can say I've stuck with and gotten the most enjoyment from is Judah Dashiell. The guy has quickly become my main character and the one with all the interesting stories.


As for what to do....I say that depends on the writer. If you aren't ready to kill a character, having them fade into retirement or some made up solo mission is a good way to go until decided.

 

[Rika]

I think of this in terms of entire shows or series often. Someone decides to make a sequel and I think: this already had a fantastic ending... why take a chance and put out something that might not be as solid. On the other hand, I've seen a lot of sequels on par with or surpassing their predecessors.

Honestly, it kind of depends on where the character was going. Sometimes, the story for that character leads naturally to a death sequence. For instance: anything remotely military faces mortality all the time, or a self-destructive character destined to fall, etc. etc.

Other times, if you crafted them to a point, and death isn't a natural resolution to the character's story... where do they go? I'm pretty sure that question is why Star Wars EU existed after Episode VI. Here are all these characters, they just went on an epic journey... now what? I think somewhere out there, someone will always ask: now what?

For us as creators, if we want to answer the "now what?" scenario, sometimes it's best to step back, work on other things. In the end I think each individual character determines what path they inevitably are set down. As much as we may try to fit Han Solo in to life as a General, he'll always be a smuggler at heart, sort of thing.

 

[Fabula Caromed]

Fabula's been at this point for months. I actually pulled her out of it for a bit there by giving her the minor-est of reworks (I didn't change anything about her, compared to the list above), but then she fell right back into it. So I made a new one. Maybe I'll feel Fabs again one day, maybe I won't. Doesn't really matter.

 

[Corey's OOC]

Oh, wow. I'm not the only one!
In the past I've always killed them off. But I dunno, something is keeping Marek taking up huge muse RAM instead of letting me kill him.

But I typically like to kill things. Or have them die at the opportune time.

 

[Abigail]

[member="Marek Starchaser"]

Perhaps his time hasn't come yet