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what do you consider high stakes?

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what do you consider high stakes? written Nov 16, 2023 5:15:45 GMT
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Character death, that's pretty high stakes.  :D

But no, on a serious note; It's a bit complicated for me to explain, like it depends on things. Like how big are the consequences. How many times can the character fuck up, whether accidentally or purposefully before the consequences are detrimental to them or other characters in the thread. How big are the ramifications of failure and what are some of the outcomes that can come from it. Those kind of things I define as high stakes. But also that usually comes from when you've got a partner/partners you're playing against rather than with. Something I personally don't see a lot anymore what with it usually being a co-op type of thing with plotting things out and figuring out certain agreements and during RP.

(I Might be talking out of my ass about the plotting thing though. Me and mine don't usually plot openly, we like to surprise each other with revelations and plot twists so we keep our stuff hush hush a bit.)
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what do you consider high stakes? written Nov 16, 2023 5:29:50 GMT via mobile
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Being wrong.

My characters have their ideals and their way of viewing the world. When an instance proves that their confidence in it is misplaced and they have to bear the consequences of it, that for me is high stake, more so than death. Someone getting hurt because of you is a whole lot worse, or being shunned by those who you were once friends with.

The next step after that brings the stakes even higher. Do they still stick with what they believe in, be in doubt, or do a 180?


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what do you consider high stakes? written Nov 16, 2023 5:56:04 GMT
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if the thread:
- impacts site plot/has a chance to ripple to other people's characters (like killing off the site playboy, i dunno)
- has tangible, long-lasting effects on my own character (getting an arm lopped off or whatever)
then i consider it "high stakes"
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what do you consider high stakes? written Nov 16, 2023 6:26:45 GMT
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anything wherein it rlly feels like "there is no going back from this point"/"consequences cannot be undone/taken back/etc. and will fundamentally change a character, a faction, or a setting's narrative"

that can include character death, major injury (+1 on an arm getting lopped off — did it once, 11/10 would do again), trauma that'll stay, the loss of something vital, the destruction of something vital, harrowing betrayal, what have you

ofc it doesnt need to be that metal to be high stakes imo — "high stakes" will shift depending on the setting and atmosphere. but generally, yeah, if its p clear w/e happens cannot be undone and how thatll change things for a long time, those are (good imo) high stakes



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what do you consider high stakes? written Nov 16, 2023 19:19:34 GMT
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Tell me which you dread more ; the echo or the answer?
I think where something is taken away that might be vital to your character and their portrayal!
Even in a setting for OC's I think taking away something that's important to them and making them work to retrieve it or learn to live without it is a huge high-stakes plot. Atleast in my opinion. You have to carefully pick what's okay to take away without ruining the entire character.
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what do you consider high stakes? written Nov 16, 2023 20:18:21 GMT
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i appreciate everyone's insights!! to add onto my question a bit, this also includes for a site plot, rather than individual. what is a high stakes site plot to you that feels engaging?

for my own answer, i don't really care if a site plot is high stakes. i'm not great with grand scale things, so maybe that's why, but i prefer focusing on character interactions. so high stakes to me is more like consequences that characters are forced to live with? character a and character b get into a fight and say some pretty terrible things so they never reconcile. or two characters in a ship realize they're incompatible and have to talk about it. in a less sol way, two characters have opposing views that force them to eventually be each other's enemies.

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what do you consider high stakes? written Nov 17, 2023 0:10:50 GMT via mobile
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I don't think I have anything to add that isn't already covered by the earlier posts, but I suppose high stakes can henceforth be defined as anything that can either have major, long-term changes to a character (whether physically or emotionally), or a massive shake-up to the setting's status quo, or a combination thereof.

Contrary to what others have stated, I don't think it necessarily has to be as drastic as killing off a character or permanently crippling them or whatnot. Cause things like losing their elevated status (for characters who are of high standing in the setting's society) - or conversely, getting bumped a few notches up the pecking order - or relationships with another character becoming permanently soured, etc. can also count as high stakes.

The bottom line is basically about having consequences that stick.

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what do you consider high stakes? written Nov 17, 2023 6:20:44 GMT
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Nov 16, 2023 20:18:21 GMT said:
i appreciate everyone's insights!! to add onto my question a bit, this also includes for a site plot, rather than individual. what is a high stakes site plot to you that feels engaging?


put it well. A high stakes site plot is about having consequences that stick.

Maybe it's that a site board was altered in a way that it forces a rewrite of that board description. Maybe a canon npc was ousted from their position and replaced with a different character. An item of tech or magic discovered that became a permanent feature of the site shop or opened up a character upgrade path. Something that members will look back on fondly and remember the "before" and "after" states of the board relative to the site plot.
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what do you consider high stakes? written Nov 17, 2023 7:39:51 GMT
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Nov 16, 2023 20:18:21 GMT said:
i appreciate everyone's insights!! to add onto my question a bit, this also includes for a site plot, rather than individual. what is a high stakes site plot to you that feels engaging?


i actually only have one example of a site that did it. and it's not because it promised a lot would change forever, but because it brought together all the factions in one place and pit them against each other. the stake was made by the members based on their threads, rather than the staff creating the threat themselves. but the staff allowed for that opportunity/playground to happen.

too often, site staff think they're being devious by jumping the members with site-plot-related event, giggling at how they "got us" when the plot is completely disconnected to the plots of what the community has been focusing on. i hate the whole shock value with little to no build-up to it. it's tone-deaf writing.
last edit on Nov 17, 2023 7:40:33 GMT by co-dependency bros?


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what do you consider high stakes? written Nov 17, 2023 12:17:43 GMT
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I've always considered something high stakes if the consequences of failure are immediate and devastating to the character.

A character interviews to become renter of a new house. Their old home is pretty shabby. They see renting this new house as the first step in a series that'll improve their life and usher in a new beginning, a fresh take, a stairway to happiness. The interview becomes high stakes because failing means the character feels condemned to the hellhole they call home, and a rejection of his aspirations to lead a better life.


A character talks to a boy because they want to make a new friend. The character has a hard time making friends and failed continuously, and this is a last hail Mary to see whether they can at all make friends, or if they should give up and accept they're going to be a friendless loser till the day they die. Rejection of friendship becomes rejection of them as a person, rejection of their existence and ability to connect to others.


A character always sits next to the same girl in class but they never talk. He's attracted to her, and wants to date her, but isn't sure how. He decides he'll ask her out on Valentine's Day, and if she rejects him then that's it, his love's not meant to blossom, he'll give up on her. The stakes are high because he's banking everything on this one and only shot at success, because he's closed off the door to any future if he falls now.


Not all high stakes are equal, but they should all matter a great deal to the character, even if it's something you can recover from eventually. It just doesn't feel like that for them. (If failure causes a great enough crisis to fuel your next thread, you've probably raised the stakes high enough.)
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