write a reply

re-playing/re-apping characters

options
quote
re-playing/re-apping characters written Jan 16, 2024 14:20:28 GMT
kmsdvlajvkefk
aliastanzaku, tanz, tan-tan, egao, protag, chapel, tbotc
pronounsshe/her
1,333written posts
offlinecurrently
๐Ÿ’– โ‡๏ธ baa ~ dumm! โ‡๏ธ ๐Ÿ’–
Part of the Furniture
๐Ÿ’– โ‡๏ธ baa ~ dumm! โ‡๏ธ ๐Ÿ’– Avatar
emotional over wallace event/alt
canon or oc, what makes you replay/re-app/re-rp a character in a different site? what are your thought process in doing it?

i do app my old characters (both canon and oc) but i don't consider myself sticking to them because they're my comfort characters. i've played wallace in every pokemon canon site i've been in, and suzaku in panfandom. an oc of mine, shamees, also had multiple iterations throughout different fandom - from pokemon, to persona, to fire emblem... and to pokemon. the reason i replay characters is because i love rewriting the script. it just so happened that these characters fit well and i have a perspective in how to portray them and slide them into the setting that is fresh and out-of-the-box.

in the first iteration of pre (faction rp back in the olden days), i rped wallace as anti-pokemon league but in the second iteration, i switched him to the other team. still the same character, honestly, but that's fun of it! a certain story can still happen with the same conditions if you're just able to make something up. i first played suzaku as a councilman. then in the next site, i played him as a spy (a terrible one, mind you. obviously), and one that's generally more aligned to anarchy than the lawful faction. then in the third site, he's in full Zerozaku mode, which maybe won't make sense if u don't know the canon. but uh. basically i focused on different aspects on his character. the challenge of being able to play the same character differently each time is why i keep coming back to them.

and as for shamees, you'd think he'd be my favorite oc BUT OH NO. he's not up ther but he WAS my most hated one. i genuinely despised him bc he was so difficult to write that it made me cry (he played a pretty important canon role so i was quite pressured to be active with him). and that's no surpruse bc i made him the most different from me lmao. so i was reaping what i sow. and bc of how much i hated his character, i constantly re-apped him to slowly figure him out because i wanted to fix my relationship with him as the author. and it's been quite an interesting rp/writing journey! i was reapping him throughout the years so i was changing his age, his backstory, his fc... but still the same guy. well i mean, he's different but like, in my head he would be like this in the future or he has the potential to be like this. so i guess i had a shamees ferrer multiverse...

the other reason why i would re-app characters is bc i feel like there's potential in their story that was cut short. though i still wouldn't be reapping them with exact same position as before. i have to switch things up a bit, throw in new and contrary details to liven it up. and i do also love to see the improvement i've made, since i generally re-app characters after a long time since writing them!

last edit on Jan 16, 2024 14:20:49 GMT by ๐Ÿ’– โ‡๏ธ baa ~ dumm! โ‡๏ธ ๐Ÿ’–
options
quote
re-playing/re-apping characters written Jan 16, 2024 15:24:03 GMT
local boogeyman
aliasbex, jeepers cats
pronounsshe/any
730written posts
sister ghoulearned bits
offlinecurrently
sister ghoul
Part of the Furniture
sister ghoul Avatar
they pull the axe out your face and say "was it the boogeyman?"
I do this constantly. I have a handful of ocs Iโ€™ve had since I was a very young teenager and really got into rp for the first time. I still have some of those characters, and I hold them very dear to my heart. Theyโ€™re also the easiest characters for me to write because theyโ€™re so fleshed out and I know them so intimately. Honestly I thought everyone did this, so learning that that isnโ€™t the case is fascinating to me. I make new characters, sure, but a lot of the ones I use most frequently have existed for years, if not over a decade at this point.

options
quote
re-playing/re-apping characters written Jan 16, 2024 17:56:26 GMT via mobile
aliaspor, sef, jdawg
pronounsshe | her
526written posts
porsefearned bits
offlinecurrently
porsef
Part of the Furniture
porsef Avatar
chichi wo moge
i play the same oc roster 90% of the time because i love playing them. who i use can vary on my mood or the setting.

also, why would i create another character with the same archetype / overall personality when i can repurpose the one i already have and love? helps me develop them better because i can shove them into multitudes of different situations.

tl;dr for me, it is the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" and the "reduce, reuse, and recycle" mentality.
options
quote
re-playing/re-apping characters written Jan 16, 2024 18:13:07 GMT
no angel
aliasโ–ˆโ–ˆโ–ˆโ–ˆโ–ˆโ–ˆ
pronounszimzala/bim
173written posts
ace.earned bits
offlinecurrently
ace.
Full Member
ace. Avatar
I took a little piece of your heart, don't hate me.
I'll reuse archetypes and/or moral standpoints -- I loooove playing lawful [neutral/evil] bootlicker bigots -- but I try not to outright create the same character again, mostly because I like fitting a site's lore as strictly as possible.

If I do end up reusing a character, it's mostly because I think the site's plot-less enough to justify it (SoL). Or the og concept is so simple (e.g. assassin with low morality) that it could fit just about anywhere with some tweaking. 
last edit on Jan 18, 2024 7:19:05 GMT by ace.
options
quote
re-playing/re-apping characters written Jan 16, 2024 21:01:28 GMT
0written posts
Deletedearned bits
offlinecurrently
Deleted
Deleted Avatar
Usually if I'm re-apping a character it's cause they're my latest fixation so I want/try to write a million different things with them in it. Even when the fixation has died down, I'll eventually go back to them because well I had fun writing them and I usually stick to characters I enjoy writing or find interesting to explore further.
options
quote
re-playing/re-apping characters written Jan 17, 2024 23:56:22 GMT
aliasAsk me~
pronounsHe or They
174written posts
Wraithearned bits
offlinecurrently
Wraith
Full Member
Wraith Avatar
There's hope beyond this lone abyss.
I donโ€™t play the same character on multiple sites at a time, but sometimes when they die, or if their story doesnโ€™t end on the site I previously had them on, Iโ€™ll play them on a different site. I havenโ€™t done this yet but Iโ€™ve had this whole idea of having a character die and having their โ€œretirementโ€ being joining a SoL site and having them hang out there.

I like to make fresh characters that specifically fit settings but for previous characters I wanna re-use I will edit them to fit a setting more โ€” a friend who does this likes to make alternate universe versions of the same character over and over again. I donโ€™t think Iโ€™ve played a character the exact same way even if I use them again, I like to change a bit around, reverse or push some development, and so on.

So usually my motivations for playing a character again are either/or/all of: 1) I just really wanna write them more 2) didn't get to complete a story for them 3) I wanna put a new spin on them 4) idk, just for fun 5) other reasons I can't think of
Catscape Meow!
options
quote
re-playing/re-apping characters written Jan 18, 2024 1:49:09 GMT
aliasJen, DeJener8
pronounsShe/her
256written posts
Jenesisearned bits
offlinecurrently
Jenesis
Senior Member
Jenesis Avatar
I have three categories of ocs rattling around in the warehouse:

1) The completely original characters who aren't based on anyone else I've played. These are the majority, and are usually tailored to site specific lore, a response to a want ad, and/or use a fc that I haven't had the opportunity to play before.

2) The characters based on loose archetypes. I may recycle a name, fc, and some general personality traits, but for all intents and purposes I consider them different characters. This is usually because the previous site they were on died before I could get very far in their development and I wanted to port the same character concept to the next site I joined.

3) This highkey main character energy absolute rat bastard who kicked his way into my head last year and Will. Not. Leave. Pretty sure this is the longest that I've been fixated on a single oc, ever. He's traveled to three sites so far with the third being a more-or-less canon continuation of the first (lore shenanigans) and the second being closer to a category 2 in terms of the number of changes I made to his lore, but I still consider both versions of them to be the same person in the way that all the Spider-Men in Spider-Verse are the same person.
options
quote
re-playing/re-apping characters written Jan 20, 2024 0:29:24 GMT
aliasLOVELORN, LL, LORN
pronounsSHE/HER
123written posts
lovelornearned bits
offlinecurrently
lovelorn
Full Member
lovelorn Avatar
real winners quit
i don't re-app ocs because whenever i try i always end up comparing them to the original iteration/their plots to the original plots and getting upset that they're not as complex, like, two weeks in LOL, but i re-app canons because the canons i'd be interested in playing are usually ones that have a narrative uniquely suited to rping on panfans usually in a meta sense. i'm not usually someone who rps on panfans over original sites, so usually it's something specific to the medium of a panfan instead of the char itself (bc if it's the latter i'd rather write fanfic LOL) that makes me app and re-app.

an example is dan-oh from extraordinary you (webcomic + kdrama): in the plot, she's a "character" in a story who has no control over her actions for the scenes the "author" writes, and can only act on her own free will during the unwritten interval between scenes, and the author ports her over to different stories/reuses her character, so she can enter new "settings"/genres, which is a setup that works perfectly for a panfan setting.
last edit on Jan 20, 2024 0:30:35 GMT by lovelorn
options
quote
re-playing/re-apping characters written Jan 20, 2024 3:25:06 GMT
the narrative
aliasCel, Nightlock
pronounsShe/They
707written posts
CELearned bits
offlinecurrently
CEL
Part of the Furniture
CEL Avatar
mankind, be vigilant; we loved you.
i attempt to reapp old ocs who i a) don't think i've gotten the chance to play too much, b ) miss because it's been a long time since i've played them, or c) ppl have voiced interest in wanting to see them around alongside a and b. i usually prefer making new characters because,,,, i like making characters and new storylines, surprise! (no seriously it's almost laughable how many times my dm has managed to convince me to make a character so we can test run the chargen of what new random and niche ttrpg he's found.) and i feel like my prior ocs are rlly rooted in the aesthetics/vibes/lore of their original world that to take them out of it, to me, just feels,,,, wrong, somehow. like a pivotal aspect of who they are is no longer there.

so i also need to highlight the word "attempt" though bc, tbh, whenever i reapp ocs and start threading / playing with them, they end up,,,, vastly different than their original incarnation due to lore, plot ideas, or just the concept i root them in LOL. so i've taken to calling my reapped ocs more "expies" of older characters bc of that. it feels more accurate for me than just saying they're a 1:1 version of their original.
last edit on Jan 20, 2024 3:26:25 GMT by CEL



coming soon.
options
quote
re-playing/re-apping characters written Jan 21, 2024 2:49:10 GMT
aliasAsu
pronounsshe/her/hers
391written posts
Asuearned bits
offlinecurrently
Asu
Senior Member
Asu Avatar
With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
It really depends on the site, who else is there, if there are any wanted ads, etc. I have, upon occasion, not originally decided to bring someone back, but because there was interest, I have brought them back. Sometimes I will play a character again because I've missed playing them. Or, I'll app them again because I feel like I hadn't written them enough on a previous site and I may have wanted to explore something. Character creation is still really fun to me, even if I know I do have a set cast of characters that I have brought back with me from time to time.

Still, I do get some pangs of pain when I'm playing characters that were really rooted in their original universes. Like I'd found it kinda whack to play a character of mine that was quite deeply attached to his partner in one universe and is currently in a perpetual state of can't catch a break in his current setting. I also miss his best friend. It'd caused me to float a little bit, he's finding his own way in the new setting, but I'll still think fondly on those connections. Same with another character not having the younger sister that balanced out his stickler personality. I'm always grateful for the enthusiasm to bring back characters though-- I do enjoy writing these characters, I just miss those interactions and plots. If only there was a way to know you're in the good old days before you've actually left them. But eh, more memories to make right? You're winning if you're having fun all the same with it.


But I concur-- these characters are both the same and different from how they were in previous universes. I'll give them that credit because their character development changes. The setting and the things that occur to them make them different from previous incarnations. So much that they may even deviate and become completely different, which is beautiful in its own way.
options
quote
re-playing/re-apping characters written Jan 23, 2024 4:05:32 GMT
pronounsshe/her
195written posts
scarletearned bits
offlinecurrently
scarlet
Full Member
scarlet Avatar
While I create a new character every time I choose a new site, I shamelessly reuse tropes and themes. I joke my old characters are prototypes of my current one, because they all feel familiar and like her in some way. I tend to center on themes of tragedy and loneliness, and this has resulted in many character manifestations. The artist who hid her pain behind a cheerful socialite's facade. The silently suffering martyr who sacrificed everything for the greater good, only for no good deed to go unpunished. The vicious survivor who cannot overcome her wounds of betrayal, and who only knows how to inflict that pain on others.

My current character borrows aspects from each of them, but in a different iteration. It's familiar, like stepping into comfortable and worn out shoes, but still novel enough that I get excited to see what she will do next.
options
quote
re-playing/re-apping characters written Jan 23, 2024 6:26:59 GMT
pronounsfeminine
383written posts
idindinearned bits
offlinecurrently
idindin
Senior Member
idindin Avatar
if i want to write them in a new setting, or wasn't able to write them properly in their original/previous site, then yea! im really glad i ported my latest character who's also now my favourite muse. i wasn't able to write him fully in his original site (fr because of fear of my chara just straight up getting killed) BUT i was already hooked with his chara trope!! so ported him to a new site that suited him a lot more (and no death threats!!) and its really one of the best times i've had

afaik i think people are more "new site, new background, new connections", but i think i'll always reserve the ported character's important connections for their original writers -- even though it's a new site. e.g., no one can replace that character's 'sister', ex-best friend(hehe), partner, etc. sure there could be additions like another sibling or another bff, but there'll always be a place reserved for the ones who came first, just not written out if they're not in-verse, because... well, im the delulu always stuck in the past? ;v; 

idk, i feel like it'll be v wrong of me, like i'm looking for new people to replace them anddd yeahh noo. idk if it's just me being extra particular or it's a shared sentiment? im not sure! curious about how people deal with previous wanteds/significant roles tho :3c 
last edit on Jan 23, 2024 6:31:25 GMT by idindin
options
quote
re-playing/re-apping characters written Jan 23, 2024 7:00:10 GMT
kmsdvlajvkefk
aliastanzaku, tanz, tan-tan, egao, protag, chapel, tbotc
pronounsshe/her
1,333written posts
offlinecurrently
๐Ÿ’– โ‡๏ธ baa ~ dumm! โ‡๏ธ ๐Ÿ’–
Part of the Furniture
๐Ÿ’– โ‡๏ธ baa ~ dumm! โ‡๏ธ ๐Ÿ’– Avatar
emotional over wallace event/alt
idindin Avatar
Jan 23, 2024 6:26:59 GMT said:
idk, i feel like it'll be v wrong of me, like i'm looking for new people to replace them anddd yeahh noo. idk if it's just me being extra particular or it's a shared sentiment? im not sure! curious about how people deal with previous wanteds/significant roles tho :3c 


i'm a very present person kind of person. my past threads and stories had their lives, and i did my best for them, which is why i feel like i'm always happy with what i end up rping in general. it was a "run" and rather than imagine going back to them and the what-if's, i think of it as figuratively carrying them in my hearts so i can do better and explore other things with what i've learned and experienced.

and i want others to feel that way about my characters too. i want them to remember them, and have people carry with them what the emotional rollercoaster they had with me. as long as you do your best in the present, you'll have fewer regrets. that's my motto in life.

but, i will add: i generally don't look to "replace" characters. i just make the same wanted ad with no mention or specifics regarding the previous wanted. it's a new run. new everything. i guess it's why i also prefer to do things differently every time i rp the same character. doing the same thing as i've done before will decrease the odds that i'd learn something new about myself and my muses. and i feel that it's service to the new people i'm rping with, or for people who i've also rped with before. i want them to read my work in different angle next time around, throw in various flavors so they can enjoy the content in ways they can't imagine.

but yeah. in my perspective, i'm giving honor to people i've rped with. i think there's only been one instance where this oc (my character's significant other) made it to my character-verse in my head but it's just there. maybe i'll give tribute to it if i write. but looking for a wanted around that character? nah. i don't want my rp partners to feel like they're in someone's shadow. i want them to have the same freedom as i do.
options
quote
re-playing/re-apping characters written Jan 23, 2024 21:56:56 GMT
aliasSola
pronounsthey/he
207written posts
Solaearned bits
offlinecurrently
Sola
Full Member
Sola Avatar
Tell me which you dread more ; the echo or the answer?
I usually just redo the same blorbos here and there. With canons I have my very few that I cannot part with whatsoever (kazuha, tighnari, Sou hiyori to name a few) but there might be some canons I want to try that might just be fleeting. Like I could have them for a month and decide I don't vibe well or the voice isn't loud in my head OR I love writing them and they're now a new forever muse. It's so funny to me, because I've tried apping some characters and have dropped them day one, week one, etc. just because apping them was fun but I can't get the voice right. 


When it comes to OCs I do tend to use the same ones that I had from when I was a teenager. Cause I've made a few over the years and have grown attached to them. And they're supposed to be super malleable like I can turn them into whatever I want. I happen to have a pokemon OC that has gone from being a top ace trainer all the way to a guy who just struggles with depression and catches cute pokemon to help him cope. Like, my ideas can be all over the place. I will normally consider Want Ads when I'm really comfortable with the site or just the people playing in general. It feels weird to fill in the shoes of someone like a family member they're looking for, especially if its not exactly like they imagined. I'd had to disappoint like that. 
Reply