Playerbase poll! pretend this is a modjournal, okay

[implying]

Hello, Exsilium! Just a quick poll, here. We're considering a revision to the rule that disallows doubles of characters in game. Here's the phrasing as it stands now:

Only one incarnation of a fandom character can exist in Exsilium at a given time. For example, if someone were to play a canon AU version of a character (say, Communist Superman from Red Son), then the place for Superman would be taken and could not be applied for by another Superman.

Essentially, this means that there are no doubles of existing fictional characters, although exceptions are made for well-known characters in literature, such as fairy tales, gods in mythology, and most recently, various incarnations of Sherlock Holmes.

The proposed change would be to allow any and all canon AUs (not including characters from different points on the same timeline). That would allow things like Tony Stark of Marvel 616 playable alongside our current MCU Tony Stark, as well as Star Trek TOS Captain Kirk alongside our current 2009 Captain Kirk. Note: there would be no cap on the multiples allowed, here. If a canon has 4 fleshed out and appable versions of a character (to use Tony as an example again: 616, Ultimates, MCU, Noirverse, that one universe where everyone is a zombie, etc…), then we could potentially have all 4 in game.

Please only vote once/with one journal! The poll will be open for a week, until May 31st, and results will apply to this coming app round.

Poll #13505

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 91

View Respondents

Should we change the rule to allow multiples of characters, or keep it the same?

View Answers

Change it!
57 (62.6%)

Keep everything as it is!
34 (37.4%)

Comments

[wilder]

Question! say a canon such as a video game has multiple endings for particular characters in which their lives drastically change based on different circumstances. Would characters from different ending paths in those cases count as canon AU's or no?

[implying]

Yes, that would count! And a protagonist of a game like Dragon Age, with different versions/backstories of the Warden, would also be considered appable.

[wilder]

LETS ALL ALL THE HAWKES.

But okay! Thank you!

[implying]

I hate to retcon my own answer, but after further consideration, I'm going to have to revise this one. Unfortunately, a character from an alternate ending would not be considered an AU canon. We'll consider exceptions if a player feels that an alternate ending has changed a character significantly to be considered altered and brings it to us, but that will be case-by-case.

[wilder]

Okay, that's fair enough I knew that was a tricky one anyway. Thank you!

[fintastic]

So wait what's the criteria for the difference between "alternate timeline" and "alternate ending"? Or would alternate timelines within the same work now be appable too?

[implying]

We don't have the rules on that cemented yet, so it would be up for debate. But a tentative solution would be to allow it on a case-by-case basis — basically, if it's a slight change and the characterization isn't much different, that would be considered the same character. But if the character is left with, say, a drastically altered outlook, or physically changed, or anything like that, they would be acceptable. Does that makes sense?

[fintastic]

Wait, so you're polling us about if the rules should be changed or not, but you're not even sure what those changes are going to be? The original post doesn't even make it sound like alternate endings and alternate timelines within the same work would be applicable, just completely separate bodies of work. When was it going to be debated?

[implying]

We don't have the rules on that cemented. Alternate timelines and alternate endings are a pretty specific matter, and we hadn't considered it yet.

But after further consideration, neither would be allowed as a canon AU. We'll consider exceptions if a player feels that an alternate ending has changed a character significantly to be considered altered and brings it to us, but that will be case-by-case.

[fintastic]

Alright, that makes a little bit more sense. My only worry is characters from the same work, that are like "just like A except for small laundry list of changes" cause... that can get pretty awkward! (and like someone else said, I don't think the Initiative could handle 4 Dave Striders, that's too much Strider in one place.) :'D Thanks!