CD's tutorial guide to Ret-Conning

[Crystal Dragon]

I don't really mind helping people find understanding between one another and their character stories honestly, it's kind of something I enjoy but there are times that I question myself being in their situation and try to work out the best pathway forward.

 

Sometimes the best pathway is the one separating from the crux of the issue, the cause of the ripples in the first place. But there are times that communication simply isn't hashing out between both sides and an outsiders point of view can trigger things to get worse. I try not to hold any bias when I do act as a neutral voice but even I recognize when it's friends of mine involved and it can be very emotionally draining and stressful both mainly because as much as I wish to support my friends I also see the mistakes happening and try to lead them to make things right.

 

I know the situation is tough, tense even for me but there is always a way to work forward and through the problem. Sometimes it's old habits, poor communication from one side or the other and other times it's a persistent issue that doesn't seem to have any way forward and it's in those cases that ret conning might be the only other option. 

 

Choosing to ret con to defuse drama or poor communication can be a way forward but it takes a portion of the story with that character and basically dissolves connections forged in that span of time. A last ditch effort to salvage a characters core story, now I'm not trying to persuade or convince that this is the only option. Sometimes speaking to the players involved can resolve the conflicts and create a new direction to take but there are times we end up engaging with players that don't want to seek resolution and will hold to their own characters story and views simply because they can. 

 

In situations like this, we often have to weigh the pros and cons.

• Is this character critical to my characters story development? If not, will ret conning affect their characters story as well? If so, can the player compromise and work out an agreement I as a player and they as a player can be happy with?
• Will this affect the players characters connected to my own? If so, talk it out. Most players are willing to find a way that works for both you and their own character, but sometimes players are really set on their own perspectives of the world through their characters eyes. If not, breaking away from those players may be necessary to preserve your own characters core story.
• Will other players respect my decision to ret-con a part of my characters current story? If so, then go for it! If not, discuss with them the reason you wish to make this choice and ask for their views on what they think you should do moving forward with the character, take their insights and consider what possible way that may work in favor of your characters story and maintain the story with the other players characters involved. Sometimes, there is no way forward with them and to ret con would mean to break away from them, but this isn’t necessarily a permanent issue, they can be reintroduced at a later point forward from the ret con point once you feel confident the character is still intact and solidified in a way that you are comfortable with.

 

Ultimately, this decision often comes with its own weight in price.

Character story core remaining intact however costing connections with characters that developed in the duration that’s being ret conned, but this isn’t necessarily a bad weighted price to take if the character has hit a point that either is too much for you as a player to deal with or uncertain of maintaining the characters core values through. What this does do however, in positive effect if you are in a conflicting situation with your character story that brushes against the core values you have developed them based on, a chance to try a different path or option they could have chosen at the time the ret con rolls back to, different decisions can spiderweb all kinds of different story lines to develop from in many different aspects and exploring these options is more a positive, than a negative.

Sometimes you have to think of roleplaying characters as a "Choose your own adventure" paperback book (For the younger generation, these were books that allowed you to pick the decision of the main character, you, in the book and they normally had two or more different endings to the story in the book.), by choosing to ret-con, you are turning back the pages at least several in order to take a different choice forward with your characters development, allowing them a chance to grow in a different way than the earlier choice had given them, and shifting perspectives of the character based on this different path forward. We have to remember that because this particular universe, you do have the option to go through the Menders of Ouroborus, or even with other players involvement, to step back in that characters time line, and review what options were available and happened at the time the issue began and taking the path you didn't choose the first time you came through this end of their story line. There's no set end goal really to be placed, just a better path forward ultimately that maintains the characters core values you built your character off of. However, it's important to remember to discuss this decision with the players more entrenched into your characters story first, at least to know if they will be able to respect this decision and work with you to rebuild their connections, should they dissolve with the ret-con time span chosen, or try a different direction of interactions with them, or (And this one is one I do get saddened by) decide to break away from them to resolve the characters core values being maintained.

 

As a final closing note, this is an option with roleplaying that can cause conflict with other players if they are not informed, or aware of this decision, maintaining open communication with one another helps assuage the possible conflict and assumptions that other player characters may make as a result of taking this choice, but this is also a final option to take should no other choice the player, or the character had made was able to resolve the problematic situation. A last ditch effort, to preserve the characters core story and values, without invalidating others involvement is the important part to remember.