LET'S VOTE: RULE CHANGE

[intercom_voice]

This rule was enacted, but due to a lot of backlash, we've decided to hold it to a vote:

▶ Fancharacters who are related to or romantically involved with any canon characters are not allowed. This applies to backstory only, not to CR built in this game or others.

We're either keeping this rule as is or removing it entirely. Please comment in one of the spaces below.

KEEP IT
DELETE IT

In the future, we'll have votes for rule changes too. I apologize for the unhappiness that this has caused. We're all still a bit new at this while modding thing!

VOTING ENDS 2/2 @ 9PM EST

VOTING HAS ENDED

Voting has ended in a tie. A vote will be held between the three mods to come to a decision. Feedback on plurk and in the comments below will be taken into consideration.

Comments

(frozen comment) DELETE IT

[intercom_voice]

(frozen comment) +1

[roadroller]

Though I do not find the new rule unreasonable by any means, as it is common practice in DWRP, I think for a dressing room it is pretty unnecessary. Players are under no obligation to tag characters they find unappealing.

What might be a good idea would be to take the rule directly above it, the one that suggests being courteous to canonmates, and stressing the idea there instead of banning the notion entirely.

(frozen comment) HIT THE DELETE BUTTON ON THAT SUCKAH

[moderndaydragon]

I understand perfectly why you put this rule in here, and I can't fault you for that. However, I'm with Rin on all the points she made about it!

(frozen comment) DELETE IT

[nightlightdemon]

While I don't think the rule is completely unreasonable, part of what I like about this DR is that it's the only place I know of on DW that's panfandom and allows near-complete freedom on the types of characters that can be played here. While a lot of characters of that type are bad, it doesn't seem fair to also block the ones that are well done. Especially since this is one of the only places outside of PSLs where they could play.

That said, it might be a good idea to put up a different rule in the current one's place. Perhaps that if the canon characters the OC is related to are in the game, they need permission from the already in-game mun(s) before bringing that character in?

(frozen comment) DELETE IT

[betraitorous]

While I understand the reasons for being cautionary, at the same time I'm a firm believer in "Fan-characters who's backstories include being related to or having been romantically involved with a canon character can be done right, if the right care and thought is put in." Especially since I have one I've been working on for a long time.

I'll use her as an example; in the canon, two major characters are a father and his son, but the mother isn't around and is never brought up or mentioned. For the past several years I've been building a character out of the mother, putting a lot of work into her personality, design, history, how she and the father met and eventually got together, her chemistry with him, why she's no longer around and what happened to her, everything I can to make her feel like a character that would actually be in the canon.
And I know I'm not the only person who puts lots of hard work into their fan-characters the same way! So I definitely say lift the rule, those characters and their creators always deserve a chance. Though I also agree with Rin's mun about checking with castmates for courtesy reasons.

(frozen comment) DELETE IT

[wannabeaboy]

I've seen canon fancharacters work well, but it's definitely a matter of courtesy! As long as they're respectful about it, and it's brought up beforehand, I think it's fine!

(frozen comment) DELETE IT

[1300ft_freefall]

Or modify it. Maybe just banning muses that have been getting on other players' nerves because of how they're acting in the comm would be sufficient (but I think that just applies to problem muses and players anyway.)

(frozen comment) +1 for no

[(Anonymous)]

Agreeing with others here that such characters can be done right, and don't really have many other places to play. If they have any potential canonmates playing here already, they can pull on their big-kid panties and work it out with them OOC, because making other players uncomfortable isn't playing nice, so isn't it already against the rules?

A blanket rule like this may sometimes be convenient, but it also introduces problems. What if both the canon characters' player and the OC's player are agreeable to it? What if they're a character mentioned in canon, but there's nowhere near enough canon for them to not count as an OC? Letting players decide for themselves if they want to play with those sorts of castmates, on an individual basis, would solve it neatly. At worst, you'd end up having to mediate.