coordinated with the activity check for the first time ever

[realitymods]

How's my driving?

The rules of the game are as follows: comment to this post with a list of your characters. Other players will provide constructive criticism and positive feedback. You do the same because community is built on reciprocity, we are told.

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Commence!

Comments

[semantics]

I would like to return us to the thing this discussion is about: polarising abilities.

I don't mean Sefton's abilities by this. Regardless of the person, the abilities need to be worked out. You have have been good at making sure there were permissions, but, at present, that is irrelevant to the issues of the abilities. The ability set is one where a character can make people like them, where this affection does not fade/the possibility of it fading has not been considered, and where the repulsive aspect of polarisation does not exist or is so improbable at present that it does not factor into playing. That skill-set is problematic and, at the time of application, should have undergone discussion between moderators and the player to determine the full extent of these abilities and if any adjustments would need to be made. At that point, we might ask if the player would be open to allowing the effect to fade, if the player would consider a plot of some kind to invoke the reverse effect, and indeed exactly how it would function once that reverse effect is invoked. We have no canonical source for this plot set, so we do not know what the reverse effect would be like once it happens. If it happens, will the set be stuck permanently on repel? Will it be able to switch back and forth? Would Sefton gain some control of these abilities? What sort of hate constitutes the right kind, what sort of trigger must it be, what sort of love is the right sort of love? These are all things that ought to have been brought up between moderators and the player in question.

None of it was discussed, and that is my fault. I accepted this application unilaterally, without discussing it with the other moderators. That does not mean it should not be discussed now. It is still being put into play, it is still relevant. If the powers in question may change because of in-game events and we have no information on what will happen then, we need to know that information as well. I believe these are questions that would need to be asked regardless of what character, player, or story a character comes from.

(Arguably, it would be less problematic if the character came from a canon resource, as we would not need to discuss all aspects of it with the player because there would be resources for us to look up; however, if the canon was not comprehensive on the matter and left similar holes, then we would need to discuss with the player how they intend on dealing with these holes. Additionally, if it were a fandom character, we would be able to point out if there is something in canon which we believe is important but which was left off the application, the way important information was not here. We make requests for more information frequently. Any intention to deceive is both irrelevant and unlikely with every application, as intention is near-impossible to determine and in my optimistic opinion, people don't tend towards deliberate manipulation. Part of our obligation as moderators is to ask questions about this sort of thing. We failed to do so, and it does not seem unfair to ask for help in redressing our error now.)

So, could you please email us a comprehensive explanation of Sefton's powers, including information on what triggers the repellent aspect and how his powers will operate once that aspect is triggered? I'd also appreciate a more detailed explanation of this part of his powers: This ability carries over into affecting inanimate objects - if he touches something, he will either repel it from or attract it to himself. If he hits something, does that force move in the opposite direction, sending the object in question moving towards him? And if someone throws something at him, does the object fly backwards the moment it touches Sefton without applying force to him? Essentially, is Sefton incapable of throwing things at people and are things incapable of hitting him when thrown at him? These are questions I should have asked at the time of application and did not, and for that, I apologize.