To the Gulag with You! (Banishment Discussion)

[The Dreamer]

So, I was just think about Banishment, and what it means for the development of a character, and I was wonder what the general public thinks about it.

What do you think of it? Is it purely a punishment? A plot device? A damnation of one's character?

Also, I know there are a number of people out there who wish to be banished for the story element. If you would, I would love to here from those of you who do plan for this, and why. What does it bring, or what could it bring to the development of your character?

[Gin Yatreg]

It is most certainly a punishment in-universe. It /was/ why the circle was created after all.

For me though, I see it as both a punishment and a plot-device. If I could banish someone, I would banish Gin so I could develop him some more in a way that I can't do in normal verses (unless I create a monster for it).

And, you know, challenge Diablo to a rock-off.

[Thaal Sinestro]

I think that, like everything on this site, Banishment serves as a writing prompt. It serves as SOMETHING to write about, with established features and rules so that you can hook your mind into the world and really have something for your stories to hinge upon.

Some people see this place, with its (slightly) more strict rules and oppressive overtones and see it as a "punishment," of sorts, but I think those people look at it in the wrong way. The only major downside is that it restricts the pool of people you can write with (which I can easily see being a rough thing for a lot of writers), but other than that, it's just like any other Zone in the Omniverse with it's own unique themes and challenges. If anything, it gives the PC a very clear and concise TARGET to gun for, which I would personally find to be inspirational. If I know specifically what I should be writing about and exactly how much I have to write, that gives me a GOAL.

I also applaud players that want to go there, but I also would warn them that they need to have the drive to get back OUT. It's not a plotline that oyu can idly join and leave as you will, which I can see destroying the motivation of half the writers on this site.

[The Dreamer]

I agree alot with what you're saying Thaal. Another question for the peeps:

How would you feel if someone sent you there against your will? How would you feel about the OOC person that did it to you? What if said person was going around and doing to alot of people? How would you feel about this new sense of 'danger' in the Omniverse for Primes?

[Gin Yatreg]

I also applaud players that want to go there, but I also would warn them that they need to have the drive to get back OUT. It's not a plotline that oyu can idly join and leave as you will, which I can see destroying the motivation of half the writers on this site.

:accepted:

[Magus]

I agree alot with what you're saying Thaal. Another question for the peeps:

How would you feel if someone sent you there against your will? How would you feel about the OOC person that did it to you? What if said person was going around and doing to alot of people? How would you feel about this new sense of 'danger' in the Omniverse for Primes?

Well... I think... power to them. As much as I'd really, really rather not be banished right now, it's not a death sentence, but it's as close to one as you can get here. A character could really set about exerting real power/influence by banishing characters who didn't agree with him/whatever.

Also, it does open up a lot of new stuff that we haven't seen before (very few people have even been to the Underverse - there's still a lot left to break new ground with).

I dunno. I'm a bit torn on the issue. It could be a motivation-killer for those that don't want to be there, but then, it's a really neat mechanic.

[Strazio Rockwell]

Strazio would have no qualms about banishing someone. In fact if you pissed him off hard enough he would prefer it to simply killing someone. That being said, OOC I would hate to send an unwilling party to the Underverse, even if it would make IC sense. I know some people would probably get very disheartened with how difficult it is to escape the Underverse, especially if they have to go it alone.

I've also thought of having an arc with my alternate character (he tends to not be a very nice guy) form a mercenary-type group that goes around banishing people. While I think it would be a very fun and cool arc to write, I think that it would have some serious implications if we attacked people who weren't down with being banished OOC.

I think banishing is a really cool mechanic and one of the things that drew me to the site. But I do think it does carry a lot of weight and responsibility if you do decide to banish someone for the sake of banishing. (Not that that's necessarily bad)

[Dark Link]

As others already mentioned, it's both a punishment and an opportunity. It provides an actual serious consequence for being defeated, thus giving people a good incentive to try and win, while also making for some fantastic writing material. After all, nothing tests one's character quite as much as being stranded in a hellish and hostile environment and it provides the banished character a justification to pursue a personal vendetta against the person that banished them.

That said, if I was in a position to banish someone, I'd probably ask them OOC if they were alright with it first. Although it is a good roleplaying opportunity, banishment is also a rather serious disruption to one's plans, especially if they are roleplaying with someone else. So in spite of the fact that banishment is a perfectly legitimate mechanic, actually banishing someone against their will might come off as somewhat of a faux pas.

[Omni]

Everything else aside, its purpose as a gameplay mechanic is supposed to be that you can't just keep coming back and attacking the same person over and over. However unlike death, banishment can't be accidental so you have to make a conscious decision to send someone to the Underverse, and it actually costs OM. (That's why I was kind of conflicted with Alex's use of it in DA as a random punishment). It's a way for characters to "permanently" deal with other characters.