I’m actually playing in an RPG where the character’s human mind is gone. Nothing is left but rage. I know most people who know me would say " isn’t that most of your MCs here"?) But the point is in my eyes there’s nothing left to save yet the GM and other characters keep trying instead of putting them down. So it made me wonder. Where other be people would write characters off as unsaveable? Where they’d just completely give up.
The point where I’d deem a character ‘unsaveable’ is when they cross what TV tropes call a Moral Event Horizon.
An example is sacrificing half your squadron to capture the princess OR killing her outright (along with a slew of Church Hussars who don’t find back) in Guns of Infinity.
The difference is, even if we feel there is nothing worth saving, those who care for that supposedly irredeemable character still believe that there is.
For example, in Fallen Hero, I highly doubt that Ortega or Herald will give up on the MC anytime soon - because they care very much about the MC and still see them as a hero, and thus will likely refuse to believe that this is what they have become.
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And even more likely get themselves killed in the meantime. But maybe that’s exactly what they need. Lose something as… Important and dear to them, as the MC, by MC’s hands to finally understand they should let go.
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I think there must be a window to look trough in these kind of situations .
For exemple , you have a character thats far too gone . Done lot of evil stuff , and doesn’t wish to be saved…(Or never spoke of redemption) . But everyone want them to live .
I think the most important question : Is why ? why would you save X ? After everything they’ve done !
The 2nd most important question come down to : Can said peoples actually kill X? And I don’t mean as in powers . But to actually kill someone , deserved or not . Some peoples may hate a character SO much…but when it come down to it…they may just not be able to pull it off . Conscience ? disgust ? whatever .
I’m one of those who will rage and throw tantrum…it doesn’t mean , I can swing and roll heads of my opponent . I find it very hard to do that . Not because I’m filled with tons of mercy…but the act itself isn’t within my capacity .
I can do it , I did it before . But it take alot of ‘remember what x did! remember all the atrocity!’’ .
You can give up on someone emotionally without killing them . That too count as killing them .
Of course if its your job to take them down no matter what , then…disconnecting your emotions…untangle one self would be the way to do it . Otherwise…feeling will get in the way . But that’s harder to do then it seem .
There are characters that many though deserved death and I let them live . Others deserved death and peoples let them live…where I killed them . A good exemple : I let Anders Live in DA2 but killed Loghain in DAO .
Forgot to say : The answer to the question asked : I don’t think there is a ‘Limit’ of any kind . It depand case by case .
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