Retconning is the process of back-tracking and changing parts of your character’s story or history retroactively. It can be used in a variety of situations and for a host of different reasons. It can also be used well or badly depending on how you handle it. So today we’re going to take a deeper look at Reconning in RP.
Beyond Basics is a series of posts that delve into different aspects of roleplay beyond the basics of character creation within an MMO setting. For our purposes, this setting is World of Warcraft but it can be useful in others too. This series will look at things like plots, storylines, and conversations. As well as the world and community around you as a player in an MMO. Explaining how you can best make use of that; and how it might differ from roleplay on tabletop games for example. You can find the rest of the series here: Beyond Basics Series Index
What is Retconning
Shortened from RETroactive CONtinuity; to Retcon means to change or revise what has previously happened when new information might oppose it. If your character had a bad encounter with water as a child, for example, and developed a phobia. Only for you to later discover the entire next expansion, and ergo all your guild’s roleplay is going to be in water zones. Retconning that part of their back-story would make it a bit more functional to play. Or at least recon the severity of the phobia so that the character is still playable in such zones.
People Retcon things a fair amount in MMORPG’s as it is difficult to gauge what is coming next in terms of content and lore in upcoming releases and expansions. If you were a writer writing a book and you discovered the story was leading you down a certain path that contradicts things; you can always go back and edit it out before anyone sees it. In roleplay online you are not so privileged. Your character and story is open to the public from the get-go; so you can’t go back and change things so easily
For or Against Retconning
With that said there is still contention over the topic. Some people feel like retconning things makes you a terrible role-player and equally some people see no issue with it. As with most things I prefer to keep to a middle line and avoid extremes. If you are retconning your character and their background all the time then yes, that is a bad thing. That leaves your character unable to be solid and real. It leaves people involved in the character’s story-lines unable to grasp their concept and invest in it.
If your character is changing every other day people won’t really ‘Get Them’ or know who they are or why. It will only serve to make them hard to roleplay with. And sometimes people can retcon things for convenience; that is perhaps just making things too easy and convenient. As I mentioned above, if something is going to write your character out of all roleplay then looking into retconning it might be a wise idea. If however you just happened to say the wrong thing to the wrong person and now they hate you? That is just reconning for convenience and it is frowned upon. As you are just using it to avoid responsibility for your actions when they could be roleplayed out.
Reconning Can Be Useful
With that said I think taking a hard-line against retconning is equally unproductive. As I said above we don’t know and can’t predict what way the lore is going with games that have not come out yet and we cannot as a species read minds, so I think some leniency needs to be given for things that might have been created under different awareness. But then again where you stand with retconning is entirely up to you.
I know a lot of people got stuck when Blizzard decided to remove M’uru and their hard-line Light-Stealing Knights got left in limbo. As I recall a lot of people blurred some character lines back then and rightly so because they could not have seen that coming when they created the character. And while yes you can argue that the character would not have seen it coming either and ergo should deal with it IC; it could put that character into a role and position that the player never intended or wanted to play and that is unfair.
They are a player paying to play a game after all. I don’t believe immersion was irreparably ruined by the Knights that shifted after that revelation. In fact, had they been forced into playing a character they didn’t want to play I believe more damage would have been done. Some soft retconning allowed them to retain enjoyment of their character and plots and stay immersed in them and ergo keep that immersion with those around them. But that might just be my thinking.
How To Recon Small Scale
First of all, work out where the information you want to retcon is on the scale. And the scale is not gauged in terms of the size of the information as you might think but by the reach of its relevance. Regardless of how important the information is to you or your character what you need to ask yourself is this;
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How many people outside of my character already know about it?
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How far is it going to change his current situation and motivations?
If the answer is ‘Lots’ to either or both of those questions then it is a big retcon. If the answer is very little then you are just dealing with a minor retcon. The next thing you need to do is communicate. If it is something that other characters know about IC then speak to them. Explain your problems and explain your proposed solution and ask them if they would be alright with that changing.
You might also want to speak to your guild master if you are in a guild and the retcon has a chance of affecting anything in that realm. Even if it doesn’t it might stand as a show of good faith. If everyone involved or connected to the information, events or whatever else you are changing is aware and in agreement that a change is a good idea; then you can just alter it and continue on as normal. So long as the people that knew of it know to act accordingly then all is well.
How to Retcon Large Scale
If loads of people know about what you are changing or it is going to change the directions and motivations of your character it can be tricky. For example, class change retconning can be a bigger issue. Some are not so serious; hunter, rogue, and warrior tend to get away with it. But paladins and warlocks might need some explaining. When it is a big thing that lots of people know about; just erasing it like flicking a switch off is not a great idea. For some things, it cannot be helped. And in that case, like above the best way to go about it is by speaking to as many of the people involved as you can and being sure they agree before you do anything.
Alternatively
Otherwise, however, the best way to go about retconning or changing things IC on a large scale is slowly. Via a story. If you want to change your character’s class, think of a plot to explain why that is changing. Changing a trait or characteristic, for example, the water phobia we mentioned before; then think up a story-line or plot that you can work through to have him overcome that fear. Learn X new skill or create a situation where they adapt or learn a new characteristic like patience or humility.
If you can work out an IC means of reaching your goal and progress to that slowly; you can alter the story in a smooth and realistic way. This will also not throw people off or make the change come as a huge shock that might damage their immersion. Even if it is something you need to erase from the past at switch-flicking speed; try and see if you can create an IC explanation for it. As it always helps other peoples characters move on from the face in roleplay.
Things To Avoid
The main thing to avoid is that if people say no; if they disagree; if you retconning what you want to retcon badly affects their characters and plots; try not to do it. Reconsider if you need to. Try and think of other ways around your problem. Because as much as I can understand coming to need to retcon some things in MMO’s you absolutely do not want to be negatively affecting other peoples roleplay if you can at all avoid it.
Avoid the unnecessary. Retconning of any size can be a pain and it can be a hiccup in immersion and story-line. So try to avoid it unless it is really going to cripple your character to keep them as they are and you cannot find any other way or means of solving your issue.
I hope you found this information useful. Let me know in the comments below if you have had any good or bad experiences with retconning.
You can always contact me below, or on the bar above if you are having these kinds of troubles yourself and would like some advice.
