Hello friends of all sizes and shapes! Admin Fleur here with an important message I hope you will all take the time to read. I included tl;dr’s after each important section, so just jump to those if you don’t have the stamina for this long-winded explanation and ‘booster shot’ about GODMODDING, an issue we have encountered often enough lately to warrant this post. Hopefully it will answer questions you may have and give useful pointers !
NB: It is strongly recommended that you read this post and give it a like. If you hit that heart-shaped button, we’ll assume you understand and agree with what’s under the cut, which means we will use the eyes emoji on you if you mess up. If you do godmod and haven’t liked the post, we will link you to it so you can be up to date with our expectations. Not liking the post will only save you once, though, so better check out the ( less than 1.5k words ) monster below !
First of all, what exactly is godmodding ?
We are all familiar with the half of it that’s forcing actions, thoughts, or anything else on someone else’s character, therefore stealing their agency from them. It could be describing said character getting hit by yours and the consequences of that hit, it could be implying a specific action or reaction that you wish they’d have to something your own character did. If you suppose someone’s OC cannot do a backflip and include that in your reply when they are actually a gymnastics prodigy, that was godmodding as well.
The other side of godmodding we don’t think about as much puts emphasis on the word god: your character is the smartest, fastest, strongest, no hit will ever land, no one will ever take them by surprise. In addition, they will never be caught with a wrong opinion or making any mistake, ever, because they are amazing and everyone loves them. Except, most likely not.
tl;dr: godmodding is writing your rp partner’s character in their place, be it their actions, backstory, abilities, or thoughts. It is also making your own character into some sort of Achilles minus the weak heel: compare to Mary Sue and Gary Stu.
Why does it have such a bad rep in the rp community ?
It becomes frustrating for the other player because, most of the time, godmodding does not play in their favour, making their OC look weaker, dumber, and generally less than they are supposed to be. If your character implied something about the other that is entirely wrong, the other player will have to disprove that claim in their next reblog, and your thread will quickly become a ‘[NAME] 101′, which no one is interested in. If this happens too often, they might even feel like not writing against you anymore, which is the opposite of what we’re here for ! It also gives them a bad image of you, like you haven’t taken any interest in their character whatsoever and just want to further yours, which may come across as selfish or rude – nothing good either way.
As for the superior character shebang, well... It does sound like bad writing. Of course your character can have talents, even excel in a couple areas, but no one is that perfect. Invincible characters are often attributed to beginners or younger writers who still have a lot to learn, so you are expected to discard that bad habit or those character traits over time. If you aren’t new to the scene but still write overpowered characters who can do no wrong, you will most likely attract people with the same kind of OCs, as those with more balanced characters may not trust you to be fair in your interactions. And if two or more perfect characters meet, it’s bound to become bothersome as they’ll always deliver perfect hits but never land a single blow, or all threads could become an intellectual pissing contest. Either way: tiring, and not the most fun for you.
tl;dr: people will assume you’re not dedicated, not interested in real and meaningful interactions, and unwilling to give your character building one hundred percent of your abilities. Which... ouch.
How do I avoid coming off as godmodding ?
Luckily, fixing that mistake is as easy as falling for it! You only need to keep in mind that whatever you write about the other mun’s character, there has to be some sort of emergency exit they can use if you’ve been incorrect in your assumption. Therefore, your character hasn’t heard someone throw an insult at them, they either think they’ve heard one, or they heard one but are wondering if it was meant for them. In the same way, they won’t throw a punch right on the other’s nose or scare them and make them jump out of their own skin, but aim that punch at B’s nose and silently make their approach, hoping to elicit this or that kind of reaction.
It’s a good idea to talk to the other mun and plot before replying to/writing starters: you can make sure they know your muse wouldn’t be fooled by sweet words, they can let you know their OC is a master at sounding honest when they’re not. So what? Your own character has good gut instinct when it comes to others: stalemate, your child can shine through at perceiving some ill intent coming from theirs, who in turn still manages to confuse yours !
Reading the bio page or app of the character you want to write against is always a good idea, as well as any headcanons they might have. Coming to someone already knowing the bases of their OC will definitely break the ice and minimise the impact of accidental godmodding in the future! It will also avoid you thinking they would react favourably to your stranger of an OC offering them flowers at random on the street, when character B is said to be distrustful and was noted to have an allergy to pollen.
As for overpowering your own character, try character stat charts! This one right >here< is very good, and you can add other points as you see fit. As you fill it in, you have a visual representation of their skills, which is really helpful in figuring out when too much is too much. Ideally, when combining all scores, you would fall somewhere between 40-60% Additionally you can try to figure out their pros and cons in pairs: they are great at guessing what people want to hear. Does that make them people-pleasers? Do they have trouble asserting themselves then if it means going against what they think would be the ideal answer? And at the same time, wouldn’t that make them the ideal friend to confide in with a heavy heart? As long as you have balance, your character can be a genius fighter — all that matters is that they are weak somewhere else.
tl;dr: when you assume something about a character who’s not yours, make sure to write it that way: it’s a wild guess, not a certainty. Never land a hit if you’re not ready for reciprocity. Communicate with others, read bios/apps! Give your character weaknesses to balance out their strengths. Sympathy points come from their failures, not their successes !
I’ve been godmodded. What do I do?
Let them know. Honestly, a lot of that happens because the offending party was in a rush, impatient, or not properly focused. It’s very rare that someone would purposefully demean your character or overplay theirs, so a simple message telling them where they went wrong should do it! You could even use the occasion to tell them more about your character so to hopefully avoid later mistakes. Understanding the ratio of power at play will help the both of you write a much better interaction where both characters are depicted correctly.
Now, if you notice that someone is a repeat offender, even though you’ve politely asked them several times to be careful, it’s time to let us know so we can take the necessary striking measures.
tl;dr: tell them about it. If they keep it up, tell us about it.
Is godmodding ever okay ?
It can be! We’ve all had the misfortune of suddenly being kidnapped for a family dinner out at the last minute in the middle of a back-and-forth group thread, and the general response to that is generally to have the character fall asleep or leave the scene momentarily. At other times though, you can trust your writing partners enough to throw a hasty ‘just godmod my kid, it’s fine !’ before being lost to the internet for fancy salad and a towering, organic burger. That way, your character isn’t suddenly wiped out from an event, and it will be easier for you to get back into the swing of things once you’re home again — all the while knowing your precious child is in good hands.
There’s also the possibility of you and one or several close friends being as at ease with each other’s characters as you are with your own, so you can have a guess at an immediate reaction (gasping, huffing, frowning, etc) they would have and be right about it. This is mostly at your and your friends’ discretion.
Honorable mention: assuming a character is stepping inside a place there need to be, or walking along with yours as they are heading somewhere together, is generally accepted. So it’s okay to have your character A slip inside a room then close the door after B got in as well, or keep talking to B as they start walking towards their destination.
tl;dr: if you’ve got express permission or an action was already implied in a previous reply, go for it !
And that concludes this PSA! If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, either flick us an ask or contact me (fleur) on Discord! I’m the croissant emoji, because I’m witty and hilarious.