My impression is...

Question about crash dummies by Elemarth on 2011-05-15 19:32:00 UTC Reply

I don't fully understand crash dummies yet, but I've gotten the idea that when a canon character is narrating in first person, the dummy merges with the character. The question then is: how do we get the dummy back? It's not like I get to kill this character.

Also, when the first-person point of view switches between two characters, do I need two crash dummies, or does one automatically switch characters?

My impression is... by Jacer on 2011-05-15 19:55:00 UTC Reply

...that the first-person narrative is a spirit that possesses the dummy and causes it to take the place and appearance and whatnot of the character who is narrating. As such, it's not really the canon character narrating. I think a recent mission had the agent slitting the dummy!character's throat to make it turn back into a dummy.

My guess on the second question (and it *is* only a guess) is that yes, you would need two dummies. Either that or the dummy would switch and the real canon characters would pop in and out of existence. I could be wrong, though.

But... by Elemarth on 2011-05-15 22:32:00 UTC Reply

That won't hurt the character? And will I be able to deal with the character directly if it's during a first-person section? Maybe killing the dummy makes it split away from the character so the dummy deflates and the character appears.

I think two dummies makes sense, but I've decided to deal with one of the characters before the fic turns first-person, so I won't need two this time.

Re: But... by Meta on 2011-05-15 23:06:00 UTC Reply

I believe all the while the dummy is in place the canon is locked safely in a plot hole, so you can do anything you wish to the dummy.

Re: My impression is... by Miah on 2011-05-15 21:07:00 UTC Reply

I've seen it happen in at least one mission where the narrator switched. It was one of Indemaat's and the dummy switched characters briefly.

This fic Miah refered to by IndeMaat on 2011-05-16 09:44:00 UTC Reply

is Miley's story, and the agents argue that they should need two dummies when there are two first person narrators.
Re: My impression is... by Meta on 2011-05-15 22:17:00 UTC Reply

On the rare occasion that you have a fic that alternates between a first and second person perspective then two separate dummies are needed. I think the You and I dummies are in some ways different.

Re: My impression is... by Miah on 2011-05-16 06:43:00 UTC Reply

Agreed.

The case I was referring to was a fic where almost all of it was one first person narrator. It had a very brief appearance of a second first person narrator, then switched back to the original narrator.

In the case where there are more than one first or second person narrators or one of each, in the scenes for most of the time, you'd need more than one dummy.