[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/itwbannerfinal_7790.jpg]]

If They Were, or ITW for short, is basically a massive crossover RP tying in heavily to various video game universes.

It began as a series of topics on the Website/GameFAQs forum, mostly as very informal and relaxed games where users would 'send' characters from games (primarily from the Super Smash Bros. continuity) in order to achieve a goal as simple as waking somebody up, or as complex as trying to rob from a locked-down estate. It has since evolved into a more complex and coherent storyline... dotted with the same games, only they might be a little more formal now.

It can be found ''[[http://z7.invisionfree.com/If_They_Were/index.php here]]''

!!If They Were contains examples of...
* CanonDiscontinuity: There was a reboot thanks to the Cerebus Syndrome that tried to bring things down to a more lighthearted level. This meant that a lot of plot lines written before the reboot never actually happened.
* CerebusSyndrome: The games on Website/GameFAQS originally started as very lighthearted and not driven by canon. They gradually evolved to the point where nearly everything was a life-or-death situation, with several interwoven plot lines. This has been scaled back a bit, if only to allow for a bit more levity in writing.
%%* CrossOver: Given the nature of the roleplay, this is a given.
%%* DeathByOriginStory: Quite a few characters happen to have this in their backstory somewhere.
* DeathIsCheap: Characters die all the time in many of the games. If they do, they are usually allowed to re-spawn or regenerate in one fashion or another. However, see KilledOffForReal.
* FantasyKitchenSink: Another side effect of having numerous worlds clash with each other. Some characters are stuck in the dark ages, some are futuristic.
* KilledOffForReal: Despite death usually being cheap, characters can and have died permanently in more serious story lines.
* MissionControl: Each game generally features one of these which serves as source of the narrative. Each 'group' operated by a player tends to have one of these as well ([[CoolShip The Ryaga]], Crap-E-Mart, The Estate...)

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