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RallyBot2 (Elder Troper)
2020-08-14 17:05:45

It's probably best to go case-by-case for those.

bwburke94 (Y2: Electric Boogaloo)
2020-08-14 20:27:04

If the reason the character is missing is explained in-universe, it's Written-In Absence.

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Ferot_Dreadnaught Since: Mar, 2015
2020-08-14 22:17:45

It's not a question of in-universe, but in-work.

Is it a Written-In Absence if it is given by Word of God as opposed to written/explained in the work?

crazysamaritan MOD Since: Apr, 2010
2020-08-14 23:13:52

You're being redundant; In-Universe means "present in the work". Written-In Absence is only for when the work acknowledges that it would be useful to have character around while Absentee Actor covers every occasion where said useful character is absent, unless the work acknowledges their absence. They're currently described exclusively, although they could easily be edited to have a super-sub relationship.

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Ferot_Dreadnaught Since: Mar, 2015
2020-08-15 00:02:40

So Word of God is in-universe even if it's not in the work per-se?

crazysamaritan MOD Since: Apr, 2010
2020-08-15 00:13:11

No, Word of God is an out-of-universe statement by the author. It is still Absentee Actor if an explanation is given out-of-universe. It is Written-In Absence if an explanation is given in-universe. If an explanation is given in supplementary material, it might be either/or, depending on the supplement.

Link to TRS threads in project mode here.
WarJay77 (Troper Knight)
2020-08-15 00:24:00

To put it another way, In-Universe means it's something the characters are doing, thinking, or experiencing.

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