An idealized strike-slip fault runs in a straight line with a vertical dip and has only horizontal motion, thus there is no change in topography due to motion of the fault. In reality, as strike-slip faults become large and developed, their behavior changes and becomes more complex. A long strike-slip fault follows a staircase-like trajectory consisting of interspaced fault planes that follow the main fault direction. These sub-parallel stretches are isolated by offsets at first, but over long periods of time, they can become connected by step overs to accommodate the strike-slip displacement. In long stretches of strike-slip, the fault plane can start to curve, giving rise to structures similar to step overs.