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Today the city has fallen, all the buildings destroyed by the Werewolves who have rebelled against our Rule. The buildings are still aflame, lighting up the dark night sky with shades of orange and red. I am now sitting in what is left of the Vampire Palace; bodies of the fallen wolves around me as well as those few foolish Boogy monsters that thought they could take over if they helped the wolves defeat us. How silly of them to assume we are that weak.
Many of my comrades have fallen today as well. This Halloween night the ghouls really are out to get us.. The remaining humans of this city will soon start to rebuild their lives, I myself will do the same and form a new army of Vampires to walk along side of me. The werewolves are still out there along with those pesky Boogiemen….and as fate would have it these shifter beings have started moving in as well….this is going to be a busy year.
November 5, 2012
Its been a few months since I last wrote in this journal. Things are getting hard war is just a thread away, the wolves have done attacked a few vampires trying to take out as many as possible without getting the humans involved. So many have already been taken by the wolves and change, though We are no better than they are occasionally using the humans for only food rather than changing them though lately many humans have found themselves on our side.
The shifters have joined our side their leader vowing to protect us from the wolves as a first line defense….so long as when the war is over they get to keep their woods and have no further interference from us. The boogiemen have now sided with the mangy dogs, it seems that all this war is going to be is one giant power struggle. Just like before I can already see the chaos it is going to bring…the Vampire slayers are just going to have a field day with this. I hope they do….they are the next on my list to wipe out right after the ungrateful mutts and the manipulative monsters!
The new year is getting closer and closer…the covens meeting really have me upset. This war has to be over by then…we cannot lose an ancient that would bring chaos and unbalance to all covens. Russia and Japan just better hope that this mess is dealt with before they get here for their sakes and for the sake of all vampire kind.
The School You Will Never Remember « Result #3 on Jul 29, 2009, 9:52am »
Dornberger Private School for Secondary Education is an institute near to the river, far from population, which has the reputation of being an elitist school. Only those who are reached out to are actually eligible to apply, and of those many return home unsure of why they were rejected, unaware of what had happened in the school during the admission test. Hence, it is called the school you can never remember.
Dornberger Private School for Secondary Education is actually no school. Inside the premises of the school, exists a secret training ground for future sleepers, assassins, spies, militants and what not. Led by a confederacy of several security organizations and assassin groups, inside the walls exists Special Military Arts Training Program - the desperate struggle by the 'good' underworld to train teenagers to fight off the growing unease of the future, the potential for indiscriminate war and annihilation. No one knows how they find students worthy of fulfilling the task - but you could be next.
A high school of a kind - combined with acne and prom, death and murder - you just cannot remember it all.
People from five different countries struggle each day. The powerful want to stay in command and keep their good fortunes. The rest fight to survive day by day.
A Land of the Magic...
In Shayz'renth, there's great power over the elements: shadow, light, fire, water, wind, and earth, but it can only be granted only by the Sages that rule them. Each day brings another theft, another murder, and another noble feigning ignorance. Every day a person must chose between what is right and what is wrong.
A Land of Barrenness...
In Kolshtak, the desert brings little to those who live in it. Communities form around sources of water, depending on them for survival. It is from this country that the gypsies were born, clans that formed generations ago to survive.
A Land of the Nature...
Governed by elves, Manti strives to be the most beautiful country. Still recovering from a civil war, they are enjoying peaceful times again. Some within are not so well off though. While some cities are rich with beauty and life, other cities are struggling each day.
A Land of the Trade...
It's not easy to be a landlocked country, and Lalan'ay would agree. What they cannot get from the ocean, they make up for in hard work and patience. They reach out to make trades routes with the countries around them.
A Land of the Chaos...
Pyroose has no central government. Their frozen lands are littered with hundreds of clans. Most of the people stay in the forested mountains. It is the most violent of the five countries. The people often prey on each other. Those born within are unlikely to ever see adulthood, and the brave travelers who visit have a tendency to disappear.
Will you join? _________________________ Level: Intermediate Genre: Medieval Fantasy Rating: R Original Birth: 2001 Moved to AcornRack: December 2007 _________________________
What we offer • Plots: There's a holiday or event each month, and there are several member created plots. It's easy to jump in, whether it's an assassination, a quest, trouble in the temples, or a masquerade. • Places: There are several boards to roleplay in different countries and clans. • Positions & Species: You name it, we probably have it. If not, we're open to new ideas. We also have adoptable characters and important positions to fill. • Friendly and Active Members • A C-box • Details: Lots of information for character development or just for the sake of reading.
Murdered By Love « Result #5 on Jul 20, 2009, 8:31am »
The year 2012 marked the end of the world, according to the calendar created by the Mayans many hundreds of years ago. Some believed that the end of the world was true, while others didn't believe it for an instant. When 2012 edged closer, the world became more panicked. Earthquakes were occurring in random places around the world, more tornadoes had picked up in the last year, and rain storms had gotten severely worse. Where it snowed it froze over and where it was hot, well it cooled down and constant rainfall made deserts soaked.
At last, December of the year 2012 had rolled about.
The heavens, a place of peacefulness and serenity, was quickly under attack. The demons from the worlds below emerged from their frozen wasteland of Hell and struck war upon the Angels. The angels were not prepared and not even God had foreseen this attack. Within mere days God was sentenced to be locked in Hell for all eternity, and the demons took over Heaven. The angels, some remained in Heaven as servants and others were sentenced for entirety in Hell as well.
While this massacre was going about millions of miles above the earth, people were becoming mad. Heat waves would quickly change into snowstorms and the world became completely chaotic. It truly was the end of the world.
Buildings crumbled. People died, whether it be suicide or murder. The entire world fell apart inch by inch until there was barely anything left.
The year 2015 was what finally ended this corruption. The demons agreed to let go of the servant angels, who quickly fled to earth to pick up the damaged pieces. Although they couldn't fully regenerate the world again they were able to make things bearable again. A few small cities are all that remained, and although they weren't the most cheerful places to survive, they were something.
I will devour you Take all the pain away I cannot stay my hand From reaching out so that I can Empower you For all eternity It seems to ease my mind To know that you've brought Meaning to my life
Modern day world setting where you can play a member of the Blood: either a Vampire, Shifter, or Mage. In a city of five million people, a dark masquerade is being played out by the world's most deadly of creatures. Vampires, with their eternal blood lust; Shifters with the ability to change into animals and stalk the night; Mages who can control magic - the city streets have never been more deadly. But there is a danger even more deadly and terrifying than the Blood, creatures who were once human who have become Converted, and now must drink Blood to survive.
As darkness grips the world in passion, war, and intrigue, there is but one hope to survival: don't walk the streets of Blood City alone. You choose your race and stalk the streets, surrounded by a raging battle that has been going on for thousands of years. An eternal war concealed by the darkness in Blood City.
Mature Content Warning - Gamers 18+ only!
Note: This is NOT a Twilight site! No canon characters from anywhere please. All original characters and ideas. PM Admin for questions, concerns, or comments.
My rules are fairly simple... I will add a more detailed version of them that we use elsewhere if I feel it becomes necessary. [IE, enough rules are broken/ignored]
For now, though, these are what you need to keep in mind:
Site-Wide You saw these before you were even able to come to the site... But here they are again, for review:
- Fighting is not allowed. - DO NOT SPAM - Keep your language reasonable. Nothing worse than what you might find on the more violent/intense of the Teen rated games. - Advertising should be done in the correct board. Same goes for affiliation requests. - Hatred or intolerance of any sort will earn you a one way ticket OFF of my site. - HAVE FUN.
New Members READ THIS FIRST!!!
- All new members must head to the 'new member' section first and follow the instructions listed there. - Once you've been given the go ahead, feel free to create a character. - New members may only have 1 character to start. - Once a new member has an approved character they do not need to head back to this section to claim a second. Simply post up the new character with the first account. ONLY when the character has been approved are you to create the second account FOR them.
Character Creation
- No Mary Sues/Gary Stus allowed. See THIS thread for more info. - Do not create 'ultimate hero' characters without ADMIN permission. [IE, characters like Leon, Cloud, Vincent, Auron, etc. are not allowed unless you've gotten permission from THIS account] - Keep the history of the world we've created in mind when creating characters. NONE of what you know from other Final Fantasy worlds takes place here unless we say so. - No canon characters from other games. PERIOD. - NO final villain type characters. They've been pre chosen and will be intro'd into the game at a later date. - Be reasonable with past, personality, appearance. Keep the hair and eye color fairly standard. Odd appearances are a rarity. Pink hair/eyes/etc. is not encouraged. - The first password is deepest shadows - The form we use is MANDATORY. Failure to use it is an instant denial. - The only 'canons' you'll see on this site are those that have been pre-made by the admins to fill certain positions on the site. If you're interested in one of them, apply as you would for a regular character, filling out the info given about them already. - Mutants and the like are not allowed. There are different races and species enough to choose from. See the character info section, and the form for more details. - If you're asked to fix something on your character, FIX IT. No amount of arguing will get us to make an exception for you. It isn't fair to the other players. - Your OC may NOT have a relationship with, or be related to, a canon [OCs created specifically for this site] without ADMIN permission. I prefer these to be kept out of the game... If you must have one, take a look at the 'canon' OC list and choose one listed there already. - The second password for the form is darkest heart
IC Rules
- No god-modding/power playing. - Posts must be at least 20 lines--FOUR PARAGRAPHS!--in length. This is an advanced RP. - Grammar and spelling is a must. - Posting order should be observed. If there are only two of you, this isn't hard... but if there are three or more, give each player a chance to post before you jump in again [unless you've been given WRITTEN permission in the OOC board where we can all see.] - Fighting MUST be decided by a staff member. NPC fights will be given some leeway if they're monsters and the like, but anything higher level will need to be judged. - Everyone has their own way of playing a character. If you have issues, take it to an admin OOC first. Let them take a look at the situation. They'll let you know their decision one way or the other. - Don't like how a canon is played? Tough. If they've been approved, we like it and that's all that matters. If you've a genuine concern, or they deviate greatly from the set canon, do bring it to our attention, but DON'T attack them for it. - More to be added as needed.
Ad/Affiliates
- You may have one ad AND one affiliate request up, NO more than that. - Follow our form for aff requests. - Ads don't need a form so long as we don't have to use one on your site. - You must have somewhere that we can advertise as a guest if you advertise here. [You'd think this would be a no-brainer, but some people....] - Affiliates must have our button up within three days. - Affiliates must specify if they want static or scrolling. - Sister sites may be requested, but are not guaranteed. - We reserve the right to deny any ad or affiliate request. - Please be sure your site doesn't violate any of our rules, or the ProBoards TOS before posting. - DO NOT POST UP JUST A LINK!!! THESE WILL BE DELETED.
Mary Sues/Charrie How To's/God Mod vs Powerplay « Result #8 on Jan 11, 2009, 6:48am »
This document is copyright to James Ruvithorn and Gabriel S.... To use it, you MUST have their permission and the ability to prove you have it. [James, Trace, Nok, and Gabe own this site]
So you've probably heard the term MARY SUE on RP sites before. You've probably heard all about how bad they are and how much everyone hates them.
But have you actually ever had a Mary Sue defined to you? This bit of writing is meant to define and clarify exactly what they are and why you shouldn't create one. It will cover both the male and female versions of the type, called [respectively] Mary Sues and Gary Stus.
1-Who and What Are Mary Sues/Gary Stus?
Mary Sues.... Are, in a word, Nightmare. Nightmare for any forum Admin and for anyone trying to play with them in a thread. Your typical Mary Sue has either a boring perfect past and life, or has a past so tragic she shouldn't even be functional, yet is. She is beautiful, with little to no physical problems. Most often she'll be the best at everything she does, regardless of whether she's got the training or skills to back that up. She'll never fail. She'll have a ton of money and love throwing it around. She's never wrong, excelling at EVERYTHING. She is the girl you'll find taming the feral dog that bites everyone else. The one who's parents were tortured and eaten by wild savages or some other equally horrifying death. She quite possibly lived with a sister who hated her or an uncle who sexually abused her. Perhaps she lived with a doting grandparent who made sure she never wanted for anything.
You can be sure that nothing has depressed her or gotten her down, until that convenient breakdown right in front of the object of her desire or the father/mother figure she wants in her life. She's so kind, caring, and sweet that she'll give you diabetes just for looking at her... or so over the top pregnant dogy that she makes everyone else pale in comparison. She's so perfect in appearance that even Barbie would have a time of it trying to keep up with her. In essence: She's everything the perfect woman would be, with a tragic past to draw in whoever she wishes to, but with the attitude to be able to tell off anyone she doesn't like.
Gary Stu... as with Mary Sue, he is a nightmare to admins and members alike. He's very much the same as Mary Sue, only in male form. He's the most handsome boy on the planet, he loves everyone and no one could ever hate him, and all the girls, regardless of preferences, have a crush on him. Good at sports, even if he never had anyone to teach him how to play, or a mother who made him eat his greens. As with Mary, he probably lost his parents [or his entire family, just for dramatic effect]... but he, as with Mary, takes it like a man and keeps this amazing calm that automatically makes him the leader of the group. He never falters in ANY situation, regardless of what his past would really make him do, and he never developed any vices, even with that horrible past... and he always, ALWAYS, gets the girl, whether she's interested or not.
2-So... Why is This Bad? I Want to Play a Character Like That.
Taking a step back from the inherent problems of playing opposite one, it's not. They are characters, in and of themselves. And if you're in an RPG set in a world where the impossible is possible, you'll be accepted, no doubt. The problem is this though. Unless the RP you wish to become a part of is set in a place like that, where there are no limits, there is no case, and no reason for a character to be perfect.
You may wish to point out here that characters are fictional and are not bound by our laws of reality that you and I are. But... and here's the key... they should be as affected by flaws and history as we are. Keeping your character realistic as possible by balancing their mix of talents, troubles, history, and the like makes your character believable, and in the long run easier to play and a lot more complex than say your Mary Sue and her perfect counterpart as noted above.
I will point out that most people have written a Mary or Gary already, even if they're loathe to admit it. Even I, my friends, have written a number of them in the beginning years of my RP history. Your early characters will most likely not have enough flaws, or be too pretty, have too overboard a past, or some combo of the above. If, and when, your characters' lack of flaws and overboard appearance, past, or personality, are pointed out to you, be a darling and roll with what the admins tell you. You'll improve your skill at writing and creating characters a lot quicker and learn a lot more if you let more advanced RPers help.
3-But... I Don't Want to Change My Character.
Listed here, are problems with having a Mary or Gary. Keep them in mind.
No one is perfect. Why should your character be? [It isn't fair to others] They are the most boring to play and just as boring to play opposite. Mary/Gary is the most overdone of characters. EVER. Most players will not be willing to RP with you. Even if you get someone to play with you, one thread of your character being so overly perfect will change their mind, most likely. There is nothing original or creative about them. Though past may vary somewhat, and appearance can be any skin, hair, and eye color, they are essentially the same.
4-Types of Marys and Garys
Mary Sues We'll start with Mary Sues. Below you'll find a list of the many types of Mary Sues there are. Keep in mind these are just listing a general idea of types and is not a comprehensive list. There are many others out there, and some that cross into several types.
The Victim: This Mary is pretty much the most common. Melodrama, whining, crying... we have a name for her: Drama Queen. She can and will make even the most feeling and patient of readers irritated and thinking 'Please put me out of my misery before she latches on to me!' Often the writer will place her in trouble, where she'll be hurt or kidnapped, so that the object of her [and the writer's] desire will have to rescue her. Once this happens, she'll try to write things so that they live happily ever after, or the writer will attempt to kill her character in the most tragic way possible.
Often, she'll play the victim when dealing with sensible and normally well liked characters, making them seem the villains. She will attempt to make the main character fall for her, and feel sympathy for her 'plight'... one way of doing this is to cry about being an orphan or of horrible abuse in her past. Rape, suicide attempts and other such stories will often appear [though the bio of the character may never have even mentioned them, especially if the object of her desire is not cooperating] as a means of manipulation. If she gets what she wants, she'll suddenly manifest some sort of power or knowledge once she 'believes' in herself. She's able to make even the worst of villains love her and 'redeem' themselves. Lucky for you, she's one of the easier kinds to evolve into a GOOD character.
Example: The rich girl who is bored out of her mind and longs for adventure, love, and excitement. She will have a horrifyingly tragic past and will fill most every post with sorrowful sob stories about forced marriages and soon enough everyone RPing with her will look for excuses to end their threads with her because you can only do so much with a character who expects to be held and coddled non-stop for so long.
The Fighter: The fighter is about as common as the victim, and just as annoying in her own right. Often she has a criminal record, but somehow never has to pay for her crimes. She's brash, loud and downright pregnant dogy at times. She is described as being amazing at fighting, whatever her style or choice of weapon may be, but never is it explained how she came to get these so-called skills. Save for this: She has a super tragic past that -gaspshock!- somehow makes her just as she is today. She will outdo even the best canon, even if it clearly states in their bios that NO ONE is better than them. Loud, obnoxious, and OF COURSE, the best warrior out there. She'll probably interfere in each and every fight or incident out there, often taking over the entire scene. Her tragic past is usually what led her to become a warrior, and she'll delight in upstaging the canons [all of them] at everything each of them can do, always doing it better. And she'll do it without even breaking a sweat or spilling a drop of her own blood. As with the Victim, she can be fixed to be a good and contributing character. Let other characters shine and don't hog center stage. She doesn't have to win every fight. Don't have overly long and dramatic speeches every post, and DON'T forget to give her some weaknesses to balance her out.
Example: Using CSI as an example.... There's a canon character. Who has a canon wife, deceased. It states that he'll never love another again, too many emotional scars. And suddenly, this bad ass cop shows up out of the blue. She's much too young for her rank, yet somehow she managed to get the promotion, and can outdo and outshine each and every other cop of her rank. She blows the canons completely off the radar by being so good, and is pretentious enough to state in her bio that she is the new wife or girlfriend of that particular CSI she has her eye on. And if she's gone this far, she's probably even written out the past relationships to clear the way for her own character.
The Empath: Similar to the Fighter, but with precognition. Often she'll possess amazing strength in spirit, enough to expect each and every other character express their astonishment repeatedly. Many times, the skill is hidden until it's 'needed', and it's never explained how she went from not knowing about it to having such amazing powers. And never mind that it doesn't really fit the realistic setting of the game/show. She'll do what she likes and you'd better let her. Or else.
The problem with these characters, other than that? They insist they're better than even the BEST of the known empaths and psychics out there. Better to pick a canon and figure out how to intro them. But if you must have this type of character you can fix her by giving her flaws. Normal eye color, something like brown or hazel instead of an odd shade of blue or green. Why not have her fail at figuring someone out, mess up completely on a case or reading someone?
Example: You're in a group of the GungHo Guns, or perhaps the resistance...some known psychics.. Some are canon, some are OCs. One of the OCs goes from being a completely normal person, perhaps a bystander watching, or one of the so called 'frauds' or even a high ranked resistance member to the most powerful psychic in the group and just happens to know EVERY detail of a plot by Knives, even if it conflicts what the GM has set up and knows. And there was NO indication of this power until now.... And she won't back down until she is 'right'. By the by, these can also be Garys.
The Villain: More often than not, the villain replaces, befriends, or is romantically involved with one of the canons, whether they be hero or villain themselves. She adores going after the good guy and twisting him around her little finger. And assumes that she can do as she pleases, regardless of the character's abilities or preferences. [The worst case of this I've ever seen involved a gay man and a woman who thought she could control his lust for her... completely ignoring the fact that he was GAY.] She easily defeats canons and other OCs with ease, sustaining little damage herself yet inflicting great damage on her opponent(s), even when greatly outnumbered.
Frequently she'll have thoughts of suicide, but never will she even -try- to attempt it. And secretly she'll be redeemable. As with most Sues, her past is used as an excuse for her actions. and often, after defeating and having the chance to kill a canon, she'll let them live... but not for ransom or making them suffer, but because secretly, deep down, she really isn't as bad as she makes herself out to be. Most often, in the end, she'll help the good guy, and because she's so AWESOME [according to her and her mun] they never even think to question her motives. The best way to avoid a Villain is to make her genuinely evil. If she truly has a good heart EXPLAIN IT or do away with it. Give her fears. And to even the playing field, have her beaten sometimes, especially in the end of a major story arc. And make sure it's because of the others' skills not pure luck on their part. Too many perfectly good threads have been ruined by a Sue being a poor sport and making a big deal about how it was her powers backfiring, not their skills, that caused her defeat.
Example: You're battling a villain/baddie. Could be a drug lord or a mob boss... even one of the GungHo Guns.. This person defeats everyone at every turn and has a nasty attitude on top of that. After many arguments about their issues with godmodding, the RP continues and you and your team win, bringing them down. And as expected, they make a post making a big deal about how lucky you and your team were to beat them because it never would have happened normally. They were injured, or had a bit of a breakdown while in the gunfight, or suddenly saw the error of their ways.... Whatever the case, they've completely undermined your RP skills and ruined the plot arc.
The Heroine: Often friendly toward everyone, or at least the canon characters... she's the savior of the day. Managing to jump in the middle of each and every thread, ending an interesting scene that had been progressing well with her saving the day, no matter how unlikely it is. She usually has expert medical skills and may actually be a doctor [not just an intern or med student], despite being too young or lacking the training for such a profession.
She's the canon's shoulder to cry on, which is fine. Until the next phase of the Helpful makes itself known. She makes all the canons fall in love with her [sarcasm] charming personality. Often similar to the victim, because she's envied by others, but without some of the tragedies that the victim has. Often she's disliked because she assumes that no one else is capable and that she MUST rescue everyone each and every time.
She's probably the easiest of the Sues to fix... just tone down her beauty, make her less sweet and perfect. Give her some selfish motives, a compulsive reaction which is why she must do whatever it is herself.... Raise her age a bit. It's more than slightly irritating to have a know it all 15 year old kid who's supposedly a medical expert and fighter chase away all the enemies in sight, then heal you like nothing happened.
Example: Fight thread. Cornered by a group of the Guns who want your hides nailed to the wall. You and the villains are all having a good time, and though you're struggling, you're cooking up a plan that will get you away --though not unscathed. You decide to let the Guns post first, see where they want to take things when suddenly here comes this Sue to -save the day!- because they assume you can't do this by yourself. Not only do they kill everyone in the thread [against rules] or send them running [also against rules to god mod] they proceed to heal you, save the day and take all the glory in ONE post... and you've not been allowed to get a single protest out in the meantime. (NOTE: It’s not the same as having someone join your fight, which is okay! This sue eliminates them in their first post, removing the need for it in the first place, and it goes from a group thread, to Sue warrior princess…)
The Bitch: Rebellious, mean, and overall: annoying. Each thread is littered with her profanity, snapping, arguing, giving attitude or some such variation. More often than not she has no real reason to be this way, so the creator makes up a stupid and far-fetched past to excuse the behavior and explain the overall pregnant doginess. Many times she's combined with the Fighter, and hates it when she's contradicted. Often she'll fight tooth and nail to get her way.
Example: Bossing everyone else around, yelling, and making them feel like nuts for having a differing opinion is the norm for this character type. She'll be a total pregnant dog to everyone before just up and leaving with no apology or explanation. And often, the mun will attack the players if their characters argue, stand up to, or oppose hers. (NOTE: IF this happens to you CONTACT AN ADMIN ASAP. Harassment through PMs, in OOC or offsite will NOT be tolerated.)
The Belle: The Belle is beautiful, moreso than any other girl around. Stopping every man dead in his tracks, she'll use this charm to get whatever she wants from them... and god help any mun who refuses to let their male character be won over by her charms. Often she'll take to writing their reactions FOR them if they refuse to cooperate. [This is CLEARLY against the god mod rule]... Each and every girl wants to be her, and if she runs across one who doesn't, she'll again write their reactions for them. She could be the class president, head of a popular club [wife's club, etc] or a college or high school cheerleader. She absolutely insists on being the center of every well to do and well known man's attention and again will write his reactions to her if they don't agree with her view of things. She'll be at the center of the most popular clique of girls, regardless of whether that clique wants her there or not. Again, she'll write herself in and their reactions. On occasion one writer will get a 'brilliant' idea and make her the girl next door who's perfect, sweet, and couldn't hurt a fly or say [or think] a mean thing about anyone. Unlike many of the other Sues, she hardly has a tragic past.
Example: You have a well known, but angsty OC resistance member who makes it clear he's not interested in anyone. Along comes this Sue. She insists he love her and treat her to everything she wants, regardless of whether it's in his personality or not. And when he won't comply, she writes his reactions for him, effectively cutting his mun from the writing process. [This is called plagiarism, folks--she is stealing a character idea from someone else that is NOT hers without permission.]
Gary Stu Gary Stus were once only classified as a male characters who were TOO masculine and lacking any real flaws. Since then, several subtypes have been developed. Though less common than the Mary Sue, they are still annoying and should be avoided. They'll be listed below.
Classic: Blonde haired, blue eyed, stereotypically pretty boys. Tending to focus on sports, they're popular. Vague term though, and just because you've been classified as having one doesn't mean your character isn't savable. Give him flaws... [IE, popular guys can sometimes be BIG bullies. Rich tend to be spoiled.... If he's an awesome jock, chances are you shouldn't make him a genius at anything other than sports.... ]
Example: The ultimate perfect guy. One you're like as not to get tired of because each and every thread he'll make sure you know how popular, awesome, rich and handsome he is. As stated by someone else in another Mary Sue/Gary Stu guide... If I wanted to watch that-- I'd watch 90210. ><
Antihero/Rebel: Angst. More than any sensible RPer would know what to do with. And the character really isn't the badass he pretends to be. He only acts as he does because of a horribly tragic past. Mean, obnoxious, and spending his time trying to lash out, being depressing and uncooperative as possible... these are just a few things that he does. Loud, brash, quick to pick fights with everyone else, but he never has to pay for his often illegal actions. Much more common than classic, because many OCs are modeled after Canons that fall into this category. Overly cynical. If you've a character like this you can save him by making him identifiable. Less badass or turn him into more of a villain and personality flaws are a good start. Taking responsibility for his actions, or do things because he really is a jerk, not because one of his parents didn't love him.
Example: A bishonen wannabe... often times with ridiculous colored hair [even if it breaks the forum rules] and a bad attitude, regardless of any need of it in this RP setting. Invading threads, spending the entire time talking down to everyone and picking fights because he can, and generally making RP a chore rather than a pleasure. And then the excuses begin to roll in as to why none of us can RP with him, and he wonders why....
Hero/Fighter: Angry, vicious, and somehow able to jump in, kill thousands of enemies without getting a scratch himself. Unstoppable, invincible, and a massively overpowered weapon complete him. Like rebel, he's loud brash and always trying to get into a fight. He always has to steal the spotlight and makes sure no one else can shine at all. Usually using the excuse of his entire family being killed for explaining his actions, it gets old fast. He never seems to have any other reason for doing what he does. Too many scars to count, and with the ability to remember each and every one and how he got it [complete with long winded story boasting of his prowess.... ] Unfortunately for those of us who are good RPers, he is the most common of the Stus. And believe me, you'll know him when you run into him in a game.
Example: The bad ass cop, who's younger, yet has more experience and battle scars than even the most hardened of canon and realistic OC cops who magically shows up in your battle, assuming you must need his help because you can't possibly do it yourself. Often he starts shooting up people on both sides, sending officers and baddies alike to the ground. Then he has the gall to claim he saved your ass... all in one post. The amount of powerplaying and godmodding the only way he could get away with keeping his character as he wants... and when your character replies with irritation he has to go and be a jerk.
The Playboy: This is the most obvious of Stus. Spending most threads trying to hook up with someone [same or opposite sex] he'll make everyone's life hell until he gets into someone's pants. Every post is about how perfect, attractive, rich, or bishounen like he is. Luckily for all of us there aren't many of these, but when one appears, you'll know. Believe me, you'll know..
Example: Showing up in a thread, the first thing he'll do is make sure he clarifies how much more attractive he is than an average man... and perhaps even one-upping the men currently in the thread. Over the top flirting and sexual innuendos ensue and before long your witness interview thread has turned into a make out session, causing each and every other player to figuratively abandon ship.
5-How To Avoid Making One
Righto. So there are several things you'll need to keep in mind to avoid creating one. Keep these little gems in the forefront of your mind while making your character and there shouldn't be a problem. Carefully plan their history, mannerisms, and the like.
Below you'll find the areas that I feel are the most important to consider while creating a character. Though this is written for a CSI RP, these principles can relate to any type of RP and species of character.
NAME For me, this is the first thing that sets of alarm bells in my head that scream MARY SUE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Steer clear of odd sounding names unless you're in an appropriate game for those types. Elvish names and names of VG characters and the like generally do not fit in. Verras Lightbringer is well and good for a dark vs. light type RP. Especially a demon or elvish one... But there are names that, no matter the setting, will make people vomit. Starshine Rainbowheart is enough to make any sensible RPer vomit then and there. Pick something that's not over done, unusual in it's own right, but not over the top.
Another thing to consider about names is this: If there are canons involved in the game, as with this CSI one, naming someone Horatio or Gilbet or Mac and hoping to slide it by may irritate your fellow players. Especially those playing canons. It's one thing if it's a common name, but most aren't. Likewise, last names are also a big no-no. Don't give your character the same last name as a canon unless you're willing to endure the backlash of having the same name or have a good and logical reason for being related.
AGE This is almost as easy to set alarm bells off for me as name. Many characters are designed to be within the same age group as the characters of the opposite gender. The reasons behind this are glaringly obvious. And while that's fine... don't be hesitant to play someone younger or someone older than the general age preferred by many players. Most RPers wish to keep their character between 17 and 28. Try your hand at a kid. You can develop them through the years into who they'll become. Likewise, try an older person. Say in their mid to late 30s... 40s... 50s... or older. There's a lot of experience in older characters that can be fun to explore. There's also a whole 'nother set of morals and beliefs in the generations above those in their teens and twenties.
Another thing to keep in mind... your character's profession. A younger character will not be able to be very high up in the food chain. Nor will they have a PhD or some such. To use a good example for this site. CSI levels. Most likely a 24 year old will not be above a lab tech or level 1. If they're incredibly talented they might make level 2 by the time they reach 25 or 26. But that's RARE. Before giving your character a level in CSI or any profession that might be a bit more out there for them to have at their age, check with a staff member with ADMIN in their title.
PERSONALITY Though character sheets don't always require this, mine do. Even if it's not required, you should always consider this aspect of your character. A character who has no set and known personality is an unfinished character. You must decide how your character is from the start. This will directly affect how s/he reacts to things throughout gameplay.
Some of the things you should keep in mind:
How does my character act overall? What's their view on life and the world around them? How does my character react to unusual situations and people? How does my character act in good situations? What makes them happy? How does my character act in bad situations? What makes them angry? What upsets them? How do they generally react around those they care about? Love interests, friends, family?
Though you can state how people generally react to your character you do NOT want to state how ALL characters will react. You don't know how someone else's character will react to yours since you are not the one playing them.
HISTORY What has happened in your character's past will have a direct effect on how they see life and react to others and how they'll see their future. If you're not sure of your character's personality, write their history first. If you can see what they've been through you'll more easily be able to understand them and how they'll behave.
A character without a history is incomplete and boring. In my games you must have at least 3 paragraphs detailing their past. The more detail and thought you put into this section, the better you'll understand your character.
There are several things you'll want to avoid in your history. If it's something allowable, but on a small scale, or limited to a few people, I'll make note of that.
Dead families/parents. Orphans are quite overdone. There are occasional ones... and for some reason a lot of them are drawn to police work, but only a few should be allowed in game. Check the bios before you try to add this in. Many types of abuse in their past. Though it happens more than we'd like to admit, limit what types of abuse they suffered. And please, for the love of all that's HOLY, check the bios to see if it's already been done. I can't and won't have each of my cast running around with sexual or domestic abuse in their past from their childhood. BE CREATIVE. There's other stuff that could have happened. Likewise, other tragic events.... if it conflicts with the personality, DON'T WRITE IT IN. If they've had something happen, you'd best have it hovering over them and how they act. Physical or mental/emotional disabilities and scars. If you're going to have something in their past, be prepared to RP it in their personality and their actions. You can't have something like that and not have it affect them.
Regarding the last two listed.... it's fine to write a tragic past, so long as you don't go overboard. It's also fine to write in disabilities or mental issues, so long as they're not overdone. But you'd best remember that what you choose their past and emotional state to be will effect their every day life and you'd better be prepared to write it. If you aren't comfortable or confident writing something so intense, DON'T INCLUDE IT IN THE BIO.
APPEARANCE The supermodel and hulk of a man is SO overdone... If you've not gotten the idea behind this bit of writing... here it is in plain English. CHARACTERS. ARE. NOT. PERFECT!!! No ifs and/or buts about it! Girls are not really like Barbie, even those super-models that you might like looking at have flaws. Likewise, the handsome hulk of a guy that you might see in the latest action flick does have his own problems as well. Doesn't matter what you think, there are always problems and flaws. Something that you might want to keep in mind? Playing a character who's perfect physically is BORING. Period. Boring through and through. It's just as boring as a character who's personality has no flaws. Appearance is a huge thing for people and those flaws we all have can help develop us into who we are today.
When creating your character's appearance, you may want to keep these things in mind...
WEIGHT. 5'9" and 110 lbs is positively stick thin! Anorexic. You'd best be prepared to write an eating disorder, deary. Likewise, 5'4" and 260 lbs is overweight, no matter how you slice it. Health probably isn't the best. [And I should know. I'm 5' 3 1/2" and 210 lbs and I'm not healthy at all.] HEIGHT. How tall is your character? Be unique. 5'9", 6'4"... do not be cliche and put 6 foot 2 eyes of blue or I'll hunt you down. ATTRACTIVENESS. How pretty/handsome is your character? Please, please, please remember that Plain Janes are just as fun [sometimes more] to play as the Goddess over there.... And someone who thinks they're ugly [and perhaps really is] can be fun as well, seeing as they've got their own set of issues... HYGIENE. People that bathe, brush their teeth, etc. are good and all, but seeing someone who's got teeth issues or an odd smell that they don't perhaps notice can be fun in it's own way... character development! SCARS. Scars are great and all, but they don't have to be from something tragic or mean anything at all. Something that was a complete and stupid accident can be just as interesting as one that was inflicted by someone else on purpose or gotten from some tragic war wound or the like.... EYES! Eyes come in all shades, but ones that aren't green, blue or some odd shade are nice and more unusual, since you more often see oddities running around with blue/green/odd shades than not. Really the point is... personal defects are great, and so long as you keep in mind everything else outlined above, let your imagination run wild with them!
6-Professions and Types of Characters to Avoid
Unfortunately, there are certain types of characters and professions that you should probably avoid in RPG unless you're willing to do research on them and are willing to play the character as it should be played.
Royalty: Being from a noble family is all well and good, but it does come with certain expectations and responsibilities and behaviours that you're going to have to be willing to RP. You'll need to research the culture of the country your character is from, all the while keeping in mind that you are in the US and only some immunities apply to you. [And only if it's granted to you and yours] If your character is royalty, unless s/he has a good reason, they're not going to be the best of the best as far as fighting goes. Don't spend three pages pregnant doging about having to rule, but not wanting to... and remember that you're in the US. Whatever your character's goals, they'll more than likely use their resources to further these goals.
Military Characters: These are extremely hard to RP unless you know details or are willing to research those details. Because of their nature they MUST BE ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE. A high ranking officer is going to be older. A 19 year old isn't going to be an admiral. >< You must follow ranking unless you want to get your ass thrown in the brig or dishonorably discharged for cheek. These characters must be well researched, expertly played, or it's best to leave them to more advanced RPers.
Medical Professions: These are also extremely hard to RP unless you know details or are willing to research those details. Because of their nature, they too MUST BE ACCURATE AS POSSIBLE. Doctors are not young 20 year olds, except on extremely rare occasion. Really, you should be well into your 20s or older to be any sort of doctor. Be sure you know details of the 'specialty' your doc or other medical professional well.
Mobsters/Mafia: Families and their ranks are not as easy to pull off as you might think. Please be sure you've researched your 'branch' of Mafia before even attempting to create a character of this sort. The 'typical' godfather and family are so overdone, so you'll want to be sure you've got an original character before attempting this.
Assassins: Assassins are overdone, and most aren't done well. As stated in several other guides, you usually have to follow one of two rules, unless you're willing to really put a great deal of effort into your character. 1- You take the highest bidder and your alliance depends on that alone. 2- You belong to a specific side and have been assigned to take out specific enemies. If you don't you're asking for trouble unless you can play a good assassin. They keep their personal and business lives separate, and their identities are most often secret. Stealth methods are their preferred way. There's no just swinging in, cut everyone down and poof out again. They are used for their expertise and only in drastic situations, not their knack for killing everything that stands.
Canon Relationships: OCs who have any type of relationship with a canon must be careful to not walk all over the already established canon. For a significant other you absolutely MUST include all past canonized relationships. With children, siblings, parents, and the like YOU MUST READ THROUGH CANON AND FIND A WAY TO FIT THEM IN WITHOUT DISRUPTING WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED! This means that you need to read the bios of any canons who've been accepted, and base your character around theirs. If no canons have been accepted, PM your idea to the staff before putting your bio up. Actually, you should PM your idea to the admins and the canons you want to form a relationship with regardless of whether or not there's established threads/bios. A good player with a good OC will neither write out established history and significant others, nor will she change the character to fit her idea of what should be. That's what makes canon/OC relationships so difficult to pull off. You have to do it in such a way that it's believable and doesn't contradict what everyone already knows as canon.
The ‘I’m the BEST! or the ONLY ONE’ Attitude: Avoid this. Avoid this. AVOID THIS! At all costs. Nothing ruins what could be a perfectly good RP faster than having someone make a profile and then state that their character is the best the world's ever seen and will ever see. Stating that you're the only one who can master something limits other RPers and isn't fair to them or to yourself. You're essentially deciding the outcome of a battle or whatever before it's decided by stating this. If your character is the best at something, and no one can come close, then there's not much point to even RPing someone trying to beat your character, really, since we all know how it will play out. A character like this had better be the villain of the story, or there'd better be major weaknesses [yes, more than one] to balance this out. Otherwise you're screaming MARY SUE/GARY STU!!!!!!!! at the top of your lungs to the rest of the board.
7-Godmodding and Powerplaying and How to Avoid Them
Most RPers, even of intermediate and sometimes advanced level, have asked me at one point or another if there is actually a difference between the two. Yes, my friends, there is. And the difference is a lot bigger than you might realize. One thing they hold in common? Their over use for a way to get out of doing something the rules state or the way the plot is heading simply because the offending player doesn't want to go along with what everyone else has planned. Usually they're used when something isn't going a player's way. Nothing screams n00b like god-modding and power playing. Really. It's immature, rude, and breaks one of the best known and supported rules of any form of RP.
Now to explain the difference.
Powerplaying is some sort of direct action that will affect another player without their permission. [NOTE: If you have proof that you have permission to powerplay, it is fine to do so, but if you DON'T, be prepared for a GM smackdown.] Often, it's done by stating that someone else was hit by one of your attacks, but this is far from the only thing it can be applied to. It's seriously bad to the overall experience of the overall RP and how much others enjoy the game. It's also against my rules.
Example: Mac brought his standard issue pistol up, took careful aim, and fired off a shot, hitting the perp and causing him not only to drop to the floor, but to bleed out from a near fatal wound.
It can also be used for annoying occurrences such as someone entering your thread and moving events along without the permission of those already IN the thread, before you're even able to reply.
Example: Post 1: Mac was backed into a corner. Figuratively and literally. This was really looking bad for him. He took a deep breath, prepping himself for the battle to come, not knowing if he'd even make it out alive. And with that, he stepped out, cracking off a shot at the first target. Post 2: But before Mac could even hit one of the intended targets, Ben crashed through the window, the backup Mac had to have been hoping for. The crack shot that he was, he took out all the perps, the staccato bursts from his gun the only sound as all looked at him in shock. Where had he come from? As soon as he was sure no one was left to be a threat to Mac, he threw half a salute, and sauntered out the now easy to access door, sure that Mac could handle himself now.
What exactly is so annoying by this? Take a close look at what Ben did. Without giving anyone a chance to respond, he jumped in, and took out all the enemies in one post, rather than letting things progress as they should--post by post. Effectively making it impossible for Mac to do what he'd been planning in his next post. Mac probably wanted another player to step in, but wanted the chance to fight the perps himself. Not to much to ask, in my humble opinion.
Here is another extreme version of powerplaying: Example: Post 1: Ben took a shot at Mac as well as the perps, though no one was quite sure if it was just a heat of the moment thing, or if he actually knew it was Mac and intended to hit him. Post 2: Mac, fed up with the interference from the homicide detective, cracked off his own shot, knocking Ben to the ground with a shot right to his Kevlar vest. With the man now stunned, Mac was able to easily rush to his side and throw him right back out the window he'd just come crashing in. On his way back out, Ben regained enough of his senses to protest and try to take a swing at Mac, but missed, and went sailing through the now shattered window.
Writing someone out of the story, no matter now irritating their reply is, is not acceptable. If you've an issue with a post, PM an admin. DO NOT TAKE CARE OF IT YOURSELF. If someone replies to your topic, and it's a good post, and you reply... give them time to reply back TO you. Don't just decide to write them out of the story after a few days. Give them a chance to reply to the thread. If you've waited and they seem to have gone AWOL, CONTACT AN ADMIN AND LET US DECIDE.If we opt to write them out of the thread for you, it'll be on our hides not yours.
Godmodding, now, is different than the above mentioned powerplaying. Often times the two terms are confused with one another, and though similar, they do have many differences. Godmodding almost always involves someone creating a character who is unstoppable and has all the best powers, weapons, resources, and the like. They dodge each and every attack, do horrible amounts of damage to their opponents, and will on occasion auto [powerplay] the other player's movements or reactions.
If, at any time in an RP you feel that one of the above is being done, PM an admin.
On this site, action is taken against both. We don't tolerate it. It's a form of cheating and is unfair to everyone else. It manipulates others' characters and the overall story to fit around theirs. Many times things get to the point where RPers will refuse to play with a member that is known for doing this. Please be aware that long and thought out posts that have lots of details do not count as one of the above unless they are manipulating your character, others' characters, the NPCs, or refusing to take damage and dealing out heavy damage to others.
Please be aware though, regarding Godmodding... often times even an advanced player may fall into the habit and not realize it until it's brought to their attention by an angry RPer or a staff member. I've known cases of people thinking they were being fair and playing correctly [following all the rules, etc.] when they were, in fact, violating a major one. If you are ever unsure, contact a staff member and ask.
That about does it! If you have any questions or comments about the above, please contact myself here, Symphony, or Knives.. Thanks all!
Advertising and Affiliation Rules and Form « Result #9 on Nov 25, 2007, 11:38pm »
To advertise or affiliate you must have read through these rules. There is a password somewhere within the rules that you must know to be able to be accepted as an affiliate or to advertise. This is just to ensure that you've read through everything.
If you are affiliating with us, you must have this banner up:
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-We will not allow advertising or affiliate with sites that are purely smut or rape based. If it furthers the plot, that's one thing, but... it has to have a clear and precise reasoning to it or the ad will be taken down or the affiliation will be denied.
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-You may post your own form for an ad if you have one, but if you are affiliating, you MUST follow the form provided. Unless your site really impresses, I will automatically deny any affiliation request that doesn't follow this form.
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