Step Four: Creating a Character
From ElanVital
Creating your first character can be one of the best parts of joining a game. Or it can be a pain if the process is difficult to understand, or if you don't like the character generation process anyway. The goal of this step is to make your journey through CharGen as easy and painless as possible.
The first thing you need to do is connect to the game as was explained in Step Three. From the log in screen, type "Create <name> <password>", where <name> is the name of your character, and <password> is the password you want to enter every time you want to log into that character.
>> Create Joe Testpass123
It should log you in just like it did when you connected as a Guest, and hook you up to the Newbie and Elan Vital channels.
Once you're satisfied with your name, type CG to head into CharGen, and read the information in the first room before you head on through to the second one.
Each room in CharGen should explain what you do in each in the description, but if you have questions about any of it, feel free to ask on the newbie channel, or Elan Vital (+el <message>). At the end, it will dump you directly onto the IC grid, so be certain you're ready before you make that last jump! Once there, there's no going back.
Note that the birthdate you need to enter is your own and not your character's.
A Note on Biographies and Descriptions
The bio/desc room is where a lot of newbies run into trouble, so don't be concerned if you do, too. When writing your bio, you want to show the staff two things: One, that you have a good understanding of the character you want to play, and two, that you know the theme you'll be playing in. (So, if you submit a bio claiming to be an eighth-generation direct descendant of the martian sun-god Bob, we'll deny it. ;) ). It isn't that difficult, really, though sometimes it does take a couple of tries to get it just right. Most of the information you'll need should be readily available to you on the wiki, and if it's not, you can always just ask.
Descs are similarly pre-screened before we let you on the grid. When you write your desc, you should keep in mind that you should only include the things you have or will have in your +inventory (the room desc in "grab your gear" should tell you), and flavor items. Small things, like headscarves and ribbons, count as flavor items.
Something else to keep in mind is that you want to keep any and all actions out of your desc. A desc should be a passive thing, so that someone can get an idea of what you look like under any circumstances. If your character is doing something in the desc, there's something wrong.
Bad Desc:
He has piercing green eyes, and when he sees you looking at him, turns to flash you a brilliant grin.
Good Desc:
He has piercing green eyes which look out of a pale, freckled face from beneath an ill-kempt shock of startlingly red hair.
Also, you can create returns and tabs using %r and %t, respectively. Like this:
>> Paragraph one paragraph one paragraph one paragraph one paragraph one paragraph one%r%rParagraph two paragraph two paragraph two paragraph two paragraph two paragraph two%r%r%tParagraph three paragraph three paragraph three paragraph three paragraph three... Paragraph one paragraph one paragraph one paragraph one paragraph one paragraph one Paragraph two paragraph two paragraph two paragraph two paragraph two paragraph two Paragraph three paragraph three paragraph three paragrap three paragraph three...
Concepts that Cannot Be Applied For
Here on EV, we let players take an active role in our game from the start. However, there are certain positions that demand a extremely thorough knowledge of theme, great investments of time, and large amounts of supporting roleplay as they allow characters advantages over others. Keeping those issues in mind, we do have some limits on what you can apply for as a brand new character. These apply both to new players and experienced players alike.
(UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR THE NEW THEME)
Keeping these rules in mind, happy application! If you're still having trouble with your bio, check out Writing a Bio for some helpful tips or the thematic information contained within the Category:Newbies section.
Return to The Walkthrough
Continue to Step Five: Your First Scene
