About Arcadia
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Tips for Getting Started
Welcome to Arcadia! Assuming you've read a bit about the game and find yourself interested in the game, you'll probably want to know how to get started with submitting an app. Here are some starting points. I would strongly recommend starting an account and participating in our chatbox! Usually there are at least one or two people lurking at the forum during the day, and we are like excitable puppies who want to yip and jump around and answer all your questions. All of the data you will need to apply for the game will be in the top navigational bar of each page, from "Story So Far" all the way down to "About Us". If you have a question that isn't answered there, please let us know. Arcadia has a bit of a dense backstory and lots of unique characters, and so we aren't expecting people to get it all immediately. Who to pick? Be sure to check the Cast Table, and skim over the teams and power spheres available to you to see if anything catches your interest. I highly, highly recommend at least skimming over the existing applications, so that you have an idea of what has already been done, and what kind of niches your character might be able to fill. From personal experience, I would say that for your first character, you should focus on a high fun factor, and match the tropes and plots you love to read and write. (Many of our players here tend to stretch outside of their comfort zone with their second character, so don't stress on the first.) If you think you have a character slot in mind, again, tell us in a forum post or in the chat! That way we can help you brainstorm, or else help you with the bouncing of ideas. Most of us start our applications in Google Drive so that we can share the form easily with other people. Definitely keep in touch with me, Sage, whenever you come up with questions, as I can usually give you a same-day reply. List of the Applications: All of the links on the top navigation bar are there for your use in learning more about the game. Additionally, here are a few more resources: Overlap Document (@ Google Drive) - This is more detailed than the Cast List, providing a brief run down of particular details about the characters, like their appearance, aliases, and jobs. NPC Listing (@ Google Drive) - If you have no idea where to start in creating a character, consider skimming through the NPC Listing for ideas. You might want your character to be associated or friends with an existing NPC, for example. If you like the schtick of an NPC and want to use it for your PC, talk to a mod and we'll see what we can do! Wanted List - This is a wishlist created by Arcadia players for what they'd love to see in future characters! TV Tropes - Okay, it's not an in-game link, but it is a really good resource for tropes to use when creating a character. FAQ I want to reserve- No need for reservations here. You can announce your intentions to app for a character, but the spot isn't considered taken until someone is successfully accepted. This does mean that it is possible for two people to submit apps for the same char at the same time, and the better-fitting character will get accepted. However, this isn't very common. What does Arcadia look for in new applications? Two elements matter for a lot in applications at Arcadia - creativity and realism of characterization. Creativity just means finding a fresh take on an old thing. We love tropes here at Arcadia, like the hooker with a heart of gold, the battle-hardened veteran, the tricky vixen. The trick is giving them a spin and making them unique - maybe the hooker with a heart of gold is literately a robot hooker with a heart of silicone and gold, who is carrying out orders but starts to develop empathy for her victims. Or the battle-hardened veteran is a 17 year old Resistance fighter who has already been to hell and back. Realism seems like it has nothing to do with a sci-fi game, but we are interested in realism as it pertains to characterization. This means that their personality and history is internally logical and consistent, and someone reading the app can understand why the character behaves the way they do. One example would be a character who is unwavering cheerful and optimistic despite being tortured in prison for eight years straight - it's just not going to happen, unless that character is psychologically broken. The best questions to ask are can I relate to this character? and why do they behave like they do? When in doubt, use our WIP forum if you want a look-over! Do I need a PB (play-by)? Nah. You are definitely free to have one and use a particular character in art and icons, but many of our players go without. Without worrying about finding fitting PBs, we get to be more creative with our character's heritages and appearances. I would recommend that if you are using an existing person or character as inspiration for the appearance, that you make sure to add your own flourishes and make sure that even if the appearance is similar to the PB, that the personality and history is unique. I like the game, but I'm not a good writer/speller! The spelling is the easy part. I'm super bad at spelling, but it still works out (with the magic of SPELLCHECK). We'd only send back an app for spelling if there are dozens of errors. As for writing, as long as you show patience and a willingness to learn, we will usually be able to make it work out. We don't want to turn away awesome people with great ideas and great attitudes, after all. And if you feel uncomfortable or nervous about posting, we can partner you with another player, and you can ask them for help in proofreading tags. But I'm really slow at posting! Our player base at Arcadia, currently, consists of adults who have a variety of other things to do during their days and nights. We understand that other commitments happen! As long as you think you can contribute in some way at least once a month, you should be fine. We do crack down on people if they show no sign of life in three months. If you think you need a long hiatus, please let the staff know. We completely understand. |