Post by Shinigami Kyra on Dec 8, 2009 12:31:19 GMT -5
Character Applications, Part 1
This section will help you develop an acceptable application. It will help you with the overall reviewing process, as well as guide you into avoiding the repeated mistakes that often go frequently overlooked by players.
Canon Characters
If you decide to take up a Canon character, make certain that it is not already taken, or not already being apped for. The person who first posts an application for a Canon Character will be the first one to place that character on reserve. If that application is either denied, or needs editing, and after fourteen days, there has been no activity by the player who is applying, then the application will be placed in Archives, and the Canon Character will be available to be applied for. For all canon characters, you may find generic information on them through a Bleach Wikipedia; bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page.
Because all of the information we look for in Canon characters must be accurate to the Manga, there isn't much in the application that has to be judged. There for, reviewing staff members will be focusing more upon the Sample Post, as well as making sure information within the application is accurate. Please refer to the Sample Post section for more information.
Cannon Character Limitations
The current limit on the amount of Canon Characters a single player can hold is Two (2). After some time, and activity has been played with these two canons, more can be obtained. The time set is two months of activity with the two canon characters. If activity is upheld, then one additional canon may be applied. A single month after that, activity is still being upheld with all three, a forth and final canon character may be applied for. Four (4) Canons are the absolute limitation.
-New- Original Characters Limitations -New-
Rule Effective June 22, 2010
The limitation on Original Characters is now Four. If you currently hold more than this, you are fine. The same rules will now apply for Original Characters as they do for Canon (read above). Activity must be held with all characters. Also, members will have to be assessed if they are able to handle an additional character before applying for any additional past four.
This is to simply help tone down some of the 'forgotten' characters, and applications that seem to pour in the moment a player gets one character accepted. This forum is for Role Play, not simply to create Character after Character. If we notice a character is not being used, it will be 'Archived.'
Players who are able to handle multiple characters will be able to bypass the normal 'month-to-moth' wait. These players also must be able to produce an application that is adequate and able to be reviewed without reaching multiple-pages. For more details about this new rule, please contact Kyra.
Creating a Character
Some people may already have a character in mind when thinking of an application. However, one should always remember that picking the most powerful character possible is not always the best option. A team is only as strong as their weakest link, and people tend to always underestimate the weakest characters. Also a note to remember, if you do in fact choose to decide in making a very strong character, be warned that the stronger you make your character, the more judgmental the staff will be upon reviewing your application. More responsibility will be placed upon the player of such characters, and as well as a high expectancy of not Godmoding.
Choosing a Race
As most people know, Vizards are one of the strongest of Races, and has come to be one of our most popular in applications. As noted above, with the strong rise of Vizards, reviewing staff members will be far less lenient in application review than if someone were to apply for a Shinigami, who had just recently graduated the Academy, is unseated, and holds no Bankai. The more power you put into your character, the more work you must put into your character.
Quincy are a rarity, it seems, however they are very unique in abilities. Holding no real sides between Shinigami and Hollows, they are a race of their own people and own unique powers that have not yet been dipped far into by the Bleach Universe, which opens players up for a variety of original characters, original plot lines, and of course, original abilities.
Arrancar are the opposing elements to Shinigami. They are considered the villains of the Bleach Universe, but of course, that does not always mean that applying for one makes you an instant Villain. One can apply for a Shinigami who is evil, similar to how Aizen had worked, and one could apply for an Arrancar who is good or holds no sides, similar to how Neliel acts.
Shinigami are the standard issue characters. You can apply for a character fresh out of the academy, or a high ranking, seated officer. However, remember that in applying for a more powerful character, we will expect far more originality out of your application.
Canon-Copies
Copies of moves, names, Zanpakuto spirits and their abilities will not be tolerated. The application will be instantly denied, and moved into archives. In some cases, a warning may be given by the reviewer, though it is up to the person reviewing the application whether or not the application can be fixed or not.
Age
Of course, it would depend upon your race. Most Shinigami can live far beyond human years; the same with Arrancar. Humans generally live up to about 80 - 120, depending on their spiritual energy, Quincy's quite possibly living a bit longer.
For Shinigami, please keep in mind that your age should reflect your experience. The average age for a Shinigami would be around 100-200 years of age, some younger, some older. These ages are normally for Shinigami who have acquired Shikai, and possibly, seated characters. (Remember; Rukia states she's around 100, round up to about 150. Renji's around the same age, probably a bit older; 200 rounded up) Arrancar; it's anyone's guess, really! Be creative!
Personality
I've noticed lately that a lot of people are having trouble with this section in particular. The best route to take is to try one or two basic personalities, and smooth out the edges. Arrogance, and evil, let's say for example. You wouldn't say in his personality that he cares for his friends and respects authority, would you? A lot of people have been making contradictions in their explanation of the personality, and I believe it's due to players wanting to put in too much into their character. Tone it down to about one to three aspects of a basic personality, then expand from there. This section should roughly be 1 to 2 paragraphs; five to seven sentences each.
Appearance
Pictures are always helpful, but they should not be a replacement for appearance. A picture cannot tell how tall someone is in comparison, nor the weight. Still, things like this are not alone in this section. Use pictures as a guideline if you have to. As above, this section should be roughly 1 to 2 paragraphs; five to seven sentences each.
Powers
Everyone's favorite section! Because we have such a variety of races, I've decided to break it down into different sections; Arrancar, Quincy, Human, Shinigami, and Vizard.
Human
Humans, who are deemed the weakest, usually start off at Low-Level. Obviously, they have a limited amount of abilities and powers they can choose from. However; one should NEVER count a human out! Orihime is a human, as is Chad, and the two of them have pretty amazing powers. Because Humans have no real added bonuses, like a Zanpakuto or transformation, feel free to be creative as you'd like, but remember to limit yourself. Make your character too strong, or don't express some sort of limit to your powers, we may see your abilities as a possibility for future Godmoding.
Quincy
As with humans, Quincy are limited in their abilities. They'll have some form of bow-like weaponry, to answer to the Shinigami's Zanpakuto, but no real 'transformation,' like a Bankai or Resurrección. Thus, you can feel free to be creative here, but as stated above, don't forget to limit your abilities. If you make your character too powerful, the less likely it will be that they will become acceptable to the board.
Shinigami
Considered normalcy in the world of Bleach, Shinigami have a variety of techniques, abilities, and power ups at their disposal. As such, we recommend splitting up your abilities into the designated sections; Shikai abilities, Bankai abilities, and so forth. Remember; most normal/average Shinigami have one to three abilities in Shikai, and normally the same amount in Bankai. Please do not stack your character with seven abilities or more. However, if one were to make unique, small abilities that are properly categorized, and they happen to add up to the limited amount, it could be considered.
For example; let's say someone wants to use a Fire-based Zanpakuto. They could have the normal Shikai, which would activate their Fire abilities.
Now, one attack could hurl just a normal sized fire-ball. Another attack, however, could allow the fire technique to be used defensively, as a shield, perhaps (remember, limitations). That's two. Let's say that the fireball can become a stream of fire; that's three for Shikai. Now, the player could express that all these attacks could be considered very weak, basic attacks. They could then state that the Shikai also has an ability that allows for physical attacks to express a burst of flame, i.e., a combination of a physical attack and the fire-ball attack. That's four. Combining attacks of a Shikai can be considered, if they are limited and unique, in a sense. Already, we've met more than half. However, considering what we've got listed, this could quite possibly be a strong candidate for a possible acceptance, so long as a limitation is expressed in the descriptions.
Bankai; everyone's favorite ability. For those attempting to achieve Bankai, the staff will be more judgmental upon your application, since Bankai will obviously make your character stronger. Remember; every Captain-level Shinigami has a Bankai (various exceptions are made; Kenpachi, etc.). We expect players who would like to apply for a Bankai to have experience on the board, and known a bit by the staff, so that we can come to understand the way you play, as well as understand if you are able to handle the responsibility of a character this strong.
Arrancar
Most of what was said for Shinigami can be said in the same sense here, for Arrancar. Bankai are equivalent to Resurrección, so remember the same rules, standards, and expectations apply.
Vizard
These characters, as of late, have become the main attraction of the board. Many people have been attempting to app for a Vizard, with numerous abilities, as well as a Bankai. Players who apply for Vizards will be the most judged, since they can be considered one of the strongest races among all, in a standard/average basis. They have both Shinigami and Hollow abilities, and two transformation possibilities; Hollow Mask, and Bankai. Thus, please try to spread your powers out among the various groups. If you used the same abilities for the Shikai example up above, it might not be considered for a Vizard, just because there are more ability potential.
Shikai - We would like you to limit yourself to one ability. Almost every canon character in Bleach has one ability. We are somewhat lenient, and may allow two or three. Some exceptions may be made, depending upon the abilities themselves, and the one who is reviewing the application.
Bankai - The same as above.
Hollow Powers - Remember that your Inner Hollow will also have these abilities when they take control of your character. Thus, the standard powers can be expressed here, like Cero, or the standard increase of normal abilities; reflexes, strength, speed, agility, etc. Again, do not say for one ability that all your stats are increased, and another, you can do a bunch of other crazy stuff. If you would like the standard increase of ALL stats, then you should limit the next ability, or simply keep it as that.
Inner Hollow Abilities - Sometimes, when an inner hollow takes over, it's possible for another ability or two to pop up. HOWEVER; this should not be another section for you to just start adding more abilities. This section is more for creativity. For example; Ichigo's inner hollow uses the cloth wrapping to attack, whereas Ichigo does not. An attack like that can be listed here. Normally, simple attacks like that can add up to three or so here, but if it is an actual 'ability,' than it should be limited to one or two at MAX.
Remember; the stronger you make your Vizard, the more we will expect out of your application as a whole.
The Powers FAQ and Guide also has more information on this section. Please read that section BEFORE making an application in order to understand what powers are acceptable and which powers are not. Also; please refer to each Race's Application Section for more information in general.
Skill Level
As stated in the application, there should only be TWO levels that are labeled as Advance. For Canons, there are some acceptations. You may feel free to ask a mod, or state a note in your application, if you have any questions regarding this section.
History
For original characters, it would highly depend upon your race. Quincy and Humans would have a limited history, obviously being up to about 100 years or so to cover. Birth, parents, childhood, maturity/puberty, teenage years, adult life, schooling, friends, training, etc. Everything in terms of what goes on in one's life should be placed here. Now, that's not to say that you should be writing epic novels. However, key points, like the first time your character witnessed a spirit, or had their spiritual abilities discovered should be listed; key points in one's history and so forth.
For Shinigami, it's expected for a player to describe their character's history in full, however, their previous life as a human is certainly not necessarily needed, as they will be impossible to be remembered, however you may include it in your application, as their human lives could potentially describe their overall personality. Nevertheless, the same can be stated for Shinigami as stated above; birth, parents, childhood, schooling, etc. Things that can be added is the discovery of their Zanpakuto and Shikai, graduating the Academy, their first initial step into a Squad, any friends they may have made, NPCs and such. We recommend keeping Canon character activity to a minimum, as it could create a conflict with a player who currently plays a Canon to recognize your Original Character as someone he or she already knows through your history. Arrancar, you can start off with the birth of your Hollow, and their first step into becoming a Menos, or an evolved Hollow. For Vizards, a bit more can be added, describing how they acquired their Hollow mask. Please, try to be original in this aspect.
Work In Progress
For those working on an application, but are unable to finish it in a single round, we recommend inserting the notation: [WIP] in the title. This will inform the Moderation Staff that the application is incomplete and still being worked on. Nevertheless, it is the responsibility of the player to remain active with this incomplete application. Should any application hold no editing for seven days (as per the rule below), the application will be assumed either Lost, Forgotten, or Abandoned. As such, it will be locked and moved to Archives.
1 Week - Applications In Progress must be edited once a week. Should we find an application that has not been updated after seven days, it will be archived.
1 Month - All Applications In Progress must be completed within 30 Days of its initial posting date. Should you need more time, then it is suggested that you copy the application template into a Note or Word Pad document, complete the application, then post the finish result.
Seven Day, One Week Rule
Any application that holds a review by a moderation staff will have seven days to make the proper editing needed and reply with a statement stating that they have done so. This is to help keep the flow of constant applications that we have on a daily basis under control, as old applications that have been abandoned have been coming to fill up the boards recently.
This also applies to Works in Progress. Any application that has not held an update for seven days will be assumed to have been abandoned or forgotten.
Any application as such will be locked and moved to Archives. Should you wish to retrieve your old application, you must PM a staff member with the link to your application in the Archives folder.
Rules for Updating your Character's Application
All applications will now be locked upon acceptance to prevent application tampering beyond the view of the moderation staff. Should you feel the need to edit something within your application, i.e., something minimal that would not effect the character's power tier, you will need to contact a staff member in order to do so. You must first receive permission by a staff member if you wish to make minor changes to your application. If they are considered more than minimal, you will have to apply for a character upgrade, which means, applying for your character all over again. (More on this is listed below).
These changes are limited to the following:- Name
- Age (only slightly; maximum of 50 year difference)
- History (only slightly; no major differences from accepted version)
- Personality (only slightly; no major differences from accepted version)
- Appearance (only slightly; no major overhaul)
- Shikai/Release Phrase
Rules for Applying for a Character Upgrade
All applicants will be limited to ONE Character Upgrade PER 3 Months. This is effective the moment the Upgrade's decision has been discussed. Even if you are denied the upgrade, you must wait another three months before you can apply once again, after the initial date of the Staff Member's last post.
Character Upgrades are a privilege to members to help build their character not only in strength, but in personality and character as well. Throughout stories, characters naturally develop, and as such, we allow Original Characters to hold minor upgrades, i.e., learning Bankai.
Guide Lines
- You MUST Make a new application for your character as you would if you were making a new character all together.
- Please place a link at the bottom of the application, under the Sample Post Section, to your old profile.
- Please differentiate the changes you wish to make (i.e., color changes).
- You MUST also post in the Upgrading Section, and follow the template.
- You MUST abide by the Powers FAQ rules, as well as all normal rules of the board. Character upgrades should not give you reason to suddenly over-stack your character.
Helpful Hints
Involve your Character in story lines BEFORE applying for an upgrade. The more stories your character is involved in, the more likely they will be expected to develop. The less active you are, the less likely you will receive an upgrade.