creating a character, for idiots

[pureginius]

Note on Using this Guide: You probably don’t want to read the entire thing, since it’s fairly lengthy. I tried to make it as in-depth as possible, so that you won’t be left with any questions. That’s the point here; to answer your questions, and keep you from making mistakes that a lot of people with less experience make. I’d suggest going straight to the section that you’re having trouble with; either you don’t understand quite what’s expected, whether it applies to you, or you’re having trouble meeting the length requirements on a certain subject. If you’ve already submitted a profile, and someone referred you here, they likely mentioned one or two area of your profile that you could look over. While reading the entire thing might be helpful for some, it is rather time consuming.

If, after reading this guide, you still have a question, |PM Moira|
If you were sent here, and after reading this guide, you still don’t know why, PM the person who referred you here.

BEHIND THE MASK

Your Name ∙ If you have trouble with this one, you shouldn't be here.
Out of Character Name ∙ The name you wish to go by here at a'aimhreidh - this is what will go in your custom title. This is also what we expect you will post as in the cbox on the right side of the forum.
Alias ∙ Other out of character names you go by.
Chatango Username ∙ What you log into as when you talk on the chat box on the left.
Other Characters You Play ∙ The other characters you play (if you have any. If you don't have any characters, you should just put in the character you're creating.
Contact Information ∙ Give it, or don't. Maybe we don't care about contacting you anyway. Note: We here at a'aimhreidh are NOT stalkers who want your home address. We would be much, much happier with things like your IM identities.
Time Zone ∙ We like to know this so that we can figure out when you're going to be on.
How You Found Us ∙ Well, it's always nice to find out how you discovered us - I know that many times I've done random google searches and discovered quite awesome forums. Plus, we're just nosy little snots here *grin*

AT FIRST SIGHT

Character’s Name ∙ This should be really straight forward, but, oddly enough, there are some people who make some very odd mistakes in this section. As a general, sweeping rule, try to pick a name that matches both your character and the forum you're playing on. Since characters on a'aimhreidh are -- while not radically diverse -- a little different, you'll also have to be careful of picking a name that matches where your character is from. Scotland is generally Gaelic and/or medieval England. A character from the Clan MacKenzie would not have a name like Babayaet. Likewise, a character from England would probably not be named Donas or Iain.
Things To Avoid:
> Names that are more than five syllables long.
> Names that are generally impossible to pronounce.
> Names that are misspelled nouns [Stohnne, Embyrr]
> Names that are ridiculously overdramatic.

Note: Your character may have a nickname, if you so choose, and if their full name isn’t convenient to write out several times per post. Other characters may opt to bestow yours with a nickname, as well. Things to Avoid with Nicknames:
> Nicknames that sound nothing like the original name [name, William, nickname, Robbie]
> Nicknames that are ridiculously overdramatic [Shadowspawn, The Hawk, Night Rider]

Age ∙ Most people like playing young characters. What can we say? Youth is a good thing. You may want to keep in mind your character’s background here, though; it is very unlikely that your character has fought in two wars, gone on an epic quest, saved their loved one from the brink of death, etc., all before their fifteenth birthday. In many cases, it’s better to have an older and more experienced character than a unrealistically talented young one. As stated in the form, your character should be between five and ninety.
Date of Birth ∙ When your character was born in relation to the year 1742 a.d.
Gender ∙ Yes, your character should be either male or female, not both. And no, no one gets the power to magically change form whenever they want to, including gender. Sorry.
Residing ∙ Before you put in a clan, or a village, please, take a look at the board and make sure the place you want to live actually exists. If you can't find it, that's probably because it's not an available residing. If you have a location that's within the lands specified, alert the admin and talk it out with her.
Things to Avoid:
> Misspelling the name of your character’s clan / hometown / hilltop / street, etc.
> Claiming your character or their relations rule a clan that has already been claimed by another canon.
Character Type ∙ The list can be found here. Realize that there are some types that have slightly higher standards, since there are a limited amount of characters in that particular class. Other more common character types have very little prerequisites.
Occupation ∙ Try and make this realistic; it should be easy enough. If its way out there, or its completely impractical that your character would have gotten to this spot already [ie, High Priest at seventeen], the person looking over your profile will let you know.
Things To Avoid:
> Characters who are so rich they never have to do anything, including manage their money / source of income / estates.
> Characters who are the absolute best at what they do, and recognized by everyone for it.

INNER MECHANISMS

Sexual Orientation ∙ Keep in mind that at this point in history history, the Church held quite a large sway over the people, and to be homosexual was to be condemned to hell. As such, non-heterosexual characters would be inclined to keep their orientation to themselves. However, though it is frowned up by some, others would care less, and in the instance that a person of the noble peerage or of some other such high status happened to cavorting with others of their gender, well, people tended to look the other way. .
Overall Personality ∙ The main rule here is to be realistic. Every character has some good things about themselves, and every character has some bad things. Include both. Try and add things like how your character interacts with different kinds of people: people they like, people they don’t, smart people, stupid people, etc. What kind of assumptions does your character have about the world? Why? How do others perceive them, how do they perceive others? This section is so rich; it tells us the most about your character, hands down, so go all out!
Things To Avoid:
> Characters who are perfect.
> Characters who are so brilliant and genius that they outsmart everyone.
> Characters who are so suave that everyone just can’t help but like them.
> Characters who are just naturally talented at nearly everything.
> Characters who are brainy and shy; there’s nothing particularly wrong with this kind of character, but in my experience, it’s slightly overdone, and hard to play, since you have to think of very odd excuses to have your character even talk with anyone.
> Characters who are over-the-top jerks to everyone they meet.
> Characters who get “gut feelings” every now and then that are never wrong.
> Characters that you will get tired of playing and leave for dead.
> Characters who are a slightly different version of you.
> Characters who are you.

MAN IN THE MIRROR

Total Height ∙ Be realistic. If you want someone to be particularly tall or short, go for it, but not to an extreme. Keep your character’s age in mind, as well. Ten year olds generally are not 6’9”. If you need some sort of reference, to see how tall characters of that age normally are, look at one of the links below.
Total Weight ∙ You can find a height and weight chart here, one for men and one for women. It's based on young adults, so if your character is young you may want to look at either this chart, for boys, or this chart for girls. The top lines are height, by age, the bottom weight [you’ll probably want to zoom in on those as much as possible]. I haven’t been able to find any handy charts for people over the age of thirty, but by the late twenties they’re done growing, so it’s just a matter of what shape they’re in. It should give you a rough idea, but you don't have to go with what the charts say. I provided them to keep your characters from inadvertently becoming anorexic, or obese, without your realizing it. For characters who aren’t one-hundred percent on parr with their weight, try using this calculator to get what you want.
Overall Appearance ∙ So we have the height and weight down. As long as you have an avatar, you don't need to do anything else, right? WRONG. Height and weight give us a general, rough silhouette of your character. This section is where you fill in the details. What are their facial expressions like? Their eyes, nose, mouth, teeth, ears? And hair, hair, hair! How long is it? Is it fine, coarse, dirty, silky? What color? What type of body do they have? Are they muscular, weak? What kind of clothes do they like to wear? Is there anything about your character that stands out? What would someone notice first, upon meeting them? By the time we're done reading this, we should have as clear a picture of your character as you do--without even looking at the avatar. Note: Where your character is from should have an affect on this section, so keep that in mind.
Things To Avoid:
> Characters who are drop-dead gorgeous.
> Females who may not be drop-dead gorgeous, but are impossibly thin.
> Aspects that logically wouldn’t occur in Warriors, ie. neon pink pelt.
> Birthmarks / scars that are overly dramatic or just plain weird.
> Any eye color outside the normal spectrum.
> Characters who look fantastically older / younger than they actually are.

BACKSTORY

Family History ∙ This can encompass everything from the day your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaddy was given his little landholding, thus setting up your character's family, to the day your character's parents conceived said character. As stated in the form, this is highly optional, and you need only include it if you feel it would really add something to your profile.
Family ∙ Two important things to keep in mind are your character’s name and age. Name, because, as stated in the name section of the profile, their name should fit with their parents and siblings, and age, because generally, by the time your character has reached eighty, their parents are dead. It's also impractical to have your seven-year-old little boy an orphan, because his parents died of old age. Aside from death, which is a slightly morbid subject, keeping your character's age in mind will help you determine how old their siblings [if they have any] should be, as well as significant others and children [characters who are twenty don't have eleven-year-old-children, typically]. Remember, also, that we're in 18th century Europe, not our modern culture. It’s not uncommon for people, especially among lower classes, to marry and have children as early as twelve or thirteen.
Birthplace ∙ As with 'Residing,' please do ensure that your character's birthplace is an actual place.
Background ∙ Typically, this starts at the beginning of your characters life, and ends where your character is at right now. This is where you get to play the storyteller, and just tell us straight what happened, with the focus, of course, on how it affected your character. Include any large, impacting events from their life, such as the death or birth of family members, marriage, getting their first job or becoming an apprentice, being sold into slavery, moving to a new area, or getting a promotion. Aside from that, you may want to give us a taste of what your character was like during each stage of their life [infant, toddler, child, teenager, young adult, etc.], and how they’ve changed over the years. What events or relationships essentially made them who they are? Background should be the longest section of your profile, or very, very close to it, as it is, arguably, the most important.
Things To Avoid:
> Highly illogical or overdramatic situations surrounding your character’s birth. For example, being abandoned in the woods as a baby and raised by a troop of wolves, being born in a storm and having the top of the house struck by lightning just as your character was born, etc.
> Illogical or overdramatic relationships; ie, a princess falling in love with a slave she met once on a street corner, a forbidden relationship between two rival families, etc.
> Playing an orphan whose greatest goal in life is to find the person who killed their parents and take revenge.
> Playing anyone whose greatest goal in life is to find someone who wronged them and take revenge. Monte Cristo has already been written, you’re a few centuries late.
> Illogical diseases for either your character or someone near them. If your younger sister was born with brain cancer, she probably isn’t still alive.
> Playing anyone whose greatest goal in life is to keep said younger sister alive despite her impossible disease.
> Having relatives die for no apparent reason / illnesses that no one quite understands [unless, of course, you have a particular reason that they’ve died in that mysterious manner].
> Having a tragic and grief-ridden past that still brings tears to your character’s eyes whenever they think of it.
> Having an event in the character’s past that s/he feels guilty for [whether it is his/her fault or not] which will bring tears to your character’s eyes whenever they think of it.
> Playing anyone whose greatest goal in life is to atone for some past wrong.
> Plots against your characters life, unless your character is very important [and by important, we mean Royalty or a very rich Noble] and you’ve already discussed it with an admin/mod.
> Your character having to fight their way out of an impossible situation, and doing so unscathed, or other inhuman feats.
> Characters with amnesia, especially ones who have no connection to their past except for a particular trinket that they keep with them at all times.
> Anything that reminds the person reading your profile of a bad movie remake.

SPOTLIGHT

A Sample post can either make or break your profile; if done correctly, it can show the person looking over your profile that you have a good handle on your character, and that you'll play them well, bringing in creativity and activity to a'aimhreidh. If done incorrectly, it'll say just the opposite; that you're not ready to join the ranks, and that, if approved, you'll be naught more than a headache. You really don't want to send that message. Try and pick a situation, place, and time to write about that shows off both your abilities as a writer, and how your character can shine. It's easier to make this impressive if you pick an important moment for your character--show us their emotions, a piece of their history or background.
Things to Avoid:
> Sample posts that do not meet posting requirements: that is, that are not 75 or more words in length, are not written in third person, past tense, etc.
> Sample posts that are not written in the character you are applying for. The point of a sample post is to show us that you can handle this character.
> Sample posts that are mostly dialogue. There will be times, when starting threads or posting in them, that your character will have no one to talk to--show us that you don't need dialogue to meet length requirements.
> Sample posts that are bare-bones or minimalistic as far as detail goes; you generally want to leave as little to the imagination as possible. Paint us a picture, show us exactly how it was.
> Sample posts that godmode other characters, who either are being played on the board [ie, a crofter posting a conversation with Matilda MacKenzie, the MacKenzie bride-to-be] or who may be played at some point in time [ie, a visitor having to track down the Stable Master.]
> Samples that are unrealistic or boring.