//863 - stabbed every other day. :C

For any of you who didn't know and decided to skip over the [Basic] In-Character Behavior thread, there was a tiny section about Batman. (I believe his name only appeared 3 times or so.) Before we all start humming the themesong, let me get the introduction out of the way:

Welcome to the [Advanced] Realizing Limitations section of the RP Guide.

By "Realizing Limitations" means exactly what it says: know what you are and are not capable of doing, admit them, accept them, and utilize them.

I would like to begin with a simple thing to remember:
Characters come in 3 "ability-levels", along with a respective RP level that they should be associated with: Those who Can't, Those who Might, and Those who Can.

Those who Can't.
These people are primarily composed of new citizens and civilians. They are people who would probably fail in attempting a complex move.

Include: Civilians, New Characters, Pets
Set RP Level: Basic

Those who Might
These people are the partially experienced citizens, veterans, and trained persons. They have a chance of successfully pulling off a complex move, depending on the move, the circumstances, and the skill of the opposing character.

Include: Anyone with conditioning, experience, or training. CEs, Bandits, Imperials, and similar characters would be part of this group.
Set RP Level: Advanced.

Those who Can.
These guys are the Batmans of the skill-tree. They can do next-to anything if they specialize in it. They are composed of the elite few who are deathly experienced, and are mature enough to lose a few times for fairness sake.

Include: The Recognized and Elite few RPers and authorized characters.
Set RP Level: Expert.

Seeing as this guide is in the Advanced section, the majority of this thread will address the Might audience.

Think about your character. Ask yourself the following questions. Be fair, be rational, and don't alter the circumstances in your character's favor.

-Has your character seen combat before?
-Is your character an expert in some sort of field?
-Could they perform a complex operation under duress.
-Are they Strong, Smart, and Quick-Witted enough to get out of an at-gunpoint situation?
-Have they received some sort of specialized training in the past?

By the fact that you are here, you should have answered Yes and No to some of these questions: saying Yes to all of them would mean that you're probably overdoing yourself, and No meaning your character is a Can't, which is acceptable but their limits are already known then!

Let's create a character, someone other than Carl Sigman.
Let's call him Sig Carlman!

Sig Carlman is an average guy, not overly strong, smart, or fast, and has some combat experience. He has had no experience with any of the following scenarios.

*** Sig Carlman is being held-up at gunpoint by a lone bandit. An option arrives in his head to attempt to disarm the bandit.

Carl is Average, and probably has a 50-50 chance of either succeeding or a bullet to the face. A major tipping point would be the characteristics of the bandit: if he is big and tough, there's little chance that Sig would be able to disarm the man; if the other man was weaker, than Sig's chances would definitely improve; if the other man is shaking and worried, then Sig has the upper hand in disarming the man.

On a side note,
If he were being held up by an Entanglement, trained and expert killers, then he would have a substantially lower chance.
-----
*** Sig Carlman is attempting to open a doorway, but the electronic bulk-head is fried. He attempts to fix the door.

Sig has 0 electronics experience, and it is never, "Connect the two severed wires" situation: an experienced person needs to do it. Sig would not be able to fix the box.
-----
*** Sig has been shot by a sniper, and has been downed in the sands. He thinks about ignoring the pain and getting up.

I highly doubt that you, the reader, have been shot before; for those of you who have, you know that it isn't a Hollywood, "IGNORE THE PAIN, BACK ON YOUR FEET RUNNING" situation. Sig would be alive, but down for the count, caught by the pain, surprise, fear, and confusion of what happens next (remember that Sig has only had SOME combat experience, probably not enough to regard a gunshot wound as a papercut).

Side Note:
Body Armor would stop the bullet from a low-caliber round, but the kick is still present. It's like getting hit by an SUV. Sig would still be down, but not on the verge of dying.

1. Illegal Uber-Characters.

Uber-Characters are characters that are made by lower-level RPers, while still having the "Can Do Everything" capabilities that belongs to Expert RPers. Uber-Characters get their IC powers and abilities usually by illegitimate and unauthorized means, such as, "Oh, I just wrote it in his biography, so it's true!"

What types of characters does this include? (All of the following belong to lower-RP players)

-Robots/Cyborgs/Androids.
-Ex-Special Forces Persons
-Insta-Magic Ass-pulling Inventors
-Supernatural Characters
-Ass-Pull Rich People (That includes people who say they have ships, houses, gangs, ect.)

These types are highly discouraged for the possibilities that are likely to occur for the worse.
Think of it like giving a gun to a 9 year old: they have the capability to do anything with that gun, and they're definitely not going to use it with maturity, thought, and fairness.

Remember all of these things self-explanatory things, and you'll have taken a definite step towards better, fairer RP.

The usage of Emotion and Attitude in a character's demeanor and interactions with others are pivotal to advancing to a higher stage in RP. Every character is like a tasteless bowl of soup at first: basically nothing but its bare, tasteless essence. Emotion and Attitude really add flavor and vigor to a character, turning them from a bowl of boring water to a soup that has its own unique taste and texture, whether it is spicy, sweet, mild, or meaty.

1. Emotions

Emotion is a fairly simple concept that does not, and should not, need a large lecture to explain. What is being asked is that you are able to have your character respond properly when approached with an emotional scene.

Let's take a scenario and some additional responces: Your character's best friend was just killed in a firefight as you watched.

*** Douglass Amigo falls to the ground, dead from a gunshot to the heart.

Improper Responses:
"/me ignores it" - Your fucking friend was just shot dead. There's no way you'd ignore it without any sort of response.

Barely Passing Responses:
"/me feels sad." - It displays emotion, but does so so amateurishly that it seems very Basic-Level.
"/me laughs at his death" - Unless your friend is some sort of crazy, sadistic psychopath, or unless they've just had neurosurgery, this is a very unlikely response. I mean.... holy crap....

Proper Advanced-Level Responses:
"/me lets out a tear from his/her eye, but continues to fire back." It displays a strong and indirect emotional response, but also shows action as well.
"/me sees his death, crying out and scrambling over to their body." While the action may or may not have been the smartest thing to do, the emotion and strong action is there. This also can lead to further displays of somber emotions as the body is reached.
"/me sees his death, crouching behind cover and covers his/her face with her hands, wiping the sweat and tears away." Perhaps nearing the Expert level with this one, this displays multiple actions and several intertwined emotions: sadness, stress, vulnerability.

-----
2. Attitude
One thing I hate: characters that are as bland as a piece of white bread.
Whenever I see one of them, or even interact with them, I just feel like shouting, "Come on, Are you even Trying?!" Attitude is something that should be easy: we all have one, it's part of our personalities!

I've broken down Attitude into a few categories:

-Interactions
-Reactions
-Speaking
-Interactions

Interactions is how characters would interact with an object or a scenario. A character's attitudes could be reflected with their interactions with such things.

Let's say a character finds an empty box on the desert, just lying in the sands. There are a few general interactions based on some general attitudes:

Good Characters: pick up the box and take it with them, maybe using it to carry things.
Neutral Characters: leave the box where it is and walk past it.
Bad Characters: Destroy the box for the fun of it.

-Reactions

Your character has just been insulted by a drunken guy at the bar. Let's see the reactions:

Good Characters: "Whoa there. You've had a little too much to drink. Maybe you should sit back down and keep to yourself."
Neutral Characters: "Hey, I don't want any trouble here..."
Bad Characters: "/me smashes a bottle against the drunk's head."

Reactions to interesting situations do tell quite a bit about your character, perhaps one of the major resorts to discovering your character's attitudes, if not your own. Their immediate actions as a reaction to earlier actions tells others how their minds react to such things, which is a strong indicator of true attitudes.

-Speaking

What one says is just as important as how you say it: you could even mix things up for some effective results, such as complimenting someone in a sour manner, or insulting someone in a polite one. As a player with a known DETS character, there's plenty of speaking interaction going on, and from personal experience, what is said from simple character to character interactions is one of the best ways to show what the character has to offer.

I can give a general overview of things that each general category of character would possess, more or less. Remember that these are very broad generalizations, and the more you appropriately break away from these, the better and more unique your characters will appear:

Good Characters are patient, easy to throw out compliments, and well-mannered. They don't want to fight when it is unneeded, and they obey all the laws.
Neutral Characters are quiet, unspectacular, and don't like to be tossed into the spotlight for all to see. They are simple, silent, and self-reliant.
Bad Characters are rude, crude, and trigger happy. They like to pressure, insult, and don't usually have boundaries when it comes to ethics or manners.

A great test for testing for attitudes is a simple conversation. It could be small-talk at the bar, ordering a weapon at a DETS stall, or chatter while in a gunfight.

-----

Emotion and Attitude are the first, maybe the primary, steps in etching out depth in any character. Every character is a blank page, but with some drawings and perspective, there will be depth in that page.

The /me command works like this: in your chat box, you would type in /me, followed by the action you describe, with /me being the character you currently are.
Some examples (The subject's name is Kenny Kilik):
/me opens the doorWould translate automatically ingame to,

***Kenny Kilik opens the door.

/m e acts as your character's full name, and anything you put after that is the action taking place.

The action can be just about anything, too, and can be used to describe or add detail to anything as well.

Feeling or Emotion:
***Kenny feels sick to his stomach.
Personal Opinion:
***Kenny thinks this is fucking retarded.
Additional detail to another object:
*** Kenny touches the object, noting that it is cold to the touch.
Even describe something happening,
*** Kenny listens in as the loudspeakers spit to life.

However, out of general rules, we prohibit a few things when using /me's:
- Powergaming. "/me shoots you in the head and you die."
- E-motes and E-moticons. "/me "
- Internet acronyms. "/me lols"

The /me tag can be a great asset to use to anyone who uses it, and it is something that can be quickly picked up.
Whoever invented /me tags is a fucking genius.

For those of you who don't know,
IC stands for In Character, things that are occurring within the game's universe,
OOC stands for Out of Character, things that are occurring outside the game's universe, mostly things that the Players themselves are talking about.

In no way should IC and OOC be used synonymously with each other, as that would cause things to get very confusing and jumbled on both sides of the conversation, and In Character actions and conversations would be muddles with OOC actions and conversations.

Everything that is reflected in the gameworld as a whole is considered In Character. Everything that happens in the gameworld is In Character. Everyone and Every Character within the gameworld is In Character.

Everything that doesn't directly happen to the gameworld is Out of Character. Everything that is said and done that doesn't actually occur within the gameworld itself is Out of Character. Every player, sitting at their computers, that isn't RPing In Character, is Out of Character.

For a further metaphor,
Imagine the Gameworld as its own little sphere on a table, surrounded by a black void. Everything that is going on inside of that sphere is In Character: everything said and done actually is said and done. Outside, in that void, the players converse with each other, sometimes joking and screwing around, but what they do or say never goes directly into the sphere of the gameworld. There are two different planes of existence, ones In Character, and the other Out of Character.

It is very important that people realize the difference between OOC and IC, as it prevents disorder and maintains the organized thought process that (most) everyone lives with.

Very very very very old.

But it's still a really cool miniseries.

Mellisa C. Hayes.'s Civil Authority Application

OOC Name: Turkey

IC Character Name: Mellisa C. Hayes.

1) Please write a minimum of 3 paragraphs OOC'ly detailing why your character wishes to join the Combine Civil Authority and what lead your character to do so.
In a sustained period of time Hayes  found herself waking up in a train-car propped up in a seat, leaning against another girl.  Hayes  Looked around, the whole train-car was full of other men and women, all with the same looks of fear on their faces. None of them had any idea where they were headed, or what would happen to them. Some were crying, others were simply staring out the window, too much on their mind.  Hayes looked to the girl to her left, the girl sound asleep. Hayes wished she could be asleep the same way, so she wouldn't have to think about all that had happened. Hayes  was in the train car for about thirteen hours, not able to sleep. Halfway through the train ride, several of the new Civil Protection units boarded the train, handing out rations to the citizens within. Hayes got off the train in a place completely new to her, nearly halfway across the world from where she had started. Hayes and all the rest of the citizens from the train were escourted to their housing block, where they were issued rooms. Hayes agrees that the Union will be the next and final step for man to lose all sense of greed and lust. The actions of those around him everyday are testimony to this, seeing the greedy and conniving way of man as they try to make ends meet. The Union is trying to stop this disgraceful way of man, hearing the Administrator speak daily about this.

 Hayes  went about an average Citizen life although she was always first to work on the assembly line, and always first at rations- Come to think about it she was first for almost anything Pro-combine, she often and openly reported AC activity in her block and NEVER EVER had possession of Contraband.

When she finally broke and began doing things for the benefactors to be noticed she was awarded with the loyalist armband,  her freedom and respect came at  a cost, after being assaulted in a small alleyway by a group of rebels, she finally came to the decision of applying for a place in the Civil-Protection, she carefully analysed the application, filling out a draft first, triple-checking the information. She began filling in the correct information, in the best handwriting she could do, on the real application sheet.

 


2) Please detail your characters traits. (Eg, Pure, Lawful, Trustworthy)
She doesn't have any special physical traits, but she has a superior mental prowess and before the war enjoyed reading the greats like, "Romeo & Juliet". She is introverted being mostly calm. She can run for a while and maintain a good speed. Mentally, she wants to prove herself to the combine and can set her mind to something, and successed. Her personality, she is calm and a clear-thinking person.

3) Please provide 2 paragraphs about what you are expecting the Combine Civil Authority to be like for you and your character.
Well, for me, I am expecting the authority roleplay that I was looking for, I honestly think citizen roleplay would be better if people didn't always go around having little private roleplay scenarios. I really want to flesh out what CCA roleplay is like and hopefully have some enjoy situations/timse on catalyst gaming. I know a few people here and they suggested I look into it, so now I am.

As for my character, she was attacked a few times and thrown around. She holds the utmost loyalty for the benefactors so I assume she would more on the brutal side. I am hoping I can really develop the character for what roleplay she does have. Overall shes really looking for justice as rough as it may be, viewing the benefactors as good people instead of the grim reality.

4) Please provide a detailed back-story from an out-of-character perspective on your applying character. This section must be detailed and consist of a minimum of 300 words.

An average childhood in your good old Sub-urban estate outside Manchester.  Hayess was a very popular girl, had any friend she wanted. Her family was close Mother, Father and  Hayess. She was always pushed by her parents to do well in school and keep her head down, she knew she had to. How could she fail her Parents? Her Primary School grades were; 5 in Maths, 5 in English and a 6 in Science. (Two B's and an A (Aprox.)) Good grades to move into High-school with. The first of the portal storms hit 25-hours before the war. It was nothing unusual to have a small Portal Storm It maybe happened randomly once every few months, if that.  Hayess, 10 and her Family went about their normal lives. The second Portal Storm hit about Six hours later it was strange to have one so soon after the other. Countries all around the world began to get concerned. Again  Hayess's Family went about their life, although they kept their eyes glued to the news.

The Third and Fourth Storm hit 15 Hours after the first storm, one after the other. Both getting more violent and larger as they passed. The National Government put out a warning people to vacate to nearby cities.  Hayes 's family moved in with her auntie in Manchester. And held out until the fighting began... 25-Hours after the the first Storm. The portal storm had knocked out most of the power in the country Manchester had none. The City, along with all the other major cities was under Martial Law, everyone under house arrest, people without houses put into make-shift tents.  Hayess was sat at her aunties bedroom window, watching a 3-man patrol team walk down the street... Unearthly sounds begin to emit all over the city, the 3-man patrol team quickly turned around and began running towards the perimeter of the city. The sound of guns discharging could be heard all over the city. About ten minutes later a wounded soldier stumbled back along the street.  Hayess looked in terror, her father quickly covered her face, Their heads began to drum,  she grayed out for a few seconds then a large unearthly whine could be heard, she passed out. She re-woke about 20 minutes later looking around the room, her mother was crying in the corner, no sign of her aunt and father.  Hayes  ran to the window, the building around were half destroyed, bodies and body parts scattered along the street. Another unearthly whine emitted from the street,  Hayess Blacked out again.
 

A lot had changed in the six years  Hayes, was still working in the factory, now also being brainwashed with combine ideas. The guards now looked more like Robots with a white mask and electronic voices and they had things they called "Stun Battons", kind of like a cattle prod. Instead of dismantling old electronics they were now building things called "Scanners", at a very high quality.  Hayes  had moved up the line and was now controlling how the assembly line was ordered. She got more food and didn't have to do quite as much manual work.


5) Have you ever had a CCA character here at Catalyst Gaming?  If so, explain why it was removed.
I've not had a character yet.


OOC Details

1. How long have you played on role-playing servers in general?
Four years so far.

2. How long have you played on serious servers?
Four years.

3. How long have you played on Catalyst Gaming?
I recently started about seventeen days ago.

4. What Time zone are you in?
Central, USA. GMT -6

5. In what country do you live?
United States.

6. How old are you?
Sixteen.

7. What�s your most memorable quality RP experience?
While on this old Fallout Roleplay server, I was part of an Enclave assault squad, the brotherhood were holding a massive bunker, so what we did was rappel into an abandoned church, then setup a massive trap  involving hours of planning, when the brotherhood ascended from the bunker, we captured at least six paladin and five knights. We spent a lot of time torturing them and experimenting on them. It was a really good moment in roleplay, I have a lot more but it would take a whole page to go down the list.

8. Do you consider yourself a good listener?
Yes.

---

IC Section

Full Name: Mellisa C. Hayes.
CID: 25050
Age: 25.
Gender: Female
Height: Five foot eight (5'8'')
Hair Colour Brown.
Eye Colour: Brown.
Sexual Orientation: Straight
Weight: 135 Lbs.
Mental Distinctions: Intelligent, Mentally Resilient, Loyalist.
Mental Defects: Not applicable.
Mental Advantages: Diligence towards Benefactors.
Notable Qualities: Diligent, Disciplined, Loyal.


1. Have you ever been detained or apprehended for a Sociostability Infringement before? If so, explain?
I have never been detained for such a thing.

2. Do you regularly eat Combine Civil Authority Issued Rations?
Yes, I try to whenever I can.

3. Are you willing to give your life to the cause of the Universal Union?
Yes, I am.

4. Do you as a Citizen and future Civil Protection Member accept ALL actions performed by you and those under your command as your OWN responsibility?
Yes, I accept.

5. Will you remain loyal and faithful to the Universal Union as long as you live?
Yes, to the end.

6. Why do you want to join the Combine Civil Authority?
The Civil Protection seem to respect their each other and are not quick to take action against like they would a citizen. This leads to a higher standing in the social status and safety. Although the reasons above are enough I also wants to observe the training and hierarchy of the combine command. My whole working life I have been working for the Benefactors, I believe that manual labor is not enough to please them when I am sure that i could be helping them by holding peace and order of the city. I also believe that order must be maintained, and that the citizens must realize the effort put forth for them to live in a good environment. Many citizens don't realize the work put forth to help them live in a safe place. Free from all the dangers of the world outside. They don't understand, and will never understand if there are none there to help keep up this effort to improve their lives. I intend to help with this great effort in bettering the lives of those around us, joining would give me a chance to prove that Humans are a helpful species and to achieve a much wanted goal. By joining the CCA, humans prove that they can help and at the same time, extend their life and hopefully, continue humanities survival. My personal goals are to become stronger and more in tune with the world around me and my race. The only way to do this is to join the CCA.



Please sign the attached oath using only blue or black pen.



-I edited minor grammar problems related to the format and periods, I embellished question one