Player Guide

From Archimedes

1 Player's Guide

Player's Guide

Creating a Character

Who is this new character that you are creating? That's a really good question. You have to know your character very well if you are going to write about them.

A good way to find out what a Commanding Officer is looking for is to check out the character bios already on the sim you wish to join. That should give you an idea of what information to include in your character's bio.
Now ask yourself does your character have a solid background? What did they study, where did they grow up, what kind of childhood did they have, what are they interested in? These are very important questions as all the answers will help define your character. And remember your character will need to live up to what you have written on that bio. They will act and react to any situation based on what kind of person their bio says they are.

Imagine two characters. One had a happy sheltered childhood and the other came from a violent and lonely one. These are two extremes but how do you think they will behave and act when they meet a new person or when they aren't having a good day? Will one be more trusting of people and optimistic about their life and one be distrusting of strangers and spiral into depression? What about your character, what would they do?

Remember that your character has a life of their own. They are they're own person. They might have started out with some traits, habits, interests or even family background as you but I know you realise that they are not you. Anything can happen to them and you're not exactly in outer space right now like they will be. So you'll need to use your imagination and turn them into an individual. Someone who has slightly (or wildly) different ideas and opinions from you. Who knows where they'll end up - they might even surprise you!

After you have been accepted on a sim they will experience their fictional lives, be affected by the sim's plot, maybe fall in love, get married, injured or lose a loved one. After these things happen you should update your character's bio to record this information so other players can better understand your character - especially any new players that join up after you.

Species not accepted on Archimedes

In the Star Trek universe, there are several species that are too powerful, or would be very unlikely to be on a Federation starship or space station. So we have a list of species that are not allowed on our sims. These are:

Non-Humanoid Species (Big rock creatures like Brikar or Horta; Tribbles, etc.)
Q
Breen
Borg - "freed" Borg (e.g. 7 of 9) are allowed, Borg still in the collective are not
Jem'Hadar or Vorta
Founders/Changelings/Shapeshifters (this includes Chameloids)
Xindi and all variations thereof
Suliban
Species indigenous to the Delta Quadrant (Kazon, Hirogen, Talaxian, and so on.)
Species 8472 (Humanoid or not)
Exceptionally powerful telepaths

Original Species

We welcome original species, but a detailed description of the culture and abilities is required and accepting the player's character is at the discretion of the Archimedes' Commanding Officer. An original species is not something that should be entered into lightly, as it involves the creation of a complete culture.

What to put in a Sample Post

Have you noticed that when you read a story or watch a movie they seem to have the same pattern to them? At the beginning there's a hook, something to catch your attention and draw you in. That's followed by conflict. This is the main guts of the story, what it's about. It has what happens, how the characters relate to the conflict, how they act and react to it. Once all of that happens then the story needs to be resolved and we reach the climax. The conflict, the issues or problems get sorted and the story as we know it ends.

Does that sound about right? It is in most of all stories that are told. Now when it comes to a post in a Role Play Game (RPG) Simulation (sim) that formula is true for about half the posts - but usually most posts are part of a larger continuing story and don't tend to have a climax. But for this sample post it would be a good idea to have one.

A sim is like a story. An endless collaborative story that goes on and on for as long as the sim is there and everyone posts. The sim is made up of missions - a series of stories that make up a sim. The missions are made up of individual posts made by individuals to tell small parts of a larger story. So think of a post as a chapter in a book or maybe even something smaller, a page. Your post focuses mainly on the actions of your character. So we're thinking now on a smaller level. Your page (or post) has it's own formula and it might look something like this:

Background - Action - Continuation (or Conclusion)

Let me explain...

BACKGROUND - This is where you write about what has happened. It helps show others who are reading your post where exactly it fits in with everyone else's posts. It sets the scene and reminds everyone what just happened. It's also an excellent place to include your character's reactions to events that have happened in previous posts. Maybe during that battle that is going on against a Romulan warbird, a photon torpedo just impacted against an unshielded portion of the ship, the inertial dampeners are offline and well was your character flung around? Hit by debris? Someone else hit by debris and in need or first aid? Basically you react!

ACTION - This is where you get to move the mission along a little bit. You get to have some action (not necessarily the beat someone up action), finally a chance to act! You're adding something new. It might be that you ask that pretty redhead out on a date and turn up expectantly at the door, making a suggestion at a staff meeting, or possibly starting a fight in the Lounge... Your options are endless. But be careful that you don't do too much, just enough to move the story long a wee bit. It's a difficult balancing act.

CONTINUATION - This is the really important part. Probably the hardest part of a post. This is where you write something that will continue the story, where you pass it along to someone else so they can pick it up and run with it or so you can continue it in your next post. You have to ask yourself 'is there something I can do that others can continue on?' You have to help them with ideas on how to continue the story. Maybe it's something as little as a door opening to reveal someone, maybe you're asking someone a question and they can answer it in their post, or possibly you're giving subordinates orders. Anything really that someone can easily pick up from.

or CONCLUSION - Sometimes a post needs a conclusion instead of leaving a cliffhanger for someone else or yourself to pick up. This is where something is resolved or ends. This can be indicated by someone leaving a room, ending a relationship or receiving a pat on the back by a superior for a job well done. Or it could be your post is a standalone from the rest of the mission like a message from home or the conclusion of a small side plot. Conclusion is much easier to do than a Continuation so you should be able to come up with a natural conclusion to your post whatever it is quite easily.

Another very simple analogy for posting is to think of it as a relay race. You see your team mate running towards you with the baton in hand (background). You take the baton they give you and then you run like a mad thing towards your next team mate (action) who is waiting and then you hand it over to continue the race (continuation) (or you're the last runner finishing the race conclusion).

Like I said, it was a really simple analogy.

Now let's put this in practice with the sample post in your application. I think for your sample post you'd be best using a conclusion instead of a continuation.