Joining Guide

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Joining Guide

To clarify a few of the joining rules and anything one might want to know about creating a character. Includes helpful hints and tips as well as a few good ideas as to what one should not be doing. This will be updated pretty often, although it only needs to be read once.

I. Name Selection
II. Sex
III. Age
IV. Breed
V. Height and Weight
VI. Physical Description
VII. Personality
VIII. Strengths and Weaknesses
IX. History
X. Other

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Name Selection

A new character's name is often selected before any other aspect of their personality. While there is nothing wrong with this, certain names tend to give people certain impressions and you run the risk of deciding everything about your character based on what you think a dog with that name should be like. When the name is last to be decided, it will fit the dog but all other aspects were decided because you wanted them to be that way, not just because those characteristics go well with the name. In order to lessen the restriction on creativity, I prefer to name my dogs after creating their personality and even physical appearance.

If you are having trouble thinking of the name that will be just right, don't just decide upon an overused name like Max or Bear. Those names are fine, but putting effort into naming your character will show in originality that will make your dog more memorable. There are many different options when it comes to deciding upon a name: by putting two words together such as Stormcloud or Thunderstone, you will get a name with a rather Native American sound. You could always go onto a naming site such as www.behindthename.com and search for a name with the meaning or country of origin of your chosing. Or, if you would rather, you could go to a translation site such as www.freetranslation.com and find a foreign name for your character based off of a word in another language. Even words like flower and spike sound interesting, unique, and creative when translated.

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Sex

Most people tend to make characters who are the same sex as them. While this may make them somewhat easier to play, it also creates a startling majority of females which leads to a site that will become overrun with bitches and have scarcely a male in sight. This creates problems where ranks and mates are concerned, so it is best that the population stay relatively stable.

Just because a character is male doesn't mean that he has to be tough or macho just as females needn't be prissy and weak. Most dogs will be somewhere in between those two extremes. Homosexuality does occur in animals and while you may have a gay dog, remember that even he will not be sitting around smelling the flowers when he could be romping with his best buddy. He be feminine, but most dogs will have a tough side.

You may not create a pregnant character.

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Age

Most people creating their characters will have a tendency to make a young adult somewhere between one and three years of age although they may join with pups as young as three months of age. It's not quite a problem but does detract from the fun of being a playful and mischevious puppy. Older dogs too will have the benefit of having lived through many years acquiring wisdom and experience, but they are a rare choice for those creating a character.

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Breed

Your character must be a domestic dog of any breed. Be reasonable about the limitations of your character's particular breed. A greyhound will be faster than a Laborador Retriever, a Mastiff will be stronger than a Border Collie, and an Irish Wolfhound will be taller than a German Shepherd.

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Height and Weight

You can't have a dog with an unreasonable height or weight. Well, I may let you go on the weight but then your dog will just be fat...

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Physical Appearance

This should include everything from size, build, fur and eye colors, scars, and anything else to do with your character's appearance.

Many people who join with males decide to make them large and heavy with muscle, but this is not the only way to go. Even engaged in battle, speed and previous experience will count for the dog just as much as strength. A very muscular dog will not be as quick or agile as a smaller, lighter one. Males will be often be larger than females. There will be exceptions in the cases of those at the extreme high and low ends of the spectrum, but they will be a rare group indeed.

Your character may be any color you want as long as it is realistic. Dogs come in varying shades of white, tan, red, brown, grey, or black or any mixture of those colors. They may be spotted, ticked, merled, or patched. There are harlequin dogs and dogs with tan points. Many animals will have darker facial masks, lighter underparts, and white on the chest or feet. You may not have a dog with an unnatural fur color or pattern- that means no star on Star's chest.

Dogs that have fought will usually bear the scars of such encounters and may even be marred with particularly distinct marks from their encounters. Although it is pointless and rediculous to have many animals with scars over their eyes, some people love to have unlikely characters but realize that this will be looked down upon and it will be obvious that you have not spent time thinking about something unique and interesting to set your character apart from the crowd. By the way, a dog with a scratched eye will probably have a cataract and be blind on that side, not just bear a little scratch. Dogs may also have cropped ears or docked tails, but keep in mind that any such dog would've been owned in the past and he obviously hasn't been living on the streets his whole life.

Dogs may not have jewelry, earrings, or any other decorations save for a collar an old master may have slipped 'round their neck. Choke chain, collar, harness, whatever. That still means the dog hasn't been a stray it's whole life.

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Personality

This field should decribe your character's mindset, likes, dislikes, wishes, hopes, and personality quirks.

People have always had a tendency to make their character either a bad, naughty dog or a sweet little angel. Be realistic now- how many of us don't care about a thing in the world and will do whatever we want for meager personal gain? Surprisingly few. Most have some values. Now how many of us have never done wrong and fight purely for good? Even less. Characters should be somewhere in between which will lead for many more options while roleplaying. Every dog should have some interesting aspect to their personality, some little quirk that makes them fun. So what will it be?

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Strengths and Weaknesses

I'm sure plenty of people will have fun with this one. Include not only physical aspects but mental ones as well. Surely, all dogs have their good points, but this is where you get to decide out what they will be. No one has everything, so don't overdo it.

Strengths and weaknesses must be filled out together, not one or the other. Plenty of people would love to make a huge list of strengths while leaving weaknesses blank. Sorry hon, it's both. A very strong dog will probably be a bit slow or maybe he isn't the smartest of pooches. Don't leave that out. Does your dog have an intense phobia? Put it here.

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History

The history should provide insight to your character's past and explain a bit of their behavior and mannerisms today, giving reason to their thoughts and actions.

Try to create an interesting and not-that-overused plot to the history. We've all heard it before, the sob story where a dog is the lone survivor after everyone they love is killed off or dies in some way. People write this to tug at our heartstrings and show what a horrible life their character has led, but honestly, wouldn't it be more troubling to lose on close friend than a pack full of acqaintances? And it makes alot more sense too. What are the odds of everyone dying and one animal miraculously making it through? I will not prevent you from using this scenario unless it gets out of hand, but it is frowned upon and if I see too much of this then I will have to set a limit and you will be forever thinking of a plot for your story rather than roleplaying.

Remember, a dog who has been through some kind of hellish experience would NOT be very happy and friendly. They would be scared, aggressive, or have some other emotional scarring and would take some time to come out of their shell. They would probably not be a dog who runs around snarling at everyone and would instead have fearful tendencies.

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Other

Extra notes should be included in here and it is recommended that all of the following should be described; injuries, mental illnesses, or parents played on TL.

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