Difference between revisions of "MUSH Survival Guide: Apping"

Chapter 1: Bare Bones Minimum- wherein Mushing is talked about in comparison to other mediums, and clients are listed.

Chapter 2: How Do I Shot Mush?- wherein basic mechanics of communication are described.

Chapter 3: So How Do I Get A Character Here?- You're here!

Chapter 4: Everyone was Kung-Fu Fighting with Headgods???- Getting your character ready for csys 2.0, combat RP advice, and other goodies.

Chapter 5: Wait, What's This Thing You Call 'Roleplay'?- Where we discuss the ins and outs of obtaining roleplay and the tricks behind scene-planning.

General Application Tips and Hints

Here on PersonaMush, we have an application system, as opposed to a @pcreate system where you can create your character right out of the gate. We do this to make sure concepts fit within the game. The application is available here. While application styles can vary from person to person, here's an example of one from one of our veteran players.

Here's some critical tips to ensure a good application:

• Read the news files, either on here or on the MU* itself. It doesn't matter if you've played all or none of the games- the articles here are written to explain everything regardless of your knowledge, especially since there are differences between what's canon in the games and what's canon here.

• Do you want an OC (original character), or a FC (Feature Character)? If the latter, make sure that character is can be apped. If you want to know about someone who isn't on the banned FC list -or- on the cast list at all (like social link characters and NPCs) feel free to ask if they're available!

• As the MUSH has been around for a while, some FCs have gone through some players. Don't worry! You don't have to match their RP style. Staff is more interested in knowing your take on the character. You will need to find out what crucial events have or have not happened in that FC's history. For example, have they developed a persona? Have they been thrown into a certain electronic device?

• Don't panic! Applications are more a collaboration than a job interview here, especially when it comes to original characters. Even if your character is awesome on paper, staff wants to make sure it'll be easy for your to jump on the grid. Staff wants your character on here!

• It helps to do research! While no one here is an expert on Japan, Japanese modern society not a mirror reflection of western culture. The Notable Links page has tons of links to help you, and no question is too stupid or obvious to ask! A well-researched and well-thought out application is more likely to be approved much faster.

• Persona-users don't have to have dark pasts or secrets in order to be interesting or qualify themselves as Persona-users. The cast of Persona 4 were people you could find in any suburb setting, but their problems and fears were just as legitimate as the cast of Persona 3 or Persona 2. Sometimes it's the more subtle characters that get the most attention due to how they interact with others.

• That said, app a character type *you* want to play. While this can be subjective, don't play a cheerful outgoing female high school student just because you feel you need to, not because you want to.

• Make sure to provide yourself roleplay hooks to help get your character started. If you're apping a quiet, reserved character, give them several means to thrust them into scenes. Examples: a job, family member that's asking to to get things for them, pet that requires walking, an outdoor hobby, being elected to some student council position, etc.

• Put any character secrets your character has in your application. They may be an IC secret, but staff needs to know. It may even help staff insert things into scenes or news items that may be relevant to your character, or even inspire a new TP!

What's in a name?

Want to come up with a good name for your character? If you're not sure or if you don't have anything specific in mind, ask on the guest channel.

Looking up a name

This is optional and only for players who are interested in looking up that perfect Japanese name!

If you want to look up a name on your own (and you want to go beyond baby name websites), there's a database that may be able to help you with that. It's located at this url here. It may look scary, but it's powerful, and I'll tell you how it works!

1. Click on the box next to 'names', as well as any other dictionaries you want to search.

2. Tell it how it should search- for example, if you're searching for 'ken', do you want it to just show results that are just 'ken' ('word matching pattern'), that have ken as the first part ('word starting with pattern'), have or don't care where it appears ('pattern anywhere')?

3. Make sure it's set to Japanese, plug in your name (ie 'Ken') and click the search button!

4. Make sure 'Link Kanji Results' is selected. This will display kanji meanings when you click on the link (Kanji Info) next to a name.

5. Now, here's how to read the results: do you see a result with, say, an 'f', 'm', 'g' or 'u'? These show whether this name is used for a female, male, or unisex name (as indicated by 'g' or 'u'). For example, you'll see that different ways of writing 'ken' can be used as a man's, woman's, or unisex name. If you see 's', it's used as a surname. A 'p' indicates a place name. There are more of these; you can look them up by clicking on them.

Arcana...?

FCs and OCs are set up on the MUSH via 21 of the 22 Major Arcana of the Tarot, much like in the games. While a character can fit into many tarot at the same time, the tarot you pick for your original character (as FCs already have theirs set in stone) can be considered a frame for the overall portrait your character presents, rather than the core.

If you type out the command +arclist and then the name of the arcana, like Strength, you'll see a listing of people with that Arcana. Various sorts of people can fit within the same arcana- remember, Nanako Dojima from Persona 4 has the same arcana as Katsuya Suou from Persona 2!

You can also app for the reverse of an arcana, though this should be considered if the meaning of that reversed Arcana fits you more than simply you fitting some but not all the aspects of an upright arcana. Remember, the characters of Persona 2 and 3 had upright Arcana, and some weren't exactly the most well-adjusted people on the block. It's better to apply for a Reserved Arcana when the character, while they still exemplify that arcana, is especially failing to live up to the lessons the arcana is meant to be teaching them.

People on the Guest channel can give you suggestions, but try not to be too set on one Arcana versus another. It's generally better to get the character set up first (with maybe an Arcana in two in mind), then pick an Arcana, though some have done things the other way around. Sometimes a character you make up will surprise you with where they fit.

PERSONAPERSONAPERSONA

If you're applying for an original character, you will need to make up your own main persona. Since personas derive from ideas that circulate from the collective human subconscious, it's not quite like, say, summons from Final Fantasy. A persona is an abstracted part of your core self made visual, so it uses parts of your personality and symbolism from its real namesake. That's often why personas end up looking so unique.

Sources that personas come from can be:

• Mythology/Religion: Norse, Welsh, Judeo-Christian, Hindu, Shintoism, etc. Gods, demons, and various shades inbetween and beyond. These are usually strictly religious in nature, or explain how an aspect of the world came to be.
  • Examples: Baldur, Sint Holo, Ereshkigal, Gremory

• Folklore/Ballads/Heroic Tales/etc: While some tales straddle this category and mythology, this means things like fairy tales, urban legends, ballads, and things that are not specifically religious in nature.
  • Examples: Beowulf, Little Red Riding Hood, Snallygaster, Firebird

• Literature/Plays/Operas/etc: While this isn't a hard and fast rule, try to make sure your sources are about around 100 years old.
  • Examples: The Tale of Genji, The Wizard of Oz, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Swan Lake

• Historical Figures: Make sure this figure is far enough in the past. They should have died before 1920 or so.
  • General examples: Elizabeth Barton, Joan of Arc, Zhuangzi

Sources that personas *cannot* be from:

• Heavily copyrighted characters from recent media within the past 100 years, like Batman, Mickey Mouse, or Gandalf.

• Mythology you yourself make up, from your own imagination.

• Objects. While this isn't a general rule, as objects can sometimes be representative of various tales, often allowing lots of leeway, you cannot have your persona be primarily an object.

Make sure you do your research; it may lead to some surprising conclusions, and many, like folktales, often have several versions. If there's a concept you want (like, say, a fallen hero or the ignored seer), there's many, many nerds on the Guest Channel who will search.

Since people often come across or come up with various ideas they can't use but want others to see, we've created a page for it called Persona ideas.