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: Can I Haz Character Nao?- 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.

Can I Haz Character Nao?

Welcome to Chapter 3. If you're reading this, you should have done the following:

1: You should be able to access the MUSH.

2: You can do guestly things, such as communicate on the channels and bother people in the lounge. This is important, since this will help you if there's a question you need answered.

Guestly Behavior

While we're all pretty easy-going and happy to help, remember that you are a guest. That means, like someone coming into some dude's house, there's a general protocol to follow. Unless you know said dude, you wouldn't automatically raid his fridge. This is sort of the same thing. Many of these suggestions come from past experience with many types of guests, so while this may seem just common sense to some, players have encountered this before many times. Feel free to add any tips here!

• Try to use the guest channel for guest-related things. To do this, type +guest or +g to speak on the channel. It should look like this:

+g I love you all!

The OOC lounge gets spammy, so it's easy to lose questions. The guest channel has a handy color to it, making it easier for people who are on it to see your question.

• Sometimes you may log on and get tons of people welcoming you. Other times, you'll get none. It's not due to a lack of enthusiasm, but due to the fact that there's often a lot of bot guests that log in and promptly disconnect.

• On that note, if the OOC lounge spam is hurting your ability to concentrate, type 'n' to go to the Quiet Room. The room is rigged up so that no one (including you) can speak there, so it's a useful tool if you need to concentrate on something, but want to be open to pages from other people or chatter on channels.

• While this may sound silly to note, communicate clearly as you can. This doesn't mean 'you must type like you're writing a novel', but try to make sure you're communicating your ideas clearly. Sometimes it's easy to forget that, if you're new to a place, there's no cues there to go on like facial cues or body language. No one's going to know your sense of humor, your likes and dislikes, and what pushes your buttons, and we don't want to scare you away!

• Answer questions. People may try to clarify things with a question- try to be aware of them and answer. It's okay if you overlooked or missed something, but we've had guests in the past who set themselves on a certain track that's hard to decipher. If you're overwhelmed, though, feel free to admit to it! Sometimes we get overzealous in trying to help.

• On that note, ask questions! This is a good idea no matter who you're apping, or even if you have your character. If you're apping an FC, you'll want to talk to your castmates. If you're apping an OC, you'll want to talk to some people from your city, faction and/or school, if any of those apply. They can help fill you in on details related to your interests.

• Be flexible. Many people come on with a set idea of 'I want to have suchandsuch arcana' or 'I want to have suchandusch persona' while not realizing that these depend on a character's personality and past. This gets further complicated when they try to stamp their character concept in any way possible into said arcana or persona, while ignoring suggestions. It's okay to be stubborn, especially if you have a good idea, but try to be as receptive as you can!

• If staff rules 'no' on a part of your character concept, such as their persona, or an aspect being something that may be too sensitive for the setting, this is where it's not good to be stubborn and insist, unless you think there's a misunderstanding. People may be able to help you find an alternative that's even better!

• Weird tidbit: ~_~ on Personamush generally tends to mean 'flutter eyes' rather than irritation. So, when someone goes 'These brownies are heavenly! ~_~' they're not annoyed with those brownies. It's sort of an extension of adding a ~ to the end of sentences to indicate a singsong tone, innuendo, or playfulness.

• PersonaMush is constantly evolving, so you'll see news files bork up, different sources contradict each other, or files suddenly updated in reference to a ruling staff had to make on the spot. Which a MU* as old as this which has gone through several staffers, some things just don't get updated to reflect current approval because newer staff members didn't realize that piece of writing was there. Let us know if you find something, and if policy doesn't reflect what's in one news file, let them know so they can change it! They'll <3 you for it.

• Even if this is a MU* set in modern Japan, it's best not to OOCly excessively overuse romaji (ie gomen nasai, ganbatte, etc). Not everyone knows these words or will be familiar with the spelling you use, and it can be annoying to people who *do* know Japanese. Doing it once in a while or out of habit is alright, of course! The key word here is 'excessive'. If you're peppering romaji in your speech to the point that people are having trouble understanding you, it's time to lighten up on it.

• If you do something wrong and someone corrects you, it's okay! It's nothing personal. Some things you won't know about unless you're told. Just make sure you learn from it; we all make mistakes, no matter how long we've been roleplaying. It's the downside of communication over a text-based medium!

• If you have an app sent in, be patient. As a general rule, a build for the character needs to be made first before an application is approved, and sometimes, they're just busy. A good rule of thumb is to ask after a week. Feel free to hang out in the OOC lounge in the meantime! Catch up on board posts so you'll be partly caught up. Faction boards are not be available for guests to see, so just use +bbcatchup <board numbers you've read> when you get your character. Click on pictures of kittens. It's all good.

• Be nice! Seems like simple advice, but remember, you're a guest. Certain things are going to seem bewildering and even annoying simply due to being new, and there's nothing wrong with asking questions to clarify things. It's better that than let frustration get pent up inside you.

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 and that the player has researched the right things. 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*. It doesn't matter if you've played all the games, or none. Things from each game have been layered upon one another like a tasty lasagna of psyche and head gods, topped with a healthy amount of plot from RP itself.In the links page of the wiki, you'll find links to summaries, "Let's Play"-type walkthroughs, and other things that can help you.

• Do you want an OC (original character), or a FC (Feature Character)? If the latter, make sure that character is appable. For example, Namatame from Persona 4 is not appable at this time. On the other hand, if you want to know if someone who isn't on the inappable list -or- the cast list (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. You don't have to match their RP note by note, but this brings up another point: time *has* past. Thus, for example, Tatsuya Suou, the main character from Persona 2, has now graduated and is in college. Your character may no longer be a high school student, but a college student instead. This can leave some room for *some* creative license, but make sure you explain your ideas and concepts on the application.

• Keep in mind that the application staff is very thorough on apps; applications are more a collaboration than a job interview, especially when it comes to original characters. What they'll be looking for are qualities that will allow a character to mesh well into the MUSH's social fabric. While your idea for a character can be badass and could be a strong enough concept to be the main character of their own game, staff may still send the app back for some clarifications or suggestions for changes.

• Do your research. While no one can act like they're 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 you can ask questions on the guest channel. No question is too stupid or obvious to ask! Sometimes you'll be surprised by the answer. For example, Japanese are strict on guns, and not many people have cars. A well-researched and well-thought out application is more likely to be approved much faster, even on the first try.

• Persona-users don't have to have extremely dark pasts in order to be interesting or qualify themselves as Persona-users. The cast of Persona 4 were people you could find in any small town setting, but their problems and fears were just as legitimate as the cast of Persona 3 or Persona 2. Don't mistake 'dark' or 'grim' as a tactic to use in order to generate people's interest in a character- sometimes it's the more subtle characters that get the most attention due to how they interact with others.

• Roleplay a character type *you* want to play. While this can be subjective and some characteristics will be favored over others, don't play a cheerful outgoing female high school student when you have no interest in playing such a character.

• By the same token, try to make sure you provide yourself hooks right at the beginning to get yourself involved with other people. If you're apping a quiet, reserved character, give them several means to thrust them among people like a job, family member, pet, hobby, being elected to some student council position, or some other hook that gives you ways to set up reasons why your character is somewhere. Staffers are likely to be wary of characters who provide no means or hooks to provide for RP, as those players may not be prepared to get the ball going, so to speak.

• Put any character secrets into your application. They may be a secret to most of the MUSH, but staff needs to know everything important about your character.

SCHOOL spelled backwards is LOOHSC!

If your character is school age or in college, you'll have to figure out what school you go to! It can be unspecified as well, as the list of canon and MUSH-created schools and colleges may not fit what you envision for your character.

School Name	Level	Location	Unique Characteristics
Kikkashou Academy	Middle School	Sumaru City	A prestigious middle school for girls. Those 'in the know' may notice a lot of students are from high-ranking families.
Seven Sisters High School	High School	Sumaru City	A public high school with good academic standards. There's some weird rumors there about that clock tower, however...
Kasugayama High School	High School	Sumaru City	Men only. A school devoted to reforming troublesome male students. Does it succeed? Well, there always seems to be an exorcist trying to cleanse the place of bad luck...
St. Hermelin High School	High School	Lunarvale (Sumaru City)	A more Western-styled high school, due to its proximity to an American Army base. Whether due to this or the general attitude of students and staff, it's regarded lowly by others.
Yasogami High School	High School	Inaba	Despite being in a rural town, it's a decent, if rather ordinary, high school.
Gekkoukan High School	High School	Tatsumi-shi (Sumaru City)	A prestigious private high school that most would clamber to get in, it's also the source of much mystery that most rarely even begin to scratch the surface of.
Sumaru University	College	Sumaru City	A decent college with a strong Law and Arts program.
Fra Mauro University	College	Tatsumi-shi (Sumaru City)	An expensive, prestigious private college located on the main land right off Port Island. Standards to get into this program are high, and many fail to make the cut.

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 apping 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. You are not summoning a god. A persona is an abstracted part of your core self made visual, and thus, uses parts of your personality and symbolism from its real namesake. That's often why personas end up looking so bizarre.

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: Make sure these are about at least around 100 years old. While this isn't a hard and fast rule, as there's been sources used in canon that are less than a 100 years old, it allows for some distance.
  • 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 1900. Carl Sagan is awesome, yes, but it would be awkward to have him as a persona.
  • 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. No Batman, no Mickey Mouse, no Napoleon Dynamite. It's not that we don't think these characters are awesome, it's just that it doesn't fit in theme.

• Purely from your own imagination. You cannot invent your own mythology.
  • Examples: "The character has a stuffed rabbit they really like, and that's their persona!" A way to better incorporate this is to take a figure from the sources above, and combine the symbolism of that source with symbolism that is personal to the character.

• 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.
  • Examples: "My persona is the Spear of Longinus." Here, we'd suggest Saint Longinus, or ask what qualities of the object draw you to it. Another: "My persona is the Holy Chalice." Again, it'd be better to go with a saint, or, as with the first suggestion, ask what qualities make you relate to this specific object.

• Made-up mythology. While sources older than a century can fall under literature, you cannot app mythological beings from settings like, for example, D&D, Tolkien, and Ultima.
  • Examples: "I'd like my persona to be a drow from D&D." Here, we'd suggest seeing where the creators drew inspiration for that race, as many researched various folklore and mythology to come up with their ideas.

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.

Got all that? Then onward to Chapter 4!