FAQ: Using the Site

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When can I make a new character?

You need to post five posts with one character before creating another one. (See the Rules for details on that.)

When can I play my new character?

If you have a professor character or an adult character in Snowy Vale, feel free to play him or her as soon as one of the mods accepts your application and you fill out the claims.

If you have a student character, you'll need to wait to be accepted and sorted and fill out the claims. Once you do that, your student can post on the school boards (minus the classrooms) or in Snowy Vale. You'll also need to sign your student up for classes. Once a mod approves your classes, you can post in any of the classroom threads for the classes your student is in.

How many characters can I have?

Our official maximum number of characters is 10.  Don't bite off more than you can chew! 

How many threads can I be in at one time?

As many as you can handle.

Do I need to make a new account for each character I make?

Yes. Each character should have his/her own account. You can do that pretty easily through Proboards.

How do I make a new account for a new character?

Log out of your account. Click “Register”. Sign in with the same email you signed up with. Put in your password. Choose a different user name. Voila! You have a new character account!

Do I need to include pictures of my character in my posts?

No. We do ask that you have a picture of your character as your avatar for that account, and that that picture be the best close up headshot of the person you can find. Being able to see the person's face helps others to get details right when they're writing about your character. You can also include a picture in your character's signature if you want.  Check out your character's account profile to change these things. 

How long can I work on my application?

You are welcome to start your character application and put WIP in the title to let us know it's not done yet. From the day you start the application, you have two weeks to finish it. After that, your app will be deleted.

Is there a minimum word count?

Not at the moment.  That being said, responding to a post with just a line or two can be considered rude.  It forces the other people playing with you work harder in order to create the story in whatever thread you're in.  You don't have to write a novel each time you post, but write what you need to write to respond to the other player and move the story along a bit. 

Can I edit my post after I put it up? I want to change something.

Be very careful about editing. If someone has already posted after you, don't edit your post. The other person's character has reacted to your post the way it was posted. Changing it might mean it doesn't make sense anymore. Make sure you have your post exactly the way you want it before you post. We recommend writing out your posts in a document or on paper before putting them up on the boards. That way you also have a copy saved just in case something happens.

If there is a really good reason for leaving a post unfinished or half-way done (phone dying, laptop dying, etc.) then make a note on the post that lets others know you will fix it asap. Do not leave it for more than an hour or the post will be deleted.

I really messed up. Can I delete a post?

The same rules apply to deleting as editing. Be very careful. If you made a mistake (like posting from the wrong account) and no one has posted after you yet, then go ahead and delete and repost. If, however, someone has responded to your post, please don't delete it! It will mess up the story in the thread and make everything confused!

I can't think of a character but I want to play! What should I do?

Check out the Wanted Ads! Several people have posted ideas about characters they'd like to see join the RP. See if any of those are your style. Otherwise check out our resources page for links to helpful character creation sites.

When will...(my character be accepted? my characters name change color? the admins/mods do xyz for me that I asked about?)

Please be patient. The mods are all human beings and we all have lives outside of Aurora (as much as some of us wish we didn't have to), so we can't be on all the time. We will work as hard as we can to get things done in a timely manner, but be patient with us.

Do I have to plot things out?

No! You can go with the flow if you want. If you want to plot, head for the Plotters section and post something asking other people about playing with your character. If you have something specific you want (i.e. a specific character to go with yours that you don't want to play), check out the Wanted Ads.

Can I start a thread anywhere?

Once you go through the application process and (if you have a student) the registration process, you are allowed to post your character anywhere that character would be allowed to go. Check out our Worldbuilding page (coming soon) for more details on in-character school rules.

How do I tag people in my posts?

If you want someone specific to play with you on a thread, the best way is to use the tag button on the reply (the one that looks like an @ sign with a little person). (Hint: the tag button will let the person who plays that character know they have been tagged in your post.)

When should I tag people?

Say you're in a thread and talking to someone, but don't know their character's name (ic), so you describe them, maybe that character's player only skims through and doesn't realize you were talking about them because they didn't see their charrie's name. That would be a good time to tag someone.

You may get tagged by a mod if your character is assigned a roommate in the dormitory. Both your character and the roommate will be tagged so you can go to that post and see. That way you won't be surprised later if the other person calls your character his roommate or tags your character in a thread.

I posted and I waited for a long time but didn't get a response to my post. What do I do?

How long is a long time? No one is always around on here. Unfortunately, we do all have real lives. If you've waited for more than a week, go ahead and shoot that person a private message, or add a tag to your thread for their character.

Before you do that, though, did you check the Absence Form board? Maybe the person you're waiting on is out for a bit.

Can I bump threads if no one responds?

No. That is, you can't just post "bump" to the thread just to get attention to it. If the thread has been inactive for two weeks, you can go in and post something--a reminder, additional information, etc. If it's a work in progress character application and you've finished it, you can post that you've finished so mods will see it. But posting just "bump" is rude and unnecessary.

Have questions I didn't answer here?  Check out the FAQ: Questions about Playing page and the Where Can I Find page for more!