Post by Rodimus Prime on Aug 16, 2011 11:42:53 GMT -5
This may be viewed as the 'starter FAQ', for those just stumbling on this board for the first time. We're going to attempt to keep this one on the short side, and so it probably won't cover some of the more specific, nitty-gritty detail-oriented questions that our Wiki FAQ is intended to cover. Still, it's likely to receive edits and additions from time to time. A big thank you to Bayverse Starscream's player for providing the basis for this.
Q: What is this place, anyway?
A: This is Transformers: Deadzone, an RPG forum based on Hasbro's Transformers toys and the associated fiction. Basically, it is a place where grown men and women pretend to be giant space robots for fun.
Q: Sounds fun! How do I play?
A: Glad you asked! The first step is to fill out an application for a character. The application can be found here.
Q: Whoa, this 'application' thing is long and intimidating! Which are the most important parts? Is there anything special I should know about it?
A: The most important parts of the application by far are the personality, fears, goals and roleplay sample sections. The first two let the admins know that you know who your character is, and what your personal spin on him/her is. The goals section is to make sure you're a good fit with the board. There are other Transformers RP boards out there, and if your goals don't seem like we'd be a good match, it'd probably be more fun for everyone if you played somewhere else. The roleplay sample section is to make sure you can roleplay well, which is what we do here.
It is important that your application be well-written, without spelling or grammar errors. It should read like an essay, not a text message.
Q: My application is submitted. Can I post now?
A: Actually, you could have posted before you ever sent in an app, but only in the OOC (Out Of Character) sections of the boards. You can't post in the IC (In Character) parts until your application is approved. (Keep in mind submitting an application is not the same as having it approved.) If you do post, just as on the app, write well. You don't want to make a bad first impression before anyone even meets your character.
Q: Okay, so how long does it take for my application to be approved?
A: A while. All three admins have to give their seal of approval to an app before it is accepted. This is not a rubber-stamp kind of thing. They go over applications thoroughly to make sure the prospective new player is a good match for Deadzone. In addition, they have other admin-type duties besides reviewing apps. Also, they have to make posts for the characters they play. Also, they have real lives and jobs and stuff that do not involve Transformers on the internet. Sometimes they go to Botcon. Also, there are generally multiple apps 'in the pipe,' and they are reviewed in the order in which they are received.
To make a long story short, an application can take anywhere from a few days to a month or so to get back to you, and even then, there may be revisions you need to make, or the character could be rejected outright.
Please don't nag about when your app will be done. Sending a single PM to make sure your app was received is one thing, and perfectly okay. (The internet can eat e-mails sometimes, we all know that.) Asking multiple times “Did you get to my app yet?” is annoying and makes a bad impression.
Q: Wait, characters can be rejected? Just like that? Why might my character be rejected?
A: Any number of reasons. This is a good place to start looking when you're thinking of creating a character. Is the character you are applying for actually a Transformer? Sorry, but you can't play Death's Head or a human. Nor can you play Optimus Prime or Megatron. (We have an Optimus Prime as an active character right now, but he is Transformers: Animated Optimus Prime, and is considerably less powerful than other Optimii, and less supreme leader-y.) Also, you can't play a character someone is already playing. For instance, we have Bayverse Ravage currently in play. This means you cannot play Bayverse Ravage. Sorry. You can play G1 Ravage, but since we already have a Ravage, it will take a really good app, and you'll have to demonstrate that he is different enough from Movie Ravage to be worth playing with. This goes for any character whose other-universe counterpart is hanging around Deadzone. You can't play a character from a Botcon continuity.
The character page of the wiki also mentions a number of concepts and character types that are considered 'overdone.' That is to say, they're character types that are supposed to be fairly rare, but get asked for so much that they risk losing the 'specialness' that makes them interesting for most people to begin with. We realize, for example, that just about everyone gets the urge to play an Autobot who used to be a Decepticon or a Maximal who used to be a Predacon from time to time, but if everyone actually did play one of these, there really wouldn't be anything special or unusual about defectors.
Oh, and one last thing. When you select a character you want to play, think about why you want to play them. If it's just because they're really powerful and kick everybody's butt, your application is probably going to get rejected. Omega Supreme is really powerful and kicks everybody's butt, as is Scourge. This does not make them interesting to play with. Their personalities make them interesting to play with. As mentioned above, the personality and goals sections of the app are important.
Q: My waiting paid off and my character is approved! Now what? What is actually the plot around here?
A: Way to go, grasshopper! Now you get to post into the IC forums. For your first character, you'll likely want to do an S1 intro. (That is, an introduction akin to how new characters were introduced in Season 1 of the G1 Sunbow cartoon, where they had their origins explained, as opposed to Season 2, where they just sort of showed up and everyone acted like they had been there all along.) In an S1 intro, your character arrives on The Rocks, and the unfortunate Transformers on rock watch brief them on the situation.
The situation, by the way, is a bit complex. Transformers are arriving in an unknown universe. Originally they were arriving on the planet Gillinan III, but now new arrivals are taking place aboard spaceships that the two factions have built. It's a bit more complex than that, of course, but you can get mostly up to date by reading this thread (for the Autobots/Maximals) or the Situation Summary (for the Decepticons/Predacons/Vehicons). Skimming around the IC boards will help too. Look for which boards have a bunch of recent posts. That is where the current action is taking place.
Q: My character's been briefed. Now if I need to know anything about in-game events, I can just have my character ask for me, right?
A: To an extent. Both factions have a database board for looking up basic information, and you'll usually want to check there before having your character ask that question. Now, you can always just ignore that board, claim your character never checks the database, and have them ask anyway. However, this tends to get the same sorts of results you have if you're in an internet chat room and ask a basic question that you could have easily Googled yourself. Sometimes people will cheerfully answer without giving it a second thought. Sometimes people will politely answer while wondering to themselves why they should be the one doing the Googling instead of you, and perhaps they will begin to look at you as a being dim. Sometimes people will answer the question, but do so grudgingly or in a sarcastic manner, pointing out that the you could have looked it up just as easily as they could. Sometimes they might just yell, "Just f*ing Google it!" Your character will get a similar range of reactions when they ask a question that the person answering knows they could easily look up on their own.
On the other hand, sometimes people like to have excuses to have their character talk about their home reality or their past adventures in Deadzone, so if the question would encourage that sort of thing and you think you'd both enjoy it, go ahead and ask. "Wow, is this place always this strange?" "This? This is nothing! You should have been here back when the evil alternate reality Autobots invaded!"
Q: This didn't answer my question! Your FAQ stinks!
A: Okay, that wasn't even a question, but I take your point. Believe it or not, other people have had similar questions to yours. Look around the OOC boards for threads with names along the lines of “I have questions” or “I am new here.” There should be plenty of them. Make sure the people in those threads haven't asked the same question you have before starting a new thread to ask questions, please, for the love of energon.
If you still can't find what you're looking for, check the Deadzone Wiki. In fact, the wiki even has another FAQ on it with somewhat more advanced questions, so now you have two FAQs for the price of none. (But you've been reading this FAQ, so you've already clicked through links to the wiki a few times, right?) The Game Announcements Forum is also a good place to check, as it contains this very useful thread, helpfully titled “Read Me First.”
If you still have questions, then go ahead and either ask on the General or Suggestions board (it's usually best to just grab one of the already existent question-asking threads, such as A Quick Question, so you're not burying other topics under an avalanche of 2-3 post mini-threads). If you'd rather not post your question in public, you can also send a Private Message to one of the admin: Emirate Xaaron (admin), Rodimus Prime (rp), and Shockwave (shockwave).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is this place, anyway?
A: This is Transformers: Deadzone, an RPG forum based on Hasbro's Transformers toys and the associated fiction. Basically, it is a place where grown men and women pretend to be giant space robots for fun.
Q: Sounds fun! How do I play?
A: Glad you asked! The first step is to fill out an application for a character. The application can be found here.
Q: Whoa, this 'application' thing is long and intimidating! Which are the most important parts? Is there anything special I should know about it?
A: The most important parts of the application by far are the personality, fears, goals and roleplay sample sections. The first two let the admins know that you know who your character is, and what your personal spin on him/her is. The goals section is to make sure you're a good fit with the board. There are other Transformers RP boards out there, and if your goals don't seem like we'd be a good match, it'd probably be more fun for everyone if you played somewhere else. The roleplay sample section is to make sure you can roleplay well, which is what we do here.
It is important that your application be well-written, without spelling or grammar errors. It should read like an essay, not a text message.
Q: My application is submitted. Can I post now?
A: Actually, you could have posted before you ever sent in an app, but only in the OOC (Out Of Character) sections of the boards. You can't post in the IC (In Character) parts until your application is approved. (Keep in mind submitting an application is not the same as having it approved.) If you do post, just as on the app, write well. You don't want to make a bad first impression before anyone even meets your character.
Q: Okay, so how long does it take for my application to be approved?
A: A while. All three admins have to give their seal of approval to an app before it is accepted. This is not a rubber-stamp kind of thing. They go over applications thoroughly to make sure the prospective new player is a good match for Deadzone. In addition, they have other admin-type duties besides reviewing apps. Also, they have to make posts for the characters they play. Also, they have real lives and jobs and stuff that do not involve Transformers on the internet. Sometimes they go to Botcon. Also, there are generally multiple apps 'in the pipe,' and they are reviewed in the order in which they are received.
To make a long story short, an application can take anywhere from a few days to a month or so to get back to you, and even then, there may be revisions you need to make, or the character could be rejected outright.
Please don't nag about when your app will be done. Sending a single PM to make sure your app was received is one thing, and perfectly okay. (The internet can eat e-mails sometimes, we all know that.) Asking multiple times “Did you get to my app yet?” is annoying and makes a bad impression.
Q: Wait, characters can be rejected? Just like that? Why might my character be rejected?
A: Any number of reasons. This is a good place to start looking when you're thinking of creating a character. Is the character you are applying for actually a Transformer? Sorry, but you can't play Death's Head or a human. Nor can you play Optimus Prime or Megatron. (We have an Optimus Prime as an active character right now, but he is Transformers: Animated Optimus Prime, and is considerably less powerful than other Optimii, and less supreme leader-y.) Also, you can't play a character someone is already playing. For instance, we have Bayverse Ravage currently in play. This means you cannot play Bayverse Ravage. Sorry. You can play G1 Ravage, but since we already have a Ravage, it will take a really good app, and you'll have to demonstrate that he is different enough from Movie Ravage to be worth playing with. This goes for any character whose other-universe counterpart is hanging around Deadzone. You can't play a character from a Botcon continuity.
The character page of the wiki also mentions a number of concepts and character types that are considered 'overdone.' That is to say, they're character types that are supposed to be fairly rare, but get asked for so much that they risk losing the 'specialness' that makes them interesting for most people to begin with. We realize, for example, that just about everyone gets the urge to play an Autobot who used to be a Decepticon or a Maximal who used to be a Predacon from time to time, but if everyone actually did play one of these, there really wouldn't be anything special or unusual about defectors.
Oh, and one last thing. When you select a character you want to play, think about why you want to play them. If it's just because they're really powerful and kick everybody's butt, your application is probably going to get rejected. Omega Supreme is really powerful and kicks everybody's butt, as is Scourge. This does not make them interesting to play with. Their personalities make them interesting to play with. As mentioned above, the personality and goals sections of the app are important.
Q: My waiting paid off and my character is approved! Now what? What is actually the plot around here?
A: Way to go, grasshopper! Now you get to post into the IC forums. For your first character, you'll likely want to do an S1 intro. (That is, an introduction akin to how new characters were introduced in Season 1 of the G1 Sunbow cartoon, where they had their origins explained, as opposed to Season 2, where they just sort of showed up and everyone acted like they had been there all along.) In an S1 intro, your character arrives on The Rocks, and the unfortunate Transformers on rock watch brief them on the situation.
The situation, by the way, is a bit complex. Transformers are arriving in an unknown universe. Originally they were arriving on the planet Gillinan III, but now new arrivals are taking place aboard spaceships that the two factions have built. It's a bit more complex than that, of course, but you can get mostly up to date by reading this thread (for the Autobots/Maximals) or the Situation Summary (for the Decepticons/Predacons/Vehicons). Skimming around the IC boards will help too. Look for which boards have a bunch of recent posts. That is where the current action is taking place.
Q: My character's been briefed. Now if I need to know anything about in-game events, I can just have my character ask for me, right?
A: To an extent. Both factions have a database board for looking up basic information, and you'll usually want to check there before having your character ask that question. Now, you can always just ignore that board, claim your character never checks the database, and have them ask anyway. However, this tends to get the same sorts of results you have if you're in an internet chat room and ask a basic question that you could have easily Googled yourself. Sometimes people will cheerfully answer without giving it a second thought. Sometimes people will politely answer while wondering to themselves why they should be the one doing the Googling instead of you, and perhaps they will begin to look at you as a being dim. Sometimes people will answer the question, but do so grudgingly or in a sarcastic manner, pointing out that the you could have looked it up just as easily as they could. Sometimes they might just yell, "Just f*ing Google it!" Your character will get a similar range of reactions when they ask a question that the person answering knows they could easily look up on their own.
On the other hand, sometimes people like to have excuses to have their character talk about their home reality or their past adventures in Deadzone, so if the question would encourage that sort of thing and you think you'd both enjoy it, go ahead and ask. "Wow, is this place always this strange?" "This? This is nothing! You should have been here back when the evil alternate reality Autobots invaded!"
Q: This didn't answer my question! Your FAQ stinks!
A: Okay, that wasn't even a question, but I take your point. Believe it or not, other people have had similar questions to yours. Look around the OOC boards for threads with names along the lines of “I have questions” or “I am new here.” There should be plenty of them. Make sure the people in those threads haven't asked the same question you have before starting a new thread to ask questions, please, for the love of energon.
If you still can't find what you're looking for, check the Deadzone Wiki. In fact, the wiki even has another FAQ on it with somewhat more advanced questions, so now you have two FAQs for the price of none. (But you've been reading this FAQ, so you've already clicked through links to the wiki a few times, right?) The Game Announcements Forum is also a good place to check, as it contains this very useful thread, helpfully titled “Read Me First.”
If you still have questions, then go ahead and either ask on the General or Suggestions board (it's usually best to just grab one of the already existent question-asking threads, such as A Quick Question, so you're not burying other topics under an avalanche of 2-3 post mini-threads). If you'd rather not post your question in public, you can also send a Private Message to one of the admin: Emirate Xaaron (admin), Rodimus Prime (rp), and Shockwave (shockwave).