Watch the Footage

Right, anyone know the Character Development Thread on the TVTropes forums? Yeah, I'm thinking of making something like that here. Essentially, the gist of things is that someone creates some sort of setting, and then everyone sticks a character in there and roleplays and then stuff happens. Woohoo! (For the record, this was evidently based off a NaNoWriMo thing; I'm not sure what exactly that was, but I'm fairly certain it's this.

Now, here's some basic rules derived from the above NaNoWriMo version (so it might include some obvious stuff):

• 1. After you make a post, give others a chance to respond before you post again. This is the main reason that the first thread was shut down.
• 2. When talking out of character, please use (), [], or {}. (also, an "OOC: [insert out of character stuff here]" would work)
• 3. In your posts, please include some detail and make sure that is isn't completely random. Comments that don't have anything to do with the RP should be posted in the discussion thread, which will presumably be this one.
• 4. Goes without saying, but please try to keep things civil- as in, no flaming, spamming, Stus/Sues/god-modding, etc. Inevitably, someone's gonna end up doing something other players end up unhappy with (I've fallen into both categories more than once myself :P ), but disputes like that should be resolved with diplomacy rather than sniping at each other.
• 5. Naturally, you'll have to wait to RP until your character form is approved. As mentioned below, the nature of this RP means that some varieties of character simply won't be accepted.
• 6. I like to think I'm kinda lenient, but cause enough of a disruption over a long enough period of time, and penalties will be doled out to offending characters. (The original rule just said banning, but that seems a bit extreme :| )
• 7. Have fun! (and try to help everyone else have fun, too!) :)

A not-so-brief note on character creation: While you can use characters you've created in the past (in fact, I'd prefer it very much), whoever you roleplay as has to be designed entirely by you, the RP-er, or at least mostly by you; for example, Darth Imperius, RT's submission for the First RP character sheet opening thingamajig, is one of the possible player classes for Star Wars: The Old Republic, but his personality and such are entirely RT's characterization rather than the game's, so he'd be acceptable. Remember, this is not an RP for expies of characters from actual series; even if you've used a certain character before in an RP or something, if you designed him/her/it by taking something from a different canon (like, say, Touhou?), changing a few minor details, and calling it a day, it's not gonna fly.

With that said, here's the character application form-
Name:
Age:
Appearance:
Personality:
Equipment:
Abnormal Powers/Skills/Abilities/etc.:
Setting: (which of the three thread settings you intend to put the character in; you can assign as many characters as you want to each setting, but I'd prefer no characters being featured in multiple settings)
This character will be featured in: (name of work, type of medium, brief summary of plot and character's relevance- essentially, this explains where your character comes from)
Other:

Notice how I mentioned "thread settings" above? Yeah, I'm currently planning three different settings for roleplay threads: Anthem University (a prestigious lakeside college set Twenty Minutes Into The Future or so), Emerald Labyrinth (vast canyons of magic-infused crystal with an underground maze beneath it), and Crumbling Keep (a rusting but high-tech watchtower on a barren island in the middle of a cloud-covered ocean planet with an eternal sunset). Try to stay within the location boundries for the sake of the premise (a whole bunch of characters show up in setting X, with situation-related stuff going on and secrets to discover), but feel free to put whatever kind of characters you like in whichever setting you like. Cyborg mage at the university? Go ahead! (but don't make magic and stuff a normal thing at the university, though, since it's supposed to be pretty much normal Earth :P )

One more thing- some writing suggestions from the TVTropes page:

• 1. You must care enough, as a writer, to use proper spelling and grammar. To exercise your writing, offer at least a few full paragraphs. Did you react to the other characters in the scene? Did you act out and flesh out your character at all? A few full paragraphs means exactly that: at least 2-3 full paragraphs, or at least 12-15 sentences. Paragraphs are at least five sentences. Each post is like watching another player's turn in a high-tense place — make it count.
• 1a. By extension, put significant action in your post. This can mean you might introduce a new element that advances the plot, have your character take an action that the other players can’t ignore, or that sets up something for later. You might simply characterize your character(s), be it by delving into his/her thoughts, or having them take seemingly trivial actions that reveal aspects of the character underneath. You might explore the relationships between the characters, be it between your own characters or with those of another player. These are all examples of significant action.
• 1b. The practical reasons for doing so is because it is unsatisfying for people to put down filler posts which describe little more than a hit on a ghostly foe, or simple small talk that fiction writing would gloss over without second thought. It's also frustrating, waiting for the story to get its move-on in this manner. In short, more depth per post results in deeper story immersion, and it would help curb the overwhelming rapid-fire posting.
• 1c. Conversely, be wary of forcing too much action in your posts which keeps other characters helplessly at bay.
• 2. Refrain from taking control of characters that belong to somebody else. More often than not, this causes characters to act out-of-character. If you come to a point where you want to or feel that it is necessary to do so, ask yourself the following questions. "Do I know this character well?", "Are my plans for them consistent with their established characterization?", and, most importantly, "Do I have permission to do so from this character's author?" And, yes, you need to ask yourself those questions every time.
• 3. Try to stick to writing one character at a time. Having two or more characters tends to lead to detached micro-management a la CRPG and Real Time Strategy games, and depth of character would be preferred to breadth.
• 4. Keep OOC-chatter to a minimum, unless if it's serious like an extended absence, dropping out from the story, or major plot issues. This is to help keep immersion. Minor quibbles can be adapted to in the writing itself, or through PM's. If you wish to have a chat about a character thread, put it in the discussion thread.
• 5. Ass Pulling your character out of harm's way is seriously frowned upon.
• 6. While we can have our fun with innuendo and nudity, do try to keep the explicit stuff to a minimum. Think of the young'ems!
• 7. Overall, try to have good etiquette which includes (but isn't limited to) encouraging other participants to contribute to the story. Each post must advance some element of the story in a significant manner, as described above. If your character grows and changes in the process, goodly! Imagination and creativity is the staple of writing.

Right, I think that's about it. Questions? Comments? Applicants?

Name: Anna Rose Weston
Age: 22
Appearance: Fairly attractive. Anna is slender, with golden hair she usually keeps pinned up in a bun. She has rather pointed features, including a sharp nose that she isn't proud of, and bright green eyes.
Personality: Anna is curious about almost everything. She likes asking questions and has a very good memory. She also regards almost anything as an adventure, from exploring a new house to riding a horse at breakneck speed through the dark.
Equipment: Anna always carries on her a candle and some way to light it, along with cold iron and silver. She almost always has a notebook and pen so she can jot things down, and she rarely carries a weapon unless one of her friends insists.
Abnormal Powers/Skills/Abilities/etc.: Anna is a medium. She can communicate with ghosts and other spirits, though her encounters with them are rare depending on the area she is in. She has also learned how to deal with other magical beings, though she has no natural magical skill aside from being able to see and communicate. She believes she may have the Sight but doesn't have enough experience with the Sidhe.
Setting: Anthem Academy
This character will be featured in: The House in the Moor (unpublished), a novella. Anna is the protagonist, called to a house in Scotland to investigate a supposed haunting.
Other: She often signs her name A. R. Weston out of the habit of disguising her gender.

Made a quick edit to the topic post- there's a list of writing suggestions on the TVTropes page I forgot about, so I ported those over to here.

Name: Rutherford S. Carbuncle

Age: 67

Appearance: He's very fit for his age. To look at him you'd assume he's under 50. His skin is dark and wrinkled, showing evidence of a lifetime of too much sun exposure. He's dressed for the outdoors, with a wide-brimmed hat and lots of pockets for various small tools.

Personality: Easily distracted at times, he's nonetheless very dedicated to his chosen profession, archaeology. He's a passionate individual who will pursue an interest relentlessly until the next thing comes up.

Equipment: He has a multitool on hand, with a knife, scissors, pliers, screwdriver etc. Also a lighter, magnifying glass, writing implements and a notepad, and some food bars stashed about his person. Oh, and he has a pair of Augmented Reality glasses.

Abnormal Powers/Skills/Abilities/etc.: So, those Augmented Reality glasses. They're super useful. He can access pretty much any information he wants at any time, like having Wikipedia directly in your brain. They can display directions, identity plants and animals, act as binoculars... they're EXTREMELY versatile. The downside? He's an addict. As in, AR addiction is a common diagnosis where he comes from, and though he's so far managed to stay functional, he has a serious problem. Trying to spend any amount of time without the Augmented Reality glasses results in him being extremely irritable, and once he turns them on it could be days before he can bring himself to turn them off again. He rarely sleeps at all. Still, like I said, those things are DAMN USEFUL.

Setting: Crumbling Keep

This character will be featured in: An alternate history setting where the Library of Alexandria never burned. He's on a team that excavates suspected campsites of early homo sapiens.

Other: The "S" is for "Samson," but he never tells anyone.

Name: Marcus
Age: 19(Physically, ~40 chronologically)
Appearance: Has dark brown hair and skin of ony a slightly lighter shade. Small and rather weak-looking, looks much younger than his real age, but his eyes indicate someone much older. His cosmic state turns his normally purple eyes hollow and white.
Personality: Doesn't know how to deal with people most of the time, and is averse to most forms of conflict. Cosmic form makes him much more impulsive/violent. Greatly enjoys chocolate and other assorted sweets.
Equipment: A collection of spellbooks loaded with various elemental and psionic tool spells, as well as a bag of emerald coins and a stone dagger.
Abnormal Powers/Skills/Abilities/etc.: Normally, can cast an array of spells from a book with the particulars of the spell written in it. Under large amounts of stress, he goes into a "cosmic" state which gives him slightly increased durability and the power to fly, at the expense of any control over his power. Draws magic energy from the surrounding area.
Setting: Emerald Labyrinth
This character will be featured in: Dug Too Deep, my Minecraft(fan fiction) webcomic. He serves as one of the two primary protagonists, along with his brother Steve, and will be the inspiration for the Herobrine legends.
Other: Is afraid of the dark.

Name: Snipejaw

Age: Indeterminate

Appearance: His default appearance is that of a mid-thirties man, clothing variable. He looks like an average guy, except that his lower jaw is essentially this.

A second form he is fond of simply changes his face, such that it appears as though he is wearing a gas mask.

Personality: Snipejaw, despite his deformed lower jaw, enjoys speaking. When spoken to, he will respond, but if he doesn't like you, he'll just remain silent. He's a fair enough person for a half-human half-monster-thing.

Equipment: None.

Abnormal Powers/Skills/Abilities/etc.: As a result of him being what he is, Snipejaw can adjust his genetic code to shapeshift. Control down to the cellular level a la Bene Gesserit makes it difficult for him to be hurt, especially since his cells can replicate at exceedingly quick rates as he dictates (again, genetic code control). Also, he can assimilate people, allowing him to take on their appearances and gain their memories. Superstrength and such, etc as a result of genetic control.

Setting: Crumbling Keep

This character will be featured in: (name of work, type of medium, brief summary of plot and character's relevance- essentially, this explains where your character comes from) The working name I'm using for the story is "Monsters". Plot: Monsters dwelling underground longer than humans reassert their dominance as the top of the food chain. Snipejaw introduces background. Maybe the protagonist.

Other: Was a soldier, before his rebirth in an embryonic pustule.