InsaneJournal

A Treatise Regarding the Introduction of New Characters

I. Integrating Your Character's Concept with Game Canon

A. Stargate-based Characters

1. Pre-existing SG Characters

a. Atlantis Characters ~ If the character is already in the city of Atlantis in the show, i.e. Radek, Miko, Chuck, etc, the only thing you really need to concern yourself with is the current game timeline. The timeline diverges from right before the season three episode of "Sunday" (circa early-2007), and carries on from that point as its own universe -- look to the entries in the very latest posts for when, in relation to that point, game "present" is. There are many websites out here with which you can refresh your memory (or learn about) SGA up to that point. We highly recommend that you then familiarise yourself with the most recent threads and ask questions in the OOC journal to determine just where your character would fit in to our current timeline. Other than that, you should, theoretically, just be able to jump into any "open" thread, as your character is technically already established. Also, look to see if your character is already being NPC'd in an active thread -- query as to whether you can/should take over, or whether the people NPCing the character need to keep playing him/her for a story already in progress.

b. SG-1 Characters ~ These are only a little more complicated than Atlantis characters in that you need to establish both why they are coming to Atlantis (for a specific mission or reassignment? It can be the former -- just because they're coming for a specific mission doesn't mean they can't find a reason to stay later) and how they are arriving, the most likely avenue being the Daedalus. (Please note: if you use the Daedalus, you must contact the mods, to work out when it will arrive. The Daedalus takes a month to leave and return.) In this game, the Space Bridge is not yet completed, so if your character is arriving by Stargate, you need to give a viable reason (like having found another ZPM). Any means outside of the Daedalus and any reason outside of reassignment should be mentioned in your application and cleared by the mods. You should also bear in mind the position your character will hold -- it is unlikely that we would allow a character of a higher rank than John to stay in Atlantis for any extended period of time, for example. And no one's going to allow a character to take over Elizabeth, Rodney or Carson's positions, obviously.

c. Aliens ~ Pegasus is a big galaxy!

i. Human Aliens ~ The Athosians, the Satedans, the Genii, and countless other humans have contact with Atlantis on a regular basis. The Atlantians could meet your character on a mission, or the character could be visiting Atlantis for some reason. Just make sure you have a viable reason for staying in Atlantis or visiting on a regular basis -- this is up to Modly discretion.

ii. Alien-aliens ~ The Wraith, the Replicators, or some alien that the Atlantians haven't met with are all possibilities. Just bear in mind that, unless we meet your character on an away mission and make a treaty with all your character's people, your character is likely to be highly restricted, especially if they are Wraith or Asuran, so think very carefully before considering taking such a character on.

2. Original SG-based characters ~ Pretty much the same ideas apply to these characters as with their pre-existing counterparts -- they just have a bit more leeway, in that their background is entirely up to you, so long as it doesn't conflict with canon. And really, even that can be gotten around, if you come from an alternate universe. ;)

 B. Other Franchises

1. Your Canon ~ remember that the other players may not be familiar with your chosen canon, so be prepared to "explain" things a lot to the characters within game-play. At the same time, it's generally better to choose canon that most people would be fairly familiar with, so not a lot of time has to be devoted to explaining things. Now, since the canon of many non-SG stories would be considered in conflict with Stargate canon, it's highly recommended that you bring your characters in as being from an alternate universe. If there are already characters in the game that are from your chosen canon, you should defer to their interpretation of canon, since they were in the game first -- it's wise to get to know them and talk things over with them on a regular basis. If you feel your interpretation is in conflict with theirs at the very start, you might consider being from yet another alternate timeline from theirs, but acceptance of this scenario will be up to modly discretion -- we might determine that that would be too confusing. We'll consider it on a case-by-case basis. It's more likely to be accepted when characters are playing versions form different media -- for example, Harry Dresden novel characters versus Harry Dresden TV show characters.

2. Pre-existing Characters ~ if there are already players playing characters, we highly suggest you contact those muns and discuss the possibility of your playing a related character, to make sure there won't be conflicts over canon during gameplay. We may look to those muns when deciding whether to accept your application, if we're not already familiar with your canon ourselves. Ultimately, we want to make sure you have a clear understanding of your character, and how to integrate it into the game. We will not allow the same character to be played by multiple people, not even from different universes.

3. Original Characters ~ obviously there's much more leeway with an original character, but you still need to demonstrate a firm grasp of your own canon, how your character will relate to characters from your own canon, and how your character's characteristics will relate to the Atlantis environment.

C. Completely Original Characters ~ Obviously, this offers the most leeway, but this also requires the most work on your application, since no one else would be familiar with the world you've created (unless you’re a famous author_. Not recommended, as it requires a lot of work all around -- it's better to play a character that others are already familiar with at least on some level, even if it's just in what world the character is from.

II. Bringing Your Character into Gameplay

A. Planning

1. Familiarise Yourself ~ with Stargate canon up to the Atlantis up to, but *not* including, "Sunday". Then familiarize yourself with what's going on currently in the game, and consider how your character might get involved with/affect those situations -- or how their arrival might be affected by the situations.

2. Game Timeline ~ Most of the time, it's best to introduce new characters at a point that's set *after* the rest of the already-existing threads. Just check with the rest of the players to make sure no big event is being planned that your introduction will effect, or be affected by, in some way. Don't forget to date your entry, too.

3. Take into consideration things like Atlantis security and quarantine protocols. Expect that your character will be restricted for a while -- the more of a security threat your character is, the more restricted you'll likely be.

4. Multiple threads ~ Remember that you can play your character post-arrival even while your character is in quarantine/the brig in your introduction thread. But while playing those post-arrival threads, it's good to have a firm idea of what ultimately will happen to your character in the initial thread, so that you don’t end up negating your own canon. If you're uncertain about anything, please ping the mods or mention it in the OCC journal, and get feedback. We're here to help! :)

5. Plan Ahead ~ It's a good idea to restrict your play threads that take place at least a week or so after your introduction (since you might be in quarantine for a while) and know what kind of security clearance your character will have, so you know where your character can and can't go/what they can and can't do. The likely one to discuss this with is Sheppard-mun, Val-mod.

6. Let Your Character Get Along ~ Don't put your character into a position where they'd be at odds with the people of Atlantis from the get-go unless you have a viable way of getting them out of being at odds with them. Otherwise, we'll never get anywhere -- your character would just end up either in the brig indefinitely or not in Atlantis at all, 'ey?  Be wary of having character traits that could potentially hobble them so much that you can't do anything with them. Plan carefully -- and don't write them into a corner. The easiest (though by no means "only") way to introduce non-SG characters is by having them encounter the Atlantians on neutral ground and get invited back. Still, even then, you need to work out the reason for that invite with the other players. Think of a reason for your character to be considered trustworthy and invaluable -- or ask for help, and the mods and other players can help you think of something. :)

C. The OOC Community ~ is an invaluable tool for planning your arrival. Let other players know what you would like to do, and pose any ideas you have for how your character can start out. If you would like to jump into a thread already in progress, tell how you would like to do so. And if you need help planning how your character will fit into the game, feel free to ask other players for help!

D. Modly Approval ~ A good rule of thumb is to get modly approval on your plans before introducing your character. That way any possible wrinkles can be ironed out. And you can curtail a lot of potential problems in advance by reading over everything in the mod journal, particularly:

                        The rules: http://lostcitymods.insanejournal.com/782.html

                        About Stargate Atlantis and the game: http://lostcitymods.insanejournal.com/1264.html

                                Contact info: http://asylums.insanejournal.com/lostcity_ooc/367.html

If you have any questions not answered here or in one of those links, feel free to contact the mods! And if you have trouble thinking of a way to integrate your character into the game, we'd be glad to help!

E. Thread (aka Spotlight) Highjacking ~ Remember that a thread already in progress was started for a reason other than your character's introduction, so if you join a thread, your joining should enhance the story already in progress, not pre-empt that story. The thread should not then have to divert focus to your character, instead of adhering to its original intent. This is why the preferred method of introducing a character is to start a new thread, so as to devote full attention to your character, whose entrance should get its own spotlight, don't you think? :) Introducing a brand-new character into a pre-existing thread without discussing it with the people involved with the thread may result in your entrance being ignored by the other players, if it interferes with a story already planned.

F. Be a Game Master ~ For all intents and purposes, when you start a thread, especially a thread introducing a character, it's your responsibility to guide the thread as the Game Master for that particular arc. It's your idea, after all -- have a plan before you start, and make sure that everything you do moves the story, rather than stagnating it. Give the other characters prompts -- no one can read your mind, and no one wants to throw what your ultimate plan is out of whack, so they look to your for story cues as to where to go. If you need help coming up with ideas, feel free to ping a mod or broach the subject on the OOC journal! :)