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--- guide:introduction [2016/05/06 16:47] – created osakanone
+++ guide:introduction [2020/01/09 19:59] (current) – added Character Creation guide link luca
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 ====== New Players' Guide ======
-Welcome to Star Army! This article has the basic steps and info you'll need to participate. Please read it thoroughly.
+{{ :location:york_viewingobnull.png?400|}}
-{{https://stararmy.com/images/people_and_armors.jpg}}
+|//"What are the stars but points in the body of God where we insert the healing needles of our terror and longing?"//\\ - Thomas Pynchon, //Gravity's Rainbow//\\ \\ //"What's so far-fetched about mermaids? There's all kinds of weird sea creatures here in the future, like Dr. Zoidberg!"//\\ - Philip J. Fry, //Futurama//, The Deep South [S2E12] |
-===== Setting Overview =====
+**Welcome to Wandering Star Role Play!** This article has the basic steps and info you'll need to get up to speed. It includes a primer on the state of the universe, how to create a character, how to find a plot and join the community, and how roleplaying occurs.
-//Earth is just too small and fragile a basket for mankind to keep all its eggs in.
-— attributed to Robert A. Heinlein - [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_A._Heinlein]]//
+Take your time if you feel overwhelmed or lost - maybe look at the relaxing scenery, grab a cup of tea, and smell the breeze for a bit. If you want, we have some [[/inspiration|recommended media]] for your consumption. Wandering Star's Game Masters and community feel the things listed reflect the setting's style and elements.
-Earth was a long time ago. Perhaps as far from us now as the first recorded history is from now, but we have no way of knowing. Time and time again, humanity has been cast down to the dust to lift itself and begin anew - by war, plagues and occupation. The Earth itself is a legend and now too, the dimension it occupied as we leave it behind. But humanity survives, as distant travelers with new homes and new colonies as familiar to them and as home to them as Earth is to us.
+===== About the Game =====
+|//"Fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science Fiction is the improbable made possible."//\\ - Rod Serling|
-Technology has advanced in strange directions and our fundamental understanding of reality has changed. Gravity, high energy weapons, faster than light travel, the transmutation of the mind into information and a means of taking energy from space itself, but not without consequence.
+Like a classic text-based roleplaying game, or tabletop game like [[wp>dungeons and dragons|D&D]] or [[wp>gurps|GURPS]], you and other players create characters living in the persistent universe of Wandering Star. Your imagination defines the traits and thoughts of your character, and their actions and words define their future - via collaboratively written stories posted to a forum.
-We have escaped a world not unlike the one we have described to you and venture forth into something strange and new in exodus, exile, abandon and loss. The remains of civilizations which arose in this strange place begin anew at peace.
+The outcomes of these tales could potentially affect the setting for future players - woven by plots which grow together; They leave behind new discoveries, technologies, revelations, mirth, heartbreak, and with the right sort of attitude: //History//. But don't lose your head - The [[territories:aleph_null]] and beyond is a strange and dangerous place! Misfortune, calamity, taxes, and even death await the unwary.
-There are however threats to that peace; lawlessness, civilizations unmet, aliens incomprehensibly strange and most frightening of all, ourselves.
+===== About the World =====
+|//"Space," it says, "is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mindbogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space. Listen...//"\\ - Douglas Adams, //The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy//, Ch. 8|
-===
+Let's compare  Wandering Star's universe to those of our own, and look at some of the similarities differences between here, and where the action takes place in the [[territories:aleph_null]] and beyond:
-==== Yamatai =====
+  * **Existing Technology** - For convenience and familiarity's sake, anything which exists in reality, you can safely assume has a place here, even if it's not specifically mentioned here on the Wiki.
-The {{yamatai:flag_of_yamatai.png?25&nolink|}} **Yamatai Star Empire** is a technologically-advanced transhuman empire with most of the population using biological android bodies. It's got an 80s anime-inspired flavor and is protected by a massive, politically powerful military called the **Star Army**, which the site is named after. The Star Army has members of dozens of species serving, but it's best known for its cat-eared warrior women, the **Nekovalkyrja** (pronounced //Nay-ko-wul-ku-ree//). Due to mass production of Nekos, there are increasingly more women than men living in Yamatai.
+    * Technologies and innovations of the modern age as we know it are present: Household appliances and amenities, the internet, social media, consumer electronics, research books, papers, or similar archival techniques; military equipment or firearms, medicine, transportation, space travel((Hopefully defictionalised one day.)), and so on.
+    * However, the ideas and cultures wielding such things are not like here and now, because of some fundamental differences and additions listed below.
+  * **[[guide/setting_travel#space|Space Travel]]** - Between planets, space travel is easy: Many consumer-grade spacecraft in the setting are fitted with a System Cruise module, allowing the craft to move at a fraction or more of the speed of light within a star system, and return to normal speeds safely. This process can be interdicted, but escaped by following an escape vector.
+    * An access to a personal-grade Spacecraft is a sizeable investment as the ongoing costs of fuel, replacement parts, and hangar service fees add up. However, many merchants have managed to turn a sizeable profit operating only within their star systems.
+    * Moving between stars is not as easy, as the amount of power and the size of the technology necessitates the ships to be massive, requiring enormous powerplants and non-miniaturised technology to make faster than light travel a safe possibility between star systems.
+    * One solution to this is the installation of Warp-rings between star systems, paid for much like a tollway and operated by either a government capable of colonising and policing space, or a highly lucrative private operator. These require an ongoing maintenance and hefty resource toll, and as such, are out of the reach of most people. Chartering passage between systems is costly, and requires preparation.
+    * In either case, the ability to move from place to place in the universe has opened up the possibility of meetings...
+  * **Aliens** - We're not alone; This is a terrifying and at times hilarious possibility. Humans exist alongside a plethora of alien species and creatures both familiar and bizarre.
+    * The relationship between humans and alien species varies from place to place. To some, aliens are just more people in the mix of their day to day lives, while some community's whole lives can be defined by the arrival of a benevolent or malevolent alien species((But for them, it was probably Tuesday.)). Even so, individuals will have their own opinions in the end.
+    * Humanoids are a common shape, because aliens visit humans((Humans visit aliens, in turn.)) and enjoy things like being able to walk through doors, use seats, push buttons, and read. Its not neccesarily the best shape, but for those who can change or project their shape, it's very convenient. There will of course always be stubborn examples, and those unable to make the physical changes necessary.
+  * **[[guide/magic]] and [[guide/psionics]]** - Arthur C. Clarke is quoted as saying that sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. In Wandering Star Online, magic and psionics exist as fundamental forces in the universe, along with means and pathways to access and manipulate it.
+    * Technology does not suffer setbacks as a result of this, however - Magic and Psionics are merely additional ways for a player character to express their prowess. All three fields have means of being controlled, countered, and being accounted for in the end.
+    * Powers, abilities, and objects enhanced or through magic or psionic means have their own checks, balances, infrastructures, and maintenance associated with them - just as most technology does.
+  * **[[/weird_things]]** - There are forces in the universe beyond the alien species living in the next star system; They exist as a part of Wandering Star's world. These Weird Things (or Weirds) are natives to a series of pocket dimensions called The Weald, and they are known to dip into Wandering Star's universe occasionally.
+    * It helps to think of these creatures as people would consider demons, devils, angels, ghosts, spirits, yokai, cryptids, fae, and other creatures with unexplained or supernatural powers.
+    * Some Weirds can be summoned, managed, bribed, or wrangled somehow into a stint of servitude. They are readily associated with magicians and psionics.
-==== Nepleslia ====
+===== How To Play =====
-In stark contrast, The {{nepleslia:nespleslian_flag.png?25&nolink|}} **Democratic Imperium of Nepleslia** is a gritty cyberpunk nation of humans, cyborgs, and mutants that deals with high crime in its megacities. Mixing of genetic material from super-solider programs has resulted in muscular half-breeds and a population that is considerably more male than female. Nepleslia has a space navy and space marines. It was previously part of Yamatai, but it a decade ago, it rebelled and gained its independence.
+|//"Only the framing material," Lucas demurely, "obvious influences, Neo-Tokyo from Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Metal Gear Solid by Hideo Kojima, or as he's known in my crib, God."//\\ - Thomas Pynchon, //The Bleeding Edge//\\ \\ //"MISSION 1 - START!"//\\ - Metal Slug|
-==== The Vast Universe ====
+Roleplaying is a form of communication between its **Players** and their **Game Master**((Also called a Storyteller.)), if present; It boils down to using the forum to write posts, or writing dialogue together over a chat program and pad, and posting them on the [[https://forum.wanderingstar.online|forums]].
-As you go through character creation, you'll be introduced to several other interesting factions you can create a character for. You can also make your own faction if you like. Around the known factions is an endless sea of strange aliens, bold outlaws and jealous insurgencies.
+These stories often take place in colonies, towns, cities, spacecraft, space stations, starships, or may move from place to place over known and unknown locations. It is important that you should read up into the background of the kind of character you want to play and to get a sense of how the nations and entities within the setting work to determine which plot you feel would best suit you, the kind of story you want to be part of and the kind of character you want to play.
-===== Roleplaying Overview =====
+==== Styles of Participation ====
-In Star Army, you and other members create characters who live in the high-tech fictional universe of Star Army and then use your imagination to write your character's actions and dialogue to create collaborative stories. You can create and play characters forged by this unique universe and their actions will affect the setting for future players.
+Other methods of roleplay do also exist, but detailed below are the methods most used here on Wandering Star:
-Most RP occurs in ongoing RP plots. After their second RP thread starts, they can get their own subforum. A //plot// in this case refers to an ongoing role playing story and its group of players. In the Star Army RP, these are often based on starships.  Before you make your character, if possible, do a little background reading on the role-play and get an idea of which plot you want to join.
+=== Joined Post ===
+| **Players:** 2 to 4\\ **Requires:** Forum account, Wiki access/account, online asynchronous text pad((Wandering Star Online recommends using [[http://publishwith.me/|PublishWith.me]].))\\ **Optional:** Chat program((Wandering Star has a [[https://discord.gg/4YqWqVJ|Discord Server]]. Join up today, and introduce yourself!)) |
+| **++** Reads like a short story or novella when completed.\\ **++** Very close knit, and intimate.|
+| **!!** Can serve as a catalyst for an ongoing plot, with one of the participants acting as the Game Master.\\ **!!** Players write and edit dialogue/actions together.|
+| **--** Requires players to have agreeable timezones/scheduling.\\ **--** Does not scale well with more players. |
-For the full guide to roleplaying on Star Army, see [[guide:roleplaying]].
+The posts two or more players make are conjoined with direct interaction, over a chat program or pad, and edited for readability and punctuation. In this way, these collections of players can rapidly produce a very complex scene, or very personal interactions. These are often very intimate and emotional moments in roleplay. This makes them suitable for the prologues of plots, as they can afford to be detailed to set the scene and tone.
-=== Play-by-Post ====
+Joined Posts require the participating players to organise a scheduling arrangement to meet up and write together. An agreeable timezone arrangement helps immensely, but it is not unheard of for players from different timezones to make do. Otherwise, leaving replies on a pad until to work asynchronously until completion is possible.
-**Star Army** is a play-by-post roleplaying community, which means we operate by posting text on the forum. Unlike tabletop roleplaying games, Star Army is mostly just writing and does not use complex game mechanics (math). Most story plots have a **Game Master** (GM) assigned whose job is to guide the story, describe the setting, and write the actions of background characters (NPCs). In the Open Roleplay forum, the creator of the RP thread may act as a GM.
-**In Star Army RPs, we usually write in third-person past tense**, the way most novels do. For example: //A scowl of disgust appeared on Sayuri's face as she watched the lizard creatures eagerly gnawing on the abandoned corpses.//
+=== Sequential Post ===
+|**Players:** 2 to 12\\ **Requires:** Forum account, Wiki access/account\\ **Optional:** Chat program((Wandering Star has a [[https://discord.gg/4YqWqVJ|Discord Server]]. Join up today, and introduce yourself!)), as there is usually an OOC thread for discussion. |
+|**++** Format lends itself well to long term, episodic plots.\\ **++** Asynchronous posting playerbase possible.\\ **++** Possible for new players to join and begin participating quickly.|
+|**!!** Run and told by a Game Master/Storyteller\\ **!!** GM acts, posts non-player character actions and events\\ then players react reply with character actions and dialogue.|
+|**--** Possible for players to drop out unexpectedly.\\ **--** Lots of players can mean lots of work for a Game Master. |
-=== Flexible Time ===
+Posts which come one after another and contain only a single player and their characters. In this way, players who can't normally be online at the same time can post and then have others see their post and respond. More public and less intimate, sequential posts are ideal for moving something forward for players with busy schedules or different timezones. Sequential Post plots generally follow a format:
-At a site-wide level, a year in real life is equivalent to a year in the Star Army universe. However, you are not required to stay aligned with the actual dates throughout the year. To help keep track of space and time, please include the location, date, and time at the start of your posts as needed.
-=== A Shared, Living Setting ===
+  - Game Master makes a post with events and non-player character actions.
-Star Army is a shared, living world that is always growing. Your writing can add to the setting, and your RP may be affected by events in the setting. Because you'll roleplay with other people, expect to be surprised sometimes! Have fun and be brave.
+    *  This includes the introduction, which draws player characters together and sets the scene.
+  - Players post their character's responses to the above, and to other characters.
+  - Game Master reads player responses, dictates their outcomes with further events and non-player actions.
+  - Repeat until suitable conclusion is reached. Then, start another episode.
-===== Account Setup =====
+No matter what happens though, the Players and Game Master generally have a vested interest to enjoy what they are doing together.
-You must be **16 or older** to join Star Army. There is no cost to join or participate. Before joining, you should probably read the [[guide:rules]].
-Register an account on [[http://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/index.php|the forums]] by clicking "Log in or Sign up" on the upper right corner of the page. You're invited to then introduce yourself in the [[http://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/index.php?forums/introductions-new-member-resources.159/|Introductions Forum]].
+=== Messages ===
+|**Players:** 1 or more\\ **Requires:** Forum account, Wiki access/account\\ Can behave similarly to Joined or Sequential Posts |
+|**++** Ideal for news broadcasts, announcements, social networking, and trade conducted in-character.\\ **++** Asynchronous of plot, and can be used for plot devices. |
+|**??** Basically, a forum within a forum, if that makes sense.|
-Optional: Create a wiki account. The wiki login system is separate from the forum one, so you will need to register for both.** You'll need a wiki account to create and edit wiki articles (such as if you want to make a page for your character). [[http://stararmy.com/wiki/doku.php?id=start&do=register|Register an account for the wiki]].
+Messages are communications made in character, which can be result of or a cause for a plot. They can be written by one person representing an organisation, company, or character; But messages can also behave as **Joined Posts** or **Sequential Posts** are described above for social interactions or trade. Messages which can appear in Wandering Star Online can include, but are not limited to:
-:!: If you have trouble registering, contact the admin! See the **Questions and Assistance** section below.
+  * Broadcasts from news networks
+  * Announcements from government, territory, or local agencies
+  * A character's actions on a social media network
+  * A phone call made outside of a plot
+  * A private bulletin or edict within an organisation
+  * The outcome of a game played between friends
+  * Advertising material or promotions
+  * The contents of a document or in-character book
+  * A television show or an excerpt from a movie
+  * A distress signal
+  * Job openings
+  * Government propaganda
+  * An interaction with a government agency
+  * Trade, such as between a character and a vendor, an auction, or offers to sell goods and services locally
+  * Strange sounding alien gibberish from an unknown source
-===== Creating Characters =====
+==== How to Create a Character ====
-When you're ready, start making characters using the guides found on the **[[creating_a_character|Creating A Character]]** wiki page. Once your character is approved you're free to start [[guide:Roleplaying]] by joining a [[active_plots|plot]] group or by joining or creating a roleplay thread.
+Before you can play in Wandering Star, you'll need to create a character to see the universe through. This can be a difficult process, as the universe is vast, dark, and full of lights. [[index/ccg|A character creation index]] is available to guide you through the process and familiarise you with the world around the character you'll be creating.
-  * [[http://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/index.php?forums/open-roleplaying.194/|Open Roleplaying]] threads are a great place to start.
+==== How to Start a Plot ====
-  * Got an idea for a roleplay thread? Start an interest check thread in the [[http://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/index.php?forums/ooc-threads-interest-checks-rp-signups.28/|OOC and Plot Planning]] forum.
+|//"Shall I project a world?"//\\ - Thomas Pynchon, //The Crying of Lot 49//|
-  * Find other players to RP with in the [[http://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/index.php?forums/introductions-new-member-resources.159/|Introductions and New Players]] forum.
-Star Army is a community, so get the most out of this site by being proactive; get (and stay) involved. Make friends of your fellow roleplayers by showing them you're fun to write with! It doesn't matter how long you've been a site member: what matters is what you're doing.
+To get a plot started, Wandering Star has a place which acts as a rallying call and springboard: The [[https://forum.wanderingstar.online/forums/roleplay-request.27/|Roleplay Request forum]]. A game master, storyteller, or player posts a thread which acts as a pitch, a summary of what their plot will involve doing or conveying, and most importantly: Looking for other players to join in.
-===== Questions and Assistance =====
+Players then reply with their interest, bring forward character ideas, and ask questions. It is possible for the planning and brainstorming to take place beyond the thread, such as in a chatroom like [[https://discord.gg/4YqWqVJ|Wandering Star's Discord]]. While this is happening, the would-be Game Master constructs a plot page, and adds it to the [[guide/active_plots]]. Throughout the writing and pitching process, the aspirant Game Master has support and resources from the community and the administrators.
-Getting into Star Army is easiest when you ask someone to mentor you through it, and we're happy to do that! If we haven't volunteered yet, just ask! You've got questions: there are many ways to get answers or help:
-  * Post on the forums (Ask questions in the [[http://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/index.php?forums/introductions-players-seeking-rp.159/|Introduction forum]] or [[http://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/index.php?forums/roleplaying-setting-discussion-questions.2/|Setting Discussion]]).
+Once the Game Master and/or players signal they are ready to start, the Game Master/Players work on an introduction post, placing it in the [[https://forum.wanderingstar.online/forums/side-stories.3/|Side Stories]] forum. The first of these post may be written ahead of time by the GM to get it //just right//. The post's topic string has a ''[Plot Nametag]'' to distinguish which plot it is, and a name for the story within that plot. It is written as ''[Plot Nametag] - Story Name''.
-  * Talk to people in the [[https://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/index.php?chat/|chat room]]
-  * You can also contact [[user:Wes]], the admin: [[http://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/index.php?conversations/add&to=Wes|Start a Conversation with Wes]]
-    * if you can't log in, email stararmy@gmail.com or text to 1-209-782-7276
-===== Roleplaying Jargon =====
-The following are some common terms in the Star Army Roleplay Community.
-  * [[Damage Rating]] ([[:DR]]): A guideline for how much damage weapons do.
+This prologue post acts as the beginning of the sequence of events of a given sub-story within the setting and can be thought of an **Episode**. Following the first episode or prologue of content, the story can be given a sub-forum, which can be thought of as a show or adventure within the setting. An OOC thread may be made and stickied by the Game Master((Who is granted moderator privileges for the new forum, as part of becoming a Game Master.)) for the purposes of sharing or specific information or for player chat.
-  * [[gamemaster]] (GM): A plot's storyteller/referee
-  * [[:In Character]] (IC): Content that is in the story world.
-  * Joint Post (JP): A chat role-play session between multiple players, later posted on the forums.
-  * [[guide:characters|Non-Player Characters]] (NPC): Characters whose actions are not written role-players, but rather by the [[gamemaster]] (GM).
-  * Open Roleplay: Roleplaying threads that anyone may join.
-  * [[:Out Of Character]] (OOC): Content that is not part of the story world (real life).
-  * [[guide:characters|Player Characters]] (PCs): Characters whose actions and dialogue is written by a role-player.
-  * [[:Role-Players]]
-  * [[:SARP]]: Star Army Roleplay ([[:SARPcake]], [[:SARPtalk]], [[:SARPiverse]])
-  * Single Post (SP): A role-play post by a single player, posted directly on the forum.
-===== Related Pages =====
+After that, it's just a matter of making more episodes until the plot reaches a suitable finish. Completed or inactive stories may request to be archived by Game Master or players.
-  * [[computer_glossary| Computing]]: A glossary of specific computing & digital warfare terminology
-  * [[iromakuanhe:language#popular_expressions|Iroma Terminology]]
-  * [[stararmy:glossary]]
-  * [[firearms_terminology]]
-  * [[:freespacers:terminology]]
-  * [[guide:dictionary]]
-  * [[guide:vehicle_roles]]
+|"//It really seems to me that in the midst of great tragedy, there is always the possibility that something terribly funny will happen.//"\\ - Philip K. Dick|