General FAQ (Including Info on Character Re-approvals)
How much EXP do I need to reach level X?
These are the EXP levels you need to achieve to get to each level:
Level 1
2,000
Level 2
5,000
Level 3
9,000
Level 4
14,000
Level 5
20,000
Level 6
27,000
Level 7
35,000
Level 8
44,000
Level 9
54,000
Level 10
65,000
Level 11
77,000
Level 12
90,000
Level 13
104,000
Level 14
119,000
Level 15
135,000
When starting out, how many abilities can you have and at what power?
This question is both easy and difficult to answer at the same time. The main issue here is moderator discretion. An RoG moderator is given the leeway to approve characters based on their judgment, depending on what level you are. In theory, you could have anywhere between 1 and 10 abilities, but the more you have, the weaker they'd all have to be.
With swordplay and weapon ability, you can generally have average skill with one primary weapon (and less than average skill with secondary weaponry) if you have other abilities. It honestly depends on how many other skills you have, and how 'good' they are for battle use.
Say you have a healing spell that restores a portion of my energy. It can be used around 3 times per thread, let's say. Given the usefulness of that spell, you’d likely only be allowed to have below average skill in one weapon, and if you wanted more weapon skills they'd have to be lower. This is how we, as mods, would look at it. It's all about balance and moderator judgment.
However if you have no magic and just some small racial abilities, like slightly advanced hearing and smell, you could be awarded slightly above average skill in two different types of weaponry, or perhaps just one.
We're really pretty flexible. If you want to be specifically skilled in one area for some reason, an approvals moderator can work with you to limit your character's other abilities accordingly.
What is the wanted length of profiles, including and excluding the history?
Storyline information goes in the history. Length doesn't matter, but if you provide length just for the sake of providing length, it can be a pain for us to read through.
However, if you feel it's necessary to have a long profile, that's fine. Just make sure your skills and equipment are in plain view and easy to find at a glance. Provide enough information on your abilities so that they are understandable.
What are the spell limitations on mages?
There are no limitations when it comes to variety of magic. You can have elemental magic, summoning spells, enfeebling curses, etc. Pretty much anything you can think up can be made to be perfectly fair and fun at the same time.
Do spells count as skills?
Spells count as skills, yes. As a mage you can understandably have more spells than a swordsman would, but a swordsman would be allowed more physical abilities.
Is there a list of spells one can look through or does each character make their own?
We don't have a list of spells you can choose from, everyone makes up their own.
How do battles take place?
One can check out some battles in 'The Citadel' in 'Corone' to see how they work, if you like. Basically, you launch your attacks, but aren't allowed to say whether they hit your opponent or do any damage. Your opponent decides whether they get hit or manage to dodge, parry, etc.
The winner is decided by writing skill, not which character sustains less damage.
Are profiles deleted if their owners are inactive for a while?
If a profile is not approved and is inactive for two months, it is deleted, yes. But they can be recovered. It's encouraged to start a new one, however, as the character might no longer be fresh in your mind after a long period of inactivity without ever writing with him. Approved profiles are never deleted.
If there is one, what is the max level a character can achieve?
Twenty, though it used to be fifty. To be honest, if someone gets to level 20 and wants to go higher, we probably won't stop them. However, just getting to that kind of level would take a lot of time, so we'll face the issue when we get to it.
What should I be wary of with regards to skills?
Anything that isn't straightforward, really. We suggest making some generic spells, like creating a light or something, more flexible so they'll have more than one way of being useful.
The clearer you are on an ability, the better. Carefully choosing your words will help anyone looking at your profile understand the abilities your character has.
Can I have an extensive, all-encompassing history?
A very long, extended history is great. We love to see characters that are well thought out and obviously took some time to create. This shows us that you care about your character, care about your writing, and intend on spending some time using that character. At the same time we have a group of RoG Moderators who have to get to as many profiles as they can each day. In no way am I advocating that people strive to make shorter, less detailed profiles, but after finishing your profile, if you read it over and feel there are some things that are less important to your registration and could perhaps be brought out later in a quest/s, please take it into consideration.
A character's history is not one of the criteria for whether or not a character gets approved or not (The one exception being if you blatantly ripped off your story/character from someone else). So, for the ease of both the RoG Mod looking at your profile and for the sake of any future RP partners searching for your abilities, gear, skills, and so on, please have well defined sections containing these categories in your profile. There have been instances where people muddle up all the criteria for approval into an extremely long history and it makes it difficult on everyone. For that reason I'm going to instruct all the RoG mods from now on to request that you have clearly defined your skills, gear, abilities, and spells where they are easily identified and reviewed.
Should I hit the 'Submit Thread for Judging' link for approval?
The 'Submit Thread for Judging' link at the bottom of a post is not for character profiles. This link is only used for submitting completed quests or battles for judging. With profiles, you make the necessary edits as decided by the approval moderator, then simply post in your thread again to let us know you edited.
What are the limitations for equipment materials?
Weapons and armor can be as strong as steel and no stronger when you are registering a new character. Iron is encouraged if you have a lot of skills or many pieces of equipment, because it's considered to be slightly less durable and heavier.
When can I join a thread freely?
Generally, you should only toss yourself in a quest or battle when the threads specify being "Open" somewhere. If there's no specification whatsoever, it's best to contact the thread leader before acting.
How many threads can I be in?
You can be in as many threads as you like, but try not to spread yourself too thin or it'll be hard to keep up. Of course, this varies from person to person.
Find the right pace for you and try to stick with it.
What's your stance on re-approvals?
Regardless of whether a profile was approved in the past by staff, the current mods have the right to refuse the approval of any pre-approved profile unless the edits asked for are adhered to. What was okay on the old site may not be okay anymore.
What's your stance on quest spoils in updated profiles?
Items and abilities granted in quests are subject to review by the RoG. Just because a judge gave you an item or ability does not guarantee it will not be modified when updating a character profile.
