Handy Dandy 'How To' for Applicants!

[mansionstaff]

 

Out-of-Character Information

Name: Or ID number if you're a cyborg or something.
Are you over 15?: If you can't count that high you shouldn't be here.
Time Zone: You can use +/-GMT or name the time zone, so long as we have an idea.
Personal Journal: If you have one on LJ or some other site, here are those fancy codes to link to it.
Reliable Method of Contact: Can be plurk, can be email, can be AIM, but it must be a way we can reach you in the event of an emergency.
Other characters in-game?: List 'em all here, please!
Link to slot request if 6th, 7th slot: Did you make a 6th or 7th slot request? If not, leave this blank. If you did, copy & paste that link in here for us so we can be sure all our Is are dotted and Ts crossed!
Anything Else?: Time constraints, English isn't first language, preferred method of contact, ect.

In-Character Information

Name: Name the Nameicus the third, Jr.
Game/Series: Revengeance of the Game the Series
Canon Point: This is basically where in the game your character is coming from. Post-ending? Pre-game? Halfway through the climactic scene where they bake cupcakes? It's fine if your canon point of choice doesn’t match that of your castmates.
Age & Birthday: If your character doesn't have a canon age or birthday, give us your best estimate. (Some people will use the release date of the Character's first appearance, some just pick an arbitrary day. You do you.)
Dorm or Living Arrangements: Where does your character hang their hat? The dorm assigned to them by their House? In someone else's Dorm? In the Woods? Under a rock? In the pool?
House: Gunner? Brawler? Swordfighter? Or Assist? See our handy dandy Guide to Houses before deciding and if you are still unsure, list two or more in order of preference and let the Mods help you out!

Personality: The one tip that I give out to everyone who asks is this: a good app will tell me how a person is, but a great app will also tell me why they’re that way. “Wingaling the Fruitfly likes popcorn and apples and toffee and Smarties” is not a personality trait and would be better suited to the “anything else?” section of the app, but “Wingaling usually isn’t seen without some sort of junk food – he says he just has a big appetite, but secretly he tends to eat when he’s nervous, and having sweets to fall back on makes it a little easier to deal with his shyness making holding a conversation so difficult” is a great example of something we’d like to see in a personality section. Similarly, favourite colors/TV shows/bands/hobbies should also be filed under “anything else?” unless they are used to illustrate personality traits. If you’re having trouble, here are some basic points that might help you get started:

∙ Core personality traits: The basic stuff that comes to mind when asked “what’s this character like?” Try to aim for a fair balance of positive and negative traits, if you can.
∙ Motivations and goals: Not necessarily just the things they want to be when they grow up. Personally, I find that a character is much easier to write long-term if you have a “quest” in mind for them. Are they learning how to love again? Are they following their secret dream to become an R&B superstar? What is it that they want/need to do in life?
∙ Fears and insecurities: Everyone’s got their little demons. This includes stuff like a fear of spiders, but also the more private stuff like a secret worry that everyone they trust will eventually betray them or the nagging thought that they’re going to grow up to be a lonely cat lady.
∙ Interactions with others: There are going to be a few generalities that apply to mostly everyone (“opens up more to people she’s known for years than perfect strangers”), but the way that your character handles social situations can also be telling about their personality, especially since the entire basis of every RP ever is social interaction. What sorts of traits do they admire or despise in others? Do they prefer to surround themselves with lots of friends, or do they value their alone time more?

It probably shouldn't need to be said but we're going to say it: don't make a Mary Sue.

Backstory: A summary of events that occurred in the character’s life, leading up to whichever canon point you’re taking them from. If you’re apping a canon character, you can simply paraphrase game events. If you’re apping an OC, then keep in mind that we know literally nothing about your character before seeing this app: this section is where we get to see what kind of environment the character was raised in, what sort of values would have been instilled in them, and what sort of dangers they would have had to cope with. You’re especially very welcome to embellish on events by noting the impact they had on the character’s development (“It was this tragic, doomed game of Marco Polo that gave Crazy Hand his paralyzing fear of string bikinis.”), but try to keep the bulk of it to the personality section.

Be sure to include how they end up in the Smash Isles, too. Maybe they heard of a Magical Place where they could turn into a human and immediately journeyed to Final Destination City, maybe the city/woods/lake sucked them in of its own accord and they simply can't get home, maybe they’re laying low from the Space Police on some isolated Island outside of normal space-time like that's a thing that happens.

Character histories are linkable to a wiki. However, there are a few rules in regard to this:

∙ You must still include a paragraph describing where your character cut off in the timeline and how they ended up in Smash Rising.
∙ The link must obviously have a good amount of history for us to consider it. For example, Otacon's wiki link would be accepted, but Lash's barely contains anything in history since there isn't much told about her in the game, and would require you to write one up for her. That whole using-your-imagination thing.
∙ Obviously, OCs and canon characters with barely any histories in the games will require the normal write ups.

Anything Else?: This section is for miscellany like Pokemon movesets (if they have a canon moveset, like an in-game trainer’s Pokemon or a Brawler, then please use that moveset), appearance, hobbies, etc.

In-Character 1st person sample: This is the sort of post that we would see them putting on the network, or in a journal. You’re certainly welcome to write their intro post as a sample, but bear in mind that it is hard for a post to tell us about the character if it consists of keysmashing/not knowing how to type, and “hello, I’m Meta-Ridley, nice to meet you” is less likely to leave a strong impression than another sample idea. It's fine to assume the character has already learned what a computer is/how to be a human/where they are for the sake of their samples.

If you need an idea for them to write about, here are a few possible prompts:

∙ Your character just saw Crazy Hand and ten other people all dancing in speedos in the hallway.
∙ Your character just won/lost a brawl in the stadium. You are welcome to reference Brawl stages and items. (“Why did we agree that the only item allowed was Bob-ombs?!”, “I got run over by F-Zero cars TEN TIMES! It was awful!”, “Wow, the simulated Dialga at Sky Pillar looks just like the real one!”, etc.)
∙ Your character has decided to befriend a wild chocobo. They then find out that this chocobo has Mob Ties and they suddenly need to know how to extricate themselves from an impending life of crime.
∙ Someone has sent your character an anonymous love note.
∙ There is a cake in the rain.

You may also use DR threads and external memes as samples. You may also use samples from other games. Keep in mind that if it's not sufficiently showcasing the personality or voice the character, or is not a very recently dated sample, we may ask you to write a sample for us anyway. We will do this on a case-by-case basis. Writing a new sample for us is greatly preferred. You may also write a new sample and post links along with it to supplement.

In-Character 3rd person sample: This is the sort of post we’d see you writing for a prose log. “Wingaling sighed and thought about toast” instead of “Man, I really love toast”, and so on and so forth. Again, if you need a few ideas, here are some suggestions:

∙ Your character is having their first lunch in the Smash Mansion. Write their reaction to being served their food by Nancy, the lunch Ursaring.
∙ Your character decides to plant a garden in the back yard but comes to realize that there's Piranha Plants lurking in those tall weeds. What do you do!?
∙ If your character is non-human but using a gijinka/humanized form, write them struggling with a human concept like fancy-dinner etiquette or wearing pants.
∙ Your character is looking through the Item Storage closet when they knock over an Assist Trophy.
∙ Your character is attempting to bake a triple-decker cake.
∙ Your character finds a trinket/food/etc. that suddenly reminds them of home.

As with 1st person samples, you may link to them but again, we prefer that you write us new samples to show you have a strong grasp of the character no matter the time, place, setting or situation. We also really really prefer that you use prose for your 3rd person sample(s), and not bracketed [action tags]. We can, however, accept them if we feel they display good voice, introspection, body language/gestures and so forth. But please, try to keep it to purple prose. When it comes to playing in Smash Rising itself, you may find many of our players switch between the two, so it's great to show us that you know how to represent your character in either style.





The Mansion in Smash Rising has four sets of residential quarters, each devoted to a House. These Houses are based around four combat styles.

GUNNER.
Can you shoot an apple off a guy's head at fifty yards? Or do you just like the sound of gunfire? Is your Bow a force for Justice in some far-flung forested realm? Or do you rain fire from the skies with the aid of a staff or stave? So long as you like blasting or impaling foes from a distance, you could make it as a Gunner!

This House includes but is by no means limited to: Shotgun totin' hunters, lightning-bolt flinging Gods, dark and gritty Space Marines. Legolas.

BRAWLER.
Are you a fighting freak? Do you punch first and ask questions later? Do you have Biceps on your Biceps? Are you more at home in a pair of Boxing Gloves than you'd freely admit in public? You might just be a Brawler!

This House includes but is by no means limited to: Kung Fu Legends, Bullies who punk weaker kids for their lunch money, heroes who's primary method of dispatching enemies is jumping on their heads, Tai Chi aficionados.

SWORDFIGHTER.
Avast ye knave, fear the edge of me cutlass! Were you born with a blade in your hand? Do you spend way longer than is necessary cutting up fruit for friends and neighbors who don't even like fruit? Was your favorite show the Ginsu Knives Infomercial when you were growing up? Or is fencing more your thing?  Maybe you prefer a wooden bokken, or even a bow staff if you want to take things that far. (We'll even accept Shovelry.) If any of this sounds like you? You probably should look into being a Swordfighter!

This House includes but is by no means limited to: Knights and knaves sworn to the blade, lusty or rusty Pirates, Katana wielding Ninja, beam-sword toting space farers, over-zealous chefs with too many uses for that set of steak knives, dagger wielding assassins, Honedge. (It's... literally just a sword. There is no other House for this creature. If you successfully app a Honedge into another House, you will be a Living Legend.)

ASSIST.
So. You don't really punch much. You're afraid of projectile weapons and you don't trust yourself with a butter knife let alone a sword. But aw, man, look at all these Amazing fighters! Don't you wish you could be a part of the fun?

Well, good news for you! You can! Welcome to the life of the Assist House!  Can you swing a cheer baton? We know you can! Or maybe you're a singer? Ready to belt out some Battle Anthems to help those out on the field get into the spirit of SMASH!? Ever craft a potion to give your Paladin Brother a much needed boost of speed and strength right before a Boss Battle? Or maybe you're a Healer, casting Dispel just in the nick of time? A l337 H4)(0r (Circa 2001, apparently.) who can fiddle with stadium controls to give their Champion the advantage they need! A Necromancer, happy to bring a fallen combatant back to Finish Things? Or maybe you just have a good throwing arm and can hurl 1-Up Shrooms into the ring from your place in the stands. Opportunities for Assistance are limitless!

Does being in the Assist House mean you can't get into the ring and deal some damage? Hell No! By all means, if you've got some skills we would love to see you Bring 'em!

This House includes but is by no means limited to: Pokémon Trainers, Digimon Tamers, That Kid from Yokai Watch (Probably.) White Mages, Dark Mages, Alchemists, Cheerleaders, Pop Idols, Nature Loving Hippies, Chefs who like to prepare meals more than they like cutting things, Robotic Engineers, Small Children. Literally Anyone who can do anything even remotely useful.