ARK HISTORY TUTORIAL

[trodemods]

Introduction

When creating your character's history as a part of the Ark, you must take the character you intend to app and make them themselves, only in the universe of the Ark. We'll be explaining the process by walking through it with several different characters.

First, you have to decide a general concept for your character.

Is your character a soldier? A scientist? A wizard? What is their role, distilled down to its essence? Whatever they are, there is some equivalent in the Ark. We'll go through this process with three different characters. 1: LUKE SKYWALKER [Star Wars]. Luke Skywalker is a farmboy from a distant planet on the Outer Rim. He's inexperienced, but very powerful (though he doesn't know it), and destined to be a hero. To translate him into the Ark: Luke would be a farmboy from a land far away from the Capitol. He would have magical power, subconscious and untapped, and he would want to journey in towards the Capitol and maybe even become a citizen there someday. Alternatively, you could take him from a later point in his emotional arc, and have him be a former farmboy, now a famous diplomat, thaumaturge and mediator. With a laser sword. 2: GANDALF [Lord of the Rings]. Gandalf is a wise and ancient wizard without any true home. To translate him into the Ark: Gandalf is a wise and powerful wizard, elderly but not ancient, and one who has traveled the length and breadth of the Ark. Possibly he's a Capitol citizen, possibly not. 3: NANCY DREW [Nancy Drew]. Nancy Drew is a young, teenage detective, sweet and beautiful and kind. To translate her into the Ark: Nancy comes from a very norm-oriented society (America of the 1950s), so presumably she would be from a more organized place on the Ark. Nancy, then, is a young Capitol citizen, still in school but determined to help as many people as she can by conducting her own small detective agency.

Next, you should create a detailed history for your character.

Their Ark history does not necessarily have to match up with the character's canon history, but the character should be recognizable as themselves. Remember: Your character's relationships from their home universe may not be duplicated in the Ark. Luke can not know a smuggler named Han Solo; he can not have a twin sister named Leia. Gandalf may be a part of a brotherhood of wizards, but his superior wizard cannot be Saruman the White, and he may not have participated in an odyssey to Mount Doom with eight others to destroy a ring of power. Nancy's father may be a prosecuting attorney, as in canon, but he may not be identical to that father character. Characters will first be hearing about their canonmates during their arrival experience. Major parts of your history must be approved by the moderators. We don't have to know about your character's childhood pets, but we do need to know about the major emotional events of their life. 1: LUKE - His history should detail how he grew up, what his family was like on the farm, and what sorts of experiences happened to him there. With the second alternative of a character concept, the history should also cover how he came to the Capitol and how he came to be a diplomat, and what his training in magic was like. 2: GANDALF - Give us an overview of how he became a wizard, all of the places he's been, how he views the people he's come to know. 3: NANCY - Nancy's would be a pretty short history; just tell us about her family, what her parents get up to, and why she wanted to become a detective. Maybe you can cover a few cases that she's done, or tell us how well she's doing in school, what she wants to do when she grows up. History should be at least a few good-sized paragraphs.

Expect revisions.

The mods will make modifications to your Ark history to better have it fit in with the game, and we will work with you to make sure that everyone is satisfied before you are accepted into the game. This isn't because we think you guys aren't good writers -- it's because we'd like to see if we can tie backstories together whenever possible, giving characters points of commonality and reasons to know one another. We just want to make this as fun for you guys as possible!

How to fill out the Ark History section of the app.

III. AU INFO Name: (if different) Luke can still be Luke Skywalker, if you want. Age/Appearance: (if changed) A sentence or two will suffice. Gandalf wouldn't change too much. If you're apping a Transformer, we'd like to hear what their human form is like. Feel free to link to a PB if you wish. History: Please describe the character's history as concisely as possible, from their childhood to their arrival experience. Residence/Job: Where does your character live (an apartment, a mansion, a shack)? What is your character's geographical location (the Twin City, the Capitol, the Wilds)? What does your character do for a living? How do they make money? Nancy probably lives in a standard apartment in the Capitol. She has a monthly allotment of credits. Gandalf doesn't have a home to speak of, but his wizardry gets him money. Skills/Powers: Describe any exceptional abilities or powers here. Does your character have an advanced degree? Do they have any skills in magic? Luke is a ninja wizard; he can manipulate magic and is a fantastic sword-fighter. Nancy doesn't have many special skills, but she's smart and intuitive and very kind, and that allows her to do what she does. Resources: How well-off is your character? Do they have hidden bank accounts full of funds or are they living month-to-month? You can be brief in this section, but make sure it makes sense, given your answers to the other sections. Nancy does not have access to loads of riches. Luke as an Ambassador, on the other hand, may have a larger apartment and monthly allotment than others in the Capitol.

Things to Remember

◊ Don't be afraid to be creative! This world is far-ranging and extremely flexible. If there's something new you want to make up, go right ahead. ◊ Your Ark history must be posted on your journal and mod-approved before we allow you into any of the game communities.