-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- (01-12-02) | Dune III House Ginaz Application Information | Dune III 1.0 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. So You Want To Be a Ginaz? 1.1 The Application Process 1.2 Available Positions 2. The Character Profile 2.1 Directions and Hints 2.2 A Template 2.3 Examples 3. The RP-Test Interview 2.1 Directions and Hints 2.2 Examples
1. So You Want To Be a Ginaz?
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1.1 The Application Process
Dune III MUSH requires that you get hired for a particular character by a faction head before you enter the IC world. Each faction head may have a slightly different procedure for hiring new players, although they're usually pretty similar. We, like many other factions, may require both a character profile and a short test-scene before hiring. Keep in mind that the approval process does take time; this is necessary to make sure that the characters on the grid are believable and consistent with one another, and that everyone has a well-defined role. This process also requires that you, the applicant, put thought and time into creating an interesting and believable character that fits the position he or she will occupy in the House to which you're applying. The faction head (Jacob) and any other members of House Ginaz that you catch online will of course be able to assist you with your questions and ideas.
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1.2 Available Positions
These will be posted, typically, on this website, on this page. You can also see what roles are already actively filled in House Ginaz by typing '+roster Ginaz'. If it will help you come up with ideas you can substitute the name of any other faction for Ginaz in order to see what types of roles are in play there.
Note that House Ginaz is ALWAYS hiring diplomats and guard-types, no matter what else we have. We're also very open to unique and interesting roles of your design, so if you think of a role, and it's not listed in our recruitment post, just ask! You can always contact Jacob by page or @mail on the MUSH, or by e-mail at ginaz@dune3.net.
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2. The Character Profile
Before you go IC (In Character), you need to have a role in a faction, and a detailed history. Some parts of your history will be common knowledge (you can type '+sheet/bg
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2.1 Directions and Hints
Think about what sort of character you want to play. Start with his or her personality. Then, go back and fill in personal and historical details that might make him or her into that sort of person. However, also keep in mind that your background history must match the role you are applying to; a borderline psychopath might be a fantastic character to play, but it is very unlikely that a House Major would hire one to run its military. Also keep in mind the restrictions of certain roles and the requisite training they must have gone through. For example, Suk Doctors must attend the Suk School and receive Suk Conditioning; there is no way around this. If you're in doubt at all about the requirements, just ask (it's easier that way on all of us).
Try to avoid making your character an orphan. For some reason more than half of the applications I see seem to do this! Even if your whole family lives on another planet and you never see them, it helps RP to be able to occasionally mention them. Plus it's simply not thematic to have so many orphans running about. Make sure your character is old enough to hold the position you are applying for! This is probably the most prevalent problem I see. No 20 year old Advisor-level Mentats, 25 year old 10th level swordmasters, 30 year old Generals, 27 year old Suks, and so on. Remember, the spice prolongs life for a very long time and the older your character is, the better he or she will be at his or her job. Considering only the best and brightest are hired to serve on Kaitain, you'll need a lot of experience in your background. Most characters (but of course not all) that House Ginaz employs should be from Marcinko, our homeworld. There will be exceptions, but have a reason for them. Finally, if you want details relating to other factions in your background, we'll have to get it approved with the head of that faction as well. A lot of people apply for characters whose mothers were of the Bene Gesserit and taught them their ways -- this is not thematic and will not be allowed. The same goes for powindah who know the secrets of the Bene Tleilaxu -- not gonna happen. Stick to the role you want, and don't be superhuman. Flaws and weaknesses breed RP a lot more than strengths do, and will make more people want to RP with you.
Some questions to ask of yourself when creating a background: What is this character like? How would he or she deal with common situations that might pop up? How does he/she deal with other people (hint: if really badly, you may have a hard time RPing, since that inherently involves interacting with others!)? What are his/her goals? Greatest fears? Strengths and weaknesses? The more complex your character is, the more fun other people will have playing with you, and the more fun you will have yourself.
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2.2 A Template
There is a good template available on the old MUSH website. There is also a readme file available there that is worth reading through. When filling this out, keep in mind that some fields are more important than others. Don't worry too much about Title and Position, as long as you make it clear what role you are applying for. Physical descriptions can always be changed, so you don't need to make this part perfect either. The medical profile will probably be sparse for most characters as well. The two main parts are the History section and the Psychological Profile section. The History section should contain all of your character's relevant job experience as well as the important events in his or her life. Most of these events will help to shape the character into the sort of person you describe in the Psychological Profile. Focus on these two parts, and create a believable and interesting character that you will enjoy playing.
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2.3 Examples
While you can see shortened versions of people's backgrounds with the command '+sheet/bg
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3. The RP-Test Interview
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3.1 Directions and Hints
You may be asked to do a brief testscene with one or more current House Ginaz members (usually Jacob, and maybe others as well). This scene will test your understanding of how to RP on this MUSH (which is why it is recommended that you browse the archived RP logs as described in the next section), as well as your knowledge of the MUSH theme, and also tests the 'fit' of your character into the role. The scene will usually be a complex situation; don't worry about finding the 'right answer' if you're posed a difficult question. Just react naturally and characteristically, and you'll be fine.
In general, RP on Dune III consists of one or more players taking turns writing paragraphs. So rather than typing a series of short poses (Jacob sits. Jacob nods. Jacob says, "Sounds good."), type one long pose that incorporates all of the actions you want to do in this 'turn'. This way, your RP partner knows when it is their turn. Take your time, and don't worry about typing really, really fast. When in doubt about anything, ask OOCly! While it's difficult to describe exactly how you RP, just jumping in and learning seems to be the best way to learn.
When RPing, or anywhere on the IC grid, if you want to speak OOCly to someone in the same room as you, simply type '+sooc
A few final tips: Learn how to properly address the people you're talking to! The world of Dune is very strict about social niceties at times, and making mistakes could prove very detrimental to your character. The occasional mistake is of course excused (and expected!), but if you make errors consistently, you'll probably insult people and make enemies ICly. You can always look up a person's proper title and form of address by typing '+sheet
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3.2 Examples
On the MUSH website, there is an archive of the dune3-readers email list, which contains many examples of RolePlay on the MUSH. Browsing these will give you a good idea of what RP looks like and how to do it, with the added side effect of learning about some of the current and past important IC events. To find this archive, go here and click on any month to see the archived RolePlay logs from that month.
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If you have any questions, please contact Jacob, either online (via @mail or page) or over email (ginaz@dune3.net).