Applications

Applications

What are Applications?

Applications are our way of enabling players to do and play, cool things. They are special privileges given out by the team meant to enrich the gameworld. You can apply for virtually anything. This document discusses a range of examples and concepts that players may apply for through EFU's application process. The DM team wants – as much as possible, while maintaining the consistency and balance of our setting, and not compromising the standard of roleplay in EFU – to help make your dreams come true.

When building an application, try to keep things minimal. Imagine it as telling a friend about your great idea. Explain what you want to do with what you are getting. There are two important qualities of a good application that are worth mentioning. The number one important quality of a good application is that it has goals that involve other players while requiring minimal DM support.

Special Backgrounds

Example: I am applying for my character to have been a member of the Order of the Sun Soul. Example: I am applying for my character to have been a personal friend/relative of an important NPC. Example: I am applying for my character to be a family member of the House Skatterhawk, a noble house of Cormyr.

Special backgrounds are a reasonably self-explanatory and often (but not always) a relatively easy application to have passed. Membership of a canon Forgotten Realms / EFU organisation or family, or anything entailing a pre-existing relationship with NPCs, and more, can be included in such applications. Quote Subraces / Faction Member:

See elsewhere for a complete list of factions. These two are grouped because they follow the same general rule.

When applying for subraces, you need to earn your subrace and the benefits that come with it by showing DMs in an application that having the subrace/faction position will add to the server and your goals in some manner.

It also helps significantly in subrace applications (as well as applications in general) to have played previous successful characters. Successful, in this sense, is mostly about:

- Living out your PC's natural life. (ie. not giving up/ragequitting/otherwise OOCly ending your PC in an arbitrary fashion.) - Involving yourself and others in player or server plots/associations/factions. - Good quality roleplay & characterization.

You may apply for a subrace not on our list, but this generally requires a very strong application and sometimes a dm to implement it.

Prestige Classes

Example: I am applying for my character to take the Assassin PrC. Example: I am applying for my character to take the Champion of Torm PrC, except as a Champion of Bane. Example: I am applying for my character to take the Red Dragon Disciple PrC, except as a Deep Dragon Disciple.

Prestige classes in EFU do not have mechanical requirements any longer.

However, you must demonstrate in your application that your PC meets certain prerequisites, or otherwise demonstrates a strength of concept or prestige worthy of the prestige class. Your application should include details of your intended build. Although we do not have strict guidelines about minimum levels of other classes (for example),players should propose a build that is suitable for the standards of EFU.

Establishment of a group with NPCs and/or property

In the past, PC factions have risen to possess their own personalised HQs. This is generally a benefit acquired by long-term groups or PCs that breathe a lot of life into the gameworld as proactive institutions. As such, there are also rentable rooms and faction halls that are scripted and thus available for more general or temporary use. Earning NPCs or property is a big deal and requires considerable dedication and strength of concept. It is not hugely encouraged to apply for this too frivolously or too early, especially when rentable HQs are available.

You would also be required to take IC steps to see something like this come to fruition.

Storylines or plots

Example: I am applying for a character who possesses a key to an unknown part of the Machine which has been passed from Scrapper to Scrapper. Example: I am applying for a character who escaped slavery from Nyxae and gathers a group of warriors to get revenge. Example: I am applying for a character who seeks his father who went missing with the Society after the Crystal War. Example: I am applying for a character who is enthralled by the Dread Empire and operates out of the House of Knowledge.

It is best to design such plots/storylines to give yourself the means to advance these things or play them out among other players – and let us just drop in and give you a piece of loot, or make something happen, or help you bring the plot to a close when it has advanced sufficiently.

The idea is that, with a minimal necessity for DM effort - perhaps a random NPC possession or an event or two - you can independently go about telling a story or trying to fulfil some plot with your PC, and the server can be more interesting for it.

Unretirement

The team is fairly good with letting people take breaks from their PCs and dealing with real life. Hell, this is a game! There is a consensus however made by the team. If you are inactive with your PC for over two months the team has a right to retire your pc. This is done for a myriad of reasons, one of the big ones being the abandonment of plots and the danger that someone like a random level 9 coming back into the fray to pvp. This app is a little different from the others and in it you would more or less explain your reason for departure and why you want to return to the PC.

Example: I am applying to return to my character after a three month hiatus. Real life had me busy with moving and I am back on my feet. My PC was an infamous watcher before I left and I am not quite done with his story. On my return I will follow through with my original character goals and explain my character's absence as paperwork after getting caught bending the system one too many times.

Another Miscellaneous Favour

• Example: I am applying for my character to have access to the Devils summoning theme.
• Example: I am applying to start with a cloak that makes my kobold look like a human.
• Example: I am applying for my Exile PC to have a hook horror animal companion.
• Example: I am applying for my character to have a set of magic make-up.
• Example: I am applying for the scum lair.
• Example: I am applying for my PC to be level 11 (or higher).

A note about Preludes

Applying for a prelude quest to begin a concept or (more likely) a group concept is possible. But an application may not always be required.

If you gather together a number of other players for an interesting group concept of some kind, feel free to approach a DM to – if they are interested – run your group a Prelude DM quest to introduce them to the setting.

Of course, as we often say, you can apply for anything! This is not an exhaustive list, by any means.

How to Submit an Application

Once you have completed an app using the correct Template, review the following instructions:

• Copy your completed app and create a ticket under Application submission with the following subject: A subject line of Account Name - Primary Subject - Secondary Subjects

• Paste your app into body of the ticket, and preview for any typos or last minute changes. Once you are done, submit the ticket via the Create Ticket button.

• The app will disappear within 24 hours, and should be completed within the next 2-7 days. Feel free to approach a DM for updates after 48 hours. Check Application Results for your app within the 2-7 day time frame.

Template

This is simply a template, and it is not the only way to write application. However, these are some pieces of information we would like to know in some detail or level:

A subject line of Account Name - Primary Subject - Secondary Subjects

• Your GSID (the account you will use to log in this character if approved) and previously used and well-known account names (make it easier for us to know who you are!)
• A general idea of your playing times
• A brief description of your character's history. Emphasis: brief!
• Explicit listing of name, race, age, alignment, deity, and class.
• Explicit listing of what you're applying for (what race/class/faction/other perk)
• Your character goals; these explain what you will do with your character, if you're approved, and should also point out why it will be fun for not only you, but other players, to be approved. The most important section!

Example

Below is an example of a strong application to give you an idea of what we are looking for.

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GameSpy ID: _SideKick

Playing times: Irregular, late afternoon, early evening GMT.

Bio: Barely a teeneager, Krast fled his home of Grunwald after accidentally killing a merchant’s son during a scuffle. He eked out a destitute existence in the Lurkwood, surviving on hunting and banditry. As the passage of years brought the Lord of Death’s judgement ever closer, he sought penance as a hunter of the undead and faithful servant of Kelemvor.

Krast Dreyman, human, 43, lawful neutral, rogue/ranger

Faction membership: Numinous Order

Goals:

Brooding, bitter and irreverent; Krast’s crude personality is in many ways the antithesis of the Order’s strict doctrines and purity. However he shares a fanatical zeal towards slaying the undead and a newfound religious fervor.

Believing his banishment to Ymph is one last chance at redemption, he will lead brazen missions into the Withered Lands to hunt undead. He will also stalk necromancers and witches within Mistlocke. Paying informants to name and watch potential suspects. Any found guilty of the crime of necromancy would be made to face Order justice. The Muster, if not an irrelevance, is unequipped to deal with matters of such significance.

He will dedicate himself to mustering resources and manpower to fight the Lichess. He will publicly deride the houses Caermyn and Aberdenn for not doing more. Shaming their associates and retainers into joining the crusade against H'Bala and even pushing for it to be made a compulsory service.

He will also lobby the Mayor and Muster to give criminals facing execution or banishment a second chance, by committing their lives to fighting the undead. These outcasts would be bound by oaths and made to wear garb that stigmatised them. Should they renege on their vows, they would be dealt with by the Order. I imagine this pragmatism would also lead to some friction with the Order itself.

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Analysis

Within a few short paragraphs, this player describes not merely a character, but a vision for his faction and for the future of Mistlocke. Sparing no words on idle chatter, he lays bare his character's fundamental philosophy, his long-range goals, and his concrete short-term plans. His ultimate objectives are bold, dramatic, and exciting. They offer incredible opportunity for conflict and cooperation, both personal and ideological, and set the stage for wonderful stories. This application is absolutely excellent and inspiring.

Take-Home Lessons

Notice how the biography focuses on the character traits which are important for the rest of the application. The character's driving motivations are laid out, but with no unnecessary focus on his life story -- this is perfect. Every line of the goals section adds a new goal or concrete plan for implementing a goal. These specific concrete steps, many of which can be done without DM involvement and which allow for a wide variety of interaction and conflict, are just as important as the overarching vision and long-range goals.

This application is a good example of how you can make an amazing, awesome character out of an incredibly simple mold -- an ex-bandit. A common mistake is to try to substitute rare subraces, obscure deities, exotic homelands, or other "uncommon" molds for real depth and exciting goals. Remember: your character will not be special because he's a water genasi; he will be special because of the depth, thought, and awesome characterization that you provide. The application is your first chance to show off your goals and concept.The key thing here is that we very quickly understand the origin of the character's motivations, what his goals in the setting are, and what he will be doing on a day-to-day basis in striving to achieve these. He plans to engage with, and attempt to change the gameworld in a highly feasible manner. And not a single part of his plans requires a DM. This character is bound to enrich the gameworld and interact with other players in interesting ways (conflicting and cooperating). He is easy to approve, and bound to attract our attention in the active pursuit of his goals amongst other players.

Credit to Sternhund and Arkov for the old forum thread on which this information has been based.