bravenewmods | Application Post

THIS POST IS FOR ARCHIVE PURPOSES ONLY. YOU CAN FIND THE NEW APPLICATION POST HERE.

Applications are currently OPEN.

Interested in applying to Brave New World? Simply fill out the form below and submit it! We do have some rules, though.

-Brave New World is an Alternate Universe game. All canon characters must be crafted specifically into the setting in order to be applied. Additionally, Original Characters may be applied, they too must be specifically crafted to the setting.

-You are permitted to either post the application directly to this page in a comment or to post the application elsewhere (preferably your character's journal) and link it in a comment here.

-Applications may take up to one week to process, and revisions up to three days. We'll do our best to get to them as soon as possible, however.

-If you are asked for revisions, please re-submit them within 72 hours of mod response. If no revisions are received within that period of time, your character will be made available again and someone else may submit an application for them.

-If you are rejected, don't worry, you can always try again! We currently have no limits on how many times a person may apply for a character; however, we do reserve the right to ban a person from apping a certain character if it gets too far out of hand.

-We do not accept application challenges. If you apply for a character that already has been applied for or reserved by somebody else, the other person will receive due consideration first. If they are rejected, their reserve expires, or they fail to re-submit revisions within 72 hours of a mod revision request, then, and only then, will we consider your application.

A Guide to Ease the Process of Applying - Skip if You Feel Prepared
As there is quite a bit of information to get through, we do encourage everyone to read through all the pages in the Directory before applying. However, pages that absolutely need to be read include the following:

Premise: A description of the game, and an introduction to the history of Union (the city in which the characters live) and what it means to be Enlightened.
Rules and FAQ: A basic Q&A addressing game mechanics can be found in the FAQ, including a basic outline concerning Bonding with Pokémon and rules concerning levels and Pokémon attacks, a description of our communication network (Warp Bands), and a description of Enlightened and Enhanced Items.
The City of Union: A post describing the physical locations within the City of Union. New areas may be added by players as they wish.
Society & Culture: A post describing the culture and the social mores of the civilization within Union as well as a listing of important Union-specific professions. You may choose to have your character serve as one of these professions or as another less Pokémon-specific profession like 'waiter' or 'chef'. This post may be of particular importance for crafting a working AU for your character.
The Enlightened: A post describing what it means to be Enlightened as well as Enlightened abilities you may choose for your character and how they affect game mechanics. As a note, any character who does not want to have special skills should choose the skill 'Far from Ordinary', which essentially means they do not have powers.
Training, Bonding, and Leveling: While this post is not essential for reading before the app, the details given on bonding with Pokémon will need to be understood to get the most out of the game.
Starter Pokémon: A list of all the starter Pokémon that may be chosen. Please pick one and note it in your application. Your starter does not have to share one of your character's types.
AU Planning: Before applying, it may be helpful to glance through this post and see if you can make plans with someone to have prior CR or to otherwise plan for future CR. You may also post on our Plotting Comm, which is open to all, to see if anyone would be willing to hash out some AU details with you.
Plot Timeline: As the game has been running now for several months, it may be helpful to glance through to see which events your character would logically have experienced as a citizen of Union before you begin to play them.

Prior to February 3rd, 2014, we asked that anyone who wished to apply a character from outside Union contact us first for approval. However, this no longer requires approval as long as the character is from a small, outside settlement and does not intend to return. If you intend to make use of a large civilization outside of Union, please still do contact us so we can discuss details. We generally prefer characters to come from settlements already established in game. We also ask that you contact us to talk things over if you plan to include any major actions by the NPCs of the city of Union in your application: for example, if you are attempting to app a murderer and you need to talk about how Union would respond to his crime.

Whenever in doubt, please feel free to contact the mods with any questions you may have! If your application includes some detail that conflicts with the established societal norms of Union, we'll respond to let you know. This does not mean your app is unacceptable! We absolutely want to work with everyone to make sure they can get an AU that they can enjoy. At the most extreme end, we can even accommodate things like people who want to work to bring down Union, but again, please do contact us to hash out details.

To submit an application, fill out the form below and submit it:

<big>PLAYER INFO</big>

Name: (What you go by online.)
Contact Information: (How other people can reach you. Personal journal, e-mail, AIM, Plurk, etc.)
Time Zone: (What time zone do you live in?)
Characters Played: (What other characters, if any, do you play already in Brave New World?)

<big>CHARACTER INFO</big>

Character Name:
Character Canon:

History: (A wiki link to your character’s history can suffice. However, if there is no wiki or there isn’t enough information on it, we will require you to write it out. OCs are exempt from this section)

AU History: (This is required for all characters to integrate them into the setting. It can be reasonably simple, or it can be more complex. You may integrate other characters into your history with their permission.)

Canon Personality: (We want to see how well you know your character’s personality. We expect at least four full paragraphs of information about them that encompasses a solid overview of their motivations, strengths, and weaknesses. This personality should be based on their original canon appearance.)

AU Deviation: (The nature of the AU is such that the character's personal history will be different, be it in simple or dramatic ways. Due to a much different upbringing, we expect there to be at least some variation, even if small. Spend at least one paragraph detailing in what ways the character differs from their canon incarnation.)

Canon Abilities: (Please list their abilities, be they mundane and supernatural. This includes items of power such as giant robots or magic weapons, and what they can do.)

Enlightened Abilities: (While your character will not have access to their canon abilities, they will instead gain access to up to two Pokémon types as outlined here: http://www.serebii.net/xy/typechart.shtml

Through these types, they will be able to take on an ability set that can mimic their canon abilities. Additionally, they will gain access to special trainer abilities as detailed here: http://bravenewmods.dreamwidth.org/715.html

While filling out this section, a good format would be to describe initial abilities and the way the abilities will develop after the first and second evolutions.

If your character has no canon powers, they may still be an Enlightened.  However, we ask that the abilities you choose generally make some sense for the character, whether it's related to personality or other canon considerations.

While complex vehicles are beyond the technology level of Union, characters may, as part of their overall composition, use Enhanced items that have aspects of an available Pokémon. A character may begin with a single Enhanced item, such as a sword that contains the Fire type. This is generally recommended to be similar to something they use in canon.)

Starter Pokémon: (Pick one from the list found here: http://bravenewmods.dreamwidth.org/968.html. Additionally, you may pick a single common Pokémon from the map post found here: http://bravenewmods.dreamwidth.org/5884.html from any of the Verdant Forest or Old City areas.

If you have the "Far from Ordinary" perk, you may pick two starters and one Verdant Forest/Old City Common. Starter Pokémon need not share your type. You are not required to pick a starter; you may start with no Pokémon if desired.)

Notes/Special Considerations: If you have special things you want to do with your character that can potentially impact the plot such as giving them an ancient power from a clan thought long extinct, this is the place to put it. It's suggested that you contact the moderators beforehand to hash things out if you want to do anything dramatic. You may also PM or IM one of the moderators beforehand if you wish to get the section pre-approved or ask questions on what is and is not allowed.

<big>SAMPLES</big>
(NOTE: You may link a previous entry or thread, including testrun or musebox threads (but NOT Dear Mun), for one or both samples. However, we want to see the character in the setting of Brave New World and specifically in their AU for at least one sample.)

First-Person: (Also known as “commentspam.” This is from the character’s perspective and helps us determine how well you grasp your character’s voice. The minimum is six sentences. If we deem that there is not enough spoken or written dialogue, we will ask you for more. If you link an outside entry or thread, the minimum is 10 comments from your character in one thread/with one character.)

Third-Person: (This is written in prose from an independent narrator’s perspective. Here we want to see an insight into your character’s unspoken behavior -- actions, thoughts, their view of their world, etc. The minimum here is two paragraphs. If we do not get a good sense of your character’s behavior, we will ask for more. If you link an outside entry or thread, the minimum is 20 comments from your character in two threads/with two characters.)

If desired, you may answer some of the following questions in lieu of samples. The questions must be answered in-character, as if they are being asked by a teacher, mentor, or superior. If your character is lying in their answer, please identify it as a lie.  The purpose of these is to get an idea of how you will play your character in lieu of the other sample options. 4 questions answered can be used as a substitute for a first-person sample, and 6 questions answered can be used as a substitute for a third-person sample. Both samples may be replaced in this manner. If the character doesn't say enough in their answer, we may request a few more answers for an acceptable sample.

-What would you say the role of Pokémon is in your life?
-What do you feel your role in your city is?
-What do you seek for humanity’s future?
-To what lengths would you go to rescue your allies if they were lost in the wilderness?
-What would you say the most important occupation is within your city?
-What does the story of the Savior mean to you?
-What aspects and traits do you respect most in your individual fellow man?
-What do you look for in the Pokémon with whom you bond?
-What do you think your Pokémon respect most about you?
-The gods of old have returned.  How would you be judged if you were chosen as a representative of humanity?
-A human has attacked a wild Pokémon who retaliates in defense.  How do you respond and whom do you defend?
-You are alone and bereft of your Pokémon allies; upon what strengths do you rely on to see yourself safely home?
-What would you say is your greatest duty, and why?
-You plunge into the depths of ruins of an ancient civilization. What is it that you seek from the past?  Treasure, technology, wisdom?
-When encountering a rare and powerful Pokémon, what is most important? Researching it, bonding with it, or defeating it? Why?
-What do you do to ensure we never again awaken the wrath of the gods upon humanity?
-What strengths make you most qualified for your role within your city?
-In your eyes, what is absolutely unforgivable?
-No Enlightened chooses their abilities - and not all are Enlightened.  What type abilities would you most desire to manifest and why?
-What area do you seek to explore?  The peaceful forest, in search of new, previously overlooked discoveries; the uncharted caves, in search of the unknown; or the wildest of mountain terrain, in search of danger, adventure, and thrills?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Things like magic can be used to accomplish many things."

Thanks for applying! We have some clarifications and tweaks we'll need regarding her general AU history before we're able to accept this, although beyond that the rest of the app is good.

In general, there are a few major setting things to note that are a bit dissonant with the initial construction of Magnostadt that will need to be addressed.

1. Union was until about three months ago completely isolated from the outside world, and had no knowledge of other existing human settlements outside of Union. If Yamuraiha indeed escaped to Union, it would have to have been a very recent thing and she is just now integrating into society - she could have just very recently received her Warp Band.
2. On that note it is worth noting that Pokeballs are highly taboo in Union. If she wants to keep using her Pokeballs that's fine, but it'd subject her to a lot of stigma in Union as opposed to using the Warp Band to bond with Pokemon as is tradition. This is something we'd like to see addressed with Magnostadt, since after the fall Union eschewed the old ways of the Pokeball entirely so it's conceivable, based on your description, that Magnostadt could have conceivably developed something similar to the Warp Bands themselves so an explanation as to why they've held on to the Pokeball tradition would be good.
3. We'd like a bit more clarification on the status of Enlightened vs. Nonenlightened in Magnostadt. Since in canon by the end of it they're very "purge or enslave the gois!", and are both powerful and militaristic enough to (kind of) back that up. Per our current rules, outside settlements must generally be small (which does seem to be the case here), so while they might hold similar views they will need to explicitly lack the potent military might to make such a thing happen on a large scale.
4. Also of note, per our general stance on outside backstory-driven communities, while others can make use of Magnostadt in their applications the community may never appear on the map or be made available for plots, I want to make sure this is all right as since there are a number of outside communities from various applications, trying to integrate them all into the plot is simply not viable for the mod team given the scope and direction of the game.

Beyond these clarifications, the rest is good, including the special notes and her magic tools. Creation of the tools will be subject to the standard Engineering rules.

This has taught me that it is never a good idea to try and finish an application in the whee hours of the morning. I am so sorry about that. I have made the alterations where I could in her application and below I've listed them i=for convenience's sake.

1 + 2) I have rewritten it so that she comes across Union City while traveling and deciding to stay there after the months of traveling she has done. ANd the fact I had said pokeballs was a mistake on my part - again, early morning writing is never wise. Going by what you have suggested here I have tweaked that part of her application to reflect that she would have used technology from Magnostadt that would be similar to a Warp Band, but would discard it and replace it with a proper one upon arrival.

3) Yes, it is a small colony and those living within Magnostadt have no desire to expand outside of it, which would be a difference from the original universe. They do not go outside of the walls of their colony they will not let outsiders in. It is a balance they maintain themselves without the need of a military.

4) That's fine, I completely understand!

To continue from the creation of tools, would it be at all possible if she could have her wand upon arrival? As something she would have brought with her from Magnostadt and then the rest she would create over time as you have stated above?

Congratulations! You have been accepted into Brave New World! Here’s what to do next:

-Join

bravenewworld,

bravenewmeta,

bravenewstories, and, if you wish,

zubatopia
-Make a post in

bravenewmeta to introduce yourself and your character
-Alphabetically by player name, add your information to the Contact Page.
-Add your information to the Taken Page by filling out the form.
-If your character is part of an organization like the City Guard, go to the Organization page and fill out the form there.
-If you haven’t already, swing by

bravenewstories and put up a plotting post to get your character in on the action.
-As the game progresses, please keep track of your Pokémon and other acquisitions/statistics on a post within your own journal. An example template may be seen here.
-Your character tag for use on the IC comm is magi labyrinth of magic: yamuraiha.

She may start with her wand, all players may enter the game with 1 Enhanced item if desired. Beyond that she'll have to craft them herself, of course.

Additionally, minor note, typically people refer to the city simply as "Union". The phrasing "Union City" would be seen as a bit of an odd colloquialism, not sure if that was intentional or not.

Edited 2014-04-27 20:32 (UTC)

Application Post

Yamuraiha | Magi | Reserved

Revision Request

Revision Request

Approved!