New Player FAQ

Hello! Welcome to the world of Avalon! Here in this Free-form world, you and others can create and roleplay in a realm where just about anything is possible. With Arthurian level technologies, magics and races by the dozen and Gods walking alongside emperors and queens, feel free to expand and enjoy a character that is unique and will grow with each post and telling. This page is for those folks whom feel more then a little overwhelmed by just what it is they should be doing, or how to get started.

First things First-Where are We?
Avalon is set to be as said above in the fantasy realm of the Arthurian Age. While we have characters that do come from earth, most of the beings you see will have been residing here and prospering on their own. Set up in the coming new map as three massive continents with a series of islands in between, Avalon has plenty of spaces to explore, meet others, and grow a character into prominence. There's work for economy, politics, and of course fighting-though try not to go out of your way to agitating Deities or Guardians in that respect.

What to Expect
Races, Cultures, quite a few things are left up to the player and with it sometimes is also a loss of direction. Here is a few general things that are established or have some evidence of activity. This way at least for your first character if you just wanna try things out you know where to be going. The Rules, some required reading, are best to cover most of the technical work, seen Here

'''Looking for a Race of People already Established? - '''This has been something that occurs occasionally where a roleplay wants to settle in with the cultures already defined, simply making a character out of it. hopefully in time this wiki will hold some of the major settlements and culture prominence, but for now the best way is to look at the subforums for each or PM one of the admins for curiosities. Also you can make use of http://landofavalon.com/members/ and look through the characters, there might be a few relating to your own or inspire new ones.

The Northern Lands - This is the main place where many folks will linger and roleplay into the game. It is where Avalon itself holds it's capital Trevena and where a good many types of races will live (or haunt.) If you are wanting to start an open topic with no one in particular in mind, this is a good place to try.

Private Message Yourself and C-box- Not literally, but look into other characters and say hello via the PM box. Character who may have been on hiatus or looking to join back in might be open to the chance to play with new people. As to using the C-box, once you have registered you can PM Xue Jian (http://landofavalon.com/profile/4024229/) to get it set up.

Forum Post Rating and Word Count- Just as a reminder, the forums themselves posted in the in-character rules are for PG 13 and minimum post counts for In-Character posts is 100. While violence can be expected and some mature language, no sexually implied activity of any kind is to be posted on the boards. See below however for tips on making your posts more comfortably fit to 100 words or more.

100 Words! Tips on Making the Limit and Beyond
For some who are used to 200 and 350 word posts or overall in the forum roleplay, the 100 word post limit is an easy stretch of the legs and usually worked over with a hop and some dedicated thinking. For those making the jump from an MMO or IM roleplay standard where one has been almost trained to play by a character limit, this can sometimes be daunting to post without sounding either redundant or rambling. Some ideas below can help expand a post that might be just a reply to how the weather is or ordering something from the barkeep.

Remember to Give - The whole point of a thread generally speaking is a series of actions or conversations between two or more characters. With that in your posts remember to have enough in your post your counterparts can work with to make a reply. The whole point of a word minimum is to make sure that simple, one line answers that generally make conversations awkward or with no where to go occur less often.

Fidgets, Body Language and Shifting - Does your character have a twitch or quirks about him as he talks or is thinking about certain subjects? Is the chair he sitting on a bit hard or too downy? Does he have a cup in his hand he can swish the contents of the drink as he thinks? These little actions can add up to a lot, but make sure they are add-ons to your point and not the main part of it!

Thoughts - The main difference between forum roleplay and IM roleplay generally has been the inclusion of thought and internal dialogue. For some they can go for paragraphs; for others, to the point. Use this for making the process of decision more relevant and also seen. It can also help flesh out the character especially in the beginning as you experiment how he or she thinks.

Observe your Surroundings - A lot is ever occuring around a pair even in a tavern or in the woods. Trees swaying in the wind or a well-turned joke, birds singing or a stray wind. These can accent a situation and scene well, and help visualize the area as the scene progresses.

Ask Questions - Being curious (usually) never hurts you. This can allow your character to learn about the land of Avalon, and possibly meet other characters you hadn't planned on in the first place!

Use NPCs - Another thing generaly unseen on IM that is more prominent in Forum is the use of NPCs, particularly because the world is moldable by players for the most part. Having a second-in-command, a servant, a barkeep or someone else to supply part of the conversation can help fill in ideas, or provide breathing room for otherwise introvertive characters.

Posts and Out of Character Currency
Post Numbers and the Currency can be new for some players approaching Avalon, and for newcomers at first certain shops and the like are closed off for bot and troll supervision. Once the character has started to post a few times, these areas become open and visible as one is turned from newcomer to member. Each post that one makes in either the In-character area or journals is worth $5. When one saves up enough these can be used to purchase skills, spells, equipment and weapons.

One thing to settle nerves if one was hoping for some small defense is the allowance of in-scene borrowed items. While this cannot happen constantly, if you say need to defend yourself you can use improvised weapons, a walking stick, or an opponent's weapon to get through the scene. Generally speaking making use of your journal (following it's rules of course) and getting out to talk with people is usually the first good way of getting things.

Things to Watch out for - Several things to keep an eye on are special events, writing competitions and also free item giveaways. Making active posts into these can lead to unique items for free or a boost of coin in your purse to supply the items and abilities on your wishlists! Mentorships, Character Jobs and Advanced Roleplay (Here, Here, and Here respectively.) are also other possibilities to keep in immersion as well as benefit from hard work.