After hosting a roleplaying server for several months now, reading through over a hundred applications and declining more than half of them I've come to the realization that not many people know how to make a truly good roleplaying character. The recurring problem of creating a good character is the horribly cliche character bios that drive people like me nuts. A great example of this would be the "____ Killed my family so I was forced to leave my old life behind me" or even "When I was ___ I ran away from home and now I have found _____". It gets a little aggravating at times when you're looking for really good applications and end up with one like that. So, I present to you...



Step 1: Take a look at the roles the server you are creating a character for needs.
Chances are a few of the roles you have been considering have already been taken, and each server only needs so many kings, innkeepers, mages, etc. After reviewing the needed and filled roles for the server, take time to narrow the list down. If the server you are creating your character for does not have needed/filled roles listed, ask an admin. Chances are they will be more than willing to give you some examples.

Step 2: Narrow down your list even more.
To do so, consider which of the possible roles you've been considering would be the most fun to play. Some roles get boring real quick, and some can last you weeks, or even months before you get bored of them. You also want to choose a role that has some wiggle room, so you are not bound to the same tasks day to day. Another thing to consider is the age of the role you're taking on. If you are a good roleplayer you will know that age should affect how you roleplay. Child characters should not be blacksmiths or guards, and elderly characters should not be climbing about the city stealing whatever they desire.

Step 3: Choose a role and develop it.
After choosing which role you will take on, develop a bio for your character, explain their past, how they learned their skills, etc. Try not to get too cliche with this, and avoid boring ways. The more creativity you put into this section, the better your results will be. Make sure you also include how your character ended up where he his now, or their purpose to coming there. The possibilities here are pretty much endless though you should keep it as realistic to the server lore as possible. Keep things such as character age, race, and social class in mind when doing this section, as they will limit your character in some ways as well as open up new opportunities.

Step 4: Choose a good name for your character
Names are surprisingly something I find myself looking at as an admin. Since it's one of the first things I usually see in the application, it can sometimes tell me whether or not an application is worth reading or not. If I see a character name that is something like "Sir poopypants" or "Bob Brown" I get a pretty good feeling that the application is going to be of equally low quality. When choosing a name, your name should fit both your character and the time period the server is based in. If the server is based out of medieval times, a modern name won't cut it. Also, if your character is a mage, a name like "Dirge" won't exactly make sense just like a peasant named "Sir William".

Step 5: Finalize your characters information
Make sure you read over your character application before submitting it to be sure it's not littered in spelling and grammatical errors. One or two won't really matter, but if you only have three periods and one comma in your entire character application, something is wrong. You should also double check all of your information to be sure it makes sense. When you finally think your application is ready, submit it.

• Be patient after applying, the admins may be away from the computer and not see your application for an hour or two. Don't give up on a server if it takes a few hours, but don't wait days.
  
• Be as creative as possible! Creativity is one of the most crucial things in roleplaying as it keeps the server interesting. Just remember to keep it realistic.
  
• Don't be fooled by an empty server. Chances are nobody is on because nobody wants to be the only one on. Try logging in for a bit and see if someone else logs in. In a short amount of time you could end up with upwards of 10 people on at a time.
  
• Be aware that roleplaying servers are full-time roleplaying. When you don't feel like roleplaying you should not be off mining for diamonds, especially if your character isn't a miner.
  

Hopefully by reading this guide you've learned a thing or two about creating a good character and applying for a roleplaying server. If you have any feedback feel free to share it with me, and don't hesitate to give a diamond if you found this guide helpful. I will add more tips and updated this post as time passes to keep it accurate and try and keep it as useful as possible. Many thanks for reading, and good luck roleplaying! -TheFuremanator