Welcome! Here's where you can sign up for the game and post information for the mods to read -- map corrections, joining a faction, etc.
To sign up, you can pick an existing character or title that's unclaimed, create one with mod/player input, or take control of another player's with their permission. Post some ideas you're thinking of for your RP and a profile for your main character; an RP sample couldn't hurt either.
Currently available realms are:
Duchy of Franconia*
Ones marked with an asterisk haven't been played before, so there's no player-made "cannon" to follow: You can create your own ruler, dynasty, etc. from scratch.
If you don't see anything that appeals to you, consider heading to the OOC discussion thread to ask for suggestions. Chances are someone will have something in mind, and a new count, bishop, or other title can be created if necessary.
After you've signed up and been approved by a mod, open a court with information about your character for others to communicate with you in. If you need any help, information, ideas, etc., feel free to ask in the discussion thread.
To help you with your court, here's a suggested template for your major characters. You don't have to use it at all, but it might help.
[size=14][b]Name:[/b][/size] [The character's name]
[size=14][b]Appearance:[/b][/size] [Description of the character's appearance]
[size=14][b]Possible Nicknames:[/b][/size] [Possible nicknames for the character such as "the Cruel" or "the Good"]
[size=14][b]Title(s):[/b][/size] [Titles belonging to the character] [i]{May have non-game titles in italics}[/i]
[size=14][b]Year Of Birth:[/b][/size] [When the character was born]
[size=14][b]Gender:[/b][/size] [Male/Female]
[size=14][b]Personality:[/b][/size] [How the character behaves]
[size=14][b]Appearance:[/b][/size] [Description of the character's appearance]
[size=14][b]Possible Nicknames:[/b][/size] [Possible nicknames for the character such as "the Cruel" or "the Good"]
[size=14][b]Title(s):[/b][/size] [Titles belonging to the character] [i]{May have non-game titles in italics}[/i]
[size=14][b]Year Of Birth:[/b][/size] [When the character was born]
[size=14][b]Gender:[/b][/size] [Male/Female]
[size=14][b]Personality:[/b][/size] [How the character behaves]
FAQ
(Frequent Accusations & Qualms)
Do you expect me to read all of these rules and stats? Screw this! I'm going to go to Barton OOC and bump my 1x1 search thread until I find an RP worth playing!
Wait right there, potential member! Beyond this point, you don't actually have to read the rules to start playing. As for the stats, they're very straightforward and easy to understand: Your independence from your lord, your hold over your possessions and their value, and your prestige: Bigger is better. That's it.
So where am I supposed to be posting? This is all so confusing!
Au contraire, my confused comrade! Your RP will go in one of two places: In a court, or in another thread. A court is a catch-all for RP in a given location. For example, RP about visiting Saxony would be posted in the Duke of Saxony's court. Likewise for a letter addressed to the Duke of Saxony.
The other kind of thread exists for when cramming the RP into the court would create a mess or doesn't make sense. For example, two people vying for a dutchess' affection might get their own thread for all three players to avoid cluttering up one's court. Another situation is the election of a king, where numerous parties are involved and it doesn't make a lot of sense to put it under the court of a duke or the like.
Hey, what are all of these stats for anyway? The rules mention using Value, but that's it! WTF?
Hold your horses, my confuddled compadre! Most of the stats are used for RP-driven events, both as modifiers and to determine if they even occur. For example, if your lord tries to interfere in a conflict you're having with a vassal, a low Privilege would make it very difficult for you to stand up to him.
I'm not going to read several textbooks just to play your little history game! How much free time do you think I have?
Just one second, my non-studious friend! Firstly, the history is largely defined by the players: The first dukes, etc. are all player-created. Second, there's a little leeway with regard to the time period; for example, most of the pictures you see are probably from at least a few centuries after the game's date. Third, I and likely many of your fellow players are always here to help, whether it be with a history of a realm, clarifications about the meaning behind a title, or any other questions you might have.
RP-wise, imagine a poor count in a more remote area and you probably have a basic idea of the lifestyle of your characters: A lot of the luxuries and such that come with the Renaissance and afterward aren't available even to the wealthiest of kings and Western Europe is rather poor by later standards, but even the poorest of counts still lives a comfortable lifestyle. As for titles, this is a period where roles are still evolving: Depending on who's answering, your titles and holdings can either be at your lord's mercy or your own personal possessions to do with as you see fit.
Hey, what's with this event stuff? You can't control me!
Hold on, free-spirited RPer! We'll give you free reign as much as possible, but part of the fun is in RPing in a dynamic world. If everything always went your way, it wouldn't be much fun, would it? If you have a direction you're heading in or a story arc you want to work on, clear it with the mods first; chances are we'll step to the side as long as we know something's going on. (No guarantees the other players will be as generous, though...)
You biased b*****d! You gave my mortal foe an unfair +1 modifier, bringing doom to my righteous cause! I suspect foul play behind the scenes!
One moment, paranoid player! The reason so little is set in stone is for your freedom: If you can only do one or two things in the rules, people tend to think in terms of those things and it drags creativity to a halt; thus, there's a lot of moderator discretion in terms of events, modifiers, etc.
Of course, I can still slip up; I am human, after all. If you notice something, just PM me. Maybe I can explain myself, maybe I'll admit you're right, but if I don't know there's a problem I can't try to fix it. I probably won't reverse my decision -- that would just make an even bigger mess -- but I can at least try and avoid making the same mistake again.
Resources
Male and female German names to help name your characters.
Web Gallery of Art, for character portraits if you prefer images over description. Don't overuse them in your posts, though.
Wikipedia's article on royal courts, to help give a feel for what went on in the court of a king or duke.
Monarchs by nickname. A lot of these figures are notable, so it can help with inspiration for directions to take your characters.
Heraldic Dictionary and Wikipedia's Heraldry article, to help in designing your ruler's heraldry. Try not to overdo it, though: A shield cluttered with images is less attractive than a simple one.
