The Ultimate Guide to Divergence, Version 1.0

-=The Ultimate Guide to .hack//DIVERGENCE =-
Version 1.0

Introduction
Welcome to this, the large-scale, highly comprehensive guide to roleplay in this, the .hack//DIVERGENCE subplot board. This guide is split up into four sections: one section per post. Each section covers different aspects of Divergence, from what text-based role playing is to buying weapons from the Pawn Shop. I’ve tried to make it as complete as possible, so now, without further ado, let the guide begin with the table of contents.

1. The Very Basics
2. Registration
3. Roleplaying
4. Other Stuff

This post has been edited by Jpec07 on May 31 2009, 01:15 AM

-=The Very Basics =-
As it says, this section covers the most basic aspects of Divergence.

::Posting Rules::
First, I’m going to suggest that you watch this video because it’s very informative, and it also has the added benefit of being amusing. Now, after you’ve watched that, there are some things it didn’t cover that are necessary in order for posting. For one, you should try to post with correct grammar, using accurate punctuation and capitalization whenever you can (eventually, it will become second-nature to you). This makes you look ten times more intelligent, at least, and studies have shown that correct grammar actually makes more people agree with you.

Because our host dictates it, the .hack//DIVERGENCE subplot forums are not to have any form of illegal content (to see what they do not want, click here). Therefore, it’s not a good idea to post such material on the boards (it will be removed by the moderation, because entire well-established communities have been wiped clean by InvisionFree for violating their Terms of Use, and we don’t want Divergence to be wiped out). This is also because nobody really wants to see/read that kind of stuff, so just don’t post it. In addition, it is not acceptable to post material directly harmful to any other person or yourself, whether physically or emotionally. It’s called flaming, and nobody likes it.

As a final note, spam is not tolerated in any form anywhere on the boards. What is our definition of “spam?” First, spam is anything that doesn’t have a point. Posts that don’t add or detract to the topic being discussed can be seen as pointless – that means that if you’re not voicing your opinion or debating the opinion of another, then the post is spam and should not be made (this includes posts that are made with the sole purpose of making people angry). Spam is also defined as anything whose sole purpose is to get attention, including advertisements, duplicate posts, and posts that are there just to “bump” the topic to the top of the forum. While technically not spam, it’s frowned upon to add a string of “smilies” to the end of a post. We understand that you enjoy clicking the buttons and seeing the images pop up after your post, but it’s always better to restrict yourself to one, occasionally two smilies.

Now to the fun stuff. ^_^

::Text-Based Role Playing::
Ooh! I know what an RPG is! It’s a game you play like you were someone else! It’s good to know these things, and in the more well-known circles, RPGs are a breed of console or computer games left for nerds. Now, if you already know how text-based RPGs differ from those video games, then you can skip a paragraph, but otherwise stay put: you need to know this.

.hack//DIVERGENCE is one of countless numbers of text-based RPGs out there. Now, text-based role play is different than role play by video games for many reasons. There are no graphics to illustrate the actions, there are no programs that need to be installed on your computer, and instead of hitting a button, tilting a joystick, or performing some complex form of dancing to create action, all that you need to do is type out the actions that your character did. All you need to play is a keyboard, and your imagination (and in this case an internet connection). I could go on for hours on how text-based RPGs are better than video games, but who would want to read that? Everything I can say about them you’ll learn once you get into playing.

Now, what’s so special about Divergence then? As with all .hack media besides the //LIMINALITY and anime, the action takes place within a virtual world: a video game known as “The World.” So when role playing in Divergence, you are essentially acting as a character who in turn is acting as their own character in the virtual environment provided by “The World.” Most, if not all of the action takes place in the game, and the environment is by definition the “most realistic virtual environment ever.”

::What is .hack//DIVERGENCE?::
Divergence is a BBSRPG, meaning it’s a text-based RPG that is run on an online bulletin board (or forum, as they’re more commonly called). The role play is based on various aspects of the .hack multimedia phenomenon.

Explanation of .hack
.hack (pronounced “dot hack”) is a multimedia phenomenon produced by Bandai and CyberConnect2. The premise of the series is that players of a Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game are involved with and become intertwined in a complex story involving a dead programming genius, his barren (and also tragically dead) wife’s poem, and their AI child known as Aura. I won’t spoil the whole plot (and I’ve barely scratched the surface), but if you’re too lazy to play the games, read the manga, watch the anime, or pour over novels, I’m sure there are people around here who would be willing to fill in the missing holes.

How Divergence ties in
According to the main plot (explained more thoroughly towards the end of this guide), when the beta-version Fragments Harald created to house his virtual child were taken and turned into The World, one of the head programmers introduced a subliminal virus into the coding with the power to force people to stay logged into the system, eventually somehow giving him his prized goal of world domination. The virus was said to have been activated early, though, due to the fact that Helba hacked herself to the top, thus triggering premature activation. The programmer and his posse were trapped in the game, and those involved in the main plot are battling against him for a way out of the game (among other things).

However, that is the main plot, and the reason this board is called the “subplots” is because the events and storyline of the main plot have virtually no bearing on what happens here, and what happens here never has any bearing on the events of the main plot. This means that unless you advance to join the main plot, you can write whatever plot line you want. There are limitations, of course, according to the InvisionFree Terms of Use and the rules below.

Things Not to Do

1. Do not encounter, battle with, battle alongside, or in any other way interact with any of the characters from .hack.
   This is because the .hack storyline is already established. This isn’t just a simple fan-fiction site, it’s an independent RPG so we don’t go tripping over their story.
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2. Do not encounter, battle with, battle alongside, or in any other way interact with any of the 8 phases.
   Again, this is because they’re a part of the already-established .hack storyline.
   .
3. Do not reference data-draining.
   The only two player characters in The World to have the ability “Data Drain” are Kite and Shugo. No one else may have it, so no one else may know about it (and because the 8 phases are off-limits, that kills just about all your options on that end).
   .
4. No guardians.
   You know that thing from .hack//SIGN that followed Tsukasa around all over the place? That was his guardian. Those aren’t allowed here in any way, shape, or form.
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5. Do not hack.
   Granted, the administration may go softer on you nowadays, but hacking is still widely frowned upon. This means that you can’t change your character around beyond a certain point, and that you can’t change the field to your liking.

::Dictionary of Terms::

• OOC - acronym for “Out of character.” The term usually comes in a parenthetical note, and signals that everything in the note is out-of-character.
• IC - acronym for “in character.” Not used as commonly as OOC, and can sometimes be used as an adjective or adverb.
• PK - acronym for “player kill” or “player killer.” The term comes from online gaming in which one player character kills another player character, usually illegally.
• NPC - acronym for “non-player character.” These are characters in your story who don’t have real people controlling them. NPCs can take any form from the store managers (excepting the Pawn Shop) to players you meet on the field who you control but aren’t your actual character (the ones controlled by imaginary people).
• Player Character - any character who has a real person behind them.
• Divvy - abbreviation of Divergence, used to reference the RPG.
• IRL - abbreviation for “in real life.”
• Avatar - a representation. In this instance, your avatar is your in-game character (or the little picture next to each post you make, depending on context).
  
• SP - acronym for “skill points.” These are a replenishing fuel for the spells and skills you cast in the game.
• HP - acronym for “health points.” These are a show of how much damage you have compared to how much you could take before being KOed.
• KO - acronym for “knock out.”
• NaNoWriMo - acronym for “National Novel Writing Month.” You won’t see this too much in the role playing of Divergence members, as it has absolutely nothing to do with anything IC, but especially around November it comes up in General Discussion. NaNoWriMo is a sort of contest people hold with themselves and each other to write the first 50,000 words of a novel within the month of November. It is by no means a requirement for any member of Divergence, but if you’re interested in exercising your writing muscle, you may want to consider giving it a shot.

-=Registration =-
On to the registration, then. Even if you don’t read any other part of this guide, read this part through.

Registering on the Board
So, after getting a basic idea of what .hack//DIVERGENCE is, you’ve decided that you want in. Your first step towards joining the action is registering on the board. If you’ve already done this, you can skip down a paragraph, but if not, read on! At the top, on the left-hand side of the board, there is a very specific link you can click to register (in fact, that’s what the link says). It is located beneath the banner, beneath the ads, and on the left (in parentheses after “Welcome Guest”). Alternately, you could just click here to register.

Fill in the form, providing the necessary information for your username, your password, and your email address, check the box that says you agree to the terms of service, and click the “Submit my Registration” button. For safety’s sake, or in case you missed it before, here is a copy of the terms of use for you to read:

Now, check your email. There will be two messages in your inbox shortly after you click the “Submit my Registration” button. One gives you your login information (username and password), and a second gives you the link that will activate your account. Click that link, and then proceed to…

::The Character Registration Forum::
This can either be the bane of your .hack//DIVERGENCE existence, or just the first place for you to start your character’s story, depending on how well you do. You’ve registered on the board, so now you can see all the different forums and groups and things that we have here (and my avatar and signature, which you couldn’t see before ^_^). However, you’re not done yet. So far you only have posting privileges in the Character Registration forum and the Questions & Comments forum, which doesn’t leave you ready to role play (and this is for a reason). Before you can start playing, you need to invent your character and start his or her story off – how they found The World.

The Registration Form
Possibly the oldest piece of .hack//DIVERGENCE, this is the most important piece of all your role play here. In order to participate, you need to fill out this form and pass it through our rigorous examination system (which some have said is the most annoying thing in the world and “The World”):

But what does all of that mean? Some of it’s pretty obvious, but other stuff I have no idea what the heck they’re talking about. Well, you might not, but I do (it’s why I’m writing this guide). Just keep reading and you’ll be fine. I’m about to sum up and give you a step-by-step explanation of the application and everything that it means. Note, if you don’t read anything else, please, please read the description of how to fill out the form.

The Easier Parts - the ones that take close to no extra effort to come up with.

Your character’s alias in “The World.”
This is the name that you give your character when they are in the game. Usually in the role playing, this will be what you call your character and how other people know you. It is essentially your character’s screenname. Please note that you cannot use any of the names from the .hack anime, the .hack manga, or the .hack video games. The only exceptions to this are the more common and generic names, like Joe or Bob.

Your character’s actual name.
This is the name that your character in the real world has. As your screenname is to your real name, so their “The World” alias is to theirs. You can use your own name, if you wish, but most people make up a new name and a new character to play as. This name can be anything you want.

Your character’s age
Simple: this is how old your character is. Note that if you want, you can separate their age in the game from their real age, as they can act differently should they so desire (a la Sora).

The Class your character will be.
This one’s a bit more complicated if you don’t already know .hack, because this essentially defines and describes the more basic things that your character will be able to do, and what kind of stats they will have. Note that this decision is final unless you should decide to start over, or until you reach the levels where you can switch to one of the higher classes (classes that we at Divergence have added to the mix). Even then, once the switch is made, it is final. Now, here’s a description of the different classes (including references to the ever-popular Final Fantasy X, as it was much more popular than .hack’s games were):

• Heavy Axe
  The biggest and bulkiest of the classes of The World. Frequently labeled as meat shields, Heavy Axemen are generally large enough to wield the massive weapons their class carries quite heftily. Slow, large, clumsy, and invariably powerful. Where they lack speed and stealth, they make up for it with their attack strength and their high defense. As a heavy class, they generally don’t wield too many magic attacks, and their magic defense is at an average, but if you’re more a fan of the “HULK SMASH” approach, then this is the class for you.
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• Heavy Blade
  A more balanced class than the Heavy Axe, the Heavy Blade class deals with large, two-handed swords, as well as katanas. They aren’t terribly strong on the magic front, as they are a heavy class, but they have a good range and can deal quite a good deal of damage. Heavy Blades are tied with Longarms for being the third most popular class in Divergence. (Final Fantasy X Reference: think Auron…)
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• Blademaster
  A favorite among the guys (and second most popular in Divergence), Blademasters are wielders of smaller, one-handed blades. They can be quicker and stealthier than either the Heavy Axeman or the Heavy Blades, but are still restricted by their being a heavy class, so they are more geared towards hand-to-hand physical combat as opposed to distanced fighting, stealth, and speed. The lightest of the heavy classes, the Blademaster is considered to be one of the most-rounded classes in The World. (Final Fantasy X Reference: think Tidus…)
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• Twinblade
  The single most popular class in all of Divergence, the Twinblade class wields weapons to their name: twin blades. Generally, they are short and knife-like, as to enable the class for its highest potential of speed. Twinblades are the fastest class in the World, and as a medium class, have a higher potential for magic, and favor stealth and speed over all-out fighting. A well-rounded class, if ever there was one. (Final Fantasy X Reference: think Rikku…)
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• Longarm
  Tied with Heavy Blades as third most popular class in Divergence, the Longarms are spear-wielders of the World. Their speed is above average, and the range of their attacks makes them formidable warriors. They have strong combat capabilities, and are more geared towards magic, but still have the ability to heft their opponents with the ease of a blademaster. (Final Fantasy X Reference: think Kimahri…)
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• Wavemaster
  The World’s mage class, this is a class designed for distance fighting. Their weapons are staffs and wands, which enable them to cast spells of all different varieties. As masters of the World’s waves, they are capable of wielding every spell that their equipment provides. The only downside is that their physical combat capabilities are extremely weak, and they are the slowest-moving class in the World. Still, some think their abilities with magic make up for the difference, so if you want to wield magic to its fullest, this is the class for you. (Final Fantasy X Reference: think Yuna/Lulu…)
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• Fistfighter More info here…
  One of the special classes unique to Divergence, the Fistfighter is just what it sounds like: a fighter who uses his fists and feet to deliver damage in some rampant form of jujitsu. With speeds only bested by Twinblades, Fistfighters are quickly becoming a popular switch for players when they reach the right level. Note: you cannot start out as a Fistfighter. To become one, you must be at least level 17, and when you do become one, you drop two levels (note, you keep all of your items and GP as before, but may not be able to equip them as you will now be a medium class – more on that later). As a medium class, Fistfighters are probably among the most powerful players in The World.
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• Archer More info here…
  Another special class, the Archer is a light class, meaning they are geared towards magic and long-range fighting. These fighters are just what they sound like: wielders of bows and arrows. While their physical defense is low, their long-range attacks can deal sufficient damage from a distance greater, perhaps, than any other class. As a light class, they are also more proficient in the magic arts, and have the highest SP-per-level available. Note: you cannot start out as an Archer. To become one, you must be at least level 17, and when you do become one, you drop two levels (note, you keep all of your items and GP as before, but may not be able to equip them as you will now be a medium class – more on that later). A rarity in the world, the Archer provides an alternative but effective answer to the monotony of the World.
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• Whipmaster More info here…
  The third and final special class on the list, Whipmasters are just that: masters with the whip. In terms of close combat, their weapons have the longest reach of any of the classes, being able to extend their weapons a full 12 feet in length (approx. 3.5 meters, for you crazy metric folks). The only problem with this is that they are a light class, and so have stats that make them more suitable for support and distance-fighting (meaning low defense, high accuracy, and relatively average physical attack). Note: you cannot start out as a Whipmaster. To become one, you must be at least level 12, and when you do become one, you drop two levels (note, you keep all of your items and GP as before, but may not be able to equip them as you will now be a light class – more on that later). One of the more well-balanced rarities of the world, the Whipmaster class acts as an eventual goal for many.
  
  

The weapons and armor that your character starts with.
Now, this is an important part, even though it is relatively easy. In .hack//DIVERGENCE, our armor system is almost identical to the system used in the .hack game series (in fact, almost all of our weapons, armors, and items are taken directly from the games, with a handful of rare items and items for the special classes being the only exceptions). Whether or not you know the games, you will need to read this section, as we do things a little bit differently here.

Armor Types
There are four different armor types that can be equipped at any given time: head armors, body armors, leg/foot armors, and arm/hand armors. As it was in the games, you can’t equip more than one of these armors at a time (even if one is called a glove and the other a bracer and in real life they wouldn’t overlap). There are also special pieces of rare equipment that can be equipped independent of any armor that you have on already, but you’ll be better able to pick up on what those are once you get in to Divergence.

Class Weight
So, you’ve already read about the different classes and what each one wields, what they do, etc. Now though, it gets a bit more complicated (but not by much, so stick with me!). Basically, the classes have different “weights” that determine what kinds of armor they can and can’t wear. The heavier the class, the more armor it can wear, and the stronger, beefier, and slower it is. There are three weights to classes of the World: Heavy, Middle and Light. Your class’s weight actually determines a lot about your character, including stats. Two of the most important ones, though, are your HP and your SP (see second post).

There are formulas for determining what these numbers are for your character (note that different armors have no effect on these formulas):

As for armor, a class can only wear armor that is the same weight or “lighter” than its weight. Basically, a Heavy Class like a Blademaster has access to every type of armor (heavy, medium, and light), while a Light Class like a Wavemaster only has access to one type of armor (light). For this reason, many people favor the heavier classes due to their ability to wear any kind of armor. However, there are almost always better spells on light armors, and since that’s the only kind of armor that light classes can wear it’s the only kind of armor they receive as rewards for quests and such (while the heavier the class, the less likely they are to get those armors). This will be explained in detail later on, but for now just know that your class decision shouldn’t weigh solely on what kinds of armors you can receive.

Skills & Spells
As I just referenced above, The World grants your character access to various abilities not available in the real world (as it is with almost any Role Playing Game). These are known as spells and skills. Primarily, the difference between the two is in the nature of their attack. Spells use SP to activate the magic waves of The World in a manner to either deal damage to an opponent or rend healing to an ally. Skills on the other hand use SP to activate programmed movements within weapons. Different classes have different skills, but all classes have access to every kind of spell. These are explained more in-depth later on, but if you’re curious a chart of the basic spells (and their descriptions) can be found here while a chart of the different skills (and their descriptions) can be found here.

Starting Armor
Now that I’ve explained how they work, I can now tell you the standard equipment that everyone starts with. No one has joined Divergence with a different set of armor than this, and you’ll get to join with the same set as well. All of it is level 1 light armor (so anyone of any class can wear it):

• Head: Bandanna - Repth (10)
  
  
• Body: Leather Coat - Gan Zot (20)
  
  
• Arm/Hand: Wristbands - Juk Rom (10)
  
  
• Leg/Foot: Sandals
  

So wait, what’s all this “Repth (10)” stuff mean? Well, the list above follows a pretty simple format: <Armor Type>: <Armor Name> - <Spell attributed to that armor> (<SP Cost of spell>). If you still don’t get it, don’t worry because I’ll explain it all in further detail below (Project NISDIP also does a good job explaining most of it - although I would recommend against reading through the entire thing).


The Harder Parts - The stuff that you’re actually going to have to sit down and think about (this should take you more than five minutes).

Writing
The one thing these three parts all have in common is that they are dependent on your ability to write. Without knowing how to write well, you won’t be able to get these parts past in any easy way. But don’t worry if you don’t know how to write well! This is a website where we turn the riffraff of internet forums and writings into novelists and playwrights (we could get into how my internet forum experiences started out, and how bad my first attempts at writing were, but to save myself from a tangent I’ll say that if you’re interested in knowing then by all means PM me so I can give you some hope). Anyway, there are four basics to good writing that we look for when going through registrations: detail, length, quality, and the grammatical and spelling standards of Modern English.

Detail
It’s generally a good thing to include a good amount of detail in your writing. This is true in just about everything you’ll ever write (from papers to novels to obituaries). Granted, there is such a thing as writing with too much detail (although many critics of English Literature will argue otherwise, my chief example of this is Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad - possibly the single hardest piece of “modern” literature due to its long-winded descriptions). I cannot say what a good amount of detail is for writing as there is no true standard. In time, you’ll learn to be able to control how much detail you give to your readers, giving them more or less depending on the style you’re writing in or the feelings you’re trying to convey. My best advice in terms of detailed writing is to write it as though you were telling the story to your best friend, or as though you yourself were the audience. Include enough detail to make your point, but don’t add so much that you begin to bore yourself or your audience.

Along with this is how you give your detail. A phenomenon exists in vast array on the internet and “real” literature called “purple prose.” Purple prose, as described on wikipedia, is any writing “…so overly extravagant, ornate or flowery as to break the flow and draw attention to itself. Purple prose is sensuously evocative beyond the requirements of its context. It also refers to writing that employs certain rhetorical effects such as exaggerated sentiment or pathos in an attempt to manipulate a reader's response.” Here is an example of perhaps some of the most purple prose you’ll ever read:

While many writers (both those with experience and those without) would be fooled into believing this is well-written, do not be deceived. This fabricated piece of literature is perhaps the most purple piece of prose I’ve ever read, and should be shunned by almost anyone who called themselves a writer.

Length
Length isn’t really that important. Technically, all you really need to get in is a page. What we’re more interested in terms of length is paragraph length. Grade school teachers suggest that you should have between six and eight sentences in a paragraph, and this is generally a good idea until you can understand just what a paragraph’s purpose is. I’d tell you what that is, but it’s a really hard thing to articulate accurately.

As a general rule, more than how long the page is stretched downward we are concerned with how full your paragraphs are. Still, there is a minimum length requirement: one page in Microsoft Word or an equivalent program, Times New Roman size 12, standard margins (usually 1.25 inches, but 1 inch margins won’t hurt you either). As this is the minimum going beyond is encouraged, just don’t hurt yourself.

Quality
This is perhaps the most vague and confusing aspect of writing. Quality is defined by Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary as a “degree of excellence.” Basically, quality is what distinguishes our writing from the writing you’d find in an elementary school. Years ago, I wrote a twenty-page short story for one of my English classes. While grammar, length, and detail were all in order, the quality of the writing was just dull and boring and made reading it like scratching nails across a chalkboard (I’ve since improved—just ask my English teacher).

The quality required of writing really depends on what it is that you’re writing. If you were writing a guidebook for television, you would probably write it differently than if you were writing a speech for the President of the United States, and even then you would probably write it differently than if you were writing a screenplay. The level of writing that we at Divergence are trying to establish and promote is the kind you would find in a short story or novel – fictional prose writing. Because it’s so hard to gauge, though, I can’t really say that we have a minimum level of quality. Our only concern is that you’re improving (which around here tends to happen a lot). Your registration doesn’t have to be anything spectacular, but while you quest we’ll work with you to help you improve, especially if you ask.

As a suggestion, I would highly recommend skimming through these. They are rants/suggestions/comments/tips about writing in general, and can be used widely as a list of dos and don’ts. If you are ever concerned about the quality of your writing, this is a great resource to help you out.

Technical Standards
There are so many standards when it comes to writing well in the English language that most authors just write what comes naturally and then give it to someone else to make fit them (known as an editor). On the internet though, we don’t have editors, so all of the technical pieces of knowledge must be dealt with ourselves. Two main points are of greatest importance when it comes to English standards: grammar and spelling. Spelling is the least intensive of the two, because it’s very well known. Grammar, on the other hand, is a very complex thing. In high school, some students spend all four years studying how to correctly structure their sentences and paragraphs, or how to apply proper punctuation in everything, but even then they don’t get it. In terms of difficulty, grammar is one of the hardest things to master in writing, but it is so necessary and foundational that a basic understanding of it will improve your writing tenfold at least.

But say you don’t quite get the basics and you still want to get in. Never fear, for there is help! Aside from getting a friendly onlooker to run through your work with a red pen, there are several software tools that can help you out:

• Microsoft Word – I’m not getting a dime to say this. Microsoft Word is perhaps one of the best word processors around for checking both spelling and grammar. Sometimes it can be an idiot when it comes to grammar, but all in all it’s a good tool (maybe not worth as much as they sell it for, but I like it).
  
  
• OpenOffice – This is the freeware version of Microsoft Office. With it, you’ll not only get something comparable to Word, but almost every other program in the MS Office suite. What’s great about it is that it also has a spelling and grammar check. Though not as effective or thorough as Microsoft’s, this suite is definitely the alternative for those who don’t want to spend money. Learn more at http://www.openoffice.org/.
  
  
• Google Toolbar – Not only does it put the power of Google in your browser, but the Google Toolbar also includes a feature that’s handy for online use: the spellcheck. It’s not as thorough as MS Word’s spellcheck, but if you can’t afford Word and really only want a simple typo-guard, this is for you. Learn more at http://toolbar.google.com/.
  

While this list is not by any means complete, they are the top three programs I recommend for checking spelling. There are various other programs and websites that are also helpful in checking your grammar for you, but if you’re interested in something that lists the essentials for you, check here: http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/GramPunct.html.

Physical Description
Perhaps the easiest written part of the form, this is the description of how your character looks in The World. Clothing, hairstyle, skin color – all of it is included in this description. As with all the “harder parts,” the longer your description is the more likely you are to get in. Keeping in mind everything you just read about writing, tell us how your character looks. Be sure to include Eye Color, Height, Hair Color, and at least a paragraph about their clothing.

Personality Description
As it goes, these parts are included in this guide in increasing difficulty. Describing your character’s personality is an interesting experience, to say the least, as there is no set guide as to what you should include. Some people write page-long psychoanalyses of their characters, and some people will write only a few sentences saying that they’re confident, sometimes erring on cockiness. Really, all we ask is a paragraph. As a writer personally, I would write personality quirks and oddities of my character (maybe even nervous ticks) out in this section, but I wouldn’t include any of the reasons for these things so as to give readers something to look forward to, but that’s just me.

Now onto perhaps the hardest part of our registration:

Writing Sample of How Your Character Found The World
One page minimum. That is the only technical thing that we require of you, with the things you read earlier. There doesn’t have to be any spectacular plot (as I wouldn’t expect there to be), the only thing that has to happen in the story is your character needs to come into possession of the video game “The World.” Most people actually run through the installation and character creation process in writing this part, but all that need happen is what I stated before. And now, just in case you haven’t heard enough from me about this part, I’m going to give a few tips for a good story:

• Keep to the events directly leading up to your character’s acquisition of The World. You only have a page to fill, and not really too much to fill it with. If you have more material to write? Good! Save it for later to make everything in all of your posts fit together.
  
  
• Don’t overexert yourself. This is supposed to be a demonstration of your writing skills. Naturally, you may feel inclined to push beyond what you can normally write, but my advice is, if you’re a seasoned writer, don’t try too hard.
  
  
• Take your time in writing it. Once, to prove he could do it, a friend of mine had me time him for fifteen minutes. With non-stop writing, he was able to produce a single one-page post, and it was far from his best work. Often, even when writing only a page, I have to stop for a bit to think about what I want to happen and how to stretch or shrink it, or even take breaks to take time and recover the creative wrinkles of my brain. The more time you take on something, the better it will turn out.
  

So you’ve heard me ramble about writing and the written portions of your registration now for a good while, but now we’ll move on to actually posting your registration thread, and the process of refinement before you will be accepted (if you already know how to post a thread and edit posts and such, skip down a paragraph or two; otherwise, keep reading).

::Posting Your Registration::
So you followed my advice and filled out your form in MS Word or a similar program before deciding to post. Now all you need to do is copy and paste it onto our forum, and you’re set! But, uh, how does one do this “posting” thing? Fear not, for I have the answers:

“The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Posting a Thread.”
Assuming you haven’t figured out how to post a thread by now, I’m about to walk you through it in its every detail (with pictures!). Mind you, if you already know how, you can skip a few paragraphs. If you haven’t already, you need to post a reply in the new users thread. Just in case you’re having difficulty finding the button, here is the link that will lead you to the screen that posts a reply to that thread. To post, simply write a message in the biggest white box on the page (click it to be able to type in it). Once your message is complete, click the “Add Reply” button. A screen will appear that says your message has been posted, and then you will be redirected to the end of the thread, where your message lies.

Now, if you were able to accomplish that bit without having to keep referring back to the guide, then you can probably also afford to skip the thread-posting guide (with pictures!). If not, read on. First, navigate back to the main page of the forum (click here?).
If you followed that link, a new window/tab will have opened, and in it, the main page of the .hack//DIVERGENCE subplots board should have loaded.

On this screen, click the link that reads “Character Registration,” so that you can access the character registration forum. Once there, you will see a screen with the following message at the top:

Read it? Good. Read it again? Good. It’s pretty informative about our registration process, and will answer a few questions that may come up in the future. Below that, you’ll see this:

As the picture suggests, click on the button in the top right hand corner of the topic list that says “New Topic.” In case you couldn’t tell from the picture, it looks like this: (Posted Image) Clicking that button will lead you to this screen:

The picture is pretty self-explanatory, but just in case I’ll walk through it for you. The first box highlighted in red is where you put the title of your thread. In most instances, people use some delineation of (that is, some form that relates to) their character’s name. The next box is entirely optional, but if you feel like giving your registration thread a proper subtitle, you should enter it there. Some people use it, others don’t. I expect that if you’re reading this part, you don’t have any ideas as to what to put there, so don’t even worry about number 2. Now for the third part. This is where the body of your thread goes; in this case, this is where your registration will go. If you’ve followed my advice and have your registration typed up in Microsoft Word (or a similar program), then here’s what you do:

1. Open your registration in Word.
2. Hit Ctrl+A (that’s Control A). This will select all of the text in the document.
3. Hit Ctrl+C (that’s Control C). This will copy all of the text that you just selected.
4. Move to your internet browser and click in that box. This will put the typing cursor in it. Note: if Word asks if you want to keep the text on the clipboard, click yes.
5. Hit Ctrl+V (that’s Control V). This will paste all of the text that you just copied into the text box.

At this point, there’s really not much left to do. Scroll down and click the “Post New Topic” button on the left side of the middle. Once you’ve done this, you will be redirected to your new thread. Congratulations! You’ve just made your first contribution to .hack//DIVERGENCE! =D

Corrections
So you’ve got your registration up. After all that hard work you put into it, you’re convinced that it’s perfect, and that you’re ready to start roleplaying on Divvy. While your enthusiasm is great, you’re not quite there…yet. There’s a reason that we have the standards that we have for our roleplaying; .hack//DIVERGENCE is one of the best BBSRPGs on the internet in terms of quality, and we want to make sure that everyone who gets in is up to snuff. Don’t worry if you’re not, though, ‘cause we’ll work with you until you’re ready (it’s one of the reasons this site is so great—we help our members improve).

Usually within a few hours (though depending on circumstances, it may take up to a day or two), one of the higher-ups will have reviewed your registration post. If your post was perfect (or at least good enough), they will have posted a message containing the words, “Welcome to the World!” More likely than not, though, they’ll have replied with a list of a few things that need to be corrected. These suggestions are usually vague on purpose at the beginning, because they’re meant to help you find your own mistakes. Don’t worry if you don’t get them all, though, because like I said, we’re in this to help you grow as a writer.

But say you go through your registration again and manage to find a few of the mistakes that your reviewer caught. Should you post a new reply to the thread with the entire registration in it? No, you most certainly should not! Instead, in the upper right hand corner of every post is a little-known feature that we would like you to become very intimate with. This is the edit button: (Posted Image) You’ll find him next to the “Quote” button at the top of every post you’ve made, and clicking him will bring you back to the page that you filled out before by (if you followed the guide) pasting your registration. The best part, though, is that everything is still there! You don’t need to re-enter anything. Instead, you simply scroll through to the errors you find (or proof-read it right then and there), edit them in the text, and then click the “Submit Modified Post” button at the bottom of the page. With no further effort, your registration will be modified, and the errors that your reviewer pointed to will be nothing more than a memory. Mind you, most players have to edit their registration more than once, so you’ll get to know the Edit feature pretty well.

Now that you’ve edited your post, what should you do? In case your reviewer didn’t specify, you’re supposed to post a single reply to your thread after you’ve edited such that we will know that you’ve fixed the problems in your registration and are ready for another round. But what if no one replies? What if you go on waiting for someone else to review your fixed post for days? Should you perhaps post another reply to get people to look at your thread? Heavens no! Instead, you should now try to get in touch with one of the moderators of the forums. Click Here for a list of the people who are suitable to contact; anyone on that page can review your topic for you. In the rightmost column of that page, there is a button that says, “PM.” This stands for Private Message, and is a means to send a message to them that your thread is ready to be reviewed. The form is very similar to the one used to post a new thread, so don’t be shy! We don’t bite! By the same token, though, try to be considerate. We’re generally pretty diligent when it comes to checking registrations, so exercising a bit of patience is appreciated. Generally, a day’s grace is to be expected, meaning that if we haven’t checked your post in a day, it’s okay to contact us again.

Another thing to note, though is that different people write differently. Some registrations can take as long as a month to be accepted, while others are accepted on the spot. We ask that you bear with us as we help you improve, should you need to. We really do want you to join our site, we just want you to be able to play with us without hurting yourself. ^_^

Perfection and Acceptance!
You’ve edited once, twice, three times, and after you’ve perfected your registration, there will be one final post made to your thread. One of the moderators will post, and at the end of their post will be the famous phrase (usually in bold), Welcome to the World! After this, your thread will be closed, and you’re in! All that’s left now is to copy your registration into a new thread in the User Profiles section (which I expect you know how to do by this point), and begin your roleplaying experience with us on .hack//DIVERGENCE! ^_^

But how do things work around here? Read on, my friend.

This post has been edited by Jpec07 on Aug 12 2009, 05:31 PM

-=Roleplaying =-
Work in progress.
Proposed Section Outline (PM Jpec07 or Centrus with suggestions):

This post has been edited by Lyra on May 31 2009, 02:41 PM

-=Other Stuff =-
Work in progress.
Proposed Section Outline (PM Jpec07 or Centrus with suggestions):

This post has been edited by Lyra on May 31 2009, 02:46 PM