The Beginner's Guide
From DirtyWiki
This has been suggested many times and many times we wonder how one would help. What would we write that would help ease you into Dirty Life? We have no main characters--the important people are the ones your character meets.
We're constantly told that prospective players are intimidated by the size of the game's wiki and the years of history it contains. To remedy this, we have culled many of the factoids, both OOC and IC, and listed them here. We hope that this gives you the initial footing to both create your character, and to get the most out of them.
This guide is divided into two parts: the OOC process to join, and the IC information to help you get started.
Contents |
Will I Even Like It Here?
The ugly truth about DL is that it's fairly old in LJRPG years. As has been discovered the hard way in games across the board, the older a game gets without cycling out its core players (aka, the founders or mods or most active people), the harder it is to jump in and create the excitement that would stir up easy participation. People settle their characters down, get tired of abusing them (well, for the most part), or lose some of the initial excitement and anything goes mentality that first followed them in.
We're going to be frank when we say that joining DL will require some elbow grease if you join by yourself. We don't do a lot of all-game, directed plots because we cover too many places and too many unrelated people. However, we usually have some sort of Big Idea simmering for the sake of having something there to latch onto.
So when you join, you need to make sure you interact in OOC posts, join any chats if we have them (or suggest having one if you're bold enough!), and otherwise make yourself an active member straight away. Be sure to figure out what is going on so that you don't get stuck making ten open posts in a row only to have no comments (because maybe your character isn't located near anyone, or the characters present might be confused or turned off by the storyline, or we aren't sure we're even allowed to interact). If any of this sounds far too difficult, you might want to reconsider applying.
Even if you manage to get something exciting going and you're making good friends, DL doesn't require any less 'work' to maintain activity even a year or two later. Should we see a spike in activity, this will stop being as true (because when we were at peak activity, nothing went ignored and people were chomping at the bit to interact), but until then, take note of the following:
You might have to write posts alone. You might have to play with your own characters. Even the oldest players do this. We don't consider it a taboo in DL to write or comment with yourself. In fact, it's an essential part of advancing plot for those people who play family members or friends. Because this is essentially a creative writing game, the people here all love to tell stories and don't mind what it takes to get them developed.
If you've only played in fandom games, an original game might be a shock. You'll have to draw from different sources and from your own ideas, and this can take a lot of work and be intimidating and frustrating at times. Worldbuilding isn't easy, but Dirty Life has been around along enough to cultivate quite a lengthy canon, and we hope it gives you enough structure to inspire. Even so, original games aren't for everyone, so remember this before you proceed.
How to Make a Suitable Character
As the game is so spread out and so vast, the most confusing part is not how you play, but how you go about making a character you can play.
Here are some lists we've compiled in the past that show you the demographics of character locations and occupations, and even the most common ages. These will give you a grasp of the most populous areas, occupations, and ages, and even give you opportunities to find specific places for your characters to work.
- There is inspiration to be found here. Many players will not just offer specific characters, but also places, time periods, and locations that could do with some extra attention. If you're lost or otherwise looking for ideas, go here first. This is the only way our members can reach out and tell strangers what they want.
- This will give you not only the overall population, but will show you specific locations within each country. The most active players seem to be focused in England, Ireland, South Africa, and in both New Orleans and New York City in the United States.
- This list will show you popular fields and even specific businesses or places where your character could work. Follow any links and ask any players if there are openings at these businesses. You might also take a look at Businesses or Charities. Please note that not everyone is obligated to open up their business for new players or even any other players aside from themselves. Ask permission via an email to the mods before you set your application in stone.
- Most of our characters lean heavily into their 20s, 30s, and 40s. We have many younger and many older, but the most active core is young adult through early middle age.
The best decision you can make is to place your character in a city where there are other characters. It seems simple, but it's often easily overlooked.
While there are many old and experienced supernatural characters that have enticing résumés, we ask new players not to bite off more than they can chew, and to stick with young supernatural characters when joining. As mentioned elsewhere in the rules, a good grasp of the supernatural is required in order to play extremely knowledgeable or ancient characters. This also includes playing young people actively being raised by ancient or extremely knowledgeable characters, unless we've made an exception.
How to Join
After deciding your character is ready for packaging, the steps are very simple.
- Read about gameplay so you understand how the game works. Also look at the game itself.
- Read the rules. You can find them quite easily, but here they are again.
- If you're playing supernatural, read those rules.
- Fill out the application. Again, it's easy to find, but we'll link it, anyway.
- Send said application to dirtymods @ gmail.com.
- Wait for our reply. While one mod might be on to get it, the other might not, so give us a day or two to consult each other.
- Once accepted, follow these steps.
How to Start Playing
Essentially, you cannot be totally shy. DL, in its most active times, has had several posts (even up to a dozen) a day. These are always easier times to jump into than when the game is quiet; we understand that. But at the same time, when the game is quiet, it's usually because regular players are busy, or characters are too spread out to interact, and if you don't speak up, you're never going to get anywhere.
So here's some advice:
- We suggest, and this goes to current players, making IC LJ posts and having different characters comment on them.
- Just as in life, the internet brings strangers together, so unless the post is "locked" or "filtered" to certain people, your character is fully within his or her rights to say hello. That's why we require all characters to friend all characters. This is an inclusive game. (Because this has been less frequent, make a post in the OOC community alerting people to any specific journal entries.)
- We also suggest, and this is probably more useful in the long run, talking to people.
- Make as many OOC posts as you like, introducing yourself, introducing your character, and stating what sort of things you'd like your character to get involved in. Chances are, someone out there might like the sound of your idea. Additionally, where listed, players can be talked to on instant messengers or contacted by email (email is probably preferable as it is easily accessed everywhere).
- Make an open post after you join.
- Open posts are perfectly legitimate ways of roleplaying here. They are often used when people need a place to start. While we are structured in terms of requiring permission to jump into a thread you weren't initially a part of, you are free to make unplanned posts that anyone can comment to. These are called open posts because anyone can drop in and say hello to your character. You can have them doing anything from walking through a city to getting started at their new job. It can be as long or as short as you need to get your point across (new people should try to add details to the post so that we know who you are and what's going on). Do not take offense if no one comments, however; it's best to leave a post in the OOC community to let people know you'd love someone to drop in! To specify that a post is open for anyone, put OPEN POST in the subject.
- We also recommend that you con a friend to join.
- I realize this is trickier than making an open post, but it really helps to know someone when you begin playing at an original RPG. You will have much more freedom to explore outside of the game if you bring someone in who knows you. Many of the people here came with friends or brought a friend in immediately after. We've all since grown very close and bounce ideas off each other.
Have an IM client that supports chat functions when you do apply. We love use of chatrooms (particularly on Yahoo) to share ideas when multiple people are online. If you're a new player and you're lost, leave a little note in the OOC community that you'd like a chat or to talk to someone, and we'll help you as much as we can. And please join any chats we announce, because we find that players last longer if they interact OOC as much as they interact IC.
Emailing the mods (dirtymods@gmail.com) is encouraged! If you're lost, if you haven't even applied yet, just ask us what we think would be best. You can send us your ideas and we'll guide you through to the end. If all you have is a name and a physical description, that's fine! If all you have is some vague ideas for their personality, that's fine, too! You're free to talk to us before you apply. We encourage asking anything you want.
Basic Knowledge
For all IC and even some OOC knowledge that might be helpful in terms of understanding the game and its history.
This does not include every ICly significant person, such as famous CEOs, writers, or officials. This is going to be kept as simple as it is possible to make a game this vast fit into a nutshell.
- Ye Oldest Characters
- Avery Driscoll
- Jack Dickon
- Jake Griffith
- Annabelle Dickon
- These four, specifically the three boys, comprised the entire cast of Dirty Life when it was created in August 2004. The three boys are involved in a singular relationship. Bound by marriage (all legality aside). They are known as The Boys, informally. Annabelle is Jack's younger sister, though she is now legally adopted by Avery's mother and step-father, making her Annabelle Camden. This is OOC knowledge, though their relationship is, IC, mentioned in tabloids, as Avery is a part of the Fitzwilliam family.
- Bigshots
- Capio
- In-Character Reason for Importance: While not rich and powerful in the same sense as the two families below, this is our second invented line of British aristocracy in the game. Their family encompasses the peerage of the Duke of Northumberland.
- Fitzwilliam
- In-Character Reason for Importance: Technically the richest family in Britain. They own the Fitzwilliam Diamond Company, which is world-renowned (they bought out De Beers during the Depression) and are blue-blooded (their peerage currently encompasses the Duke of Wiltshire, and in the past also contained several other titles). These two factors mean you can find them in the news, both for good and bad reasons. While charitable on a massive scale (prominent in HIV/AIDS research and performing arts), they still own a diamond company.
- Rémi
- In-Character Reason for Importance: Somewhere on the list of richest families in France, but more by sheer force of numbers, as they are a huge and wide-spread family that also extends to America. They have a strong presence in hotels, restaurants, pharmaceuticals, French filmmaking, and home goods. Nothing is quite so glamorous as owning a diamond company, but they make up for that with the breadth of their meddling.
- Out Of Character Reason for Importance: Some of the most active and oldest characters in the game come from these families, and there is a metric fuckton(ne) of them. They are all three responsible for the sheer number of angels in the game. Yes, all three families are angelic. Coincidence? Well, yes, considering at least one of them was rich beforehand. Gold stars if you guess which it is.
- People of Note
- See List of recognizable characters. The oldest characters in the game might be an interesting bit of trivia, but there are characters in the game who are actually significant IC. This list compiles them.
- People and Places and Things
- 93 Gloucester Road
- Belgravia Station
- Blackburn
- The Burlesk House
- Calescotia
- Eclipse Bar
- Fitzwilliam Diamond Company
- Fusion Blues
- Kensington Police Station
- The Rusty Goat
- Tory Island Branch
- The Wooing Maiden Inn and Pub
- These are places or people that involve quite a lot of other places and people. Large plots may center on them. Many characters generally conglomerate around them. They're worth knowing, even if irrelevant to you. They're all going to be mentioned more than enough times to be confusing. The bars/pubs/clubs might even have places for people to work or spots for regulars, so check them out.
- Plots of Note
- See the Plot category.
