EU Character Creation Guide
From TFC Galactopedia
Many newcomers to The Furry Conflict hope to make a character for use at TFC who will be considered for official EU status so that they may make it into the storyline one day. For many, the first biography they submit is flat-out rejected for one reason or another. This guide exists for the purpose of making sure that doesn't happen to you. Though it may seem otherwise, Zannah and I do not find extreme joy in rejecting biographies for failing to fit with the TFC continuity: we want you to make a good character.
Here's how to do it.
| Table of contents |
Read the TFC Storyline.
- TFC Storyline (http://www.furryconflict.com/storyline)
You may have come to TFC with some concept of who you would be in Star Trek or Star Wars - a Starfleet admiral, maybe, or a Jedi - but TFC is neither Star Trek nor Star Wars. It's important that your character fit with our continuity, and the best way to ensure that is to read the story so that you know what's going on in the world around your character.
For the purpose of the guide, I'm creating a character from the Far Galaxy (the Star Wars galaxy).
- Star Wars/Far Galaxy character
- Because I just read the storyline, I know that the Sith play a much bigger role in TFC than they do in Star Wars. In the storyline, all of the Jedi characters mention a sub-sect of the Sith called the Jedi Hunters. These guys are out there actively stalking the Jedi! Now *that* sounds like fun. I now know that I want to create a Sith Jedi Hunter - but I'm going to need more information.
Visit the Bio Academy Forum
- Bio Academy (http://bbs.furryconflict.com/viewforum.php?f=10)
- TFC Character Cliches to Avoid
- Generic Bio Rules & Format (http://bbs.furryconflict.com/viewtopic.php?t=6245) (also found in the Galactopedia)
The cliche list tells you everything you shouldn't do, and the biography format tells you exactly what information you have to have to create a character for TFC's EU.
- Star Wars/Far Galaxy character
- I read through the rules, the list of cliches, and the generic bio format. The cliche list tells me it's okay to have a Jedi Hunter, just not a Jedi. That's good news for me. The bio format tells me I'm going to need something I don't usually think of in conjunction with Star Wars though: a 'furry' species for my Jedi Hunter character.
Picking a 'furry' species from the Speciespedia or Character Building Academy
- Speciespedia
- Character Building Academy 100 (http://bbs.furryconflict.com/viewtopic.php?t=4116)
The Character Building Academy is is an older thread and is located a couple of pages back in the Bio Academy, but it's great for those who are unfamiliar with choosing a furry species for a character. The thread shows different ways of picking an animal for an already-decided on personality, a way of picking an animal for a preexisting Trek or Wars race, and more. The Speciespedia is a similar resource, listing major TFC "human" equivalent races and preapproved 'furry' species that you can be from within that race. You're also welcome to choose your own, but it'll give you a good idea of what is and isn't going to get you automatic disapproval from the biography administrators.
- Star Wars/Far Galaxy character
- As a fan of the Star Wars Expanded Universe, I already have a species in mind that just screams Jedi Hunter to me. All the same, this thread is a great resource and makes me think about different aspects and subliminal messages my choice of furry might send out about my character. This is a great first stop for someone who, unlike me, isn't quite sure what they want their character to be as a furry. For myself, I've chosen a vornskr of Myrkr, a world in the Inner Rim of Star Wars. According to the Star Wars EU books, vornskrs are a kind of dog that hunt their prey through the Force. This describes a Jedi Hunter to a T.
Check the Canon
- Major Changes from Official Canon and Continuity
- Janus Ager Coruscant Calendar (Far Galaxy timeline)
- Anno Domini Earth Calendar (Milky Way timeline)
These three links are to invaluable resources. We outline the most major changes to the "what happens when" of TFC, and a more in-depth calendar of events can be found in each of the calendars. We also have Expanded Universe calendars available in the Timelines area, so if you're wanting to make sure your character isn't born in the exact same year as every other character, that's a good resource to consult.
- Star Wars/Far Galaxy character
- The timeline gives me some important information about when the Empire came to power in TFC - according to the timeline, the Empire was declared in 1786 (Janus Ager calendar), and that when the Empire was declared, the Jedi Temple on Coruscant was overrun by the Sith. But the timeline doesn't mention Jedi Hunters. Before I can figure out when my order came to power and how my vornskr Jedi Hunter fits into it, I'm going to need to know more.
Visit the Q&A Forum and the Galactopedia
- The Q&A Forum (http://bbs.furryconflict.com/viewforum.php?f=13)
- Main Page
The Galactopedia is an invaluable resource for character creation. It contains everything from cast or canon biographies to canon and EU information on potential homeworlds and political or military organizations for a character to belong to. It's constantly being updated, so the information is almost always up-to-date. If there's something you want to know that you can't find an answer to in the Galactopedia, the Q&A forum is the best place to ask. Just make sure you browse through to see if your question's already been answered, and don't be afraid to follow up on your question in the same thread with additional thoughts.
- Star Wars/Far Galaxy character
- I look through the Q&A forum but I don't see a ton of information on the Jedi Hunters. So for the sake of this guide, we'll ignore the fact that I'm a Cast Member and say that I post a thread asking when the Jedi Hunters first appeared. I'm told that the Jedi Hunters were active immediately after the destruction of the temple - so at least 14 years. I also know that the Jedi are extremely intelligent, skilled, atheletic individuals, and sending a Hunter after them with no training would have been suicide. If the Hunters have been around for 14 years, they've been training for longer than that. I'm going to need someplace for them to do that - some world for my Sith character to call home.
Find a Homeworld
- Systems and Planets in TFC
- The Wookieepedia (http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page)
- Memory Alpha (http://www.memory-alpha.org/en/index.php/Main_Page)
- TFC Q&A Forum (http://bbs.furryconflict.com/viewforum.php?f=13)
The best place to start your homeworld search for TFC is our own Galactic Cartography section here in the Galactopedia. Though we don't include information on EVERY homeworld, we do touch base with all of the planets and systems considered "major" in TFC. If you can't find what you're looking for and you're creating a Star Wars character, the Wookieepedia is an online, free encyclopedia of Star Wars information, and the planet listings here can help you find a homeworld for your Star Wars character. Memory Alpha is an online, free encyclopedia of Star Trek information, and the planet listings here can help you find a homeworld for your Star Trek character. The TFC Q&A forum is another good stop to make once you've chosen a world, because the users in the Q&A forum should be able to tell you if any changes have been made to your planet of choice. Alternatively, you can create your own homeworld and race, but for the sake of the guide we're going with things that already exist in the canon or EU of Trek/Wars.
- Star Wars/Far Galaxy character
- Because I've chosen for my Jedi Hunter to be a vornskr, which is a species found only on one planet - Myrkr - I have a ready-made homeworld for my character. The Wookieepedia entry on Myrkr only confirms that it's a great place to put someone that you don't want the Jedi to find. There's a fuzzy lizard-looking species of animals on Myrkr named ysalamiri, and ysalamiri defend themselves from the vornskrs' Force-hunting skills by actually emitting dead space in the Force. Jedi avoided Myrkr because they were cut off from the source of their powers when they were too close to ysalamiri. They're not likely to rent a beachfront condo on Myrkr and accidentally stumble across my Jedi Hunters while looking for a bar that serves mai tais, whereas on a populous planet like Coruscant there would be risks of Jedi coming across my Hunter.
- Since I've decided firmly in favor of Myrkr, though, I need to know what it's status is at TFC. The Q&A forum becomes my destination yet again. I learn there that the Galactic Empire and more especially the Sith are in control of Myrkr and its dangerous ysalamiri and (wild, non-anthromorphic) vornskr populations. Perfect!
- Because I've chosen for my Jedi Hunter to be a vornskr, which is a species found only on one planet - Myrkr - I have a ready-made homeworld for my character. The Wookieepedia entry on Myrkr only confirms that it's a great place to put someone that you don't want the Jedi to find. There's a fuzzy lizard-looking species of animals on Myrkr named ysalamiri, and ysalamiri defend themselves from the vornskrs' Force-hunting skills by actually emitting dead space in the Force. Jedi avoided Myrkr because they were cut off from the source of their powers when they were too close to ysalamiri. They're not likely to rent a beachfront condo on Myrkr and accidentally stumble across my Jedi Hunters while looking for a bar that serves mai tais, whereas on a populous planet like Coruscant there would be risks of Jedi coming across my Hunter.
Copy the Generic Bio Rules and Format
- The Bio Academy (http://bbs.furryconflict.com/viewforum.php?f=10)
- Generic Bio Rules & Format (http://bbs.furryconflict.com/viewtopic.php?t=6245)
Go back to the Bio Academy or the Galactopedia to snag the Generic Bio Rules & Format if you didn't copy it into a different document or print it out so that you could write your information down. Once you have your species, alliance, homeworld, and rank/job/assignment figured out, you're ready to put it all together.
- Star Wars/Far Galaxy character
- I return the Bio Format and begin filling in the information I've come up with. I invent a name for my vornskr - Vassa Hrinn - and mark her alliance as Imperial/Sith. Her rank is another easy one for me: she's a Hunter. Her species is vornskr, and I've decided she's 24 years old. A quick trip back to the Timelines tells me that if she's 24, she was born in 1776 (Janus Ager calendar). She's a female, she's on Myrkr, and it doesn't take me too long to come up with names for her parents. Her education is that of a Jedi Hunter and she isn't married. That leaves me to fill out her background - basically, her abbriviated life story - and write up notes on the character. Because Vassa is a vornskr, she has some unusual notes pertaining to her tail and to her Force abilities.
Additional character notes
Though not required, many posters offer additional information, especially about the physical appearance and gear carried by a character that you make. It's always a good idea to have at least the basics of their appearance down, since there are some Mary Sue/Gary Stu scoring questions pertaining to the character's looks and their gear.
- Star Wars/Far Galaxy character
For the sake of the guide, we'll say someone asked what Vassa looked like. I gave a brief description in her character notes - canine, short black fur, short black hair, brown eyes - but the poster is wanting to know how tall she is and what her physical build is (heavyset, slender, skinny, etc.). Someone else wants to know if Vassa has a lightsaber. I have the option of adding information such as weaponry/gear and vital statistics to Vassa's biography under Character Notes if I so choose, or I could add my own 'Appearance:' and 'Gear:' categories to her biography. I could choose not to answer the questions, as well. It's all up to me, because at this point I've filled out all of the required information. Still, it's good to know that if I wanted to, I could continue to expand on Vassa whether it was by providing artwork and links or by describing her gear pack in great detail.
The other thing I want to keep in mind is that Vassa would be, in a "normal" Star Wars roleplay, human. Because of this, she should have realistically human characteristics when considering her height, weight, and physique. Barbie and Ken definitely don't fit the realistic category. Always figure out what your character's species' norms would be, and try to fit within them when deciding how tall and wide your character happens to be.
Now I'm off to the final mandatory category: Mary Sue Scoring.
Take the Mary Sue test
- The TFC Mary Sue Litmus Test (http://www.rainbowsaber.com/tfc/marysue.php)
Once you have your biography all figured out, give your character a self-evaluation on Mary Suedom in order to make sure you have a plausible concept that isn't overpowered.
- Star Wars/Far Galaxy character
- Having read the rules of the Bio Academy, I know I don't want to be a Mary Sue or a Gary Stu. I kept that in mind when I was creating my biography, and by answering each of the Mary Sue questions honestly I earn a score of 5 for Vassa. That score indicates that I did a good job - whew! But the test is honest, and if you're overpowered it will say so. I still would have had time, if she had been too powerful, to go back and make some changes before posting my biography.
Post your biography for administrative and peer review
- The Bio Academy (http://bbs.furryconflict.com/viewform.php?f=10)
Post your biography in its complete state in the Bio Academy. Bio admins and other members of TFC will likely offer some form of commentary or critique about your character, though official bio reviews from the admins tend to take some time to go through due to their other responsibilities on the site.
- Star Wars/Far Galaxy character
- After I double-check that all of my biography's information is correct, I post it in the Bio Academy under the name of my character, Vassa Hrinn. Now all that I have to do is wait for feedback! If feedback is negative, I can go back and edit my biography or make changes, or defend my stance on the Jedi Hunters, Myrkr, and ysalamiri - all of which were covered in Vassa's backstory. I know from reading the Bio Academy that negative feedback doesn't mean my biography will never graduate to the Personnel Files, it just means I probably need to make a couple of changes.
Example Biographies
- Vassa Hrinn (http://bbs.furryconflict.com/viewtopic.php?t=8560) (character created during this guide)
- Additional biographies considered to be good examples can be found throughout the Galactopedia and in the Personnel Files forum on the TFC community.
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