First of all, thanks for registering! It doesn't seem to be any sort of secret that we hold a pretty high standard here... but that's part of what makes this a great place to be. Character creation is a very important part of the activities that go on here at Revolution Academy. Without our characters, we have nothing, quite literally. However, while some other sites might only require a name, gender, and age, we have a much longer and more detailed application. This is for your benefit. The more detail you can put into your character, the more enabled you are to embody that character when posting In Character.

Let's go over some general rules [and don't forget to read the whole set of rules here. Please bear in mind that we do hold a higher standard for those applying for X-Men and Junior X-Men positions, especially those that are canon. This is because, in taking on these roles, your characters will be models for the students. Therefore, the quality of your posts must reflect this.

Canon characters must be pre-approved by the administration, whether they are listed or not. This mostly concerns the player rather than the character chosen. Therefore, administration reserves the right to deny any member if we do not feel that the character applied for is fitting enough for either the player or the entire board.

In order to play a canon character, you must demonstrate creativity, high post quality, and a thorough understanding of the character you are representing. If you're not terribly familiar with the character you wish to portray, excellent biographies can be found at Marvel Dictionary and on Wikipedia. We suggest doing a full research into your canon. As we are an AU board canon characters do not have to strictly adhere to their comic-verse/movie-verse histories, especially if said histories clash with our current plot and timeline. However this does not mean that everything is changeable, we expect canons to have the same powers and general personality as they do in the comics/movies. This is especially important when it comes to deciding the sexuality of your character; canon sexuality must remain canon.


Human characters are allowed, and if you wish to create a human character that has yet to discover his or her mutation, that is fine as well.


- - - - - - - - -


name & alias ,

We're not really too picky about your character's name, except when it comes to canons. Keep canon names the way they are. Try to remain realistic, however, if you are creating an original character. Make sure the origin of the name matches with the ethnicity of your character, and try to stay away from names like "Dirk Wolf Darkness". That's just silly. Please make sure that your character's name matches your member (log-in) name. Things get confusing otherwise. If it's too late, and you've already registered with a different name, we'd be glad to make the change for you. Just make a note at the bottom of your application, or contact a member of the administration.

A character's alias may be obvious, but make sure that your character's alias is related to his or her powers (for originals). Also, it is perfectly acceptable if your character has not chosen an alias for him or herself yet.
CANONS ALREADY HAVE AN ALIAS - WE WILL NOT CHANGE IT JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK ANOTHER WOULD WORK BETTER.

little things ,

Your character's date of birth, age, birthplace, and ethnicity is all really up to you, but remember that the oldest age for a student is normally 18. Beyond that, you'll have to consider applying for a Junior X-Men position when the applications are allowed. Of course, canon characters will most likely have these details predetermined.

Your character's occupation is what they do for a living - do they work? Are they students, Junior X-Men, or X-Men? An "X-Man" doesn't necessarily mean only an existing comic book character. An X-Man can mean anybody who is in their mid twenties, who has a strong grasp of his or her powers, and who will likely become a teacher, mentor, or other kind of role model for the students.

In regards to your character's marital status consider your character's relationship status. Is your character in a relationship, widowed, or even divorced? The religious faith of a character is something that can be left up to you, generally. Be specific with this, too, as much as you can.

Please read this thread before deciding your character's sexual orientation.

the mutation ,

If your application template includes this section, this is where you'll want to start using all that research data you found when looking into creating your character. A character's mutant type asks the question, "Was your character born with his or her mutation, meaning it is genetic, or was it chemically triggered?"

Your character's powers is where we expect a great amount of detail and explanation. We cannot stress this point enough: REALISM, REALISM, REALISM. If your character is a student, chances are good that they have not had much of a chance to develop their powers to a point of expertise. If you are creating an original character and they have multiple powers (no more than two), use common sense and make sure that they are related to each other in some way, shape, or form. If they aren't, we will ask that one power be removed and replaced with a new one. Try to give your characters room to grow, and be sure to mention future abilities, even in X-Men. Remember that by definition, a mutation is a progression in evolution. If your character's power doesn't represent a leap forward in humankind, it is not a mutation.

God-moding is sorely frowned upon, and we will mention something to you if we believe that your character is too powerful.

CANONS HAVE SET POWERS - KNOW THEM.

weaknesses ,

Now, the key here is BALANCE.

This section applies to all characters, mutant and not. In regards to human applications, this section will focus on physical, emotional, and mental capabilities. Is the character extremely weak, physically, or are they all brawn with absolutely no brain? Are they taken advantage of because they are too kind? Mutant applications should include weaknesses of this sort in addition to the weaknesses relating to their power(s).

The point of having a weakness section is to see how, in all your character's power and glory, they might be taken down, either by others or by themselves. If you've studied Shakespeare at all, chances are you're familiar with the hero's "tragic flaw." This means that no matter how powerful a person might be, they have one major failing that could be (and usually is) their downfall. We also love the use of irony here. A classic example is Charles Xavier himself. His strongest power, when he discovered it as a teen, was super strength and speed. He was highly active in athletics, and didn't focus too much on his powers of telepathy. However, the weakness to counteract that power is the fact that he has been confined to a wheelchair. See? Irony at work. Keep it in mind: BALANCE.

skills ,

What can your character do other than using their powers, what are they good at? Keep in mind that this is another area that needs balance and also some logical thought. If your character comes from a poor background it’s highly unlikely that they will be classically trained in the use of several instruments, as such a thing generally requires an abundance of money. They would most likely know "street smart" skills. Basically we want to know what your character is good at and why it would come in handy.

the insides ,

When it comes to the likes and dislikes section, it's just is a brief area that requires only minimal explanation. It shouldn’t really cause you too much of a hassle. Really this area of the application is to help you build a character that you know inside and out.

A character's personality is practically the section half of a character, much like their mutant powers. Bear in mind that your character isn't all about his or her powers. Give your character enough respect to create as elaborate a personality as you can muster. Due to the very nature of roleplay, you'll be relying on personality more than powers anyway. Make sure that a reader can get a good sense of who your character really is inside. Don't forget to make the character's personality fit with their background - for example, a rich person who was spoiled in their youth is not likely to appreciate much.

family & history ,

You character's family needs to be in listed form, following the format given.

Your character's history is the really fun part! Go nuts here, but within reason. Try to provide a history that could realistically result in the character you've already described to us. For example, if your character witnessed a horrible accident involving a bungee cord that wasn't strapped on correctly, he or she might be afraid of heights or falling. It's perfectly acceptable to write this section up before even considering anything in their personality section - in fact, it might work out quite well!

rp sample ,

RP Samples should be at least three paragraphs (when one paragraph tend to equal seven to nine sentences). Don't try to do more than you think you can do on a regular basis, because you will be expected to post with this level of quality all the time.

REMEMBER, YOUR RP SAMPLE MUST BE AT LEAST 350 WORDS LONG.

additionally ,

We expect all accepted members to have an avatar showing a real person. If you have a problem finding someone to depict your character, feel free to post in the artist corner and ask other members for help. Avatars must be 15o pixels high by 150 pixels wide. The image(s) in your signature, while not required, should be no larger than 550 pixels wide and 250 pixels tall.

- - - - - - - - -


Please keep in mind that we may seem like snobs, or hard-asses, or whatever else you want to call us, but we're here to help you if you need it. If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to contact a member of the administration and ask! The most important thing to remember is to have fun! If you create a character that you yourself wouldn't like to hang out with in person, you're less likely to maintain activity. Remember that characters can be killed off if you get tired or uninspired, and a new character can be registered (but do try not to do this all the time).