Post by Meira on Oct 28, 2008 15:21:18 GMT -5
An important note on pending bios, from Kella;
If an applicant has not edited their application thread or responded to feedback for two weeks, then their application thread will be moved to Incomplete Profiles. No need to worry, though! If you see that your application is no longer in pending, just zip me a PM, and I'll restore the thread to pending. :3
That is all.
Okie dokie. Hello and welcome to this little thread. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Meira. I'm the one of the site Admins.
I've noticed that there tends to be confusion when creating a character and so I'm going to offer my advice here, specifically for Jedi character creation. My advice is not meant to apply to any other faction applications.
I'll start off with this:
Wookieepedia
This site is your friend. Use it, and use it often.
So lets go through this application and I'll give my advice along the way.
Name: Simple enough, right? It can be. My advice here will be explained in race.
Race: Now, picking a race for a character should not be done lightly. Your character's race affects everything about them, including name. How so? Well, if you click on that handy link up there and look up the Twi'lek race, you will find that they have a specific way of naming someone. So in order to give your character an authentic name, it can be helpful to research what names in that species look like. In general, it's simply a good idea to know about a character's race before moving on.
Age: Again, this may seem like an arbitrary thing to decide, and perhaps it is. But it is important to know what age means to your character. If you've chosen a race that lives for 200 years, then what does it mean to be 25? Does it mean that the character shouldn't be fully developed physically? We see again the importance of knowing race. Further, does this character come from a culture that marks certain ages as important? As far as what age means to a Jedi specifically, I'll discuss that when we get to ranks.
Height and weight: These two factors are influenced by gender, race and age. Take these into consideration before just throwing out a number. On this site, the general accepted measurements are in feet and inches (5'9") for height and pounds (lbs.) for weight.
Appearance: Some people (like me) love to have a picture here. It's easier to see what a character looks like than it is to read and imagine. However, it is important to note that imagery is important to RP here because you can't see what's happening. You have to read and imagine. And so a little practice can help you in the long run. Besides, if you can't communicate what your character looks like, then you might find things like motivation and actions even harder.
Birth place: Again, can be strongly influenced by race. Some species keep to their home world, while others can be found almost anywhere in the galaxy (such as humans). Research your species to figure out where a realistic birth place would be. Now, this is not to say that you MUST go with a birth place common to your species, but if the species is fairly homebound and xenophobic, a character born far away from the species homeworld would have a story about how their family got so far away.
Also, birth place can have an impact on how a character sees the galaxy as a whole. Does your character remember distrust of outsiders before being taken in by the Jedi? If this is the case, how does this affect your character's psyche? Does he feel like a traitor, or does he not remember his home world enough for it to bother him?
Faction: This one actually is easy. Jedi.
Rank: Okay some quick facts about ranks:
Youngling: Not really a rank. Younglings aren't technically part of the Jedi Order. They are being trained in the ways of the Force, yes, but this time period can be seen as a testing ground. A child must be selected for training by the age of 6. This is a site rule, end of story. Once accepted for training, a child is considered a youngling until they are taken as an padawan, which will be explained next. Now, when creating a character, it is important to know at what age she is taken in by the Jedi. Was it shortly after birth? Age 3? Or did she make it in by the skin on her teeth as a 6 year old?
This is important because the older a child is before being taken in, the more memories they will accumulate in their lives before. In general, human children (here on earth) do not start to form real memories until around 2. This can be noted in behaviors such as stranger fear (the child actually realizes that they don't remember who someone is and so is apprehensive about being around them). Now, other races might be different, so try to find something out about it. If you can't find anything, then lets use 2 as the general range for first memories. However, even after that, the older a character gets, the more likely their memories are to fade. This is not to say they are lost, but the Jedi encourage detatchment from life before the Order, so memories are not likely to mean much unless thet have a major effect on the character.
Padawan: As a rule on this site, a character must be selected as a Padawan by 13. After this age, the character would either be sent into lesser roles for the Jedi Order (such as the agricorps or the medicorps) or are on their own. This rank is synonymous with apprentice. They are still not technically part of the Order, but they are on their way. This time in a Jedi's life is marked by personal tutelage with a master. However, a padawan's master isn't necessarily a Jedi Master. Take Anakin and Obi-Wan as an example. When Obi-Wan to Anakin as his padawan, he was not a master, he was a Jedi Knight.
The padawan years are not something to be glazed over too lightly. As with all aspects of life, they are important times. What teenager would disagree? This is the piont in life in which a character often grows and matures the most, considering the amount of time. A character is a Padawan from about 13 to about 22 (at least).
Knight: The minimum age for knighthood on this site is 22. Can it be younger? No, sorry, rules is rules. Can it be older? Yeah, but I'm sure there's a story there, eh?
The ascention to knighthood is marked by the successful passing of the trials. For more information on what these are, follow the link above and type "Jedi trials" into the search bar at the left of the main page.
Now your character is an official member of the Jedi Order. That pesky braid is cut... so now what? Well, it is generally a practice that as a Padawan becomes a Knight, their master becomes... a Master. This is not always the case, but it tends to happen that way.
Once a knight, a Jedi's future is largely in their hands. Their individuality has more room to move and they have more freedom in general. A Knight is essentially at the disposal of the council. They do not have to accept missions assigned to them, but to do so would be... odd. By now, a Jedi has a level of commitment to the council and to the calling of the Jedi order. This is what Jedi do. So to refuse one's calling would have to come with a good reason.
Now there are differnt cattegories that Jedi tend to fall into once they become knights. These tend to be based on their individual skills. In this thread, I will briefly discuss the three main subcategories of Jedi Knights:
Guardian: This is what I think most people think of when they think of a Jedi. A Guardian is more combat focused than philosophy focused. They use the Force to protect and serve. Their skills in the Force reflect this through such things as a higher proficiency in lightsaber combat and physical aspects of the force (push, pull, speed, etc.) This is not to say that they are deficient in other aspects of the Force. It simply means that their abilities lean more towards physical manipulations.
Sentinel: A Sentinel strikes a balance between Guardian and Consular. They are adept in both areas, but do not excell in either one more than the other. This is a balance. Could a Sentinel lean more towards guardian than Consular? Sure. But the point is that, due to their more balanced grasp of the Force, a Sentinel would not be expected to reflect a large difference.
Consular: These Knights lean more towards the mysteries of the force. Think of them as the gurus. Yoda would be a good example. He focusses on more philosphical aspects, such as seeing into the future, or meditation. Yes, Yoda is also awesome with a lightsaber, but remember that he IS Yoda. This would not be typical of a Knight Consular.
Again, to say that a character is more apt to one subcategory is not to say they are deficient in another, they are simply less apt to another.
It is important to take in your character's personality when selecting a subcategory. A calm, deep thinking character would be an odd Guardian.
Let's also not forget that you are free to move your character around! A character might be a Guardian in his youth, and then come to be more of a Consular over the years. But remember that, these changes are more realistic when they are gradual, as it can take years to learn new techniques.
Among these subcategories are even more specialities. To learn about them, use the handy dandy link above and research to your heart's content!
Master: The minimum age for a Master level is 32. Why 32? Because we are basing this off of the most common way to become a Master, which is by training a Padawan through to Knighthood. The minimum amount of time it would take to do this is 10 years (Youngling becomes a Padawan at 12, knight at 22 = 10 yrs.) So if a Knight at 22 takes on a 12 year old Padawan, it would take a minimum of 10 years for the Padawan to become a Knight and the Knight to become a Master. And that's enough numbers for today.
Now, training a padawan to knighthood is not the ONLY way for a character to reach the Master rank. But it is the most common. "But Meira" you ask, "what other possibilities are out there for us?" Well, kids, there is the possibility that a Knight might be granted Master rank through merit. In this way, a Knight might go through a second set of trials, along the same lines as the Knighthood trials, but much more challenging. The idea here is that a Knight might not be teacher material, but could still be considered on par with other Master ranked individuals. Be aware, however, that if you so choose to take this route with your character, it is likely to take more than the minimum 10 years to get that Master rank. Why? Well, as a teacher, one has more opportunities to prove their abilities and dedication to the Order.
Bio: The thing I cannot stress enough here is detail. But I'll try anyway. DETAIL DETAIL DETAIL. Do I need to know every time your character skinned his knee? No. But a good bio marks the important points of a character's life with enough information to let us know that you've thought this through. A good bio not only tells what happened to a character, but also gives insight into what the character is like. Life events often have a way of impacting a person, some to the point of creating changes in that person's personality or moral beliefs. If such events have occured to your character, then don't dismiss them with two sentences. Show what it meant and how it effected your character.
This isn't just for us. By creating a good bio, you are able to understand your character enough to RP them with a good degree of validity. The more you develop your character in their bio, the more likely you are to know how they would act when you're RPing them. This creates a steady character that realistic and understandable.
Lightsaber: A lightsaber is as individual as the Jedi. No two are the same. Though it is common for a Padawan to construct a saber similar to their master's (a sign of respect) there is no set rule on what a lightsaber should look like. I suggest researching the different styles of lightsaber combat, and also teh different types of lightsaber crystals.
A lightsaber generally has 2 crystals: A color crystal and a focus crystal, however, the only crystal you're required to mention is the color crystal. The Focus crystal is optional. Remember that, according to site rules, the only effect a crystal may have is to alter the color of the blade. However, many crystals have symbolic meanings, so you may enjoy finding one that is meaningful to your character. Exoticly colored crystals (silver, purple, etc.) can only be found in certain places, and must be explained in the bio. Colors other than the standard yellow, green, and blue must be mentioned in the bio and mod-approved.
One's lightsaber is built during the padawan years. When this is done can vary. Some padawans might first be given a lightsaber by their master, and so do not build their own until later on. Some build theirs very early on as a padawan. The important thing to focus on though is not when, but how. A lightsaber is individual to a Jedi because they essentially put themselves into it. Through meditation over the crystals and during construction, the Jedi is in a way binding their spirit to the lightsaber. In many cases, building a lightsaber is seen as part of the trial of skill( though please note that simply building a lightsaber is not enough to have passed this trial).
What I'm getting at here is that your character's lightsaber is not arbitrary. Don't go with something because it is "freakin awesome!!!!1!!!one". Fit it to your character.
Some lightsaber hilts are suited to specific styles. For example, a curved hilt (Such as Count Dooku's) is suited to the Makashi style in particular. Keep this in mind.
Lightsaber Styles:
I will refer you to this wookieepedia page for information on the styles. Note, however, that some forms on this page are not in our application... consider them a bonus of information! Again, fit your character's practiced styles to their personality. A calm, reserved character would not likely take to the aggressive Ataru style, but would be more suited to Soresu.
Some specific rules about lightsaber styles for this site:
All Jedi learn Shii-Cho. It can be mastered by around knighthood. As a general rule: You cannot have a style with a higher score than Shii-Cho. As in, you cannot have a 3 in Shii-Cho and a 4 in Ataru. Why? Because ALL styles are derived from Shii-Cho. It is the common ancestor between Makashi and Niman.
Now a special note about Juyo: This form is exceptionally difficult, AND rare. Because of the specifics about this form, I have personally made a few decisions about accepting it's practice in a character's profile.
As it requires a deep understanding of the forms that come before it. I will not grant training in this form before the rank fo Master. Also, a character must have mastered at least 3 previous forms (Shii-Cho being one). This may seem like steep restrictions, but if you read up on this style and are realistic about it, I'm sure you can understand.
Force Sensitive Abilities: Age, rank, and personality all play a role in what abilities a character might excell at. I want to note here that, a species knack for skills related to force abilities does not necessarily mean that they can have a higher number with that ability. Depending on the race and other factors, this could just mean that they are more likely to understand that particular area of the force more than they would another.
Because of the individuality of a character, there is no set standard. A "normal" Jedi does not exist, as all jedi are individuals and so a bound to vary, that's nature. We mods expect applicants to use common sense, however. We expect our applicants to understand the range of 1-10 and what extreem scores mean. If you do not, or if you have trouble understanding this concept, then please PM us. We are here to help!
Attributes: Look at these aspects of your character without bringing the Force into the equation. The Force can bulster a character's strenght, but it does not permanently increase it. So when doing this section, keep that in mind. Also remember the norms. For example: In general, male characters are stronger and faster than females. Therefore, the average strength of a male character might be more at a 6, where a female's is at a 5. Does your species have a reverse on this generalization? (See, I told you race is important.)
Note here that melee skills are not the same as lightsaber skills. It turns out that handling a lightsaber is quite different than a regular sword. It has something to do with a counterbalance or something that I'm not knowledgeable off. If you'd like to know more about this, I will refer you to Jenno, as he is the one that pointed this out to me. In either case, melee has it's own section for a reason, so do not bring lightsaber skills into account when setting this skill.
RP Sample: Note that those of you applying for Youngling need not worry about this.
The RP Sample is to give us a peek at your RP ability. The higher the rank you are applying for, the higher the standards are when it comes to RP. But note that length does not equate to quality. Though it is generally regarded that a more skilled character is capable of longer RP posts, what we're really after here is a sense of RP quality. If you are less experienced with RP, then it would be wise to go for a lower rank (which would mean that your character also has less experience... neat, eh?
Have fun with the sample and fit it to your character's personality. Are you going for a combat oriented character? Then show off your combat RP skills!
Ok, that's all for my general walkthrough. I hope that this is helpful to anyone trying to wade through the character creation process. And of course, if you have any questions, PM myself or another mod. That's why we're here after all!
If an applicant has not edited their application thread or responded to feedback for two weeks, then their application thread will be moved to Incomplete Profiles. No need to worry, though! If you see that your application is no longer in pending, just zip me a PM, and I'll restore the thread to pending. :3
That is all.
Okie dokie. Hello and welcome to this little thread. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Meira. I'm the one of the site Admins.
I've noticed that there tends to be confusion when creating a character and so I'm going to offer my advice here, specifically for Jedi character creation. My advice is not meant to apply to any other faction applications.
I'll start off with this:
Wookieepedia
This site is your friend. Use it, and use it often.
So lets go through this application and I'll give my advice along the way.
Name: Simple enough, right? It can be. My advice here will be explained in race.
Race: Now, picking a race for a character should not be done lightly. Your character's race affects everything about them, including name. How so? Well, if you click on that handy link up there and look up the Twi'lek race, you will find that they have a specific way of naming someone. So in order to give your character an authentic name, it can be helpful to research what names in that species look like. In general, it's simply a good idea to know about a character's race before moving on.
Age: Again, this may seem like an arbitrary thing to decide, and perhaps it is. But it is important to know what age means to your character. If you've chosen a race that lives for 200 years, then what does it mean to be 25? Does it mean that the character shouldn't be fully developed physically? We see again the importance of knowing race. Further, does this character come from a culture that marks certain ages as important? As far as what age means to a Jedi specifically, I'll discuss that when we get to ranks.
Height and weight: These two factors are influenced by gender, race and age. Take these into consideration before just throwing out a number. On this site, the general accepted measurements are in feet and inches (5'9") for height and pounds (lbs.) for weight.
Appearance: Some people (like me) love to have a picture here. It's easier to see what a character looks like than it is to read and imagine. However, it is important to note that imagery is important to RP here because you can't see what's happening. You have to read and imagine. And so a little practice can help you in the long run. Besides, if you can't communicate what your character looks like, then you might find things like motivation and actions even harder.
Birth place: Again, can be strongly influenced by race. Some species keep to their home world, while others can be found almost anywhere in the galaxy (such as humans). Research your species to figure out where a realistic birth place would be. Now, this is not to say that you MUST go with a birth place common to your species, but if the species is fairly homebound and xenophobic, a character born far away from the species homeworld would have a story about how their family got so far away.
Also, birth place can have an impact on how a character sees the galaxy as a whole. Does your character remember distrust of outsiders before being taken in by the Jedi? If this is the case, how does this affect your character's psyche? Does he feel like a traitor, or does he not remember his home world enough for it to bother him?
Faction: This one actually is easy. Jedi.
Rank: Okay some quick facts about ranks:
Youngling: Not really a rank. Younglings aren't technically part of the Jedi Order. They are being trained in the ways of the Force, yes, but this time period can be seen as a testing ground. A child must be selected for training by the age of 6. This is a site rule, end of story. Once accepted for training, a child is considered a youngling until they are taken as an padawan, which will be explained next. Now, when creating a character, it is important to know at what age she is taken in by the Jedi. Was it shortly after birth? Age 3? Or did she make it in by the skin on her teeth as a 6 year old?
This is important because the older a child is before being taken in, the more memories they will accumulate in their lives before. In general, human children (here on earth) do not start to form real memories until around 2. This can be noted in behaviors such as stranger fear (the child actually realizes that they don't remember who someone is and so is apprehensive about being around them). Now, other races might be different, so try to find something out about it. If you can't find anything, then lets use 2 as the general range for first memories. However, even after that, the older a character gets, the more likely their memories are to fade. This is not to say they are lost, but the Jedi encourage detatchment from life before the Order, so memories are not likely to mean much unless thet have a major effect on the character.
Padawan: As a rule on this site, a character must be selected as a Padawan by 13. After this age, the character would either be sent into lesser roles for the Jedi Order (such as the agricorps or the medicorps) or are on their own. This rank is synonymous with apprentice. They are still not technically part of the Order, but they are on their way. This time in a Jedi's life is marked by personal tutelage with a master. However, a padawan's master isn't necessarily a Jedi Master. Take Anakin and Obi-Wan as an example. When Obi-Wan to Anakin as his padawan, he was not a master, he was a Jedi Knight.
The padawan years are not something to be glazed over too lightly. As with all aspects of life, they are important times. What teenager would disagree? This is the piont in life in which a character often grows and matures the most, considering the amount of time. A character is a Padawan from about 13 to about 22 (at least).
Knight: The minimum age for knighthood on this site is 22. Can it be younger? No, sorry, rules is rules. Can it be older? Yeah, but I'm sure there's a story there, eh?
The ascention to knighthood is marked by the successful passing of the trials. For more information on what these are, follow the link above and type "Jedi trials" into the search bar at the left of the main page.Now your character is an official member of the Jedi Order. That pesky braid is cut... so now what? Well, it is generally a practice that as a Padawan becomes a Knight, their master becomes... a Master. This is not always the case, but it tends to happen that way.
Once a knight, a Jedi's future is largely in their hands. Their individuality has more room to move and they have more freedom in general. A Knight is essentially at the disposal of the council. They do not have to accept missions assigned to them, but to do so would be... odd. By now, a Jedi has a level of commitment to the council and to the calling of the Jedi order. This is what Jedi do. So to refuse one's calling would have to come with a good reason.
Now there are differnt cattegories that Jedi tend to fall into once they become knights. These tend to be based on their individual skills. In this thread, I will briefly discuss the three main subcategories of Jedi Knights:
Guardian: This is what I think most people think of when they think of a Jedi. A Guardian is more combat focused than philosophy focused. They use the Force to protect and serve. Their skills in the Force reflect this through such things as a higher proficiency in lightsaber combat and physical aspects of the force (push, pull, speed, etc.) This is not to say that they are deficient in other aspects of the Force. It simply means that their abilities lean more towards physical manipulations.
Sentinel: A Sentinel strikes a balance between Guardian and Consular. They are adept in both areas, but do not excell in either one more than the other. This is a balance. Could a Sentinel lean more towards guardian than Consular? Sure. But the point is that, due to their more balanced grasp of the Force, a Sentinel would not be expected to reflect a large difference.
Consular: These Knights lean more towards the mysteries of the force. Think of them as the gurus. Yoda would be a good example. He focusses on more philosphical aspects, such as seeing into the future, or meditation. Yes, Yoda is also awesome with a lightsaber, but remember that he IS Yoda. This would not be typical of a Knight Consular.
Again, to say that a character is more apt to one subcategory is not to say they are deficient in another, they are simply less apt to another.
It is important to take in your character's personality when selecting a subcategory. A calm, deep thinking character would be an odd Guardian.
Let's also not forget that you are free to move your character around! A character might be a Guardian in his youth, and then come to be more of a Consular over the years. But remember that, these changes are more realistic when they are gradual, as it can take years to learn new techniques.
Among these subcategories are even more specialities. To learn about them, use the handy dandy link above and research to your heart's content!
Master: The minimum age for a Master level is 32. Why 32? Because we are basing this off of the most common way to become a Master, which is by training a Padawan through to Knighthood. The minimum amount of time it would take to do this is 10 years (Youngling becomes a Padawan at 12, knight at 22 = 10 yrs.) So if a Knight at 22 takes on a 12 year old Padawan, it would take a minimum of 10 years for the Padawan to become a Knight and the Knight to become a Master. And that's enough numbers for today.
Now, training a padawan to knighthood is not the ONLY way for a character to reach the Master rank. But it is the most common. "But Meira" you ask, "what other possibilities are out there for us?" Well, kids, there is the possibility that a Knight might be granted Master rank through merit. In this way, a Knight might go through a second set of trials, along the same lines as the Knighthood trials, but much more challenging. The idea here is that a Knight might not be teacher material, but could still be considered on par with other Master ranked individuals. Be aware, however, that if you so choose to take this route with your character, it is likely to take more than the minimum 10 years to get that Master rank. Why? Well, as a teacher, one has more opportunities to prove their abilities and dedication to the Order.
Bio: The thing I cannot stress enough here is detail. But I'll try anyway. DETAIL DETAIL DETAIL. Do I need to know every time your character skinned his knee? No. But a good bio marks the important points of a character's life with enough information to let us know that you've thought this through. A good bio not only tells what happened to a character, but also gives insight into what the character is like. Life events often have a way of impacting a person, some to the point of creating changes in that person's personality or moral beliefs. If such events have occured to your character, then don't dismiss them with two sentences. Show what it meant and how it effected your character.
This isn't just for us. By creating a good bio, you are able to understand your character enough to RP them with a good degree of validity. The more you develop your character in their bio, the more likely you are to know how they would act when you're RPing them. This creates a steady character that realistic and understandable.
Lightsaber: A lightsaber is as individual as the Jedi. No two are the same. Though it is common for a Padawan to construct a saber similar to their master's (a sign of respect) there is no set rule on what a lightsaber should look like. I suggest researching the different styles of lightsaber combat, and also teh different types of lightsaber crystals.
A lightsaber generally has 2 crystals: A color crystal and a focus crystal, however, the only crystal you're required to mention is the color crystal. The Focus crystal is optional. Remember that, according to site rules, the only effect a crystal may have is to alter the color of the blade. However, many crystals have symbolic meanings, so you may enjoy finding one that is meaningful to your character. Exoticly colored crystals (silver, purple, etc.) can only be found in certain places, and must be explained in the bio. Colors other than the standard yellow, green, and blue must be mentioned in the bio and mod-approved.
One's lightsaber is built during the padawan years. When this is done can vary. Some padawans might first be given a lightsaber by their master, and so do not build their own until later on. Some build theirs very early on as a padawan. The important thing to focus on though is not when, but how. A lightsaber is individual to a Jedi because they essentially put themselves into it. Through meditation over the crystals and during construction, the Jedi is in a way binding their spirit to the lightsaber. In many cases, building a lightsaber is seen as part of the trial of skill( though please note that simply building a lightsaber is not enough to have passed this trial).
What I'm getting at here is that your character's lightsaber is not arbitrary. Don't go with something because it is "freakin awesome!!!!1!!!one". Fit it to your character.
Some lightsaber hilts are suited to specific styles. For example, a curved hilt (Such as Count Dooku's) is suited to the Makashi style in particular. Keep this in mind.
Lightsaber Styles:
I will refer you to this wookieepedia page for information on the styles. Note, however, that some forms on this page are not in our application... consider them a bonus of information!
Again, fit your character's practiced styles to their personality. A calm, reserved character would not likely take to the aggressive Ataru style, but would be more suited to Soresu.Some specific rules about lightsaber styles for this site:
All Jedi learn Shii-Cho. It can be mastered by around knighthood. As a general rule: You cannot have a style with a higher score than Shii-Cho. As in, you cannot have a 3 in Shii-Cho and a 4 in Ataru. Why? Because ALL styles are derived from Shii-Cho. It is the common ancestor between Makashi and Niman.
Now a special note about Juyo: This form is exceptionally difficult, AND rare. Because of the specifics about this form, I have personally made a few decisions about accepting it's practice in a character's profile.
As it requires a deep understanding of the forms that come before it. I will not grant training in this form before the rank fo Master. Also, a character must have mastered at least 3 previous forms (Shii-Cho being one). This may seem like steep restrictions, but if you read up on this style and are realistic about it, I'm sure you can understand.
Force Sensitive Abilities: Age, rank, and personality all play a role in what abilities a character might excell at. I want to note here that, a species knack for skills related to force abilities does not necessarily mean that they can have a higher number with that ability. Depending on the race and other factors, this could just mean that they are more likely to understand that particular area of the force more than they would another.
Because of the individuality of a character, there is no set standard. A "normal" Jedi does not exist, as all jedi are individuals and so a bound to vary, that's nature. We mods expect applicants to use common sense, however. We expect our applicants to understand the range of 1-10 and what extreem scores mean. If you do not, or if you have trouble understanding this concept, then please PM us. We are here to help!
Attributes: Look at these aspects of your character without bringing the Force into the equation. The Force can bulster a character's strenght, but it does not permanently increase it. So when doing this section, keep that in mind. Also remember the norms. For example: In general, male characters are stronger and faster than females. Therefore, the average strength of a male character might be more at a 6, where a female's is at a 5. Does your species have a reverse on this generalization? (See, I told you race is important.)
Note here that melee skills are not the same as lightsaber skills. It turns out that handling a lightsaber is quite different than a regular sword. It has something to do with a counterbalance or something that I'm not knowledgeable off. If you'd like to know more about this, I will refer you to Jenno, as he is the one that pointed this out to me. In either case, melee has it's own section for a reason, so do not bring lightsaber skills into account when setting this skill.
RP Sample: Note that those of you applying for Youngling need not worry about this.
The RP Sample is to give us a peek at your RP ability. The higher the rank you are applying for, the higher the standards are when it comes to RP. But note that length does not equate to quality. Though it is generally regarded that a more skilled character is capable of longer RP posts, what we're really after here is a sense of RP quality. If you are less experienced with RP, then it would be wise to go for a lower rank (which would mean that your character also has less experience... neat, eh?
Have fun with the sample and fit it to your character's personality. Are you going for a combat oriented character? Then show off your combat RP skills!
Ok, that's all for my general walkthrough. I hope that this is helpful to anyone trying to wade through the character creation process. And of course, if you have any questions, PM myself or another mod. That's why we're here after all!