"OOC Seminar: Features and Extras"
Held on: September 1, 2004
Topics: FCs, FC licenses, OC relatives of FCs, Extras (Prefects,
Quidditch NPCs), Restricted Concepts, Requests from the FCs.
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You say "Well, looks like we've got just about everyone who's on, so I think
that we're going to start. If you have questions at any step of the way,
don't be shy with them. If it gets too spammy I might request you to raise
your hands instead so we can keep to some order."

You say "Quickly, FCs (or Feature Characters) are characters who have appeared
in the books. FCs cannot be created on the log-in screen, but instead must be
applied for via an emailed application found in 'news fc app'. The admins
will review the application and do one of two things: either schedule an
audition, or send the application back for review. Applicants are permitted
to resubmit their application up to 3 times."

You say "If you type '+fc/search any=open' you'll see that we do have quite a
few FC positions available. If you were considering applying for a Feature, I
definitely encourage you to do so. I think most of our cast Features are good
about giving their perspectives on how it works or to advise those interested
in applying. Remember too, that if you're applying for an FC who's got
existing relationships with a lot of characters, it's highly encouraged that
you talk to them and get their input on how things stand in the relationship
and stuff."

You say "So... get out there and write those apps."

You say "Does anyone have any questions on the FC application or the process of
becoming an FC?"

Tengu says "If you don't want people to know it's /you/ applying for the char,
you can create a throwaway character to +mail or page with."

Echidna nodnods. "That's correct."

You say "Then, if you're cast, simply don't return to that character and it'll
be dested."

Robbin says "I've got a question."

You say "Sure, Robbin?"

Robbin says "I've been playing text games for a while but have never tried for
an FC. Will that hinder the approval at all?"

Robbin says "Or consideration."

You say "No it won't. There's a question on their about MU* experience, but we
don't ask to know which alts you've played somewhere. We judge the merit of
the application itself coupled with the results of the audition."

You say "I think quite a few of our current FCs have not been FCs elsewhere."

Harry says "Including me. :)"

Robbin nods, "Okay, thanks."

You say "No problem. Anyone else?"

Draco hisses at Potter.

You say "It seems not, so I'll continue. :) If you're sort of interested in an
FC, but you don't want to go through the effort of writing the full
application, there's another option for you - the FC license. ('news fc
license')."

You say "the FC license is like a driver's license for that particular
character. They're not really "your" character without going through the
application/audition process, but you /can/ take them out for a spin once in
a while. Here's how it works."

You say "Say, for example, you want an FC license for Arthur Weasley. You send
a mail to that effect to hpwizzen@..., our admin email address. We'll
schedule an audition. If you pass, you'll be listed as a licensed driver for
Arthur. Whenever a scene occurs where he'd be useful, you can step in and
fulfill the role. Like.. being present for a family Christmas or something of
that sort."

Percy quietly cheers for the idea of gaining a player for father again.

You say "While you're playing the character, there's always a line of
communication open with the Admins via a special comm channel, where we can
help provide back history that might not be known, or provide guidance, etc."

You say "Cool, eh? But yet --- we only have one person with an FC license!"

You say "Check '+fc/license list' to see this lucky personage. Don't make her
be all lonely! It's quite fun to go out in public as your favorite book
character for a scene or two, but with low hassle!"

Tengu says "It might be particularly fun to do it for a ghost, or house elf,
portrait, Peeves. A character you might not really get into playing on a
regular basis, but who could be fun for a scene or two."

Penelope hmms.

Harry says "Now I want one for a ghost. :)"

Penelope should get one for Grey Lady, liked playing her before.

You say "One thing to mention - if the role for which you are approved is cast,
then your license is revoked. To be fair, we /did/ have a few others licensed
before some roles were cast."

Echidna waves to Rowland and Zini. "We're discussing the +fc/license - info
under 'news fc license'."

You say "Any questions about FC licenses?"

Zini reads the file real quick.

Robbin says "Can it be used as a way to see if you can play the character?
Before writing an application and finding out you can't."

You say "Yes, it can. But it doesn't take the place of filling out the true
application and going through the official process."

Pixie says "But it's a good way to see if you have a 'feel' for the character,
or if you could really get into them permanently."

Zini says "So.. if you have some real jones to go play Lucias Malfoy or
whatever FC you're interested in, rather than getting the character and
finding out evil mugglehating just isn't in your blood, you can save yourself
some time and the admin's energy.. Am I understanding that right?"

You say "Pretty much, yes. :) It's not a free reign, though. Because the
character isn't yours permanently, you couldn't take Lucius out for a spin
and kill a whole slew of people then put him back in the garage. :)"

Penelope says "Kind of like renting a car, it has to be in good condition when
you give it back."

Zini mrphs, "Not that that would really be so out of the ordinary for Dear Old
Malfoy.. "

Penelope pats Percy.. on the collar bone.

Ginny glares at Penelope.

Penelope pouts.

You say "Unless we specifically /asked/ you to go kill people, of course. :)"

Narcissa sneaks in. Peers interestedly at Echidna.

You say "Hi, Narcissa. We certainly weren't talking about Lucius killing
people."

Rowland says "That's not true Pen. Jeff Foxworthy says that Redneck's return
cars in bad condition. XD"

Zini eyes and snerks.

You say "Ok, so.. who can tell us the difference between a Feature and an
Extra?"

George says "One letter of the alphabet."

Penelope says "Extras are usually prettier, smarter.."

Narcissa idly hexes Penelope.

Percy says "Charming, mysterious..."

Robbin says "A feature are characters from the books, extras created by the
admins for plot purposes?"

Zini giggles.

Isabela says "Features are developed characters in the series, with detailed
backgrounds and personalities, et cetera. Extras are characters mentioned in
the books, but with little to no details or background."

Penelope ow!s, and beams at Percy.

Robbin ohs

You say "Robbin and Isabela are both partially right. :)"

Zini says "A feature is someone JK Rawling developes in the plot, and extra is
just mentioned.. Ahh, Isabela types faster."

You say "an Extra can come from two sources."

Isabela waggles fingers at Zini. ^.~

You say "1) the books - mentioned, but, as Isabela said, with little to no
information provided about them. 2) Alere Flammas. Sometimes we create Extras
for certain IC positions. Most commonly, these are Prefects and Quidditch
players."

You say "If you type +fc/search role=Extra (very spammy, so maybe try this
later) you can see that we've marked at least some of these, more so the ones
who originated on AF. These should have Notes on them saying who they are.
'+fc/show woodbridge' will give you some information about Nigel Woodbridge,
for example."

You say "There are usually unnamed Prefect positions available, and we
encourage interested people to create these characters through the regular
chargen process. As well, most Quidditch teams have at least one spot
currently being filled by an NPC."

You say "Until the first game for that House, these NPCs will be unnamed, so
now's a good time to create one if you're interested. After the first game,
they'll get a name. You can still apply for them, but you'll have to use the
name that's already been used on camera."

Penelope says "Same with professional quidditch teams, right? The only way you
can be on one is apping an extra."

Pixie says "Pro team players are just regular OCs for the most part."

You say "Not quite the same. We have people who're on professional quidditch
teams who aren't extras."

You say "The oldest existing character of this variety is Xavier Cabrera, and
he's just a regular OC."

Penelope says "Ah, kay."

Pixie says "You can certainly apply for an Extra who is a professional player,
but since there are over 100 professional first string players, JKR has not
(to our knowledge!) gone through and named them all. So there's plenty of
spots for OCs there. :)"

Echidna nodnods.

You say "Also... a new kind of Extra is now available. The FC relative extra."

You say "These are OC relatives of FCs."

Penelope says "Like Harry's long lost twin sister?! Omg yay!"

Zini laughs.

You say "The process for applying for one is under 'news char fc relatives'.
Essentially, there are some rules - the FC you wish to be related to must be
cast and must give their go ahead."

Draco is Harry's long lost twin sister.

Percy says "Oh, my head."

Harry always knew you were girlie.

Penelope says "The swishy hip walk gave it away, I think."

You say "Long lost twins will not be approved. :) Probably."

Tengu says "Not even for Dobby?"

You say "He's not cast. :)"

You say "So no. :)"

Zini refrains from incredibly silly comments.

You say "We'd like to see people take advantage of this 'cos it's a departure
from our former rules. We thought it'd be interesting to see what developed
from it."

Zini wants to be a black Weasly ;)

Robbin says "How do you go about it, just start paging FC's asking if they want
a cousin or nephew or will it be posted on the wanted board?"

You say "The news file goes into that a little bit. It's best if it's someone
mentioned in RP somewhere. Like Snape talked about his mom previously, and
now someone created her and she's out there playing. It's probably better to
have an idea first and then seek a specific person rather than randomly start
paging the different FCs. Don't expect them to come up with your idea for
you."

Robbin nods.

You say "The last thing I wanted to touch on specifically tonight is restricted
concepts. This applies more to the seasoned, experienced players who are here
tonight. The items listed on 'news char restricted' are not forbidden - they
are reserved. For existing players of long standing who have proven that they
can handle the concept responsibly and who have written a compelling
application for it. I think when people are new, they see the list and think
'well, I can't do any of that', and then don't return to that list to ponder
new things when making alts or what have you."

You say "Obviously, we wouldn't like to be /flooded/ with exchange students or
werewolves, but we /are/ willing to entertain interesting and believable
applications for these concepts from existing (and active) players."

Pixie says "Some of them are also things which your character can later
/become/. An existing OC /could/ become an animagus, or a werewolf. We had a
few characters get sent to Beauxbatons this year because of the school
hullabaloo, and they may propose a plot to come back to Hogwarts later."

Robin says "What is considered /long standing/? I know I wouldn't fall into it
but is it six months, a year, the start of the MUSH? If I'm asking too many
questions just tell me to back off. :)"

Pixie says "Well, it depends, but I would say personally, we'd want to have
seen you around and participating for at least a month."

You say "Questions are what this is for, Robin. :)"

You say "And submitting logs."

Viviane becomes a Vampire.

Percy shakes his head. "The Venomous Tentacula finally got her.

Robin grins, "Okay, thanks." =)

Pixie says "Yes, submitting logs is important, because it lets the admins
actually see you participating. If you RP in a room with one other person all
of the time and /don't/ submit logs... we don't know what you've been up to,
what your RP is like, etc etc. :)"

Tengu says "Especially important if your timezone is different from most of the
mush. Not that this probably applies to anyone who made it here. :)"

Pixie would like to mention one thing, which I seem to say a lot: I know people
think we are very picky about both logs and FC applications, and it's true.
But honestly, we aren't looking for a reason to reject these things. We just
want to make sure that there's consistency in the way magic and the world are
portrayed -- like, if in a scene, you RP that you're using incantations to do
transfiguration, and we've said (it's in the news) that you _don't_ use an
incantation to do transfiguration, we'll ask you to change your pose.

Robin says "Does it ever happen that an entire scene has to be changed or
stricken from continuity?"

Pixie says "Sometimes, people RPing in a scene will come across an issue which
no one's thought of yet, too, and so then we stop and make a decision about
it. That's one of the great things about the log submissions: they make us
admins think about stuff we might never have come up with on our own."

Tengu says "It does help if you're about to pose something you're not sure of,
to take the extra time to look it up or ask someone."

Pixie says "It has happened on occasion, yes. But usually those scenes don't
get to the point where a log was sent in. If you're ever in a scene that
seems 'off' to you -- someone is doing something that doesn't make sense, or
things just feel out of control -- please page an admin if they're on and
just ask. We like to be asked. :)"

You say "We also have an 'Information' channel that is used for that purpose."

You say "Only then, you'll get a lot of admins and probably some other players
as well."

Pixie says "Usually we can work a scene out so that it still happens in more or
less the same way, even if there was a minor problem with some of the poses."

Pixie says "One thing we will always reject a log for is if you send it in
unedited. We don't have time to go through and take out all of your pages and
channel conversations."

Echidna nodnods.

You say "The last thing I wanted to do with regard to Features was open up the
floor a little bit to our existing Features."

You say "If you have insights or comments or requests or anything, now's the
time to air them."

Ginny says "Fred! We need one! Apply!"

George says "Well, I keep bbposting wanting a Fred. There have been 2 since I
got George, but most of the time he's been uncast. It makes it really hard to
play George with.. well, not to get cliche, but one half of him missing. I
can't get really into the angst and character development. But I also don't
have any help coming up with joke shop/party ideas and plots and things like
that."

Percy notes we could also use an Arthur Weasley, who's currently teaching
Muggle Studies at Poudlard Academy.

Narcissa says "Don't be intimidated by the application/audition process. The
admins are very nice. And believe me, the cast features will help! Need to
know how the other Weasleys feel about Fred? Ask. We're just other players.
We don't bite."

Isabela debates apping Fred in a few weeks, once she has more time... ^^

Tengu says "IF you do your research (book research, log research, asking people
questions) then you're most of the way through the process. :)"

Echidna waves a little Fred banner.

Harry would like to see some of his former classmates. "Dean, Seamus, Neville,
Lavender..."

Harry says "Ernie, Hannah. I'd say Justin, but he's sort of in jail."

Ginny says "Well, if we're on to guys I can hit on, Colin. :)"

Penelope says "Oliver /Wood/? Oliver? Oliver Wood?"

Harry says "Lockhart. Not that you'd hit on him, Ginny, but he'd be fun to have
around."

Zini snerks, "Gave up on Harry, Ginny?"

Draco says "Well, Pansy's open now.. but also Draco can always use minions,
coworkers, things like that. Both in his home and in the wider world of being
evil. And it would be nice for him to acquire a best friend. Right now he
plays a lot of things really close to himself.. it'd be nice to have a guy he
could be open (or somewhat open) with."

Robin is just nervous that he will look like a incompetent RPer.

Harry says "She did that a long time ago. :)"

Ginny says "Dating Harry would be like dating Ron. Yuck. ;)"

Zini laughs.

Zini says "Without the red hair and freckles, I suppose."

Narcissa says "Our Parvati would love a Padma. Speaking of missing twins."

Viviane says "I want Lockhart. I have fond memories of the Love Fog :)"

Penelope says "And there's Oliver Wood, of course."

Narcissa gives Penelope a cardboard cutout of Oliver.

Ginny snickers. Percy, I think your fiancee has a little crush on someone.

Penelope showers it with kisses.. platonic.. sisterly.. kisses.. ?

You say "Better nip that in the bud."

Zini giggles.

You say "Rita Skeeter would be cool. I imagine she'd be fun for a license."

You say "Come around, be obnoxious, write an article."

Penelope says "Be a bug."

Draco says "Get stepped on."

Zini says "Dipped in chocolate.."

Harry says "I think Cho and Fleur should come back. :)"

Ginny coughs.

Harry says "Not necessarily together, but in general."

Zini chuckles.

Ginny says "Yeah right, not necessarily together. We all know what you were
thinking, Harry."

Draco says "Potter, digging up old girlfriends won't get you any more action."

Harry would like to see how Harry would react to Cho these days. She being his
first love and all.

Harry says "Like you're faring so much better, Malfoy."

Robin says "Is the Cho and Fleur thing an inside joke?"

Zini says "Read book 4, Robin. :P"

You say "Viviane referred to 'the love fog' a while ago. At the last World Cup,
someone released a fog that made people fall in love with the first person
they laid eyes on."

Robin says "I've read book 4...."

You say "This occurred on the game, not in a book. Cho and Fleur ended up..
temporarily enamoured of each other."

Robin ahs.

Harry says "The male audience appreciated it."

Ginny says "A lot more than they appreciated naked Ron. *sigh*"

Narcissa shudders.

Percy was shocked at that, himself. Although my Player thought it possibly one
of the funniest things read in a long, long time.

Zini snerks.

Ginny snickers.

You say "Annnnyways, I believe this concludes our Seminar. Thank you all for
attending. A log will be available on our logs site shortly."

Zini waves, "Home, please!" ^_^

Penelope waves, and sneaks the Oliver cutout home.

Robin says "Thanks for hosting the seminar! It answered a lot. :)"

You say "You're very welcome."