The Sithlore Quickstart Guide

What is Sithlore?

What kind of a game is Sithlore? Well, it's a message board based roleplay game, a little like a cross between interactive creative writing and a traditional tabletop roleplay game. Everyone has a character whos actions they control. Different characters interact, form friendships and rivalries, fight epic battles and go on exciting adventures. Each character has a list of equipment and experience , which they can aquire through fighting. There are two sites which members visit in order to play, the first is the Sithlore Interactive Universe (SLIU), a database of the characters and factions, a store where you can buy equipment, a list of planets which the factions war over and much much more. The second is the actual Roleplay board itself where people interact and post. For now you only need to worry about the Roleplay board as you won't be given an account in the SLIU till you have a little more experience under your belt.

What is roleplaying and how does it work?

Most of you have probably heard of a roleplaying game before, be it a computer game or the more traditional paper and dice games known as "tabletop roleplaying". What all of these games have in common is that you are controlling the actions of an imaginary character. On Sithlore You invent your own character, and through them you interact with an imaginary universe and the characters of other players. We play on a message board where people "post" a topic or thread describing the actions of their character and other players reply with their reactions. It is really rather like interactive story telling, but your character has statistics and equipment wich help them achieve goals and battle other players. Players each have a roster detailing their equipment, money and XP or Experience Points.

Creating a character

Now the fun part, thinking up the sort of character you want to play! There are a couple of things you need to be aware of here. Firstly we don't accept characters from the films. You can't be Darth Vader, Han Solo or Obi Wan Kenobi. Your character should be of your own invention. Secondly in Sithlore you start at the beginnin g. You can't start off as an all powerful jedi, or a world destroying sith. If you want to be a force user then you will start as someone who is Force Sensitive but untrained. Thirdly, when choosing a name try to use starwarsy sounding names rather than names from our world. "John Smith" doesn't quite have that ring to it. Please don't call yourself "mastakilla", "l337 4774k", "Reaper of Souls" or anything like that. In most cases a character should have a name like "Bobba Fett" or "Jabba" and not a title like "Wraith". Try to avoid mythology or other genres. "Gimli Hammerson" or "Lethariel Tinuviel" are great names in a fantasy setting, but not in a Sci Fi setting. If you choose an inappropriate name your application will be deleted. Finally Vampires and werewolves don't exist in starwars. Please use a starwars race, not something from another genre. With those restrictions in mind the rest is up to you! Do remember that you shouldn't apply using the link in the last section of this document until you've roleplayed on the board for at least 10 days.

The basic rules

There are a few things you need to understand and keep in mind when playing on Sithlore. You don't need to learn all this off by heart, but do keep flicking back here if you're unsure about something. All of these topics and more will be covered in the full rules sections which you will have access to when you're application is approved. Godmodding: This rule is the holy grail of freeform roleplay games like Sithlore. You can't 'play god' by controlling someone else's character or acting in an unrealistic manner. This includes making too many actions in a single post (e.g. 'I run down the street, shoot several stormtroopers, plant a bomb in the speeder parked outside the garrison, climb into my fighter and escape'). You have to give your opponent a chance to react to your actions.Don't roleplay your character doing anything unrealistic or too powerful. Remember, you're new and so other people will be more powerful than you until you get some experience under your belt. As you progress in the game you'll get a better sense of what is and is not allowed. PC and NPC: Standing for "player character" and "non player character". This is a concept that many starting players have trouble with. Player Characters are, as you might guess, characters played by players. Non player characters are 'supporting actors', people invented by players to flesh out plotlines like a trusty sidekick or an arch rival. The difference is that PCs actually exist in the "Sithlore Interactive Universe" (SLIU), the database containing all player and faction information, statistics and equipment. NPCs are purely for story and do not exist in the SLIU or have any effect on battle results, just the story itself. The same is true of PC and NPC equipment. PC equipment is actually owned by a player and can be used in battles and other system generated events (like trade and commerce). NPC equipment is purely for roleplay purposes and has no effect in battles or other system generated events. OOC behaviour: OOC stands for Out Of Character. If you need to make a comment during a roleplay you should label it OOC: and then when you've finished type IC: (In character). Please don't use abusive language or be disrespectful to another player. If you have a disagreement keep it civil and mature. We're a friendly community and want it to stay that way. The Admin will look very poorly on anyone who breaks this rule. Multi Characters: On Sithlore you can only have one character. When we find people with multiple characters we ban them immediately. If you are using the same computer as another player we will probably mistake this as an attempt to cheat. Only one player per IP address is allowed except under special circumstances. The Force: As already mentioned in the character creation section new players cannot be learned in the force when they join. There is actually a system of ranks for force users and involves hard work to progress and become proficient. Aditionally it is important to remember that being a force user has no tangible benefits in battles or system events, it is merely for roleplay spice! The above rules are all you really need to be aware of before you start. As mentioned earlier once you've been active on Sithlore for 10 days or more your application will be approved and you can access the rest of the rules in the SLIU.

OK, I've read all that. Now how do I start to play!?

You need to follow the "Roleplay" link above, which will take you to our message board, where the mainstay of the action takes place. Once you've looked around go to the Docking Bay forum, which is the first on the list, and make your first post! The docking bay is where new characters arrive in the Sithlore universe. It could be any docking bay in the galaxy, it is up to you. Describe your arrival and your appearence, perhaps starting some sort of storyline. Then existing members will post replies to you, perhaps introducing themselves, or if you've started a storyline they may interact with it. At this stage you'll probably be approached by players who want you to join their faction. This can be a good way to get started since you'll be helped by more experienced players, but it isn't necessary You can stay independent if you choose. Once you've started roleplaying in the Docking Bay you might want to have a look around the rest of the board. You can reach the forums using the grey sidebar on the left hand side, but the forum descriptions can be found on the main board page. You can always get back to the main page by clicking "ROLEPLAY" at the top right hand side. Alternatively the URL www.sithlore.com/roleplay will get you there too. Once you have roleplayed on the board for 10 days you may submit a Character Creation Application Form. Welcome to the Sithlore Starwars Roleplaying community! I'll see you on the boards! Jay Mertaal Sithlore Administrator