Character Adoption

Adoptable Characters.

Table of Contents

• Creating a Character
• Adding them for adoption

While it is more common that new joiners create and play their own characters, some people may decided to "adopt" another member's character that they have made. A reason for this may be a lack of idea/inspiration to make their own character, a desire of wanting to start the game with a new character that has connections or a plot, or just simply because they liked the look of another person's character that was listed as up for adoption. Adopting a character is a great way to play a new character that you could have more muse for, mainly as they typically aren't just a "blank slate" and have some substance/fleshing out done already.

However, you may be asking, why put a character up for adoption? The main reason people add a character up for adoption is because they have an idea they want to share as adopted characters usually come with a plot—for example they could be a sister, father, ex mate of their character. It's important if you do look into adopting a character you are willing to participate in the creator's plot.

NPCs in the Game.

An NPC (Non-Played Character) is when on top of your own character you temporarily play, or control, another character that does not technically exist yet (e.g. is not an active played wolf in RoW). Typically RoW does not allow NPC's in the game, however there are a few circumstances where they can apply. If you wish to join with a character and want to play the character you wish to adopt out as having joined with your own you, if you ask for permission you may be allowed to NPC them for two weeks until they either find a player or you have to stop. Another way NPC characters may exist is when cubs are in the early stages of their lives and don't have players or when pack wolves are on absence.

(This post was last modified: Sep 11, 2016, 04:11 PM by Serach.)

Creating a Character.

When creating a character the best way to guarantee that they will get adopted is to make them interesting. If people are looking to adopt a character (or even if they aren't!) the best way find someone who wants to play your character is to make them something more than just a "plain" character—as they could make one of those themselves! Below are some ideas to help make your character as adoptable and desirable as possible.

Think of an interesting plot.

More often than not a character just being related to your character (such as a brother, sister or a parent) won't be enough on it's own, the best way is to involve and weave in some juicy plot that people would really want to be involved in.

Instead of having a character just be your wolf's brother, why not have them an arch rival? Perhaps they were competitive when they were younger and some event turned their relationship sour—has this wolf come back to try and reconcile their relationship or get revenge? Rather than a character just being an old romantic interest, why not make them starcrossed lovers? Some tragic event was stopping them from being together and now they've ended up in the same place away from the problem. As you can see there are plenty of extra twists you can add on to a simple relationship just to give an adoptable a bite more bite.

Note: Characters who are the children of inactive characters (and born off-site) will not be allowed to join the game unless proof of consent from all players (of both parents & child) is provided in order to prevent powerplaying of an inactive member's character.

Make sure there is room to grow.

The trick to making a successful adoptable is to being able to ride the line between an interesting developed character, yet not straying into the territory of a "smothering" character, where the player has no room to make them their own. Create an interesting plot, but try to keep the character themselves as open as possible—think of them as a skeleton and let the players be able to fill in the gooey, fleshy stuff so they can grow attached to them.

Finishing touches.

Adding things like avatars and other graphical images helps someone visualise a character more than just an description, after all they may be drawn to the "look" of a character alone. Finally, make sure you are as accessible as possible. While PM is a good way for some people to contact you, why not offer a IM client such as AIM or MSN or even email so that they contact you other ways?

(This post was last modified: Oct 18, 2018, 05:01 PM by Serach.)

Adding them for Adoption

Do you have a few ideas of an interesting character (or multiple!) that you would like to add for adoption? That's perfect – watching the plots unfold with these characters is always exciting.

Register a new account.

To create a character for adoption, you will need to register a new account for this character, following the same rules we have set in place for every other character at RoW (account should be the character's first name, etc.)

Fill in the character's details.

Once the character's account is registered you will be responsible for filling in the details you wish to see for this specific character. Offer as much information as you feel necessary for your potential adopter – especially providing the information you feel is required for this character's purpose in the game (are they a villain? A hero? A sibling or past lover of your current character?)

Make applications possible.

Make sure to include information on how a person can apply or obtain this specific character if they are interested, and what they need to provide to you. If you require a certain level of activity from the adopter, be sure to state it clearly. You might even want to provide an email, if you wish to encourage non-current RoW members to apply, as a PM will not be accessible to them.

Place the character for adoption.

To officially place the character for adoption, you need to go to the UCP of the account and click on the 'Wolf Information' link. At the top, a link will appear with some text asking if the character in question is for adoption. Once clicked, you will be taken to the Maintenance thread, where you can request that the character be put up for adoption. Once a character has been adopted, a similar request to have them removed from the adoption list should be posted in Maintenance.

Terms of Adoption

The terms of adoption is an agreement between the original player and the player adopting the character. If you expect certain activity requirements for a character, you must make that clear in the adoption process so that any potential adopters know what they are agreeing too. For example, if you want the ability to take the character back if the adopter drops the character, you must include that in the agreement and be able to show that requirement to staff (we suggest a screenshot of the adoption profile). This applies for all characters being posted for adoption on RoW, including puppies during breeding season.

(This post was last modified: Oct 23, 2017, 12:43 AM by Spirit of Wildwood. Edit Reason: Added terms of adoption section. )