Players & Profiles

A Player is any person playing a character, but we're going to talk about original characters right now. In order to participate in Paradise Lost you must have a strong grasp of the rules, and an approved profile.

The purpose of collecting profiles from the players in a RP is to keep track of all the new characters running around. It also shows us you have some grasp of who your character is, their place in our version of Rapture, and RPing in general. Profiles can be an interesting experience, as you are forced to create certain attributes of your character you may otherwise not have considered before joining. Some people take pride in their profiles, updating them regularly as their character grows, and in general have profiles that read as good as mini biographies. This sort of devotion isn't necessary for approval, but it is certainly encouraged.

I'm going to make a small outline, a template to make profiles with. You're welcome to disacknowledge the format of this template entirely, and still submit your profile. But unless you don't have a reason for doing so that will convince me, you won't be approved.

Note: Your profile will span four posts, with the body of the thread being info about your character and the other three posts being attributes which will be edited as they change.




Name: your character's name. No years or multiple caps, etc. There is no internet in Rapture.

Age: your character's age.

Sex: how good your character is in bed... I mean, your gender.

Appearance: your character's general appearance. This is likely to change slightly from time to time depending on what you are doing, or what has happened to your clothes or your body, but here you will tell us what your character looks like most of the time. Details such as identifying marks on the body, hair and eye color, usual wardrobe, etc are a must here and this will be the second to longest part of most profiles.

Background: this is good for character development. A character's background will likely influence their actions, and writing one also gives a character more depth, so this is essential. You should also use this part of your profile to describe your character's personality. What sort of person are they? If you never really considered it, now is the time. Required details are how and why they left the surface for Rapture, when they arrived and where they live in the city now.

Class: for most this is Standard, but if you want to be an Engineer, Purist, or Gene Traitor mention it here.

Alignment: here you can put whether you're good or evil (though that fits with the personality part of your background) but more importantly I need to know what side you're on at the beginning. You are either with the Fontaine Revolutionaries or the Ryan Loyalists, or on no side yet and remain undecided or fulfilling your own agenda as a citizen of Rapture. There are advantages to each so choose wisely. Also, try to make your choice a reflection of your character... in other words someone who believes in Ryan's ideals probably won't be on Fontaine's side, etc. This part of your profile may change, if it does, edit this.

Attributes: these are the attributes you started with as per your choice of Alignment when you began.

Bonus item: you can have any one item that isn't a Plasmid, Tonic, or Weapon to add to your starting attributes. This gives you a little more freedom, a little more personality. Example include First Aid Kits, EVE Hypos, Food and Luxury, and Ammunition.

Sentimental item: this is a trinket that is particularly sentimental and relevant to, and embodies your character. What I will use this for is yet to be seen, but do add this to your profile anyway. Note: must be pocket-sized.



Gene Bank: this shows what Genetic Modifications you have collected and spliced. It is the second post in your profile and will be edited when you splice more.



Weapons and Equipment: these are what items you have and the third post in your profile. These are split into Effects and Cache, and will be edited whenever the RP in which you obtained or lost items is finished.


Transactions: this is the fourth post in your profile, detailing what transactions have been made either as awards from Events or Wars or spending at the various Vending Machines.






Character Empowerment ("Activation"):
ADAM use before Rapture fell into chaos was for non combat purposes, with a less intrusive amount of ADAM. Imagine Incinerate in game compared to a match on your finger... this is probably more like what the peaceful Rapturians had; parlour tricks, not a biological arsenal. When your character's Profile has been approved you character will be "activated" or given enough ADAM to be competent in battle. For those on the side of Ryan or Fontaine, they are simply given more ADAM from their side. For Neutral Rapturians, certain accidents will need to be created to explain how an ordinary citizen got access to so much ADAM.

This new burst of ADAM also explains why empowered characters can withstand an incredible amount of damage, not succumbing to electricity or bullets nearly as fast as a normal human. It is a lesser example of the invincibility of the Little Sisters, who are swimming in ADAM.

Your character is empowered once your profile is approved.

Standard - normal! No changes. No access to Engineer Account.

Engineer- The original alternate class, and possibly most important. Click here for specifics.

Purist- These are players who shied away from any splicing whatsoever. For those of you who want to play this type of character, know that I encourage eccentric thinking. Purists can't use any Plasmids or Tonics, but they have six weapon slots instead of four, allowing them to carry an extra weapon. They also have thirteen slots (instead of nine) to hold ammunition!

Gene Traitor- These players are all hopped up on ADAM and have turned their back on the old ways of warfare. They cannot use any ranged weapons, but they are allowed to carry four extra items (these four CANNOT be healing items!) and have two extra Genetic Modification slots to be distributed as they see fit (these can BREAK limits Standard Players have!)

The decision to become an Engineer (also known as a Hacker) is a very important one. Hacking gives you a valuable advantage as an individual and to your team. The expertise with machines of this magnitude requires passion and experience - and to balance Hackers in the RP they must make several sacrifices.

When your character is a hacker your Gene bank changes (click here for an example). The most prominent change is access to the Engineering account, which non-hackers cannot use. Once you have the Engineering account you can hack security bots, turrets, and cameras - regardless of what tonics you have equipped! You can hack Vending machines as well, allowing you to buy items others cannot and lowering all the prices by $10 before tonics.

Your Engineering account has four possible slots, just like the Physical and Combat accounts each have for normal players. However, to balance the fact you have three tonic accounts now, your Physical and Combat accounts will be stunted slightly. While normal players have four tonic slots each in their Physical and Combat accounts, you will only be allowed four tonic slots between them. That means if you wanted them to be even you would have two Physical slots and two Combat slots. But if you were fond of Combat tonics you could distribute them all to the Combat account and have at least one account with the capability of normal characters.

The tonics in the Engineering account give you more capabilities or improve on the ones you have. Your Plasmid account is also affected by your decision to hack, allowing you only those plasmids that would be useful for a hacker. There is Security Bullseye which is exclusive to hackers, and the Electro Bolt and Winter Blast plasmids available to all players. However, you are only allowed one Plasmid slot - so you'll need to choose wisely.

A hacker is a valuable asset to a team. When you try to control a neutral territory, domination over the security in that level can put things heavily in your favor. A hacker can also get more items for less - meaning that your team as a whole can benefit if he hacks the machine and leaves it open for teammates before restoring it to its original condition.

Hacking & the Tool
Engineers carry the Tool, which at first glance appears to be a normal stainless steel wrench, but is actually an outstanding instrument in disguise. Hackers will use this as their melee weapon instead of the Bioshock Wrench, which is more of a pipe wrench, and does more damage than the Tool but don't worry; because the Tool is smaller it strikes more quickly. When manipulated via a hidden button in its handle, the working end of the wrench adjusts to different sizes, and even different tools, allowing a hacker to easily get into any given machine's innards with just this one wrench. Once inside, the hacker manipulates the wires and components within, redirecting the system and creating the beneficial effects through modification.

Generally speaking, hacking one machine takes one uninterrupted turn. While a hacker is busy with a machine, he is subject to the natural pitfalls of being distracted. When interrupted, he may leave what he was doing unattended to defend himself, or take the hit in efforts to finish that particular hack. This means having someone defend him while he hacks is usually a good idea.

Aggressive Security Elements (those that are in neutral territories or those controlled by the opposing team) must be disabled before being hacked. All three of the plasmids available to hackers are capable of disabling Security Elements, but disabling takes one turn and hacking another. If you can't reach the fallen machine before the owner can then you won't be able to take control of it.

Hacking a Vending Machine takes one turn just like the other hacks, however, when hacked the Vending Machine will give benefits to anyone indiscriminately. It may be wise for the hacker to "un hack" it or return it to its standard settings once his team has taken the benefits. However unhacking a vending machines takes another turn.

When the tonic Safecracker is spliced, Engineers are able to hack into safes and passed number key locks, getting into containers and rooms others can't. These hacks require one turn as well, however, they cannot be relocked or "unhacked" like Vending Machines can.

The following is information relevant to the sides you can join in this RP. The locations are "bases" and although it is assumed your first foray will be in one of the locations sanctioned by your party, it is not required.

Note: The advanced attributes were rejected in favor of the Basic, and have strikes through them. Disacknowledge them. Also the Attributes section in your profile will only show starting attributes and WILL NOT be edited in the future.

Ryan Loyalists- Location: Hephaestus, Fort Frolic
These characters should have a history of upholding the Rapturian ideals and have a strong faith in Objectivist philosophy.

Fontaine Revolutionaries- Location: Apollo Square, Neptune's Bounty
These characters should either be employed by Fontaine Futuristics, or be residents of Fontaine's Home for the Poor. They have reason to revolt against Ryan's overbearing power, and believe strongly in Fontaine's message.

Neutral Rapturians- Locations: All locations not seized by Ryan or Fontaine (CURRENTLY Kashmir Restaurant, Medical Pavilion, Arcadia, Farmer's Market, Olympus Heights)
These are citizens who are more aware than average of the mounting tensions, and so prepare themselves so as not to be defenseless in the crossfire. They may remain undecided until later, or have no intentions of ever joining a side and seek to take advantage of the situation for personal gain.


In order to keep the sides distinct, Forsaken came up with the idea of giving the sides different advantages. Which side you start out on will determine your beginning attributes.

Ryan Loyalist Attributes (Weapons)


Basic- Melee, One Lesser Weapon, One Tonic.
ADAM Hypo Needle, Four First Aid Kits, Two EVE Hypos

Note: Your Lesser Weapon comes with three clips of Standard Ammo. Add this to your Effects.

Advanced- Wrench, Two Lesser Weapons, One Plasmid, Two Tonics. One Power to the People Upgrade of choice on One Weapon.
ADAM Hypo Needle, Six First Aid Kits, Three EVE Hypos.


Fontaine Revolutionary Attributes (Plasmids)

Basic- Melee, One Plasmid, One Tonic.
ADAM Hypo Needle, Two First Aid Kits, Four EVE Hypos

Advanced- Two Plasmids, One Lesser Weapon, Two Tonics. One Gatherer's Garden upgrade of choice to One Plasmid.
ADAM Hypo Needle, Three First Aid Kits, Six EVE Hypos

Neutral Rapturian Attributes (Tonics)


Basic- Melee, Three Tonics
ADAM Hypo Needle, Three First Aid Kits, Three EVE Hypos

IMPORTANT: The "sleeper bonus" has been removed as things changed around. Reason being that it offered the decision of getting a Power to the People upgrade (limited but free) or an upgraded plasmid (a cost of 120 ADAM). This is ridiculously unbalanced. Since then Tonics have become fewer and have a more profound impact on Paradise Lost than they did in Bioshock, so three tonics is an equal bonus to Ryan and Fontaine.

Advanced- Wrench, One Lesser Weapon, One Plasmid, Five Tonics
ADAM Hypo Needle, Four First Aid Kits, Four EVE Hypos

Your Gene Bank in this RP represents what Genetic Modifications you have spliced.

There are four "accounts" possible in a Gene Bank. Each account has a maximum number of Slots, and out of those slots there is a certain of amount that are "unlocked", meaning that your body has enough ADAM to accomodate new Plasmids and Tonics. When you have filled all of your slots, your body cannot handle any other genetic modifications and remain stable.

The Gene Bank for normal players is as follows:

Plasmid Account
Six maximum Plasmid Slots. Two unlocked Plasmid Slots in the beginning.

Physical Account and Combat Account
Four Maximum Tonic Slots in each of these accounts (total of Eight Tonic Slots combined). Four unlocked Tonic Slots to be distributed as you wish in the beginning (split two and two by default).

Engineer Account
(LOCKED)

The Gene Bank for Engineers is as follows:

Plasmid Account
One Plasmid Slot maximum, unlocked by default. Only Security Bullseye, Electro Bolt, or Winter Blast may be used.

Physical Account and Combat Account
Four maximum Tonic Slots for both of these, meaning Four total combined. You may distribute them as you wish. They are split two and two by default, but you may sacrifice one account so that the other equals the account of a normal player. Two Tonic Slots unlocked in the beginning, distributed where you want.

Engineer Account
Four maximum tonic slots. Two Tonic Slots unlocked from the beginning.


The first reply to your profile will be devoted as a Gene Bank section in which you show what your Genetic Modifications are. You will start with accounts and then a number indicating how many maximum slots and how many unlocked slots. (2/6) for example, means you have 2 slots unlocked out of the 6 slots possible. After this number, you will list which modifications you have filled these slots with. If you have slots unlocked but not filled, represent them with an X and hope to replace it very soon.

You should update your Gene Bank in your profile each time you splice.

Gene Bank Examples

Standard Player (Beginning Attributes):

Spoiler:

Engineer (Beginning Attributes)

Spoiler:

Standard Player (Alternative Beginning)

Spoiler:

Engineer (Alternative Beginning)

Spoiler:

Standard Player (Later in game)

Spoiler:

Engineer (Later in game)

Spoiler:

This is a separate post in your profile, after your Gene Bank. Consider it an inventory. When I decide to make this I had concerns of it being too complicated, but I thought the benefits outweighed it. We will have one section of this be on your person "Effects", and another section be what you have in storage "Cache". This way I've allowed you collect more than two weapons (the maximum a Standard player can carry) and more Items than you can fit on your person, and readily interchange them as needed.

Weapon Slots

Each character has five weapon slots. Most melee weapons take one slot (the Knuckles being the only exception), and everyone is required to keep a melee weapon on them. That leaves four weapon slots for guns. All guns take up two slots, excluding the Pistol which takes up one. This essentially means you can carry one Melee Weapon and two guns on your person (or in your Effects). If any of your weapons have been upgraded at a Power to the People station, please mention the upgrade in your Weapons.

Item Slots

You can carry up to nine items on your person, but you must explain where on your person you are keeping them. These nine items count as anything that gives you Health or EVE including First Aid Kits, EVE Hypos, Food and Luxury items.

Ammo slots

You can carry up to nine "clips" of ammo on your person, of ammo types and for the guns of your choosing. Note: what you actually have loaded in your gun is not included in these slots, and it is assumed in your profile your gun is loaded.

Effects
This part of your profile determines what your character is carrying directly on their person. Adhering to the slot limits above, you will post whatever it is your character is carrying.

Example

Weapons: Baseball Bat, Shotgun (Rate of Fire), Machine Gun (Kickback Reduction)
Items: 3 First Aid Kits, 1 EVE Hypo, 2 Pep Bars, 1 Cigarettes, 2 Old Tom Whiskey
Ammo: 3 00 Buck, 1 Electric Buck, 4 Machine Gun Rounds, 1 Antipersonnel Auto Rounds

Note: Effects will change repeatedly in battle, see Signature & Combat Forms for more information. You will only need to update your Effects in your profile when the battle in a thread is over.

Cache
This is what you have stored, assumedly at your house, but you can say where exactly for a hint of character development if you wish. There is no limit to what you can keep here, but please consider donating to your team's Stockpile if you are on a team.

Example:

Weapons: Pistol (Clip Size), Pistol, Shotgun
Items: 5 First Aid Kits, 3 EVE Hypos, 11 Pep Bars, 4 Chechnya Vodka
Ammo: 4 Pistol Rounds, 2 Armor Piercing Pistol Rounds, 5 00 Buck, 3 Electric Buck

The third reply to your Profile thread will be reserved for a transactions post. This is where you'll document the different exchanges you make, whether it be from Vending Machines or trading among players. This way we don't have to post everytime we need to run an errand; we can simply update our transactions, making sure we increase of diminish our Money or ADAM. Note that you will be putting your transactions in chronological order, not separating them in categories based on what was spent and how. Here is a short example of a transaction post:

$100 / 50 ADAM

Bought two First Aid Kits from Circus of Values.

$60 / 50 ADAM

Purchased Wrench Lurker Tonic from Gatherer's Garden in Apollo Square

$60/ 20 ADAM

It may be best to put your transactions in a spoiler tag as it will take up less space and is still easy to refer to that way.

Signature

In Paradise Lost we will sacrifice signature flair for purpose. To keep track of everyone's unique attributes we will have a small form that tells everyone what we're using. Notice that this will be OOC knowledge and will in no way effect the IC game; this is for organizational purposes. These forms will include your Gene Bank example from your profile, as well as the weapons you are using. We won't be displaying items as they are readily interchangeable; we have to trust you guys with some things! Here's an example of a signature form, shown for a character later in the game as their attributes don't match our beginning attributes:


Name: Johnny / Class: Standard
Gene:
Plasmid(4/6): Telekinesis, Incinerate!, Insect Swarm, X / Physical (1/4): X
Combat (3/4): Static Discharge, Machine Buster, Armored Shell / Engineer (0/0):
Weapons:Pistol, Shotgun

Combat

In battle or items will switch regularly. You will use items and you will gain them. To keep tracks of all these changes when you post in an RP that is a combat situation, or if any other changes to your equipment or Health & EVE are being made, you will add a form at the end of every post.

Note: In some Freelance RPs where there is nothing aggressive or status changing going on, this is NOT necessary.

In this form you will first show your Health and your EVE (click here for more information) and then what items you currently have in that post. Changes made in that post are current to that post! Meaning if you reload your Shotgun and lose one 00 Buck then be sure you have one less 00 Buck in your form. If you use an EVE Hypo make sure you have one less EVE Hypo.

Example:

[Fine EVE 2/5]
2 First Aid Kits, 3 EVE Hypos, 1 Coffee
3 00 Buck, 2 Pistol Rounds

Signature form and combat form will be combined once in a RP. If you are in an Event or War you combine them at the beginning of your very first post. If in a Freelance conflict happens you combine them at the beginning of your next reply (your first reply after a battle has started).

Simply paste your signature form at the bottom of your post, and then add your combat form as you normally would. This is for record purposes so looking back on a thread you can tell what your signature was (signatures constantly change and so must be documented in this way). You only need to post your signature once; afterwards just post your combat form.

Example:

-----------------------------------------

Name: Johnny / Class: Standard
Gene:
Plasmid(4/6): Telekinesis, Incinerate!, Insect Swarm, X / Physical (1/4): X
Combat (3/4): Static Discharge, Machine Buster, Armored Shell / Engineer (0/0):
Weapons:Pistol, Shotgun

[Fine EVE 2/5]
2 First Aid Kits, 3 EVE Hypos, 1 Coffee
3 00 Buck, 2 Pistol Rounds