Antares RP and You: In-Depth Beginner's Guide

Starting off, I'm Smokestack who plays as, well, Smokestack. I'm a roleplayer having always played a character different from myself since I was a little kid (if I have issues, I don't know it). I'm a player of D&D 3.5e, D&D 5e, Pathfinder, Shadowrun, and Call of Cthulhu. I've done roleplay online on Gaia Online, Runescape, LOTR, and D&D online. I'm the kinda guy who plays games just to roleplay.

And this here guide is to help new player and even current players alike to get a grasp on how roleplay in Antares works. Keep in mind that what I say is suggestion and a basic guideline made based on what I've seen done by others and what I do myself. How this guide will broken down is from start to finish.

PLEASE SKIP ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM IF YOU'RE HARD OF READING

I. Preparation​

Hooray! So the whitelist had gone through and you're a full-fledged member of the server. Or I hope you are, you sneaky bastard.

At this point, you'll likely be wanting to hop on the server and get things done. Like what most people would want to do. However! The first thing you should do is get yourself modded up because life on an RP server can be rather difficult without a few key mods.

EDIT 10/30/2016- Mods now updated for 1.0!

https://www.antaresroleplay.com/threads/four-basic-mods-to-enhance-roleplay.12409/

Using any mods other than these can create issues for both you and the server, so it's not recommended to try out anything unapproved on the server.

Character Creation

A friendly neighborhood Smokestack
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So with character creation, you'll be starting with a blank slate or a character you had elsewhere. I suggest using a new character because then the character's story can be formed entirely by their experience in Antares. Now, since character creation for RP can be long and tiresome, I'll try my best to simplify it and then give what I've done with Smokestack.

• Who the hell are you?: What's your character's name? Let it be something that defines them without going overboard. I am Etalpalli "Smokestack" Weatherwind

• What the hell are you?: What race are you? What do you do? Let the race's history be apart of what made your character your character. Why do they do what they do? Smokestack is an Avian ship mechanic and an illegal fighter pilot. He has a steadfast love for ships stemming from his desire to ascend to the Aether in his own way.

• What's your story?: What's the character's background? It's good to be in-depth, but not to the point where it restricts your character. For example, a character with so bitter a past that all they can do is spit exposition. The point is that to make a story where you can do something HERE with it. Etalpalli was exiled with his family from Avos. They had pretended to be Flightless to avoid capture. Exiled, they were dropped at a liberated USCM Penal colony where his parents had died. Alone, Etalpalli was taken in as a child worker for a ship manufacturing facility. He'd eventually become a ship mechanic, then take the helm as an illegal fighter pilot for a gambling ring. As a fighter pilot, he gained the name Smokestack for always coming back with a nearly destroyed, smoking ship. After taking down 300 people, or 60 ships over the course of years, the guilt dawns on him as people sought vengeance against him. He escaped and was in isolation for four years until he reached Antares to start a new life as a good citizen. This story, although inherently "edgy" (explanation of terms at the end) builds Smokestack's story as both an Avian and a ship man.

• Why are you here?: You gotta have a reason to be in Antares. Even no reason is a reason. Smokestack came to Antares to escape his old life and to start a new life as a ship mechanic.

• What are you like?: Personality is, like, everything maaan. You can hear it in typed words just from that funny voice in your head. Is your character mean, nice, violent, or pacifist? Make up your mind. Smokestack follows his moral compass. He thinks of everyone as a friend. He jokes a lot and likes to play dumb to get a reaction even at his own expense. He is very susceptible to the guilt of killing others. He's kind, but likes to maintain a tough yet tactful attitude.

• What do you look like?: I like to do appearances before the clothes come on (heh). This is mainly because clothing can always change. It's the physical appearance because mental appearance is weird. Smokestack has a burnt beak that's been polished clean. His feathers are wild and tend to be patted down and slicked back. He holds a steady and fierce green gaze. Smokestack has the calisthenics' body being muscled but thin. He's 5 foot 11 in. He's biologically 27 but 35 relative to time.

Now put your damn clothes on, you hippy. Now with clothes you tend to have free range over what you wear. Armor is where things get iffy. It's a good idea to make armor relevant to your character's backstory in terms of their wealth and why they would have it.

A good tool for editing clothing and appearance is Starbound Outfit Studio, or SOS.

You can find a link to SOS here!

This tool should allow you to change the colors of just about any clothing item in the game, as well as your character. You won't be able to recolor items that have been dyed in game, however, so watch out for that.

And now you should be ready to actually show your face to people, you beautiful person you.
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II. Getting out There
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Right right. Fun times now. We get to talk about actually roleplaying with people. So now you're on your ship and you have no idea where everyone is. You're nervous and don't wanna say anything wrong. And that's fine. Breathe. Eat some doritos and drink some Mountain Dew. I gotcha covered. We'll start from the beginning with getting out there to the different types of RP terms and situations that can arise.

Holy **** a Radio!

The radio is a great asset in starting out in Antares.​

Oh yes, the radio. What fun using old technology like a radio 400 years in the future. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that the Radio, which is set to Universe for everyone on. Since it's set to Universal Radio, make sure to use "R:" to show that you actually intended to make a radio broadcast. Otherwise people will think you're using the wrong chat. At this point you can make a radio broadcast to do the following things:

• Ask for help!- I've fallen and I can't get help! I mean, I can but you gotta go help me! My ship's crashed and I need a ride! I'm out of fuel and could use a pick me up!
• Be lost and curious!- Where is everyone? I'm new to the sector, where's a good place to start?
• Be hungry and thirsty!- Where's the nearest bar? Any place serving food?
• Be lonely!- I need a person to talk to. My cat is huddled in the corner and wants nothing to do with me. S-save me.

Emoting: You vs. The World!

An example of emoting​

Whoaaaah! Now we're getting someplace! At this point, you'd have gotten yourself out there and found the hub world! And guess what? What you probably did to get there was emote! And we'll be going over the basics behind reactive emoting.

Let us break down the emote!

• Dialogue- This is pretty clear. It's what you're character is saying. And Dialogue can happen at any point simply because it takes no time at all to start speaking.
• Quick Action- A quick action would be something that can be done with little time and effort. Something like clapping, a stomp, or facial movements. They are things that would not alter another player's actions in a game-breaking way. Basically it's the same as dialogue. In this case, Smokestack smirked.
• Move Action- Well it's a movement. And this movement could be an attack, a grab, an interaction, or just moving from point A to Point B. These actions take time and effort and you should only make one per emote so that another player can react. In my emote, it's going to lean against the wall.
• Move of circumstance- It's the move that happens as a result of your move action. It's sort of the quick action that happens afterwards. For example, if you emoted walking and happened over a pitfall, the move of circumstance would be that you fell in. In my emote, the move of circumstance is Smokestack folding his arms as he leans against the wall.

Now it's all good and fun doing your own emote, but OH KLUEX ANOTHER PERSON RUN AND HIDE. Just kidding. Having another person at the table means you have to do reactive emoting now.

The showdown of the century. Smokestack vs. Haystack
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Here's the situation. Guy comes across a target dummy. Guy wants to shoot said target dummy and someone is playing as the target dummy. Time for reactive emoting.

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Since this was the first action in the reactive emote chain, you would play it like a normal emote above. Note my error. I fired a single round into the center of the dummy as if I could not miss. It is best to say that "you try to fire a single round into the center of the dummy". This is because it allows the other player to choose their reaction.

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The dummy must now react. And here's how I break down reactions.

• Description- This is if the round hit or not. You would describe if the other player's reaction against you succeeded or not.
• Status Report- Here you would report what the action on you actually did to the character. This is the actual reaction.
• Explanation of Status- This is where you would explain why something would hit or miss or why something happened. The round hit BECAUSE it was a stationary target.
• Retaliation, Reflex Action- This where one's reaction is finished and then they'd emote. For example, if you were shocked by a taser while holding a gun, you might hold down the trigger and start shooting. Or this would be the time where you would get grazed but want to return fire.

The key to a reaction emote is to always react to another player's action first before doing your own action.

From this point, the chain of reaction emotes would continue until the situation is resolved.
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III. Keeping with Lore​

Antares follows its own lore. It's recommended that it's read so that you know what's going on if you want to incorporate your character somehow!

Announcement - The Council | Starbound Roleplay
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With the addition of our lore section, we now have a more expansive backstory to our server!
https://www.antaresroleplay.com/forums/setting.289/
https://www.antaresroleplay.com/forums/technology.290/
https://www.antaresroleplay.com/categories/races.311/

IV. Realistic Play
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Playing realistically is likely going to be the hardest part of roleplaying in Antares. I mean, a lot of aren't super scientists and hardcore mercenaries and super killbots? I mean, I hope not. That'd be very bad.
So with playing realistically in Antares, there's a golden rule that is often not spoken about. It's a rule that all long time, or even just month long player know quite well because someone down the line told them about it.

In-game mechanic does not equal In Character mechanic
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It's a pretty important rule, but what does it entail? Well I'll tell you.

• Pre-gen Buildings do not count as IC.- So if you come across a building filled with Miniknog and killed them all, don't try to tell people because that's not IC. People make events using actual characters to play situations like that out. The buildings themselves are IC, but are generally considered abandoned unless an event is made. I'd say they can be looted, but I suggested doing it with someone else so that you both are witnesses and can protect each other from, well, ass-pulling.
• Techs do not always equal IC- You know that targeted blink tech? Yeah, that's not an IC thing. A lot of the techs need an actual explanation IC for how they are acquired and most of the time people don't use techs.
• You don't need to hand vanilla items all the time- Imagine going to a food place and ordering a steak. And actually getting the food item Steak. It's a problem really, but we really don't need the item. A lot of our inventory tends to be filled with other RP gizmo and gadgets. A lot of things, like cooking can be left to the imagination so that the person offering can describe what they're giving you without actually giving it to you.
• SB tools are over-exaggerated- You likely won't be using any of the Starbound tools IC. The matter manipulator is a weird tool that requires careful roleplay. The tools can be used IC but it's more of at a player's discretion than an accepted deal at this point
• Crafting ain't what you think- Not everyone can craft everything. This is an RP server. A lot of people don't need to be told this, but a lot of do as well. Even myself a lot of the times.
• The loot ain't real- Sorry, pally. That fancy sword you found in that random chest in the middle of nowhere doesn't actually exist in RP. Only time you'd find loot is if you loot a place, steal it from somebody, or make it yourself (and crafting ain't what you think).

Those are the general sub-bullets under the golden rule. Try to follow them. It makes a lot of us feel less awkward when a guy comes in with a bazooka and a matter manipulator with his hand-crafted impervium armor telling us about the 20 apex he killed in a miniknog facility while handing us steak items.

But! Time to discuss what realistic play can happen.

Combat RP!

Oh gee! What fun! Combat RP can be a great, great thing, but it can also be what leads to the most amount of conflict. In this section I won't be discussing emoting because reactive emoting is something that can be applied anywhere. In this section I will be talking about fighting realistically, what moves can be done, and working with others.

So where to begin? Combat can be varied, but let's start by following the server rules for how PVP works.

• Hostile intent must be apparent and make it known- You can't just whip a gun out and shoot someone. That just ain't fair? Oh, life isn't fair? This is a video game.
• Give one genuine opportunity to leave PVP- Some players just get caught in the crossfire and don't want their characters killed because of such spontaneity. Bark a threat or fire a warning shot. At least give players a chance to avoid combat.
• Death consent must be made BEFORE combat begins- It's like a bet in poker. You don't know what hand you're gonna be dealt and you're not allowed to change your bet after going all in.
• If no death consent is given, fatal wounds can be substituted with injuries- If you don't want your character to die, you can take a crap ton of injuries like broken bones and gaping wounds. But you gotta know that sometimes there are just situations where you should just die. Roleplay accordingly.
• Both sides should accept equal consequences- If one side consents to death and can be killed, your side should be able to die as well.

Know that when combat RP begins, a lot of OOC arguments can erupt. I won't discuss that. Both sides should have people to talk it out in whisper to resolve the situation without disrupting the flow of RP and cluttering the chatbox.

Now, how do you roleplay combat realistically?

• Describe actions step by step- Reactive emoting still applies and you should know what would count as a quick action and a move action. Describe in detail what you're doing, what succeeded to hit you, what missed, and all that jazz.
• Wait your turn- If it's just between two people, wait for another player to do their action. As combat grows to be larger, just do your best and eyeball how much time it would take before you can do another move.
• Keep up with the pace- Sometimes things are moving just as fast as you type. Just keep with the turn orders and think fast and IC. There's really nothing I can say to help with speed besides thinking more like a character.
• Use logic- A grenade is gonna hurt like shit. It's either the concussive blast or the shrapnel that gets you. A burst of bullets at point-blank range will hit you. A large guy picking you up will pick you up. You can't sprint across a colony before a guy reloads a gun. Just use logic as to how injuries are taken and how actions are dealt.
• Know your character's limits- Not every character is fast or strong or have infinite endurance. Know when your character would break down.
• Keep it civil and make sure both sides can agree- The agreeing part is just optimistic. But keep it civil. Keep OOC discussion of combat procedure in whispers or Steam chat.

Combat is a fun thing to RP, but it's also the one type of RP that both sides have to be very diligent in keeping realistic so as to avoid problems.

Medic/Repair RP

This is a lot of fun to do as well and is in fact my second favorite area to RP! I put medical and repair RP in the same category because both apply to fixing something, whether it be organic or mechanical. This are is a lot more laid-back and is general a discussion between two players. What's going to be discussed here is a general idea of how to do medical and repair RP realistically.

As a player on Starbound, I play an Avian ship mechanic named Smokestack who specializes in engine craft, body work, and ship weaponry. He's trained in electrostatics in order to connect ship systems to the actual body of the ships. He has minor, incomplete CLS (combat life-saving training) with the USAF.

So why do I tell you that? Why it's because it shows what my character is capable of doing. He can repair ships, work on electrical circuits, fix weapons, work on body repair, and go minor medical treatment. He has limits.

Now here's a guide to Medical and Repair RP.

• Know your character- What can he actually do? Characters have limits in experience. But a character can just be so stubborn as to help. But not help well.
• Identify- Ask the player to describe what you're seeing. Are wires loose? Are there buttons and panels to be opened? Is there an entry and exit wound? Where is the injury?
• Keep it realistic- Remember the golden rule. IG mechanic does equal IC mechanic. Sticking a stimpack in someone won't regenerate them. Making up technobabble doesn't work too when there's an actual realistic way to fix something either. Try for the realistic solution over the technobabble solution. When I do mechanic RP, I use my dad's mechanic experience alongside the power of Google.
• Describe your action thoroughly- Describe each little thing that you're doing to treat or repair someone or something. It makes it more immersive and actually feels like you're helping ICly than just healing them, slapping them on the back, and letting them go. It makes you feel like you worked for it.
• Allow the other player to describe what your action did- So you made your action. Now the other player can describe what your action did and whether it helped or made things worse. Of course, this also has to be realistic.
• Logic. Use it.- There are general procedures to how Doctors and surgeons operate. Wounds can also lead to different things like bleeding, concussions, and infections. There are certain tools that should be used. Of course, RP works differently with different people.

There isn't much else to it. Medical/ Repair RP is generally just a discussion of "what do I see?" and "Here's what I'm doing".

Money, moneh, LOADSAMONAY RP

Oh yes. Money. Business RP. My favorite kind of RP. I'm going into a business major in college, so naturally this is my favorite. Business RP will go over money values and the value of things in general and how to determine it.

• 1 pixel = 1 USD- That's the conversion rate.
• Keep prices realistic- Don't super scam people. Don't buy an assault rifle off of someone for 10px. That's not even low-balling at that point. That's the moment when you need to have an OOC discussion about pricing.
• Try to keep records- Record how much you have, how much you made, and how much was lost in production. Or at least try to. It's a good practice.
• Start off reasonably- You know the deal. Don't be Mr. Moneybucks and come in making the place rain and drop skyscrapers. Have a reasonable start!

Now to discuss price determination. This is a suggestion based on how I do things.

• Use Google- Find the pricing of whatever you're selling. Or something similar to what you're selling.
• Add costs to it to fit the Future- Sometimes things are gonna be advanced. Adding other prices to it will make it realistic. Like adding the price of a car battery to an assault rifle to find the price of a laser rifle. Or increasing the price of steel, multiplying the price of a car by a factor and adding them together to find the price of a starship.

Customer RP

Right. This is a pretty important point and it's not just about handing money and taking the product. It's about doing it in such a way that won't get the community looking at you like "Wait he did the thing? Oh god he did the thing. Ugh" Basically this is about being a customer correctly.

• Verify your economic status- This basically means, make sure your money is an accurate amount for your character to have. You can't be an average joe walking around with 100,000 pixels unless you have a very very good reason for it (one that is backed up by character's development on server or admin approval). Just make sure the amount you have is reasonable.
• Work with the normal currency- This could be pixels, chits, or currency specific to one's race. Sometimes people use PDAs and electronically transfer money. Sometimes people trade.
• Keep track of what you have and don't have- Try and keep a record whether it be mental or not. This helps in keeping your character accurate and have actual problems that can occur! It helps development and keeps things realistic.

V. Terms to Know/ Things to Avoid
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Chances are that you won't be knowing a lot of the terms that are gonna be thrown around. Knowing that, you should probably get familiar with a lot of the terms because they typically represent things to avoid or things to be aware of.

• Emote- An action made by the player.
• IC/OOC- In Character and Out Of Character.
• Edge-lord- A character with that is too tough in the sense of personality. Typically a hellish upbringing, very brooding. Like Batman, but Batman's cool.
• Power-gaming- Doing actions that 'overpower' a player. Like wearing bullet impervious armor. I mean, how can you go against that?
• Godmodding- Doing actions and emotes that dictate over others. Such as "This punch hits you in the face." What if I wanted to dodge it!?
• Meta-gaming- Using OOC knowledge when a character has no way of knowing IC.
• W/C- Wrong chat. Typically said when people use Universe chat instead of planet chat.
• Plantsuit- A floran character played more human than floran. Like a human wearing a floran suit. It's not always bad, but not always good either.
• Feathersuit- An avian character played more human than avian. Like a human wearing an avian suit. It's not always bad, but not always good either.
• Mary Sue- The perfect character. No flaws and can do everything right.
• Deus Ex Machina- Always having a solution to a seemingly unsolvable problem. Tends to go with power-gaming.

Edits​

• 9/18/15- Added The lore section and Customer RP section. Fixed and replaced outdated advice. Deleted outdated mods in place of current mods.
• 10/30/16- Updated Mod section and lore section. Added an abridged guide for lazy people.

Abridged Guide for Lazy People
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Okay, so you people reading this are the lazy people. Or the people that really like reading what I have to say. This shortened guide should help you get straight into the game.

Follow these steps!

1. Apply for whitelist (which you should've done already) and get approved.
2. Install the essential mods to make the experience easier.
3. Make a character with depth that is interesting.
4. Get involved in RP on the server by speaking in universe chat through R: radio. Or by visiting a colony with coordinates found on the colony page. https://www.antaresroleplay.com/categories/settlements.17/
5. Interact with players by emoting. This includes reacting to what another character's doing and then doing your own action. Try not to powergame, meta game, or godmod. Actions shouldn't include too much in it.
6. Remember that In-game mechanics are not In-Character and that characters are just a representation and Starbound is just a stage.Things have to be roleplayed out to be legitimate.
7. Keep in mind that every aspect of roleplay on the server should be done with a degree of realism and logic.

 

Updated with Realistic Play.

 

Updated the colors of the light blue headers and texts. I checked in both light and dark and it looks fine. Might be a strain on the eyes in dark.

 

Updated the guide for 1.0, which I should've done long ago.