Character Guidelines

These guidelines apply more towards original (fan made) characters. (If you want to play an official character, please check to see which are currently for adoption). Please review ALL of these guidelines before you submit your character application. Once you have familiarized yourself with our standards, you may submit your character.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
General Information Sega Guidelines SatAM Guidelines

General Information

Approval Team

Approval Team

All characters, both canon and non, will be subjected to review by the board staff members. During this time, they may make suggestions or ask for certain things about your character to be altered. Don't get upset if this happens, as they're only trying to help keep this roleplay's atmosphere, style, and quality level intact, and keep it fun and fair to everyone involved. Any player is free to comment on applications, but all approval team members must voice their opinion before the character can be approved or disapproved. An application must have the approval of everyone on the team before it passes.

Please also note that if you modify a character's profile after it's been approved, you still must notify the app team of the changes. This can be done by simply leaving a reply to the profile's thread noting what all you changed. If anyone on the app team has a problem with the changes, you may be asked to modify or delete them. If you refuse, your character's profile will be moved back to the application area and the character will be unplayable until the dispute is resolved.

Other Continuities

We're a liberal bunch. As long as the Sonic Team/SatAM (respectively) atmosphere is retained, you're allowed to play characters from other continuities and franchises - within reason. Characters must be altered as necessary to make them fit into the story and atmosphere, not vise versa.

Examples we have is that in SegaStH we have a Sally Acorn who works as a GUN agent and had no prior history with Sonic and a Shard who is a Metal Shadow created by GUN instead of a Metal Sonic. At SatAMStH we have a Shadow who was a soldier who fought in the Great War, as well as a Coconuts who is a roboticized monkey living in Lower Mobius. If you alter the character enough that he or she fits in, they'll be considered.

For a list of taken semi-canon characters, so you can get an idea of who's available, please refer to Sega and SatAM's character lists respectively. Any semi-canon characters not listed can be considered as available. And yes - we do allow adaptions of echidna characters without requiring they have their species changed! In SatAMStH they are not almost extinct, and in SegaStH we have a loophole to allow them in if they come from Blaze's dimension instead of Sonic's.

SegaStH Guidelines

General Guidelines

  • Please keep your character balanced - It's no fun for other Players if your character is the best at dodging, attacking, running, swimming, knitting, etc. Keep things reasonably balanced and fair for everybody else. It's all about having fun here, so let's keep things that way.
  • Please do not make your character related to any official character - If you try to relate your character to (for example) Sonic, through family bonds, relationships or through an intertwined history, we will usually ask you to amend it. There can be some leeway on this though. Speak to the player of the official character and see if they approve of the idea. If they're okay, there's more of a likelihood that we'll be okay. Otherwise, it's going to be a hard veto.
  • Please do not make a character revolving around the Emeralds - This is a big one. Please don't make a character who is either a) the guardian of any of the official emeralds (or other power gems), b) the guardian of some unofficial emeralds (also, please don't create any unofficial emeralds or other power gems, either), or c) Already in possession of an emerald right from the get-go. We already keep track of the emeralds' placement in the story, so it would be impossible for newcomers to already have one in their possession.

What we Allow, What to Avoid

On the subject of Hedgehogs, Foxes and Echidnas, please see the 'Restricted Roles' sections for further details.

  • HYBRIDS ARE CASE-BY-CASE: Hybrids are cool and we do allow them, but they are only accepted as long as they don't seem too biologically outrageous. Mammals/reptiles, for example, will not be accepted, but mammal/mammals may be considered - the chances becoming much better if their two species belong to the same animal family (canidae/canidae or sciuridae/sciuridae for example), and if it's a hybrid between, say, two species of bat, than we likely won't even bat an eye. They must present a good design and profile that equally balances hybrid strengths and weaknesses (IE, don't give them all the strengths of both species and none of the weaknesses). That said, with there being so many other unused options for unique animal species out there, we encourage looking into those first before considering a hybrid. This and this are good links to try, if you're stumped on ideas for varying species.
  • HUMANS ARE ALLOWED: Don't want or can't think of an animal for your character to be? That's fine! Humans are perfectly acceptable here - and no, there's no rift between them and the anthro characters here in the Sega universe - they're treated as equals. Just bare in mind we don't want sayans, mutants or magical girls - IE, don't bring anime or Marvel/DC characters in here.
  • CYBORGS ARE ALLOWED: Believe it or not, we have a loophole that allows cyborg characters to be able to exist within the Sega continuity. If you'd like information on how we portray them and how to apply for one, check out cyborgs. Also feel free to shoot any questions you might have on the subject to Jamie, as it is one of her characters who makes this option possible. If you would like your character to be a member of our Sega variation of the Dark Legion, please contact Jamie to discuss.
  • NO EXTRATERRESTRIALS: Yeah, okay. There's been aliens in the game continuity. Shadow's part alien. We still don't want them here. Also wisps and zeti are banned.
  • NO CLONE CHARACTERS: We encourage folks to be creative here, and that also includes making a character that isn't another Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles here. Flat-out recolours will definitely be rejected. There's far too many opportunities out there with character creation to have to cut out existing official designs and revise little things to make somebody stand out, and if you wish for assistance in the matter, please feel free to talk to us! (btw when designing a character try to keep at least some biological sense in mind - reptiles with hair, for example, will not be permitted)

Whatever isn't on this list, we will most likely have no problems with! If you are unsure about something, don't be afraid to contact us about it, and we'll give you advice as best as we can!

Restricted Roles

A restricted role is, essentially, a player role that is restricted from newcomers. There are a few types of roles that, while acceptable, are pretty important, and can only be entrusted to Players that have been around for a while, are active and are trustworthy. Having one of these roles is not a right - it must be earned. The stipulations we normally consider are as such;

  • You have been around for some time and established at least two well-developed roleplaying characters in the story.
  • Have a strong history of roleplay, replying in a timely fashion, keeping things civil and mature, and staying in contact with other players.
  • We have become familiar enough with you as a player and your style of writing to feel comfortable allowing you the responsibility.

There may be one or two other minor considerations, but this will be up to the ones in charge of the application process. Here is a current list of things we consider 'Restricted':

  • HEDGEHOGS, FOXES, AND ECHIDNAS: It's not really a secret - these are all over the place. They're the three most popular species, and it's because of this that we want to limit the number of them allowed in. Usually, such characters are almost never too different from the main cast, thus it becomes difficult to give clearance in a roleplay where we encourage all things creative. However, if you are eligible and you want one, we'll allow you the opportunity. Yes - this includes echidnas. We have a loophole to allow echidna fancharacters provided they come from Blaze's world rather than Sonic's. Also we would like to note that trying to get around this rule by applying for, say, a porcupine that just looks like a hedgehog with messier quills won't fly. If you want a porcupine, make it look like a porcupine.
  • INDOLES: In a nutshell, "indole" is a term we invented to describe characters who are naturally superpowered. This includes extreme physical feats of speed or strength, or powers such as telekinesis or control over the elements. The most notable examples are Sonic, with his super speed, or Blaze, with her fire abilities. Further information on indoles can be found here. These types of characters are meant to be rather hard to come by, and as such, any people wanting to create a character in this category need to speak with us first. They aren't banned, but with so many members of the canon cast already falling under this group, we need to put a leash on how many of these guys we let run around.
  • ROBOTIC DUPLICATES/METALLIXES: There's already a LOT of these in the canon alone, like Metal Sonic and Robo Knuckles. Moooore than likely if you want one it's going to be a veto, but if you have an idea you'd like to pitch we'll at least give it consideration. Even so, we would encourage robotic characters who are their own unique entities.
  • MAJOR ANTAGONISTS: Villains are important. Any good story needs conflict, and the best way to cause conflict is to have a Big Bad pull some tremendous stunts to achieve their goals. However, because of how much these heavy hitters can affect a story at any given point, they tend to be very important characters that can't be left just hanging in the middle of a major plot, nor can they be a common occurrence. Due to the importance and the necessary rarity of such a role, we can't just hand these out to anybody, and involvement with these characters will have to undergo much thought and planning before being put to use. If you've been with us for a while, and think you have an idea that would involve something like this, we may give you a shot. Just get in touch, and we can work something out. Keep in mind that this only applies to MAJOR antagonists. You can absolutely make members for the Eggman Empire, Dark Legion, or characters like mercenaries and thieves and the like.
  • POSITIONS OF HIGH POLITICAL POWER: Presidents, governors, royalty, nobles, etc. These are extremely powerful characters with the ability to dictate commands, define laws, declare war or otherwise directly and indirectly affect many other characters in the game. And just like there aren't many people with this kind of power in real life, not very many of them will be allowed in-game. We gotta really trust you if you want one of these.

SatAMStH Guidelines

General Guidelines

  • Please keep your character balanced - It's no fun for other Players if your character is the best at dodging, attacking, running, swimming, knitting, etc. Keep things reasonably balanced and fair for everybody else. It's all about having fun here, so let's keep things that way.
  • Please do not make your character related to any official character - This one's pretty simple. We understand that if your character is, say, a resident of Knothole that Sonic, Sally, etc. would probably be familiar with them, but if you try to relate your character to (for example) Sonic, through family bonds, friendships, etc we will usually ask you to amend it. There can be some leeway on this though. Speak to the player of the official character and see if they approve of the idea. If they're okay, there's more of a likelihood that we'll be okay. Otherwise, it's going to be a hard veto.
  • Please try to maintain the SatAM atmosphere - The most important thing about making a character is that they fit the SatAM world. You have to keep in mind that the SatAM world is a very post-apocalypse dystopian future. The closer one is to one of Robotnik's base of operations (Robotropolis, Mercia, etc), the harder and more dangerous life becomes. Life for characters doesn't simply go on as 'usual'; their world was turned topsy-turvy and they're fighting to regain it. Further away, in areas where Robotnik has less presence - or possibly even none at all - it's still not a completely comfortable situation. Ever had a massive war brewing right at the edge of your property? Just because Switzerland didn't fight doesn't mean they felt safe. Having a war hanging overhead effects society.

It's also worth noting that SatAM is NOT synonymous with Archie. Just because something works in Archie does not mean it will work here. Characters, locations, and other ideas bend to fit the SatAM world, [b]NOT[/b] the other way around.

What we Allow, What to Avoid

On the subject of Hedgehogs, Foxes and Echidnas, please see the 'Restricted Roles' sections for further details.

  • HYBRIDS ARE CASE-BY-CASE: Hybrids are cool and we do allow them, but they are only accepted as long as they don't seem too biologically outrageous. Mammals/reptiles, for example, will not be accepted, but mammal/mammals may be considered - the chances becoming much better if their two species belong to the same animal family (canidae/canidae or sciuridae/sciuridae for example), and if it's a hybrid between, say, two species of bat, than we likely won't even bat an eye. They must present a good design and profile that equally balances hybrid strengths and weaknesses (IE, don't give them all the strengths of both species and none of the weaknesses). That said, with there being so many other unused options for unique animal species out there, we encourage looking into those first before considering a hybrid. This and this are good links to try, if you're stumped on ideas for varying species.
  • AVOID MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURES: While mythological creatures do exist in the SatAM world (Knothole has its very own dragon, after all), a bunch of them running around would cause them to lose their uniqueness. If you really want one, it'll be considered as long as it's well-presented and not overpowered. One thing to note is that mythological creatures are typically not mobian or "anthro" style; Their body shape is often more similar to that of normal animals.
  • HUMANS ARE ALLOWED: Don't want or can't think of an animal for your character to be? That's fine! Humans are perfectly acceptable here. Information on how we handle and portray humans in the SatAM world can be found here. Just bear in mind we don't want sayans, mutants or magical girls - IE, don't bring anime or Marvel/DC characters in here.
  • NO ROBOTIC DUPLICATES: Metal Sonic is the only robotic duplicate of a character we will allow in this roleplay. No exceptions.
  • NO EXTRATERRESTRIALS: Aliens are a can of worms we're not about to open here. NO EXCEPTIONS.
  • NO CLONE CHARACTERS: We encourage folks to be creative here, and that also includes making a character that isn't another Sonic, Tails, or Knuckles here. Flat-out recolours will definitely be rejected. There's far too many opportunities out there with character creation to have to cut out existing official designs and revise little things to make somebody stand out, and if you wish for assistance in the matter, please feel free to talk to us! (btw when designing a character try to keep at least some biological sense in mind - reptiles with hair, for example, will not be permitted)

Whatever isn't on this list, we will most likely have no problems with! If you are unsure about something, don't be afraid to contact us about it, and we'll give you advice as best as we can!

Restricted Roles

A restricted role is, essentially, a player role that is restricted from newcomers. There are a few types of roles that, while acceptable, are pretty important, and can only be entrusted to Players that have been around for a while, are active and are trustworthy. Having one of these roles is not a right - it must be earned. The stipulations we normally consider are as such;

  • You have been around for some time and established at least two well-developed roleplaying characters in the story.
  • Have a strong history of roleplay, replying in a timely fashion, keeping things civil and mature, and staying in contact with other players.
  • We have become familiar enough with you as a player and your style of writing to feel comfortable allowing you the responsibility.

There may be one or two other minor considerations, but this will be up to the ones in charge of the application process. Here is a current list of things we consider 'Restricted':

  • HEDGEHOGS, FOXES, AND ECHIDNAS: It's not really a secret - these are all over the place. They're the three most popular species, and it's because of this that we want to limit the number of them allowed in. Usually, such characters are almost never too different from the main cast, thus it becomes difficult to give clearance in a roleplay where we encourage all things creative. However, if you are eligible and you want one, we'll allow you the opportunity. Yes - this includes echidnas.We DID have a Knuckles at one time, but not anymore (If you'd like play him and would like information on how he was established, contact Jamie). That said, he wasn't the last of his kind, only the last of his tribe. Information on tribes, both echidna and non-echidna, can be found here. Also we would like to note that trying to get around this rule by applying for, say, a porcupine that just looks like a hedgehog with messier quills won't fly. If you want a porcupine, make it look like a porcupine.
  • CYBORGS AND FREE-WILLED ROBIANS: Cyborgs are a rarity despite the army Jamie has. Not many people are fortunate enough to be plucked out of an activated roboticizer before it manages to complete the process. A cyborg character doesn't necessarily have to begin that way either - you may possibly be granted more leeway if they enter the roleplay normal, and through some planned event (to be determined by the players and approved by the staff) become a cyborg in-game. Likewise, when it comes to robians in possession of their free will, these are pretty rare as well and must present a very good reason for why their voluntary mobility has been restored before the staff will begin to consider it.
  • INDOLES: In a nutshell, "indole" is a term we invented to describe a character who is able to perform "magic" or otherwise supernatural or superhuman feats. Sonic is of course the best example, but there's also characters like Dulcy and Naugus. Characters with these sorts of abilities are considered rare (especially so for magic users) and even if they do have abilities, it's rare for them to be fully realized. Basically, speak with us first. They aren't banned, but we need to put a leash on how many we let run around. Leeway will be granted if you're adapting a semi-canon character from another continuity.
  • MAJOR ANTAGONISTS: Because of the nature of SatAM's setting, it's difficult to establish any major villains aside from Robotnik himself. If you can come up with an idea that sounds plausible we'll be willing to take it into consideration, but most likely anyone who makes a big enough threat of themself in the world is gonna find Robotnik on their doorstep pretty fast. Keep in mind that this only applies to MAJOR antagonists. You can still apply for minor ones, such as a thief.
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