#rip caution

I know there are a lot of people super unfamiliar with CSS that feel a little lost when they choose a premade skin that our lovely coders have so generously offered up and want something ~different~ from all the other sites that have used it, so this is a guide in making a few changes WHERE ALLOWED (please see the coders notes on this prior to making any types of edits, ty) so that you can have the same skin without having the same skin.

First and foremost take a look at Jcink's guide to css and skinning. This will tell you what certain parts of the css (style sheets) are called so that you can find them, see how they are coded, and make the changes you are allowed, such as color or font or font size, etc.

Next take a look at Color Hound. If you are wanting to change the colors of a skin, I SWEAR by this site. You enter the link to the site you have with the skin on and it will give you all the colors listed in the site's css. To be clear the reason this is more efficient than simply searching for 'color:' is because it also pulls rgb and rgba codes and shows you them as well. It's important to find these as well in case the color is set to a certain transparency so that you can add that in with your new colors as well.

On the line of colors, Colorhexa and Colourlovers are useful as well because colourlovers lets you find palettes to use for your skin, so you have a certain aesthetic in your chosen colors, and colorhexa lets you look up these colors to find the rgb of these colors as well, allowing you to edit the rgba and have that transparency needed in certain skins as mentioned above. I would suggest keeping the transparency already set but if you wanna toy with it and are allowed, be my guest. As a side note: the transparency is the a, the last of the four numbers listed. For example - rgba(#,#,#,0.3) it would be the 0.3.

Now custom fonts are cool too so maybe you want to edit those. There are a billion sites for custom fonts and the easiest to deal with is google fonts but try others too. If you download a font, you can upload it to your site and add it to your skin. First you have to access the admin cp and then navigate to the file manager, in jfh resources. The file manager allows you to upload documents to your board, such as images or css or in this case custom fonts. Start out by uploading a new file at the bottom of the page, finding the truetype (.ttf) font file that you downloaded, and uploading it to the Jcink file manager. Jcink will give your new font a direct link beneath the contents heading in the file manager. Grab that link! In your stylesheets you'll probably see something like @font-face and that's what we're going to create with your new custom font, probably near to the others.

@font-face { font-family: FONT NAME; src: url(URL); }

Change the font name to whatever you want to name your font, usually the font's actual name but you can pretty much go with whatever. The url is the link you grabbed in the previous step. Once this is in your stylesheets, just grab the font name you used and edit where you want this font to show up by editing the following code:

font-family: FONT NAME;

Just please remember to remove the previous font name. With a new font you'll probably have to mess with the font size and weight but this can help a lot with making a font look different that is maybe used a lot on other sites.

Another tip would be to focus on images. You can edit images everywhere, not just the header, and these help a lot to editing a skin so try that if you're still feeling a little less than personalized on the skin you're working with.

Okay so I know an issue some people have is thinking up a title for their characters or nicknames which is especially true in period roleplays, such as I play on an ASOIAF rp as Daena the Defiant or Myrcella the Golden Viper, and I thought I'd make this to try to ease that some.

The first thing you should think of is who your character is. Do they come from a great house known for something in particular, like the Stark wolves or Tyrell roses? Use that! That's what I did for Myrcella. Myrcella was a Lannister and a Martell so I combined attributes from both to create her title - the Golden Viper.

Next, think about their name. Were they named after someone? The Daena Targaryen I played was not the first Daena Targaryen so I went with her predecessor's nickname and used it, Daena the Defiant, because it fit who Daena was in my mind and she has since grown into that nickname even more with character development which is another thing you can use for them.

On the note of thinking about their name - be lazy. Seriously. What does their name begin with? An A? a Z? Find a word that begins with that same letter that fits and use that. To help you with this, here's a list. Seriously, it sounds cool if you make them match up, like Daena the Defiant or Garlan the Gallant, so feel free to do that.

Another thing would be to think about who they are. I played Walda Frey and her title was set (Fair Walda) by canon but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be easy to think of something. Use that line with your light skin, eye, hair character and make them Fair whatever or make them Fat whatever or make them Brave whatever. As long as it fits, use it. Even if it's Name the Kind or Kind Name when the name doesn't start with a K, if it fits it works.

One last thing: with the following list it is much easier to search for a letter than try to find one because there are so many so feel free to ctrl+f it and search 'the g' or 'the m' if you're looking for a letter in particular. Hope this helps!

This is my first guide so please take everything with a grain of salt because I may not be the very best at this but I'm going to share with you how I personally go about amplifying my replies and making them into better replies than what I used to. I'm going to also add now that I have been roleplaying for over ten years and so my experience is what has shaped me into being able to give the length of replies I give now. Depending on what I am given, I usually add at least two paragraphs to what I received and aim for at least one thousand words.

Now! What is a semi-literate or advanced literate roleplayer classified as? For me, I use the paragraph rule. Semi-Literate is a roleplayer that can generate anywhere between one paragraph to four paragraphs at most on average. Sure, we all have our good days. However, really look at your writing. Is it usually between one and four? Then this would be you. This is also generally where most people are on the spectrum and it is a very good place to be. You don't ooh and aah at the advanced while also not looking down at the beginners. There is usually good quality here as well as quantity, but is not as intense as advanced literate. Which brings us to the next type of roleplayer we'll be referring to in this post, advanced or literate. This is the type of roleplayer who will give out novel-length posts, which are four paragraphs minimum for the most part, every time. They don't even break a sweat about it or need to word count on sites that call for that. Advanced roleplayers are often expected to provide a great amount of quantity as well as quality, so there can be an amount of pressure here. If this is you, you probably don't need my guide because you're A++. Go on with your bad self, Boo Boo, I have nothing left to teach you.

However, for those of you who are NOT Advanced? Maybe even a beginner? It's all gravy, I am here to help. I'm going to start off with designing a character.

For Beginners I typically will not advise a free form app without an outline. This is mostly because most people I have seen at this stage using one make an application seem incredibly bland and straight to the point without any fluff and fluff can be a huge thing. NOTICE: FLUFF IS NOT FILLING A PARAGRAPH WITH NONSENSE OR GOING OFF ON A TANGENT. Fluff can be minor details and minor details mean everything with characters just as much so with people. So, go through a list as if you were making a reply, it will usually end up with a lot more information and seem a lot less forced. Here is a link to Shadia's guide on this (from Caution, now defunct) but, just in case, I'm also going to provide my own guideline that I personally use with a few minor changes for each character on category and change of details per character.

TEN IMPORTANT FACTS

I typically add a few lines of lyrics here to make it look good because I like music to explain my characters but you can delete this

An example of this is:

Let's put me and you in an empty room and see who wins Let's talk about what you did to get here Let's talk about blood and sweat and tears Let's talk about what you wanna be, girl, and who I've always been

NAME- Character's FULL Name NICKNAMES- Nicknames listed here AGE- Current age BIRTHDAY- When were they born? GROUP- For the site you're joining TALENT- Everyone is good at something and right now let's focus on the good, weaknesses will come later. SEXUALITY- Answer HOMETOWN- You have to come from somewhere. DO NOT ANSWER ANYTHING REFERRING TO THEIR MOTHER. RELATIONS- Name only immediate familly (mother, father, siblings) OCCUPATION- People have to work. If your character is a student, put that.

NINE DEFINITIONS OF HIM/HERSELF

I typically add a few lines of lyrics here to make it look good because I like music to explain my characters but you can delete this

Here is an example of how I do this: SENSIBLE. sen·si·ble; (ˈsensəb(ə)l/); adjective possessing or displaying prudence. synonyms: practical, realistic, responsible, reasonable, commonsensical, rational, logical, sound, balanced, grounded, sober, no-nonsense, pragmatic, levelheaded, thoughtful, down-to-earth, wise, prudent, judicious, sagacious, shrewd.

However, an alternative way would be: WORD Explanation of how this word describes them goes here.

EIGHT RUMORS YOU MAY HAVE HEARD or EIGHT SONGS THEY LISTEN TO ON REPEAT

I typically add a few lines of lyrics here to make it look good because I like music to explain my characters but you can delete this

For the first, I answer: "RUMOR GOES HERE." [IS IT TRUE? ANSWER HERE] - explanation.

For the second, here's an example of how I do this: COOL KIDS. She sees them walking in a straight line, that's not really her style. / And they all got the same heartbeat, but hers is falling behind. / Nothing in this world could ever bring them down. / Yeah, they're invincible, and she's just in the background.

And yes, I do link to the song on youtube. I do this so people can really feel the character's playlist, in case they don't know certain songs. Linking to lyrics is a good idea too.

But yeah, you get the point. Here's some examples for all of the categories:

Important Facts Favorite Things Songs On Repeat Definitions Things At The Back Of Their Mind Things They're Good At Things They're Not Good At Problems In Their Life Important Conversations Things They Know That Others Don't Somethings You Should Know Things They're Aren't Things They Are Things Their Parents Can Never Find Things They Keep In A Locked Box Under Their Bed Things They'll Never Admit Important Moments/Favorite Memories Important Conversations Things They'll Never Forget (I use this for HP sites and list the acceptance letter honestly) Fears Regrets Letters They'll Never Send

You can ultimately change up the categories as you see fit or make up your own but again, having an outline really helps when you're trying to make a more advanced and in depth application and you aren't quite there yet. I usually use this when I'm trying to get the app up in less than 24 hours.

I also use this because it takes less time and it gives enough detail. Seriously, reply to each one as if you were replying to a roleplay if you are a beginner. Make it a full, detailed, to the point paragraph per answer.

Now, after you've been accepted, I am a huge supporter of developers. Think about it: what's your characters favorite color? Favorite food? Favorite family member? Favorite ice cream flavor? What makes them tick? What's their least favorite? What's their pet peeves? Tea or coffee? Pepsi or coke? Having these details outlined, especially where you can go back and check, is amazing. In your head, think about current issues. Would your character be okay with abortion? Would they be religious? I promise, thinking these things through can really help your character come to life.

Now that you know your character, let's go on to plotting. With this, don't be the person that makes everyone come to them. Plotting is fifty-fifty, Babes. You go half way, they go half way. Even if you don't really know a plot to throw at them, explain what you think the two characters would agree on and what they would disagree on. Say what you think! Seriously, no one can come up with plots all the time but just knowing the dynamic between the two can help in a thread.

REPLYING This is it, you guys. This is the big one. Pretend I'm inserting a full knuckle crack for this because I might just need it. Let me tell you something to begin with: SIMPLE WORDS DO NOT MAKE YOU SOUND STUPID. They don't. Using big words incorrectly? Now you sound stupid. You're trying too hard and need to stop.

Next thing, stop trying so hard. You don't need to describe every little detail of their outfit and their body language. Yes, doing this is nice. But don't be the person that says (and I'm actually describing a Halloween costume I can see in my room currently for a nerd so sorry) "she was wearing red six-inch platform heels with white knee-socks to match the white button up blouse that was partially unbuttoned and a red school girl skirt with black and grey plaid patterns and pleats to add to the illusion" blah blah blah. Okay. I get it. She's dressed like a school girl. A better way to say this would be how it played out (also an actual memory from Halloween): "She hadn't been walking around the house but maybe ten minutes when her feet were already hurting. She sat on top of the wood dining table, slipping the red platforms off and wiggling her toes, encased in the fabric of her white knee highs. She was still insecure in her costume choice, the wood cold against her upper thighs, unusually bare in the plaid and pleated skirt she had donned for the occasion." See how it sounds different? Describe the clothes if you want in a way that's livable, not forced.

Also when replying, ALWAYS think about their personality. I have a character I typically name Alice who is the mothering type. Because of this, she of course is going to love children and help clean the wounds of her friends. Don't say your character is mothering and then not have them try to take care of their loved ones. Alice is the type of girl who shows up with a fresh baked cake because your ex left and eats a gallon of ice cream while watching The Notebook. She isn't going to recommend going and kicking the guy's ass.

The next thing is details. A long time ago I had the issue of never knowing what to add in. To combat this, here's what I do: focus on the senses. Seriously! Especially when you're posting first. Set up the scenery. Let's say they're walking down a busy city street in July:

Sight: A little past noon, the sun was high in the sky on that bright afternoon. Alice had to shield her eyes from the rays beating down on her, hurriedly digging out sunglasses to ward off the sunlight. Having just come out of her dimly lit apartment building, her eyes were sensitive to the light and it almost hurt to look just a foot in front of her.

Hearing: The traffic was atrocious, as Alice could tell by the loud groans of stopped Taxi drivers and the honking nearby.

Taste: Popping a fresh stick of gum into her mouth as she adjusted her headphones with one hand, the sudden taste of cinnamon against what had been the old taste of her toothpaste caused her mouth to water.

Smell: Waves of smell came with every other block, a hot dog vendor here or a side cafe over there filling her nose with thick hints of relish and coffee. You'd think the smell would be atrocious, but for her it smelled a lot like being home.

Touch: The air was humid and almost sticky, making the brisk pace Alice was walking induce a slight sweat on her forehead, but not enough to be noticeable by others. She noticed it, though, when the breeze caused the moisture to chill against her skin.

By adding in these details, the scene is entirely set within a few paragraphs: She's just now leaving her home on a bright afternoon in a busy city. She's walking a few blocks in a kinda rushed manner to an undisclosed location while wearing headphones that aren't playing music and chewing gum. This is her home so she's used to it.

See the difference?

Now, another thing to think of is your characters thoughts and body language. Do they bite their lip when they're confused? Do they pick at their nails when they're nervous? Add that! Everyone has quirks and characters shouldn't be any different.

Once you have all of that figured out, your reply can easily go from one paragraph to four and with experience four paragraphs to more. It's all in how you reply. If you give one para, you're probably going to get it back. In the roleplay world, it's usually the case of what you give is what you get. You want a better quality roleplay? You have to be a better roleplayer. Everything is up to you in this crazy writing world of ours, so make it exactly what you want it to be.

If you're reading this, you probably want to be a better writer. That's the first step, and I am so grateful you are here. The next is to apply your time and effort into adding not only quantity but quality. That's what's more important. Just remember - challenge yourself! I promise you won't be disappointed.

Lastly: I'd really like to emphasize that roleplaying has the word play in it for a reason. If you are giving forced replies, people can tell. If you aren't feeling the thread, just say so. Honestly, any roleplayer needs to understand that sometimes muse is just gone. Sometimes you just aren't feeling that particular character or plot with yours. Explain yourself nicely if they ask, deem it dead, and move on. It's okay, and anyone who says it isn't you don't need to be writing with anyway. We're a community, and we should be acting like one. Anyone who doesn't is negative and you don't need negativity in your life.

Oh and for those of you reading this guide and thinking I left something out: Please do not even hesitate to respond no matter how much you end up writing. Post whatever else you think people should know, I'm down with that. Everyone throwing in to help other is a wonderful thing. The whole reason I even wrote this was to help others, so there is no issue on my part about taking over my post. Post a whole new guide here if you want, that's fine. It will save space on the board as well as make it easier for people to find all of the tips of the trade.

Okay so the very first thing you're going to want to do is go to your ACP. Go to System Settings, to Modification Enabler, and enable the IB Store.

Refresh your ACP so that the IB Store drop down shows. From there, you have the option to add categories for your different awards (which is what I do). This can be character related, thread related, zodiac signs, posting awards, literally any way that you want to sort your awards. Once you add all the categories you want, if you want to, this is what it will look like on your store front itself, with each category empty. IMAGE HERE.

Next you'll go to add item still under the IB Store drop down. You'll want to add a Self Changes Item, Award/badge in profile and submit. This will look like this. IMAGE HERE.

Fill out this form however you want, noting that item name and item description is what shows up in the store itself while award description text is what will show up on hover. Once you've submitted this for every award you want, your categories will no longer be empty and should look like this. IMAGE HERE.

From there, members will need to go into your store on site and purchase these awards as they want them. Then they will have to go into their inventory and use them. Once they are used, they will show up as awards on their profile.

They will do everything once you have it set up, minus the occasional mistake where you can go in and delete awards from a member. This you do by going to your ACP, Users and Groups, Member Awards, Search Awards, and then just enter the member's username and it'll give you options to edit or delete as necessary should they make a mistake, which in my experience has been rare.

Okay everyone this is going to be as easy a tutorial as I can manage because that's just how I roll but I'm going to go through three things in it. The first - how to make things automatically show in your member group colors with minimum effort. The second - how to make the first one even easier. The third - how to make all tags show up in that person's member group colors. Let's jump right in.

The First

First things first, go into your style sheets and let's mess with some css. By mess with, I mean use this:

membergroup { color: #HEXCODE; }

Throw that somewhere in your stylesheets, edit the membergroup to be the member group name as you want it to work. What this means is if your member group is wecode you would use <wecode>stuff in the color</wecode>. So choose accordingly! Next edit the hex code with your member group color. You can add font styling in there too but for this tutorial I'm just touching color so edit that, click save, and you'll be good to go. Now you can use it at your heart's delight.

The Second

But honestly, that's not easy enough. <wecode></wecode> needs dohtml and we really cannot be bothered to do that all the time. What if I want to just use it, without html enabled or outside of a fancy template? No, we work smart not hard, and we're going to make this easier. How? By making a bbcode for each of our colors. So, that's step one - go add a bbcode, name it the member group name (i.e. wecode would become [wecode]text in that color[/wecode]), set it as 1 param and use this:

<membergroup>(PARAM1)</membergroup>

Now, just hit save. When you go use your [membergroup][/membergroup] on site everything will come up in that color. So easy, and you don't even have to do the work of enabling dohtml - it'll work with or without it enabled.

The Third

Now for the final part of this... Honestly, this is so basic. So, in the css where you added your other colors, do it again. This time though, do it like this:

a.user-tagged.mgroup-# { color: #HEXCODE; }

This is less of a tutorial and more of a 'how does it work' and let me tell you - the bot does everything.

Just add this bot to your website and follow the directions here and you'll be able to use discord the way you used to use cbox. I recommend html-embed for the type and cluster 4 for the bot but honestly, do you and have fun with it. Test things, try new things.