frequently asked questions;
This may sound like a stupid question...
No, it doesn't. There's no question too dumb to be asked around here.

What about this one?
Except that one.

Before Joining

How can I join?
First of all, have a read through this site - check out the game guide and and if you need further information, resources page. You can apply for membership over here, and if you need help filling out the application you can try this page and browse others' character profiles. Once you've sent in your application, it will be reviewed and you should receive a response via email within a day or so.

I haven't been accepted yet, but would like to join in the OOC discussion. Is this allowed?
Yeah, go for it. You're welcome to start chatting in any of the OOC (ie, non-role play) forums - however, spamming, flaming and mass-posting will not be tolerated and such offences will likely lead to your being banned from the boards.

Is this RPG advanced, intermediate or beginner?
Argh. The dreaded labels. The answer is, none of them. All of them. Who cares? This game is open for everybody to apply. First-time "newbies" will be treated exactly the same as will role playing "veterans".

I don't know anything about Stargate - can I join?
Sorry, no. Or at least not without doing some reading up. You do have to know at least the show's basics to be able to join - there is some primer material in the resources section along with a few offsite links where you can find more.

I'm a huge fan of SG-1, but I've never seen Atlantis - can I join?
Again, you will need to do some reading up before you think of applying.

What do I need to download to play?
Nothing whatsoever! All of the roleplaying takes place on our messageboards. Once you've been accepted, all you need to do is register an account and hop into the game.

Applying

Can I apply for a character from the series?
Go for it! Original and canon characters are valued equally, here - anybody who's been in Stargate Atlantis (and who isn't already taken) is fair game. To find out which characters are available, go here.

How much liberty can I take when writing the history of a canon character?
Obviously you can take a lot of licence with minor canons - there's so little known about characters like Lorne, Heightmeyer, Bates and Miko; anybody considering applying for such characters can (and should) use their own creativity to fill in the gaps. If you're considering applying for a main character, obviously you're going to be a lot more constrained by what's already there in canon, but again, you're welcome to build on what the show's already offered.

Does my character have to be military?
No! In fact, the majority of Atlantis is civilian. Remember, this is a scientific expedition. (On the other hand, keep in mind that not all characters with scientific qualifications necessarily have to be civilians.)

Why can't my character be an Ancient?
Simply put? They're much too easily abused. (Besides which, the large majority of them are pretty adamant about that non-interference stuff.) Maybe in the future. For now? It's been tried, and the outcome is a straight out no.

Can my character be an alien?
This can be a tricky area, which is why aliens have been restricted from first-time applicants. For current members of the game: While we do tend to be a little more selective when it comes to these apps, aliens - both from the Atlantis series and made up - are entirely welcome. Just bear in mind that you will be held to slightly higher standards when your application is reviewed.

How many characters can I have?
There is no limit, provided you're able to keep all characters active. However, all characters must be approved by the admin.

I applied x days ago and have still not received a reply. What should I do?
This could mean one of several things. I may not have seen the application yet, I may have received the application and be reviewing it, or I may not have received it due to some unforeseen problem with the email form. If you are concerned about the status of your app, drop me an email and let me know your requested character's name and when you applied. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.

Gameplay

Why can't I be a Colonel/General? Why can't I choose my own rank?
Well, we know from the series that Lieutenant Colonel Sheppard is the highest-ranking officer in Atlantis at the moment, therefore it doesn't make sense to have somebody superior to him in rank. If players were allowed to choose their own ranks, we'd have a city full of Colonel/Major equivalents. Having the admin assign all ranks just makes things a lot fairer.

Can my character be promoted to a higher rank?
Of course. Over the course of the game, your character's accomplishments in Atlantis and your participation in the RPG will allow them to rise through the ranks.

Where can I post? Can I start a new thread?
You're pretty unrestricted in this respect. Unless a thread is specifically reserved for a certain group of people (say, a mission involving a particular team), you're welcome to jump on in! If in doubt, just ask. Same goes for starting your own threads - offworld missions (or posts in Atlantis in the case of aliens) are pretty much the only thing you need permission for - anything else is fair game!

Where is this game in terms of the canon timeline?
We've become AU following the season 3 episode Echoes, largely to counteract the continuity problems of trying to synch our game timeline with the show's canon timeline. Generally, however, you'll find a lot of our posts are open-ended and anyone with a fairly good general knowledge of SGA should be able to cope.

Message Boards

I was accepted into the game x days ago - when will I get my password?
The application does not automatically register you an account on the messageboards upon approval. That, you have to do yourself. You are welcome to register there at any time following your acceptance.

How can I register a messageboard account?
Click on the "register" link on the messageboard navigation and follow the prompts. You can register with whatever username you want - it doesn't necessarily have to be the name of your character, as you can change your display name once you have created an account.

Miscellaneous

How do I contact the admin?
Just drop an email at vegemite.toast@gmail.com. I'll be happy to answer any questions or concerns you've got! :)

What's with the abbreviations? OOC? IC? TLC?
"OOC" stands for "Out Of Character", and is generally used to denote remarks unrelated to the story. "IC" (or "BIC") stands for "(Back) In Character". "TLC", which you might see some of our members using, is an abbreviation of this website's name.

Where in the world is Carmen San Diego?
Oh, look! A giant frisbee!