Greetings hopeful builder!

This is the explanation page for the building application. Please read this page then click on the link at the bottom to load the actual application page which you can fill out and submit.

To apply as a builder on Realms of Aurealis, you need to submit the following:

# 3 Sample room descriptions (Minimum 4 lines)
# 3 Sample monster descriptions (Minimum 2 lines)
# 3 Sample object descriptions (Recommended 1-3 lines)

NOTE: Realms of Aurealis is a 100% original mud, and we expect all submissions to be original as well. Your application will not be reviewed if what you send is derivative or based upon someone else's work. Remember, we are going to be judging your building skill _soley_ on what you submit, so make sure it is an example of your best possible work. The format we expect is as you yourself see it as a mortal character.

For rooms:
----------
Room title
Room description line 1
Room description line 2
Room description line 3, etc.

For mobs:
---------
Mob short descript
Mob long descript
Mob description line 1
Mob description line 2
Mob description line 3, etc.

For items:
----------
Item short descript
Item long descript
Item description line 1
Item description line 2, etc.

For examples of what we're looking for, look at the descriptions in Kanrik Delves, in Alanholt, or in Sshantynlan. All have been done well enough to be used as examples if you are curious.

It is recommended that only one space separates sentences, rather than the usual two spaces one learns in typing classes. With only one space, there's a tighter, more compact look. But that is up to you. You will be expected to capatilize correctly, by what our code handles. Please do not overcapitalize. Usually, only the first word in a room title, or proper names, should be capitalized.

Correct: the storekeeper	. . .	Incorrect: The Storekeeper
Correct: the stray dog	. . .	Incorrect: The Stray Dog
Correct: a crystal sword	. . .	Incorrect: A Crystal Sword
Correct: King Marrak	. . .	Incorrect: king Marrak

Remember when to capitalize and when to refrain from doing so.

Further advice on rooms: Rooms should be described as if they are empty, with scenery only, since:

1. If someone is expecting a mob and it has already been killed or is not there, the room is a disappointment. Describing individuals and their actions in a ROOM descript is a common mistake many untrained builders make.
2. Rooms that describe only people or objects are usually quite lifeless for the explorer. Surely you have all seen examples of rooms that say little about anything except a mob, like the ones where 'You enter a throne room and see... (about 4 wasted lines devoted to the king's appearance that should rather be on the mob descript).

Be aware that a player may or may not be traveling in a given direction, so you should describe each room as if the player could have come from any possible direction. And it helps to avoid 'talking' to the player or excessive use of the word 'you'. Writing such phrases as 'Wow! What a wonderful room! You feel you could live here forever!' or 'The sound of noisy growls from further down the passageway alarms you. Maybe it is best to go back. Do you think you should?' is poor building. The player should make such judgements for him/herself given the clues provided.

A sample room is below:

Atop the mountain peak
Small wisps of mist drift by, here atop this high mountainpeak.
It takes a while to realize that these are actually clouds, for this
is the top of a high mountain. The temperature here is very cold and the
ground is covered in snow. Looking down, one can see the landscape in
miniature. Far to the south, the great plains of the Landsea brush the
treeline at the foothills. In every other direction, the Ashlar Range
stretches out, each raised point a snow-capped peak. A trail leads down.

A sample mob is below:

a white mountain goat
Clambering nimbly from ledge to ledge, a white mountain goat braves the ice.
It is cold here, but this goat does not mind, she was made for such
weather. Her thick winter coat is white as the snow, offering camouflage
against predators such as the giant eagles and the mountain cougars. She
picks her way with grace and ease, braving slippery ice and sheer thousand-
foot drops, trusting to her sense of balance and her sharp cloven hooves.
A white mountain goat is in excellent condition.

A sample item is below:

a frozen wildflower
A small wildflower at your feet is encased in a thin sheath of ice.
A late bloomer, this small forget-me-not became encased in crystal when
the winter's cold overtook it, and froze it in place.

We are looking for good grammar, good concept, a certain amount of artistic flair, and a familiarity with our mud and the way things are done on it. Also, it needs to be understood that personality does play some part in the decisions, because the builders of RoA must work as a team, so if you have demonstrated an ability to work well with others, that will undoubtably count as a bonus towards your petition, however, the reverse is also true.

We also look for other attributes in a potential builder. There must be the ability to commit oneself to building, setting a daily or weekly quota for oneself, and learning to pace. Too many builders display brilliant writing ability, only to fail in following up it up with commitment and consistency in quality of work.

Also, in our experience as builders, we have seen builders compete with each other not in terms of the quality of their work, but in terms of how fast, or how powerful their mobs and items are. There tends to be an escalation of power-mobs and power-items, and this week's Supreme Scepter of the Gods is surpassed by next week's Sphere of Annihilation, etc. We're looking for good, but it doesn't have to contain the "best item on the mud" to be useful. Remember, there are all sorts of experience levels that need new zones.

Lastly, please be patient. We anticipate a lot of submissions, so it may be a matter of weeks before you hear anything. Don't assume you have-or-haven't been accepted, but please don't the imm's you see online about the status of your submission. We all have RL responsibilities that keep us from doing things as fast as we'd like, but rest assured we'll get back to you.

Currently, our building webform is malfunctioning, so please use the form only as a guideline, and send it via e-mail to Mouseglove.

Without further adieu, click HERE to load the actual application and apply for a building position on AR today!