To be added to as people ask particularly clever questions, or certain questions get asked a lot (frequently... thus the title... ).

Q:
Wow, that's a lot of Required Reading. How much do I actually need to read to join? Isn't all this fairly standard mythology?

A:
This site is based on the Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter books, written by Laurell K. Hamilton. You don't need to have read the books to join, although we definitely recommend it (up to a point, anyway, since after a while they degenerate into porn with little bits of plot). If you haven't read the books, you need to pay more attention to the posted information.

The Anitaverse, as we refer to it, has some major discrepancies with typical vampire/werewolf mythology. Vampires are legal citizens in America, with all the rights that implies. Lycanthropes hide their identities for fear of losing their jobs and friends, though legally they cannot be discriminated against simply because of their blood disease. Plus, there are all sorts of weres, not just wolves!

If you've read the books, you probably know a lot of the information in the Required Reading already. Everyone needs to read the rules, but after that it's somewhat up to you. Please, at least scan through the information that pertains to your character! If you haven't read the books, you need to read through at least the information that pertains to your species. Preferably you should read through it all.

Q:
Is there a minimum age to join this site?

A:
I think ProBoards used to enforce an age limit of about 13, but I personally do not. Why? Because I am not your mother. There will be lots of mature/adult stuff on these boards, if not explicit then implied. If you think you're mature enough to handle it, that's your call. We will try to warn you with an AC label if anything gets too racy, but don't come running to me if your brain is scarred.

You. Were. Warned.

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Q:
What sort of mature content will be on these boards?

A:
Lots.

First off, vampires and weres need to eat. Vampires can do this pretty cleanly, but weres need to tear things apart every full moon. If you can't take blood and guts, RUN FOR THE HILLS!

In addition, many vampires are very, VERY sensual beings. Some even feed off lust and sex. And lycanthropes aren't exactly known for their celibacy. So expect to see lots of sex on this site. Not only that, but a great variety of sex. We have a great number of homosexual characters, and also a great number of characters with creative tastes. Be prepared to see BDSM, polygamous couplings, bestiality... all sorts of things.

All sexually explicit adult content threads will be marked with an ((AC)) label, so you will be able to avoid anything you don't want to see. Gore is sometimes harder to judge, but we'll do our best.

Q:
How do I get a rank/job?

A:
First of all, you have to create your profile before doing ANY in-character posting.

For a rank, you need to get into contact with the clan leader for your species. Once your character is a member of the clan (this needs to be roleplayed out, unless you have some special arrangement with the clan leader), if you meet the specifications for the rank, just ask! Most of the leaders want the ranks filled just as badly as you want to fill them.

For a job, take a look at the Employment sub-board to find out who to get in contact with. Also, make sure you meet any special requirements listed for the position. Then, roleplay some sort of scene where you ask for the job.

For either, be prepared for some in-character responsibilities!

Q;
How do I add an image to my post/signature/avatar?

A:
First you need to host the image. This means uploading. If you do a lot of image hosting, you should look into registering for an account at www.photobucket.com. If you only have the one picture, though, www.tinypic.com offers hosting without an account. Be careful, though, as these expire with time.

Once you've uploaded your picture, you'll need to copy the link provided by the site. If you uploaded an avatar, you just need to copy the url (http://www.hostingsite.com/thisismyavatar.jpg, or something like that) and paste it into the area of your profile settings that says "Avatar URL". Be sure to set the size of the avatar to be 100 by 100, or it will default to 65 by 65, which is small (think LiveJournal icon versus AIM icon).

If you're uploading a picture to put in your profile post or your signature, you need to copy or add BBCode tags to your image in order for it to show up. The result should be something like this:


Please make sure that the url you use is valid! Boxes with red x's are irritating and will be removed/replaced by the admin.

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Q:
How do I make text into a link?

A:
Honestly I think this is fairly obvious, but some people seem to have trouble with it, so don't feel bad if you're asking this question.

You need two pieces of information for a link: the url (web address) that it should link to, and the text that should be displayed.

For example

Returns:
Whee! Text Goes Here

Q:
Can my character be {insert species that isn't mentioned in Species article}? PLEASE!!!

A:
Hmm, lemme think about it...

NO.

Yes, I know that you have a truly amazing character designed, and I'm sure you would be a lot of fun. However, this game doesn't take place in the World of Your Imagination - it takes place in the Anitaverse, which has established rules and conventions. There are plenty of species listed, and you can still have a creative and unique character within those parameters. Frankly, it takes more skill to come up with a character that fits certain boundaries than to invent a completely new type of character to circumvent those boundaries. If you honestly can't play a character that fits into the species we allow, perhaps this isn't the site for you.

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Q:
Can my character have {insert new power here}? *puppy eyes*

A:
Again... no. Generally.

If we're working out a new vampire bloodline or it's something not too excessive which fits the universe, then maybe, but I'd really rather not do this too often.

Q:
When will my pending account/application be approved? Should I contact anyone to hurry the process along?

A:
Mina is the only one with the power to approve accounts and applications, so all anyone else will be able to tell you is "Mina will get to it when she can". Now, since typically Mina checks Lukoi several times a day, you shouldn't have to wait long - at least for account approval. Once you register, an e-mail gets sent to Mina letting her know she needs to activate your account (usually this is pretty immediate, but sometimes this can take a long time for no reason at all). Application approval sometimes takes longer as she deliberates.

If you haven't heard anything in two days, it's safe to assume that she may not have noticed, for whatever reason. In this case, it is perfectly acceptable to send her a message of some sort letting her know of your plight.

Q:
How advanced of a player do I need to be to join these boards?

A:
In the past, we've been an intermediate-advanced roleplaying site, meaning that most of our players have plenty of roleplaying experience. However, we're pretty lax about things, and we're happy to take in new roleplayers. That said, most of us keep up a certain standard of roleplaying - grammar and spelling for one thing, but past-tense paragraph format for another. If this is your first site, you're still welcome, but don't be surprised if you get a few pointers from more experienced players. We mean this in the best of ways, so don't take offense! Soon enough, it will be your turn to help the newbies.

With all of that said, if your application shows an unacceptable level of newbie tendencies, it will be declined. However, no application is declined without reason - read the comments, read through the approved applications, and try again. If at first you don't succeed... try a better approach. ^_^

Q:
What's this c-box thing people keep talking about? Isn't that box down at the bottom of the screen just another ad?

A:
The c-box is indeed a box down at the bottom of the pages (in the global footer, for those of you in the know). Basically, it's a chat for Lukoians, so we can goof off, see who's on when we are, and generally carry on conversations. You don't have to use any particular name, though most people use their character names to avoid confusion.

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Q:
Dude! Pictures... in the c-box! HOW?!?!

A:
Ah yes, you've noticed that some of us have avatars in the c-box. This is simple. You have to put the url of the picture you want to use in the e-mail/url box. If your url is too long, though, it will be cut off, and the picture won't display, so make sure you double check that every last letter fits. If it doesn't, try uploading it to http://www.tinypic.com to shorten the url.

Oh, and don't abuse this privilege. I can take it away just as easily as I added it.

Q:
How can I change my username?

A:
Unfortunately, you can't.

Fortunately, I can. If you want it changed, get in touch with me via instant messenger or PM. Keep in mind I'm not going to change it to something huge or random, but if (for example) you want your character's name to change while your applying (i.e. "I just don't like the name Steve anymore... I'm going to be Ricardo!" ), or you want your last name added/removed (Mina <-> Mina O'Connor), that's fine, and easy to do.

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Q:
Why does my username have to be the name of my character?

A:
Simple answer? Because I said so.

Basically, unlike some sites I've seen, this isn't the sort of place where you can have lots of different characters under one username. Your account is specific to one (or two) characters, and it should reflect that. Also... everyone else has done it. Why should your account be special?

Having a different username confused people reading your posts or trying to look up your character in the member list.

Q:
Do characters on this site age?

A:
No. Well, mostly.

Sometimes people with younger characters (i.e. below 17) want them to age. This is ok - once. Once your child character has an actual aging birthday, though, it doesn't get to happen again. The rest of our characters don't age - so basically, you could have someone's kid go from 5 to 10 while their dad didn't age at all. It just doesn't work.

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Q:
Is my character ageless if they aren't human?

A:
Vampires are ageless. You still have to keep track of your vampire's age, but only the nearest century, and they will never suffer the physical affects of aging that a human would.

Lycanthropes are not ageless. Even if your character was born a lycanthrope, they do not reach majority and then just stay there for the rest of their life. It's very different from, say, the Underworld universe. On the other hand, lycanthropes do age more slowly - a 30 year old werewolf might look like a 20 year old human, for example, because a lycanthrope's immune system is so much more healthy than a human's.