The Beginner's Guide

From DirtyWiki

This has been suggested many times and many times we wonder how one would help. What would we write that would help ease you into Dirty Life? We have no main characters--the important people are the ones your character meets. We do have some characters who might be better known for IC reasons, or characters who have been in the game since the start, but wouldn't that look like one was more important than the other? That character x doesn't matter because character a came first?

Yes, which is why we put this off. Why we didn't even bother thinking what would go on one of these things. But we're attempting to make one, anyway, because there are some things that are just a crime not to know. There are some things about the game that are just known by everyone. There are some things that are more important for a newbie than other things.

1. The most important newbie thing to do, the first thing you should do is go to About. Read what it says on that page. That will give you the premise. That will also give you the option of reading the FAQ, which is important when you have questions but less important when you are totally confused.
2. The next most important newbie thing to do is to read the Rules. Once you've tackled that, the FAQ might be more handy.
3. If you are interested in a supernatural character of your own, read the appropriate rules for that species in the Fantasy category. The Fantasy FAQ might come in handy once you've read the rules once through, as it helps narrow things down.
4. If you aren't sure that you should apply because it seems like there is still too much that you need to know, remember this: Dirty Life is not a game that takes place in one location. Where other games out there require you to know every place and every person because it is vital for the functioning of said game, DL does not. Your character might live thousands of miles from another and will never meet them and never know them. The only information you are ever absolutely required to know is the information relevant to your character. (Later, after you've adjusted, learning more information will come in handy, but this is not important at the start.)
   1. Still want to know what the "biggest" items are? Well, we'll get there.
5. Once you've applied, please know that if you have a character who is positioned to know information already established, we will tell you. We will not reject you because you didn't know. Once you've been accepted, you will do an introduction post (as stated in the rules). Members will likely pounce all over it with information if you need it. For instance, if you have a character who is in law enforcement, we have many, many characters who are already involved, and some established canon. You'll be told all you need to know after you join.
6. We allow ignorance in the application. Just fill it out as best as you can and we'll fill in the knowledge holes later. The only area we will nitpick instantly is the fantasy. If you apply and you get something terribly incorrect, we'll tell you in a reply. We never reject. We correct. Isn't that witty? No, it sounds frighteningly juvenile. Please disregard.

So what's the initial process of getting ready to app? Read the premise in the About category, read the Rules, read any relevant Fantasy rules, then start your application at Join the Game. Consult either FAQ or Fantasy FAQ if confused. If really confused, email the mods at dirtymods @ gmail.com (remove spaces).

Okay, so this is going to be asked. This has been asked. This is where it gets tricky. If you join, if you want to join, what areas of the game are important for overall knowledge? Again, we want to make it perfectly clear that a lack of inclusion on this list in no way means that someone or something is not important. This is simply general knowledge that is probably best to have because, well, it looms over everything, plot relevance or not. This is either due to being ICly general knowledge, or because it's a long-standing part of the game (or involves a hell of a lot of characters in that long-standing part of the game).

This does not include every important person, even important IC people, such as famous CEOs, writers, or officials. This is going to be kept as simple as it is possible to make a game this vast fit into a nutshell.

• Ye Oldest Characters

Avery Driscoll

Jack Dickon

Jake Griffith

Annabelle Dickon

These four, specifically the three boys, comprised the entire cast of Dirty Life when it was created in August 2004. The three boys are involved in a singular relationship. Bound by marriage (all legality aside). They are known as The Boys. Annabelle is Jack's younger sister, though she is now legally adopted by Avery's mother and step-father, making her Annabelle Camden.

• Bigshots

Fitzwilliam

Rémi

In-Character Reason for Importance: These are the two richest families in the game. The Fitzwilliams are technically the richest family in Britain. By quite a lot. They own The Fitzwilliam Diamond Company, which is world-renowned (think De Beers on a larger scale). The Rémis are somewhere on the list of richest families in France, but more by sheer force of numbers, as they are a huge and wide-spread family that also extends to America. They have a strong presence in hotels, restaurants, pharmaceuticals, French filmmaking, and home goods. Nothing is quite so glamorous as owning a diamond company, but they make up for that with the breadth of their meddling.

Out Of Character Reason for Importance: Some of the most active and oldest characters in the game come from both of these families, and there is a metric fuckton(ne) of them.

• People of Note

See List of recognizable characters. The oldest characters in the game might be an interesting bit of trivia, but there are characters in the game who are actually significant IC. This list compiles them.

• People and Places and Things

Blackburn

Calescotia

The Tory Island Angels

The Fitzwilliam Diamond Company

93 Gloucester Road

The Rusty Goat

Belgravia Station

Kensington Police Station

Eclipse Bar

The Dying Duck

These are places or people that involve quite a lot of other places and people. Large plots may center on them. Many characters generally conglomerate around them. They're worth knowing, even if irrelevant to you. They're all going to be mentioned more than enough times to be confusing.

• Plots of Note

See the Plot category.