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Q: How many Impressions will there be? Will there be a gold?
A: We can have up to six Impressions this cycle, and if possible we prefer to use them! We may or may not have a gold egg; this will not be decided until we review the applications. If we do, whether the gold Impresses to a PC will depend on whether we have a suitable applicant--see later questions on that subject.
Q: How do you determine who to Search?
A: In general, we Search people who we believe warrant Impression when considered individually. Characters who have been Candidates before elsewhere are automatically permitted to Stand, but will not be re-Searched; see the next question for more information. For first-timers, Searchability hinges upon several factors.
Chromatic first-time applicants will generally be Searched unless they are inactive or have demonstrated behavioral problems which we believe will be disruptive to the Weyr and the other Candidates. To show an acceptable level of activity, at the very least you should be online enough to show up on the activecheck (try 'activecheck Metallic applicants are given the chance to indicate whether they would prefer to Stand under those same criteria or whether we should Search them only if we are seriously considering them for their first-choice color. In the latter case, SC will discuss the metallic application and Search only if we believe we could vote in good conscience for them to ride gold or bronze. This does not guarantee Impression, as we may have many people who fit this criteria. At the time of Search, you are not compared to other applicants. The regular application's questions are primarily informational, so there is no "right" or "wrong" answer and unless you don't actually answer the questions or tell us that you're going to be leaving the game forever three days after the Hatching, don't worry about how the application will influence your chances of being Searched. It gives us the information we need to make Candidacy and Weyrlinghood a good experience for you. Q: I've been a Candidate before, and I want to Stand at High Reaches. How do I go about it? A: By game policy, once your character is a Candidate, they remain so until they age out and are permitted to stand at any Weyr they wish in the meantime (barring removal for behavior reasons). However, the standards for Impression are the same regardless of how one is Searched, and previous Candidates are given no preference or guarantee of serious consideration. At the same time, we also do not give bias to first-time applicants. In other words, we're influenced by you, not your track record. Previous Candidates should apply the same as anyone else and are subject to the same rules. After applying, you will receive a @mail with instructions about how to transfer your Candidacy. You will be given two options: your character can either move him/herself into the barracks after the clutching, or you can opt to be picked up by a dragonrider. Neither choice influences your chance of Impression in either way. If you choose to move, please be ready to do this within a few days of the clutching. Your character should be moved in by five days afterwards unless you have received special dispensation from one of the Weyr staff beforehand for a delay. We want all the Candidates in promptly, and this is the period in which we expect to be doing the bulk of Searching. If you choose to be picked up by a dragonrider, you're not really being Searched again, but you'll get a scene and a ride to High Reaches. In this case, you'll need to be available for RP as often as possible during that same time period. If you are a gold applicant who has previously been Searched, and you say that you only want to be Searched if you are a serious consideration, then you will *not* be automatically Searched again, and we will send a dragonrider to pick you up if you meet those criteria. You do still have the option of transferring your Candidacy if you are a gold applicant, so this only holds true if you elect not to transfer. Q: What is the policy on second metallics? A: Per game policy, we may Impress a metallic dragon to the alt of a current gold/bronzerider. In general, preference is given to those who do not already have a metallic. A second-metallic Impression is much more likely to occur with a bronze than a gold, and we will Impress gold as a second metallic only to current bronzeriders. Goldriders are not eligible to Impress another gold dragon. Q: Should I apply at High Reaches? A: Actually, this isn't a frequently-asked question, but it should be! There are times when it's not a good idea to apply, even though the reasons why do not reflect on your abilities as a player or your worth as a person. If you fall into one of these categories, please really consider before submitting your application. When should you wait? We can help you work around some of these things, like unstable access or scheduling problems, but the main thing is that you must be willing and able to make a serious commitment to your character and High Reaches, with whatever time you do have to offer. If you can do that, we'll do our best to help you. If not, then we do have another Search coming up in the fall! Q: I want to be a goldrider at High Reaches. How do I Impress? A: First and most importantly, read the Letter to Gold Applicants and the document on When You Should Go For Gold. Both of these will give you the information you need to make an informed decision about whether to apply for gold, and how we make that decision. In a nutshell, however, you should be experienced, active, mature, and interested in giving up massive amounts of your free time to make the game fun for other people. We do not choose goldriders based on any of the following factors: Get the idea? Competence is what makes a goldrider. Common sense and a work ethic are your greatest tools. And whatever you do, don't badmouth the competition. Your best bet is to make yourself look great, not to make the competition look terrible. At this time, High Reaches is looking for goldriders who are interested in a leadership-track position; if you wish to be a goldrider for RP only, we would encourage you to talk to the Weyrleaders about creating an instarider. Q: How does High Reaches make dragons? A: Each dragon at HRW is created from scratch for the individual who Impresses it, based on a questionnaire which is sent to the Candidates after they're Searched. We will ask you about your character's personality, what kind of names you like, and so on. Based on your answers to those questions, we will choose an element from our Hatching theme that best suits you, and create your dragon's physical and personality description based on the theme and your wishes. That dragon is our gift to you, and our goal is to make him or her someone you will enjoy playing alongside your character for years to come. In the event that you are unhappy with some facet of your dragon, we encourage you to talk to the author of that dragon and re-write those portions to better suit your character. In the end, it's your dragon! Have a question that isn't covered here? You can ask a SC member on the game, or you can email Ro.