Getting Started!

Elle Joyner · Oct 6, 2017

Hello friends!

Welcome to Iwaku! If you've found this guide, you're one step closer to enjoying a wealth of roleplay and writing opportunities that we have to share with you :) Go ahead and take a look around, and if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask someone!

First though, be sure to check out the rules and familiarize yourself with Iwaku's policies.

First Steps...

You've made it! You're here... Now say, hello!

Being new is never easy, but here at Iwaku, we strive to create a friendly environment that everyone can enjoy and become a part of. The best way to get started, is simply to introduce yourself. Pop on over to the Arrivals and Departures area and click that 'create a thread' button! We're looking forward to getting to know you and help you get acquainted with the site.

At some point, you should definitely also take a peek at your profile, which can be found at the top of the page, under your name. Here you'll find a wealth of options for personalization, one of which is to create a roleplay resume. This is just a helpful tool members can use to find out more about what style of roleplay you enjoy, and find you the best possible matches for partners.

Having trouble or not sure what something means? Check out the Help Desk. This is where any site questions/concerns will go. See a bug? Uncertain about a policy or how something works? Thought of a neat idea that you'd love to share with the admins? You can post it here and someone will be along to help you out as soon as they're available. This is also where you'll find out handy-dandy list of frequently asked questions, and the BBCode Help Thread, in case you have a question about coding.

And SPEAKING of coding... The Test Chambers is a nifty area where you can make a thread to try out code, or keep track of ideas!

Roleplay Know-How...

Now -this- is the real reason you've come to Iwaku, and lucky for you there is no shortage of wonderful, creative roleplays available to explore. Or, create your own. The sky's the limit (and sometimes, further than that ;-D)

Groups || If you're looking for roleplays that incorporate multiple players and larger settings, this is definitely where you'll find them. Take a peek through the Group Brainstorming and RP Search forum for new interest checks or feel free to create your own. There's something for everyone!

1x1s || Want something smaller or more intimate? A roleplay between you and another member. This is the area for that. Partner Connections has a number of threads eagerly seeking partners for all sorts of things, and if you have your own roleplay cravings, you can make your own thread right here!

Blue Star/Red Star || Interested in writing any erotic content? No problem. That's what our Blue Star/Red Star bedrooms are for. Just be sure to review the rules first, on RPing any sort of sexual content.

Remember, there's no circumstances (even in PM) where sexual content is allowed with a member outside of your age group and no characters in an RP containing sexual material can be or appear under the age of thirteen.

Roleplay Realms || The Roleplay Realms are where you'll find the winners of a world building contest (WARP) that took place on Iwaku. If beautifully designed universes and expansive storylines centered around them are your thing, this is a great place to look around!

Other Fun Tools...

Love roleplaying, but love doing other creative things as well? No worries - there's room for that on Iwaku, too. Just pop over to our Community Connections or Creative Content sections and take a look around.

Events || Iwaku encourages writing in every way they can - and that includes a plethora of exciting events, including writing, poetry and flash fiction contests! But it doesn't stop there. We've also got fun events like movie nights and music jams that anyone can take part in :) Keep track of the events forum for any new announcements!

General Chatting || This area is exactly what it sounds. Wanna discuss a new video game that's come out? Talk about a movie you just say? Wanna start a poll on which sort of sandwich is the best, or share pictures of your cats? This is the area for you. Just be sure to keep conversations civil and respectful, and mark anything that might contain adult/sensitive material as NSFW. There's also a section here for silly forum games and an area where you can vent/ask for advice if you need to :)

Showcasing/Studio/Shops || Got some artwork you wanna share, or solo writing you'd like critiqued? Wanna set up a thread for commissions or ask someone to draw you something? These came be found in the Community Connections section.

Creative Content || Writing prompts, roleplay tips, world building, character development. All those things and more can be found in this section of the site. Check it out and get those creative juices flowing, or come here if you need some inspiration to break out of a writing-block funk!

Character Gallery || This feature is used for creating character profiles using a gallery style system. You upload a picture and a bio of characters you use, for people to check out, or to link to an interest check. Just be sure you're ONLY uploading one entry per characters, and not using the gallery for any other image hosting (those awesome spaceship photos or your bestiary can always be put into a showcasing thread!)

Blogs || Also available for your use are the blogs! Just a note, that it is an older add on, so some of the features don't function the way they used to, but it's still a lot of fun to play around with :)

Iwaku Discord || Feel like chatting? Pop over to Iwaku's Discord! You can meet new people, chat about roleplays and more :)

Helpful Links...

Getting Started!

Elle Joyner

Moop.