[quote=@fourtimesnine]
Hi everyone! I'm new to the arena, so I don't really know how things work, and this seems like the best place to ask.

1. How exactly do you start/join/organize matches? I'm used to using Interest Checks, but I looked at a few and apparently that mostly goes on in the Chat and HQ threads. How does that work?

2. Do characters persist across roleplays? Again, I'm used to characters that are made for a specific RP, but a few things I've read here suggest otherwise.

3. Is there a place for story fights? That is, fights where the goal isn't for one character to win over another, but to write a story about the characters with the battle as part of the plot.

4. I'm sure I'll have more questions later, but for now, is anyone willing to RP with a newbie? Experience is the best teacher, after all.
[/quote]

Hey there, yes this is the best place for these sort of questions.

1. There are two main methods, one is using an interest check to send out a general challenge (ideally with a character, an arena, and a fighting style mentioned so people know what they're getting into.) Then, once a compromise is made on character selection and everyone is happy, you can upgrade to an OOC/IC and get started. Oh, or if you simply want to join a fight you can look through interest checks and declare your interest in the normal fashion.

The second method is to send out a challenge in the ranked area or the Arena chat thread, which most of the ranked people tend to frequent. The same process as before will also take place, where you will decide on characters etc. 

2. Completely up to you, the Arena does allow for multiple instances and therefore unless you've joined a specifically persistent world (the Multiverse for example, which pops up from time to time, or a tournament) every arena fight is a self contained story. So, if a character dies you don't have to make that 'canon.' 

3. Hopefully every fight will be a story fight, it's a misconception that Arena isn't still predominantly about telling a story, it's just through the medium of battle. Still, if you favour strong story telling elements over the competition, avoiding ranked battles and going for unranked instead is the answer. In an unranked fight the rules are more flexible and with very little on the line people are going to be more applicable to story elements.

4. Depending on what sort of power (tier) you want to fight at I might be able to indulge you in an unranked battle to cover some of the broad Arena concepts if you want. Tier is a little subjective, but I personally don't stray over the 'high powered' bracket with my characters. Which is somewhat applicable to street/city level destruction. I'm more around the powered/low powered bracket, think Vampires, Werewolves, Cyborgs etc. 

These are the two important threads for talking with Arena peoples.
Ranking Headquarters [url]http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/79678-rpguild-ranking-headquarters/ic[/url]
Arena Chat Thread [url]http://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/78452-arena-chat-thread/ooc[/url]