[quote=Jig]For the player guide, I definitely think the focus should be on character creation and post content. Perhaps you could note how a more interesting character can be made by making sure they have a personal conflict that, if not directly reflecting the overall conflict and themes of the RP, can be explored and developed through an RP, creating [b]a character arc[/b] expected from every other traditional written artform with characters (and why should RPs be any different?). I'm not sure that notion is really present in players' consciousnesses.[/quote]

This is something I think's pretty important. Whilst it's not absolutely neccessary in an rp, I think it can help elevate a player, their character and their writing to actually have some sort of goal and aim in mind for their character, and a plan for how they'd like them to develop, whether it be general ideas or something more fleshed out. I've encountered a few players in previous rps who create a character and then just have them along for the rp's ride, which isn't bad, but I feel the character (and myself in reading them) become more engrossing and interesting when I can see that they have their own story, and that the rp and thus mine or others' characters are helping to affect and develop that.