THE NEWBIE'S GUIDE.
Welcome aboard! Whether you're new to Vestige, ProBoards, or forum roleplays in general, this guide offers a step-by-step tutorial to getting started on Vestige.

New to using ProBoards? CLICK HERE for a collection of guides to the PB service, how to use BBCode, etc.

Please review our Site and Roleplay Rules before proceeding.

STEP ONE: JOINING VESTIGE.
You can access most of Vestige's important pages through the top 5 tabs: Information (which holds vital links), Guest Dashboard/Dashboard (important information), Search, Members, and Switch Accounts. We recommend reading through the rest of the Guidebook for any questions you may have!
You can create a Vestige account by clicking on the Guest Dashboard tab and registering; the Guest Dashboard tab will just be labeled Dashboard when you are logged in.
In addition to creating a forum account, it's recommended that you join our Discord server! Click on the Discord button in the Information tab or CLICK HERE to accept our server invitation.
If you're looking to customize your mini-profile, CLICK HERE for a brief tutorial.
As a newbie, you're entitled to claim two free items from the Shop! CLICK HERE to fill out the appropriate form and snag two items that you can use to create or add onto characters.

STEP TWO: CREATING A CHARACTER.
Now that you've read through the Guidebook and made an account, it's time to create a character! First you need to make a character account. You can accomplish this by clicking on the Switch Accounts tab and creating a new account with your character's name/alias as the username.

You have two options: creating a character from scratch or adopting a character.

• Creating a character is a simple process! While on your character account, visit the Character Applications board to post your character's bio. CLICK HERE for the application template you must use when creating your character. Once your thread is posted, you are good to roleplay! Vestige does not require that your character be accepted prior to playing.
• Adopting a character is another route you can take if you want an immediate connection to other characters, or if you're just stuck on an idea for a unique, first-gen character. Visit the Adoption Center board to find relatives, pups, plot characters, and mates that you can adopt and play as! If you just want a character created for you without any ties to other characters, visit the Premade Character Masterlist thread to adopt out original, first-generation characters that other members have submitted. You must still use the same application template as you would when creating your own character.

In addition to posting your character's bio, be sure to fill out their mini-profile appropriately!

• Bio: a link to their bio
• Tracker: a link to their thread tracker - that is, a post that keeps track of the threads they're in, kind of like a timeline (CLICK HERE to post their thread tracker)
• Player: a link to your OOC account
• Gender: their gender identity
• Age: their age (specify in months/years)
• Pack: what pack they're in, if any
  

That's all there is to it! Be sure to visit the Rewards Program thread to redeem extra Dollars (our site currency) just for creating your first Vestige character. Now onto the fun part!

STEP THREE: JOINING THE ROLEPLAY.
Now that you have a character, you're ready to roleplay! To roleplay, you can simply create a new thread in any region board in a state or join an existing open thread.
What's next? Plotting! You can toss around ideas, discuss plots and potential conflicts/friendships/etc., and plan out thread ideas in our Discord server or our chatbox. In addition, you can post in the Plotting Hub board to keep track of plots and put out any ideas/requests you may have.
Another good idea to get your character involved is joining a pack. You can view our current list of packs and a brief description of each in the Pack Directory thread; each post describes the packs and links to their pack thread, where you can view in-depth information, ranks, how to join, pack news, etc. Get a feel for what pack suits your character best! Once you've chosen a pack, you can make a new thread in their current region/territory board or join an already existing thread as if you're already a member. You're in!
One final option is to create a pack. Please note that this option has more requirements and will require more effort, but it does offer an immense amount of creative freedom and power to you as a leader and founder. CLICK HERE to learn how to create your own pack and claim a region.
Something to keep in mind when creating and joining threads are labels. CLICK HERE to learn how to use labels and apply the appropriate label to your threads, both IC and OOC. Additionally, remember to mark your threads as Open (open to all characters), Private (limited to one or a few specific characters), or Private After First Post (also known as PAFP - open for one character and then private after someone responds). Please respect these labels!

Need more help with the site? Refer to An Overall Guide to Vestige as well as other threads in the Guidebook board. You may also ask questions in the Discord server or our chatbox at any time. Have fun and welcome to Vestige!