Pinfo is short for Player Information. Basically, you use your Pinfo to store your character's personality, background, and other details. The pinfo is a good method for you, the actor, to figure out how your character will respond to any given situation. Your character has strengths and weaknesses, personality quirks, and a unique past. Each affects how your character should see the world and respond to the actions of other characters.

To get a better understanding of your character you should consider what her life was like back on Earth. Her parents and siblings. Friends. Hobbies and favourite games. Skills and grades in school. Any life-changing events. Finally, how she was discovered for battle school.

Of course, you must be realistic with your character's background. The IF choses its students based on the child's brilliance, determination, and ability to lead--but nothing else about your character needs to be atypical. Subtlety here is a virtue. At the age of six you aren't a martial arts expert or a master pianist working on a grand new opus. But you are smart and you do have attributes that make you stand out on Earth. Keep in mind, the smartest kid of her class on earth is just one of many up here on the station...

Note: Your background must be a minimum of five lines in length to meet launch requirements. Also, please avoid cliche in your background. We have enough a) orphans, b) twins, and c) siblings at battleschool.

Good thing you asked! The following concepts will not be allowed for any character for any reason:
* any vision impairment requiring glasses or contacts
* any impairment to color perception or low-light vision
* any inability to speak, read, write, or type
* any difficulty hearing or processing sound
* any issues with balance or vertigo
* any emotional disorder that has already manifested
* any chronic illness
* abandoned children growing up on the streets
* children with more than four biological siblings
* malnourished or neglected children
* children who do not speak Common
 
There are other concepts that require specific approval from the RP Staff; if you use one of these, a mentor will point you in the right direction.

Major events in your character's life will change how he thinks and behaves in the future. If you think about it this way, your character's personality grows in cycles and is always evolving. A character like this is called a Dynamic Character, and this is what we're aiming for.

You should consider the following as keywords in your personality, but there are many more possibilities out there: tough | predictable | friendly | untrustworthy | orderly | messy | spontaneous | reliable | talkative | lazy | rational | tender | loyal | emotional | loner | listener | follower | leader

If you have decided on a framework for your character's personality, try to connect it back with the character's background. Is he talkative because of his close relationship with his brother? Is he lazy because he was spoiled by his grandparents? Does he act unpredictably because he was abused as a toddler? In the end, you may wish to rewrite the background again to include such ideas that you hadn't thought of before. This is how your character evolves.

Note: Your personality must be a minimum of three lines in length to meet launch requirements. Also, certain personality quirks/disorders are not appropriate for battle school. The IF screens out those who are overly passive or violent, and those with serious mental or emotional problems such as bipolar disorder, depression, 'multiple personality disorder', pyromaniacs, etc..

If you are stumped on what to choose for a full name, you have a few options. Flipping to a random page in the phonebook is a good one. (The residential section of the phonebook -- we don't want anyone named Ace Carpet-Cleaning, thanks.) Or, you can work backwards from your character's nickname. That is, Andrew Wiggin became Ender and Han Tzu became Hot Soup. Or, you can just make your name up. But please, be reasonable, and don't steal names straight from book, film, tv, or history. There can be only one James T. Kirk. Or Connor MacLeod. And this is the wrong universe for them.

Setting your age is easy. You are the standard six years old. Only under the rarest of circumstances would a launchie arrive at age five or seven. But you will have to change your age at some point. Launchies will generally turn seven near the end of their term as a launchie. And they will definitely be seven or eight by the time they are promoted to an army, so don't forget to re-set your age on the big day!

As for your place of birth, you have the entire world to choose from. Keep in mind, however, that your choice should be in line with your pinfo. Monitor devices were used for testing less often in Poland, The Netherlands, and Non-compliant nations than in, for instance, the United States. The economic, political, and social situation in your city or country of birth ought to play some part in your character's upbringing.

Keep in mind that it is a physical description, so only include what is evident to sight. Describe the facial features. Hair, eyes, skin. Size, shape, colour. Build, relative height and weight. Include what you think is most important. Improvise.

Rather than use 53lbs or 3'8" to describe weight and height, use descriptive words. Write whether she is short or tall for her age instead. We're working on a story here, not a driver's license.

Be careful if you choose to describe general presence and demeaner. It is alright to describe your character as "she is often smiling", but not "she is smiling right now". The former describes her common demeanor while the second is specific and could conflict with the actual situation at hand. If in doubt, relegate that information to the personality section of your pinfo.

Do not impose emotions or actions on another player through your description. It is incorrect to write "her eyes stab fear into you" or "she suddenly notices you looking at her so you turn away shyly". This is called power-gaming, or twinking, and it is bad form.

Finally, her attire must fit the ansible environment. You are playing a young child several decades in the future (and life hasn't changed that much). Her clothing is an IF uniform, and you will possess nothing at all from Earth. Once on the station, you won't get much more than your desk, books, battle gear, uniforms, a towel, and lunch. Sorry, no necklaces, purple hair, or skateboards.

Note: Your description must be a minimum of three lines in length to meet launch requirements.