We've launched the announced Talent and Lore Update! All characters are granted one free RP talent and race change. Update Log.
Updates to Talents and Monsters: Read the specifics in the Update Log
08/01/'21
Gaia Reborn
Gaia Reborn, the hottest MMORPG of the last decade, has seen millions of players experience its unique world - a combination of fantasy and reality. When Gaia Reborn was a game, one goal was to make the game world a one-half scale model of the real world. This pursuit was known as the Half-Gaia Project, and it is one of the aspects which led to Gaia Reborn becoming such a popular virtual world. With regional servers having unique areas, quests, cities, and monsters, it wasn't uncommon for people to create alternate characters on other servers to experience what felt like an entirely new game.
Ten years after the game's launch, millions of players have joined and created countless characters across the many servers. Now, with the release of the latest expansion, Pioneers of Arcadia, many are getting ready to begin new adventures in the new Italian server, exploring the new region corresponding to Italy, known in Gaia as Italia. Characters would have to start from fresh in this new world, but Italy would finally get its own piece of this world.
Countless players created their characters, logged in with excitement fueling their hands as the cursor swept across the screen, and then... darkness... Everything was black, and as their eyes opened, the players found themselves in the streets of an unfamiliar city. Looking around to survey their surroundings, many players realized this city was not so new after all. While desolate and ruined, the architecture conquered by vines and greenery, this city was unmistakably Rome, but at the same time, it was not. Finding themselves in the bodies of their characters, trapped in the world of Gaia Reborn, players are left to adapt to their new reality in this fantasy world.
Post by Lucius Arthur Mortimer on Jan 14, 2021 16:23:32 GMT
The Sun was slowly rising at the Tiber Coastline. Most animals were still waking up, so the sounds of nature were only few and far between. And yet, a single sound rhythmically broke through the silence of the early morning. Step by step, a man young in heart, but not as much in appearance, made his way alongside the beach. His manner of walking was strange, for his newfound abilities were taking him time to get used to. He had the strength again. However, even if he didn’t, he would still drag himself every step of the way, for this was an opportunity and a dream mixed in one, and he would latch onto it if it were to be the last thing he’d do.
The Adventurer usually kept his third eye closed, but as he stopped walking and looked upon the horizon, he allowed himself to open it. Just for a minute. His sight did not feel improved, but it was a strange sensation he never thought he would experience. This world, so familiar and yet so strange, gave him that feeling in general. What’s the purpose of being here, if not to delve into the mysteries of life and magic? He talked with a few of his Adventurer brethren, and many of them shared the same worries. They were afraid of this world, they missed their old homes, they wanted to talk to their families once more. Lucius did not understand that, and he did not pretend to understand. Why would he? All he had back at home was a bed, a gloomy family, a dark room and video games. That’s the life of Luca Morgan.
But not here. Here, there’s no Luca Morgan. Only Lucius Arthur Mortimer. Here, he is free. The beauty of Gaia Reborn was unparalleled, and the joy he felt in a month was enough to fill several of his dull years. That is what Lucius Arthur Mortimer decided to feel, to do, and to be. He would be like this rising Sun. Rising and shining brightly, and deeply remembered after finally burning out. He just hoped his shine would last for more than one day.
With every dawn of a new day, her eyes revealed that she would continue to reawaken to this world. Alone. Trapped. And possibly, forgotten. Her body succumbed to grief overwhelming as her eyelids began to flood with translucent tears as crystalline drops cascaded down the smooth edges of the woman’s face. She felt a terrible pain in the back of her throat, a certain numbness as she frowned lying in the slim white sheets of a bed that provided little of the comforts of home. She could feel her spirit sinking into an abyss as her mind wondered. Thoughts creating a mental slideshow of everything that reminded her of the family and hometown she loved.
She turned on her side, pulling the sheets over her head, as if to try to protect herself from her fears, but they would continue to haunt her. The most insufferable thing about this world, was that time always seemed to pass so slowly within this sandbox prison. It forced a person to contemplate everything they left unfinished in the real world. She began to think at how she had neglected her own family and how distant she had become from her mother and father. She wanted deeply to apologize to them and tell how she loved them and wanted to spend time with them.
Her thoughts drifted towards childhood friends who she used to call everyday and hangout with all the time, yet when fortune and fame came knocking, she eloped away with her insatiable greed and materialism and neglected those friends she shared happy memories with. She began to wonder how she became more comfortable with luxurious goods than embracing the comforts of people who loved her and enjoyed her company.
Now, in this world she was broken down to just a normal person, the same as any other who roamed the world of Gaia Reborn. Stricken by the effects of overnight poverty, Alexa Blackwood had trouble adjusting to this new lifestyle as she began to suffer from the withdrawals of having the comfortable lifestyle she had built taken away from her. It was then that pride would shift into regret as Alexa could feel her chest grow heavy. Her shoulders jerked as her eyes clenched shut. Burying her face into her pillow, the pink haired human with freckles cried for nearly half an hour as she ushered futile prayers to be set free of this world. However, like a dying man trying to bargain with God for life everlasting, Alexa’s prayers would be in vain.
Having difficulty coping, she crawled to the edge of her bed and sat up on the edge, rubbing the built up tension in her forehead with her fingers as she sniffled and let out a defeated sigh. She lifted up a shaky finger to interact with her menu interface, and with minimalistic energy, she navigated her way to her friends list. She could fill her heart racing as she scanned through the list. She needed a tough shoulder to lean on during a time like this, or perhaps just a good listener. Instinct kicked in and selected ‘Constance’ and opened a telepathy link to chat with the woman.
“Hello…Constance..?” A saddened feminine British accent would speak.
Upon hearing an answer, Alexa would continue in a tone that expressed grief and heartache as she began to breakdown.
“I don’t want to do this anymore, Constance. When are we going home? It’s been seventeen days, Constance. SEVENTEEN !” A loud sniffle could be heard. “Time moves so slow in this world and it’s like a prison! The food is horrible and some of the villager’s hate us after we were just littering the streets. I’m tired of being in this shithole of a game. I regret buying it. I just want to be back home with my family and friends…I miss my mum and dad…if this keeps up, then I’m probably not going to make payments on anything…I’ll probably lose everything. My home, my car….there would be so much debt that I’ll be ruined. I’ll…I’ll…”
More pained sniffling could be heard.
“And I was thinking about something people were saying…if our real bodies are stuck somewhere in the real world…think about what could be happening to us. Some of us could already be dead or hospitalized. And I lived so isolated from people since Michael…so I don’t even know what’s going on. Why is this even happening to us…”
Alexa’s voice cracks as she cries some more.
“All of this just drives me crazy, Constance. Instead of singing and doing something I love for money, I have to turn into some type of barbarian and get attacked by all sorts of…things…just to not starve. I barely scraped up enough to finally afford to stay at an inn, but it’s hard to sleep at night with all the worrying I’ve been doing about what’s going on. “
She heaves a heavy breath as she tries to maintain her composure, but still there are traces of sadness in her voice.
“I think it’s also just the crazy adventurer’s and villagers in this town. I’m getting sick of it. I just need to get away. Get some fresh air. Let’s go some place. Anywhere. It’s just…all the people here. Seeing them so sad makes me sad, and I know exactly what they are going through. I’m sure you’re probably going through things, too and I hope you are holding up alright. I really do. I just..I just think it may be nice if we go out and blow some steam and get away from all the chaos of the apocalypse for a while until things blow over. "
Alexa waited for an answer as she wiped the tears from her face and looked outside the window. Her expression was melancholy as she noticed the misfortune that others had to sleep outside tonight and the Landers seemed to be giving them looks of disgust as they littered the streets and she came to the realization that though she had it bad. Others were faring much worse in this dilemma, and she began to wonder if Constance, too, was having to live like this during the first days of the riot.
"If you want, I can meet you at the town square in say… fifteen minutes? Then we can get the hell out of this crazy town.”
A dusky intrusive ear clung to the wall tightly as the eavesdropping Enoch listened into the distress from the room beside her. Angelic feathers placing tender brushstrokes along the length of the wall as she flattened her wing against it. Much like a guardian angel hidden behind the scenes, Aminatu listened to the plight of the outlanders. Nothing was more rare than the discussions they would have when in the sanctity of their privacy and when they felt vulnerable. Through her Ill-gotten knowledge, she was allowed a window into their world and a chance to hear their despair from a distance.
The winged nomad’s lips creased into a frown as she heard the sniffling of the woman leave her room and shut the door. Aminatu blinked, her eyes searching the ground as leaned off the wall and sat by the chair next to the window. From her dresser, she retrieved an scarlet book with grand golden designs along the edge and pulled out a quill to write in hieroglyphics upon the parchment.
‘O, Isis, Lady of all Love, these people suffer in silence in this sorrowful land they were taken from. These forgotten people cry out for their homes. They are as lost lions in a strange unknown. Now, they have become entangled in our world and they could use a Goddess like you watching over them. I do not know their place or purpose here, only Thoth knows, but if Cecilia’s words are true, then they did not lead an invasion here, but were taken...snatched from their world and fear trembles in their words. Some cannot bear the pain of battle and many lack the coin to survive. There is only so much the Romalian churches can do. So, please, Lady Isis, show these people your benevolent mercy. Help them love themselves when we natives of Gaia do not. I believe nothing is impossible in your hands of power, in your hands of brokenness, and in your heart of love, compassion and mercy. O, Lady Isis, your love is as wide as oceans and as deep as the sea, and as tall as the heavens. May your spirit rise like a mighty wave and come to restore all those who are ill. You are the water of life, you are the fresh oasis. You are healing rain to all who are in need.’
Hearing a familiar sound from outside she watched, she pulled out aside the curtains and she clutched her Ankh closed to her chest as she heard the voice of Alexa and saw a pink haired woman walking towards her friend as the other enveloped her in a hug and the pink haired human wept on her shoulder, then leaned back drying her eyes. Golden orbs watched from a distance as her friend cheered her up and shared words inaudible from that distance. It seemed Constance had taken her hand and ran off towards the marketplace.
Aminatu’s thumbs ran over her golden Ankh that was adorned on her neck as she closed the curtain, then sealed and stored her journal away. She bit her lip pensively and tapped her quill on the desk nearby.
She stood up and began to change into her casual Heliopolite garb, then walked out of her room. As she made it downstairs, she checked out of the inn and signed the ledger. The Proud Heliopolite loved the clothes that adorned her frame. Compared to the attire of the Romalians, the foreigners' clothing stood out immensely and earned her the occasional glance. She went towards the marketplace and began perusing the different wares as she stopped before a shop selling different fragrances. Different vials of colorful hues were set out before her and her eyes danced with delight. As she lifted up one of the purple vials, she inhaled the tantalizing scent of lavender.
INVENTORY
EQUIPMENT:Arm of Heliopolis, Starter Heliopolite shield, Heliopoilte Platemail
“I wonder if you came in need of Isis’s peace or have come to wield Anhur’s rage? The winds of the dunes tells me that you desire one or the other. There is no place in-between.”
Post by Lucius Arthur Mortimer on Jan 15, 2021 16:35:45 GMT
After taking in the view for a few more minutes, Lucius finally closed his third eye. Then, with a resolute smile, he turned and made his way back to Ostia, the Lander town that meant safety for most Panpaidi in the area. He loved this little corner of the world. It had a feel of adventure, of open doors. He wondered what laid on the isles of Sardinia and Corsica, and even beyond. He was curious about the lustrous lands of Northern Africa, and wondered if he could set foot in there. However, there seemed to be little reason why he couldn’t. It did not seem like they were stuck in some sort of simulated server - rather, it was a reality. Not to mention, there was that Heliopolite angel, a goddess of beauty and war among lesser men. Ah, such a fond memory… no beauty like that can be simulated. It’s like I can see her every day. Even now, I feel like I see her… wait a second.
Lucius recognised that frame, those wings and those proud eyes! That was Animatu, the nomadic warrior he met back in Tivoli. Lucius wondered what she was doing in Ostia, but as he was lost in thought, he bumped into a pair of young adventurers. One of them looked like she was about to cry.
“My… apologies, ladies. Please, enjoy another beautiful day of this life.” He said and bowed, then quickly made his way over to the Paladin. She was wearing what he assumed to be casual clothes, but they attracted attention from a mile away. Lucius thought about waiting for the right time to introduce himself, but eventually decided against it - dramatic entrance is of utmost importance, but he would seldom find any opportunity to do so in this circumstance. Instead, he approached her and made the deepest bow he could as he spoke.
“Ah, ‘tis the Desert Dahlia, in flesh once more. My heart is filled with joy, for your beauty truly complements the sunrise of this quaint town. Indeed, it must be fate that wrought us back together once more.” Word count: 352 Total word count: 714 Thoughts: 2a885b Speech: 4c4cc5
Aminatu’s garb consisted of icy blue hues, white and prestigious gold embroidery. Upon her eyelids was a eyeshadow made with minerals that matched the pristine blue waters outside Ostia that opened to a sea of serenity. The way it wrapped around her skin was as if it was designed by Nephthys and Isis themselves. Heliopolites were obsessed with beauty and the idealized version of themselves. She had already used some oils that morning to help preserve her youth. Cleanliness and hygiene were highly favored among the Heliopolites as well as Aminatu purchased some soap paste made out of clay and olive oil.
She lifted the bar by her nose, to enjoy the scent with an elegant smile, then her ears caught the sound of an accident as it seemed some adventurers had bumped into each other. Aminatu twisted her lips with concern. She wasn’t very fond of how the outlanders kept seeming to be prone to not be very attentive and bump into one another. She recalled the Faunri whom she had to scold vehemently for stumbling into Anhur. At least this gentleman was polite and apologized and even wished the girls a pleasant day. His level of etiquette and mannerisms was intriguing and she respected that he was one of the more well spoken adventurers she had come across. A bit of a dreamer that contrasted with her own stark pragmatism. As she was weighing her thoughts about the last time she encountered him during a search for Mareum, she noticed that he was encroaching upon her like a lion does a gazelle.
She set down the bar of soap momentarily to watch him bow deeply. A gesture she took as a respectful mannerism. He spoke in a poetic nature which still happened to catch her off guard. Aminatu had to give herself time to let his words marinate in her mind. “Tashakor, sayyid. You speak with honeyed words, though they do flatter me. You certainly hold more charm than most other outlanders.” As she turned to face him, the giantess radiated angelic charms and the essence of divinity. “One would think you would make fine coin as a traveling bard.” She comments as she holds a woven basket, cradled in the wedge between her bicep and her forearm.
“There are poets and warriors within my tribe. Perhaps you also have a knack for storytelling? I’m sure the tribe’s ears would want to hear grand tales of adventure.” She suggests, before completing her transaction for the soaps.
“I’ll have to remember to pick up some milk and honey from the market as well. Honey is a popular beauty product for it’s sweet smell and hydrating capabilities. You can get honey from the Myrmekes Nest in the Ciminian Forest. Heliopolite women often mix milk and honey to create moisturizing face masks. Have you ever done a face mask?” The bronze skinned Paladin inquired as she observed the Zarian’s skin for signs of regimented skin care. It seemed she was curious how adventurers perceived the realm of self-care. “I know of another adventurer who taught me that there were many beauty products in your world. That’s quite remarkable!”
INVENTORY
EQUIPMENT: Arm of Heliopolis, Starter Heliopolite shield, Heliopoilte Platemail
“I wonder if you came in need of Isis’s peace or have come to wield Anhur’s rage? The winds of the dunes tells me that you desire one or the other. There is no place in-between.”
Post by Lucius Arthur Mortimer on Jan 16, 2021 18:45:28 GMT
Lucius noted that the warrior angel was shopping for beauty products. Before the Apocalypse, Lucius had no idea that beauty products were so widespread in the world of Gaia Reborn, but it did not particularly surprise him. In fact, he was quite excited. Back in the world of Luca Morgan, he never had a chance to try most of these products, and his appearance suffered for it. Being confined to a bed certainly had many disadvantages to it. But, after getting stuck in this place, Lucius quickly noticed that their bodies do not appear to follow the digital ruleset - rather, it was as if the bodies were real, but followed some special rules laid out in Gaia Online. As such, there was the need to maintain his body and appearance. Unlike some fools giving up, laying on the streets and stinking up the locale, he spent a not-quite small amount of acquired currency to purchase the best products for his skin, and all hygienic needs. He had no home, yet he was better taken care of than even some Landers around.
The Lander in front of him, however, surpassed him in beauty and then some. Her presence was like that of a Sun, and Lucius was a mere moon reflecting her light. She spoke with wisdom, curiosity and caution. However, he frowned slightly as she mentioned the old Earth that all the Adventurers came from. He did make sure to quickly replace it with another calm, smiling expression, though.
“Ah, ‘his world you speak of… there is truth in that statement, though not of my affiliation.” He inhaled deeply, almost nostalgically. “The world I belonged to… was always here. Though I was never to Romalia before the incident transporting us all here. Indeed, the stories I could tell you are many, and the feats I accomplished numerous. However, that was all in… another life, so to speak, in another land.” He proclaimed, a wistful tone in his voice. Indeed, his time in other servers could indeed be described as another life - certainly easier to understand than explaining that this all used to be a video game.
“Thus, you may be right in that I would make a great bard, glorious flower of the south. However, us outlanders are compelled by something out of our hands - destiny, you could say, one that you choose. I chose the path of conjuration, and thus cannot change my calling. Such are the laws that govern us.” He explained this predicament to Aminatu. He also couldn’t play any instrument, but that was a detail he chose not to mention. Something she mentioned intrigued him, though.
“Pray tell… these face masks. I have heard of them, but I have never had the opportunity to try one out myself. With their proper application, could one achieve a level of beauty such as yours?” He asked, both admiration and curiosity in his voice.
Word count: 485 Total word count: 1.199 Speech: 4c4cc5
Her examination of the adventurer gave conclusive evidence that he wasn’t a musty savage who neglected his own grooming and self-care. Though there were other adventurers that drowned in the depths of despair, Lucius seemed to rise above the anxiety and clutches of the abyss that seemed to have a hold on the minds of the other adventurers that succumbed to their otherworldly stressors. What cultivated this perceived mental strength was certainly a curious matter. This human in Zarian skin seemed progressively more optimistic than most adventurers she had encountered, even than that of the kind chef, Cecilia. He seemed attuned and in love with this world that seemed to linger behind theirs in ways of technology and progress.
Aminatu studied the way he spoke of his world, it was the way a man seemed to speak of an ex that he no longer was in love with. His words were somewhat confusing and perplexed the much taller woman as she tried to surmise on her own if he was referring to feats accomplished on Earth or within one of the outlander games based on their world. She didn’t know what to make of him. Was he a grand warrior on Earth or was he some talented gamer?
Only one of those sentiments appealed to nomadic tribal culture. However, what he may have had indiscernible in relation to combat prowess was surely made up for by his way with words.
“Your words are kind, delicate, and you choose them with consideration. An interesting manner of speech, hamwatan. Horosho….you’ve been to lands outside of Romalia? Which region? I’m a traveling mercenary, so perhaps I may have done a tour in that area.” She inquired as she spoke to while briefly browsing some other scented oils, bringing one to her nose that harbored the scent of lilac.
“You were a human in your original world and you chose the avatar of a Zarian. It seems you know their fabled history and aptitude for the arcane…” She stated in a cordial, yet unapproving manner. “A tactical choice. I take it that desire for mastery of such things came from the lack of existence of magic from your original world….” Her all knowing wadjet Eye of Horus settled upon him as if he were being judged. "Perhaps it would be wise for you to meet with the mages and shaman of my tribe so you can learn why I feel this way."
“Be cautious with your abilities, sayyid. Of all the arts I have witnessed, the arcane and the thirst for it’s power has unearthed the wickedness of men and caused encroaching calamity upon our world. Do not make heretical pacts or court demons or undead...no matter what power they offer you in exchange.” She stated abrasively. The blunt woman had no qualms over speaking her mind. She could already see the torment that an immortal mage could unleash upon the world and it drew her ire, but the scent of lilac at least offered some relief as she considered other subjects to explore as she was disarmed by his further compliment and interest in face masks.
“Well, of course. Beauty is seen as a symbol of royalty and highness in Heliopolis culture. Our people are beauty enthusiasts and we never hesitate to try new trends. The first ever face mask in Heliopolis was made from clay. I have even used some made from a Dead Sea mud face mask to pull out skin impurities and enhance beauty. Some people use beaten egg whites to tighten pores and remove pigmentation, but I love the pigment and melanin of my skin. And I’ll let you in a secret, some of the Dehatis even used crocodile dung to get extra fair and glowy skin. It sounds gross, but by Sobek’s teeth, I swear to you, it works!” Aminatu chuckled impishly as she set the scented oil vial down.
“Perhaps we can find something here in Romalia. I know about their beauty techniques as well.”
“Romalians used certain ingredients and pastes for a few of their rituals, which later became face masks. They used seed powder, Orris Root, and Honey mixture to scrub their face. Face masks made with starch and eggs were thought to tighten the skin and keep it young. Barley flour and butter were the cure to pimples. Amusingly, sunspots were treated with snail ash.Lentils, vinegar, goose grease, lupine, oregano seeds, sulphur, basil Juice and hawthorn were used to achieve glowing skin. Some other ingredients used in ancient masks were placenta and even excrements of some animals such as Kingfisher or calves!” She chimed as she was curious to see what his reaction would be to the beauty truths she shared.
INVENTORY
EQUIPMENT: Arm of Heliopolis, Starter Heliopolite shield, Heliopoilte Platemail
“I wonder if you came in need of Isis’s peace or have come to wield Anhur’s rage? The winds of the dunes tells me that you desire one or the other. There is no place in-between.”
Post by Lucius Arthur Mortimer on Jan 19, 2021 21:10:47 GMT
The Adventurer recalled his days of glory, spent on the old servers of Gaia Online. He was never in a more “professional” guild focused on PvE, or PvP. Rather, he preferred roleplaying over anything else. However, the game was vast, and even roleplaying demanded him to be a hero sometimes. He smiled at the memory of him and his comrades slaying the Mojave Sand Wyrm, he marvelled at how they stopped the spread of dark magic in the immersive quests of Gaia Reborn. Lucius Arthur Mortimer, his character, truly became legendary, just as all the player characters could.
But now, it was different. He was in the character’s body now, and it wasn’t a game. Not everyone could shine above all else - destiny was his to make. However, this also brought its own set of complications. He would have to get stronger. To be the pawn, not just the guiding hand. That would seem daunting to most, but Lucius was ecstatic. It’s what he always wanted, after all. Freedom to move, to be someone and to do something.
“Ah, indeed I did visit faraway lands, but I doubt you were ever there, angel of the sands.” He said and raised one of his hands to the west. “There, in the far west, beyond the endless ocean that is now uncrossable, lies a lush, varied and massive land. It is home to people who are similar to the ones here, and yet vastly different.” Smiling at Aminatu, he raised his other arm in the opposite direction. “And to the far east, beyond the sands, mountains and jungles, you would find a land of silk and tradition. Even further east is an island, eternally engulfed in conflict, and yet it is a land of unparalleled beauty - not to mention their views on beauty. Interesting, if not entirely correct, in my opinion.” As he finished, he put his hands down theatrically.
As the warrior spoke of magic, Lucius could hear the disapproval in her voice. It was unsurprising, but he couldn’t refrain from commenting. “Magic is but a tool, much like your blade. One can use it to protect, to amaze or… for more nefarious deeds. As for myself, I do have my reasons. My lower body’s motoric functions are.... Slower than most Adventurers would experience. The arcane gift allows me to hold my own, to not be forgotten in the dustbins of history.” He closed his eyes for a couple of seconds, smiling. “Indeed, my power is the answer to the cruelty of the world… of all worlds. Though I assume most would not feel that way.”
He frowned as the Paladin spoke of pacts with creatures both infernal and dark. He pitied the fools who made these kinds of pacts, but he never understood them. Perhaps it was his savviness from playing video games, but he knew that it could only end badly. Warlocks always thought that they could outsmart the demons, but that was never the case.
However, what did surprise him was the lecture on Heliopolite beauty that he was given. Egg whites…? Crocodile dung? He couldn’t help but feel revolted at the thought of smearing it on his face, but he held himself back. After all, his area of expertise was more in the “buy products from market” area, not the process of making beauty products themselves. And with a gorgeous woman like Aminatu, he knew he’d trust her on this over himself.
“Er, truly? You are truly wise in the ways of skin care, my lady. Using excrements does seem… eccentric, but I had heard of perfume made of whale vomit before. The transformative possibility of such things into beauty products is just so exciting!”
Word count: 618 Total word count: 1.817 Speech: 4c4cc5 Thoughts: 2a885b
Welcome to the help dialog for the Custom Mini-Profile Creator plugin!
Click on any of the tabs above to go through the plugin configuration process!
You can access this menu at any time by clicking on the icon in the bottom right bar (may not be applicable if you're on Forums.net), or you can disable the welcome window and/or the icon by going to Plugins > Manage > Custom Mini-Profile Creator and changing the Show Help option.
This step is essential as it gives the plugin everything it needs on the page to get as much profile information as possible.
To make the profile variables work you'll need to add a new line to the very end of Themes > Layout Templates > Mini-Profile and paste the code below on it. The code should be placed completely outside of the mini-profile, so if you're using the default mini-profile template this will be after the very last closing </div> tag. This needs to be done on every theme you have the plugin enabled on as the template is theme-specific.
If your mini-profile template is already customized and you've hit the variable limit for your template you're free to remove any lines from the code below if they contain information that you don't plan on using. For example, if you have no plans to ever add a user's IP to their mini-profile for staff reference you can remove <div class="mp-info ip">$[user.ip]</div> from the code and everything else will still work just fine.
Once you've added the HTML from the Layout Templates tab you're ready to move on to building your mini-profiles. If you want to get going and try some out now or you're not very adept at HTML, CSS, or Javascript, worry not! This plugin includes some examples for you to try out. You're free to skip to the Custom Profile Fields tab and read over this tab later when you're ready to build your own.
Here's a quick rundown of each of the components in Plugins > Manage > Custom Mini-Profile Creator:
Name This is the name you'll be adding to your custom profile field dropdown once you've finished coding the mini-profile. Pretty self-explanatory. Make sure this name is unique from every other name you use for your mini-profiles or you'll end up overwriting the earlier ones in the list.
HTML This is the HTML that will go inside your mini-profile. You can use just about any HTML tag here so long as it's appropriate for where the mini-profile is showing on the page. Please refrain from using <style> or <script> tags here. You have the next two sections for that! Also, remember that mini-profiles can show multiple times on the same page, so you shouldn't add ID attributes to any of your elements here. Two elements on the same page cannot have the same ID per HTML standards.
CSS This is where you'll place what would normally go in your forum's style sheet or what would normally be between <style> tags. Try to code your mini-profile's HTML in a way that will allow you to target it specifically with your selectors. For example, you can surround all of the content in your HTML with a <div> element with a class and target that class and its child elements specifically with your CSS. That way you don't accidentally target every mini-profile on the page with CSS that was meant for the one you're building. One more thing: The forum theme's CSS still applies beforehand, so your mini-profile may look right in one theme but not in another. The best way to circumvent this is to define as many styles as you can to override the theme's CSS.
Javascript Anything that normally goes between <script> tags will go here. This one's a bit tricky since you'll obviously want to target the custom mini-profile specifically. Luckily there's an easy way to do that. In your statements you can use the $(this) variable to target the mini-profile if you're coding using jQuery. Otherwise, if you only plan on using standard Javascript you can target $(this)[0] instead.
Once you've finished building your mini-profiles it's finally time to add them to the Edit Profile page for use! To enable selection of custom mini-profiles you'll first need to add two specific custom profile fields in Members > Custom Profile Fields in your forum's admin area:
Mini-Profile Theme
Staff Mini-Profile Theme
Mini-Profile Theme is for mini-profiles that are designed for member use. You can set the Who Can Edit option for this field to Staff With Power if you only want staff to be able to choose mini-profiles for users. Otherwise, if you want members to freely be able to choose their own mini-profiles you can choose Members and Staff With Power.
Staff Mini-Profile Theme is for mini-profiles designed specifically for staff use. This field is completely optional.
Set the type for both of these fields as Drop Down Selection. Click on the (View/Edit) link to add mini-profile names to each of these fields.
If you've just installed this plugin you should have three different mini-profiles already installed by default: Example 1, Example 2, and Example 3. You can add these to your dropdowns to test them out and see the plugin in action.
If you're having trouble getting this plugin to work despite following the instructions in the previous tabs you may want to check that each of your themes meets the prerequisites below in Themes > Layout Templates > Mini-Profile.
First, ensure that opening tag of your mini-profile template includes the $[miniprofile_class] variable in its class. On the default ProBoards theme it should look something like this:
<div class="$[miniprofile_class]">
Next, make sure that the default {foreach} loop for custom fields is present inside your mini-profile. It doesn't need to be visible, so you're free to add it inside a hidden element if you don't plan on displaying it or if it would mess up the appearance of your own custom template.
Beyond that you can do whatever you like to the mini-profile template for the most part and it shouldn't negatively impact the plugin.
The following is a list of available variables for use in the HTML section of the mini-profile creator and their definitions. Adding any of these to a mini-profile will generate the content described in its definition in place of the variable so long as the information that variable outputs is visible to you.
To reference your forum's custom profile fields you can use $[user.customfieldname], substituting "customfieldname" with your custom field's name. You'll need to type the name in all lowercase with no spaces and only use characters A-Z and 0-9.
For example, Mini-Profile Theme becomes $[user.miniprofiletheme]. This will output the value of the custom field. In the case of this example, it'll be the name of the mini-profile theme you've chosen in your profile.
IMPORTANT NOTE: These will only work if you followed the steps in the Installation tab of this window on each of your themes. Any themes that do not include the template code specified there will not have these variables replaced in the mini-profile.
$[user]
User's display name link.
$[user.age]
User's age (if visible to you).
$[user.avatar]
User's current avatar.
$[user.badges]
User's list of badges.
$[user.birthday]
User's date of birth (if visible to you).
$[user.color]
Hex color of user's group. If user is not in a group this will return inherit.
$[user.custom_title]
User's custom title.
$[user.email]
User's email (if visible to you).
$[user.gender.image]
Image associated with the gender selected in the user's profile (if available).
$[user.gender.text]
Name of gender selected in the user's profile (if available).
$[user.group.name]
Name of user's current display group.
$[user.group.stars]
Star images associated with user's current display group.
$[user.id]
User's numerical ID.
$[user.instant_messenger]
User's list of instant messengers specified in their profile (if available).
$[user.invisible]
Returns 1 if a user is invisible. More useful for Javascript.
$[user.ip]
User's IP address (if visible to you).
$[user.is_online]
Returns Member is Online if user is currently online.
$[user.is_staff]
Returns 1 if a user is designated as staff. More useful for Javascript.
$[user.last_online]
Timestamp showing when user was last online.
$[user.likes]
Number of likes this user's posts have received.
$[user.location]
Location specified in user's profile.
$[user.name]
User's display name in plain text.
$[user.personal_text]
User's most recent status.
$[user.posts]
User's post count.
$[user.rank.name]
User's current posting rank.
$[user.rank.stars]
Star images associated with user's current posting rank.
$[user.registered_on]
Timestamp showing the date/time the user registered on the forum.
$[user.registered_on_short]
Condensed version of user's registration date.
$[user.social_network]
User's list of social networks specified in their profile (if available).
$[user.username]
Outputs the user's login username in plain text.
$[user.warning.bar]
User's warning bar (if it exists).
$[user.warning.level]
User's current warning level (if visible to you).
$[user.website]
Website specified in user's profile.
You can utilize the $(this) variable in the Javascript component to target the mini-profile <div> element. For example, if you wanted to add a class to the mini-profile you can use:
$(this).addClass('class-name-here');
Profile variables can also be used in the Javascript component in this plugin. In Javascript the value undefined is used to signify that a value doesn't exist for the variable you've specified. With this in mind you can use profile variables in Javascript conditional statements within the plugin similar to how they're used in the actual layout templates section of the admin area.
if(variable) will only run if the variable you specify has a value.
if(!variable) will only run if the variable you specify has no value.
Example 1 (variable has value):
if(user.group){
$(this).find('.group').show();
}
If the user has their group displayed in their profile the above Javascript would make the HTML below visible if you had it hidden with CSS.