If you don't know what the heck you're doing here then this is the place for you
If you need more information on a topic, don't hesitate to ask! This guide will be fleshed out as needed
1: Your First Character
Snakekeys is an ARPG, meaning "art roleplaying game". But in order to do any playing along, you need a character first! Well, sort of. You can use NPCs for things such as event prompts, but let's ignore that for now. There are several character types that are free to create and many, many more that have to be earned. The default - and probably easiest - MYO ("make your own") is a regular Snakekey. You can find the guide for them linked below or in the sidebar to your left. Regular keke are totally free and unlimited! Make as many as you like whenever you like.
Once you've created a hatchling, post it to either our DA approval folder or the TH approval thread. You'll need to do this to make your keke official so that they can do things within the group! While you wait for a mod to come and approve your keke, make sure you've read the group rules! During the approval process, you may need to make slight tweaks to your design to make sure your keke fits the species rules, so keep an open mind. But also don't worry too much. We're pretty chill around here and I'm nice : )
• Regular Snakekey Creation
• DA approval folder
• TH approval thread
• Group rules
Footnote: Other Free MYO Types
If you don't want to create a regular Snakekey, there are increasingly more character types you can chose from instead. Just note that they vary in creation difficulty depending on what you pick! You can check the subspecies page or the PC page for anything that says MYOs are free. Some examples are Goobers, Shinies, Plumies, Fawnettes, Subterfeweges, and Crested Wistuls
Footnote: Using NPCs
Event content as well as some other parts of the group can be done with NPCs if you're saving up for a special type of keke or something like that. However, NPCs can't earn upgrades, get pets, or collect their own stars
2: Folded Paper Stars & Upgrades
Okay, your first keke/PC has been approved! Now what? Well, now you can draw them or write about them in order to earn paper stars! Stars are a currency that each of your characters will build up as you do pieces of them. The more effort you put into a piece, the more stars you get out of it! Keep in mind that each keke and PC has their own paper star count
Once you have a few stars, you can take a look at the upgrade sheets. Start with simple - it's the cheapest! There, you can see what upgrades you can apply to a keke and how many stars each one costs. If your keke has the same amount of stars as an upgrade's cost, you can apply it to your keke! Note that this does not "spend" stars. Your star counts will only ever go up. Also note that some upgrades require a prompt to be completed before you can apply their upgrade. This prompt will be directly below the upgrade itself. If you think that's annoying, don't worry. Once you've done a prompt for a specific upgrade three different times, it becomes optional! Note that this does not apply to certain upgrades such as base swap and morph changer
As you get more stars, you'll be able to afford more expensive upgrades. Explore the sheets to find what you like and make plans for what you want to put on your character!
• Counting stars
• Upgrade sheets
Footnote: Non-Star Categories
Some upgrade categories such as enchanted and ascended require different things instead of paper stars such as magical ability or event participation. If you don't see star counts beside upgrades, something else is going on!
3: Events
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4: The Young Age Phase
Aging your keke past the baby stage is totally optional, but will unlock more parts of the group. Don't worry, even if you've aged your keke all the way up to elder, you can draw them at any approved age at any time for stars! This guide assumes you're gonna move on up, but feel free to linger as a hatchling for as long as you like. Growing a keke to young usually sees them getting a fancier design if desired. Visit the creation guide for the type of character you're aging and follow the instructions there. Then, submit your piece to the aging approval folder on DA or the approval thread on TH. A mod will come by, check for mistakes, and have you on your way!
Being a young allows a keke/PC to participate in adventuring. These are a series of story prompts that result in you earning a special reward! This can range from upgrades to eggs. There are lots of adventures to chose from - just be sure you read the rules first!
• Regular Snakekey Creation
• DA aging approval folder
• TH approval thread
• Adventure listing
5: The Youth Age Phase
The next step to adulthood is through the youth phase. During this time, a Snakekey will hit puberty. This is shown by a minimum of one lingering upgrade that lasts until they're past the phase. They'll also have access to all youth upgrades (provided they're the right species)! These approvals go in the Aging Approval Folder and are usually super easy. Just don't forget the required upgrade! Different keke types will have different sets of 10 upgrades the can be used for approvals. Youth upgrades can stick around to the adult phase, but this is totally optional
• Regular Snakekey Creation
• DA aging approval folder
• TH approval thread
• Youth Upgrades
6: Adulthood