Pells

In 1.0, shield skills were learned separately from sword skills. They've since abandoned this, but perhaps the description was never updated?

You don't have to come up with these on the spot, either. Most places I've seen people singing or performing in RP, the song and/or act were prepared beforehand--either in a macro, or a separate text document. Pacing between each line is learned through just trying it out. Same with how much spam you're willing to put out at a time. And to differentiate between song and speech, I'd use some sort of marker for it. I don't know how to (or if you can) get musical notes, but really anything that isn't used already, such as quotes or parenthesis, should work as long as you're consistent about them.

Every step is an RNG between normal, good and excellent. Poor always follows an excellent step. Observe is just a way to pass a step without doing anything, except spending the 12cp to use it. Later on, you will also get buffs that last a set number of turns, and then you also need to consider if you want to waste the turn. So if conditions aren't favorable, it's usually better to wait. Strike while the iron's hot.

1. I believe a main character is one you play the most often. 2. This makes an alternate character any others that I might have. 3. I believe that it helps to do this. The important thing is to communicate with each other OOCly. Before, during, after. I personally wouldn't want to commit to anything long-term if the other partner isn't seeing it that way as well. 4. No. We discussed the relationship before hand: how much time would be committed to playing that relation, or what to do in case of long absences (they're not always planned--real life happens). 5. I hadn't really thought about it. 6. Same here. 7. I tend to stick to one main at a time. If I find myself becoming more and more active on an alt, I switch which one I name my main. 8. I play whichever appeals to me at the time. My main tends to be my roleplay character, which is almost always the reason why it's my main; they're the most fun. I have made alts as secondary or throw-away characters. They get brought in as the story needs them. I have made alts to try other classes (this won't be an issue here), and if I end up loving the class they get an eerily similar look and name to the main. Other's won't need to guess if it's me because I make them the same. I also make alts that are my 'don't bother me' characters. I've yet to roleplay on them, and the few who I do trust enough to tell my identity to know not to bother me unless it's important. On any other alt, I make myself known, and will switch when asked and it suits me. It shouldn't hurt anyone to be told 'no, I have other plans'. Again, discussing how much time is expected of each other before-hand helps here.

I feel like I picked up most of the important historical details just playing through the story quests in 2.0.

I remember the auction sales in Ul'Dah! Those were fun, so count me in.

I don't believe there is one best way to handle any and all situation, ever. That said, I would personally prefer to handle clashes OOCly, as that has in my experience been the better way to avoid hurt feelings. Finding an IC way to deal with it is even better, and can often be negotiated for OOCly. There are instances where a character type, while fun, just doesn't mesh well with specific groups. It happens. But nobody should be forced to adjust or compromise their character concepts to fit another's--neither the group nor the outlier. I feel that it would be best to just admit they aren't a good fit, and ask them to move on. In the example given, I'd have a talk with the individual, and mention that he doesn't really fit in with the group's goals and ideals. If they reply with the 'sorry but this is my character' line, then by all means--have the slacker character ICly be flunked out or suspended. Or if the character is overpowered: they've obviously progressed past the scope of the class, and should be graduated.

When 1.0 launched, there were servers locked, yes. There were people who were unable to create their characters on Besaid on the very first day. The lock didn't last long, and if you got lucky, you could roll up on the second or third day. After the first week, it didn't really matter, and I didn't see any server locks that I can recall now.

Because it wouldn't really matter. At this point no matter which server you pick there will be some group somewhere that's already claimed it as 'theirs'. And there will be griefers and people who despise RP there too. And yet another post about a new unofficial RP server will likely be met by the same slew of negative replies, quite possibly by the same people posting in the Balmung and Gilgamesh (and Behemoth... and Leviathan...) threads. I just fail to understand why the opinions of people not involved in the RP community even matter, I guess. It's not like there aren't ways to deal with harassment in-game.