Posting is one of the most important skills that you, as a member of the Plaza, can have in your arsenal. Posts make up the foundations of each forum, and are the very means through which each and every Kingdom and discussion continues to grow and develop. Without posting, there would be no interaction between members; no way to enrich and build up your character; no evolution. In short, there would be no Plaza.
And one of the most amazing things about it is that a lot of members still don’t know how to post properly! Admittedly, there are no set rules regarding the form or nature of a good post, and everyone posts differently. However, there are 4 easy steps which most good posters should try to follow...
1. Open the thread, and once it has done loading, stop. The first thing you should do, must do, is to read the rules of the thread. These rules were not put there for the fun of it, they are there to give order to the thread and ensure that it runs as smoothly as possible. If you have queries or are uncertain about any of the rules, do not post anyway and hope that you have done it right. Post OoC (Out of Character) and ask whoever is in charge about it. They will happily answer what you want to know, or any other questions you might have.
2. Now that you know how the thread is run and what you are expected to do within it, you might think you can now post. Wrong! This is a mistake made by, it must be said, the majority of Plaza members. The next step that it is crucial you follow is to read through the thread. That does not mean skimming through it either, reading the occasional post of someone that you know. It means reading each individual post since your last post in the thread, and taking in what has happened since. If you don’t you, might repeat a previous point that has already been brought up, or miss an important event or plot development in an In-Character thread. When people fail to do this, it is not only very irritating for the thread-moderator, but also means that you will inevitably look rather stupid if you make a grave error.
3. Now that you know how you are going to post in the thread and what you are going to post about, you can consider doing so. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the thread, and you can begin typing up your post. But remember to suit your post to the mood of the thread. In other words, if somebody has just died in an RPG and everyone is mourning their passing, it would not be a good idea to dance in on the scene tooting a pink trumpet and telling light-hearted jokes. You would post respectfully, in keeping with the sombre nature of the recent events. Try to interact with others and what they have described in their previous posts too, as this will help the story-line to progress and simply make it more fun for each of you. It is also always a good idea to try to incorporate humour into your post whenever possible. This makes it more interesting and enjoyable for others to read, though only when the time suits (i.e. not if something terrible has just happened). Though if you are including humour, make sure that it is never vulgar or inappropriate for the family-friendly nature of the Plaza. Swearing and cursing is also something to steer well clear of. 4. Now, at last, your post has been typed up and is happily waving at you from your screen. You have read the thread through and managed to incorporate what has been going on into your post, as well as a bit of chatter with a peer, and even a rather witty remark. Now is a good time to check through it for grammatical or spelling errors, and it is usually a good idea to try sticking to standard English. You confidently click on the Post button and wait for the screen to refresh complete with your new addition. Then, for some reason or another, your connection lives out its lemming-urges and tosses itself off a cliff, successfully losing your entire post. Or perhaps, while you were typing, several dozen other people with more agile fingers posted about a new plot development and thus set your post adrift as an incongruous island of light-heartedness amidst a sea of dark battling. And so you must either retype your post as its memory trickles through your fingers, or delete it and retype it. To avoid this very irritating procedure, simply copy your post before you post it and refresh the page. It barely takes a minute and if nothing has changed you can then post it, or alter it accordingly if needs be.
When you do post, remember to leave your signature off if this has been specified in the thread’s rules and so prevent yourself being scolded. And there you have it. Your post now sits conformably in with the rest of the thread and storyline, something to be proud of and a point well earned. For a quick recap of the seven golden rules then:
I know that all of the above looks a like a lot to remember every time you post, but nobody expects you to follow this rough outline religiously. This is just a guide if you need it; you may have a far more effective method that works better for you. So good luck out there in that wide world, and may your posting prowess flourish unhindered!
1. Read the rules of the thread
2. Read the thread through
3. Suit your post to the mood of the thread
4. Interact with others
5. Try to incorporate humour into your post whenever possible
6. Copy your post, before you post it, and refresh the page
7. Leave your signature off if this has been specified
RPGs are one of the most popular and enjoyable activities that you can participate in on the Plaza, and at least one official RPG can be found in every kingdom. There are also scores running all the time in houses and OOME, so it can safely be said that they play a large role in Plaza life. Subsequently, it is extremely important that you know how to participate in an RPG, and more importantly, that you know how to participate properly.
Q. Who is the QM, and what does he/she do?
Q. How do I join in with an RPG?
Q. I’ve never been in an RPG before, how am I expected to post?
Q. We’ve just started a battle: what do I do?
a) Fights with NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) like Orcs or some other mass-produced enemy. These are the more common types of fights, and the easiest to master. You simply post about yourself and what you are doing in this battle, and as the enemy is completely made up, you can make the fighting go how you like.
E.g. Istar A jumps aside and narrowly misses the Orc’s brutal slash, the crude blade nicking his robes in its downward sweep. He sees his chance as his opponent’s defences are down, and with a horizontal slice, decapitates his enemy.
b) Battles with other members of the Plaza. These are extremely difficult, and though they are somewhat rare (usually appearing only in inter-kingdom wars or specific RPGs), it is important to know what to do in such situations, as they can be very rewarding too. The main rule is to simply focus on your own actions and only mention those of your opponent that your opponent has specifically written about. Otherwise, you might post them doing something that they have no intention of doing, or vice versa. If you are writing about you attacking him or her, then always leave the outcome for them to decide, and never post killing them outright. The only real way to decide who wins is for one of the fighters to submit by running away or posting their own death.
E.g. Q. I’ve heard mention of godmoding, but what is it and how should I avoid it?
a) Giving yourself advantages, powers, strength etc. that your character would not actually have, or doing things you would not be able to do. This could include killing large enemies very quickly or with minimal weapons, using magic to solve every problem you face, falling great distances onto your head and surviving, being able to fly, the ability to kill anyone you like in the world by sneezing.
b) Making radical things happen to people or events, against their wishes and/or without permission. This is one to watch for when in battles with other members, as if you were to kill them in your first post, it would be godmoding. Similarly, if you were to post saying that an avalanche came from no where and killed the army you were about to fight against, it would also be godmoding. See?
However, it must be admitted that some types of godmoding are easier to spot than others, and so sometimes it can be difficult to know whether your post contains godmoding. If you ever are unsure then simply read it over: is your post reasonable? Could anyone else find it unfair, or disagree with what you are doing? Could your character really do that? With these questions in mind, you shouldn’t have too much difficulty in avoiding godmoding, but if the QM vetoes your post then it will have been for a reason. Exactly what constitutes as godmoding differs from RPG to RPG, but the QM’s word is final and it is best to apologise and leave it at that.
Q. Am I allowed to use magic in RPGs?
1. Magic should be used sparingly, and only in times of real need.
A. The QM is the Quest Master, and this is the person that runs and moderates the RPG. They planned its running and wrote the storyline; they decide how it progresses along the way; they handle any upsets and deal out any punishments that need dealt. Basically, this is the boss and their word is final. They can kill your character without warning (though most will caution you before resorting to this), veto any of your actions that they do not agree with, or administer any other penalty they feel is necessary if you have been misbehaving. It is never a good idea to question their judgement, unless you honestly cannot see what you have done wrong: they will gladly supply you with the reasoning if you do. This is also the person to see if you have any questions, and most will supply an e-mail address to which you can send any queries. It is not unusual for them to have one or more sub-QMs that act as second in commands, and these should be treated with the same respect as the QM.
A. Most RPGs will hold a sign-up thread for a week or two before the actual adventure begins, where people can sign up to participate. Simply post your interest there. If you missed this thread, you should seek the QM’s permission to join: it is usually best to send them a polite e-mail and follow whatever their response tells you. In most cases, simply insert yourself into what is going on by posting your arrival and perhaps made-up reasons for why you are late, e.g. you were travelling in the South, or had business with the Dwarves in the North.
A. In all RPGs, you are required to post I.C. (In Character), which means taking on the role of your Plaza alter-ego and acting accordingly. Everyone posts differently and uses a different format, but it is a good idea to post in the third-person so as to avoid confusion, though whether you use the past or the present tense depends on which you prefer and what situation you are in. Then simply describe what you are doing, with as much detail as you like. Try to include things like who with, what time of day it is, how you are feeling or what you are thinking. If the circumstances suit it (during a long ride, for example), you could even tell a fictional story to your group about one of your past exploits, or simply have an appropriate conversation with somebody.
A. Battles and fights are one of the most popular aspects of RPGs, but only so long as people fight properly. There are really two types of battle you can be in, each described below:
Istar B ducks and darts sideways to avoid Orc B’s sword, slightly startled by the attack but still managing time to react. She unsheathes her own weapon and thrusts it at the chest of her opponent in one fluid movement, her teeth gritted with determination.
Orc B is off balance following his own attack, and so has no time to counter Istar B’s deft stab. Her blade rams into his chest, puncturing his heart and killing him. He falls to the ground dead, blood staining his front and the grass around him.
A. Godmoding is something that you must steer well clear of when participating in RPGs, though it can often be hard to know what counts and what doesn’t. Basically, it comes in two forms:
A. Magic has always been a bit of a grey area when it comes to what you can do and what you can’t do, and the precise rules of what goes are different in each RPG. It really all depends on the QM and what they think about the topic, but most will provide a small list of guidelines dealing with magic in the RPG. However, the widely followed basics are:
2. It should always be anchored in nature and plausible: you can’t just conjure a fireball out of nowhere, you first need to light a fire with kindling etc. before you can manipulate the flames, and causing the fire to stay in the shape of a ball whilst flying through the air in the midst of a battle would take a great deal of energy and strength. Not to mention the chance that the fireball would miss, due to your aiming, wind speed, distance, and the force with which you threw it.
3. Magic cannot kill outright, but instead used to give you a slight advantage of your opponent.
4. Magic requires thought and extreme mental effort: following any spells, you should find yourself sufficiently drained to the degree of the magic you have performed.
Plaza Etiquette
The Plaza is made up of dozens and dozens of different nationalities all brought together by a mutual love of Tolkien, his literary works, and further works that have since been inspired by them. Almost a nationality of its own, you might say, united beneath one banner. But each country is totally different in terms of what you should and, more importantly, should not do. Etiquette, in other words. And so, the Plaza too has rules of etiquette that must be followed or else be ordained as a rude little scallywag that possibly deserves to be smacked with a root vegetable.
Everyone, whether you are as young as a spring chicken that has freshly head-butted its way out of an egg or as old as a nanny goat with a flatulence issue, will have heard of spam. Yes spam, the key that opens the door of point-loss into the realm of Thomassing, though not as tasty as its pink square counter-part.
Whether they are RPGs, quests, or whatever else, in-character (IC) activities are a lot of fun. But, as with most fun things like, there are rules to follow. Taxidermy is a great hobby, but it would not be as much fun for everyone if you stuffed an animal with porridge now would it? And as not using porridge to stuff things is the golden rule of the taxidermist, not godmoding is one of the principal rules of the IC enthusiast.
It is quite understandable really. You are still new and with a rather modest point-total, and feel you cannot hope to hold your ground in a Kingdom full of towering overlords, each with a belly filled with points and respect. And so the logical path to respect would seem to be points, resulting in a mad dash through the lore forums, Kingdom pubs, and any other point-rewarding haven in an attempt to give your point-total a kick start and allowing you to fly on into the fabled paradise of Plaza notoriety.
Sadly, incessant posting is not the answer. While your position in the Kingdom Page may rocket up, the respect others have for you will only dwindle. Because if, in the midst of true Plaza members that work hard and earn their points, you shoot up the ranks ladder, you might as well have SPAMMER tattooed in fuschia onto your forehead. Spammers are hardly popular, and though the gains you may make in the short-term seem heavenly, they will not last. R/As are always on the lookout for spam, and every forum is constantly under their scrutiny. The best you can hope for is a scolding and the deletion of your post, while re-offenders can look forward to possible suspension.
If, somehow, you luckily escape the nets weaved by the Valinor crew; you can sit back on your cushy horde of ill-gotten points. But are they yours? Of course not! A point is an award, for a good post, a correct answer in a quiz, or some other deserving service rendered. Making useless posts does not come under that heading, you might as well have pushed an old woman down a hill and raided her handbag for those points! You ought to be ashamed of yourself; you have cheated the Plaza and yourself! And what for? For a bracketed number beside your name to increase.
Spamming does nobody any favours, it means that rules and regulations must be tightened continuously, resulting in a stricter, less fun Plaza for everyone. Isn’t fun what the Plaza is about in the first place? What else is there to say about spamming other than: don’t do it!
Picture the scene… An epic battle between a horde of Orcs, trolls, wargs, and other strange googly things with pointy-teeth, pitted against a heroic ensemble of tall blonde people with shiny teeth and even shinier swords. The battle commences; everybody is gearing up for the biggest punch-up this side of Eä, ready to fight for the freedom of all peoples throughout this Middle-Earth. And along trots a little wizard, he tosses a quick fireball at the evil mass, blows them all into little chunks and everyone goes home again. Slight anticlimax, don’t you agree?
The thing about going on a quest is that things are not supposed to be easy. If it was, we could complete our task quickly, before going home and eating things. Like biscuits. Problems faced along the way are part of the RPG and are there for a reason: so that you can think up a way to overcome them and make your eventual victory all the sweeter. Conquering everything in your path in a few brief posts thanks to your super-magic-power-sword-that-slays-all-enemies-instantly defeats the purpose of the RPG, and spoils it for everyone else participating. We can all post ourselves blowing a ten thousand-strong army into oblivion, but so can anyone. If that can happen, why not just post your villain having a cardiac arrest? What is really impressive is somebody that conquers difficulties using their imagination and creativity. It makes things much more fun and rewarding, for everyone!
Similarly, people don’t like doing things involuntarily, and so posting someone doing something that they have not agreed to is a big no-no. Everyone is different and so reacts differently in situations: how are you to know what their course of action is? It’s okay to describe something that they have already posted doing, but saying that they have just turned around and called you big poop is most definitely godmoding.
Admittedly, godmoding is quite a grey area regarding what is considered a godmode and what is not. Ultimately, whoever is in charge of the thread decides, but as long as you keep everything in your posts reasonable (no ridiculously unfair advantages; no unendorsed and radical actions by other people) you should get along nicely!