Questions?

[Cyrus the virus]

I'm planning on taking questions from newer (or older, whatever) members and eventually making an FAQ to sticky in the Character Registration forum. This should make things a little bit easier for newer members who want to create a character, but aren't sure what the limits are or are a bit nervous about the details.

One thing everyone needs to know, though, is that you'll never get yelled at for asking a question, so feel free to do so. Ask whatever you like here, and I'll do my best to answer it or have another mod help me out. I specialize in character and approval questions, but of course I can deal with questions about regions as well.

If you have any questions, throw 'em at me.

[Ozmodious]

I think I'll help you out, Cyrus, with a curve-ball question:

Where do we read about the history of Althanas to get a better idea of the environments we are posting in to make it feel more realistic or at home for the reader?

[Bohemia]

Sorry if I'm stepping on your toes, Matt, reprimand me if you want.

Ozmodious, I will direct you here (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=321), to the Althanas Timeline.

[Project Serenade]

I'll stick with a more predictable slant: how many abilities can you have and at what power?

[Telum]

i remember at the old althanas there was some sort of character creation guide. is there any way to pull that out of the lost nether regions of the internet? it was super helpful the fist time i made a character.

[Cyrus the virus]

Danny, it's not a problem as long as you make sure your answers are correct :p


I think I'll help you out, Cyrus, with a curve-ball question:

Where do we read about the history of Althanas to get a better idea of the environments we are posting in to make it feel more realistic or at home for the reader?

The Timeline (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=321) is a good place to start, as Bohemia said, but I'm aware that some things there are vague. Some regions have really detailed histories, Raiaera probably being the best example, and you can find threads about the histories within the regions, usually in the general region forum, not in a sub.

Timeline's probably your best bet for what you're asking, though.


I'll stick with a more predictable slant: how many abilities can you have and at what power?

This question is both easy and difficult to answer at the same time. The main issue here is moderator discretion. An RoG moderator is given the leeway to approve characters based on their judgement, depending on what level you are. In theory, you could have anywhere between 1 and 10 abilities, but the more you have, the weaker they'd all have to be. Does that make sense?

With swordplay and weapon ability, you can generally have average skill with one primary weapon (and less than average skill with secondary weaponry) if you have other abilities. It honestly depends on how many other skills you have, and how 'good' they are for battle use.

Say I have a healing spell that restores a portion of my energy. It can be used around 3 times per thread, let's say. Given the usefulness of that spell, I'd likely only be allowed to have below average skill in one weapon, and if I wanted more weapon skills they'd have to be lower. This is how I, as a judge, would look at it. It's all about balance and moderator judgement.

But if I have no magic and just some small racial abilities, like slightly advanced hearing and smell, I could be awarded slightly above average skill in two different types of weaponry, or perhaps just one.

We're really pretty flexible. If you want to be specifically skilled in one area for some reason, an approvals moderator can work with you to limit your character's other abilities so that good ability with a sword can be awarded.

I look at a level 0 as the equivilent of an NPC Lietenant in a small army in skill. That probably doesn't help you out too much, but just letting you know that I do have an idea of how to guage power with level 0's.


i remember at the old althanas there was some sort of character creation guide. is there any way to pull that out of the lost nether regions of the internet? it was super helpful the fist time i made a character.

Did you mean this (http://www.althanas.com/world/showthread.php?t=251), Telum? If you think a more extensive guide would help, I'd be more than willing to write one up.

Does that answer your questions? If you have any more, just ask away.

[Telum]

for some reason i remember a more extensive guide, but there were a lot of things at the old althanas site that arent here anymore. maybe i'm just mixing things up.

[Cyrus the virus]

I could probably work on another one, it wouldn't really be any trouble, but it may take some time for me to get into 'rule mode' :p

Not that Dissinger's isn't good, or anything. I'm just thinking of adding examples, extensive explanations on things that are encouraged, what not to do if you want people to be interested in your character... That kind of thing. Including how to get that elusive 100 or 200EXP bonus ;)

[Project Serenade]

I could probably work on another one, it wouldn't really be any trouble, but it may take some time for me to get into 'rule mode' :p

Not that Dissinger's isn't good, or anything. I'm just thinking of adding examples, extensive explanations on things that are encouraged, what not to do if you want people to be interested in your character... That kind of thing. Including how to get that elusive 100 or 200EXP bonus ;)

That would be awesome. 'Specially the last part :D

[Cyrus the virus]

YOU WILL NEVER GET IT EVER

Dammit, I wanted to stay serious in this thread... My immature personality cripples me again :(

I'll work on that sometime soon, don't worry. Hopefully Diss doesn't take it personally or anything.

[Devil May Care]

What is, generally, the wanted length of profiles, including and discluding the history.

I am looking at my profile. My history is long and the actual profile is equivalent to one or two paragraphs. There simply isn't that much to tell about my character at the start, for he starts very basic. The history is where most of the storyline information is stored, for I could find no place to place it otherwise.

[Cyrus the virus]

Storyline information goes in the history. Length doesn't matter, but if you provide length just for the sake of providing length, it can be a pain.

But if you feel it's necessary to have a long profile, that's fine. Just make sure your skills and equipment are in plain view and easy to find at a glance.

[Garrador]

I have questions about mages:
~What are the spell limitations on mages?

~Do spells count as skills?

~Is there a list of spells one has, or do they make their own?

I'll probably think up some more later...

[Cyrus the virus]

No limitations when it comes to type of magic and stuff. You can have elemental magic, summoning, enfeebling magic, pretty much anything you can think up can be made to be perfectly fair and fun all at the same time.

Spells count as skills, yeah. As a mage you can understandably have more spells than a swordsman would.

Make up your own spells, anything you like. Nothing too powerful at level 0, like super earthquakes that destroy mountains, of course. But yeah, we don't have a list of spells you can choose from, you make up your own.

[A Really Bad Egg]

Been too long since you had a curveball Cyrus. This is for calling me zany :)

Let's say we had a character on Althanas a long time ago. I'm talking both crashes ago. If we still have record of the exp/gold/etc of what the character had, is it still groovy to re-reg them?


Oh... and just so you know.... Zany = Sexy Beast.

[Cyrus the virus]

Two crashes ago? That's a long time, so I'm going to have to say no unless you have a screenshot of the page with the EXP over the avatar and such. Or if you can find it using Google.

[A Really Bad Egg]

As a matter of fact, google is my little raunchpuppet. So I'm staring at the reg thread as I type.... well.. the little bar for it at the bottom at least. So does that mean grooviness abounds?

[Cyrus the virus]

As long as you provide a link to the profile so I can clarify the EXP and such :D

[A Really Bad Egg]

One last question, and it's just a clarification really. Re-regs go in the regular registration forum or the update forum?

[Cyrus the virus]

Regular registration, though it's really no big deal.

[A Really Bad Egg]

Thanks Cyrus for entertaining my questions... and I'll be right back mate.

[smoelf]

I've seen in the character registration a short part descriping battle, exp.

My question is, how the battles take place?

I mean, you cannot fight to the death when we're playing RPG like this.

And by the way, is a profile deleted if it has been inactive for a while?

[Cyrus the virus]

You can check out some battles in 'The Citadel' in 'Corone' to see how they work, if you like. Basically, you launch your attacks, but aren't allowed to say whether they hit your opponent or do any damage. Your opponent decides whether they get hit or manage to dodge, parry, etc.

This would be a problem if we judged battles based on who wins IC (In Character), but we judge battles based on writing skill and the way a writer makes his character fight.

So yes, you can very well fight to the death. My character's died three or four times in the Citadel. Thankfully, combatents who die there are revived by the 'monks'.

If a profile is not approved and is inactive for two months, it is deleted, yes. But they can be recovered. It's encouraged to start a new one, however, as the character might no longer be fresh in your mind after a long period of inactivity without ever writing with him. Approved profiles are not deleted.

[Eldritch]

I just realized, in my 5 years with you people, I never knew the answer to this question.

If there is one, what is the max level a character can acheive?

[Arawn]

Twenty.

It used to be fifty.

[Ozmodious]

Alright, heres another: What are the abilities on a character registration that a person should be wary of or should use better wording when presenting it?

[Cyrus the virus]

Anything that isn't straight forward, really. I suggest making some generic spells, like creating a light or something, more flexible so they'll have more than one way of being useful, if you get what I mean.

But the more clear you are on an ability, the better. Carefully choosing your words will help anyone looking at your profile understand the abilities your character has.

[Göth]

What should you do if your approval thread goes more then a week without any notice from a mod, since it has been recommended not to P.M. mods about it. [I've had this happen quite a few times and have done differant things each time, none worked well.]

[Arawn]

It's not happening now. Cyrus and I have kept the approvals well under control.

If, and I say this with the utmost incredulity at the prospect, a thread should go a week without notice, I don't mind being PMed about it.

[smoelf]

Is there any limits, how strong you may make your weapons as a level 0, like using titanium and mythril.

[Göth]

I can answer this, if I am allowed to.

Iron and Steel or weaker.

[Cyrus the virus]

Weapons and armor can be as strong as steel and no stronger. Iron is encouraged if you have a lot of skills or many pieces of equipment, because it's considered to be slightly less durable and heavier.

And I'd appreciate it if you'd leave the answering to Arawn and I, else anyone who knows the answer could just post here giving it. This should really only be questions from the members, answers from the RoG moderators. No offense meant.

[Chiroptera]

I'm not quite approved yet, so I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post yet, but I wanted to educate myself as much as possible lest I make a fool of myself *again* upon entering the community.

Anyway.
What is considered the proper etiquette for posting in someone else's thread? If they have a quest going and there's no mention of a "solo," are we allowed to just toss ourselves into the fray, as it were? Or do we need to ask permission . . .

[Arawn]

Generally, you should only do that with threads that specify being "Open" somewhere.

If there's no specification whatsoever, it's best to contact the thread leader before acting.

[Chiroptera]

And here's one that's going to make me sound really stupid.
How do you gain experience points.:o

[Arawn]

When you finish an In-Character thread (battle or quest), someone will judge it and give you a score ranging from 1 to 100.

At that point, you'll be given EXP based on the thread's score and length. In the case of battles, you get considerably more EXP for winning than for losing. It should be noted, too, that winning a battle is done by scoring higher, not by having your character 'beat' another.

[Chiroptera]

Do you have to click the "Submit Thread for Judging" befor your thread is weighed for experience points?

[Ther]

Do you have to click the "Submit Thread for Judging" befor your thread is weighed for experience points?

Yeah, when you complete that it sends a thread to our Althanas staff and lets them know that your role-playing thread is all ready to be weighed.

[Chiroptera]

'Nother question.

What is the limit -- spoken or assumed -- for the number of threads a character can be involved in? If there isn't an actualy rule that explicitly states:
" Thou shalt take part in no more than two threads at a time."

is there a standard of involved-ness that most people follow?

[Cyrus the virus]

Nope. You can be in as many threads as you like, but try not to spread yourself too thin or it'll be hard to keep up.

EDIT: Also, your previous question is already in the FAQ thread that is in this forum. Simply reading that would have saved you some time, so please look there in the future before posting a new question.

[Chiroptera]

Oh, here's another.

Can we see other people's buddy lists? Will they know if we put them on ours?

[Ther]

Oh, here's another.

Can we see other people's buddy lists? Will they know if we put them on ours?

I don't believe you can, and they won't know, no.

[Chiroptera]

One more.:D
Just smack me if I get annoying.

Is it okay if our character is doing multiple quests in multiple locations at one time?

[Reiko]

One more.:D
Just smack me if I get annoying.

Is it okay if our character is doing multiple quests in multiple locations at one time?

yup it's perfectly fine. actually I like being in lots of quests at once, a good way to keep from gettting bored if one starts to chug.

[Chiroptera]

This one's a little random.
Are moderators listed on the "Who's Online" page?

[Ther]

Yeah, and you can also see who they are by clicking the "Forum Leaders" link at the bottom of the forum home.

[Cyrus the virus]

Reiko, I refer you to this:


And I'd appreciate it if you'd leave the answering to Arawn and I, else anyone who knows the answer could just post here giving it. This should really only be questions from the members, answers from the RoG moderators. No offense meant.

Again, no offense meant.

Also, Chir, moderators are in italics in the Who's Online page, so you can see 'em easier. Administrators are in bold. And you can ask as many questions as you like.

[Chiroptera]

And you can ask as many questions as you like.

Oh, goody.:D

Are moderators and administrators the only ones who can close threads?

[Molotov]

simple answer: yes.

[Chiroptera]

When you're doing a quest with other people, is it kosher to maintain the order of posters according to who joined the thread after who? I mean, should each person post only after the same person whom they posted after the first time they joined?

[Cyrus the virus]

Kosher, yes. But it's not always necessary, such as in cases where your character is doing something unrelated to what the others are doing, like having a bad dream while asleep as the others are having a discussion around a campfire.