GM OOC Board

[Maerin]

Players,

This is something new I am trying. This is my board for future OOC communications to the players. I'll create an OOC board for everyone. However, for posts I make in my capacity as the game's GM, I'll try to post them here as much as possible. I am locking the board so that only I will post to it. Player questions to me about rules or the like should be posted in either the general OOC board or, if appropriate, the Dice Rolling board.

Please make certain you read this board every time you see new posts from me appear.

[Maerin]

Players,

Somehow, my Game Rules dropped through the cracks and did not make it into this game. So I will post it today. Please read them, as they are all in effect for this game. Also, for those who have played in previous game(s), I have revised them.

[Maerin]

Players,

Once final approval is granted and you post you completed character sheet in the Character Sheets thread, you are free to use the game mechanics as normal.

[Maerin]

Players,

Just a quick Game Rules reminder for all of you. I will not tell you to make skill rolls and the like for things in your posts. You are expected to make and post those rolls for yourself. The only exception presently is Jynx, whose character creation has not yet seen final approval.

In certain circumstances, you may find your character knows and/or understands certain things the player does not. That is normal, and it is the point of putting Ranks in things like Knowledges or skills like Sense Motive. Remember, however, that your IC post needs to reflect your character's skill use. You cannot just post a roll when it is clear from your IC post that your character isn't even considering the subject.

Hint, hint...

I have seen a few instances these past few weeks where IC posts have, shall we say, drawn certain conclusions about certain people or situations that represent a player's view...but not a view realistic of their character (who might well know more about the subject than the player).

Lastly, Knowledge skills are a "Garbage In -> Garbage Out" sort of deal. If you, say, consider asking about "anything my character knows about Bautar", you're going to fail no matter how high you roll. Nobody actually thinks like Wikipedia or Google.

What you need to do is focus on what it is you are really wanting to see what your character knows or understands. This is where you really stick yourself into the shoes of your character. The more specific the question, the more specific the outcome.

Now, doing that does not remove the usefulness of "general inquiries". But you do need to remember that general inquires typically yield general (and not always either accurate or comprehensive) results. And so general inquiries are of strictly limited usefulness.

This is a key to the player successfully roleplaying a character that is a distinct identity, mentality, and personality from the player him- or herself. As I now some of you can attest from past experience "roleplaying yourself" in a game, while not an uncommon habit (and a habit that seems easier than really portraying a different person), is often fraught with difficulty and frustration. Magnamund does not have the same value systems, insights, and understandings as the cultures of the players at this "table". That is why I run a game in Magnamund here, rather than just run a game set in our own world.

[Maerin]

Players,

Not going to be able to post tonight. It was a long day that started very early for me. But also because I need to bump this week's GM post to earlier in the day. Some of you do not habitually post until Monday evening, and I did not want an early post to catch you all by surprise.

I will post tomorrow, just after noon (Pacific). That will set the "24-hour clock" for my posts for the afternoon for the rest of the week. As Thursday was going to end up a seriously late evening, due to a public meeting I am running in the evening, that noon timeframe is a better one for the game this week.

Most of you should use this opportunity to continue your conversations through editting your current post. Altor, you can edit your post to add your response to Rolph's introduction of you to his crew. Doing so will not disrupt the outcome of your skill checks today, and allow you and Rolph to keep your roleplay going.

Thanks.

[Maerin]

Players,

If you have an approved character sheet, please update your Profile signature with the updated information for your character. Some of you have not done that yet (being nice and not naming names...yet...).

[Maerin]

Lifted from Rolph's post today:

May 5, 2011 1:40:04 GMT Rolph said:

"That's quite all right, Altor," said Rolph, though he was a little puzzled as to what could be distracting the dwarf. "Are you looking for someone in particular? Perhaps your other friends?"

-----------------

ooc this is in response to Rolph

"Nae, nothing in particular," responds Altor "again, sorry fer being distracted, simply not used to being in places like this."

Looking at the crew, and in particular Rolph's first mate "again, it be a pleasure tae meet you all."

****

And this is what happens when someone with Site Staff priviledges is a player. You edit the wrong post.... :-D

Be careful, to all this might apply to (and yes, I've made the same mistake). You're only allowed to mess with your own postings, irrespective of whatever website priviledges Beowuuf has extended you...

[Maerin]

Players,

Just a little end-of-the-week reminder about social interaction roleplay. If you are actively lying, saying one thing and thinking another, or the like, you do need to roll and post a Bluff check. What, you say? But that will give away that I'm lying? OOC, yes, it is. But it's also playing by the rules.

Obviously, there are a multitude of occasions where a character is not saying what he or she is thinking or the like. I'm not asking for a Bluff check in every single instance.

But if almost all of your post is running a bluff or something along that line, and if your character is actively speaking in direct support of him or her running that bluff, the check has to be posted. If it isn't, I will always assume a Take 5 on a Bluff check (and, for some, you might be fine with that; you don't HAVE to post a roll...). People with Ranks in the Sense Motive skill may pick up on the false act, if they choose to use it, and fairness requires that possibility be out there (for both PCs AND NPCs).

Lastly, you cannot take advantage of the "faceless, voiceless" nature of the online play-by-post forum to become the "perfect liar". Sorry. That would be cheating. :-)

[Altor "Al" Cloudscraper]

Have I missed two posts? I am sorry, if I have, but not sure how I have done it.

[Maerin]

May 9, 2011 17:27:45 GMT Altor "Al" Cloudscraper said:

Have I missed two posts? I am sorry, if I have, but not sure how I have done it.

If more than a day passes in between each of your posts (not counting weekends), you have missed a post. :-)

What typically happens is procrastination. Particularly if you seek to wait for another player to post first (you should never do that; remember, posts happen more or less simultaneously).

Incidentally, as mentioned in the first post, this particular sub-board is not for you, Mr. Site Staff Who Can Post In Otherwise Locked Forums. :-)

[Maerin]

Players,

Most of you need to jog a bit faster on the learning curve, as none of you is a wet-behind-the-ears newbie here. I'm having to make a lot of OOC pokes and prods (both publicly and privately) over stuff I know you all know better. Having to do that means daily GM posts take me much longer than they should. I do not want this game to crash and go away, because it is taking me too much time on a daily basis to run.

If you have questions about the game or game play, or even if you need or want some player guidance, then please either post them or PM them to me. Don't sit on these things, hoping I might be able to read your mind online. If I do not hear from anyone, I assume you all have no questions or doubts...and therefore needing to remind you all of simple stuff is irksome, to say the least.

[Maerin]

Players,

I have tried hard to post all week, despite working long hours (doing, among other tasks, a lot of writing...). But, now that I know I have to work through this weekend anyway, I'm going to toss in the towel on making a post tonight. I'm "typed out", if you'll pardon the pun.

If you want to edit your posts to reflect conversations with each other (Altor and Rolph specifically), that is fine. If you want to embellish your posts, that is also fine. Ilia gave me notice she was not likely to post today, but she is welcome to post this weekend. I'll be back at the usual Monday evening.

Thanks for your patience.

[Maerin]

Players,

I'm still struggling with a serious work deadline. So I am pausing the game until Wednesday this week. You may further edit your posts between now and Wednesday night.

[Maerin]

Alright, you all get another day. I will be finished with my work situation tomorrow. But not tonight.

Frank

[Maerin]

Players,

I successfully conquered the massive work assignment. But that triumph has pretty well done me in.

So I'm going to postpone the game until Monday. It'll give me a chance to catch back up. So enjoy your rest of the week, all. I apologize for the sudden pause.