Help!

If we have questions about the rules, or about what action to take, we can discuss them here and get advice. You are always welcome to PM the GM, but other's can help too, the game is a collaboration.

Quick Links:
Don't Edit
Don't placeholder
Viewpoint and Tense
Formatting
Fiction First

Don't Edit
Due to technicalities on this site and the way the human brain processes information and changes, please don't edit the content of a post once people have read it (which means as soon as you have posted). We don't get notifications for edits.

Editing minor grammar or spelling is OK, but if this, in any way, changes the meaning of what was there, drop an OOC note explaining exactly what you changed. 'Not' and 'Now' are such common typos, but can completely change the meaning once fixed: "I thought you said you were not going to do the thing!". "No, I said 'I am now going to do the thing!"

We are not trying to write a book. Play by post is not for those who may come later and read the game, it is for those who are playing right now. Don't stress about out-of-order posts (they are the only way this thing works) and please don't worry about looking foolish by correcting a mistake in a way all can see, if we can not clearly see your correction, then there is a problem.

If you forgot to say something, just create a new post below with what you left out. Some think this may look 'messy', but it actually makes it make sense to anyone reading it and there is no confusion. Avoiding confusion is much more important than looking good. :)

Thanks.

Don't placeholder
For similar reasons to the above note about editing: please don't post a 'placeholder' or 'TBD' post with a roll and then go back and fill it in based on the result. Let the fiction drive the posts and the mechanics can come after.

Post what you are trying to do --up to the point it could fail-- along with the setup for any roll you are trying for.

Drop a post in the OOC thread saying what your intent is --in clear out-of-character language.

Include mention of the Characteristic and Skill you think you should roll with --and why if it is unclear (see Rules -> Rolling the Dice). That way the GM can more easily spot a mismatch in your intentions or understanding of the rules or the situation. The GM will decide (and explain) the actual possible rolls and outcomes, which can then be discussed if needed. All players should feel free to weigh in on such things, the GM has 'final say' not the only say.

You can then go back and edit the post to add the roll. Based on the outcome you may be free to immediately continue the action in a new post (see 'Don't Edit'), or you may need input from the GM before continuing, in which case, mention in the OOC that you have rolled.

Regularly you will have to go back and add a roll, the GM will point out that "It looks like you are trying to (insert Action here). Is that correct? If so then roll for it." This will become clear as we play.

When you roll: Include a descriptor of what you are doing in the Reason field.

Viewpoint and Tense (TLDR: Third Person, Present Tense)
At the table I encourage players to speak in 'first person' ("I hit him.") as it can increase 'immersion'. Some players embrace this, some find it uncomfortable, and some (myself included) swap between first and third (and of course as a GM I use second person a lot, but that is not for you:).

I don't recommend first person in play by post, as this has the opposite effect to what is intended. Instead of your words showing us what your character is doing, written first person results in your words showing us your character telling us what they are doing, thus adding an additional level of indirection.

This is in addition to the difficulty of the rest of us reading what each PC did, with the pronoun 'I' obscuring who they are. This becomes a clamour of people shouting their own opinion at the reader. There is a reason most books are written in third person ('Bob hits them'), and that books in first person are mostly only from the viewpoint of a single protagonist.

Most of the time what you describe is what is happening 'now', so present tense is almost always the best way to go.

Formatting
A common idiom on many play by post sites is to use "quoted" bold (ctrl-b) text for your character's spoken dialog italic (ctrl-i) for internal monologue or thoughts, in the form of:

"I am going to help!" Bob informs the group. Man, I hope they back me up. He thinks desperately.

Some players like to give their character's words and thoughts some color in addition to this. This can be handy for quickly finding what someone said. If you opt to use color, make sure it is one that everyone can read easily, on both the light and dark theme. Confirm with the group as some people's eyes don't see the way yours do. If in doubt, avoid color.

Such formatting tricks should not be used as a substitute for proper writing --not everyone can see them on all devices-- so keep things clear by always including the usual quote marks and explanations (like: "What!?" Bob exclaims with excitement. or: What!? Bob thinks in surprise.)

It is handy to bold the names of other PCs and players in your posts so the player can know to look at it with higher level of urgency than normal. The GM has to look at everything, so don't bother with NPCs, this just dilutes the effect.

Going back later and adding bold and italic to a post is also fine, this does not change the content of the message, just makes it easier to digest.

Fiction First
What you say matters. More words is not better, and flowery text and purple prose are not what we are looking for. State what your character is doing ---if need be add an OOC note to make things absolutely clear what your intent is--- and the GM will let you know the possible outcomes of what you described.

These outcomes can range from "That works" to "There is no way for you to do that", with the common "How do you do that?" in between. If Dice are called for to resolve the success, the nature of the description (what is happening in the fiction) will dictate the nature of the consequences; If you describe your character doing something dangerous, a Failure with Effect of -6 or worse will be very dangerous while an Effect or -1 will be less so; and an Effect of +1 will still be dangerous, but you Succeed. An Effect of +6 or more probably means you can ignore the danger... for now.
The level and nature of the danger or outcome after a roll should not be surprising given the fiction that came before.

Clever, careful descriptions help you control the outcomes, if your character is being careful in the fiction they are in less danger.

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