Play by eMail Guide
1. Public vs. Private Posts:
The GMs will generally begin all new
threads. A thread is a string of posts which relate to a given topic, such as a
Dinner scene or a walk in the garden with Florimel.
The GM will determine if a post is Public or Private.
A Public post is distributed through the mailing list ([email protected]).
Generally a post is Public if someone else not involved could observe the
scene, or the scene itself does not contain anything a player wants to remain
undisclosed to the other players (such an attempt to assassinate Caine).
Private threads are only begun when something about the scene involved will
present a spoiler to other Players who are not involved. Private threads should
be sent to the email of all other players involved, and cc the GM ([email protected]).
2. The Chat List and OOC Posts:
All OOC (out-of-character) posts not related to the actual game should be
directed to the chat list ([email protected]).
There is no flaming on the boards, though healthy venting about life is
okay. OOC chat includes questions,
comments, jokes, notices about your impending vacation, etc. Do NOT send
complaints about the game or GM to the Chat list - that is considered Flaming and
forces the GM to begin to account for themselves in a
public forum for what should be a private matter. If you have a problem with another player you
cannot resolve, bring it to the GM.
3. Grammar and Spelling:
We all make mistakes, and the GM is not anal-retentive about seeing a typo here
or there. But consistent misuse of the English language, poor
spelling, incoherent sentence structure, etc. are not tolerated. It just makes it a chore to read for everyone
when we have to sort through that type of stuff. You will get warnings I notice
such things. Failure to improve over time will result in your being asked to
take time off from the game until you have improved your skills.
4. Trim your Posts:
Please trim down most (but not all)
of the old text in your replies. Nothing is worse than sifting through six
paragraphs of old text to get to the bottom and find a one sentence reply. It
clogs up email inboxes and also clogs up the limited MB of space we are
allocated by the Lists Service. Do not do it! Thanks :D
5. No HTML:
Do not use HTML in your email.
6. Use the term 'OOC':
When you are posting an IC post, but must refer to something out-of-character (ie, in directing a question to a GM or defining a
contingency action), please put the query/directive in parentheses and use the
term 'OOC' as a tag, as follows:
Bleys walked to the door and laughed. “You are remarkable in your obtusity!”
(OOC: if
7. Repeat your Character's Name A Lot:
Try to attribute your dialog as much as possible to whomever is speaking it.
Make sure to include things like --- "Blah, blah, blah," Merlin says,
"blah, blah!" --- That helps tell us who said what which can really
be useful after stuff's been quoted three or four times.
8. Be Descriptive:
Your writing is not a police report or a scientific dissertation. Don't forget
to add some physicality to your actions. Involve the five senses. If your posts
are all just dialog then we all miss a lot of what's cool about role playing.
Add some gestures and stuff. Unless you're
9. Don't just say it, do it:
Some players have a habit of sending
in a post like /my character would agree/. That's not the kind of atmosphere I
try to generate in "Seasons". Instead roleplay
it out like this:
"I
absolutely agree, your Majesty."
Remember that we're all telling a story and
trying to have some run roleplaying together.
10. Write Productively:
Try to get as much said and done as possible with each post. If you post a one-sentance reply once a day it could take a month to get
through a simple conversation, let alone a fight.
11. Write with Contingencies in Mind:
It also helps to include plans for some obvious contingencies. For example if
you knock on a door or trump someone it doesn't take a great stretch of
imagination to guess that there might not be an answer. If you tell me what
you'll do if there's no answer then I don't have to ask you but instead can
skip straight to the next thing. That can save a day.
12. Be Responsible:
This is a heart-felt request for each player to please be as responsible about
their character as possible and not to leave tasks to the GMs that they could
take care of themselves. For example, when you're talking on a trump in a
roomful of PCs please remember to post your side of the conversation (and only
your side) to everybody in the room with you. If you don't then I have to,
which adds to all of the work that I have to do to keep the game running at the
high level of play we want to achieve. Remember I not only have to adjudicate
all of the PCs I have to run all of the NPCs too.
You, on the other hand, only have one character to run. So anything you can do
to make things easier for me is greatly, greatly appreciated.
13. Be Respectful:
Give others the benefit of the doubt.
Realize you cannot take center stage all the time. Also, not everyone might play an Amberite
like you would. Some love to plot and scheme, others love social affairs and
gabbing. Some love to play politics and verbally spar,
and others like to march around with bared fists and sneers. Everything should be kept in-character. Do
not take out your frustrations with a character with the actual player. Players who abuse their superiority in a way
not consistent with the story, character and genre of
14. Trumping Others IC:
All trump calls need to go through the GMs. If you want to trump a character,
don't send a post to her player. Send a post to the GM running your current
post that you're trumping her. The GM will tell her that she's getting a trump
call. At that point she doesn't know who it's from (unless she has that
ability) until she takes the call. That makes taking trump calls much more of a
gamble. See the Game Conventions On Trump below.
15. Cross-posting,
Temporal Oddities, and Ad-libbing:
It will happen – two people will cross post, basically talking over each other
(possibly with conflicting actions). In such an event, I (or a player if they
wish) can simply edit the post so that a happy medium is achieved between the
two posts.
Occasionally, one person
might move further along in the timeline of a post than others, who are
delayed. I will either speed up the
delayed folks, or put the character further along on hold for a bit.
There are times when either
you will be away from the game, or I have to step into the thread and
manipulate it for the same of time or plot. I reserve the right to ad-lib for
your character only for the sake of preserving the game’s tempo or plot. I will
not abuse this right, nor will I make any major action for you. I expect this
to be a rare occurrence, but do not want any surprises. Most of the times I
will simply be looking for a way to remove you from the action until you can
assume control again.
(ie, I might start off a new thread and ad-lib that
you raise your glass to a favorite uncle as everyone assembles for dinner and
he enters with news, then pass the thread off to the players to start. Or if
you are away from the game in