So! You got your character approved! …………………… Now what?
It can be daunting, as a new player, to start a new thread if none of the existing ones seem to your liking, or can provide a place for your characters. And,
once you do, it can be just as tricky to figure out all of the interesting symbols that have cropped up as being used in communication. Believe it or not,
it's not as hard as it looks. The Conventions used to label threads and communications are mostly commonsensical. Here is a brief list to them, should you
need the reference, either to start your own threads or to jump into someone else's.
1 of 2: Thread Conventions.
REMEMBER: ALWAYS DATE YOUR THREADS.
[Open]: This is a welcome all comers thread. As long as your character is in the right place at the right time, you can post for him. You don't need to ask
for permission to join the thread, but it is recommended you still check with the Players involved, not for permission, but for information: is
it the city, the suburbs or the middle of nowhere? Is it nighttime, daytime, good weather or bad? Are there any other geographical or sundry facts that you
might need to know to make an informed post?
[Open, condition]: A sub-category of the [Open] thread, this is a thread that welcomes all comers as long as they
meet the listed condition. A thread listed as [Open, Decepticons], for example, is open to all 'Con characters, but not to Autobots or humans.
[Limited]: This thread usually has a set cast of characters. It doesn't mean your character isn't welcome, it simply means you must ask before
joining in. Good ways to do so are to post a query in Plot Chat, or to yukumessage or IM the Players involved in the thread. Never, EVER, post in a [Limited]
thread without permission.
[Closed]: This thread is not open to anyone else but the characters already involved in it. Of course, you can still ask, as you would with a [Limited] thread,
but the answer is most likely to be no; this is not a slight against you or your character; this is the nature of the thread, and we hope that you will respect
it.
[Complete]: This is a label the Player who starts a thread needs to add to it once it is done, so that we the Mods will know that you've finished it, and
it can be moved to the Archives. All you need to do is edit the first post, and add it onto the thread's title. A quick poke to the Mods doesn't hurt
either - we're a big goldfish-brain'd sometimes.
2 of 2: Communications Conventions.
In between radios, comms, cellphones and what have you, a lot of these have cropped up. Here's a brief run down so that you can
make sense of what you're reading. It doesn't mean that you have to use them, and it doesn't mean everyone uses them. But when they
are used, this is what they mean.
"The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"
This is the typical convention for speech. Usually English, since this setting is for the United States, unless otherwise specified.
++The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog++
This is sign language, silent unless someone is both speaking and signing simultaneously.
&& The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog &&
This is Cybertronian, native language of most mechs.
## The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog##
This is phone-talk, either text-messaging or an actual phone call. Obviously, it needs that one or more of the parties involved have a phone, or
something that passes for one, which the mechs' commsystem does quite well.
((The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog))
This is OOC chatter.
And last but never least…
<< The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog>>
This is comm., the built-in communication system for the mechs. It is undetectable except by those with specific abilities and/or equipment to do
so (you know who you are).
