Administration Newsletter 08/15/20
Aug 15, 2020 16:53:33 GMT -5
Post by Starscream on Aug 15, 2020 16:53:33 GMT -5
As always, if after reading this you have questions, comments, concerns…? The Admins are always available either via a PM or a gentle nudge on Discord. As much as I would like to handle any complaints, my methods of doing so could be considered unorthodox, and as such you must turn to the Admin team.
Ah well. On with the newsletter…
Current Events
MECH
It seems Ratchet of all mechs has gotten himself into a bit of trouble, as well as Blackframe from the Decepticons. Let these serve as reminders to you all that nobody is safe from MECH, and it goes without saying you should remain ever vigilant. I may have saved Breakdown but I won’t be rescuing everyone.
Megatron’s Return
While this is rather old news now, I would like to officially extend a
Decepticons, keep your eyes peeled for upcoming threads related to the Mortillus’ Hymn. The sooner we rebuild this weapon, the better.
Administration has asked me to note that Autobots can get involved with these threads, too. I suppose you are allowed a chance to try and stop us…
Which brings me to my next point.
Combat Threads and Asking Permission
With the truce long gone (you’re welcome…) and plots planning to move ahead shortly, the chance for some unfriendly fire has risen dramatically.
What this means is that there will be scuffles and fighting - rightfully so. I’d just like to stress on behalf of the Admin team the importance of asking permission OOC before you do anything to another player’s character. This involves everything from minor pupetting to full-blown attacks.
Never, ever post that you made a direct hit on someone without permission. Attempts are allowed, as this gives the other player the choice of how to react. While I am aware this was brought up in my last newsletter, we have a few new faces among our ranks, and so I felt it necessary to bring up once more to help prevent problems in the future.
Play fairly, however. Nobody likes going up against someone who simply dodges every single attack thrown at them. That isn’t fun for anyone involved and will make players less inclined to interact with you in future.
As always, do not godmod. While this is at the top of most RP etiquette rules, a reminder now and then is always welcome just in case it slipped your tiny human minds.
Activity and You
Another thing I have been asked to speak briefly about is activity. Administration kindly requests that if you join a major plot thread that you try to keep up and post at least once a week should it be your turn, as these are often gatekeeping other planned threads. Group threads are also important, as these obviously involve multiple people and can take far longer than needed to complete, should there be delays.
As a general rule, characters that are canon in the show - Megatron, Optimus, Wheeljack, Myself, etc… have to post at least once per week. With everyone else, including OCs or canons from shows and comics that are not Transformers Prime, posting at least once every two weeks is needed if their character is in an active thread.
Administration have also told me to mention that real life (especially in these times) comes first, and always should. If you do need to take a break for a while, just nudge one of the Admins or Mods and let them know. They are very accommodating (after all, they do let me write these things…) and while I would not let Knock Out take a personal day because of some scratched paint, I do agree with the Administration team in regards to this.
Another note that is just as important - always give your RP partner something to respond to in your posts. Be this a short line of dialogue that flows with the conversation, or even something simple like handing them an object. Roleplay is a game of give and take, so be kind and help out your fellow players…
Applications & The Caste System
While I personally do not get to comment on applications, as I’d apparently approve anyone who showed even the slightest inkling of loyalty to myself (not true…), I’ve been told to pass along a thank you to everyone who has shown patience in waiting for feedback.
With that being said, the Admin and Mod team have seemingly had a surplus of applications with something in common, to the point they asked me to talk about it here in the newsletter…
In the Caste era, none of your characters should be changing jobs except for the occasional downgrade or in exceptionally rare circumstances. For Primus' sake, why do you think we started the war?! If you need an example as to why you cannot change your occupation so freely, please kindly turn your attention to Whirl.
Fool...
That does bring me to my next point, though...
Forum Content
Bulletin Board & Glossary of Terms
The Glossary of Terms page has temporarily been removed, as it was outdated and therefore wrong. A planned update is in the works, including some board-only definitions for certain things. There are many different frametypes out there, and so some clarification will be written for the various types that are allowed here on the board itself. This will also include things like Empurata and what one may expect should they choose to play someone who went through that procedure.
I'll give you a hint, it's not good.
Continuing on...
With the use of Discord for the majority of plotting purposes, the Bulletin Board has fallen to the wayside and officially discontinued as of… a while ago. That being said, do not be afraid to come up with your own plot ideas - although be sure to run at least a basic idea by Administration beforehand. Most things are fine, but they like to double check you aren't about to blow anything up in board-destroying ways. The only exception of course is if these plots pertain to offlining Megatron, then you may come directly to me.
New Moderator
Unless you have not been paying attention for the past few months, you will have noticed a not-so-new addition to the Moderator team. I’d like to extend a warm, but profoundly belated welcome to Canto, who has been helping with both keeping an eye on the Discord and CBox, as well as helping with Applications. Thank you for donating your time to helping things keep running smoothly - on that note, feel free to instantly approve any Starscream loyalists that may arrive. I won't tell.
Blackridge Map
Maps have been brought up recently in the Discord Chat and with the expansion of Blackridge, it felt fitting that our glorious new headquarters deserved an official map.
While a rough of this image has been floating around for a while, it has now been cleaned up and so I suppose this serves as an official announcement that it can now be referenced with accuracy. A page has been added complete with a list of who resides in each room (as some of you took initiative and already decided on a room you will get to now pick these rooms on the actual map...), with plans for an Autobot equivalent at a later date.
Decepticons, should you not have a roommate? This page also serves as a place to choose them. (and they say Decepticons are evil... look at us, letting you pick roommates!)
Thank you to Pyrotech for being so patient and assisting in expanding the base itself, and thank you to Zercon for drawing a map that even the Vehicons can understand.
Here is the page, should you be too inept to find it yourself. Should you wish to claim a room, please discuss it with Zercon.
NPC Profiles
To focus on player-run plots, the ability to have the NPC profile added to your account is there- and has been for some time. This feature allows you to post with the Random Event header although I am not privy to the details… Zercon can assist with this should you need additional information.
In Closing
I do believe I have covered everything that was asked of me, and so I will end things here and get back to more important matters. As always, if you have any comments or questions, reach out to one of the admin team either via Discord or the email.
~
