Eurasia Posting Debrief
This is borrowed from
Rogue Trader, and heavily (with some modifications) - but is applicable here. All credit goes to Lee for the excellent work and thought that went into this post.
I have noticed some player's posting styles this quad have not been ideal per EU standards. In an effort to help
everyone improve, I've collected my thoughts here.
How to Earn more XP and EP in Eurasia
We have a new XP system in place this quad, and that affects everything, going forward. In light of that, Here's a guide that I hope you'll find useful as you craft your posts.
XP
Posts must sill meet site standards, as set out
here.
The first post following a GM post must have Perception and Just in Case rolls. Subsequent posts should not have them - just indicate that rolls are being carried forward.
XP is now awarded by meeting (or failing to meet) criteria listed by Consumer found at the top of this thread.
Consumer wrote:How to meet expectations:
- Include the following in each post:
- The character's internal monologue/thoughts
- The character's dialogue with other PCs/NPCs
- Description of the character's intended actions
- Proper mechanics (JIC, Perception, skill rolls & their purpose)
The
minimum a post should have is the perception, JIC rolls, dialogue (when possible - when you're standing on a street corner alone, or under water, etc... obviously I won't expect external dialogue, so act accordingly), internal monologue (i.e., thoughts), and a description of what you're doing.
In brief:
- Perc roll
JIC rolls (d20, d100)
"Dialogue"
Thoughts
Actions
Skills
must have some description of the intended effect/purpose, and
must be used in furtherance of some goal. Note that although XP is no longer awarded per skill use, you
may get XP for creative problem solving.
Dialogue should be in
"Bold text with quotation marks".
Thoughts are in
italics.
If you're putting your thoughts in non-italicized narrative (some of you do this), you are making me, the AGM,
interpret which thoughts are yours and which thoughts are your character's.
I'd rather not do this. Please don't make me do this. I may get it wrong, and it won't be me who pays the price.
To quote another player, you place quote tags around what they said (with bold and quotation marks where necessary)
Me wrote:"Like So"
Personally, when I quote, I tend to wipe out anything that wasn't
spoken - that's the point of a quote. However, while being a "best practice", it's not a requirement to do so. It's acceptable to trim out narrative, but not to change what was said.
Maximizing your XP
So - you've met all the minimum criteria. What's next?
Consumer wrote:How to exceed expectations:
- All of the above plus...
- Clever ideas
- Evoking an emotional response from the GM other than anger
- Roleplaying in-character under challenging circumstances
- Being posted within the first 4 days of a major GM post
Note "all of the above" - this means that you must
meet expectations before you can
exceed them.
Proof read your posts
after you make them. Enlist other players to help! Have a post buddy- you check their posts, and they check yours.
Posts that are mere one or two line RP responses to other players, while sometimes necessary, won't count as "qualifying posts" for determining EP, and won't net you a lot of XP either. For that to happen, you have to
exceed the minimum criteria.
Clever ideas count - so, in planning sessions, spitballing clever ideas (in character, and by posting - "Hangoust chat rooms" don't count!) to solve problems - even if it's not the solution that works, could net you XP,
if it's clever.
Stay in Character - most of you do this - though some of you write narrative from a third-person point of view. As you write, try to think as your character would
in that situation. Instead of "Jeff doesn't like to bother with long explanations for his choices", try some inner monologue:
Guh... Long explanations are so BORING. Let's get on with it!, or some dialogue
"Yeah... exposition isn't my thing. Sorry.", and throw in some action: "Jeff sighs and shrugs as Marlon asks his rationale for burning down the village". There's an old rule in storytelling that'll help you stay in character: Show, don't tell.
And, as always, post early, post often.
You're literally throwing XP away by waiting longer than 4 days after a major GM post!
Increasing your EP
How do you increase your EP?
EP is awarded by post rate, which is determined by "qualified posts". What's a qualified post?
A Qualified Post is any post that exceeds the GM's minimum criteria.
Post rate is determined by dividing the qualified posts by the standard of 14 GM posts (which is adjusted if necessary). SO - post often, and exceed minimum criteria as much as possible. Shoot for 14 or more high quality posts per quad, and the EP will come.
As with anything else, you are going to get more out of the game the more you put into it.
Final note
If you have questions about how to do something in a post, mechanically (like quoting or rolling dice a particular way),
Ask.
If you have questions about what you can see or do where your character is,
Ask.
If you have questions about how to better meet criteria,
Ask.
