Elliquiy FAQ

Started by Sherona, May 20, 2008, 08:05:31 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Sherona

Okies :D Now that thats settled


*Pokes around with a point stick* I will be workign up another list-type question and answers but in the mean time I would really like some more input and more questions that the community feels needs addressed :D

Sherona

#26
Quote2. Where can I find out more about the categories in the right column (the roleplays)? What are the differences between them?



As for the other things:
What the purpose of the Ons/Offs are
Where people can "advertise" for roleplays, or find them from others
Forums / boards where you can really get to know other members better

Q. Ok, I have been approved, and the forums are so big! where should I start?
   A. During approval you probably met with many interesting folks. Many of these folks had an On/Off list linked in their signatures. A good place to start off on this site is to browse and browse, then browse some more. Ons and Offs, as well as the games that are currently looking. You might consider writing your own Ons and Offs, which is optional but most find it easiest to find like-minded RP partners.

Q. What exactly is an On and Off thread?
   A. We have two boards dedicated to Ons and Offs, One for the Lords and one for the Ladies. An On and Off thread is basically what you like and dislike (and more often then not Maybe's are listed as well). This is not necessarily what you like in real life, but things you are interested in or disinterested in playing. The purpose is so that your RP partners know what you are comfortable with and what you are not. Generally what is in a person's On is not the only thing that they play in, usually not every ON listed is a must have in their games.

Q. How do I get a game?
   A. there are three specific boards where you post your game needs. One on one's This board is where post your plot for a game where there is only one other person needed/wanted. This is also an excellent place to look when you are new and wish to jump into a role play quickly. Players Wanted This is the Board where you post when you need multiple players. Many games here are system as well as freeform, and if you wish to join a game here you may be asked to provide an RP sample or a character sheet. GM's/Games Wanted This board is where you post a desire for a system ran game but do not want to run it yourself. We have several accomplished GMers on the site.

Q. I got a game! But..where does it go?
    A. Elliquiy caters to many different need and desires of writers. Not everyone will find everything interesting and/or will wish to read about certain aspects. So things have been divided up into categories that at first might seem daunting but after a bit will be second nature. Here is a comprehensive list to the boards and descriptions Board Descriptions

Q. I am waiting for a post from a partner, what can I do to fill the time?
    A. Elliquiy is a social place. We have a community where we are friends and just like friends everywhere else there are places that we can get together to chat or just basically goof off. We have the shout box, which is open to public viewing and as such is pg-13 banter and chat. We have the various steam boxes that can be located in Forum Games, in Human Singles Threads, and a PG-13 version in Introductions thread called the doormat.

NightBird

I don't particularly like linking to the discussion of the board descriptions. What's up there is already partially out of date. Once it's settled and the descriptions agreed upon, then the link to the final set should be what's there. Until then, I haven't the foggiest idea what would be good. Like right now, we have 'Vanilla' in a category name, but 'Normal Sex' in a board name under it. Once we've standardized on whatever it's going to be, and the decisions are clear about what goes where, I'll be happy to take another pass at writing the descriptions, but right now, I think that thread would just be confusing to a new member who wants a simple answer.

I'll write something up later today about what makes a good ONs and OFFs, since I think the way it's written can help find RP partners more easily.

The other thing we need is a 'How do I get help if I need it?' question. I'll do that one this afternoon (if nobody beats me to it, that is!). *laughs*

Also, steambox is one word, and I think it would be good to actually talk about each of the major conversation boards...

Sherona

I was trying for a comprehensive but short answers since large blocks of text can be daunting in itself.

As far as the linking to the board descriptions, that was only there until Veks puts it in a more official form. Spoke to veks before I did that about it being more user friendly if a link to the descriptions was given rather then re-typing everything you had put :)

Moondazed

Are you looking for usability Q&A's too, like, "How do I make a link?" and "How do I put an image in my post?"  I'm happy to work on that part if so :)
~*~ Sexual Orientation: bi ~*~ BDSM Orientation: switch ~*~ Ons and Offs ~*~ Active Stories ~*~

Vekseid


Moondazed

How can I refuse when you ask so nicely? *giggle*  OK... I'll get busy on the questions about posting and formatting posts :)
~*~ Sexual Orientation: bi ~*~ BDSM Orientation: switch ~*~ Ons and Offs ~*~ Active Stories ~*~

Sherona


Sherona

Q. What does Vanilla, Bondage, Non-con, and Extreme entail? How do I know what category my story falls under?
   
     A. Vanilla is where the more traditional sex occurs. One can have Murder and Mayhem in their Vanilla games as long as no sex is occuring during. If your characters are not tying each other up, if both are consenting adults, and none of the more stronger fetishes such as gore, vore, wastes, or necrophilia then this is where your game will go. Bondage is for the more BDSM oriented game. If both characters are consenting to tying or being tied, spanking or being spanked this is where your story will go. Non-Con are our rape fantasy stories. If one or more characters is an unwilling participant in sex this is where it would go. Extreme is where the extreme fetish stories go. Beastiality, necrophilia, gore for sexual gratification, bodily waste used in sexual gratification, Vore, torture and Mutilation for sexual gratification all go into extreme.


Sherona

And I am now at a loss for questions. Can anyone else think of any questions that should be included?

Sherona

Q. Is Anthro/Were games considered apart of bestiality?
   
     A. No Elliquiy Staff defines Bestiality as sex with insentient animals.  Weres and Anthros are thinking beings and thus not considered as Bestiality.

Sherona

Q. What are those google, msn, and yahoo spiders?
     A. A spider is a computer program used to crawl web pages and index them for search engines.


This next question will be placed close to the top, as it should chronologically be up there but I did not think of it.

Q. I can not edit my profile, set my gender, view other people's profiles, edit my posts or PM anyone, why?
     A. As an unapproved member you will not be able to have these functions until you are approved by Elliquiy staff.

Elvi

Quote from: Sherona on May 25, 2008, 08:27:32 PM
Q. What does Vanilla, Bondage, Non-con, and Extreme entail? How do I know what category my story falls under?
   
     A. Vanilla is where the more traditional sex occurs. One can have Murder and Mayhem in their Vanilla games as long as no sex is occuring during. If your characters are not tying each other up, if both are consenting adults, and none of the more stronger fetishes such as gore, vore, wastes, or necrophilia then this is where your game will go. Bondage is for the more BDSM oriented game. If both characters are consenting to tying or being tied, spanking or being spanked this is where your story will go. Non-Con are our rape fantasy stories. If one or more characters is an unwilling participant in sex this is where it would go. Extreme is where the extreme fetish stories go. Beastiality, necrophilia, gore for sexual gratification, bodily waste used in sexual gratification, Vore, torture and Mutilation for sexual gratification all go into extreme.


Could I suggest that this answer is broken down into smaller paragraphs, ie: one per explanation.

Could I also suggest for the FAQ, that there is a list of terms and shortened names with their full title and an explanation of it if necessary?

For instance Anthro.
If looked up, the dictionary states that it means 'relating to humans'.
Anthropomorphic and the dictionary states 'giving human like characteristics and features to objects and animals' (among other things, because it then continues to list a myriad of things.)

So a better description for our purpose would be Anthropomorphic creatures?

There are also many terms, even as basic as BDSM and non-con, that are often queried by those unfamiliar with 'the lingo'.







It's been fun, but Elvi has now left the building

Sherona

Good idea Elvi. Veks is going to have someone much more versed in english then me go over these questions to make sure they are readable and literate.

Will give them this suggestion to tack on as well :)

Xillen

I doubt you're actually going to get detailed on the IRC part of your FAQ, but I could try polishing up my explenation thread and then you could possibly link to there? (Off topic, I think the stickies on the chat help board need some fixing too :P).

Q. Is there a way to see a list of games I'm participating in?

A. Yes. You can click the "Notify" button in all the game threads you're participating with. At the top of the screen you can click "My Topics" to receive an overview of these threads. There are also options in your profile to add any thread you reply to to your notify list, or send you an email every time someone replies to one of those threads.

Another option is to click the "Show new replies to your post." at the very topright of the page. It shows all threads that you've posted in with unread replies. Unfortunately, it's currently not possible to permanently remove threads from that list.

Xillen

Feel free to rewrite this as you wish, but I think this should be included one way or another.

Q. What are the different ranks people have under their name, like Lady, Knight, Siren, etc?

A. They inform you of the gender of that person, and the position they have on this forum.

- Lords and Ladies are regular approved members of Elliquiy, seperated by gender.

- Knights and Dames are approved members that have given financial support to Elliquiy. Other than the special golden banner under their name, they are identical to the regular Lords and Ladies.

- There is only one God, Vekseid. He is the owner, administrator, and overall head honcho at Elliquiy.

- Goddesses helps Vekseid with member approval, banning, news, and other general forum tasks that don't involve its structure. They're all female.

- Sirens are Elliquiy's general moderation team. They watch for offending posts, put their approval on new members and help Elliquiy's members solve problems. They're all female.

- GM only appears on specific boards. Those people are a moderator on that specific board, but are a regular member elsewhere on the forum. Mostly, they are the game master of games large enough to receive their own subboard. GM does not indicate the person's gender.

- At Rest is a specific rank created for Cjac when she passed away, preventing anyone from accessing her account as well. Note, this rank will only be used in cases where there is defenite proof for the sad event.

- Deverified. People with this rank didn't actually do something wrong. They simply haven't been around for quite a while and have their email bounce on more than one occasion. Deverified people no longer receive news and topic updates through email, but if they return, they can have their regular status fixed without a problem.

- Unapproved is the rank people receive on default when they register on the forum. They retain this rank until the happy event where they are promoted to a Lord or Lady, or have their rank adjusted due to less positive news.

- Underage. These members admitted to being under 18 go here. They are welcome to re-apply after they turn 18. Their access to the forum is restricted.

- Castrated. These members have their forum access restricted for one reason or another, among the ability to send private messages to other members or receive those. This can be a temporary issue where their original status is eventually restored when their behaviour improves.

- Banned. These members have their regular access to the forum revoked for one reason or another. There is a specific board where only these people can talk and discuss their issue. The rest of the forum is unaccessable to them.

More information about these ranks can be found at the following links:
https://elliquiy.com/staff
https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=14105.0

Caeli

Some of this information could be integrated into the FAQ, somehow, It's mostly a very brief description of the boards where they are located. It would probably be really helpful to new members who get overwhelmed when they see all the private boards for the first time and feel a little lost.




Here is a very brief summary of Elliquiy's boards, in case you are extremely lost and have no idea where to go once you're a member.

The entire left side is publicly viewable - all content remains PG-13. No personal contact information, either yourself or someone else's, can be given out. There are reasons for this rule, so don't do it. Breaking this rule will get you warned.
     The Important Stuff boards (top left) are for announcements, introductions, FAQs, questions, and places where you can ask for help.
     The Gaming and Writing boards (mid-left) are for all things related to searching for roleplays, system games, storytelling (finished games or one-author pieces), or non-adult games.
     The General Chat boards (bottom left) have random things - introductions, public forum games, other places where players can chat and interact.

The middle column is similar to the left column in that it is a socializing area, but it is NOT public - only approved members get access.
     The Art and Literature boards (top center) are self-explanatory - all things art-related, writing-related, etc.
     The General Sexiness boards (bottom center) are similar to the General Chat boards, but are private (members-only), and are much more personal for Elliquiy members. These boards are geared towards the Elliquiy community.

The far right column, which consists of the roleplays, is also NOT public - only approved members get access.
     To put it simply, Elliquiy's roleplays are separated into four "flavors" or degrees of heaviness (content-based) - Vanilla, Bondage, Non-Consensual, Extreme/Other. In each, there are individual boards - "Human", "Exotic", "Small Games", and "Big Games", explanations of which can be found on the Elliquiy Help Page.
ʙᴜᴛᴛᴇʀғʟɪᴇs ᴀʀᴇ ɢᴏᴅ's ᴘʀᴏᴏғ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀᴛ ʟɪғᴇ
ᴠᴇʀʏ sᴇʟᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇʟʏ ᴀᴠᴀɪʟᴀʙʟᴇ ғᴏʀ ɴᴇᴡ ʀᴏʟᴇᴘʟᴀʏs

ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ❋ ғᴏʀ ɪᴅᴇᴀs; 'ø' ғᴏʀ ᴏɴs&ᴏғғs, ᴏʀ ᴘᴍ ᴍᴇ.
{ø 𝕨 
  𝕒 }
»  ᴇʟʟɪᴡʀɪᴍᴏ
»  ᴄʜᴏᴏsᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴀᴅᴠᴇɴᴛᴜʀᴇ: ᴛʜᴇ ғɪғᴛʜ sᴄʜᴏʟᴀʀʟʏ ᴀʀᴛ
»  ひらひらと舞い散る桜に 手を伸ばすよ
»  ᴘʟᴏᴛ ʙᴜɴɴɪᴇs × sᴛᴏʀʏ sᴇᴇᴅs × ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴs

NightBird

Good suggestions for the FAQ! *cheers*

I'll be integrating the information into the current draft later this evening...

NightBird

#43
Here is a non-formatted version of the FAQ's current draft. Suggestions for more content are welcome!

[edited to fix two links  ~ NB]
[second edit to expand on the question about editing the profile before approval ~ NB]
[third edit to correct an instance of left/right confusion ~ NB]
[fourth edit to correct other issues Trieste kindly pointed out below ~ NB]
[fifth edit to add Q&A on finding help when reluctant to bother the staff ~ NB]
[sixth edit to add reference to Satyr as well as Siren ~ NB]
[seventh edit to add two Q&As Xillen contributed on the dice-roller and freeform vs. system games ~ NB]
[eighth edit to add some information Trieste & elandra helpfully provided ~ NB]
[ninth edit to update new board titles ~ NB]
[tenth edit to update board titles ~ NB]



What important information should I read first?
About Us

Site Rules

Elliquiy Staff

Explanation of terms used on Elliquiy

Important things to consider in interacting with people in Elliquiy

Important reminders about communicating in a text-based community

IRC information

Note: All of these are also things you should check back with from time to time, as changes or clarifications are always possible.


I have read the Rules, now what?
After you’ve read over the Site Rules, start your introduction thread here. The post should at the least include your answers to the Questionnaire. Congratulations! You’ve taken your first step toward becoming a part of our community.


Oops! I forgot to answer something from the Questionnaire. Should I start a new introduction thread?
No, there’s no need to start a whole new thread. Just add the information that you missed as a reply to the thread you already started.


OK, I have an Intro thread, so why can't I see the boards?
After you post your introduction, members will come around to banter and chat, asking a variety of questions, some about your prior experience with roleplaying, others simply as conversation starters. There is a minimum of 24 hours from that first post to approval. This time helps us to get to know you and you to get to know a few of us.


What else can I do while I’m waiting for approval?
Unapproved applicants can read and post to all boards listed in the left-hand column visible to them before approval as a full member, in addition to a Quarantine board that only the unapproved applicant and site moderators can access. None of the adult areas will be available until after an applicant has been approved, but there’s still a lot to do on that left-hand column.

There is the Introductions area, of course, and you are permitted to interact with other unapproved applicants in their Introduction threads. It never hurts to review the Rules and Announcements board, and the Help! board is there if you have any questions you can’t answer through this FAQ.

You can peruse the Wanted threads to see what games people are looking to play, respond to those threads and even post your own ad. You won’t be able to participate in an adult game until after approval, but you can play in the Non-Adult Solos and Non-Adult Small Groups.

Feel free to jump in on any of the discussions in the General Chat area, the Generic Universal Gaming Forum or the General Literary Discussion board. Even post some poetry or fiction you’ve written to Storytelling – Public.

A lot of members post to the forum games and general social threads in Socializing & Games. This area can be a great place to get to know some of the site members, and it’s a board where they’re easily approachable without any sort of structured topic.


I can’t edit my profile, set my gender, view other people's profiles, edit my posts or PM anyone. Why?
These functions are not active until you have been approved by Elliquiy staff.

Note: It will appear as if you cannot set your email to be invisible to others, but in reality only staff can see it until you're approved and can edit your profile to suit your preferences.


What could stop me from being approved?
The most typical problems are discussed on the page where the Questionnaire for new members resides.


So, I’ve been approved, and now there’s a lot more I can see! Where should I start?
One of the first things to do is to set up your Profile, so be sure to review the question about all the options it contains.

A good way to start off on the boards is to browse and browse, then browse some more. Read over some game threads (boards in the right column). Join in the conversations in the General Chat (boards at the bottom left) and General Sexiness (boards at the bottom center) areas. Post your own art or writing in the Art and Literature (boards at the top center) area, or comment in the Literary Discussion threads.

Other places that will help you settle in include the Wanted boards and the ‘ONs and OFFs’ boards, but there’s more on them below.

Any questions, any time, can be posted to the Help! board.


What is the ‘On and Off’ thread I keep seeing mentioned?
The ‘ONs and OFFs’ boards will give you an idea of what other people on the site enjoy the same sorts of roleplaying that you do. Each thread contains posts by various members talking about the things they like and dislike in a setting, a plot or the content of a game. These are not expected to match things you enjoy in real life, more like the things you might wish to read by way of fiction. Generally what is in a person's list of ONs do not have to be present in every game, nor will all typically be present in any one game. They’re more a matter of preferences. As far as OFFs, go, however, it’s a good idea to avoid what’s in another player’s OFFs without clear discussion and permission given before that topic appears in-game.

There is a board for Ladies and a separate one for Lords. You might want to post one for yourself. It’s optional, but a good way for other site members to know what you do and do not enjoy.

A good ‘ONs and OFFs’ post should list things you know you like/don’t like in a roleplaying game, any fetishes you particularly enjoy/hate, settings or genres you like/don’t like (e.g., contemporary, horror, science fiction, historical, high fantasy, urban fantasy, steampunk, post-apocalyptic, etc.), whether you have a preference or distaste for long posts or short posts, and possibly a list of things you’re not sure about but might consider.


How do I get started in games?
There’s the simple answer or the longer route for this question.

For the simple answer, you can check out or post to four ‘Wanted’ boards where you can respond to an ad or post your own:
  • One on One / Solos Wanted - This board is where you can find and/or post ideas for games with two players, or a few players in a game that will only use one thread. This is also an excellent place to look when you are new and wish to jump into a role play quickly. Some of these may be system games, but most are freeform.
  • Players Wanted - This board is where you can find ideas for games with multiple players and/or post ideas for games with multiple players across multiple threads that you intend to run. Many games listed here involve system rules. Some may require a prospective player to submit a writing sample and/or a character sheet.
  • GM's / Games Wanted - This board is where you can find ideas for games with multiple players over multiple threads that someone posted and hopes to find someone else to run and/or post ideas for games with multiple players over multiple threads that you’d like someone else to run. The site has several accomplished GMs in a variety of systems.
  • Chat Help and Games - This board is where ads for realtime games conducted through IRC can be found or posted. There is also help available for using the IRC.

Before you post to these, be sure to read this advice, this information on tagging wanted ads, and be familiar with the explanation of terms used on Elliquiy.

The longer route simply recognizes the fact that Elliquiy is a community, and you can find roleplaying/writing partners anywhere on the site. Getting to know other members through the General Chat and General Sexiness areas can be a great way to make connections that lead to games, as can the Steambox and Salonbox. Discussions of books in the Literary Discussion threads could also lead to ideas and partner(s) for a fanfic game.


How does the Die Roller work?
The person that is going to roll the dice simply clicks on "Die Roller" at the top of the screen to get to the die roller page. There, the person can enter the different factors of the die roll. Details about which factor does what is listed at the bottom of the page. Be sure to make the "Character" and "Comment" entry clear enough if someone (like the storyteller) is supposed to check on them later.

The "Test Roll" button allows you to make a roll to see if you have the right factors configured. This can also be used if there's no need for anyone else verifying your role at a later time. Note that there is no way of saving that specific test roll, as it would be abusable. If you click the "Roll Dice" button, a similar roll (with the same factors) is made, but this time it's saved as well, allowing others to verify the roll. You could of course make several such rolls until you have a good result, but old rolls remain visible as well, making the whole thing a tad fishy. Likewise, if you don't add comments about what the roll is for, it can become just as fishy, mentioning that that low roll was actually for a simple skill check, and that high roll that followed after it, happened to be your attack roll.

Others can view the rolls you made by clicking the "View my rolls" link, that is right above your avatar. It simply returns a list of all the rolls you ever made (not counting test roles). Alternatively, all players can agree on keeping the rolls together, by sending the rolls to a specific player. The story teller is usually a good choice, but if he or she is involved in multiple games, it might actually be wiser to take one of the players that's not involved in any other dicegames. To do so, you either enter that specific player's User ID in the "Send to" entry (If you click someone's profile, the url will end on u=number. That number is that person's User ID), or simply click the "Send me a roll" link right above that player's avatar. If all players do so, then they can view all the rolls sent to that player to get all the rolls made for the specific game.


What's this I keep hearing about 'system' and 'freeform' games?

You might have heard of games like Dungeons and Dragons, Gurps, World of Darkness, Exalted, etc...? Those are all examples of system games.

System games usually involve making a character sheet that indicates your character's strengths and weaknesses, which are determined by certain rules. Though your character is still capable of trying anything he or she would like, the system actually determines the success of more challenging actions. This way, system games provide a line of balance for the characters' power, as well as providing a certain feeling of achiefment after completing something, that might not have been there if one player simply decided "Yes, you succeed".

Freeform is basically lack of system. Whenever you perform a challenging action, you can decide for yourself if it succeeds or not, or write it so that success is not indicated, so that the other player can decide on it.

Combat remains a clear example. Assume for the moment that you're shooting an arrow at another creature. In a freeform game, you basically have three options:
  • You describe how the arrow hits the creature, deciding for yourself that you hit.
  • You describe how the arrow flies wide, deciding for yourself that you missed.
  • You describe how the arrow flies towards the creature, ending your post there. Now, your writing partner can choose, describing how the creature got hit by the arrow or how it managed to dodge it.

In system, it works a little different. Usually, the person shooting the arrow has a certain attack value for shooting arrows. Likewise, the creature that's being shot at has a certain defense value, determining the chance of being hit. Most systems include a random element, such as a die, to determine the outcome (For example, the person shooting the arrow rolls a die, and adds the attack value for shooting arrows. If this equals or beats the defense value of the creature that's being shot at, it is a hit, else it is a miss.), but there are also systems that don't include random elements, working purely by statistics.

It's a common misconception that system actually determines the story for you. Most (but not all) systems are setting related, meaning that if you pick a specific system, you're bound to that setting. If you take D&D for example, that means you've basically decided that you're going to play something involving high fantasy, but you usually decide on the setting before the game starts, so that's a case of taking the right system for the right setting. Other than that, the story, background, villains and all other details of your story are still up to the storyteller and the players, allowing you to play whatever story you want.


I’m ready to start a new game! But… where does it go?
Broad enough content is allowed on Elliquiy that not everyone will find everything interesting or even comfortable. As a result, topics have been divided into categories that might at first seem daunting, but after a little time will become second nature. These allow members to select which parts of the site they wish to enter and which to avoid. Here, the choice rests with the member as to what they choose to view or ignore, and all such choices are to be respected.

Before starting a game, you should review the explanation of terms used on Elliquiy and the comprehensive list of the boards and their descriptions. Generally, if a game will contain multiple elements, choose the potentially appropriate forum that appears lowest oncreen on the Elliquiy Forums main page. For example, a freeform, two-player game with a human male and human female involving bondage and non-consensual sex would belong in the Non-Consensual Human category and on the NC: Human-Freeform Solos board.

If you intend to create a game on one of the Small Groups boards, keep in mind that you're allowed two threads per participant (i.e., the Storyteller/GM/DM counts in calculating total threads as well as each player).


I am waiting for a post from a partner, what can I do to fill the time?
Elliquiy is a community where friends meet, and, just like friends anywhere else, there are places we can get together to chat or just basically goof off. You can chat with new arrivals and help make them welcome in their Introduction threads and in the Doormat.

There are many ongoing discussions in the General Chat and General Sexiness areas, or you can start one yourself. We have the shoutbox at the top of the screen where short ‘shout outs’ can be made to the site. It’s open to public viewing and thus should be held to pg-13 banter and chat. There is also the Salonbox which allows longer conversational posts than the shoutbox but is also PG-13, the R-rated Steambox for things a little more racy but still within limits for the public area and the Steamboxxx ('Human' characters/personas) and ExxxoticSteambox ('Exotic' characters/personas) for explicit interaction outside of a game thread.

Last, but not least, there is the Arcade area, where there are arcade-style games you can play. Get the high score, and you could have an icon show up beneath your name on the forums.


There are an awful lot of terms used here that I’m not familiar with. How do I find out what they mean?
The main help area accessible from the home page contains an explanation of terms used on Elliquiy. If that doesn’t answer your question, post to the Help! board or send a PM to a Deity, Siren or Satyr.


Are games involving anthropomorphic animals (furries) or were creatures considered to contain bestiality?
No. On Elliquiy, bestiality means sex with common, run-of-the-mill animals. Weres, even in full animal form, and Anthros/Furries do not fall under that term.


I’m starting to accumulate a bunch of games that I’m in. Is there an easy way to keep track of them?
Yes. There are a couple of ways, actually. The simplest is to click Notify at the top of a thread you want to track. This will add it to the My Topics page, accessible from the tab of that name at the top of the screen. On that page, threads with new replies will be highlighted. In your Profile pages, you can select whether you wish to receive an email for any new post in a thread marked for notification. We’re sorry, but at this time, the setting is only an on/off toggle. You cannot specify which threads that show up on My Topics you do and do not wish to trigger emails for new messages.

Other people create a page for themselves in the Elluiki. This can house a list of links to your Apologies and Absences thread, your ONs and OFFs, and all the games you’ve ever participated in here on Elliquiy.

If what you’re looking for is a way to see new replies to any thread in which you have ever posted, click the “Show new replies to your posts” link at the top of the screen. This function does not distinguish between game and non-game threads. It will show all replies to all threads in which you have ever posted.


There are a lot of different titles here. What do they all mean?
The Deities (badge of Admin or Goddess) are the site moderators, and the Sirens and Satyrs assist in moderation duties. Details about moderation staff, who they are and what they do, can be found here. Site members have the title of Lord or Lady, depending on their gender. Those site members who have contributed financially to the site have the title of Knight or Dame, again, depending on gender. Someone who has created their Introduction thread but has not yet been approved has the title of Unapproved.

There are also titles brought into use for particular circumstances. These include:
  • Underage – for members or applicants who are discovered to be under 18. They can reapply once they reach their 18th birthday.
  • On Hold - for applicants whose Introduction thread did not result in approval, usually related to the level of maturity shown during the application process. Applicants receiving a denial will typically be eligible to reapply three months after the decision.
  • Castrated – for members who have had most of their privileges revoked, namely the ability to view profiles (and thus messengers) and PMs. They can still access most boards, except for the Lords/Ladies only boards. It was originally intended to be temporary but people placed here often escalate the situation.
  • Banned – for members who have requested a restricted status or have been placed under restrictions for severe offense. They can see their own forum, post their own thread there, and nothing else. They cannot view PMs or access any features of the board not available to a guest, save for that one forum.
  • Deverified – for a member whose email address bounces.
  • Rest In Peace – a special status created for a specific situation.

A few other titles show up in the Members list but do not show up as a badge below the member/applicant name in a post. These include May Try Again Later, for applicants whose Introduction thread ends up not being approved. They can reapply in three months. There are also a variety of titles that simply mark the number of posts a member has made outside the Socializing & Gaming and Adult Socializing boards. These titles appear just below a member’s or applicant’s name on the left-hand side of posts, above the badge that stipulates site status, and include:

     Name
Post Count
     Virgin
0
     Olive Oil
1
     Threesomer
3
     Seduced
10
     Sprite
31
     Bacchae
100
     Elf
316
     Seducer
1000
     Fae
3162
     Carnite
10000
     Sidhe
31622
     Addict
50000


Somebody I’ve been roleplaying with seems to have disappeared. What should I do?
The first thing to check is the Apologies and Absences thread. Members are encouraged to post there when they know in advance that they’re not going to be available, and many also indicate when they’re ill. Other members often post supportive comments there. If there’s nothing you can find in Apologies and Absences, try sending a PM. If you don’t hear anything, it’s best simply to write that game off as a loss and go on to something else. There’s no reason why you can’t simply advertise in the appropriate Wanted thread for the same idea. It’s sad and often frustrating when people disappear, but it does happen, so it’s best to be realistic about such a situation. Don’t blame yourself.


I’m going on vacation, school/work is getting crazy, or I need to say “I’m sorry” to people after being out of touch for a while. How can I let other members know?
Either start a new thread in Apologies and Absences or add on to a catch-all thread you use there for all updates on your status. Other members will greatly appreciate your being proactive by posting there, and the vast majority will readily accept an apology after even a lengthy absence.


What are those google, msn, and yahoo spiders?
A spider is a computer program used to crawl web pages and index them for search engines.


What is the size restriction for avatars?
It is 171 pixels tall by 135 pixels wide.


These animated avatars are driving me crazy! How do I make them stop moving?
Press the Esc button on your keyboard. All animated avatars on the current page will stop moving.


I don’t like seeing the Shoutbox. Can I hide it?
Yes. To hide the Shoutbox, simply click on the minus sign (-) at the top right of the screen.


I have a question, but I don't want to bug the staff!
The staff on Elliquiy hears this a lot, and despite their reassurances to the contrary, people always seem to think that any question to staff is a burden. For this reason, Elliquiy has a developing 'Mentor' system, aimed at helping out some of our shyer new (and old!) members. Mentors often have their information on the front site, and while they may not be officially "tagged" as Mentors, there are experienced, friendly, outgoing members always ready to help answer questions.

If you feel that your question is not 'important' enough for staff and you don't want to put your question in the Help! section, feel free to PM or IM anyone on the Mentor list (<=will link to location of current list when it exists) for help. Or just PM an experienced member with whom you've struck up a conversation!


NightBird

#44
These are some ideas about questions to add to the FAQ that came to me today while reading various threads around the site:


  • I'd like my account to be deleted. How do I go about that?
  • How can I attract Elliquians to read and respond to my wanted ad?
  • I know how the main Elliquiy Forums page is laid out now, but how can I tell what category a game thread is in from the Unread Posts page, the Who's Online page, and the game thread page itself?
  • What do all the tabs and links on the forum pages do?
  • What options do I have in setting up my Profile?
  • How do you come up with ideas when it seems like everything even remotely possible within the site rules has already been done (often more than once!)?
  • How are the Storytelling boards different from the game boards?

I'll likely work on them some over the next few days, but if anybody wants to take one and run with it, please do! Just post your question and answer here, and I'll integrate it into the draft above.

[added additional question and removed those answered ~ NB]
[added additional question ~ NB]

Trieste

Quote
What else can I do while I’m waiting for approval?
Unapproved applicants can read and post to all boards listed in the right-hand column visible to them before approval as a full member, in addition to a Quarantine board that only the unapproved applicant and site moderators can access. None of the adult areas will be available until after an applicant has been approved, but there’s still a lot to do on that left-hand column.

Added the red - I think that needs to be left-hand, unless I'm mistaken.

NightBird

Eep! Thank you, yes.

One of the banes of being ambidextrous is that I have a terrible time telling left from right. You don't want me telling you how to get somewhere in the car, trust me.  ::)

Going to make that edit now...

Trieste

I have the same problem ... It's like, "Le-er, ri-er.. *point* GO THERE."

QuoteA lot of members post to the forum games and general social threads in Socializing &Games.

Missing a space after ampersand...


One thing I had a problem with when I first wandered back through was that I wanted to get involved in a few simple games, but most of the ideas I had have already been written! And better than I could ever write them! What ended up happening was that I started seeing threads I wanted to write in myself, ideas other people were already writing that I hadn't thought... of course, I'm shameless, so I just started stea-erm, 'borrowing' liberally ... and I eventually came up with my own twists on stuff and whatnot, but you may want to stick a blurb called 'nothing new under the sun' in there for those not quite as brazen and shameless as I am.  ;D

QuoteGenerally, if a game will contain multiple elements, choose the lowest of any appropriate forums on the list of boards.

On the first read-through, I thought 'lowest' was referring to the heirarchy of divisions (I think people naturally equate "Light" with "PG", "Bondage" with "PG-13", and so on - loosely, of course) and not the section's actual position in the column. You may wish to clarify this ... or, don't. :) I'm merely pointing this out.

There's also two Steamboxxx threads - one for Humans and one for Exotic.

QuoteIf what you’re looking for is a way to see new replies to any thread in which you have ever posted, click the “Show new replies to your posts” link at the top of the screen. This function does not distinguish between game and non-game threads. It will show all replies to [/i]all[/i] threads in which you have ever posted.

Red added. :)

QuoteThere are an awful lot of terms used here that I’m not familiar with. How do I find out what they mean?
The main help area accessible from the home page contains an explanation of terms used on Elliquiy. If that doesn’t answer your question, post to the Help! board or send a PM to a Deity or Siren.

Or Mentor! :) I don't know if you want to discuss Mentors at length in this, but I figured I'd point out the omission in case it wasn't on purpose.

NightBird

It is such a relief that I'm not the only one who does the left/right thing! My Dad actually used an indelible marker one summer and wrote 'L' on my left hand and 'R' on my right. I was thirteen, I think. When I still didn't get it that fall, he literally tossed his own hands up in the air, but he figured it was something I couldn't change, so he stopped bugging me about it... well, too much. There was 'right' and 'the real right' mentioned every now and then, usually with a quirky little grin and a hitch in his belly that meant he was chuckling silently.

But Trieste, my dear... if the dates matched up a little better, I'd start wondering if we were separated at birth! *laughs*

Thanks bunches for the careful read-through. The brain goes soggy after the number of times I've gone over this text, in MS Word and then in the little editing window here. *laughs*

I like the idea about the additional question, and I can see how to adjust the issue of 'lower'. The basic corrections and addition of the other Steamboxxx are simple fixes, but the Mentor question... I'll admit it kind of stymied me. My goal was to list everything that Elliquians would see as titles. Mentor had that for a while, but it doesn't now, so I wasn't at all sure how to explain it in a question about titles that show up under the member name. I'm totally open to suggestions on that!

Trieste

I can't recall if we still have a current list of Mentors about, but I'll see about working one up so we can link to it.

But I don't want to bug the staff!
The staff on Elliquiy hears this a lot, and despite their reassurances to the contrary, people always seem to think that any question to staff is a burden. For this reason, Elliquiy has a developing 'Mentor' system, aimed at helping out some of our shyer new (and old!) members. Mentors often have their information on the front site, and while they may not be officially "tagged" as Mentors, there are experienced, friendly, outgoing members always ready to help answer questions.

If you feel that your question is not 'important' enough for staff and you don't want to put your question in the Help! (link here, I'm lazy) section, feel free to PM or IM anyone on the Mentor list for help. Or just PM an experienced member with whom you've struck up a conversation!

Edit: Oh, and Nightbird, I was born 2 weeks early! Surely that puts us closer to being separated at birth, right? Right? :D