[OW!][NS] Please read this!
Author: Jason Eric Tucker
Email: cy467@FreeNet.Carleton.CA
Date: 1998/11/20
Forums: alt.fan.sailor-moon
Hello, everyone. There were some things here that I think just had
to be said. I'm not dumping on anybody; I just need to get some things off
my chest.
>
>> Was this post entirely necessary?
>
>
>Yes, it was.
>
>Guideline #6: ( http://www.citynet.net/personal/farix/otaku-wars/rules.htm )
>Keep with your plot.
>
>I had to do this to keep with my plot
>
No, you didn't. You just posted the same message again under two
different headers. A header is not the same as a plot. The contents of the
post establish plot, or continuation thereof. If you wanted to, you
could've even changed the header all tgether!
If you are worried about wether or not the other people in your
thread will see your post under a different header, then mail them ahead
of time or CC them the post.
I don't mean to sound antagonistic. It's just that with most
people, time is a valuable commodity. I get irritated when people repost
something in this manner because it's like saying, "My post is so
important, I expect you to read it twice." I don't want want anyone
showing that kind of arrogence to me, and I'm sure you would not like me
to show it to you.
The same thing goes for quoting posts in their intirety. People
who have more quoted text than new text (with exceptions for those who are
tying threads together or fixing continuity, or can otherwise justify
quoting multiple fragments from multiple authors) are wasting my time.
They're wasting other people's time, too. If you need to remind people of
a important point, or if a particular excerpt is neccessary, then fine.
If, however, you are simply too lazy to delete unneccesary stuff, it's a
different matter intirely. Basically, make every word count for something.
I will be posting this to the newsgroup. I hope you don't mind.
There are some things here that just need to be said. Again, I apologise
if I sound overly-critical.
======================================================================
Re: [OW!] [NS] Nothing to write abut? Why write?
Author: Jason Eric Tucker
Email: cy467@FreeNet.Carleton.CA
Date: 1998/10/30
Forums: alt.fan.sailor-moon
Let me just say first that it is not my intent to dump on any
authors here, new or otherwise.
I think that the title pretty much says what I have to say. There
is really no reason to write a post avery couple of hours, especially if
you say in the beginning "I don't have much time now" or "I don't have any
good ideas now." If you don't have any time or ideas, then just don't
write. Don't worry. We won't forget you. We won't kick you out in that
90 minute interval when you are not here writing. There is no rule
anywhere that says that you have to post every thirty seconds or every
day. Personally, I would rather turn out a good piece every so often like
Abacus, Jason Bramlett, etc., than mass-produce crap every five minutes.
One of the best examples of what I am talking about is is one post
written earlier this week. It was just someone else's post, quoted in its
entirety, with "So-and-so watched this happen. Then he left." What the
hell is that?!
Also, it just makes things more difficult for everybody. Not
everyone has time to read all the posts, much less an increased volume of
"So-and-so watched this happen and then left" posts. It makes the job
harder for Nathan, Tom, and myself who try to sumarise everything in the
Gazette for people's convenience. I've come across an number of posts
where there isn't even anything to sumarise! Plus, this puts a great deal
of strain on the already-overburdened Jamie, who runs the archives.
Remember, the Otaku Wars! is a place to have fun and be creative,
but it is best when other people are able to enjoy it with you. Please be
considerate to all of them and not waste bandwidth with "So-and-so watched
and then left."
======================================================================
Re: [OW!R][NS] The new series..
Author: Jason Eric Tucker
Email: cy467@FreeNet.Carleton.CA
Date: 1998/06/17
Forums: alt.fan.sailor-moon
PowerTux (jameshelferty@renc.igs.net) writes:
> Hello everyone.
>
>
> I was just curious, why not skip OW!S totally? I think what might be an
> interesting idea'd be OW! Tactics (Yes, OW!T for short..). Why? Well,
> in my opinion, it's just gotten almost as bad a SNL. Was kind of new
> and interesting at the start, but now lately it's been just dragging
> on..
>
You won't find anything like the OW! anywhere else in the world,
with the possible exception of alt.devilbunnies (don't ask!).
Personally, I think this is all a waste of time. There is no need
for limitations in the OW! I mean, omnipotence is baaaaaaad, and looked
badly upon by just about everybody. Use magic or mecha or whatever, but be
reasonable and respect other authors. These are things that have been
repeated ad infinitum.
There already is a sort of tactical element in the Wars!: humor
and creativity. You can do anything as long as it is funny and creative.
Although, the magnitude of what you are attempting should be limitation
enough in that the bigger the thing you want to do, the funnier and more
creative it must be. If I may post some guidelines:
Cause massive pain to another OW!-er = Silly and worth a few chuckles.
(Hiryu's wedgie on Ryu, for example)
Defeat another OW!-er = Funny and creative.
Defeat multiple OW!-ers = Imaginitive and very funny.
Destroy the DCBFH3 = Something way off in left field that will have all
the readers rolling on the floor, clutching their sides, almost
ready to pee in their pants.
At least, that's my assesment. Anyone who whines about things like
this has simply lost sight of what the Wars! are all about. It's about
having fun and making yourself and others laugh. You want a detailed,
involved storyline? Go read some fanfic.
======================================================================
Re: [OW!][FAQ] The Otaku Wars FAQ v1.01beta
Author: Jason Eric Tucker
Email: cy467@FreeNet.Carleton.CA
Date: 1998/12/01
Forums: alt.fan.sailor-moon
(carp@email.unc.edu) writes:
> In article <73q0bj$tcm$1@nnrp1.dejanews.com>,
> farix@citynet.net wrote:
>
>> Step 1: Creating your Avatar
>>
>> Regardless of what you might think, this is probably the
>> easiest step in joining the Wars!. And, for some reason,
>> it's the step that gives most Newbies the most problems.
>>
[snip]
> I have kind of a question about this. You see, Carp the character is nothing
> at all like me. Really. Thank god for that. I mean, obviously I don't have
> a fish head, but come on, he's a purely one-dimensional comic stereotype.
>
> Personally, I think it's better that way. When you have an avatar that
> something bad happens to, you're more likely to get anxious and angry about
> it. But if Frankie the Dwarf, who's from Mars, gets nailed by a nuclear
> device, that's just fun, even if he's your main character.
>
This raises some issues. Carp, then, fits the mold of a "Created
Character." However, Carp is (yes, he is!) a successful Otaku Wars!
character. Compare this to, say, Galadriel. Galadriel was a character of
the Created variety whose presence was reviled by many, many, OW!
participants. Iris, another Created Character by the same person, was
largely accepted until the author ditched her.
This basically boils down to something that has probably been one
of the touchiest subjects of the Wars! That is, that the writers should do
what they are good at, but not everyone is good at this sort of thing. A
Created Character or an Avatar Character can just as successful, depending
on thier attitudes toward the Wars! and their skill at presntig situations
and cracking jokes.
A lot of things determine wether or not a newcomer is readily
accepted. Do they tell stories well (like el Pegaso)? Are they funny (like
Bob the Viking)? Do they work and play well with others (like
Chibi-Youma)? If thy can do well in all three or are good enough in the
other two to make up for a lacking in one area, usually, they will live
beyond newbie status.
There are some people who entered the Wars! and unable to do this.
They have since left. It's kinda hard to tell somebody "You are very
confusing" or "You are not funny" or "You seem to have no grasp of
punctuation or grammar," but they eventually got the message.
Of course, there's always the possibility that someone will take
what they do well with and overuse it. (Of course, I don't think anyone
can bee *too* funny!) They think, "Well, I'm a good storyteller, so I'll
conjure up a major plotline as soon as I get there and get everyone into
it!" Or, they think, "I can create well-rounded characters, so I'll make a
zillion people as soon as I get there!" There are still others who say
"Screw convention! I'm going to run the Wars! *MY* way, they way it
should've been!" All of these things will get you ignored out of
existance.
I would like to sugest a good rule of thumb. Enter quietly. Join a
plotline and don't try to shake things up until you have interacted with
about five other authors. I don't mean like the Newbiechanians or The
Group. I mean five people who have been around the block. After that,
shake things up however you want. Make your introductions and say hello
first. Make an ally or two and/or and enemy or two (Character-wise. The
authors should be your friends, not your enemies). Then you can blow up
the world. It's good diplomacy. That's what a lot of human interaction
is, anyway: good diplomacy.
Speaking of blowing up the world, I would like to suggest another
rule of thumb. The impact of your actions should be about proportional to
how funny and original it is. Examples:
Hurting another character = Worth a few chuckles.
Blowing something up (other than Wal-Mart) = Very funny.
Destroying the DCBFH3 = Something from way out in left field which will
have everyone rolling on the floor about ready to pee in their pants.
Of course, if you don't think you can be that funny, you can
always substitute "dramatically moving" for "original and funny." Make us
think that this is the greatest tragedy that ever has occured, even if
it's just blowing up a rusted old Studebaker. Make us feel the pain of
being deprived of Piyo Poppas.
By the way, I can't emphisize this enough: DON'T QUOTE ENTIRE
POSTS UNLESS NECESSARY! It's just a pet peeve of mine. Not that much of
anyone does it anymore, but this is probably for posterity.
Lastly, BE PATIENT! If nobody writes you in their post five
minutes after you arrive, you are not neccessarily being ignored and you
don't have to post a second time. Not everyone may have as much free time
on their hands as you do. Steve mentioned his 18 hours of classes and 38
hours of work per week! Maybe he loves your post, ut hasn't had time to
write a follow-up. A post's full effect hasn't been felt for about three
days. Yes, three days. Especially if it's a long one. Take up knitting or
something to kill all the time in between.
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