Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
of the Guided Plot!
"What in the world is a guided plot?" Most people ask. Well, it's a little invention of ours. This page should (hopefully) answer your questions about the Guided Plot. If you are still confuzled after reading this, send us an owl and we will gladly answer your question as best as we can, or you can post in the GP FAQ forum. Thanks!
What is a Guided Plot, anyway? A "Guided Plot" is a little invention of ours, to (hopefully) keep the RPG active. Instead of letting people post whatever they please (which is usually nonsense like "is anybody here?")-which you can still do in the regular part of the RPG-the guided plot is exactly what it says-guided. By us. At the beginning of a Guided Plot Line, or GPL, Lilac & I (Odietta) will come up with a starter. Something to get the GPL going. It will be posted, along with any GPL updates, on the right hand side of the main page (hence the title "RPG Updates"?). Then people (like you) are supposed to take that starter and post related storylines, so that the plot goes to...wherever the RPers want to take it! Sound confusing? It's not. It's just like when someone starts a storyline and other people continue it, only in this case the storyline (and some of the characters) are provided by us.
I read the RPG updates, but who are the characters mentioned there? Some of the characters may actually be students that have played a major part in the GPL. Some characters, however, may be nonexistant, or not listed on the members list. So why are they in the GPL? Usually these characters are played by us, to make something actually happen. You will only find them in the GP section of the site. However, we may occasionally ask another student to "play" someone for the GPL. But..who?? *evil grin*
I'm new to this site. What do I do about the Guided Plot? First, I suggest that you read the Guided Plots update box (on the right side of your screen on the main page). The beginning of the plot may be at the bottom of the box, so scroll down and read up. That should fill you in on pretty much the majority of the (important) stuff in the current plot line. It may be kind of confusing, however. If you feel comfortable, you can jump right in, or you can wait until we start a new GPL and just participate in the regular plot lines until then.
But my character is evil! What do I do? *rolls eyes* SLYTHERINS. *cough* Um...you be evil in the GPL? Hello, you don't have to be a good character to participate in the GPL! Please, feel free to be evil and help out the "bad guys" in our GPL, or help no one at all! I don't care! Just..participate in the GP! Or e-m@il us and ask us if you can be the "bad guy" in our next GP!
Why does the Guided Plot take place on only three forums? Because we thought (and we were right, of course. We're always right. ^^') that it would be way too confusing. The GP is supposed to mostly stay on one board. I know that it will occasionally change boards, but we didn't want people having little sections of GP here-and-there-and-everywhere, and being confusing and broken and hard to find. This way, hopefully, there will be at least 100 replies before it changes places, and when it does, it should be posted where it's going, or easier to find, since you only have to check two other boards. If absolutley nessecary, we might add another forum...
What do we do if there's a space of time in between the last part of the GP and the part we want to start? An example of this is if it's night and you fight people in the GP forest and then everyone decides to call it quits and go to bed. And then you want it to be morning the next time you post. The least confusing way of doing this is to start a new "topic". That way it won't be confused with the old one. And you can title it "the next morning" or something. Another way you can do this is to swich forums, as well. If you were in the forest, and then went to bed, and it's morning, *hopefully* you're in the Great Hall (aka Hogwarts), which would switch forums.
What if the Guided Plot Line dies out? Then we start a new GPL! Lilac and I (Odietta) will either come up with a new one, hold a contest for people to come up with a new one (if we're out of ideas), or have people vote in a poll on which should be the next GPL. And then we would erase the "RPG Updates" and post the new GPL. Not difficult!
What if my character dies in a GPL?! Um. It shouldn't happen. Which means it will. It's probably best if you let your character stay dead if you're killed in the GPL, if only in the GPL itself. It *is* kind of annoying when someone is supposed to be dead but keeps coming back to life with their "superpowers", but it *is* also annoying to be killed. I know you may not want to be dead (really, who does?), but, depending on the circumstances of your death, you can probably just be dead in that GPL (or come back as a "ghost", possibly. E-m@il us first, please, if you want to do this), and come back in the next GPL. But, depending on the cirumstances, you may just want to create a new character. Again, e-m@il us. IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU DIE IN A GPL, E-M@IL US!!! (you *can* click on the little owl icon at the bottom of the page, can't you? Because if you can't, I'm in serious doubt of your computer skills, and you probably shouldn't even be online. lol)
I have a made-up character. Are characters from the books the only characters that can participate in the Guided Plot? NO! Definatley not! We want people who AREN'T from the book to participate in the GPL! Some of the plot lines may be centered around a book character, but the plot is really only centered around you if you are very active in the GPL! Characters who aren't from the book may have a little difficulty feeling like they fit in (though they shouldn't), but it all depends on how much you post. And we'll try to keep the GPL away from the book characters (though I can't guarantee anything).
What if I go on vacation? Um...you miss part of the guided plot? I know, I know, you don't want to miss out on any part of the GPL; you feel like they need you, especially if you're a main character/post a lot. But they will live and so will you! Just read the updates when you come back and jump in again. If you have access to a computer during vacation, please get online and post from..wherever you are. =)
I don't like this Guided Plot Line. It's stupid. Well, I'm sorry, but you can deal with it. Post or don't post. I don't care. :P Wait for the next GPL. If you really don't like it, probably other people don't, either, and it'll die out pretty quickly anyway. But if you're just sour because we didn't pick your GPL suggestion, tough luck.
More questions that aren't answered here? Send'em by owl! Post your question on the GP FAQ forum! We'll answer asap. If enough people ask the same question, it'll be added here.
