Hello, O Great Forum Members:

I've been lurking here for about two months and I finally decided to register, since the OpNet forums look like a lot of fun. However, I have a couple of questions I'd like to ask before I jump in.

First, I've read somewhere that the OpNet forum is about 2012 - or at least between the events in the main rulebook and the player's guide. The character I'm currently playing (due to our campaign) erupted about 3 months after the Galatea. In fact, our group played 3 or so sessions as baselines leading up to the Galatea event to get our characters fixed in our heads. Now, if the game is in 2012, it's more than possible that my character has grown a great deal in power by that time. While we're not talking nearly about par with Mal or Pax, we're definitely talking about one of the more experienced and powerful novas in the world. Should I play him as fleshed out to 2012 status or should I just keep him developing as he is in the game. I'm leaning to the first option (powered up) since it would give me an idea of how he might develop. What's your opinion?

Second, how do you handle "well-known" events on the OpNet board? We're not talking about anything canon-breaking, but the character has been in the news in the past, and may or may not (depending on how subtle he gets) be even more famous in the future (although he's NOT nearly as well-known as T2M, but in our game we were among the original novas that signed on with Utopia and we have interacted w/Pax, but paths generally don't cross and we're in the investigative arm, not PR).

Third, I see a lot of posts which reference events between characters. Is this board filled with people who play together on a regular basis or do you folks do a lot email or IM interactions?

That's about it. Thanks in advance.

I'm sure someone else will answer your questions, I'm a little short on time right now. It really just comes down to rollplaying. I think power levels are unimportant to a certain degree.

My big request is to try not to bring canon in too much. It is a HUGE peeve of mine and just about everone elses. Most of us are using our table toppers so things can get confusing and frustrating when you bring it in. How many of us have played through the events in phase I or II? Or how many of us have taken down Proteus? My character for one in her table top game has killed more novas than Epoch or worse flooded the planet and killed billions. That sort of thing just doesn't go over well here. Use your best judgement and be courteous. Please.

Cool! It's great to have another person on board! Welcome to the Forum!



Well, It's really your choice. Remember, the board is not necessarily your game, it's always OK to change a few aspects of you character to fit in (in many cases, it's a necessity to, actually). You can play a powered up nova, if you like, or play out the just-erupted nova. But remember, in this board, you can boast all you want, but in general, outrageous claims of powers tend to be laughed at...



Well, there are a few options here. The Vignettes board is a good place to "prologue" a character, so that certain aspects of your character's history can be made public. Also, if you want some piece of information to be known by a single character, you can PM (or e-mail) them with the information. Or, if you're good at dropping hints and stuff, you can just casually drop it in conversation, although again, that tends to seem boastful on the board.



Well, most of us have just been here a while. There are a few people who play together, but for the most part we utilise PM, e-mail, and occaisonally mailing lists. A lot of the fiction in the Fiction board was collaborative, and a lot of it was scripted.



You're very welcome. Oh, and please, enjoy yourself here.

Ooooo ... flattery and manners. I like this guy already!

Let's see; I've played two very different characters on this board for about a year and these are my answers based on what I've learned. Bear in mind that these are my personal opinions and may not represent the official views of god (his name is Chosen by the way and he runs this most excellent forum) or others.



Shared universe; the 2012 date is a recent matter and not 'official' in as much as Chosen didn't give it a blessing but it will work just fine whether you use it or not because;

a. We tend to gloss over high profile events after 2008 in the IC forums. We have to. For somebody it's always August 2001 while for somebody else it's January 2055 and the aberrant war is in full swing; there are divergent points of view. If you're a stickler for the dates or the specific outcome of an event then there are a lot of very cool interactions you'll miss out on with others. Plus there are people that will call you a nutter :p

Even if we were all in synch with the time there would still be problems because the perceptions are different for each of us. For example; for one player Geryon is a respected force for good, a freedom fighter putting his ideals to the test. For another he's a thug and bone breaker who'd be ripping off liquor stores if he hadn't erupted.

Since this is a shared universe both views are actually right. So guess what? We get into (many) arguments about Geryon's methods and goals but we don't usually argue things like what an obviously swell guy he is.

Speaking of perceptions in canon;

b. You're going to stand on your own so bringing a canon interaction into the forums, or defining your character by an interaction with a canon character from your campaign just won't work here. Even if you had the most utterly wonderful ST in the universe (she visits here often by the way) it just won't mean the same thing in the shared universe that it meant in the character Table Top (TT) universe.

If Mal was impressed with your take on Teras in the TT that's wonderful but it's of limited value in the forums. Since we weren't there, and may have different opinions based on the facts of our universe, it won't matter that Mal was impressed but it will matter if you can explain your special insight into Teras.

You may want to think carefully if/when you feel the need to bring a canon character story or interaction into the forums.



Similarly to what I mentioned about canon interactions. You might be Pax in your TT universe but unless you want to tell me that Pax doesn't exist in mine... Restraint might be in order. If you don't tell me Pax doesn't exist then I won't tell you that you don't work Utopia as a front line member of T2M and are adored throughout the world. Posting your character is usually a good start since it gives us an idea of the person were talking with.



Yeah, isn't it great!

1. One character may bring something up which another character then plays off of. Recently Jager brought up, in the midst of a discussion of philosophy, a nova with a taint condition which requires her to eat a certain socially unacceptable food stuff. Jack Chance came back with her name and the fact that he worked with her occasionally. Professor Sydney Holland even remarked that after reviewing her circumstance he felt better about his own taint conditions.

Through those interactions and my fleshing her out then writing her into two vignettes there is now a nova born Liza Anne Debouse, formerly of Louisiana, running around under the name of Graveyard Jill. And making life hell for our man of fortune in the shared universe of the forums. Neat, huh?

2. The collaborative fiction is another area where the different universes merge into one as two or more players sit down and tell a story for all of us. Recently, Chosen added and Kirby moderates the vignette section. One author, one story, short and to the point. Step carefully around canon if you want the story to be treated as part of the forum universe but otherwise knock yourself out and we'll tell you what a gifted author you are.

3. Get together with another player and work together to come up with something of interest. Works alot like number one above but you get together in advance and decide what it is that you're doing. It might be highly scripted or very loose and seat of the pants but the rest of us won't know unless you tell us publically.

You're going to notice, more quickly if you interact highly, that your character takes on a life of it's own within the forums. It might even be a very different life than the one that spawned him/her in TT. Your character will rapidly develop likes and dislikes, friends and enemies, all within the forums themselves.

I think you're going to like it. I certainly do.

To Apep, Kirby, Jack and any of the people that have been around here for a while:

Would you guys be willing to create an Opnet Board etiquitte write-up. I get questions similar to Mr. Nashoba's frequently, and think it could help if I posted the suggested guidelines on the top of the Opnet Board. I want to try and post as much useful information as possible, because I think that a lot of people are rather scared to start posting in there. Jack's response is a great start for it. If anyone is interested, e-mail me and we'll start workin on it.

Thanks.

Thanks for the replies. I'll throw Nashoba up in the "What's your player like" thread sometime this weekend. He's fun to play, being a manipulator, but also tough since the other players are all playing combatants. It works out tho - they obey when I give them orders.

Certainly. Although, it'll have to wait until I rewrite the Fiction/Vignette Etiquette guidelines. (which should be finished by the end of the week, seeing how I only have one assignment left this semester...)

I heard that Mr. Nashoba....

HA! Tell me I'm wrong.

Nice to see you found the forum. I've got some plans to talk to you about tomorrow. I just made M. cringe, so you know it's good. I think it will change how our characters can interact on this board.

Not exactly wrong, just a bit scewed as to the truth of it Mr. N. Our tactics are discussed, debated and agreed upon as to the best possible method for dealing with the opposition prior to our actions. You generally have the best solutions, however it is not all one sided as you make it sound. Even Pryatt has a good idea now and then.....well, about as often as the Haley Comet appearance.

Hey Mr. N.! From one newbie to another I welcome ya to the boards! Hopefully I can hold these guys off untill you get your feet wet! *grins* Anyways, don't be afraid to mess up! I'm learning that lesson all too clear.

Very cool.

Nice work with the mother/daughter posts, BTW. Quite fun.

Hi , I just joined. I just had one question really as most of mine were answered in the post before. How do u get classified as a nova as I cant seem to get the darn thing working. It would be a help to know how.

Post.

The difference between baseline and nova tags is the number of posted messages that
you've put up under that log-in. I don't recall the exact number but it's relatively low (around 25) and the tag will change automatically.

I believe most people ignore the tag per se as it only means the identity you're posting under is new or a very rare poster. Welcome and enjoy the ride.

[ 09-16-2002: Message edited by: Jack Chance ]

Welcome to the boards, Father.

Thank you for the aid my children.

I believe the magic number is 50 posts. Then, BAM! Node spark city.

It requires 50 posts.

O_o; uh? I thought it took 50. Hmmm, maybe I was mistaken...

*waves*

Just found the boards last night, and figured posting around here IC could flesh out the character for the tabletop campaign I'm intermittently a part of.

So this is my second post. Look forward to seeing you all around IC.

Hi there newcomers (or should that be True Believers? ). Hope you enjoy the boards, I've only been on here since mid-2003 but find it a jolly good laugh.

Incidentally, glad you brought this canon etiquette thing up.

I hate you all.Everyone,you are just too cute!

Greetings ya Terat bastayrd!!!

Just kidding. Glad to see you here.