Character Interaction - The Message Boards

t is on the Message Boards, where a lot of roleplaying takes place. With no 'lag'-ridden channels and disruptive patrons to contend with, the boards offer a satisfactory alternative to the chat room. The Castle Of Shadows' message boards are a way for players to let each other know what their characters are doing, to invite other players' characters to join their storylines, and to practice their writing skills. Characters can interact on the message boards just as freely as they would do so in the chat room, with their chat lines replaced by 'posts'. Roleplaying in the chat room and on the message boards complement each other; a couple of hours' role-playing in the chat room can be repeated on the message boards, as a means for keeping track of events, and also to brief any players who might've missed the session in the chat room.

What a player's character(s) is(are) doing, is known as a storyline, and these are posted on these boards. Again, the actual complexity of a post (any one message on the message board is known as a post, while all linked messages are known as a thread - note that 'thread' is a technical term, and for character-to-character messages, 'storyline' is preferred.), is up to the player. Budding authors might like to post paragraph after paragraph of text. Others might like to leave just a line or two. It doesn't matter - it's a case of personal choice.

New characters would usually post a message announcing their arrival, and this is an instant way of informing the other patrons of your presence. Below, Tigurius Strong-Arm is entering the room for the first time. His chat-room lines might go a little like this:

Tigurius Strong-Arm: (steps inside the keep's main room cautiously)
Tigurius Strong-Arm: (looks around at his new surroundings)
Tigurius Strong-Arm: (greets the patrons politely) Good day to you, friends...

His equivalent message board post would be something like:

Walking up to the Keep's doorway, Tigurius Strong-Arm enters slowly. He took a cautious look around his new surroundings, and then proceeded to politely greet the other patrons.

"Good day to you, friends..."

Of course, some players might like to include some background information about their character in their posts, perhaps a reason for his/her presence at the Castle Of Shadows, and so on. Once again, this is up to the player.

Characters might also like to join in existing storylines, rather than start one themselves. For example, a storyline includes a pair of travelling characters being waylaid by a band of ruffians. A third character might happen to be passing, and then would ride to their aid. Just how the third (and further) parties enter the storyline, depends on the nature of the messages, and of course, on the other players. A few posts later, a fourth, a fifth, and even perhaps a sixth character might have joined in.

Some players like to keep their storylines private, or involve just a couple of select characters, and should inform others of this, if they don't wish their storyline interrupted, leaving a suitable note at the end of their post or in their storyline's title. Non-private storylines are sometimes also known as 'open' storylines.

The actual mechanics of posting messages on the Castle Of Shadows' message boards are covered in the 'Help' section at the top of the boards' page.

Any questions about the message boards should be submitted here.

Back to the Rules & Guidelines page.

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