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Welcome to Valucre. The following article is intended to answer any questions you may have about our community. Thanks to Adylheim for the use of their blank template.
Common Terms
AFV: Away From Valucre.
PC: Player Character - A character controlled by a player.
NPC: Non-Player Character - Any other character in the game world, such as a guard or a bartender.
Readymade: Quickly made for the purposes of the story. A readymade town is not a legitimized piece of canon, hence no map placement or sub-board, but serves the purpose of a single thread or a group of players.
IC: In Character - Anything that happens in the game world.
OOC: Out of Character - Anything that takes place outside the game world.
Round/turn: A full revolution of players. A turn with 2 players is 2 posts. With 5 players is 5 posts.
Informational: A thread, usually one or two posts, that has a picture and information for a setting. Not meant to be played in.
T1: A descriptive, turn-based battle style in which you attempt to logically trap your opponents in fatal scenarios; autos and metagaming is not permitted.
Combative T1: Completely unscripted and a test of skill. Will likely require a third-party judge.
Collaborative T1: Choreographed to various degrees, from completely scripted to loosely plotted.
Auto: Describing the action of a character that does not belong to you without permission, more specifically for self-serving purposes.
Metagaming: Metagaming is when take information you know as the reader and apply it to an in-character action, despite there being a lack of grounds for your character to know what you as the reader do.
Godmodding: Also known as "powergaming". When a character is capable of performing feats without limit or boundary, has an answer for every obstacle or has no weaknesses. Otherwise used to define any action or method that transcends the prescribed ruleset or goes beyond the limits or environment of the site.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Valucre? Valucre is a fantasy play-by-post roleplaying forum. Valucre the site is separated into four primary sections.
The first is the General section. This contains New Members & Returns. New members often make threads introducing themselves to the forum at large, or asking questions about the site before jumping in. The Valucre community is in general very warm, welcoming and helpful. We have a very well versed Outreach support staff, but most members are both able and willing to answer whatever questions they can. General also houses Free Chat, for discussions of all kind, and Art, where members can showcase their talents in graphics, music, or literature.
The next section is Roleplay Related. This houses the Storyline Board, Water Cooler, Market Place and Profile Database. Hover over each purple word to see more information.
The next section is made up of four categories and comprise Valucre the World, the IC setting. Each category represents a different continent Terrenus, Genesaris, Tellus Mater and Iselyr. These represent a persistent world that is constantly changing and is affected by the players' choices. We're working on updating the Lore sections, but for the time being you can find all the information you need under the appropriate Lore tab or in the General sub-forum of each category.
Read more about these lands by clicking here: Valucre the World
The third section is Other. The Universal Colosseum resides in Other, which is where most T1 tournaments and T1 fights are held. Alternative also resides in Other. Alternative is the go-to board for any kind of roleplay you can think of that wouldn't fit into the Valucre canon. Genre-specific roleplays like zombie survival, Heroes and Marvel spin-offs, or just random one-thread roleplays in their own unique setting. Here, the players are free to do or create pretty much anything.
2. How do you play? This 'game' takes place entirely on the forums through the vehicle of your writing, and everyone participates by describing the behavior, actions and consequences of their characters and the responses of the setting. You roleplay by playing a role. You interact with the world through the eyes and hands of the knight, or the pirate, or the thief and you are the narrator (though some like first-person) scribing the details of their epic journey.
3. Is that all? If your definition of game requires graphics, a console and a controller, then there isn't one (unless you count smilies, icons and the occasional picture). If so, Valucre probably isn't the place for you. If you're willing and able to use your imagination, then we encourage you to give Valucre a try. You can treat the forum as being a perfect blend between the traditional table-top RPG and collaborative fiction because that's really what it is. Multiple authors contributing to one single, constantly growing and forever changing tapestry.
4. What's with threads, and what kinds are there? Because everything takes place on a message board, everything happens in a thread. A thread will always have a particular focus, typically either a location (a tavern) or an event (an adventure). This focus is usually declared or hinted at in the thread's title. Threads may be moderated or unmoderated, which affects how conflict and uncertainties are resolved. Threads are often either "open" or "closed"/ "private". This is a matter of courtesy, and indicates whether the player who started the thread would like to welcome random players into the thread, or would like to play only with specific people they've invited into that particular thread. If closed, it is usually marked as such. All threads not explicitly marked closed can be considered open. Threads explicitly marked open are just the author's way of showing that they're especially eager to write with new people.
5. Can I own some kind of store or provide an in-character service? If your character is the proprietor of any establishment or service (inn, tavern, shop, smith and so on), open a thread in the Market Place with your service's relevant information, include a picture if you want to, and send invites out for interaction every so often. Free Chat, Newsletter, and Facebook Fan Page are all viable means that a regular user can use for advertising purposes.
6. How are conflict and uncertainty resolved? This depends on the type of thread. Some threads are moderated, which means that a special player (a staff member called a moderator or even just another member) adjudicates the thread and the success or failure of the actions of the PCs in it, and typically takes responsibility for describing the environment and the actions of any NPCs present as well.
Other threads are unmoderated, meaning players are free to decide the outcomes of their own characters' actions, or, if the participants agree to do it differently, they may decide the outcome of each other's characters' actions instead. Any threads with the potential for great risk or reward for a PC, or the potential for a significant impact on the game world, should be moderated unless permission is granted from a forum's moderator beforehand. Routine events (for instance, purchasing items for the listed price from a shop) generally do not have to be played out on the forums, though players are free to RP such activities if they wish.
It is always in good taste to remember that conflict is essential for a good story, and that if your character has an answer to every problem, or even just one crucial issue that they have on right being able to answer, chances are you're ruining the story for everyone else.
You can read more about Canonization by clicking here.
7. So who are moderators and staff? Valucre has a volunteer staff that carries out a number of functions on the board. There are two basic types of staff members higher staff (administrators and team leaders/global moderators) and lower staff (Storytellers, PR&M and Outreach). Administrators see to the technical maintenance of the website and forums, as well as various other duties, including overall management of the game. Team Leaders/Global Moderators head their specific department, while helping to clean up OOC discussions and keep things running smooth IC as well.
You can view a full list of staff by clicking here.
The PRM (Public Relations & Marketing) handle the obvious fields associated with that kind of title, which include advertising and marketing Valucre as well as coming up with community building events. If you have any concerns related to this, message Nette.
The Storytellers perform functions available the everyday member, but do so in a staff capacity. They go around threads and play the part of NPC's to further a story. Anyone can do that. But Story-tellers have taken this up as an official function, and so can be specifically requested in this capacity (by clicking here). They also enforce canon, so if you're going around causing chaos, don't be surprised if a Storyteller steps in to intervene.
Outreach, though mentioned last, is as critical a part of the staff as any other. Their job is easier said than done, and it revolves around member integration and retention. Namely their job is to help new members find their way on the forum until they are comfortable enough to take charge by themselves. Their job is also to query active members to find out what works and what doesn't, what's good and what's bad, concerning the forum. Their job is, finally, to reach out to inactive members and see what it is that drew them away from Valucre and if there is a chance of returning (some members just lose the URL, astonishing as that may be).
8. What's all this about IC and OOC? The difference between in-character (IC) and out-of-character (OOC) is arguably the most important aspect of roleplaying. Anything that takes place in the game world is IC, everything that doesn't take place in the game world (e.g. real life) is OOC. Therefore, the OOC forums are for discussions between players and other things that don't take place in the game itself, while the IC forums are where the actual roleplaying takes place. You'll be expected to be able to draw a firm distinction between the two. For instance, just because you know something (OOC), doesn't mean your character does (IC). Similarly, just because someone's PC says a certain thing or behaves a certain way, doesn't mean that his/her player believes or condones those things. A player can like another player, while their characters hate each other. Most importantly, don't bring OOC knowledge into the game, and don't take what happens in the game personally.
9. What are Continuity Declarations? Flexible Continuity is the name Adylheim uses for their time management system. We liked the name so we stuck with it. If you could only participate in one thread at a time, things would move pretty slowly, so with Flexible Continuity you can participate in multiple threads at once - provided that you can place them all coherently into your character's personal timeline in a way that makes sense. A Continuity Declaration (CD), which is not necessary but a useful tool nonetheless, is a note at the top of a thread or post that helps everyone place that thread or post in time, to make keeping track of things easier. Another way to handle this is to link to the thread you continue in, and in that second thread link back to the thread you just came from.
Character Creation
See the Roleplay, characters and T1 section of the Valucre Walkthrough.