Introduction

You get more XP and more knowledge from collaborative threads - they bring better rewards. Why? Because we believe that they allow you to tell - often - better stories. Solos are great and we have a lot of fantastic solos on the site with more being written every day. But writing together is a fantastic, shared, collaborative experience which should be of great enjoyment to our players. So - this guide will be brief and will just cover the very basics needed to ensure a fair collaboration for everyone.

IMPORTANT CAVEAT

This guide is about writing collaboratively with PCs. If you are in a moderated thread, even if there is a low risk - death or injury is always a risk. Many mods will advertise risk levels before a thread starts and we will always aim to avoid PC death unless - frankly - the pc gives us no choice. If you don't want to die in a moderated thread - then don't run at a massive monster, twenty times your size, carved in stone with flames licking all over it. If you really have to run at it? Be armed with more than a toothpick and your wits.

What is a collaborative thread?

Any thread with more than one player in it. For the purposes of this guide, a collaborative thread is different than a moderated thread. A moderated thread will have rules etc laid out by the mod. In a moderated thread, if you're unsure of what the rules are, ask!

Rules of Collaboration

Really, the bottom line here is to be courteous and thoughtful to your fellow writers. However, more explicitly what that means is.

1. Boundaries (group rules) for the thread should be agreed beforehand by all concerned.
   1. This is especially important if it is the first time you're writing together, or there is the possibility of violence, or if perhaps the thread will deal with potentially sensitive topics.
2. Posting is usually done in 'rounds' so that all involved post before the next round of posting starts.
   1. That just means that everyone gets a turn! However, it may be that you agree among yourselves that this isn't how your thread is going to work and that's just fine!
3. Controlling other people's pcs is not ok!
   1. If you have their permission to write in their reaction, for example (which can happen and be needed) then just put an ooc note saying permission given.
   2. It's also not ok to assume you know things about another pc without good IC reason. Again, rules of courtesy apply.
4. Skill Levels Must Be Adhered To
   1. In all threads. End of.

Player vs Player

There may be times when two players wish to engage in combat, be that magical or physical. For the purposes of this guide, PvP is:

1. PC-to-PC violence - where a pc gets injured but there is no risk of death.
2. Partial PvP - where a pc gets injured, there is risk of death, but no direct intent to kill.
3. Full PvP - where there is a risk and intention of killing.

Rules For Player vs Player

1. No player has to be involved in a PvP (of any kind) if they do not wish it. These threads are only done with full consent from all parties concerned.
2. Any Full PvP thread should have moderator oversight. You may run the thread collaboratively, but please inform one of the staff and they will overview.
   1. A Partial PvP is often one where moderator oversight may be required also. Please, don't hesitate to ask - mods are happy to help.
3. A player is within their rights to call a stop to any Player vs Player scenario.
4. At any point in any thread, if a player is uncomfortable with what is happening, then they should
   1. Speak to their writing partners and explain their limits again.
   2. If that doesn't work - inform a moderator, who will take oversight or post in the thread.

It must be clear that, no one should ever feel forced into a player vs player situation. You have control of your character in collaborated threads, no one else does. We are all here to enjoy ourselves. Character death or injury in collaborative threads should only occur with the full, informed, and entirely comfortable consent of all concerned.

Happy writing!