[Jen]

Any questions asked in this board may be added to this list!

GENERAL

What is your rating?
Most content on Last Resort (LR) will be of a PG-13 rating. However, all members at present are over 18. Due to this, we trust them to moderate beyond that and tag posts that may contain offensive language, violence, or trigger with an [M] in the thread title. It is recommended you edit the reason it is rated in the starter post. Staff does keep a reasonable eye on this.

What is your stance on godmoding/powerplaying?
Respect is our number one rule on this RPG. Controlling someone else's character is something that can be rather disrespectful. However, sometimes we all find ourselves in posts where if we don't assume something, the response we post will be rather measly. In this situation, we ask that you ask another person what their character might do. If you cannot contact that person and want something up for them, do include an OOC note at the bottom that you will edit if the assumed response doesn't work. If someone asks you to change something and you don't, staff will become involved.

Do you have a word count?
We prefer quality over quantity. As such, we do not have a set word count. However, if your roleplay partner is having difficulty responding to your post because there is nothing to play off, he may ask you to add some details. If you can't think of an angle for someone to go off when you read over it, you'll probably want to do so yourself.

I've never read/seen Harry Potter. I know general details but nothing in depth. However, there's something that stands out about your site. Should I go look elsewhere?
We're not going to send someone away just for their lack of knowledge of the HP lore. We have so many unique things that we have added that we could understand an interest despite not having read or watched HP. However, we do ask that you read our thread entitled A Newbie's Guide to Harry Potter to brush up on the basics.

What should I know about the world of Last Resort?
We have written a thread entitled A Newbie's Guide to LR, which you can find here.

[Jen]

ACTIVITY

What is your activity policy?
We only require one post every week and at least one post from each of your characters within a thirty-day span. If you know that you will not be able to meet the weekly requirement one week, post an away message notifying us you need a hiatus. Any characters which are not active for thirty days will be moved to an “inactive” group. It is possible to get the character back, but you will need to have some plots in place.

If you are in an important thread and must be away for more than two weeks, we reserve the right to move threads forward in one way or another. We have had issues with the site being negatively influenced by stalled threads that have great weight on the plot and, thereby, time progression.

What happens if I don't meet the activity policy?
Your character will be archived and the account moved to the “inactive” group. You will not be able to log in unless the account is re-activated by the staff or a new account is created. We understand real life situations do come up that do not permit head's up to be given, and we are willing to work with you. Just be sure you know whether you want that old character back or if you want to start anew. If you would like us to post a plot request for you before you make your decision, we will do so. While waiting, why not ease back in by chatting in the c-box?

The “contact us” link would be the best way to notify us you're back and would like to see your account reactivated.

Do you hold activity checks?
We have in the past and may if it seems necessary, but for the most part, we will try to stick to the above and simply retire characters after thirty days. We will do our best to PM the OOC account of a member if they have certain characters who haven't posted in that time frame.

Help! I think my RP partner may have disappeared!
First, we're really sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, this does happen sometimes and understandably may leave you feeling a little lost and disappointed. The LR staff is here for you, however! Please notify us of the situation, and we will make an attempt to contact said person. We will allow you to tie up your thread however you see fit and try our best to point you toward new plots. We also have a board for plot requests and suggesting plots! Feel free to peruse this, but know you are not alone.

WRITING

What do I do if I can't seem to write?
Happens to the best of us. Come onto the site, stare at it knowing we should write, wanting to write even, yet all we can seem to do is draw blanks. The posting screen's whiteness becomes even whiter and brighter, almost taunting us with its pristine glare. We determine we'll get something out even if it's the death of us, but nothing happens. The screen stays blank. Facebook or Tumblr calls for us. That book we haven't picked up in weeks suddenly seems alluring.

What do we suggest? First, find out why this is happening. Are you hungry? Thirsty? Tired? Stressed? Headachey? Sick? Restless? These things will be enough to keep many from posting despite having the desire, and honestly, if it's any of those, we suggest you take care of that! Hungry? Eat! Thirsty? Drink! Stressed? Go find that good friend, punching bag, or journal and vent! Tired, headachey, or sick? Rest! Restless? Go take a walk, do some push-ups, or just about anything to occupy yourself. The worst thing you can do for yourself is sit there and stare at the blank screen. It trains your brain to do just that: stare. We promise we'll still be here when you get back!

If it's none of the above and you are just feeling distracted but want to write, try removing yourself from your computer and get some paper. Free write about anything if you're feeling blocked or write out your responses on paper. Then, come back and go from there. Sometimes our brains just aren't going to give in without those distractions.

Other things that help us are music and rewards. Maybe you can have a bite of that candy bar after each post you write? Maybe you can get five minutes of Tumblr for every two posts? Find something that works! There are also sites that will block out access to other sites for a set period of time. You won't be able to go on our site, but that doesn't stop you from having copied what you need to reply to into a Word doc.

What do I do if I don't know what to write?
Relax! We've got you here. We suggest you post a thread here asking for plots and which characters you're looking for plots for. You might want to include a general direction you're hoping to see them go and perhaps a little bit about them. Someone will get to you soon!

If you did that but don't want to sit around waiting, there are many writing prompt sites out there! Wonderful Writing Prompts (Tumblr), A Writing Prompt a Day (Tumblr), and the tables on Fanfic 100's profile are some favorites. You might even check out NaNoWriMo's dare thread. Find one that sparks something and go with it! We don't shun away randomness, and if it's just so random you don't think it will work for the main plot, there's always our Twilight Zone board to post it in!

[Jen]

CHARACTER CREATION

Do you allow non-human creatures?
We have a Nosferatu, a vampire, two Garou, and a Gotoku Neko running about. So, yes, we do. However, we ask that you consult the HPL for things like centaurs, etc. We have information for our Nosferatu, vampires, Garou, werewolves, veela, and Gotoku Neko located here.

Do you allow muggles?
Yes, we do! We even have a special plot going on for muggles involved in the MI5: Paranormal Division. Should we gain non-MI5 agent muggles, we would be more than willing to develop a plot surrounding them, though the current MI5 plot will eventually affect every character on the board.

Do you allow special abilities?
Yes. Please see our special ability claims list, located here. Do note, if an ability is full, you can appeal. You'll want to use the “Contact Us” link to send the staff a completed form found in the claims list itself.

Can I create a relative of Harry Potter or *insert canon here*?
Please consult with an admin before creating this sort of character. Because we are AU and have had these characters played in the past, certain things may not work. We really don't mind any questions!

Can I create *insert minor character here* from the books?
No character in the actual books, no matter how minor, may be created on this site. We are original character only.

Can I create my own resistance group or *insert other type of group*?
We ask that you consider the current groups we have first. If you find, however, that none of these will work, message a staff member. We will need to gain information on this group from you. In the past, we have had members create groups who got no in character members as there was not enough information available. We don't want that to happen to you!

I'm creating my first character, and I'm kind of nervous. Do you have any tips?
Ask questions! No, seriously. That is our best advice. We love questions and have found those that ask them have had the easiest time integrating and breezing through the acceptance process.

Also, relax and have fun with it. Once you've read information pertaining to your character and have asked questions, you should be just fine. Write what feels natural and comes to mind for your character.

Our last bit of advice: your character's history is about them. We don't mind reading through long histories, but if the entire history except one paragraph is about the character's parents, we may ask you to change that.

[Jen]

MISCELLANEOUS

I have a problem with x, but I don't feel like I can talk with them about it. What do I do?
We strongly suggest you try to mention it to the person. Why? It does create an unwelcoming atmosphere to that person since we would have to handle it from a, “We've received some complaints,” perspective. Many people (not all, of course) are more receptive if they get it from the source rather than the staff. Hearing from the staff can make people feel like they're in trouble. If you do approach them, try to use “I” statements. If you try and they are not receptive and it devolves into an argument, we are willing to mediate.

However, if they are harassing you in any way, such as pushing you into situations you don't feel comfortable with, etc., you are encouraged to come directly to us! We do not tolerate harassment of any of our members. Send us a screen shot of the IM or the PM and we will look it over and take action accordingly.

How do you handle site discipline?
In general, we follow a three-strikes system. You get three warnings. If we must approach you again, you will be banned. The staff reserves the right to bypass in extreme situations. If you are banned, you will receive an email notifying you of such and why.

[Jen]

FORUM-RELATED

Why are you self-hosted?
The Beyond Potter series has been long-founded on Proboards. However, we noticed a recurring, worsening problem in DDoS attacks that were slowing us down. On top of that, we personally did not want to deal with version five. None of the staff were overly familiar with InvisionFree or JCInc, but Amanda had been hosting here for a while and felt she could help us over here. As such, we felt we could offer more functionality for our members through our own host. We officially moved in April of 2013.

I see you're account-per-character. Doesn't that mean I'll have to log in and out a lot?
We assure you it doesn't! We've been there, done that, and don't want anyone to have any issues with that annoying process. Instead, you are asked to create a main account with an OOC name. You will then go to your User Control Panel to create the linked sub-accounts under the "Manage Linked Accounts" tab. Simply select "Create a Linked Account," fill out the information, and you'll be on your way! You'll just have to use the drop-down menu to switch accounts.

I'm used to *insert host here*'s coding for post formats. What do I need to know about here?
First and foremost, know that we do not use doHTML. Our alignment tags are much like the old Proboards. We use "[*center][*/center]," "[*right][*/right]," etc. (minus asterisks, of course). Our sizing tags are similar to, I believe, JCInc. We use "" all the way through "" as viewable sizes as we are based on percentages. Anything below 90% is getting pretty small. "" is our equivalent of Proboards' "." Our line break code is "[*hr][/hr]," and we do not have blockquote. You can use the list function in a very similar fashion, though it will only indent on one side.

Amanda/Ri, feel free to add postulate questions here. I'll write in replies/formatting when I get back. Brain is blanking on what sort of questions people might have regarding the inner workings of our forum atm. Everything's pretty basic.