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Play by post!
or
Play by chat!
or
Play by both!
Why?
WHY NOT?!
We have both!
free games
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**You must be at least 16 years old to play here.** |
How do I get a chat account?
Can I get a player chat account, with my character's name as the login?
What kinds of player experience are you looking for in your players?
What is a seed post?
What kinds of creatures, things, and characters aren't allowed here?
What kinds of characters and creatures do you allow?
I think they're cute. Why can't I use anime, hentai, etc. here?
What is the difference between a GM and a DM here?
How do characters advance, gain points, here?
If a character loses points, do they lose levels?
How will 'My character' advance and develop here?
How does a character lose points?
Who is rpggm, and why did they post in our thread?
Can GMs, or DM, play in the games too?
How does adventuring work here?
How do I read directions and distances on one of your maps?
When navigating a map, how do I post character movement?
Can more than one person, or group, quest for the same item or whatever?
How much do I need to know about the realms, and their history and legends to play well here?
Can a person get kicked out of the realms?
How do I join Realms of Black Lake?
You must get a free membership to HanginOutForums.com. You can register for one in any forum allowing guest access, just look in the navbar and click Register, fill out the form, and follow the instructions. After you've completed registration, come back to the Realms of Black Lake forum and post a character. A GM will look it over, and if approved, the player folders will be open to you for posting. If not, the GM will contact you and let you know what needs adjusted.
How do I get a chat account?
You can get a chat account by visiting the HanginOutForums.com Hosts & Members forum and requesting one. They have a folder just for such requests. Usually, they'll have your chat account set up within 24 hours. Once it's set up, you'll be able to log into chat using your forums system nickname and password. At this time, the forums and chats are separate systems, so if you change your login information for one, it won't change it for the other. You'll have to change it.
Can I get a player chat account, with my character's name as the login?
At this time, you can request a character account at the Hosts & Members forum. After they integrate the forums and chats, which they're planning on doing, we can't guarantee your character account will still be available. It depends on how exactly the integration of the two systems effects the chat system's members controls. You might still have it, or you might now, we honestly can't say.
What kinds of player experience are you looking for in your players?
Inexperienced, experienced, it doesn't matter. Anyone over 16 years of age is welcome to join our little rpg community and play. If you're inexperienced with medieval rpg, but are willing to learn, there are places on the forum message boards you can ask for help, and either staff or other players will assist you. You can also ask for help in the chat rooms, using the private messaging systems. However, before you hit someone with a bunch of questions, be nice and ask first. This is the same for lurking in the chat rooms, ask those chatting first.
What is a seed post?
Seed posts are usually posted by a GM. If they're the first post of a new storyline, their purpose is to give players a place to start. Seed posts will be marked with {GM} at the start of their title. This will help you identify them from story-lines started by your fellow players. These threads are also where players can earn the most points, if you're gaming for points. Not everyone who plays here plays for points.
What kinds of creatures, things, and characters aren't allowed here?
Aliens, any kind of high tech, anime types, no indestructible and/or all powerful beings. If it comes from another world, the future, can't be killed or hurt, is a super being capable of mass destruction, or some cute little anime or other Japanese whatever cartoon type, it cannot be played here. Try to keep your characters at least somewhat realistic, and fun to play. Think LOTR, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, World of Warcraft, The Belgariad, D&D, Excalibur, etc.
What kinds of characters and creatures do you allow?
You want a list? Well, this won't be all of them, but here goes...dwarfs, elves, humans, demihumans, demons, fairies, gnomes, pixies, goblins, uruk-hai, orcs, orgres, dragons, kobolds, trolls, magicians, wizards, scorcerers, mages, witches, healers, alchemists, barbarians, farmers, thieves, assassins, fighters, scribes, criers, merchants, historians, knights, maidens, public servants, politicians, nobles, adventurers, soldiers, human-elf mixbreed, human-dwarf mixbreed, vampyrs, vampyres, vampires, wampires, Dhampir aka human-vamp mixbreed (created by magical means only), lycans, werewolves, zombies, etc., etc., etc. Plus, the realms have many creatures created just for the realms, so you'll find creatures here you won't find anywhere else! You'll find all the creatures created for the realms listed in the RPGlossary, located at RPGworlds.org, and a lot more.
I think they're cute. Why can't I use anime, hentai, etc. here?
Because the owner HATES them. They look cheesy, crappy, and this isn't a cartoon place. Seriously, if you want to play here, show some style. If you choose to try and play one here, expect it to get eviscerated on sight. I AM A MADMAN WITH A MACHETE, A HUNGRY PET TROLL, AND A BOTTLE OF HOT SAUCE! MUHAHAHA!
What is the difference between a GM and a DM here?
A GM, Game Master, actually watches over individual games, and may add obstacles, and other things, to help make the games more fun for players. Their contributions to the game often help the players earn rewards, find treasure, etc., and may even aid in character development. A DM, Dungeon Master, runs the main site. They may GM an adventure, but mostly they see to things like forum maintenance, etc.
How do characters advance, gain points, here?
Well, if you're gaming for realms points, all player characters start at level 0, with 0 points, and up to 250 gold to buy whatever they need. Characters begin earning points, and accumulating wealth as they adventure, complete quests, find treasure, defeat enemies, etc. They gain one level for each 5,000 points to 20,000. After 20,001, each 10,000 points to 50,000 earns them another level. After 50,001, every 25,000 to 100,000 gains them a level. Beyond 100,001 they gain one level for every 50,000 points. If the character has a secondary class, it will go up 1 level for every 3 of the primary. With each new level, a character may also be awarded special skills, etc. All this information is kept track of by the GMs, and is posted in Player Standings for everyone to view.
If a character loses points, do they lose levels?
If someone is actually moronic enough to lose a level, it's unlikely they'll still be around. By the time it goes that far, they'll already been struck down by a more powerful character. In other words, if a player proves to be such a severe problem child they actually lose enough points to lose a level, their character will be dead as a penalty. If that doesn't stop their idiotic behavior, they'll end up suspended for a time, or possibly permanently exiled.
How will my character advance and develop here?
Players can earn points by being creative within the dictates of the gaming environment, finding treasure, accomplishing tasks, completing quests, and/or subplots, and a variety of other ways. Therefor, how a character develops depends mostly on its owner and the choices they make for the character, plus the time and effort they're willing to put forth. The main idea is for you to have fun building your characters and story-lines within a medieval environment. Think of the other stuff as icing on the cake you bake.
How does a character lose points?
Basically by being stupid. Some of the reasons you may lose points...
1. Not following the Rules of Conduct.
2. Starting petty Out Of Character fights. This can ruin things for everyone.
3. Unduly disrupting live sessions with O.O.C. chatter, or board adventures with O.O.C. posts. If you need help, there are sections on the forum message boards where you may ask for help, use them.
4. Arguing with the GMs and/or DM, without solid evidence to support your argument. This boils down to arguing just to argue, and nothing more.
5. Just plain being an Out Of Character jackass in an attempt to ruin the games for the other players. Some idiots just can't seem to help but do this one. This one in particular might even get you exiled.
Who is rpggm, and why did they post in our thread?
This tag has been created for the sole purpose of using it on the forum message boards, and within the chat rooms, to enhance the games for the players. It's sort of like a generic narrator for the whole forum, and it's chat rooms. GMs use it to help build adventures, award points, items, make changes to the environment (such as an unexpected storm), or anything else a GM may need. It's also used to place seed posts. This tag is used in other role play gaming forums as well, so expect to see it, but don't post to it. Mostly likely, you won't get an answer.
Can GMs, or DM, play in the games too?
GMs cannot play in a thread they're GMing. If you have a realms GM in your group, another GM will be assigned to your thread. This is to help prevent GMs from unfairly granting points, treasures, etc. to the members of their group, including themselves. Not all threads will have a GM, usually only those where players are playing for points.
How does adventuring work here?
There may be a number of adventures going at any time. These will usually be separate from the chats, but may have excerpts from the chats in them. GMs use various systems to give the players playing for points opportunities to earn them. As well as helping to make the adventures more fun. Some clues will lead you to treasures, items, or further along your journey. These could be short stories, riddles, poems with hidden meanings, puzzles, or other things.
How do I read directions and distances on one of your maps?
The main realms map is 1 inch = 100 miles. Most realms dungeon, etc. maps are laid out in 5ft by 5ft squares and will include a compass. If you're not sure of the size of the blocks on a map. ?ft by ?ft, look for a key. If you don't see one, ask on the message boards. All staff created realms maps are available online, so they're easy access for any player who may need to look at one during play, or would like to print out a copy, and we also mark entrances, exits, portals, and wet areas. Water depth will also be marked on the map. Some maps may even have alphanumeric markings on them to help with navigation for both players and GMs.
When navigating a map, how do I post character movement?
When you post, be sure to note which direction your character is facing, and how far they move in any direction. This will tell the GM where you're located on their maps, and whether or not you've tripped a trap, stumbled across a monster, treasure, etc.
Example: Niko entered the dungeon, then stood looking around, before deciding to turn right and walk straight along the East wall, toward the North. He'd walked about 25ft when he stopped to look around again.
This tells the GM Niko was facing West when he entered the East entrance, that he turned right and is facing and going North, and has moved about 5 blocks from the entry on a standard realms map before stopping. Now the GM can look at their map and tell if anything happened; like he tripped a trap, stumbled across a monster, treasure, something else, or nothing at all. If the map is marked, you can put a notice with your post to tell the GM where you stopped. When you're using an unkeyed map, be sure to be careful and complete about your description of your character's movements.
Some realms maps are marked, or keyed. If the map is keyed, you can use the markings in with your description to tell the GM where your character went and where they stopped.
Example: Niko entered the dungeon, then stood looking around, before deciding to turn right and walk straight along the East wall, toward the North. He'd walked about 25ft when he stopped to look around again (B16).
(B16) tells the GM exactly where your character is standing, and the rest tells them how the character got there, so they can see if anything happened to them.
Can more than one person, or group, quest for the same item or whatever?
Definitely! In such cases, they're competing against each other. GMs will keep track of the player's, or group's, progress. The first to find the item, or complete the final task, wins all there is to win. The more valuable the item, or richer the rewards, the more difficult the quest. It all boils down to just how bad you want it, and sometimes, how many dirty tricks you're willing to play on the other groups who want it too. In such cases, a GM will decide success or failure of a dirty trick by rolling a die, then it's up to all parties involved to figure out how to deal with the outcome.
How much do I need to know about the realms, and their history and legends to play well here?
You'll want to have at least a basic knowledge of the realms, their history, their legends, myths, etc. All the information to figure out any clues left by the GMs will be on the forum message boards or the forum's webpages. You just have to find it. These types of quests are not only designed to challenge your creativity, but other skills and talents too, such as your ability to figure things out with the clues left for you. If the answer isn't on the forum message board, you'll be pointed in the right direction to find it.
Can a person get kicked out of the realms?
Yes. We run a three strikes system here. Three notable strikes and you're out of the realms! However, the application of any strikes, suspensions, or exiles, is voted on by staff. It breaks down like this...
3 strikes gets you a suspension, time depends on infraction.
3 suspensions gets you exiled.
Like most places, online and off, if you respect your fellow players and staff, and don't act like a jackass, you should be just fine. Being exiled is the absolute last resort, and reserved for only the most vile of trolls.