Using this forum

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

The Connections forum is for offering and asking for services.

Exception: if you have a game in design and seek playtesting, then post in First Thoughts with substantive discussion material. You'll get playtesters if there's any discernible reason why'd they'd want to. Don't post here with a blind call.

It is not a bulletin board to find other role-players in your area or on-line. It is not a news update for your company. It is not a trading post for advertising help or for game review.

Be specific about the services you are offering or asking for.

Best,
Ron

edited to reflect changes in forums

[hieronymous]

Ron,

Where is the appropriate forum to post a request for a review?

Thanks.

[Ron Edwards]

This forum is OK for that purpose. It's a bit of a blind call, so I'm glad you asked first.

Best,
Ron

[Paul Czege]

There are actually two kinds of requests for reviews:

A gamer who is interested in WorldsBestRPG, but who can't find any reviews of it on the Internet, posts something like: "Could someone please review WorldsBestRPG?"

The designer who wrote WorldsBestRPG requests that someone review the game.

Ron, I just want to be sure. Are both of these types of requests okay for the Connections forum?

Paul

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Paul,

I was thinking more in terms of the designer requesting reviews. That seems to me like a professional-type request. I can see all sorts of ways it might go horribly wrong, but I also can't see any reason to disallow it.

The other situation, the gamer you're talking about, would probably do best simply to play the game and review it himself or herself at any of a dozen different sites. If the person is merely looking for more information about the game, via reviews, then he or she can post at a number of forum or discussion sites (recommended: RPG.net) where "tell me about this game" is a frequent topic.

Best,
Ron

[Thunder_God]

Making sure, since it seems it's all happening here, and that there is no longer an Indie Design board(though it's been replaced with First Thoughts(?)). Should/could we now post "blind calls" for playtesters here now?

[shays]

Just to clarify because it seems I may have overstepped my bounds, is it ok to look for game designers here if your project is currently under NDA?

[Ron Edwards]

Hi there,

The whole Forge is dedicated to independent publishing, which means game designers own their work - in the sense of controlling its use and reaping its profits.

So as I see it, you're just learnin' the ropes like any new poster and discovering what the place is about. No big deal, really. Your current topic isn't really for this website, and can't be continued, but that doesn't mean you get put in the stocks or anything.

Best, Ron

[phasmaphobic]

Hi!  Brand new to the Forge, but friends in the industry and some of my favorite podcasts have all led me to believe this is the place to be.  I've got a situation, and wondering where might be the right forum to post and discuss.

I've long since designed a game - a LARP, actually - which ran successfully four years in a row at Dragoncon.  The game sat on the backburner for two years after that, and is now being redesigned from scratch in an attempt to get it published so others can enjoy it as well.

We're looking to bounce ideas off people, get criticisms for in-process ideas, and find people willing to participate in playtesting exercises.  I'm guessing this would be the right forum for most of this, but as I'm new to a lot of the terminology and procedures here, I'm not entirely positive.

So my question, then: which forums, if any, would be appropriate for us to share viewpoints on this game, seek criticisms on in-development mechanics, and find people for playtesting, etc?  I just want to make sure before I start posting in the wrong places.

Thanks!

- NPC

[Andrew Cooper]

NPC,

I think you'll get the most mileage out of the Playtest and Actual Play forums at this point.  Once you start having Publishing questions, that forum will help a lot.  There are other LARPers on the board here.  If they're willing to test your rules, great!  Have them report on their play on the Playtest board.  If you are testing the game yourself and have questions, either post on the Playtest or Actual Play boards about your experience and then raise the questions you want help with.

[phasmaphobic]

Thanks for the response.  Which forum would be most suitable for a discussion of mechanics?

[Andrew Cooper]

I'd do one of two things.

1.) Post some examples from the mechanic in play.   If it hasn't ever been played then post some play examples that are what you are shooting for.  Put all that in Actual Play with the mechanic.

2.) Post to First Thoughts.  Include the mechanic and what you are wanting it to accomplish.

Whatever you decide, put in the post what it is you are wanting from us.  Specific questions are good.  Incredibly vague questions, bad.

[phasmaphobic]

Thanks again!

[amul]

It is not a bulletin board to find other role-players in your area...

Where would the forum for this be, then?

Most of the games that I've seen come out of The Forge require a degree of interest in metamechanics which my current gaming group lacks, yet there doesn't seem to be a forum to encourage the development of groups which would be interested in experimental rpg.

[M. J. Young]

It is not a bulletin board to find other role-players in your area...

Where would the forum for this be, then?

A fair question, and there is--or at least was--an answer.  As I recall, Clinton Nixon (Forge technical administrator) created a "gamer finder" somewhere out there that would pinpoint gamers geographically and include their specific gaming experience and interests.

I don't have the link to hand; can anyone help with that? Is it still running?

--M. J. Young