Forum Rules / Guidelines

Welcome to the Riddle of Steel Forge Forum

This forum is maintained by Driftwood Publishing for the discussion of their game The Riddle of Steel, and other associated Driftwood publications. We enjoy a very friendly and relaxed atmosphere here, and you're free to start or jump on into any conversations you like that relate to TROS and/or Roleplaying.

Although we like to keep things informal, there are just a few ground rules to keep in mind. Mostly, they're common sense and designed to help promote the easy-going atmosphere we enjoy.

Swearing
Swearing is acceptable in the TROS forum, as long as it is not directed specifically at another person or used in a manner to belittle something they have said. Additionally, like most things swearing loses its impact if overused, so try not to overdo it.

Flaming
Flaming another person is not ever acceptable in the TROS forum. It's OK to disagree with somebody (and to say so), but try to keep your comments polite and at all times avoid personal digs. If somebody flames you, do not respond in kind - this is what starts flame wars. Be assured that it has been noticed and they will have been quietly spoken to via PM.

Editing Posts
It's quite acceptable to edit your own posts (particularly to fix grammatical or compositional errors), but it is generally considered bad form to change a post once somebody else has responded to it, as this creates confusion when other readers see posts and replies that do not seem to match. If somebody else has responded to your post, please don't change it.

Deleting Posts
At all times we discourage the deletion of posts. If you felt strongly enough to say it in the first place then it should probably remain. However, we realise that sometimes the fingers act faster than the brain. Feel free to delete a post you have reconsidered as long as it is within half an hour or so, and nobody has responded to it. Remember, you may not delete or edit a post that has been responded to.

Old Topics
Over time, threads stop receiving replies and new discussions begin. Although it's great to be able to go back and re-read old topics, it's desirable to let them stay "retired" rather than respond to them and "wake them up". If a thread has not been posted to for more than a month, please do not post to it. Create a new topic and refer back to the old one (with a link, perhaps) if you wish to start a new conversation about the same topic. This lets us keep our historical conversations historical, and avoids us eventually ending up with 10 topics with 2000 posts in each.

Off-Topic Posting
Is acceptable as long as it's still related in some way to TROS and/or roleplaying. As interesting as it may be, we really don't want to hear about your train collection or what you did last summer (unless what you did was roleplay, perhaps). Please do not start off-topic message threads, and do not respond if someone else starts one. If an existing thread has swayed off topic (but is still related to gaming and/or TROS) then please consider starting a new thread for the new topic so that the old one can return to what it was supposed to be talking about.

Spelling and Grammar
We're not your English teacher, and we don't enforce any kind of grammar structure on the forum. Having said that, you're more likely to receive useful responses if it's easy to read and understand what you have typed. Please consider running your messages through a spellcheck before posting them and keep an eye on your grammar; it makes it easier for the rest of us to read what you have to say.

Moderation
Having to moderate sucks, and we don't like it. If you step out of line, the worst you can usually expect is a friendly reminder about the rules. However, if Jake or Brian tells you to stop doing something or that a topic is closed and is to receive no further replies, then please heed what they say. Similarly, Ron Edwards and Clinton Nixon are the administrators of The Forge itself, so avoid annoying them.