Discussion Topic: Thardferr Welcoming Committee

[Liriel]

This thread is intended to start a discussion to determine interest in creating the above-mentioned committee

from Lalina:
What about a...

A welcoming committee to meet, greet and help new players and DMs get set up in Thardferr. This committee would answer questions about game mechanics, history, Thardferr-unique rules and things, etc. This would ease the burden on DMs to catch a new player up to speed and would also greatly increase retention rates of new players.

[Chris]

I have to say that this is a GREAT idea.  When I first registered in Thardferr, I made a thread-post on the general chat to say hi and figure out what to do.  Within 24 hours no less than 3 people PM'd me to help me get started.  Having a formal committee to do something like that for every newly registered person would be a really good way to help them get started quickly and not end up leaving for being overlooked.

[kluu]

I beliefe anyone with the wherewithal should jsut do this. Years ago there was the Helpfuls that did this. started by Helpful Elf. I don't think this needs any kind of discusoinor vote.

If youfeel knowledgeable enough and have the time to welcome and help new members to our community, then just do so. ANyuone is welcome to give my email or tell them to PM me if youthink I canhelp a person, I don't have the time to any longer look for and talk to eadch new person though,but I dont think I have ever ignored one that has emailed or PMEd me.

[Nyrhtlyk the Dark]

What about the old form letter?  Years ago, you registered in Thardferr and got a handy email full of information, links, etc. to get you started. :)  Strangely, I still have a copy of that form letter, not the original, original. But rather, the revised one.

[DarkRayden]

and how can one get a glimpse of this letter?

[Nyrhtlyk the Dark]

Let me get back to my other computer. :)   That's the thing about archives, they don't become a priority when one moves too often. :)

[Nyrhtlyk the Dark]

Please note that this is a requested e-mail, and that you receive it because you requested this to be sent to you.  If you are not the one who gave AD&D Online your email address, just delete it.

Your online character has been accepted, you can now access the Players' page from the Playing online page under "login" using:

            Username:
            Password:

Thardferr is a huge place, and there is an incredible amount to see and know.  To help keep you informed, we have compiled a site with the most current information on nearly any and every topic you can imagine about Thardferr.  Please take the time to look it over at:

(HTML to reworked Helpful Page)

Now that you have registered, we are sure that you are just rearing to play and cannot wait to get out into the world and adventure... but first, you need a DM.  Unfortunately, DMs are the minority, compared to the PC population of Thardferr.  Competition for a DM can be fierce.  To help you find a DM quickly, we of Thardferr have compiled a list of things you can do to help become established and be invited into a game quickly:

(Nyr/HV's List)

With the previous suggestions being given, it would be good to take a moment to explain some of the Rules of Etiquette regarding Thardferr's Forums and Gaming environments.

Forum rules:

Although there aren't any official guidelines set up for using the bulletin boards, there are some general guidelines that we suggest to make the boards enjoyable for everyone.

No Profanity - This is pretty straightforward. Some people take offense at vulgar language, so don't do it here.
Use the Appropriate Board - To accommodate the volume of messages posted on these boards (easily on the order of 100's every day), the administrators have set aside various boards for different purposes. In the name of user-friendliness, we ask that you post on the appropriate board. The various boards are discussed later on this page.
No Spamming - Please do not post the same message more than once. To avoid doing this by accident, just click on the 'post' button once and be patient.
No Impersonating - Identity is very important in a role-playing environment such as AD&D Online. We ask that you respect the identities that other players have taken on by not posting with any name that is in use by another.
Be Considerate of Others - Remember that everyone is here to have fun. So think before you post, especially if you intend to criticize someone. This is a global conglomeration of players, including many different cultural and moral standards. Try to be understanding of this.
   Don't take things too personally - Sometimes, it can seem like a post was deliberately attempting to discourage, insult or otherwise put you off. Whether or not it was intentional, try to remember that this is only a game and there is no reason to nurture bad feelings between players. If you find something offensive, try working it out with that individual via email in a cool, rational way.
Respect the Topic - Please don't change the topic from whatever the current thread is. If you have something to say related to the thread, that's great. But if it is an unrelated comment, please start a new thread.

The Boards are:

Player (IC) - IC stands for In Character. This board was designed for players who wish to converse, as their character, with other characters existing in Thardferr. No inter-player actions, like fighting or killing, are allowed here. The focus is on conversation.
Role-playing - This forum was created to accommodate those players who maybe waiting for a group or DM and seek immediate gratification. Or you could just like role-playing on the boards. Whatever the   reason, nothing that takes place on this board really happens to your character in Thardferr.  There are no real rules and no dedicated DMs here, so it's basically just around to provide some inter-session entertainment.
Player (OOC) - OOC stands for Out Of Character, which means that you are not playing the role of any character. This board is for talking with other players and DMs about Thardferr as yourself. You can ask questions, address AD&D Online related issues or just learn more about who you're playing with.
Group Finding - This board is devoted to helping new players find groups and DMs to play with in AD&D Online. Limit all group-seeking postings to this board. This is probably the first board that you want to post to, so that you can get into a group and start looking for a DM.
DM seeking Group - When a DM is on the lookout for a new player for his group or maybe a whole new group, he will post here. If you're in need of a DM, check here often to see all the available openings. Make sure you meet any requirements given by the DMs in the first post of the thread before responding.
Hall of the Dead - This board was created to honor the fallen characters of Thardferr. Note that this is only for characters that exist in Thardferr. This is not the place to discuss your tabletop character or characters in other worlds.
Dungeon Masters - This is the place to find out who are the active DMs, their playing style, what hours they are available for gaming sessions and what their current parties are up to. Note that players looking for DMs should not post here. It is for use only by DMs and administrators.
Rumors - Want to hear the latest gossip? Well then, this is the place for you. This board is completely IC and follows the same rules as the Player (IC) board. DMs often post here to give out clues to Players as to what's going on in other parts of Thardferr.
NPCs - Non-player characters play a major role in Thardferr and there are a few that you should know about. In this section, you will find brief descriptions of some of the NPCs that make Thardferr a little more interesting.
Announcements - Administrators are the only ones allowed to post here. Check this board occasionally to keep up with the latest updates to AD&D Online.

Gaming Environment Rules:

Thardferr is played on either WebRPG (http://www.webrpg.com/) or Hesperian (http://www.puremagic.com/~scott/Hesperian.html), with the majority of games occurring on WebRPG.  Here are the basic rules of both gaming systems.

No Profanity - This is pretty straightforward. Some people take offense at vulgar language, so don't do it here unless your DM allows it.
Color Selection - When logged into a room in WebRPG each user's text and actions appear as a specific color, selectable by each player.  If one individual is already using your normal color, please change.  This makes actions and statements easier to identify with their originators.

As a concluding note to your entrance into the exciting world of Thardferr, we would like to take a moment to explain our goal.  The goal of the DM's and PC's of Thardferr is to create a unique gaming environment that is the best possible RPing experience anyone has had.  The key word in that sentence is unique.  Thardferr is not Krynn, The Realms, Ravenloft, or wherever else.  It is Thardferr, and comparisons are frowned upon.  Because this is a unique world we need YOUR opinions too!  Please become active in our forums to better this world, our world.

We recently moved to a new server.  In order to pay for that server, our Web Administrator joined a site that pays people to surf the net.  It also pays him to refer people to their site, so if you are interested by gaining some money by surfing the net, while helping to fund Thardferr's server, you might want to visit their site at http://www.gotoworld.com/getpaid/default.asp?rid=1011280562.  Please, if you register, and are asked for your referrer, enter 1011280562.  You can also try
http://www.alladvantage.com/refhome.asp?refid=CTP-975 for a similar service, where the ID is CTP-975.

Thank you sincerely, and welcome to Thardferr,

The Dungeon Masters of Thardferr
http://www.thardferr.com/

[Dalan]

I think a voluntary thing may be too informal, and if no one is appointed to be a part of the welcoming committee, I'm afraid everyone will assume someone else will do the welcoming.  I'd rather see an official welcoming committee.

[DarkRayden]

Wow, this is a nice letter. How come no-one sent me one such

It is just a little bit out of date, however But sure, a new one can be organized for that purpose. Including the five dozens of links a new player must visit before he even starts to understand the concept of Thard  

I believe Sule has already listed the rules of the proper behavior on the boards and we have the FAQ feature to explain some more stuff the newcomer might encounter.
So basically what is left to do is providing the new player with all sorts of info about TF ... and BTW we might want a Char Gen on this site too one day

I dont think the welcome commitee is a must here. Many others can greet a player and point him/her to whatever piece of info s/he should start with...
I wonder... how does it work with the new DMs? do they get a welcome party, or just a ton of threads they must go thru when they join?

[kluu]

A ton of boards to read and once they psot we normally acknowledge them. Then when they ask questions everyone gives each other help to find things.

We don't have as many meetings as we should. Hard to schedule.

[Lalina]

Can I have some volunteers who would be willing to have their names and contact information shown as people to get in touch with for new people who have questions about Thardferr?

[Scionist]

Put me down.

[Rhade]

I volunteer.

[Zee]

Im around .

[kluu]

You cna put me on a lsit of people to conatact to ask questions but I wont be able to look for them and be helpful in that way. Glad to help those that seek me out but I got real tired of repeating myself over and over to all the newbies when I was Another Helpul Elf for three years.