Posting
Here's the basics on how to make a post.
Under each city we have in game, the first being Jerusalem, there will be topics listing and describing the different places you can go. For instance, in Jerusalem, there will be a Temple thread, a Marketplace thread, a Fort Antonia thread, etc.
To start your own thread, which will contain your storyline, press the "New Topic" button in the city screen. Then, in your title bar, name your thread and put its location and time. Example:
Visiting the Temple; Herod's Temple, March 15, 2:00pm
NOTE: In 35AD, both a Roman Calendar and Jewish Calendar were in effect. To make things simpler, so you don't have to memorize new months and how they relate to today's, we're going to use the modern system when dating threads. For instance, Passover always begins on the 15th of Nisan according to the Jewish calendar. That date on the modern calendar, however, always shifts, so Passover doesn't always start on the same day in March or April. Secondly, since the game will eventually spread to corners of the world where the Jewish calendar has little or no value, one common system of time should be used in all of them. And since the months on the old Roman calendar are so close to our own, we're simply going with the modern to avoid confusion.
So, if I wanted to start a new thread, I would look through the locations and figure out where I wanted it. Then, I would hit "New Topic," title the thread with the date, time, and location, and then start writing my character's actions.
Example Post:
Visiting the Temple; Court of the Gentiles, Herod's Temple, March 15, 2:00pm
Silas walked up the steps into the Court of the Gentiles, and stared at the massive portico, the walls and arches surrounding it. Everything that could be seen was beautiful, shining in the midday sun. It was not the first time he had admired its beauty; as a young boy, he had always enjoyed the trips to the temple every year at the Passover. It was all so beautiful, and everything seemed to be at peace. It was that peace that Silas loved the most. It was the idea that you could come to the temple to worship God and nothing could interfere. The moving about of other worshipers only created a since of brotherhood. All cares were gone.
Silas moved to the southwest area of the Court. This was where he usually taught, and he could already see people beginning to gather to hear him. They came for peace, too, a peace that even the temple couldn't grant. They didn't just want a harmony of the mind, they wanted a stillness of the soul. They wanted to know that everything would be alright for them and their children tomorrow and the next day and the next day. And they could see something in Silas, some sort of knowledge that gave him the peace they needed. They wanted it, and Silas was willing to share.
He took his place as the crowd began to gather around. He had converted four people yesterday, hda baptized them in Jesus' Name into The Way. Would four more come to Christ today? Five? He said a small prayer, praying that the Holy Spirit would guide his words, and he looked at the people who were eager to listen. He started his teaching the same way he started everyday, the way Jesus started his. It was the best he knew. It could bring in those who were hurting the most, those who literally ached to hear of some sort of Salvation.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit..."
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Since each thread is a storyline, there should be multiple characters involved. While the moderators will be taking a crucial role in this, controlling the non-player characters, we also encourage copious amounts of threads taking place between characters, with no mod interference at all. This does three things: first, it improves your posting a lot more than if it were just a mod doing the whole bit, and we all need improvement no matter what level we're on; second, it creates a much more social atmosphere, with characters and players who know each other and what to expect, who can really become friends; third, it frees up the moderators to run things backstage more efficiently, which is a plus for everybody. We're not lazy, just busy.
So, to join a storyline, simply find a post you want to join and click "reply thread." This takes you to the posting screen and lets you write your own bit to add on. And thus, a chapter of our tale is born.
I hope this helps you get a feel for how to play the game.
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