About The Forsaken Inn

[Snowdog]

I'll likely start a thread here for some of my fanfic writings. Question to the brain trust here... what would be preferred...
A. Posting each story in its own thread?
B. Posting an omnibus thread and posting the stories in the one thread.

[Frelga]

Personally, I don't have a strong preference for one shots, but possibly multi-chapter stories deserve their own threads?

Looking forward to reading your work.

[Impenitent]

I think the way characters are presented on LotR Fanatics Plaza (I believe Eldy you are on that site?) will work. Post as your account, and header the RP post with what character you are writing. There can be a separate thread for character profiles (like on LotR Plaza and old TORc) that can be linked to if desired.

Yeah, I think the Plaza approach to RPing as multiple characters works well. (I am indeed on that site; it's where I got my start in the fandom, actually.) Having a brief header at the start of a post with the name of your character in boldface, sometimes accompanied by an icon, clearly establishes who you're writing as without needing to register multiple accounts, which the Laws and Customs discourage anyway.

Again I ask, what's wrong with using the Subject field at the top of each post to signal the character? No icons or other distractions needed - these can be included in the character thread.

[Inanna]

I think I can’t see the Subject field in tapatalk.

[Eldy]

Again I ask, what's wrong with using the Subject field at the top of each post to signal the character? No icons or other distractions needed - these can be included in the character thread.

Honestly, I almost never read the subject line for individual posts since I noticed early in my forum career that it was rare for people to edit them—these days, my eyes just skim over it without conscious intention—but it's not like that should stop others from using such an approach if they want.

[RoseMorninStar]

I changed the subject line here because I've never done it and wanted to see how it worked. I think if people are aware of this in a particular thread, they will pay attention and I think it's an excellent tool!

[Frelga]

It's a perfectly reasonable approach. TBH, in the Pony I just posted as Frelga and let the post speak for itself.

On the other board, people posted as characters, and it usually took me about 3 posts to recognize the writer even if the character was new.

I think one reason people like separate accounts is that it allows them to use a picture of the character as the avatar.

In short, I'm happy with any way people want to go about it and happy to not have any rules. In the unlikely event that someone chooses to abuse the privilege, it's not like we won't know who they are.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I think one reason people like separate accounts is that it allows them to use a picture of the character as the avatar.

That won't work here.

[Frelga]

For technical reasons or? What am I missing?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

It has been our long-standing policy not to allow users to have multiple accounts. I'm not going to change that now, particularly since I am the only administrator and would need to do all of the work involved in facilitating it.

[Frelga]

Ah, OK, I didn't remember that.

[Snowdog]

The way I'm going to do it here will be in two stages that is a mix of several other RP sites I'm a part of.

• First is I will post a thread listing my characters, most likely with links to their dedicated pages on RP Repository. I will edit in any new characters that may come along.
• Second, I will lead off in-character posts with the name of the character, possibly with a link to their page. I may even shorten that a nd just do it the second way. Simple and Done.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

That sounds like an excellent plan.

[Frelga]

For myself, I'm excited to meet the new characters! However they are introduced, without of course causing extra work for anyone.

[Impenitent]

So...is anyone in the throes of developing a story background? I'd like to see us tossing around some ideas for stories so we can clarify what kind of RPs people are interested in. There are so few RPers on HoF that it would be canny of us to launch the forum with a story that interests a goodly number of writers.

For example, are you interested in...light-hearted? Deep and dark? Shire-based? 3rd Age? Quest? Battles and orcs? Unknown horrors?

I'd love to see this get off the ground.

[Alatar]

I'll wait to see how it all works before I decide whether or not to dip my toe in

[Frelga]

Starting with an inn may be easiest. No one has to be in charge of the plot, and any kind of characters can come visit. If we reach a critical mass, a plot will emerge, and if not, it could still be fun.

[Inanna]

That sounds like something I could try. Sit in an inn in a corner. With a scroll. Talk. Maybe not. Observe & write. Aha!

[Sunsilver]

The wheels have been starting to turn...I am mulling over a character, but need to know what the time period and the place of this inn is going to be, so I can develop an appropriate backstory for them.

I think this is a good choice. So much of the great RP stories on TORC revolved around inns, and especially a certain innkeeper/master bard! (Miss you, Hue!)

[Snowdog]

An inn is always a good place to test-run characters and have interactions. Some of the best RPs I was in on oldTORc were started at an inn. There was an Inn RP started on the 'new TORc forum that was getting traction before it got shut down.

I have a number of described inns in my archive that could serve as a starter. Time period and location need to be set. One idea I had was a few years after the war in say the 2nd year of the 4th age, and an inn was re-opened in Tharbad with the construction of a new bridge nearby. Of course there is nothing wrong with the Prancing Pony, or one of the Shire inns etc. I can make or adjust a character for just about any setting or year.