Post by Madmat on Nov 4, 2007 0:11:53 GMT
Welcome to the House Rules and Scenarios forum. Please read and follow these guidelines when using this forum, these are to ensure the highest standard of service to your fellow TLA members.
What threads can I post in this forum?
This forum is part of the TLA online archive of information for the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game. As such, it is only for the posting of House Rules and Scenarios that you have created yourself. Any other subjects should be addressed in the appropriate alternate forum.
How should I title my threads?
In order for this to work as a permanent archive of your ideas, it is essential that you title your threads in the following format:
House Rule - Followed by the title of the rule.
Or...
Scenario - Followed by the title of the scenario.
Examples:
House Rule - Thranduil.
House Rule - Poison arrows.
Scenario - A knife in the dark.
Scenario - Retaking Moria campaign.
Any threads that do not meet these requirements will unfortunately have to be removed on sight in order to keep this forum tidy. We must insist on this I am afraid.
Please do not use any other labels, everything you could ever wish to post in this forum will fit into one of these two categories. If you have a Scenario that requires knowledge of your personal House Rules for a character or force, you can either post them up in the Special Rules section as part of the Scenario, or you can simply include a link to the thread in which your House Rules are stored. If you have a set of linked articles to form a campaign, then just list it as a Scenario but mention it is a campaign as part of the title.
How should I write up my Scenarios?
Scenarios should be written up in the standard GW format that everyone is familiar with and that is proven to work. You should therefore have the following elements:
Title - This should be distinctive and evocative.
Description - This should detail the background story behind the battle that is about to take place. Just a few paragraphs to set the scene and establish what is supposed to happen in the battle.
Participants - This should list the forces available for both sides in the Scenario. Make this clear and easy to read so that players are in no doubt what characters are taking part and what wargear they are carrying. Start by listing the Good side first, then Evil, and finally include a points total in case players wish to try alternate forces in a Points Match.
Layout - Give a clear description of the layout of the battlefield. Players need to know the size of the table, (either 4' by 4' or 6' by 4' in nearly all cases) plus they need to know the location of any scenario specific pieces of terrain. If you have a map, then you can insert it here. (I'll describe how later.)
Starting Positions - Clearly describe where the forces start the game. If any come on later as reinforcements, be sure to state this and note where they will arrive from on the table.
Objectives - Both sides need to know what they must do to win or draw the game. List these conditions here.
Special Rules - This is where you can list any rules that are specific to the duration of this Scenario only. By using these, you can temporarily alter any official rules of the game in order to make the battle play in a particular way.
The best scenarios are fairly simple in their concept, do not try to do too much. Avoid also anything that is basically "kill the enemy". That is not a scenario, that is just a generic points match. Be creative with your mission objectives, get the battle to tell a story.
How should I post up my House Rules?
There aren't really any hard and fast rules for these, but the following should be considered:
Background - The "why" you are writing the rule. Be sure to list your reasons for writing the rule, what it is trying to achieve. There should be an aspect of the story that it is trying to bring into the game.
Profiles - If you are writing a statline for a character, give a description of who they are. Don't assume that the reader will know who you are talking about. Write them clearly, not forgetting their points cost. It would be worth explaining why you arrived at this value too.
How it works- In a clear and concise manner, give full details of how the rule will work in practise. Clarity is essential, a reader should be able to understand how it works without needing to ask questions. Be prepared to rewrite it if any arise.
Playtest results - Don't just write a rule, anyone can do that. Try it in the game and report on how it works in practise. You shouldn't really be posting a Scenario or House Rule until you have tried it at least once.
Can I include images in my articles?
Please do, we would be especially grateful if you could include a map for your scenarios. It may only be a rough layout created in Paint, or a scan of a hand drawn map, but these will greatly aid in the understanding of your setup.
To include an image, simply upload your picture to somewhere on the internet and include a link to the file's location. When you post a message, you will see a button marked "link" above the message window. If you click on this, you can create a clickable link to an internet address in the article. You can also use Bulletin Board code (commonly abbreviated as BB code) to display the picture as part of the thread itself. Both of these solutions will not use any of TLA's bandwidth so long as the picture is hosted on an external site. Places such as www.uploadit.org/ offer a free and easy to use service to store your pictures.
Updating your articles - An author's responsibility.
This is a self-publish article process and you are responsible for keeping your threads updated. The first post of each thread should be edited so that it always contains the most complete version of your House Rule or Scenario. If after having posted up a Scenario you get feedback on how balanced it is for example, edit the first post to make any changes that are needed. Do not post an updated version at the end of the thread, make it easier for your readers by keeping the first post the only one they need to check. (Include a note to this effect to avoid any confusion.)
Player Feedback
If you play a Scenario from this section, or if you try a House Rule, be sure to reply to the thread and let the author know what happened. If you think it needs tweaking, then say how it needs to be changed and why. The author can then consider this and make any changes in order to make it even better.
Shouldn't there be a separate forum for these two categories?
In theory there should be. Unfortunately we have found in the past that the House Rules and Scenarios forum was a very untidy affair with all sorts of mislabeled threads and off topic discussions. By keeping it all together but insisting on precise labelling, everyone can see at a glance the valuable articles written by our members and avoid the threads that do nothing but clutter the place up. The TLA staff can remove these from out of your way quicker too. With TLA having only limited resources, running a tight ship is essential to the continuing success and survival of the site. One well run forum is a far more efficient way of achieving this.
Thank you for reading all this, have fun in this section and I hope you have a lot of fun sharing your ideas with your fellow TLA members.
What threads can I post in this forum?
This forum is part of the TLA online archive of information for the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game. As such, it is only for the posting of House Rules and Scenarios that you have created yourself. Any other subjects should be addressed in the appropriate alternate forum.
How should I title my threads?
In order for this to work as a permanent archive of your ideas, it is essential that you title your threads in the following format:
House Rule - Followed by the title of the rule.
Or...
Scenario - Followed by the title of the scenario.
Examples:
House Rule - Thranduil.
House Rule - Poison arrows.
Scenario - A knife in the dark.
Scenario - Retaking Moria campaign.
Any threads that do not meet these requirements will unfortunately have to be removed on sight in order to keep this forum tidy. We must insist on this I am afraid.
Please do not use any other labels, everything you could ever wish to post in this forum will fit into one of these two categories. If you have a Scenario that requires knowledge of your personal House Rules for a character or force, you can either post them up in the Special Rules section as part of the Scenario, or you can simply include a link to the thread in which your House Rules are stored. If you have a set of linked articles to form a campaign, then just list it as a Scenario but mention it is a campaign as part of the title.
How should I write up my Scenarios?
Scenarios should be written up in the standard GW format that everyone is familiar with and that is proven to work. You should therefore have the following elements:
Title - This should be distinctive and evocative.
Description - This should detail the background story behind the battle that is about to take place. Just a few paragraphs to set the scene and establish what is supposed to happen in the battle.
Participants - This should list the forces available for both sides in the Scenario. Make this clear and easy to read so that players are in no doubt what characters are taking part and what wargear they are carrying. Start by listing the Good side first, then Evil, and finally include a points total in case players wish to try alternate forces in a Points Match.
Layout - Give a clear description of the layout of the battlefield. Players need to know the size of the table, (either 4' by 4' or 6' by 4' in nearly all cases) plus they need to know the location of any scenario specific pieces of terrain. If you have a map, then you can insert it here. (I'll describe how later.)
Starting Positions - Clearly describe where the forces start the game. If any come on later as reinforcements, be sure to state this and note where they will arrive from on the table.
Objectives - Both sides need to know what they must do to win or draw the game. List these conditions here.
Special Rules - This is where you can list any rules that are specific to the duration of this Scenario only. By using these, you can temporarily alter any official rules of the game in order to make the battle play in a particular way.
The best scenarios are fairly simple in their concept, do not try to do too much. Avoid also anything that is basically "kill the enemy". That is not a scenario, that is just a generic points match. Be creative with your mission objectives, get the battle to tell a story.
How should I post up my House Rules?
There aren't really any hard and fast rules for these, but the following should be considered:
Background - The "why" you are writing the rule. Be sure to list your reasons for writing the rule, what it is trying to achieve. There should be an aspect of the story that it is trying to bring into the game.
Profiles - If you are writing a statline for a character, give a description of who they are. Don't assume that the reader will know who you are talking about. Write them clearly, not forgetting their points cost. It would be worth explaining why you arrived at this value too.
How it works- In a clear and concise manner, give full details of how the rule will work in practise. Clarity is essential, a reader should be able to understand how it works without needing to ask questions. Be prepared to rewrite it if any arise.
Playtest results - Don't just write a rule, anyone can do that. Try it in the game and report on how it works in practise. You shouldn't really be posting a Scenario or House Rule until you have tried it at least once.
Can I include images in my articles?
Please do, we would be especially grateful if you could include a map for your scenarios. It may only be a rough layout created in Paint, or a scan of a hand drawn map, but these will greatly aid in the understanding of your setup.
To include an image, simply upload your picture to somewhere on the internet and include a link to the file's location. When you post a message, you will see a button marked "link" above the message window. If you click on this, you can create a clickable link to an internet address in the article. You can also use Bulletin Board code (commonly abbreviated as BB code) to display the picture as part of the thread itself. Both of these solutions will not use any of TLA's bandwidth so long as the picture is hosted on an external site. Places such as www.uploadit.org/ offer a free and easy to use service to store your pictures.
Updating your articles - An author's responsibility.
This is a self-publish article process and you are responsible for keeping your threads updated. The first post of each thread should be edited so that it always contains the most complete version of your House Rule or Scenario. If after having posted up a Scenario you get feedback on how balanced it is for example, edit the first post to make any changes that are needed. Do not post an updated version at the end of the thread, make it easier for your readers by keeping the first post the only one they need to check. (Include a note to this effect to avoid any confusion.)
Player Feedback
If you play a Scenario from this section, or if you try a House Rule, be sure to reply to the thread and let the author know what happened. If you think it needs tweaking, then say how it needs to be changed and why. The author can then consider this and make any changes in order to make it even better.
Shouldn't there be a separate forum for these two categories?
In theory there should be. Unfortunately we have found in the past that the House Rules and Scenarios forum was a very untidy affair with all sorts of mislabeled threads and off topic discussions. By keeping it all together but insisting on precise labelling, everyone can see at a glance the valuable articles written by our members and avoid the threads that do nothing but clutter the place up. The TLA staff can remove these from out of your way quicker too. With TLA having only limited resources, running a tight ship is essential to the continuing success and survival of the site. One well run forum is a far more efficient way of achieving this.
Thank you for reading all this, have fun in this section and I hope you have a lot of fun sharing your ideas with your fellow TLA members.