People are often asking whether they can join the game. I've started this thread to say this is how you do it, what you can expect, and what is expected of you.
If you have come from playing at one of the conventions at which I ran you in a demo, or from one of my games elsewhere, you must post your character sheet in as much detail as you have, plus write a summary post that describes all the significant events that have happened to you in the game to this point. It might also help if you mention anything that will jog my memory of who you are, although there's a good chance that I'll know by the time you get that far. (If you're one of those handful of people who played with me years ago in playtesting, I have your character sheet and will either post it or send it; I'd still like a summary of what you remember, although I'll understand if it is considerably less detailed.)
If you have not played in a game run by me but want to join the forum game here, the first step is to create a character. I will be setting up a character creation thread at some point, which I will make sticky. In the process, introduce yourself, although you'll have told us quite a bit about yourself just by creating the character.
Either way, you can expect that I will pick you up within a few days, assuming there are no technical (computer failure) or personal (kidney stones) problems that prevent me from getting to the forum. I check the forum once a day six days a week, barring irregular disruptions (such as attendance at conventions), and attempt to answer all posts at that time.
This game was started as a teaching aid, to prepare people to run the game. Yes, we have fun, but the justification for my investment of time here is that it sells games and more particularly that it teaches people how to run the game so that others will be able to play. This means that at some point in the future I might--am even likely to--hand you to another referee. That's partly because I can't run everyone all the time, partly because your game will be enhanced by the imaginations of some of the other wildly creative people we have here, and partly because they need to practice refereeing on someone. Eventually, too, I may ask if you would be interested in running some other player in a game. This is for the same reasons. In all this, I keep reading all the threads, and am available to explain how something works that you don't understand.
In this connection, I, when I run my games, keep a "Behind the Screens" thread. This is where you will find all the die rolls; the text of the game thread is almost completely narrative/descriptive. You will also find all the mechanics explained as they are used, to the degree necessary, and are encouraged to ask questions about anything that is not clear. This is awkward, because this is not the way it works at the table, whether or not you read those posts. At the table you would generally see most of the rolls yourself, but not the target numbers or calculations or most of the explanations (although in demos I often digress into explanations, since the point is to help people understand whether they want the game). So if you don't follow that thread, you will have less information than a player normally would, but if you do you will have more. Bear that in mind.
Welcome to the Multiverser forum, and welcome to the Verse.
--M. J. Young
This is an addendum for anyone who expects to play here and to join live games, whether at conventions or elsewhere.
First, particularly in regard to conventions, I am there to introduce the game to new players. I never object to old or regular players returning, but the new players are the priority. That means if I have too many players, you're the one that gets ignored, and I expect you to take that gracefully. (I want to thank those who have done so; I know it is disappointing to you when it happens.)
Second, the game is continuous, but whenever there is play that is not posted on the forum, it has to be posted on the forum--and since it is likely that more than one person played, it is the player's responsibility to make the post here that catches up the game with whatever happened away from here. I will certainly supplement such posts, but I will not take responsibility for making them.
Usually if there is going to be a live game, and particularly if it is not at my house, I need a few days' notice that you will be there, so that I can print what I need to bring specific to your game. That might include character sheets, printouts of threads, worlds I have in electronic format only, notes about indigs or situations, and other stuff; I might ask you to bring your own character paper. It will also mean that there will be a hold point, a post I will make which should be the last post before the live game, so that we don't have a problem with me not having read your last post.
--M. J. Young
New players who have not already created a character, such as at a convention or other demo, should go to The Character Generation Thread and follow the instructions there. As stated there, you can create your character in that thread or in a separate thread, as you prefer.
--M. J. Young