Setting/plot threads

[The Traveller]

I just noticed something earlier, are plot or "Setting Riff" threads meant to go in the Design forum? I thought that was for mechanical and theory discussions mostly. They seem like the kind of threads that could really benefit from being more widely focused. Maybe I picked it up wrong.

[Benoist]

I just noticed something earlier, are plot or "Setting Riff" threads meant to go in the Design forum? I thought that was for mechanical and theory discussions mostly. They seem like the kind of threads that could really benefit from being more widely focused. Maybe I picked it up wrong.

Not really. Design and Dev AND Actual Play. What that means is that the forum is meant for game design and game play, whether we are talking about building your game, your rules, coming up with a setting or adventure for your own home game, game play reports and campaign diaries, any type of things like that. Anything that qualifies as practical design. Note that excludes pure theory (explicitly, in the actual forum description under the title on the board).

So. When we're talking about games in general, or this or that setting published by this or that game company, or general role playing game gossip and talking about RPGs and so on, that goes into the Main Forum.

When you create a thread specifically dedicated to "I want to create/design this practically..." whether that's for your game or the general public, then that becomes a candidate for the Design, Development and Game Play forum.

Does that make it clearer to you?

[Benoist]

To answer the question about setting riffs directly, if your idea is to come up with a specific setting you want to design, and you want to get feedback or throw the ball back and forth to shape the idea and make it better, that's basically the Design and Dev forum.

Like this: The Mediaeval Eurth.

If however the subject is more about a general idea or question, not a specific setting you'd want to flesh out but more "how do you feel about steampunk settings? What would you come up with if you ran one?" that goes in the Main Forum instead.

[RPGPundit]

If by "setting riff" you mean something like "How would you handle an alien invasion in the Forgotten Realms", or "running a Cthulhu campaign from the POV of the cultists", those would be fine in the main chat; you could put them in the Design forum, but if they were in the main chat I wouldn't have a problem with that at all.

On the other hand, if a setting riff is something like "my homebrew world needs a credible forest ecosystem" or "here are the specific problems going on in my campaign" (supposing that the thread really did just apply to your campaign and not to any larger gaming concepts that other people could talk about divorced from your specific example), those would be better suited to the Design forum.

Again, its kind of intentionally nebulous, and we're not going to get pissed off at anyone for posting a thread in one forum or the other; we might, if we really feel they're better suited elsewhere, move the thread to another forum, but that's it.

RPGPundit

[The Traveller]

Okay, I see. This is what I'd consider a riff

http://www.therpgsite.com/showpost.php?p=587472&postcount=6

and a good one too. So a thread just to come up with those kinds of creative ideas more or less revolving around a theme can go in either forum?

[Benoist]

Okay, I see. This is what I'd consider a riff

http://www.therpgsite.com/showpost.php?p=587472&postcount=6

and a good one too. So a thread just to come up with those kinds of creative ideas more or less revolving around a theme can go in either forum?

It could yes. That'd be on a case by case basis. My advice is to not sweat it. Just create your thread and run with it. If it seems to be better placed elsewhere we can always move it after the fact.