Post by Angela on Jul 25, 2010 20:38:00 GMT -5
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
You can find answers to most questions here. If there are questions you have that I do not answer here, you may feel free to post your question in this forum, or in the c-box below, or you can PM me, e-mail or IM me on AOL Instant Messenger.
SECTION 1: CHARACTERS
Q. Do you have Canon Characters?
A. No. All of the characters are original, created by all members.
Q. I want to create a skater, but I don't know anything about skating. Can I still play one?
A. Of course! If you want help, you can ask the other members.
Q. Can I play a real skater, like Yagudin, Lysacek, Michelle Kwan?
A. No. We have competitions, and their accomplishments cannot coincide with ours. Besides, it would be impolite to write a real person, especially with the particular themes we have going on here. Imagine if we had people writing Lysacek and Yagudin and the two had a passionate love affair. If Evan or Alexei saw that, odds are, they could sue. Besides, how would you like it if someone wrote about you like that? So no, no real skaters.
Q. Can I play a skater BASED on a real one?
A. Yes, you most certainly can! Just keep the previous point in mind. If you want to play a character based on Timothy Goebel, go for it, but his name can't be Timothy Goebel or the profile will be deleted. However, there's no reason why you can't write a skater named Timothy GABLE. Got it?
Q. I don't like figure skating because it is too pretty. Do I have to play a skater?
A. No, you don't have to.
SECTION 2: PLOT AND ROLEPLAY
Q. So, can my character be like Tonya Harding and whack another skater?
A. First off, Tonya didn't do that, and second, such a thing would have to be approved by the member who has the character beforehand.
Q. Do you write judging scandals taking place like they happen in real life?
A. Absolutely, but such a thing should be mutually agreed on by all members involved with the particular competition and discipline. If you have three characters, all in the same discipline in the same competition, and there are no other members involved, then you can go right ahead and make up a scandal. If you have these characters in a competition with more than just yourself, it should be mutually agreed on with you and the other members in the competition.
Q. Can I write other characters if they are not mine, even if it's just a sentence?
A. No.
Q. Can I post comments on a journal?
A. If it says so, yes. However, make sure that it is allowed before commenting. Some skaters keep their journals in notebooks in their desks. It wouldn't be right for a total stranger, fan or friend, to leave a note in it.
SECTION 3: PROGRAMS
Q. I have music in mind, but I don't know what moves my skater should do. Can I get someone else to write my programs?
A. Yes.
Q. I don't have a clue what my skater should do. Can I get help?
A. Again, yes.
Q. What kinds of moves are permitted?
A. I'm a generous admin and I let skaters do things that haven't necessarily been done on the ice yet. However, there are some restrictions:
Quads may be done, all except the Axel. Because that would require 4 and a half rotations on a forward takeoff, it is highly unlikely that such a thing will be done before the first quintuple jump. Since I'm not willing to open the door for quints just yet, let's stick with triples and quads for now.
Backflips and other areal things are only done in PROFESSIONAL competitions. If your character is not professional, they cannot perform such moves in amateur competitions (what Surya Bonaly did in 1998 was ILLEGAL in other words and she was deducted BIG TIME for it).
A singles' free skate with more than 11 jumps is highly irregular and unrealistic. You can't have your male skater doing 8 quads and 8 triples. First off, that would probably violate the Zayak rule, and second, there would be no time or energy to do the footwork and spins that make a skater's program complete.
Q. Can I share my music on here?
A. Yes, in Share and Share Alike.
SECTION 4: COMPETITIONS
Q. How often are competitions held?
A. There's something going on almost every month. See the Signup for more information.
Q. Do you hold Olympics every year?
A. We choose to have them every two years because this way more skaters get the chance to compete in them.
Q. How are competitions judged?
A. I read through your programs, and use a random number generator to decide how well each element was done. I will also give extra points for writing a more difficult program. If you put your skater on the Injury List, that makes things interesting because I need to take that into account, what injury it is and how well they skate with it. Once everything is calculated, the highest total wins. Simple as that.
Q. My skater wasn't in the senior ranks last year, but they are this year. What events can they enter?
A. They can enter TWO Grand Prix Events, see if they qualify for the Final, they can compete in the Nationals, and see if they place in the top 3. If they do, they can go to Four Continents or Europeans and World Championships. If they do well enough there, they can be invited to participate in post-season shows and competitions. However, if they do not qualify for the Grand Prix Final, if they do not place in the top 3 at Nationals, that is likely the end of the season for the skater. You can try again next year though!
Q. Who judges the competitions? How do I know if there is no bias?
A. I will. However, I will keep bias in mind. I will post screencaps of the random numbers, that way you can see for yourself that these are the numbers your skater received. You can feel free to double check the math, and if there is an error on my part, let me know and I will check the results once more. If I find you are right, I will correct the errors.
Q. How do you handle the shows?
A. I write a script for the show, insert everyone's program music in it, and that's that.
Q. Can I protest a competition's results, like it's done in real life?
A. If you want to create a scandal for RP purposes, keep it in the RP. If you, as a member, are upset about the way your skater performed and placed in a competition, you have the right to challenge my mathematics. You can start a thread in Members' Discussion and lodge a protest. There, the other members will talk with you about your grievances and re-check my math. However, if they find that my math was right all along, the protest will be dropped.
Q. When is the proper time to start a scandal? Before or after the competitions' results are posted?
A. If you want a scandal for RP purposes, if you follow the instructions in the accompanied Plot question, it should be discussed BEFORE the competitions' results are posted. That way, I can manipulate the commentary to reflect your supposed scandal.
Q. So you do commentary?
A. I will try to, certainly, but it takes a long time to get a proper broadcast together, so you need to be patient.
Q. Can I do commentary?
A. You could do a broadcast if you like, but your commentators must be from a different network or nation. If you write Japanese commentary, or another foreign language, it is politely requested that the commentary be written in English so that we can understand it.
Q. Let's say I want to write British Eurosport commentary, and the comments don't match with yours. Is that bad?
A. Not necessarily. If my American commentary says that a spin position is mediocre, the British commentary can certainly say different. However, if the American commentary says a skater falls on a double Salchow meant to be a triple, your commentary should reflect that.
If you have questions that are not found here, please contact me.
You can find answers to most questions here. If there are questions you have that I do not answer here, you may feel free to post your question in this forum, or in the c-box below, or you can PM me, e-mail or IM me on AOL Instant Messenger.
SECTION 1: CHARACTERS
Q. Do you have Canon Characters?
A. No. All of the characters are original, created by all members.
Q. I want to create a skater, but I don't know anything about skating. Can I still play one?
A. Of course! If you want help, you can ask the other members.
Q. Can I play a real skater, like Yagudin, Lysacek, Michelle Kwan?
A. No. We have competitions, and their accomplishments cannot coincide with ours. Besides, it would be impolite to write a real person, especially with the particular themes we have going on here. Imagine if we had people writing Lysacek and Yagudin and the two had a passionate love affair. If Evan or Alexei saw that, odds are, they could sue. Besides, how would you like it if someone wrote about you like that? So no, no real skaters.
Q. Can I play a skater BASED on a real one?
A. Yes, you most certainly can! Just keep the previous point in mind. If you want to play a character based on Timothy Goebel, go for it, but his name can't be Timothy Goebel or the profile will be deleted. However, there's no reason why you can't write a skater named Timothy GABLE. Got it?
Q. I don't like figure skating because it is too pretty. Do I have to play a skater?
A. No, you don't have to.
SECTION 2: PLOT AND ROLEPLAY
Q. So, can my character be like Tonya Harding and whack another skater?
A. First off, Tonya didn't do that, and second, such a thing would have to be approved by the member who has the character beforehand.
Q. Do you write judging scandals taking place like they happen in real life?
A. Absolutely, but such a thing should be mutually agreed on by all members involved with the particular competition and discipline. If you have three characters, all in the same discipline in the same competition, and there are no other members involved, then you can go right ahead and make up a scandal. If you have these characters in a competition with more than just yourself, it should be mutually agreed on with you and the other members in the competition.
Q. Can I write other characters if they are not mine, even if it's just a sentence?
A. No.
Q. Can I post comments on a journal?
A. If it says so, yes. However, make sure that it is allowed before commenting. Some skaters keep their journals in notebooks in their desks. It wouldn't be right for a total stranger, fan or friend, to leave a note in it.
SECTION 3: PROGRAMS
Q. I have music in mind, but I don't know what moves my skater should do. Can I get someone else to write my programs?
A. Yes.
Q. I don't have a clue what my skater should do. Can I get help?
A. Again, yes.
Q. What kinds of moves are permitted?
A. I'm a generous admin and I let skaters do things that haven't necessarily been done on the ice yet. However, there are some restrictions:
Quads may be done, all except the Axel. Because that would require 4 and a half rotations on a forward takeoff, it is highly unlikely that such a thing will be done before the first quintuple jump. Since I'm not willing to open the door for quints just yet, let's stick with triples and quads for now.
Backflips and other areal things are only done in PROFESSIONAL competitions. If your character is not professional, they cannot perform such moves in amateur competitions (what Surya Bonaly did in 1998 was ILLEGAL in other words and she was deducted BIG TIME for it).
A singles' free skate with more than 11 jumps is highly irregular and unrealistic. You can't have your male skater doing 8 quads and 8 triples. First off, that would probably violate the Zayak rule, and second, there would be no time or energy to do the footwork and spins that make a skater's program complete.
Q. Can I share my music on here?
A. Yes, in Share and Share Alike.
SECTION 4: COMPETITIONS
Q. How often are competitions held?
A. There's something going on almost every month. See the Signup for more information.
Q. Do you hold Olympics every year?
A. We choose to have them every two years because this way more skaters get the chance to compete in them.
Q. How are competitions judged?
A. I read through your programs, and use a random number generator to decide how well each element was done. I will also give extra points for writing a more difficult program. If you put your skater on the Injury List, that makes things interesting because I need to take that into account, what injury it is and how well they skate with it. Once everything is calculated, the highest total wins. Simple as that.
Q. My skater wasn't in the senior ranks last year, but they are this year. What events can they enter?
A. They can enter TWO Grand Prix Events, see if they qualify for the Final, they can compete in the Nationals, and see if they place in the top 3. If they do, they can go to Four Continents or Europeans and World Championships. If they do well enough there, they can be invited to participate in post-season shows and competitions. However, if they do not qualify for the Grand Prix Final, if they do not place in the top 3 at Nationals, that is likely the end of the season for the skater. You can try again next year though!
Q. Who judges the competitions? How do I know if there is no bias?
A. I will. However, I will keep bias in mind. I will post screencaps of the random numbers, that way you can see for yourself that these are the numbers your skater received. You can feel free to double check the math, and if there is an error on my part, let me know and I will check the results once more. If I find you are right, I will correct the errors.
Q. How do you handle the shows?
A. I write a script for the show, insert everyone's program music in it, and that's that.
Q. Can I protest a competition's results, like it's done in real life?
A. If you want to create a scandal for RP purposes, keep it in the RP. If you, as a member, are upset about the way your skater performed and placed in a competition, you have the right to challenge my mathematics. You can start a thread in Members' Discussion and lodge a protest. There, the other members will talk with you about your grievances and re-check my math. However, if they find that my math was right all along, the protest will be dropped.
Q. When is the proper time to start a scandal? Before or after the competitions' results are posted?
A. If you want a scandal for RP purposes, if you follow the instructions in the accompanied Plot question, it should be discussed BEFORE the competitions' results are posted. That way, I can manipulate the commentary to reflect your supposed scandal.
Q. So you do commentary?
A. I will try to, certainly, but it takes a long time to get a proper broadcast together, so you need to be patient.
Q. Can I do commentary?
A. You could do a broadcast if you like, but your commentators must be from a different network or nation. If you write Japanese commentary, or another foreign language, it is politely requested that the commentary be written in English so that we can understand it.
Q. Let's say I want to write British Eurosport commentary, and the comments don't match with yours. Is that bad?
A. Not necessarily. If my American commentary says that a spin position is mediocre, the British commentary can certainly say different. However, if the American commentary says a skater falls on a double Salchow meant to be a triple, your commentary should reflect that.
If you have questions that are not found here, please contact me.