Sim F.A.Q

Q: What the Heck is a Sim?

A: A Sim is, quite simply, a story that is continued by many different people over time. You write a part to the story, and then someone else continues it. If you've ever heard of Interactive Stories, it is similar to one.

Q: How do I join and play?

A: To join look at all the required read sites on my pages and read them. Then submit a character that will represent you. In a sim you "play" a certain character that is officially you. For instance, the character I play is John Robertson, leader of the Neutraltic Alliance. You then post under this character's name and write parts to the story, introducing your character (or characters if you are going to have two... which I DO NOT recommend) to the plot.

Q: What's an NPC?

A: NPC is an RPG term. It refers to any character not played by a person. Joseph and Katelyn Robertson, the seblings of John Robertson, would be considered NPCs. As would General Pepper of the Cornerian Alliance, and Fox McCloud (unless someone decided to play him). NPCs are in the storyline, of course, but are not played by a specific person.

Q: Well, posting with NPCs sounds great, but since certain people play certain characters, wouldn't it take a long time to talk with them in a story, awaiting their response to what their character would say?

A: *Laughs* No, no, of course not. That's not the point. You may play a character, but when posting you presume the actions of the other people in the sim as well as the NPCs. It's really very simple.

Q: Ok, then how long should my posts be?

A: Well, there is no real rule on how long they should be. I would suggest making them between a half page to three. Anything less than a half page is usually pretty boring and covers no ground, and anything longer than three pages loses the other Simmers' interest. Nobody likes reading an infinitely long post, but nobody really likes posts to short either. Just write as much as you want, making a point in the post, and you'll have no trouble at all.

Q: Are their any requirements for being in a sim?

A: Not really. You don't even have to be a "good" writer. In fact, sims are the best way to hone your writing skills, in my opinion!

Q: How so?

A: Well, you write pretty often if your the average, loyal simmer, so that really helps to hone your skills! You are contantly reading AND writing in a sim, learning new words, learning how to spell new words, and being exposed to different styles of writing by the other simmers. Not only this but, as I said earlier, you write often, and... well, it may be an old cliche' but it's accurate: Practice makes perfect!

Q: That reminds me... how often should I post?

A: It's always good to post as often as you can. Try not to post two times in a row, but there is nothing wrong with writing right after someone has written a response part to your part. You can really never post too often. It's preferable you post as least once a week, or two weeks though. If you haven't posted for two weeks, it's possible your character may slip out of the plot. However, this isn't always true. In one sim, Star Wolf's, Raven was such a good "bad guy" he stayed in the plot for MONTHS after Raven disappeared! However, if you want your character in the plot, and if you want to participate in the Sim fully, and get the most out of it, post several times a week, weekly at most.

Q: Would you prefer it if I post daily as long as I don't post two in a row?

A: ALWAYS!

Well, that's all the questions for now! If you have any more, or have a suggestion for more, e-mail me at CaptCJS@aol.com!