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Title: CD Commenting Guide Post by: Khiera Meneris on March 03, 2005, 09:24:22 AM Interested in helping out with commenting in the CD forum? Here are a few pointers, tips and suggestions on how to make CD commenting an enjoyable and rewarding experience for both you as a commenter and the player whose CD is being commented upon:
1. Before commenting, try to read up on all the relevant information concerning the character, such as tribes, places, weaponry, magic etc. For example, if you are commenting on a Shendar character who is a cleric and has a pet familiar, you may want to read up on the Shendar as a tribe – their unique physical and personality traits, abilities, folklore etc. – the magic system in general and check out our fabulous bestiary. This way, you not only improve your knowledge of the Santharian world with each character that you comment on, you’ll also be able to provide accurate and helpful information to appreciative new players! Remember, getting your facts straight reflects very positively on you as a commenter, and it sure is impressive! ;) 2. Adopt a friendly and patient tone and approach with the author of the CD that you are commenting on. Remember your own very first character on the board? Remember how lost and confused you were? Remember all the silly little mistakes you made? That’s how the CD creator is probably feeling too, especially if she/he is a new or is concocting a particularly ambitious CD. 3. As commenting can be quite subjective at times, try to use suggestive instead of authoritative wording in your comments. Use phrases like “In my opinion”, “Personally, I think …”, “The way I see it …”, “I would suggest that …” etc, instead of phrases like “You should …”, “You must …”, “You had better …”, “You can/cannot …”, “We do/don’t allow …” etc. Of course, if you are 100% certain about a particular point/fact that you are going to make, feel free to state so. In general, it is better to use a suggestive tone. 4. Try to provide alternative considerations or options when commenting. For example, instead of just saying, “XX tribe does not seem suitable for the type of character you are trying to create”, say “XX tribe does not seem suitable for your character, how about YY tribe instead? Or how about tweaking your character this way to fit XX tribe?” 5. Some CD commenters "specialize" in commenting in particular aspects of character creation, like magic, weaponry, creation of history, strengths and weaknesses etc. If you find yourself particularly enjoying commenting or learning about a particular aspect in Santharia, then by all means, feel free to be a commenter who specializes or focuses on a particular aspect of CDs. :) 6. If a CD author is acting rudely or unreasonably towards you or your comments (we admit, that happens sometimes), don’t take it personally. More often than not, the CD author’s frustrations lie with the CD evaluation system, and not you the commenter. If you find yourself getting annoyed or disturbed by a particular CD or CD author, it’s best to just walk away from the CD and not post reactionary remarks. 7. Should any irreconcilable disagreement arise regarding any aspect of a CD, the then we ask you to abide by the Admins' final decision. It isn't that often that the Admins need to step in and put their foot down on any particular issue, and usually the CD Mod's say will suffice. But such situations have occurred in the past with controversial characters, so it is important to clarify who has the final say in order to arrive at a quick resolution and help the CD authors on their way . 8. It should also be pointed out that if discussions concerning entry-interpretation or issues on the character itself are beginning to drag on and proceed to clutter the thread, that they should be continued elsewhere, whether via e-mail or on a private messenger. This is so that comments on the character can continue being made without the obstruction of the discussion and so that further editing can take place. Also, discussions made outside the forums tend to move at a faster pace and can be resolved more sooner than later. All said and done, here are a few ways that you can assist new players with their CDs as a CD commenter (and possible future CD Mod!): - Check for inaccurate information and inconsistencies. - Make informed suggestions. - Provide additional information. - Help to proofread CDs for spelling and grammatical errors. As we do have a substantial number of players who do not speak English as their first language, this is particularly appreciated. - Encourage and cheer the CD author along! We greatly appreciate everyone’s effort in putting aside time and effort to help comment on the CDs! Every little bit or initiative and effort put in by our commenters helps make this board a better place for a fantastic RPing experience! |