Huh? Why's everyone controlling my character? I didn't give them permission!

          By default, you don't have to give permission here. We here at RP Haven use an "open character" policy, meaning we allow other players to control our characters in most situations, just to keep the story going and to not get bogged down in taking turns and waiting for others. We're not a huge community, after all.
          However, you are free to make a request that only you control your character in any given RP. Just be warned that we aren't accustomed to this and may find it difficult to manage.

    Why aren't there boards for each world? That's how it is at RP Site X!

          We at RP Haven put all RPs on the same board- the RP Board. Our site doesn't have any pre-set worlds or locations that are so universal as to have their own boards. RP Haven's stories run the gamut from fantasy to sci-fi, so having a whole board dedicated to one world is unrealistic.

    You have an RP Board, a Backstage Board, and a Reference Library Board. What are they?

          The RP Board is where the actual RPs go. If you want to start an RP, post there.
          The Backstage Board is for posts that aren't part of the story. Rather than mucking up the RP thread with discussion posts, we created a separate board. Most RPs have a discussion thread, and it's recommended that whenever you start an RP, you start a corresponding discussion thread on the discussion board.
          The Reference Library is similar to the Backstage Board, except it's used to organize information about RPs. Some RPs can be complex, with a multitude of characters, locations, monsters, and spells. A library is a place to organize such information for easy access by anyone. It's not necessary for an RP, but it is a nice tool to have around in case you're having trouble locating information. Generally, only the RP creators are permitted to post in their library threads to avoid it becoming another discussion thread.

    What about battles? It's not fair that my character can be knocked out in another person's post! What if they kill them?!

          They can't. A golden rule of RP Haven is that no role-player can kill or brutally injure another role-player's character (unless permission is given, of course). If such an event does occur, report it to a mod or admin right away! We won't stand for that kind of abuse to any of our members.
          And if you find your character constantly being useless in other peoples' posts, well, turnabout is fair play. Hogging the spotlight once in a while won't do any harm to anyone. Bear in mind, however, that RPs at RP Haven are very team-oriented, which is why we allow role-players to control other role-players characters, to an extent, in the first place.

    Somebody did something in my RP that I don't like! I demand vengeance!

          Whoa, slow down there. Deep breaths... You calm now? Okay, now ask yourself... was what they did a big deal? Was it really? Can you work around it, or integrate it into your master plan?
          Compromise is a part of the RPing experience at RP Haven. Allowing others' ideas makes them feel more welcome and they'll, in turn, contribute more to your story. However, if someone has crossed the line, either PM them or inform them in your RP's discussion thread. BE POLITE. Nothing turns off a fellow role-player more than getting berated for minor details.

    I have a spell that summons a meteor to destroy the world! Can I give it to my hero?

          In a word... no. While "god-modding" is okay in certain areas, having immense magical and/or physical attributes is unbecoming of most heroes outside the comic book and animé universe. It simply doesn't mesh with any aspect of teamwork, and it WILL annoy people.
          Besides, end of the world attacks are so passé. There's more interesting stuff out there nowadays.

    My post was deleted! Why? I worked so hard on it!

          We will not delete your post without warning. Generally, if someone has a relevant complaint about your post, either we or they will inform you. If, and only if, a compromise is not reached, will we take such extreme action. So far, that hasn't actually happened here. Please don't be the first one to force our hand.

    Why isn't anyone posting to my RP?

          There could be a number of factors. These could include.
          -There are too many rules that turn people off.
          -Your first post does not show promise to most role-players.
          -Your main character is unappealing as a concept to role-players.
          -You posted your RP at a time when most people are too busy to join another RP.
          -Your first post has spelling, grammatical, and/or tag errors that make it unpleasant to read.
          -The general concept of your RP is unappealing.
          -The story has gone in a direction which many of the participants do not agree with.
          There are also dozens upon dozens of other reasons, as well. It happens to everyone; not every RP will be a success. The important thing to learn from such an experience is to not take offense. Nothing personal is meant by the other role-players avoiding your RP. You can even ask what went wrong with it, get constructive feedback, refine your story, and repost it. You'd be surprised how many more people can join an RP where the idea has been refined.

    I joined an RP, but I don't want to post to it anymore. What do I do?

          While the polite thing to do is inform the RP creator that you're quitting his or her story, it is not necessary. It is, however, appreciated. You can simply stop posting to the story, announce your departure in the discussion thread, and be on your merry way. Nobody can force you to post to a story that doesn't interest you.

    Why do you use script format? It's ugly and I don't like it.

          We use script to accommodate character conversations. While paragraph format can handle that as well, we all just find this easier. Of course, some find it just as easy to use paragraph, and you're more than welcome to, as most RP creators are accommodating and will allow both in their stories.
          It's hard to say which came first, having limited control of other characters or script format, but they do work intrinsically well together, and most of us here do love writing dialogues between heroes.

    That reminds me. Why do most of your RPs here have a single party of heroes? Sounds rather boring.

          Again, it's for convenience in plot. Because RP Haven has a greater focus on character interaction, having a single party makes it easier to write conversations. Not every RP ends up like this, but it's much easier to keep track of one large party than a lot of smaller parties.
          In the end, it's not really required to have your character join the main party, but most people here see it as a convenience.

    Deishlings? Whisperers? Darklings? HUH?

          Made-up fantasy races that are commonly used in our stories. Deishlings were created by Elec, and are by far the most popular race to use around here next to humans. They're dog anthros with a natural resilience to heat and a weakness to cold. Feel free to ask about what's popular around here in terms of characters made, if it interests you.

    Don't you guys do character battles, where one guy fights the other? I see those everywhere on other sites, and they're exciting!

          There's the occasional tournament RP, but even that has a plot and story behind it. We just recently became acquainted with character-to-character fights, and you're very much welcome to challenge anyone and establish rules.
          However, such battles are something we are quite unaccustomed to. Tensions can run high when deciding how a winner is to be determined. We encourage you to make every effort to integrate yourself into our boards, and while we'll try any idea at least once, it may not stick. For example, with character-to-character fights, it can degenerate into an argument about whose character is supposedly "better." We at RP Haven like to avoid such arguments, so please keep that in mind when determining such battle rules.

    Why do you have Product Reviews on an RP site?

          It's just something we do for fun. It started as a board on the forum, and a lot of people expected it to be put on the site, so we put it on the site. Besides, we get a lot of our inspiration from books, movies, and video games, so it isn't that out-of-place.

    I wrote a review! How do I get it on the site?

          Either post it on the General Reviews Board, or send it in a private message to Ricky. It'll be added on the next update.

    Hey! Why haven't you been updating the Hall of Fame lately?

          Well, the Hall of Fame only accepts RPs and fictions that have been completed, and it takes a while for RPs and fictions to reach completion. The reason the Hall of Fame hasn't been updated lately is because there's been nothing to update. Now, if you want to write a reader comment, feel free to.

    I'd like to help with the Hall of Fame. Is there anything I can do?

          In a word, no. Ricky has managed to create a system when it comes to creating the entries and updating them, and he doesn't want to spread his resources for fear of overlooking something and causing complications. Plus, it really isn't as difficult as it looks (the media galleries can be tedious, however). Thanks for the offer, though.

    I want my RP/fiction in the Hall of Fame!

          The Hall of Fame is for RP and fictions that have reached completion. If you want your work to be featured there, all you have to do is finish it. Easier said than done, perhaps, but that's really all there is to it.

    This is the third forum we've been on. Any plans for a fourth?

          As of now, this site is fixed to stay up for two whole years. That means, unless some financial freak accident happens to CtrlAltDestroy, or someone does something illegal to get the site shut down, you can rest assured that it's going to be around until mid-March of 2008. If the site's going strong when that day arrives, CtrlAltDestroy will pay for another two years. If for some reason he wants to quit the site, he'll do his best to pass the site domain over to someone else.

    We don't have many active members. How are we going to get a bigger community?

          We all want this site to have more members than we have now. Based on all the forum sociology we’ve learned so far, we’ll offer these tips:
          First thing’s first: Start posting in it! Nothing turns a newcomer away than an empty board, or even a board with some of the forums empty and others slightly active. Nothing draws a newcomer in like seeing a huge, active community with lots going on- one which they feel they can contribute to.
          So, we want everyone to post at least one thread on every board, and make at least one post in everyone’s threads.
          Just kidding! But you get the idea. Don’t be afraid to post lots of topics. As long as they’re valid topics of discussion, they’ll do nothing but help!
          Recruit! Tell friends what this site is all about, and invite them to join. Put a link in your signature to RP Haven on other gaming forums you go to.
          The best way to get somebody to stay instead of posting once or twice and vanishing forever is to make them feel they’re contributing to the community. When people see that their posts are being read and that they matter to other people, or that their contributions are being accepted, they’ll stick around.
          Moderators and administrators: Don’t be too strict. Ignore the rules that are present on just about every other forum, and pretend they’re not there. For example, if someone posts a thread asking a question that’s covered in the sticky FAQ at the top of the forum, don’t lock the thread and point them to the FAQ. Instead, answer the question in your own words in their thread, and possibly provide some more details than was available in the FAQ. Sometimes, it just feels better talking to other human beings than reading pre-written documents. If you didn’t like talking to other human beings, you wouldn’t be on an online message board, would you?
          Be more accepting. If a newcomer tries to start an RP, jump into it! Even if the style of the thread is a bit unorthodox, if lots of people participate in it, you can be sure they’re going to stick around for quite some time. So just jump in and go for it. You don’t have to think out your role in the story as much as you’d like to, just contribute to their idea and they’ll be overjoyed.
          Try to make topics more like discussions rather than shoutboxes. When you post in threads (especially RPs), make a habit of referring to previous posts from yours, or bringing up derivative topics of conversation for future posters to discuss. For example, if you’re posting in a thread called “What’s your favorite color?”, don’t just say “my favorite color is blue”, which basically shows a complete lack of care for any posts that came before yours or may come after yours. Instead, try something like “Joe, you bring up some good points about the color green, but I’m inclined to disagree. Yeah, it may be the color of the trees in spring, but it’s also the color of the weeds that grow in your garden. Yuck. I like blue, because it’s the color of the sky.” Or maybe something like “My favorite color is magenta. But it’s so weird, I’ve never heard of anyone else liking magenta as their favorite color. Has anyone else?”
          Getting the posts in a thread to be interconnected in this way makes a huge difference. Not only does it make the thread much more fun to participate in, it actually makes it easier for a newcomer to completely read through and jump into even if the topic is already many pages long. (Hint: RPs!)

    Everyone has custom titles. Do I get one?

          Veteran members of our community get custom titles. For newcomers, we may or may not host contests and such in the future that involve custom titles as prizes. Keep an eye out for such events. We do award degenerating custom titles to members who are being really obnoxious, but we doubt you really want those.

    Any rules? Can I do anything that'll get me banned?

          Each board has its own set of guidelines. Please make sure to read them, as they'll help you avoid getting into trouble.
          Generally, the rules that govern the entire forum can be stated with just three words: don't be annoying. Just how annoying you are will determine your level of punishment.
          For example, if you speak in AOL speek plz, or OMG ALL CAPS, that’s annoying, and will probably get your posts deleted. If you’re into things like spamming, hijacking threads, or posting NC17-rated pictures or stories, you'll probably see your threads deleted and a degenerating rank title appearing underneath your username. If you’re just not a nice guy and you make a point of arguing, flaming, and systematically getting on the nerves of every user, you will probably be temporarily banned. If you do something crazy like hack the site's FTP password and delete the whole forum, we'll have to simply kill you.
          Let’s put it this way: The one and only mission of RP Haven is to be fun. If you’re making it harder for other users to have fun when they come here, you’re being contrary to the site’s mission- and that’s grounds for “corrective action.”
          Please note that no ban is truly permanent. We're simply against permanent bans. People grow and change. An annoying user who gets banned for spamming and flaming and comes back three years later is probably a completely different person than when he left, and deserves a second chance if he wants one. However, the more times someone gets banned and unbanned, the harder it’s going to be for them to convince the staff that they deserve another chance.

    Can I change my name?

          Sure! We have no problem with name changes. Just ask one of the moderators or administrators to change it for you. Note that it’d be courteous to other members to add some red, italic text in your signature that says “previously known as” so we all know who we’re talking to.
          Is there a limit on name changes? Not really. I mean, you could say something like “I decided I don’t like this name, can I have my old one back?” and it’d be no problem. However, please limit yourself to just one name change a month. Keep in mind that changing your name too much can get annoying, and will result in us ignoring your future requests.

    What the heck? No styles? Install [favorite phpbb2 style] now!

          This site has no extra styles because the whole idea of a “style” and the whole idea of a “mod” are incompatible with each other. We chose mods. This site has about 25 mods installed to it right now, and half of them are completely incompatible with anything but subSilver.
          The fix is to take subSilver’s template and make some new styles with it, which is what we’re attempting to do right now. We may create some pretty interesting styles, but we don’t currently have the know-how to grab a style from another site, install it, and get all the mods to work with it.
          Here’s what we got so far:
          SubHaven: CtrlAltDestroy hand-crafted this one to look like the VGRP logo we voted into place on the MyFreeBB board, and he set it up as the default style for the board. It looks okay, but it could be better. If you don’t like it, you can choose another:
          SubVGRP: This is identical to subSilver, but with a darker background. It was the result of a freak accident while CtrlAltDestroy was fooling with the styles for the first time.
          SubMarine: Blueish theme made by Thalzon. Not that bad.
          SubTerfuge: Also made by Thalzon. It’s interesting.
          SubCrazy: As CtrlAltDestroy was messing with the styles for the first time, I made this by entering random grayscale values into the style boxes. I’ll probably delete it.