Greetings, all!
Here are some guidelines/recommendations regarding thread names and use of tags.
Thread Names
Please give your threads meaningful names - avoid stuff like 'Generic questions' and 'Does somebody know the answer', and above all, 'Stupid question' as thread names. Name threads based on their content. If it's about some rule or trait or character, mention it in the topic. You don't have to be serious - if you want a pun or a catchy phrase for a thread title, that's okay, as long as it is meaningful enough to be identified with the thread content (at least after the reader sees the content for the first time)
Traditionally, bracket-enclosed
shortened tags
in thread names - such as [MA] and [DF] - are used to identify to what sort of discussions the thread belongs.
When using them, please separate them with spaces from other words - it makes web searches easier. Often they are similar to proper tags (below).
Whatever you do,
do not put [Kromm] into a thread name!
Thread Tags
Try to keep your tags consistent with topics, to ease the tag searches in the future.
Here goes the unofficial-but-generally-useful tag list (not exhaustive):
- If it concerns issues that are mostly relevant in the context of a single book, use the book's official name, without GURPS. E.g. 'spaceships', 'mass combat', 'fantasy' etc.
- If it concerns a specific rule, item or trait, use a tag that matches the short-but-official rule name (if any), and a book tag if the rule is native to some specific book. E.g. 'martial arts, riposte'; 'fantasy, chakram'.
- Use the 'faq' tag only on threads that are about common/frequent questions. Preferably, only tag so the ones which contain actual answers from official sources.
- Use 'Kromm explanation' only where Kromm actually explains something. Again, do not tag until He answers.
- For conversions from other systems/settings, use 'conversion'.
- If your topic concerns something that is called by a short word, try to put the word into the tag field if you have the free slot(s).
- 'Optional rules' should be used specifically for discussing rules marked Optional in the RAW (not to be confused with house rules tag below).
- For house rule discussions, use 'house rules' (plural), as it seems to be in the majority already, and there's no point in using two tags simultaneously if they only differ by one letter.
- 'Custom setting' (singular, because usually there's only one per thread) for designing settings of your own.
- Custom Infinite Worlds worlds seem to be common. I propose tagging all of them with 'infinite worlds' and the 'custom setting' tag.
- Tag racial, occupational, and other templates as both 'templates' and 'racial templates'/'occupational templates'/etc. to allow both generic and specific searches. Threads about lenses should probably have a 'templates' tag too just in case.
- Use 'monsters' specifically for discussion of monsters - dangerous animals, usually not sapient etc.
- Use 'animals' for discussion of animals - more realistic and less antagonistic than monsters (goes together with 'bestiary' well).
- Either 'ideas to share' or 'random thought table' for non-organized but neat ideas.
- 'Adventure seeds' for ideas on building adventures.
- Add 'brainstorm' if the intent is an active exchange of many vaguely related ideas, as opposed to attempting to perfect a single raw idea.
- 'Combat' for discussions of combat-centered rules, traits or strategies.
- 'Resource' for threads recommending gaming resources - software etc.
- 'Raw' for strictly RAW-compliant discussions. There should also be designated as such in the OP (but not necessarily in thread name).
- 'Chargen' and 'character generation' or 'character creation' for issues relating strictly to this stage of GURPS.
- 'WWII' for GURPS World War II and related topics.
- (Proposed) 'Nowing' is a tag used to denote that 'just wing it' answers are a big no-no. Please do not troll these posters by such answers.
So, what have I missed?