Author Topic: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines  (Read 35170 times)

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Akula

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #20 on: May 21, 2008, 02:27:04 AM »
Might want to edit the name Character Optimization board out, but it should be okay like that. And you can always ask PI if it's cool with him. He has always seemed like a reasonable guy, so I have hard time believing he says no.
As long as you followed the posting guidelines.

Yeah it always seems so hard to really add something to a full build, it's just easier to work from a broader base I guess.

And  :clap on the sticky, nice to actually have a board that will sticky the threads we want.

RobbyPants

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #21 on: May 21, 2008, 10:47:06 AM »
And  :clap on the sticky, nice to actually have a board that will sticky the threads we want.
Yeah, I was impressed how quickly these two threads got stickied.
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Faithless tbe Wonder Boy

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #22 on: May 21, 2008, 05:32:12 PM »
As an addendum to posting guidelines, it wouldn't hurt to see some guidelines for how to respond to posts.

Nothing frustrates me more than to see someone go through the effort to follow the posting guidelines, only to be met with a string of one line responses either deriding the OP for his choices or providing near useless information.

It's not as well written as the original guidelines, but I think that if we keep the following in mind when responding, all would be good.

1.  Make an effort to give the OP what he or she wants.  Sure, a build focused on taking Mindbender through all 10 levels is not going to be optimal.  However, there are helpful and non-helpful ways to portray that.

EXAMPLE:

Quote
Mindbender is a 1 lvl class grab mindsite and take incantatrix for the rest

Accurate?  Sure.  Helpful?  Not really.

Quote
You'll run into some problems taking Mindbender all the way through - with those 5 levels of casting you lose, you could easily do everything Mindbender offers, and more.

Here are some ways you can keep the Mindbender flavor without actually taking more than a level in the class...

If you're still 100% set on the Mindbender, try this build.  You will not be as good at enchanting and controlling as the above build, but...

With this, you're still conveying the information of the above post, but doing so in a much more helpful manner.  Better yet, you're rewarding new posters for taking the effort to follow the posting guidelines.

2.  Just like the posting guidelines suggest - please cite books and explain!  It does newer players little to no good to simply toss off terms we take for granted without citing our source in some way.  Even better, take the effort to explain, in a line or two, what your suggestion means.  Don't just say "Play GOD!" - give a link to Treantmonk's thread and explain, in a line or two, what a GOD-type caster is ("Play GOD, an archetypal caster focused on controlling every aspect of combat, rather than dealing damage himself.  Treantmonk's thread here is the ultimate resource on that.  Basically, you'll be focused on spells that restrict or control the enemy's actions, while boosting your own party.")

Or, to use the example above...

Quote
Mindbender is a 1 lvl class grab mindsite and take incantatrix for the rest

Not particularly useful for newer players or players not familiar with PGF.  And I've even found some veterans who have trouble finding Mindsight.  Instead, try...

Quote
If you're taking Mindbender, I would definitely grab Mindsight!  It's a feat found in a sidebar in Lords of Madness, and it's like Blindsight on steroids!

Also, rather than taking more than one level in Mindbender, you'll get more bang for your buck by grabbing Telepathy from level 1 and then switching over to Incantatrix, from the Player's Guide to Faerun.  This awesome prestige class will make you the master of using metamagic on your spells, which will do far more for your build than the benefits Mindbender gives you.

A good rule of thumb is to cite sources any time you're suggesting anything not in the PHB/MM/DMG.  Also, don't assume that the OP will know basic terms that we've come to be familiar with, such as "gish".

3.  As a corollary to the above, please pay attention to what books folks can use!  This especially is a pet peeve of mine.  If someone lists that they can only play with the Core + Complete, it does them absolutely no good to start suggesting that they play an Artificer.

For a brand new example, if someone is looking to play an Illusionist, and they only list Core/CWar/CArc/CDiv/PHB2 as their books, then...

Quote
play a killer gnome!  wiz 5/shadowcrafter 2/shadowcraft mage 5 is the best illusionist ever!

Boy, that ain't a bit helpful, is it?  Let's try this again...

Quote
Check with your DM if you can get access to Races of Stone.  In it is the Shadowcraft Mage, a gnome-only prestige class based on Shadow magic and illusion spells.  If you can use it, it is quite possibly the best option out there for illusionists, especially when you combine it with...

If you can't get access to RoS, just remember to keep the standard wizard tips in mind - don't lose caster levels being the biggest.  These feats and spells will really help you play a strong illusionist...

Remember, nothing wrong with suggesting that someone asks his DM for a particular spell, feat, or class.  However, respect that people have book restrictions, and just as they should put in the effort to look around before posting and let us know what resources they have available, we should put in the effort to read their post thoroughly and give them information they can actually USE.

4.  Not everyone is an experienced D&D player.  When I was a CO regular, the majority of threads were started by folks who were new to the game, and didn't understand why they weren't doing as well as other players.  I've been lurking a lot since, and it doesn't seem like much has changed.  Things we take for granted, like the power of wild shape, the folly in losing caster levels, and the impotence of Monkey Grip, are all things we learned over time.

A new player (or old player, new optimizer) making bad choices should not be an excuse for us to get derisive, nor should it detract from our willingness to help others.  It is exactly that kind of behavior that causes people to think of CO as elitist, or missing the point of the game.  It is also the kind of behavior that will drive away many intelligent and valuable additions to the community before they even really learn to play.

Shigunaru

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #23 on: May 21, 2008, 07:49:32 PM »
Faithless tbe Wonder Boy, I'll add a link to your post. A very usefull addendum, I must say! :clap
Posting guidelines. Read 'em. Use 'em. Love 'em.

Shadeseraph

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #24 on: May 21, 2008, 07:54:03 PM »
Can't agree more  :clap
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I hate mouth breathing fuckwits who go around spouting lies, even after being corrected on those lies, and that bait mods into helping to defend their wrongness and fail. I also hate the MBFs that don't understand the meaning of words, and that can't get a fucking clue.
Hey! I like spouting lies. It's very entertaining to observe how people on the internet are buffing their small egos by declaring victories over some stupid MBFs. :smirk
Also - I hate people who use too smart words that I don't understand. :mad

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Caelic

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #25 on: May 23, 2008, 07:44:30 PM »
Question: How would one go about importing a thread from the CO Boards?  I have some things there that I'd like to bring here, but I just won't have time to recreate them from the ground up.

PhoenixInferno

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #26 on: May 23, 2008, 07:50:15 PM »
Copy-paste, for the most part.  You'd have to fix some of the formatting, but its not awful.

Welcome home, Brother Caelic.

Shadeseraph

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #27 on: May 23, 2008, 07:54:29 PM »
Question: How would one go about importing a thread from the CO Boards?  I have some things there that I'd like to bring here, but I just won't have time to recreate them from the ground up.

Nice to see you here ^^. I feared that those discussions about the 4th edition would have tired you. I'm GLaD you are still with us.
[spoiler]
I hate mouth breathing fuckwits who go around spouting lies, even after being corrected on those lies, and that bait mods into helping to defend their wrongness and fail. I also hate the MBFs that don't understand the meaning of words, and that can't get a fucking clue.
Hey! I like spouting lies. It's very entertaining to observe how people on the internet are buffing their small egos by declaring victories over some stupid MBFs. :smirk
Also - I hate people who use too smart words that I don't understand. :mad

Hi Welcome

Go fuck yourself, because others won't do it for you.

Stop flirting you two.  :p
[/spoiler]

Tshern

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #28 on: May 23, 2008, 08:39:59 PM »
Outstanding, Caelic is here! Welcome!

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Akalsaris

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #29 on: September 13, 2008, 10:58:35 AM »
I'm working on a handbook, but I want to get feedback on it since it's my first and there's stuff I've probably missed.  Should I post it in the main board here first, or straight to the handbooks board?

ZeroSum

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #30 on: September 13, 2008, 11:57:43 AM »
Just post it in Handbooks.  As far as I know there's no time limit on modifying so if someone finds something you want to change it's easy.

LargePrime

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #31 on: October 11, 2009, 05:06:34 PM »
Hello all.  First post...
I am making my way thru the pod casts and browsing the Forums and I have a few quick simple questions...

1) Is there a "First post Forum"?  If not, is it kosher to just jump in posting after reading the guidelines?

2) Raise Thread.  In browsing I have noticed some threads that are a few months old that I think I might be able to help with.  Probably the OP has moved on, but searchers might find the additional info relevant.  Is it Kosher to reply to them?

3) Can we copy our favorite threads from wizards?  Guidelines on that?

Thanks.

Prime32

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #32 on: October 11, 2009, 05:14:24 PM »
Hello all.  First post...
I am making my way thru the pod casts and browsing the Forums and I have a few quick simple questions...

1) Is there a "First post Forum"?  If not, is it kosher to just jump in posting after reading the guidelines?

2) Raise Thread.  In browsing I have noticed some threads that are a few months old that I think I might be able to help with.  Probably the OP has moved on, but searchers might find the additional info relevant.  Is it Kosher to reply to them?

3) Can we copy our favorite threads from wizards?  Guidelines on that?

Thanks.
1: There's an introductions thread in Off-Topic.

2: :shrug

3: Check that no-one has done it first (many are in Tshern's Handy Links thread, but it might be a good idea to start a thread asking) and be sure to give credit to the original poster. You might want to ask about the password for the Handbook_Writer shared account so other people can keep them up-to-date.
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[spoiler]Tier 6: A cartographer.
Tier 5: An expert cartographer or a decent marksman.
Tier 4: An expert marksman.
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Tier 1: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything and the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.[/spoiler]

Tshern

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #33 on: October 11, 2009, 06:03:22 PM »
And the Handbook_Writer account details are in my hands as well. Just saying.

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Prime32

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #34 on: October 11, 2009, 06:27:35 PM »
You would think they'd have made you a mod by now, Tshern. :p
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The tier system in a nutshell:
[spoiler]Tier 6: A cartographer.
Tier 5: An expert cartographer or a decent marksman.
Tier 4: An expert marksman.
Tier 3: An expert marksman, cartographer and chef who can tie strong knots and is trained in hostage negotiation or a marksman so good he can shoot down every bullet fired by a minigun while armed with a rusted single-shot pistol that veers to the left.
Tier 2: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything, or the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.
Tier 1: Someone with teleportation, mind control, time manipulation, intangibility, the ability to turn into an exact duplicate of anything and the ability to see into the future with perfect accuracy.[/spoiler]

Tshern

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #35 on: October 11, 2009, 06:40:06 PM »
An atheist communist as a moderator? Sounds like a risky maneuver, I am hardly a popularity contest winner here.
« Last Edit: October 11, 2009, 06:41:41 PM by Tshern »

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KellKheraptis

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #36 on: November 30, 2009, 10:42:30 PM »
An atheist communist as a moderator? Sounds like a risky maneuver, I am hardly a popularity contest winner here.

More worried about the player of an incarnation of His Iron Grace, but then again that would make you one hell of an administrator...:P
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Tshern

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #37 on: December 02, 2009, 06:52:56 PM »
An atheist communist as a moderator? Sounds like a risky maneuver, I am hardly a popularity contest winner here.

More worried about the player of an incarnation of His Iron Grace, but then again that would make you one hell of an administrator...:P
I'd suck as a moderator anyway. I think the posts should be and have been filled with people, who know when to stay neutral and how to handle 'situations'. My solution way too often is to press the red button and see the world burn, which brings us back to the fiery pits of Hell...

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NiteCyper

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #38 on: January 19, 2010, 09:39:03 PM »
re: "addendums": the correct term is "addenda" for plural. Fishes, amoebas, parameciums, bonii.
Caveat: I edit my posts, ever and anon after.

Tshern

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Re: Min/Max it! Posting Guidelines
« Reply #39 on: February 03, 2010, 08:30:17 PM »
re: "addendums": the correct term is "addenda" for plural. Fishes, amoebas, parameciums, bonii.
...what?

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