Community Discussion #6: February 23rd 2013
Part 3 of 3
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3
fallensiner: ah dido Dylan, nero and ben
Earendill: Oh, agreed Star. That just undermines the authority of all the rules and yourself
Dylan: But what is strict in a strict roleplay group?
Ben: I would consider "biased" to be a different thing than "too strict"
StarArmy: Also, if you empower your mods you better stand behind them unless they're blatantly wrong.
Kim: Policing your friends can be tough. How do you handle enforcing the rules without destroying your social bonds? Is it ever worth being a hardass about the rules, even if you know it will mean someone stops wanting to be your friend?
Loki: I think what Ben said, kicking someone out on a minor first offense would be too strict
StarArmy: And a mod that doesn't stand behind you as admin needs to be removed from that position.
Loki: I think you have to send the right kind of message Kim, the rules apply to everyone, even your friends. You likely are going to make someone angry, but that comes with the territory of being a mod/admin I think
Kaji: Have the kind of friends who can understand when you have your admin hat on. Sometimes it even helps to preface a conversation with, "I have my admin hat on."
Ben: In my opinion, if someone is willing to destroy a friendship because they're not respecting your rules and you have to moderate them... They're not really your friend.
Dylan: It is worth it. If you don't enforce the rules on your friends like everyone else you're being bias, favouriting them, and being overall unfair to everyone else.
Earendill: Friends can be utter douches when it comes to rules. If they think they can bend rules because they "know the DM", that's just unacceptable behaviour.
Nero: I am /more/ strict with my closest friends than with others, and they know it. I usually hold them to a much higher standard, and they rarely disappoint.
Dylan: IF you are uncomfortable enforcing the rules on a friend, ask a fellow moderator or admin.
Loki: I agree with Nero, I do the same 
Dylan: to help enforce the rule, that is.
SeraphicStar: As I said before and believe, most personal things should be kept out of the adminning 'job'. Being personal isn't professional, and if they are your friends they will understand.
Kim: Great suggestion, Kaji!
Ben: I also agree with Nero
fallensiner: well sometimes to police your friends sometimes you have to give them a pop on the head, when you can tell they are acting like butt heads. Buut usually if you are polite about it, you dont risk destroying a realzion ship
Earendill: They should understand that you have a responsibility and they should respect that, not try to abuse the relationship.
StarArmy: Kim: You have to have clearly communicated expectation. So when you confront a friend for violating the rules you can say "Here's why. You had a choice in this and you chose to go against the rules that hold this place together. This is not a personal attack against you but know that I trusted in you to do the right thing and since you haven't, here's what I'm going to do..."
fallensiner: well said Ear, well said.
Kim: If you have deputies/moderators, how do you select these people? What traits do you need to look for?
Earendill: In that way, it's not that much different from having friends as colleagues at work and one of you is a supervisor to the other. If you're really friends, they should be the ones causing the least problems
Kaji: Frankly, the sort of folks who won't let their friends abuse the system 
Loki: I select my mods by watching how they interact with others. Also if it is a strict setting they need to know the setting forward and back
Dylan: Don't pick friends because they are your friends. I say that because you may want to bring on people who are your friends, don't! Only bring them on if you know they are level headed and capable of being fair. Just bringing them on because they are your friends is a bad idea.
Ben: You need people you trust, who are not prone to emotional outbursts. You should look for an even handed approach to conflict resolution, thick skin, and a love of your continuity.
Earendill: General awesomeness. I generally handpick them from people I can trust (or at least think I can trust). Though I do tend to give my playerbase input on the decision.
Kim: Dylan: If your friends are asking for a mod position and you know they'd be a disaster, how do you handle that conversation? Saying no is a very difficult skill for first time admins!
Loki: I shy away from letting users pick, because sometimes the most popular person isn't actually the best for the job
Dylan: I've had staff/moderators I may not get along with on a personal basis or I would ever be friends with. But they can do their job without any issues. Sometimes that happens and you need to accept it. Having friends as fellow mods and administrators can cause problems if you end up disafreeing on something.
Ben: While you shouldn't pick friends just because they are your friends, my friends are the first pool I pull from, as long as I know they are trustworthy.
Kim: Earendill: What mechanic do you use for that player input? An election, or just nominations you get to pick from?
Nero: Deputies need to be on board with your plan, whatever that is. They need to be prepared to use the same strictness level you want, and they need to understand it. Having a variety of perspectives helps for complicated decision making, but they also need to understand they're helping you with your plan, not making their own.
StarArmy: Pick people who are already being helpful and empower them to do more by asking them if they want to be part of the staff team. Avoid the power-hungry.
Dylan: Say no as nicely as you can. You don't have to tell them you aren't picking them because they may be a bad moderator. Tell them you want to give everyone a chance.
Earendill: I just ask around how people feel about that person, try to get a general feel from the playerbase. No point in electing a mod no one likes.
Kim: When it comes to adding mods to a team of existing mods, I want to mention how important it is to make sure that your current mods and your new mods will be able to get along and compliment each other's skillsets.
Dylan: If they get upset and they don't understand? You know they wouldn't be a good moderator then for sure.
Loki: I also try and find people that may have had experience modding in some way or another
Loki: I would definitely talk about a new mod prospect with my current mod team
Dylan: Yes, I think previous mod experience is way more important than them being your friend.
Heimdall: I gotta head out, guys! Getting a bit of a headache. (Not from you all! 
) This was a great talk. See you all lata!
SeraphicStar: Have a good one, Heimdall!
Ben: Farewell
StarArmy: Anyone want to see an actual private message I sent to a GM remiss in his duties?
Kim: Thanks for participating, Heimdall! You've been great.
Copper_Dragon: Bye
Dylan: And sometimes if you disagree, as a friend, its harder to bring up that you do because you really, really don't want to hurt their feelings. I'm not saying that you don't care about non-moderators feelings, but its less of a sensitive situation.
Loki: Bye Heimdall, thank you for joining us! 
Rynh: See you, O'Haimdal
Dylan: Bye Heimdall!!
Ben: Previous experience however does not necesarily mean they're GOOD. Talk to their peers, find out what they did and how they did it.
Kim: You might try putting that in its own topic as an example, Star! If it's longer than a few sentences, it might be a bit much for a chat moving this fast.
Earendill: So yes, the input is more to ask the playerbase wether or not they'd accept the mod and their authority instead of letting them pick mods. Having said that, if players propose a mod and that person qualifies, I wouldn't reject them without thought.
Nero: Previous experience is handy, but should not supersede quality. Mods being added to a team should be vetted by the whole team and start on a probationary term.
Earendill: Bye Heimderp!
StarArmy: It's not that long. For some background, 3 times a year we have a "plot audit" which is a scored checklist of stuff like upkeeping the plot's wiki and such.
StarArmy: GAME MASTER,
PLOT NAME has been temporarily removed from the list of active plots due to your failure to participate in the mandatory tri-annual plot audit, despite being given two weeks to do so. Due to the plot being active with recent posts, I have decided not to archive it (I don't want to interfere with the RP).
**This is your second request for a plot audit to be posted. You are required to post a completed plot audit checklist as soon as possible and within three days of the receipt of this PM.**
Once you complete the plot audit, your plot will be re-added to the list of active plots. However, if this second request is ignored, you will be stripped of all privileges and titles and GMship of the plot will be offered to the general membership of the community.
Nobody wants to see that happen, so please take care of the audit ASAP.
Regretfully,
Wes Davis
Setting Manager
Dylan: Eeee.
Kim: That was pretty long for the little chat window.
Ben: It can also be a good idea to staggar mod responsibilities. See how they do with a few minor duties, then bump them up.
Kim: But seriously, so much to cover, I need to forge on!
How do you train your deputies? How do you support your deputies?
Earendill: Put them throught deputy school
fallensiner: yep i think this is far as i can do. As in chatting I dont have much experience in this field. so toodles.
Earendill: E.g. let them play in your setting and promote them if they seem like mod-material.
Loki: I don't know about training, but as far as support goes, I think that when your modteam as a group comes to a decision about a rulebreaker, you must absolutely support them
StarArmy: Have a guide for it! Make your expectations clear just like you do for the players.
Nero: Properly selected deputies should require guidance, not training. Keep an eye on them and encourage them to ask your opinion of their actions by giving reasonable responses.
StarArmy: If you're not sure about about something, vote on it.
Earendill: Nothing takes away authority more than a mod decision being publically denounced by the admin
Ben: Make your expectations clear and give them things to work from when you're not around. Provide LOTS of indoemation to help them with their decision making, and encourage them to run every problem past you. Even if they deal with it themselves, have them keep logs that you can refer to. That way, if there ever is a complain, you can look through the logs and look at the evidence.
SeraphicStar: Oh yeah, there's nothing worse than making a decision as a mod and then having it revoked. It makes player- what Earendill said.
Kaji: It's also good to let them specialize. Got a good Feelings-Soother? Send them the disgruntled folks. Got a good period-explainer? Let them talk to the new people. Got someone who just loves tables and grids? To the Wiki With Them.
Dylan: You need to make sure they know all the rules. And make sure they run some stuff by you during their trial period if they have it. Make sure they always ask questions, no question is stupid. And back them up. Don't call them out in public if they mess up. Talk to them in private. Even if they made a slight mistake, try to support them and explain behind the scenes what was wrong.
Copper_Dragon: I've been waiting for this. Incoming fatpost:
Quote:
How do you support your deputies?
If you've got a mod-team with you, and there's issues with a player or a broken rule, there needs to be some kind of comadreship going on so everyone's on the same page and no one's buckled down with a million problems that need addressing. When the latter happens, and the stress of damage-control and moderating suddenly builds up, it might drive you to do some really dumb stuff that can actually hurt the trust between yourself and the members. Burdening yourself or your deputies/mods with a heavy workload is unfair to the community's well-being and to yourselves. You need to let your modding-peeps know you've got their back when times get tough, and that they should have yours too--talk to them, see how they're doing, see if there's something you can do to help them with the work load.
Ben: er
*lots of finformation
Loki: I think that goes to having enough mods for your community Copper I add mods as the community grows, based on needs of the community/group
Ben: Going off what Copper said, make sure your mods know that they can always back out of a situation and ask another mod to step in.
Loki: That's also a good point Kaji
Ben: In general, constant communication is key. The mods I work with have a skype chat open all the time, that we use to talk to one another.
Kim: So fair and logical division of labor seems to be coming up a lot, as well as picking people who have *already* demonstrated a reasonable grasp of both setting and rules so they don't require more than a bit of guidance to get started. As well as backing what they do and not embarrassing or undermining them in public.
Earendill: Oh yes, Ben. Sometimes it just becomes too much for someone
Loki: I agree with all of that Kim
StarArmy: Right.
Kim: (This is going to be the longest chat summary every written. It's all very useful!)
Loki: That too Ben about having a 'mods only' means of communication
Kim: A mods-only means of communication can really help to keep enforcement consistent! People can ask without looking silly.
Kim: What strategies can you use to ensure that your players moderate themselves, and deal with issues in a healthy manner?
Loki: especially somewhere where all mods can see it, so the admin doesn't get asked the same stuff over and over
Earendill: Purge the unclean!
StarArmy: Build a culture of respect. Show how your players should act by leading by example.
Kim: like a modFAQ, Loki?
Loki: Yes Kim 
like that
Nero: I prefer the "Fear of Boot" method, which sounds like Earendill's comment
Kim: Can you elaborate, Earendill?
Earendill: I think it does, Nero.
Ben: I don't think people should fear your administration.
StarArmy: http://tinyurl.com/a7mtawd <-- I bought this book on Amazon, it's written by a guy that built a DBZ RPG forum and it's actually quite good as it tells the struggles of a community admin from an inside view.
Loki: being firm in your rules Kim
Earendill: Make examples. If people start breaking rules, show that you can react fast and efficiently. Or as Star said, lead by example.
Kim: From personal experience, a combination of leading by example and not being afraid to immediately address poor behavior and remove players who prove unable to stop being unpleasant leads to a really strong community. It's like tending and weeding a garden.
And whoa, someone wrote a book on this? Neato!
Ben: Encouraging people to deal with problems on their own is about creating a healthy community. People should know that they CAN come to you with problems, and when you deal with those problems encourage reconciliation before doling out punishments.
Kaji: In any case where a few must lead the many, you have to have a larger presence by means other than numbers to get people to comply.
StarArmy: Yeah! It makes me want to help him with a second edition or write my own lol.
Ben: If reconciliation proves impossible, removals may be needed.
Earendill: There's probably tons of books on stuff like that, considering ruling an RP group is much like being the boss in a company.
StarArmy: A timely response is the best response. As a leader you don't want to hang around being absent or indecisive when there's a conflict/drama boiling over.
Kim: Yes, and I've actually found books on generic leadership and team building very informative in this area.
Nero: We are all humans, and we make mistakes. Most places I've played, we were all adults too, and thus responsible for ourselves. People should be encouraged to manage their own problems with each other, and failing that find themselves in the moderator's meeting room(so to speak). Like I've said before, I like to give at least one warning, sometimes one per topic/problem/issue. But if I never hear about a problem, it can't be their one warning.
Ben: As, a constant thumb on the pulse of your community is key, that's why you need lots of mods.
Earendill: Indeed. You need to consider yourself an actual leader of an actual group, with people depending on your decisions and actions. Take the responsibility and then act on it.
Kim: What ratio of mods to players do you find best, Ben?
Ben: *yes, gawd my typos today
Kim: And more generally, this will be a quick question:
Are there any rules that go unspoken? If so, should these rules really have a place where they are written down or is it expected that they be followed even if they are not on a rules page?
Ben: It depends on the format of the group. I think 1 to 10 is a good ratio to work from. But on forums moderation is a lot easier than live RP, so the ratio can be a lot higher.
Earendill: That ratio would have to depend on the general maturity of the setting, no? Not to mention how self-sufficient it is.
Loki: I think any rules you want should be written down. In my first group I was going on people just 'knowing' unspoken rules and that didn't work out so well at all
Ben: Yes, that too.
fallensiner: well rules like common curtesy is one of them. The general common sense rulse should be known, but essentailly not written down.
Nero: This is the internet, no rules should be unspoken. That being said, it is easy enough to have a page dedicated to "The usual suspects" which you should be able to cut and past from any of a million places.
Earendill: Anything you want, no matter how obvious, should be written down. Even if it's just to avoid the excuse of "It's not in the rules"
Ben: Unspoken rules are dangerous. I like to write down even the ones I think everyone should know, like common courtesy.
Kim: Even if you think people should know them, perhaps writing them down indicates that you value them and are willing to enforce things like basic courtesy?
Earendill: Because odds are that sometime, someone will discover some loophole in your rules that might come from an unspoken one and abuse it.
Ben: Exactly
Loki: Yes Kim
Nero: The first rule of rules is: If there is a loophole, it will get exploited.
StarArmy: Agreed ben.
Kim: So sad that that is true.
Kim: How do you balance your time playing in your game, and your time working on the setting/writing overarching plots?
Loki: That's a tough one!
Earendill: If only rules worked like firewalls, where you could have a default setting that drops all behaviour not allowed.
Dylan: I don't. 
Ben: Oh gawd I don't bloody know.
Kim: Earendill, that sounds like a paradise on earth!
And I don't either, Dylan. 
Earendill: That's really not something you can plan in advance, Kim. So many things to take in account, including REAL LIFE.
Rynh: Hmm... I find it difficult to find a balance in that. You'll be spending most of your time working on the setting rather than playing in it. Such is the fate of the creator.
Loki: I think if you're admin-ing you don't get to spend as much time playing, as a general rule sad as it is
Nero: You put in the work you need to for the setting and plots, based on the needs and expectations of the group, then with whatever you have left you play.
StarArmy: I roleplay to the beat of my plot's pulse and the rest of the time I work on setting improvements and administration. Sometimes I even find time to play a little Star Trek Online or Minecraft.
Ben: The problem is, that often when you're playing the game, you're doing all those other things too.
Kim: So adminning always comes before your own game time in the group?
StarArmy: Usually it's more a matter of do what I can, when I can.
Dylan: I try to at the... best of my ability, I try to give responsibilities over to other staff members, but its hard especially when you have so many staff/mod that all specialize in different areas. There comes a point, as an admin, you need to step back and have some you time. And to trust your group won't break while you're god. And oh man it is SO SO HARD. I am about to take a break myself.. but how do I RP on the character that is also the admin and not do admin stuff? Or try not to get pulled into working when I shouldn't be or shouldn't have to?
Ben: Usually it does, but even admins need to take a break now and then. Like you, Kim, you should RP with me.
Earendill: Yes. You're responsible for the entire group and if you let anything take priority over that, the entire group would feel it.
Nero: Required adminning always comes first. The trick is to moderate the expectations of required adminning.
Dylan: ..while you're gone. Not while you're god. 
fallensiner: yep so true nero when you put the work in for settings and plot usually you want to spend more time making sure the idea is solid. Of course that is when you are initially making it fo course. Buuut... there has to be a fifty fy balance when it comes admining and rping. and as Dylan says some times you have to let go for a bit and watch and see how things go.
Kim: Crap you're right I should RP with you.
Earendill: Then again, admins do need breaks now and then. If things are calm enough, you can delegate to your mods for a while
Dylan:
StarArmy: As an admin of a place with a chat you basically have to be present all the time every day. There's no time the site isn't active once you reach a global membership.
Kim: That's an interesting point, Nero. Can you elaborate on setting expectations of how much adminning the group gets?
Ben: Delegating is fun. I love minions.
Dylan: Adminning almost always comes before roleplaying for me, yup.
Earendill: GO FORTH AND MODERATE MY MINIONS
Kaji: You're confusing minions and FunYuns again.
StarArmy: I actually have my phone number visible on the site! My members can call me at (209) STAR-ARMY for anything lol.
Kim: The global membership issue is very rough on an admin -- it helps to have mods that are distributed globally. Y'all know I'm talking to you, lurky lurkers.
Ben: We employ grumpalumpas to do our busy work.
Earendill: I sometimes confuse moderators with twinkies. Good moderators found their end that way.
fallensiner: well you still can admin just you have to take a break every now and then. If you modded and admined all the time you would go insane. So taking a break here and now is good for the mind.
Kim: We have a support line too. It's rarely used, and even more rarely used appropriately, but I think it's important to have it available.
Earendill: HEAR THAT KIM? Go take a well deserved vacation, we got this.
StarArmy: I greatly respect members that are out there roleplaying in our English language communities making great posts and English is their second or third language. Special shout-out to my Czech & Japanese members for that.
Nero: Well, for example, I am currently the ST/admin/whatever in charge of a game with about 50 players in it. I was elected on the platform of continuity and consistency. I was up front with them that I do not intend to generate plots for their amusement, they are more than capable of weaving their own story without my assistance. All I do is keep the world spinning and give them the repercussions of their actions.
Earendill: Is declaring our love for RPR an appropriate use, Kim?
Sanne: Moderating is a lifestyle. *firm look*
StarArmy: That's the best use of all, Earen
Earendill: We need Mod4life bumper stickers
Kim: Only if you don't mind me recording it for quality assurance and then posting it on the site.
Ben: Sweet, I'm totally calling and serenading you.
Kim: What is the hardest part of maintaining a group?
fallensiner: if only not a mod, but i can tell when a good R& R is needed.
Earendill: Oh, not at all. ALL CAN HEAR MY LOVE FOR RPR
Sanne: Two of the mods have English as a second/third/fourth language.
StarArmy: I think that's a great way to finish the chat, by noting that it's the positive feedback that admins get that makes all our work possible. We want to be appreciated for our efforts and when we get a member telling us how much we love the group it makes it worth it.
Dylan: Keeping moderators from having burn out.
Rynh: Keeping the members interested, I bet.
Earendill: -Everything-. Mostly the unexpected problems.
Kim: How cheery, Earendill.
Ben: Putting on a happy face for your players while dealing with horrid issues.
Earendill: Always positive and bright!
Loki: is everything a valid answer Kim?
StarArmy: The hardest part of maintaining a group is being a leader of lots of people, each with unique goals and opinions and trying to get everyone to get what they need out of the experience.
Ben: They expect good story and friendliness, no matter how you may feel about admin stuff they can't see.
Kim: Yes, I suppose it must be!
Earendill: And perhaps being neutral. It's really hard as an admin/mod to always be as objective as possible
StarArmy: Avoiding psychological burnout is a big one too.
Ben: That too, yes.
Kaji: "Listening to people you'd rather not listen to is one of your responsibilities." -Maester Ludwin, A Song of Fire and Ice
Kim: These are all enormously challenging issues, for experienced and new admins alike.
Ben: Trying to find kind ways of telling people that their character or idea is just... Well just really silly.
Earendill: Also reading through 1000 pms each day, most containing nonsense or questions about obvious things found on the site/other sources
Kim: We didn't get through everything, but we certainly got through a LOT. This is going to be a fantastic summary, and I invite you to continue debating and contributing on the forums and in the comments of the summary when it goes up (I'll try to get the two I owe you up this weekend!).
I have only three more questions for you in this series of RP Craft discussions!
What was the most helpful part of this chat today?
Nero: I think I'm going to have to agree with Earendill(again). Reading through the miles of text.
Earendill: OUR LOVE SHINING AS AN ETERNAL BEACON ON THE INTERNET
Loki: Oh gosh, too many to count Kim, this chat has been very helpful!
Dylan: Seeing how those that may not run a group would deal with issues if they did!
Ben: Defining a few very important ideas and speaking with fellow admins has been a great experience
Kaji: Finding other group leaders who have the same problems, thus validating my own struggles.
Kim: I found this chat very reassuring, myself. And there were some great points about promoting activity from members.
Earendill: It's always nice to know you're not alone in the masochistic struggle that is admining
Ben: for those of you who may have missed it last time, I posted an article about administrative responsibilities on these forums. I encourage discussion there, and if anyone ever needs a consultant, throw me a PM. http://www.rprepository.com/community/forumthread.php?t=5737&p=1
Kim: That is a GREAT thread, I encourage everyone to go read it.
Kim: For those of you that participated in multiple chats; what was the best thing you got out of ALL of them?
Ben: I got to talk with people on RPR who I may not have otherwise had much contact with!
Loki: Oh thanks for dropping that link Ben, I'm definitely checking that out later
Earendill: Oh Kim, that's...a hard question...I think what Ben said. Getting the opinions of different people about different subjects.
Loki: Hearing all the different opinions Kim
Rynh: Just hearing how close knit most opinions were was very nice on its own
Loki: Even when we didn't agree, it gave me something to think on
Nero: My favorite moment was when someone, quite seriously, asked for advice on using systems and/or dice as a viable tool for use alongside RP. (and the resultant forum thread on the topic)
Dylan: I have to say hearing what people have dealt with on their own and giving others advice on issues!
StarArmy: A sense of the larger RP community in general...Discussion RP beyond my own community and interacting with Roleplayers and admins with other points of view and their own experiences to share.
Earendill: I totally forgot about that thread, Nero
Kim: For me, it was watching the community work out some minor issues on its own, agree on things, and buy in to their own set of basic guidelines despite the enormous range of games that go on here.
Kim: I also met some people I didn't know previously, or got to know them better, and discovered they were brilliant.
Loki: That too Kim! I made new friends and it was AWESOME!
Earendill: I made some new friends too!
Kim: Final question in our RP Craft series! ARE YOU READY?
If we were to hold another series of chats later in the year, would you attend? What topics would you want to see covered?
Ben: I WOULD ATTEND.
Earendill: Like duh I would attend.
StarArmy: Thank you Kim for hosting these, they brought real value to us and hopefully will serve as inspiration not only in RP repository but in many other RP community including new ones.
Loki: I definitely would!! and I don't think we covered character creation? If we did my bad 
Ben: Yes, thank you Kim
Rynh: i'd gladly attend! I'd make up for the discussions I've missed!
StarArmy: I'd have to get back to you on topics but I'd like to attend.
Kim: I very much hope so, Star! Thank you for attending and sharing your perspectives, it is great to have a range of voices in here.
Dylan: Thank YOU for holding them!
Kim: I don't think we did, Loki.
Rubix: I would I would!
Loki: Yes, thank you for holding these discussions Kim!
Nero: I haven't missed any yet, and don't plan to start now. I'm no good at picking topics, I've been at this RP thing so long, I sometimes forget which parts are confusing to those who are just starting.
PenGryphon2007: I'd definitely attend future discussions. And thanks Kim so much for these!
Kim: Thank you guys, it's really nice to hear that these were valuable! It's been a lot of work but it's felt so worth it.
StarArmy: *brainstorms* Use of Social Media to Turn People into Players?
Kim: *takes note furiously!*
Earendill: I think FB and twitter already made a lot of people "players" 
Kim: If you have ideas about topics you'd like to see happen, I think you all know where to find me?
Nero: Advertisement is always a problem, and something I'm terrible at.
PenGryphon2007: Which makes you that much more awesome, Kim.
Earendill: YES, WE KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE
Ben: one on the specifics of various forms of combat in RP, dice, freeform, the surrounding etiquette and rules
PenGryphon2007: ^ yes, that'd be a great idea, Ben.
Oaky: Gosh darn, I missed it!
Kim: Getting new players and combat are also wonderful topics, thanks guys!
Kim: Oh no, Oaky! 
Loki: I like that idea Ben!
StarArmy: I've got to head out and get ready for a dinner date with my wife, thanks again Kim for hosting and thank you EVERYONE for attending and helping make this happen.
Oaky:
Kim: Group hug, everyone! Thank you for attending and sharing your thoughts. It's been enormously valuable, all the way through.
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