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Is it possible to find old posts/games.

Posted by Heritage
Heritage
member, 32 posts
Wed 20 Nov 2019
at 00:51
  • msg #1

Is it possible to find old posts/games

Hi, all! I used to play in and run games here many years ago, and I was wondering if it was possible to access that old stuff, or is it gone forever?
SunRuanEr
subscriber, 167 posts
Wed 20 Nov 2019
at 02:16
  • msg #2

Is it possible to find old posts/games

Depends on whether or not the games have been deleted or not. If they haven't been (either manually, or with the automatic cleanup), then you should be able to search for them either by GM or title using the Game Search feature.
tibiotarsus
member, 88 posts
Hopepunk with a shovel
Wed 20 Nov 2019
at 10:10
  • msg #3

Is it possible to find old posts/games

Possible, but a long shot...if you were still listed as an active player of a game that was recently deleted, they'd be under the 'deleted games' bit on the main page. If it was many years ago, however, it might be worth looking up the GMs that were running your favourites and asking if they personally saved anything when those games ended.
V_V
member, 881 posts
Script like razors
Absence like wire
Fri 20 Dec 2019
at 23:49
  • msg #4

Is it possible to find old posts/games

My finding are about five years it takes to lose critically dead games. It can take less time, but I've never seen it take more. It certainly may, but I also never reached nearly my GMing capacity, and also frequently repurpose boards rather than make new ones.

I'm a month late to the conversation, but my suggestion, from now on, is archive. Do so every time you kill a game, or need to prune a thread. You may think it unnecessary, and that's fine if you have no plan to reread the threads. Often times you'll be zealous when you kill or abandon a game, and regret your haste when RL circumstances improve, which is why every GM, myself included, terminates game; RL trouble. You will also be glad you did so frequently, if you suddenly have the WCS (worst case scenario); someone is in the hospital, missing, in prison, or died. During those times you want precursory measures, as that's no time to deal with RPoL, even though life (hopefully!) goes on and you eventually come back...only to find not a trace.

When you play, it's more difficult, but you can still archive the "hard" way if your GM follows the <1,000 post "rule" of a thread. I do this very often, and it's helped with a host of problems, from GMs deleting something and not remembering, or another player changing their tune on a vital topic and pretending like they were always so aligned.

Archiving is also a good test to see if you need something on a board you GM. If you can't be bothered to archive it, because it's too big, or there are too many threads, you probably can cut down on it, and jase and mods will appreciate it. If you don't use it, and have no need for it, it can probably be removed. I prefer to archive ANYTHING rather than just delete it. TBH though, I enjoy reading old threads though, even over a decade later. I have all but my first four game archived, and it's been great help for keeping a record of my own strengths and weaknesses.
Ameena
member, 205 posts
Sat 21 Dec 2019
at 10:31
  • msg #5

Is it possible to find old posts/games

As a player, it's probably also a good idea to keep a copy of your character sheet info somewhere as well, in case you plan on using that character in a different game - if you ever get removed from a game, you instantly lose access to everything you ever wrote in there (well, unless it's in a public thread, I suppose).
donsr
member, 1771 posts
Sat 21 Dec 2019
at 15:42
  • msg #6

Is it possible to find old posts/games

there was  a game, , closing in on 9 years ago. Didn't last long it was  'starship troopers'  based.

 there were some  real Good RP players  there...so I started  my own  SCI-FI  game , off a book I wanted to write about  , way back in the early 80s.

 My game is still goign strong,  but now and then? I try to  find the 'dead  game'..I assume its gone forever
bigbadron
moderator, 15824 posts
He's big, he's bad,
but mostly he's Ron.
Sat 21 Dec 2019
at 17:12

Is it possible to find old posts/games

No need to assume anything.  As explained in the FAQs, inactive or deleted games are not kept on the site forever.
The FAQs:
Are games ever deleted from the site?

Yes.  Games may be removed from the site under the following circumstances:
  • The Game Owner has violated site rules in order to create the game.

  • The game's content violates RPoL's site rules, and the GM has been unresponsive to site moderator warnings, or has previously been required to modify a game for the same problem.

  • The Game Owner has deleted the game, and the game has not been resurrected for at least two months.  (The actual time is generally longer than this, and usually depends upon how many posts the game has.)

  • The game has lapsed into inactivity, and has been inactive for a number of months equal to: 2 months × (1 + (#_of_posts / 100)) (but no greater than 1 year).  At this time, it is usually moved to the "Deleted" area, where it may still be resurrected by the Game Owner.  If it's there for at least one month (but usually considerably longer) and is not resurrected, it may be deleted from the site.
        /help/?t=faqs&page=generalfaq
donsr
member, 1772 posts
Sat 21 Dec 2019
at 17:18
  • msg #8

Is it possible to find old posts/games

thanks..  I did have a player I had to  drop, who had a game that was shut  down, a few years ago?..his game stayed up for almost a year.

 I did  offer some of the players   in that Game a chance to come to one of mine?  so OOC posting there may have helped it  'live' longer.
bigbadron
moderator, 15825 posts
He's big, he's bad,
but mostly he's Ron.
Sat 21 Dec 2019
at 17:51

Is it possible to find old posts/games

Yep, activity in a game can help to keep it around a bit longer.  Also the timing can have an effect - we do the clean-ups on a semi-regular basis, so if the game qualifies for removal just after one clean up, it might have a while to wait for the next one.
donsr
member, 1773 posts
Sat 21 Dec 2019
at 18:07
  • msg #10

Is it possible to find old posts/games

so..for others  out there  as  well as myself....

 a Games dies?  GM  quits  of  goes dark.. as long as we are posting in OOC  and such, the  game will be 'active"?

  for my part? I hate when I connected  with some players  and the GM  ghosts? I will offer them spots  in my games ( the player who were active  and RP'd  well)...with the Caveat , that if/when the   'old GM'  comes  back, we  can  all hop  back  into the game together!

 it worked for some games... not so much for others,
This message was last edited by a moderator, as it was in need of a minor tweak, at 04:40, Sun 22 Dec 2019.
bigbadron
moderator, 15826 posts
He's big, he's bad,
but mostly he's Ron.
Sat 21 Dec 2019
at 18:25

Re: Is it possible to find old posts/games

donsr:
a Games dies?  GM  quits  of  goes dark.. as long as we are posting in OOC  and such, the  game will be 'active"?

For a while, possibly.  If the GM hasn't participated in his own game for a prolonged period, though, then the game may be closed.
donsr
member, 1774 posts
Sat 21 Dec 2019
at 19:17
  • msg #12

Re: Is it possible to find old posts/games

thanks , for as long as I have  been here, I keep learning stuff.
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