I'm looking to get back into the swing of things, but I need help understanding how this place functions first. Anyone willing to help?

Happy to help!

In a nutshell, play is run through individual games, each of which has their own set of boards and threads which form the basis of play - how they are structured tends to be up to the whim of the GM, who owns that particular game, sets the rules and enforces the policies.

If you want to join an existing game, they advertise on the Wanted - Players thread, on which you can update and get bumped to the top of the list once a week, so it's worth waiting to see if something comes up on the cycle if it's not immediately obvious.

Alternatively, you can ask for a GM to run a particular type of game on the Wanted - GMs thread, or set one up on your own.

When you're asking to be added to a game, it's known as an RTJ (Request to Join) - you click the 'request access' button in the top right hand of the game's forum page and it'll allow you to send a private message to the GM to alert them that there's someone interested, and they can then begin the discussion with you about fitting you into the games.

As long as a game is taking players, most GMs should be happy to have those conversations and try and fit you in, but ultimately it's their decision and they may be balancing other things, so if someone says no, don't take it personally and just look for the next game.

Aside from that, make sure you read through the FAQs (top right hand of every screen) and familiarise yourself with the rules, especially ADULT and Mature policies, because that's something that's obviously quite important on a site like this.

Aside from that, be nice and we'll all get on fine!

Major rules to avoid breaking:

Don't make more than one account, don't lie about your age, don't be a jerkbutt.

Read the stickied Rules thread in each sub-forum, some forums have slightly different rules, and they trip me up all the time.

There's no hard-and-fast rules as to how things work within the games themselves...each GM will run their game with their own flavor.  Some will want you to roll for most stuff, using the integrated dice-roller on the site.  Some will either roll for you or waive most of the rolls.  Some want you to use colored text for you character's speech.  Some want EVERY character to have a distinctive color of text.  Some don't care.  Some are very insistent that all posts are written in third-person/past-tense voice.  Some don't want you to use third-person at all.

Look through the Wanted:Players forum, see if there are games that intrigue you.  This can be either because it's using a gaming system that you're familiar with or have heard of and wanted to try, or a setting that really fires your imagination, or some combination of both.  If it's an option, look at some of the in-game threads to see how the game flows and how the other players interact, and if it still looks interesting at that point, see what the GM wants in the way of RTJ content (their game should have a thread that explains how to request access to their game, specifically--which can vary widely from one GM to the next).  If it sounds like it's still something that you'd enjoy, send in that RTJ.  Be honest with the GM about your overall level of gaming experience...most aren't opposed to newbies, but they like to know what they're getting, just like anyone else.  And, as mentioned, don't take it personally if your RTJ isn't accepted, or if they ask you for some additional work on it.  They're just trying to make sure that you're a good fit for their game, to keep things as enjoyable as possible for everyone involved.

Let me emphasize, do not make a second account. I know folks that came back after a while, forgot their password so they just made a new account and that didn't end up well for them.

Also, there is a fun sub forum around here where you can read who was banned and why, the rpol chamber of lost souls. It can be interesting.
This message was last edited by the user at 20:41, Sat 11 Dec 2021.

The First Rule of RPoL is: Do Not Make A Second Account.