New DM - Way of the Wicked
General GM tips specific to RPoL:
- learn players' posting speeds and give slow posters more talky tasks and swift ones more active fiddly ones wherever possible.
- make use of PMs, language groups and other online widgets unique to the format, e.g. I like to use quotes for supernatural things or visions to set them apart from the narrative and guess what? The Secret formatting is near-invisible if the only thing in the tag is a quote, so without any actual deception (players can check for alt-text if they want certainty, or not if they want more immersion in their characters' uncertainty), the first reaction from an average player will be a meta-less one as though everyone can see that thing. Which is great for that disturbing "someone is freaking out over thin air" effect or targeted illusions. PMs are good for when one character spots a thing and another doesn't and Language groups can really reward character RP, e.g. how accurately does the one character who understands the enemy chatter translate the location of treasure/danger to those they're with?
- relatedly, groups are great - it's like sending the parts of a split-up party into another room to preserve mystery, but without the time lag issues. The players don't have to miss anything, either, as threads their characters weren't there for can be made visible to read up on when the party gets back together to save on exposition or just for curiosity.
- Remember you have access to the dice roller's built-in Magic 8-Ball to resolve non-numeric queries when you're on the fence and don't want to get mired in rules-lawyering (or just make important plot decisions with :D ).