Help on the GM Menu

All GMs in a game have access to the game's GM Menu, though there are certain links that only the Game Owner may use.  GMs who are not the owner of the game may not edit other GMs, or their characters, or change the game's details, such as its Name, Category, or Flags; they may not create new GMs, change the access of the Game Owner, or delete the game.

Edit Players

Using the Edit Players link, a GM can modify settings and information for those players who are in their game.  There are several ways to edit this information:


Edit Characters

In the Edit Characters menu, game GMs can edit the details on the characters in their game.  Menu options include:


Edit Character Sheets

The "Edit Character Sheets" option presents the GM with several choices.  At the top of the screen, they will see a drop-down list of all the characters in their game.  By selecting one and clicking "Edit Character Sheet", the GM will be taken to a screen to edit that character's sheet.

Below that is an area marked, "Alternatively, select and upload your character sheet(s) here:".  There will be a list below this of all characters in the game, each with a box for a file location, a "Browse" button, and either the label "N.A." or a link, "D/L".

To upload multiple character sheets at once, use the Browse button to navigate to the character sheet stored locally on your computer.  This character sheet should be saved in text format, and not contain unusual characters or tabs.  When the characters you wish to assign sheets each have one assigned, click the "Mass Character Sheet Upload" button below this list.  Some characters may be left blank without affecting them.

Checking the box for "Fixed width" will mean that the sheet will be rendered in a monospaced font (so that each typed character takes up the same amount of space on screen) and that line feeds must be entered manually into the sheet (by hitting the Enter key on the keyboard).  Unchecking this box will mean the sheet will be "variable width", and it will automatically word wrap.  Checking the box for "User Editable" will allow the player of that character to edit its sheet.

The "N.A." indicates that the character on that line currently has no Character Sheet.  A "D/L" link indicates the character has a Sheet, and the link will allow the GM to download it.

Edit Character Descriptions

This link allows the GM to edit a character's Description, or to add one if the character doesn't yet have one.

Edit Character Bios

This link allows the GM to edit a character's Biography lines, or to add them if the character doesn't yet have a Bio.  Note that the Bio lines are limited to thirty characters in length and may not contain ampersands or quotation marks.

Edit Character Portraits

Here the GM can add, remove, or change the Portrait assigned to a character in the game.

Edit Groups

Using the Edit Groups area, a GM can change the assigned group for one, some, or all of the characters in their game at once.  Opening this link will show a list of characters in the game with check boxes for each for every available group.  Checking the box for a specific group for a character will assign that character to that group.  Note that Group Z is set off from other groups -- characters assigned to Group Z can only belong to Group Z, and cannot post to it, only read it.

Finally, regardless of their Group assignments, GMs can always read and post to all Groups within the game.

Edit Banned & Lurkers

Using this link a GM can edit two groups of special users: those Banned from their game and those who are Lurking within the game.

Banned Users are those from whom the GM does not want any contact.  Banned users cannot send Requests for Access, nor can they read the game.

Lurkers are users who do not play the game but have special access to read the game.  Like regular players, they must be assigned to Groups in order to read them.

Check & Fix Access

Sometimes something simply goes awry, and a player ends up with two characters of the same name or some other problem -- if other methods have failed to remove this problem, try running the "Check & Fix Access" script here before contacting the site Admin or site Moderators.

Update the game map

This link allows the Game Owner to upload maps for the game.  Each map must be 1 MB (1024 KB) or less in size, and should be in an accepted image format (GIF, JPG, or PNG).  Also here, the GM can clear an existing game map.  Note that if the new game map has the same file name as the old one, RPoL may be displaying the new map, but a browser may be showing the old one from its cache.  If you've uploaded a new game map, but it doesn't appear to have changed, be sure to force a refresh on your browser (often, control+reload or shift+reload).  Once a Game Map has been assigned, a link to it will show up when a player or visitor clicks the "Game Info" link for the game.

GMs will note there are 32 maps that can be uploaded.  The "Main Game Map" everyone can see, however the "Map for Group X" maps can only be seen by the players or lurkers who have access to the relevant group.

Edit the game introduction

Here the Game Owner can edit, or create, the Game Introduction.  Useful information for a Game Introduction includes a story background and notes on what system the GM will be using for the game.  RuBB Code may be used in this introduction.  Note that games may not be advertised in the Wanted - Players forum until it has a Game Introduction.

Specify the game website link

If the GM has a webpage dedicated to the game, they can specify its URL here.  If a website has been specified, a link to it will appear whenever a player or visitor clicks on the game's "Game Info" link.

Edit the external file links

Links to multiple external files can be set up here.  Simply enter a link in the "Link" box, then a Description of the link in the "Description" area.  When done, click the "Update File Links" button.  Players and visitors will be able to access these links by clicking on the game's "Game Info" link then choosing "File Links".  This is a handy way to link to several resources for the game's players.

Edit Game Details

The Game Owner can set a variety of information about the game using the "Edit Game Details" link.


Be sure to click "Update Game" when making changes to the Game Details.

Remove unwanted threads

Here a GM can prune off old or unwanted threads from a game.  This is done using an interface divided into two parts.

At the top of the "Remove unwanted threads" area, are three radio buttons allowing the GM to specify that they wish to "Leave" a specified number of threads (removing all others), that they wish to remove all threads older than a specified number of months, or that they wish to remove all threads from a specific group.  Note that only one of these options may be selected.

The lower half of this area gives the GM three extra options, all on by default.  "Preserve Public threads" will exempt any thread in Group Public from the deletion; "Preserve Archived threads" will exclude any thread which has been archived by a GM from the deletions; and "Preserve Notices" will exempt any thread which has been marked as a Notice from the deletion.

Delete this game

The Game Owner may use this area to remove the game from play.  GMs have two options here:

Deleted games will still be visible for a while after they have been removed, and can usually be resurrected by a game GM during that time.  RPoL will eventually permanently remove the game, however, and once that is done it is unrecoverable.



Last updated: 04:29, Sun 14 Aug 2016.
Direct link: http://new.rpol.net/help/?t=help&page=gmmenu