Flash Games Manual

Hello there! Welcome to our guide! The purpose of this document is to help new players learn the ropes of how things work around here, and to help make their experience as fun and interactive as possible.

Table of Contents
Introduction - 2
GMing a Flash - 3
Playing a Flash - 4
Back Matter - 5

Welcome to Roleplayers' Central, where RPGs are the name of the game! For all who are unsure, RPG is an abbreviation for Role-Playing Game. Exactly as the name implies, it is a game in which real people take on the roles of imaginary characters.

If you came to this manual thinking "Wow! Little interactive Flash games right on the forums! Cool!", then I'm very sorry to disappoint. A flash game is, at it's core, a stand-alone game. The difference is that a Flash is REALLY fast. It lasts only two or three weeks at maximum. After that, if it's not done, it either has to be cliffhung and a sequel made; or it simply ends.

Flashes are designed to pack the most punch in as little time as possible. So, expect a ton of action, and a lot of fast-paced playing. You're going to have to be active to get the most out of the game you can, so make sure you're checking and posting often!

You have the very long with the Persistent World, and you have the mid-length with the Stand-Alone. Here's where you get the quick, down, and dirty with the Flash Game! Read on and enjoy!

Getting set to Gamemaster a Flash is much the same as getting set to GM a Stand-Alone...only it's much quicker. There is a queue, but because of the short and fast nature of the Flash games, you're very likely to have your game released soon. The process is the same. Simply GM one of the admins your idea, and they'll get you to the point where you can post it in the queue. If the queue is empty; you have only a short while to wait. And if there are only one or two games in the main forum, you're ready to start!

Getting characters for a Flash is an accelerated process as well. As GM you can have a specific number of chars in-mind for the game, or you can have a cutoff date for joining.

During play, the GM must take a very active role in moving the plot forward. There must be constant action and movement, and constant stimuli to keep the players involved. Don't stop and pause for too long for interactions; the circumstances wait for no one!

You can take the same approaches to GMing as a Stand-Alone, but remember that time is of the essence. Using a leading character can make it difficult if players question his leading. Sometimes the best way to handle it is simply to play the opposition and force the players along through the circumstances.

Inactive and non-posting characters should be left-behind, or removed. In a fast-paced game, you are allowed as the GM to be a little quicker to deal out injury and death. You can also define more stringent rules for characters and their backgrounds to fit the setting. This isn't necessary in all cases, but it is well within your power.

The warning zone for ending the game comes after two weeks. Once fourteen days hit, an admin/moderator will post the warning in discussion, and you'll have one more week to bring it to a close. Three weeks is the upper bound. Once a Flash has been running for 21 days, it ends; regardless of the situation. The GM must tie things up as well as he or she can, or set up for a sequel.

There is one exception to this rule. If the GM and all the players enjoy the game immensely and all involved wish it to continue, an appeal can be made, and the Flash can be upgraded to a Stand-Alone.

That's about all you need to know if you're GMing a Flash! Now on to a few pointers for Flash players.

Like GMing a Flash, playing a Flash is almost identical to playing a Stand-Alone. Only faster. When a game is up for profiles, you hand your character in as normal. Very likely, the GM may have parts of your character's background already defined, and you have to work within some confines. Generally speaking, it's not necessary to do extreme, excessive detailing of your character here. Most of that can evolve in-game.

Be forewarned; if you join a flash; expect to be active. The GM can (and probably will) terminate your character if he isn't active enough. And even if you are active, it's entirely possible in a Flash that not all characters will survive until the end. But don't worry! You can bring your character into a different Flash, or even an SA or PW if you really grew attached to him/her.

In your posts, you can help the GM move the story forward by working toward the objective. Be descriptive of your character's emotions and of his actions so the other players know exactly what he or she has done. And DO NOT attempt to solve an entire objective in one post. Get input from the other players and work with them to achieve the goals.

Besides that; all normal rules from the player manual apply. Don't god-mode, play only your character, read all posts, obey your GM, don't stomp on posts, keep things moving, let others react, give your posts a reasonable length, limit intra-character fighting, be active, and stay in-character.

And that's pretty much all you need to know for Flash Games! Go enjoy.

This guide was written by me (Teele). But I would certainly be an ungrateful worm if I tried to claim the credit for the entire content of this guide. So, here, I shall place the credit where credit is due:

First of all, I would like to thank WritingForums.org for giving me my start into the RPG realm, and for those first games I played there that got me hooked.

Second, I would like to thank Foxee for her undying support and the amazing friendship we have developed. If it wasn't for her interest and encouragement, this site wouldn't be here today. My thanks must also go to her for the many incredible moments we created in the games we played. Here's to many more, my dear!

Thirdly, my other right-hand lady, Gloom, deserves my thanks as well; for her friendship, for the awesome ideas we've shared, and for the many adventures yet to come.

Fourth, I would like to thank the other GMs that I've been privileged to play under, both past and present: Blossom, Darkthought, Jade, Chad, and FlakeandFins. You guys are amazing.

Finally, I would like to thank the innumerable players I've worked with in the past, certainly too many to name them all here, but certainly none are forgotten in my mind. Thanks to all.