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HOW-TO PLAY

You wanna roleplay some Doctor Who? Cool. Here are the basics to know.

Seasons

Every year or so, we play out a new season of Doctor Who adventures. Seasons are loosely based on a theme and may contain 4 or 12 stories. Usually our regular or longtime players organize a season based on ideas of their own creation and in consultation with the group at large.

Scripts/Plots

Every month or so, we play out a new Doctor Who adventure broken into weekly episodic format. Each week, a new part of the story is sent to our mailing list as plot outline (we call a script) with cast of characters. These contain summaries of that week's story broken into scenes with a beginning, middle and ending. Any player can write a script and work with our Game Coordinator, regulars or Season Guru to make it ready for play. Available roles (usually all but the TARDIS Crew) are claimed in the first few minutes of gametime online. Anyone in the group, whether new or inactive for a while, can claim a role and get a chance to play that week.

Most storylines, taking from 2 to 6 games to complete, do have a set ending and villain, but explain only the bare minimum to tell the story. Players bring the story to life by improvising lines, reactions, and movements. Everyone works with the group towards the common goal of telling a story. The key to a smooth game is the ability for players to play off the actions and clues of others.

Casting Call

Before each game starts, the Game Coordinator will call for everyone to claim their roles again on screen. If a player is late or a character unclaimed, fill-ins are enlisted to pick up the other roles. It's important that all players arrive on time so the game can begin as scheduled. Casting calls look like this:

JenK: Ok folks, it's time to raise the curtain. Final CASTING CALL!
JenK: <=== Brogan
TArkkannan: <===Zoe
AlxKeegan: <=====Keegan
DRTUNA: <===The Doctor

Game Credits

Credits are rolled at the beginning and end of each game. After you see the opening credits (below), it's time to jump into character and act out the script. Non-Game Chat must be enclosed in <> brackets.:

AlxKeegan: <The New Adventures of Dr Who Simulation>
AlxKeegan: <Path of the Destroyer Part 3>
AlxKeegan: <By Alfred Snider/DRTUNA>

When the game ends and it's time to retire your character for the night, you pause your role.
ex. <Brogan pause>
If other scenes are still going on, sit back and watch the conclusion. When all scenes are complete and the last character is paused, closing credits are rolled. After you see the lines below, it's ok to chat regularly with your fellow players.

<PAUSE SIM>
<CUT AND PRINT>

Scenes

The NADW Sim employs the use of concurrently running scenes so all characters in a plot can play. This can be very confusing to players as well as the audience, so to alleviate the confusion we use Scene Symbols. We use the following keyboard characters (most located above your number keys on your keyboard) as Scene Symbols: ! @ # $ % & * + ?

Scene Symbols are chosen on the fly during gametime by players changing scenes. If a symbol is already being used, then another is chosen. For example:

Player1: <$ = Panopticon>
Player 2: <$ is being used for Earth>
Player 1: <@ = Panopticon?>
Player 2: <ok>
Player 1: &::TARDIS materializes in the Panopticon::

Tip: All scripts are broken down into scene by scene briefings. When you play, pay attention to action and actors in your scene by keeping an eye out for your Scene Symbol. If your character changes scenes with players you aren't currently interacting with, it's ok to ask where they are in the story via Non-Game Chat.

Action & Description

Action and description is denoted by the use of colons. For example:

Doctor: #::enters the Console Room carrying a book::
Brogan: # Good morning, Doc! ::says cheerfully::
Doctor: # ::smiles:: Brogan, my dear, morning evening, it's all relative in the TARDIS.

Speaking in Character

Speaking during a game only requires a Scene Symbol and then normal speech. (No quotation marks are used.) But remember, you can interact with only the other players/characters in your scene. Don't react to things said outside of your scene unless it is scripted via telepathy, commlink or viewscreen. For example:

Doctor: # I think it's time we went on another trip, Brogan.

Telepathy & Remote Communication Scenes

At times, the script calls for characters to interact without being in the same virtual location or without the knowledge of other characters in the scene. This is done with the use of Scene Symbols, description and special brackets.

Telepathy is portrayed within // brackets. For example:

Enigma: $::Confronts the TARDIS Crew at the ARGOS with his minions::
Enigma: $::smiles coldly:: So, we meet again Doctor.
Enigma: $ ::projects mind to Doctor's companion:: //Brogan, my queen, have you missed me?//

Remote Location communication (speaking to a character via commlink, viewscreen or telepathy) becomes tricky. Picture the scenes playing out like you would on tv. Even though characters are in different geographical locations, communicating via technology puts them in the same scene.

If your character "appears" in another scene location via commlink, use the other scene's symbol.

# = TARDIS (Doctor, Brogan, Keegan) $ = Shada (Gamester)
#::Gamester appears on TARDIS viewscreen:: Doctor, have you come to play another of my little contests?

Non-Game Chat

From time to time it becomes necessary for players to step out of character in order to ask questions about staging the game or other non-game concerns. After the game begins, all Non-Game Chat must be in greater than less than brackets <>. Please keep non-game chat limited to a few lines at one time, so you don't disturb the flow of the game. If non-game chat becomes too excessive, you may be asked to take your conversation to IM (private messages). For example:

Player 2:<Do we have an Admiral Swift yet?>
Player 1: & Aw Pook: Kill the agressors. Make them pay for their trechery.
Player 3: & :::Out side oval office::: Alright, aliright.
Player 1: <yes, I do believe so>
Player 3: & :::Begins rocking back and forth:::
Player 3: <I do believe that honor falls on me >

Sample Game

Putting it all together, this is a sample of what you may see during a game.

BroganMc: Ok folks, it's time to raise the curtain. Final CASTING CALL!
BroganMc: <=== Brogan
TArkkannan: <===Zoe
AlexKeegan: <=====Keegan
DRTUNA: <===The Doctor
Shorty 144: <======== Aw Pook the Destroyer
RobLStubbs: <====barkley
Bcat331920: <========Smithers
Dr Norge: <=======Truman
NORdOUR: <======Capt Banger/Lt.Fester and Gen Hastings please be patient with me
AlexKeegan: roll credits?
BroganMc: Ok, we'll fill in as needed. Rolling Credits!
AlexKeegan: <The New Adventures of Dr Who Simulation>
AlexKeegan: <Path of the Destroyer Part 3>
AlexKeegan: <By Alfred Snider/DRTUNA>
NORdOUR: *=carrier
BroganMc: #=Area 51
DRTUNA: # = the TARDIS lands in the Nevada Desert.
Dr Norge: <What is the symbol for the White House?>
AlexKeegan: #::Keegan makes sure his knives are in their sheaths::::
Timelordz: <Depends on the scandal of the month ;)>
DRTUNA: # ::: The Doctor stands at the console and looks up, turns around and speaks:::
DRTUNA: <You pick one, Dr Norge.>
DRTUNA: <It's your house, after all.>
BroganMc: #::Brogan exits the TARDIS searching the terrain curiously::
Dr Norge: & = White House.
Dr Norge: &::The President is sitting in the oval office talking to Barkley::
AlexKeegan: #:::Things are starting to look dangerous and he wants to be
prepared::

After-Game Play

Often times, players enjoy adding to our story with off camera character action or details. This is usually done by sending Time Logs (short pieces of fiction such as scenes, bios, journal entries, etc.) to our mailing list. These logs are kept with the game and may be included in the final Story Reconstruction for our Renegades Outpost Archives.

When and Where Can I Play?

The NADW sim meets every week on Internet Relay Chat (IRC) or via our web chat room.

You've Never Been on IRC?

There's nothing to fear. IRC is simply an open text chat network like Instant Messaging (IM) but does not require a specialized service or commercial software to participate. Anyone with an internet connection may join us. To do so, you may:

Download an IRC program: mIRC or equivalent
Download an IRC capable IM program: Trillian or equivalent
Use our Java Web Chat Room Interface: uses a java applet

Once you have your program of choice, please tune in to the following settings:
Chat Network - DALnet
Chat Channel - #whosim

On IRC, you may change your nickname (what you are called in the room) by typing the following command:
/nick MyNewName

How Can I Join?

Anyone is invited to join us. If you wish to receive our script early or be updated on our plans for the week, you may join our Yahoo mailing list at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nadw. If you'd prefer to drop in for a game, simply sign in via our web chat room.


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