The Ultimate Forum Guide!
Aug 11, 2018 7:23:52 GMT -5
Post by ✞~Spottedleaf ~✞ on Aug 11, 2018 7:23:52 GMT -5
The Ultimate Forum Guide
~Introduction~
Hello everyone! If you are reading this and are new to the website, welcome to the Warrior Cats Untold Tales forum! No matter the reason you came here, I hope you enjoy your stay. We would love for you to remain an active member of our community, as we always love meeting and welcoming kind people! Before I get any further into this, allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Spottedleaf, but most people here call me Spotted or Spot for short. You can call me by my formal name or my nicknames. Either is fine. I have been a member of this forum since October 2011 and a moderator since May 2013. I will be your guide and help show you around the forum. Everything that you need to know about it will be provided here.
~Beginner’s Section~
This section is the place to start for newcomers. It covers some basic ProBoards terminology, information about this website, what the rules are, and shows you around.
I. Vocabulary/Terminology
Don’t worry. There won’t be a vocab test on this or anything. Still, reading this part is especially important if you are completely new to a ProBoards website. I will define some terms for you here to get you started:
1. Forum- a message board where people discuss topics in the form of posted messages.
2. Board- a section.
3. Sub-board- a board inside a board.
4. Thread – a single conversation.
5. Reputation- points you can earn by being kind or helpful.
6. Exalt- the blue button on someone’s profile that will increase their reputation points by 1.
7. Smite- the red button on someone’s profile that will decrease their reputation points by 1.
II. About the Website
As stated in the introduction, this is the Warrior Cats Untold Tales forum, though it is often abbreviated as WCUT. The website was founded on June 20th, 2011 and is administrated by Falconstar. It is a fanpage for Erin Hunter’s Warrior Cats book series and Falconstar’s Warrior Cats Untold Tales game. Our community is fantastic and filled with wonderful, caring people. Every day, we interact with each other. We roleplay, play forum games, and chat.
III. Rules
Before you do anything else here, you need to understand the rules that we expect you to follow. There are ten rules:
- 1. No cussing of any sorts. This goes using asterisks or other symbols to censor.
- 2. No flaming or disrespecting others, even trolls. Behind the computer, we are all humans.
- 3. Anything posted here must be appropriate for a child at the age of 10. We want the site to be family-friendly.
- 4. No posting pictures, videos, or any other media that contains blood or gore.
- 5. Falconstar and the moderators can edit, move, delete, or lock threads without a warning or explanation.
- 6. No bumping old topics. Wait until a thread has not been posted on for 24 hours before bumping. Do not bump a thread if it has been months since the last post.
- 7. Falconstar reserves the right to judge any actions done on the forums and can offer fair consequences for them.
- 8. No spamming at any time.
- 9. “Reputation for Reputation” threads (where one gives reputation to another user in exchange for reputation) are prohibited. Reputation is to be earned.
- 10. In compliance with ProBoards’ rules and COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act), you must be at least 13 years old to have an account here.
IV. Getting Around
- When browsing the forum, it is important to know how to get around. Knowing where things are is essential for when you want to post something. This way, you will know which section your topic belongs in. There are 5 categories, 16 boards, and 6 sub-boards:
- General Board - Anything related to the game or the website is discussed here!
- Introductions- This is where newcomers can introduce themselves
- Sub-board:
- More About Me- Members can post fun facts about themselves here!
- Ask a Question- Post any game-related questions here!
- Player Suggestions- Suggestions for the game should be posted here.
- Glitch Reports- If you find a glitch in the game, post about it here.
- Secret Pelts- Only members can access this board. Here, you can find out about the secret pelts that are in the game.
- Developer Diaries- Only Falconstar can create new topics in this thread. Come to this board for news about the game
- Sub-board:
- Developer Diaries Archive- Old developer diaries can be found here.
- Screenshots- Post your screenshots of the game here!
- Fan Art- Any game-related artwork should be shared here.
- Videos- If you made a video about this game, post the link to it here.
- Misc. Media- Any media that doesn't seem to fit in Screenshots, Fan Art, or Videos can go here.
- Sub-board:
-WC:UT Related Stories- Any stories related to the forum or the game go here.
- Warrior Cats in General- Anything that is related to Warrior Cats, but not the game or the forum, goes here.
-Warriors Roleplaying- All Warrior Cats roleplaying goes here!
- Off Topic Discussions- Everything that doesn't relate to the game or Warrior Cats goes here.
- Sub-boards:
- Off Topic Fiction- Any stories that aren't related to WC:UT, Warrior Cats, or the forum go here.
- Off Topic Artwork- Any artwork unrelated to WC:UT, Warrior Cats, and the forum goes here.
- Off Topic Forum Games - Play forum-post games with other members here
- Off Topic Roleplaying- Roleplays unrelated to Warrior Cats go here.
V. Posting
To communicate with everyone on the forum, you have to post. This section will show you how to make your own thread, and how to reply to a thread that is already made. Pictures will be provided. Click the spoilers to view the pictures. After the tutorials, you will find a list of all posting ranks available on the forum.
[/spoiler]~Introduction~
Hello everyone! If you are reading this and are new to the website, welcome to the Warrior Cats Untold Tales forum! No matter the reason you came here, I hope you enjoy your stay. We would love for you to remain an active member of our community, as we always love meeting and welcoming kind people! Before I get any further into this, allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Spottedleaf, but most people here call me Spotted or Spot for short. You can call me by my formal name or my nicknames. Either is fine. I have been a member of this forum since October 2011 and a moderator since May 2013. I will be your guide and help show you around the forum. Everything that you need to know about it will be provided here.
~Beginner’s Section~
This section is the place to start for newcomers. It covers some basic ProBoards terminology, information about this website, what the rules are, and shows you around.
I. Vocabulary/Terminology
Don’t worry. There won’t be a vocab test on this or anything. Still, reading this part is especially important if you are completely new to a ProBoards website. I will define some terms for you here to get you started:
1. Forum- a message board where people discuss topics in the form of posted messages.
2. Board- a section.
3. Sub-board- a board inside a board.
4. Thread – a single conversation.
5. Reputation- points you can earn by being kind or helpful.
6. Exalt- the blue button on someone’s profile that will increase their reputation points by 1.
7. Smite- the red button on someone’s profile that will decrease their reputation points by 1.
II. About the Website
As stated in the introduction, this is the Warrior Cats Untold Tales forum, though it is often abbreviated as WCUT. The website was founded on June 20th, 2011 and is administrated by Falconstar. It is a fanpage for Erin Hunter’s Warrior Cats book series and Falconstar’s Warrior Cats Untold Tales game. Our community is fantastic and filled with wonderful, caring people. Every day, we interact with each other. We roleplay, play forum games, and chat.
III. Rules
Before you do anything else here, you need to understand the rules that we expect you to follow. There are ten rules:
- 1. No cussing of any sorts. This goes using asterisks or other symbols to censor.
- 2. No flaming or disrespecting others, even trolls. Behind the computer, we are all humans.
- 3. Anything posted here must be appropriate for a child at the age of 10. We want the site to be family-friendly.
- 4. No posting pictures, videos, or any other media that contains blood or gore.
- 5. Falconstar and the moderators can edit, move, delete, or lock threads without a warning or explanation.
- 6. No bumping old topics. Wait until a thread has not been posted on for 24 hours before bumping. Do not bump a thread if it has been months since the last post.
- 7. Falconstar reserves the right to judge any actions done on the forums and can offer fair consequences for them.
- 8. No spamming at any time.
- 9. “Reputation for Reputation” threads (where one gives reputation to another user in exchange for reputation) are prohibited. Reputation is to be earned.
- 10. In compliance with ProBoards’ rules and COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act), you must be at least 13 years old to have an account here.
IV. Getting Around
- When browsing the forum, it is important to know how to get around. Knowing where things are is essential for when you want to post something. This way, you will know which section your topic belongs in. There are 5 categories, 16 boards, and 6 sub-boards:
- General Board - Anything related to the game or the website is discussed here!
- Introductions- This is where newcomers can introduce themselves
- Sub-board:
- More About Me- Members can post fun facts about themselves here!
- Ask a Question- Post any game-related questions here!
- Player Suggestions- Suggestions for the game should be posted here.
- Glitch Reports- If you find a glitch in the game, post about it here.
- Secret Pelts- Only members can access this board. Here, you can find out about the secret pelts that are in the game.
- Developer Diaries- Only Falconstar can create new topics in this thread. Come to this board for news about the game
- Sub-board:
- Developer Diaries Archive- Old developer diaries can be found here.
- Screenshots- Post your screenshots of the game here!
- Fan Art- Any game-related artwork should be shared here.
- Videos- If you made a video about this game, post the link to it here.
- Misc. Media- Any media that doesn't seem to fit in Screenshots, Fan Art, or Videos can go here.
- Sub-board:
-WC:UT Related Stories- Any stories related to the forum or the game go here.
- Warrior Cats in General- Anything that is related to Warrior Cats, but not the game or the forum, goes here.
-Warriors Roleplaying- All Warrior Cats roleplaying goes here!
- Off Topic Discussions- Everything that doesn't relate to the game or Warrior Cats goes here.
- Sub-boards:
- Off Topic Fiction- Any stories that aren't related to WC:UT, Warrior Cats, or the forum go here.
- Off Topic Artwork- Any artwork unrelated to WC:UT, Warrior Cats, and the forum goes here.
- Off Topic Forum Games - Play forum-post games with other members here
- Off Topic Roleplaying- Roleplays unrelated to Warrior Cats go here.
V. Posting
To communicate with everyone on the forum, you have to post. This section will show you how to make your own thread, and how to reply to a thread that is already made. Pictures will be provided. Click the spoilers to view the pictures. After the tutorials, you will find a list of all posting ranks available on the forum.
- Starting a Thread:
Before you start, decide where your topic fits the best. Use the guide above to help you decide. Don't worry too much if you accidentally put it in the wrong board. We can always get it moved later. For this example, let's say you want to make a post asking what everyone's favorite Warrior Cat is:
1. Scroll down to the "Warrior Cats in General" board and click it.
2. Click the button that says "Create Thread"
3. Type the title and your post. When finished, click the "Create Thread" button in the bottom right.
- Replying to a Thread:
Replying to a thread is similar, yet slightly different from creating your own thread. Let's say that you want to participate in the forum game called "I Ban You Because..." thread:
1. Find the game in Off Topic Forum Games:2. Read the rules and then click the last page of the thread:3. There are two ways you can reply. For both, scroll to the bottom of the thread. The instructions differ after scrolling.FIRST METHOD:Type your response in the Quick Reply box. Then, click the "Post Quick Reply" button.SECOND METHOD:Click the "Reply" button in the right corner of the Quick Reply box. Then, type your response in the big reply box. When done, click the "Create post" button in the lower right.- Posting Ranks:There are 18 posting ranks available on the forum. The more you post, the higher your rank will be. Posting ranks are the following (from lowest to highest):1. Newborn Kit- 0 posts2. Kit- 5 posts3. Apprentice- 15 posts4. Experienced Apprentice- 30 posts5. New Warrior- 60 posts6. Warrior- 120 posts7. Experienced Warrior- 200 posts8. Seasoned Warrior- 350 posts9. Deputy- 600 posts10. Clan Leader- 1,000 posts11. Elder- 1,500 posts12. Wise Elder- 2,500 posts13. StarClan Member- 4,000 posts14. StarClan Warrior- 7,000 posts15. StarClan Elder- 10,000 posts16. Beyond StarClan- 25,000 posts17. Ancient Ancestor- 50,000 posts18. Beyond Ancient Ancestor- 100,000 posts
~ Other Basics ~
This section covers things like editing your profile, sending Private Messages, and following other users.
I. Editing Your Profile
Here, I will discuss everything you need to know about editing your profile. First, here is how you get to the Edit Your Profile page.
1. Click the "Profile" tab found at the top of the forum.
2. Click the "Edit Profile" button.
Now, you will see several different tabs: Avatar, Personal, Social, Settings, Privacy, Notifications, and Badges. For this tutorial, I will only be going over the most important ones.- Avatar:
1. Choose the "Use only the Uploaded/Linked" option:
2. Towards the bottom right, there will be an "Upload/Link" option. Click that:
3. Here, you can add an image using two different methods:
FIRST METHOD:
Uploading from your computer:
- 1. Click the "Select Image" button:
- 2. Locate the image you want to use on your computer. When found, click on it and hit "enter", or click the "Open" button in the bottom right.
- 3. After you've hit "Open" or the "Enter" key, the uploading window will close and bring you back to the Avatar Options.
SECOND METHOD:
Uploading from the Internet:
- 1. Find the image that you want to use. Once you find one that you like, right click it and click "Copy Image Address":
- 2. Paste the Image Address (or URL) in the link box. Then, click the "Link Image" button.
4. Once you have uploaded your avatar, click the "Save Avatar Changes" button:
[li style="font-size:13.3333px;"]Personal:
[/span]When finished, make sure you save your changes:
[li style="font-size:13.3333px;"]Settings:[/li]Here, you can change some settings for what you want to see on the forum.
Here is a brief description of what each setting changes:
Again, once you're finished, save your changes:
[li]Privacy:
Finally, under the Privacy tab, you can choose to hide your online status, keep your email private, hide your gender, and your birthday. See the image below:
Again, remember to save your changes:
[/li]
II. Private Messaging
Private Messaging (often abbreviated as PM) is where you talk to members or staff in a nonpublic thread. It is a private conversation that only you and the other participants can read. This is an important aspect of the forum if you want to ask someone a question, or if you just want to talk to someone privately. It is almost as simple as creating a post. There are two methods you can use to start a conversation:
[/ul][/font]FIRST METHOD:
Starting from scratch
1. Find the "Messages" tab at the top of the forum. Click it.
2. Click on the "Create Message" button near the top right.
3. Type in the subject, the recipient's username, and the message you'd like to send them. When finished, click the "Create Message" button in the bottom right.
SECOND METHOD:
Using the "Send Message" button on a user's profile.
1. Go to your recipient's profile by clicking their name:
2. Click the "Send Message" button on their profile:
3. Follow the last steps from the first method, minus the part where you put in the person's username.
In Private Messaging, you are not limited to just one recipient. You can create a group message if you would like. This can be useful on multiple instances. Here's how it works:
After typing in the first recipient's username, hit your "Enter" key and add more usernames individually.
You can also add more participants later on in the conversation, or you can remove them.
1. Go to the group message and click on the "Actions" drop-down menu:
2. Click "Change Participants":
3. Type in the small textbox to add users. To remove, click the 'X' beside the person's name:
III. Friends and Followers
The "Following" system on ProBoards is similar to the one on Twitter. To follow someone else, you visit their profile and click the "Follow" button. If the person you followed follows you back, then you become "friends."
1. Go to the user's profile and click the "Follow" button:
2. Once the person you followed follows you back, you receive a notification that says you're friends:
3. This person will now be on your Followers and Following list:
~ The Community ~
In this section, you will find information about who our staff members are. Any of these members will be willing to help you at any time.
- ADMINISTRATOR
Falcon Development
Falcon Development (aka Falconstar) is our one and only administrator. He is the owner of the forum and the game Warrior Cats Untold Tales. It's thanks to him that this place exists. - FALCONSTAR'S HELPERS
Many people ask us how to become a Falconstar's Helper. This is a rank you cannot achieve by post count. You have to apply to become one, and that can only be done when an announcement is made saying that applications are being accepted. This has not been done since May 2013.
Falconstar's Helpers are our moderators. They do not have all the staff abilities, but they still do a good job at maintaining the forum. They help Falcon Development keep the forum running smoothly. Below you will find a list of our current active helpers.
Birchstar
✻Dawnleaf✻
Roz
Riverpool
✞~Spottedleaf ~✞
Citrine
- The Staff Thread
There is a thread on the forum that includes more information about our staff members. It also lists the other Falconstar's Helpers that have not been as active. You can click here to check that thread out.
~ Formatting and Code ~
When browsing the forum, you may come across some threads, including this one, where some of the text looks different from the rest. The text may be a different color, it may be aligned differently, it might be in bold, etc. This is all done through formatting and BBcode. For those of you who are wondering how to do those things, you don't have to be an expert. Anyone can do it. On this forum, you are provided with a format bar with special buttons. You can use these buttons to do several types of formatting.
I. Polls
Polls aren't really considered "formatting" or "code", but I'm including this in this category anyway. You might want to create a poll when you want to get multiple opinions on something, or to take other surveys. If you wish to create a poll for something and don't know how, follow these instructions:
1. After getting to the "Create a Thread" page, click the "Add Poll" button toward the top right:
2. Follow the picture below:
II. Font Styles
On the formatting bar, the first several buttons all change the way the text looks.
- FONT FACE
Changes the font type:
Arial
Comic Sans MS
Courier New
Georgia
Impact
Times New Roman
Trebuchet MS
Veranda - FONT SIZE
Changes the size of the font:
Font Size 1 (8pt)
Font Size 2 (10pt)
Font Size 3 (12pt)
Font Size 4 (14pt)
Font Size 5 (18pt)
Font Size 6 (24pt)
Font Size 7 (36pt)
FONT COLOR
Changes the color of the text:
- BOLD
Makes the text bold - ITALICS
Italicizes the text - Underline
Underlines the text - STRIKE THROUGH
Crosses through text - SUPERSCRIPT
Text appears Above the baseline - SUBSCRIPT
III. Organization
The next few buttons can be used to help you organize your posts.
- TABLES
Creates a table - LISTS
- Makes
- a
- list
- HORIZONTAL RULE
IV. Other
The last set of buttons have various functions. Only a select few will be touched on in this guide, but feel free to play with the rest in your own.
- LINKS
Links a website through text:
- 1. Copy the URL of the website you want to link
- 2. Click the button shown above and follow the instructions on the picture:
- INSERT IMAGE
Attaches an image to the post.
** HOW TO POST IMAGES **
UPLOADING FROM COMPUTER
- 1. Go to Imgur.com
- 2. Click the green "New Post" button in the upper left
- 3. Click the "Browse" button
- 4. Locate the picture on your computer, click it, and hit either your "Enter" key or push the "Open" button in the bottom right
- 5. Right click the image. Then, click "Copy Image Address"
- 6. Click the "Insert Image" button as shown above. Then, follow these pictures:
- OR -
- 1. **Follow steps 1 - 4 as written**
- 2. Click the arrow in the upper right of the picture. Next, click "Get Share Links":
- 3. Copy the BBCode link:
- 4. Paste the link into post
SHARING FROM THE INTERNET:
- 1. Find the picture you want to share
- 2. Follow steps 5 and 6 from the "Uploading from Computer" tutorial - INSERT VIDEO
Attaches a video
** How to Post Videos **
- 1. Find the video you want to share
- 2. Right click the video and copy its URL
- 3. Follow the picture:
- INSERT CODE
[font size="4"]Shows BBcode format[/font] - INSERT QUOTE
Adds a quote - INSERT SMILEY
V. Spoilers
Lastly, spoilers. Spoilers can be used to hide large images or large chunks of text. They are used all throughout this guide. There is not a button you can push to make them, but they are not hard.
[spoiler] type your text or insert image here[/spoiler]~ ROLEPLAYING ~
Roleplaying, often abbreviated as RP, is an activity that many of us enjoy doing together on the form. In case you don't know, roleplaying is where you pretend to be someone else. On forums like this, you are likely portraying as a fictional character. In a way, you are creating a story with multiple people, since everyone participating has a character.
The most popular roleplays on this forum are Warrior Cats themed. Generally, you create a warrior cat, choose their role, and you act out as them. However, there is a place for non-Warriors roleplaying too. Either way, roleplaying is quite fun. If you find any of this interesting, why not give it a try?
No matter your preferences for topics, joining a roleplay is simple. Browse the roleplaying sections and click on the RP threads that look interesting to you. If you find one you wish to join, make sure you read the information on the first post. The first post will generally contain an introduction, a territorial description, and some rules for you to follow. Sometimes you will find the sign up form there, but sometimes it might be in the next post instead. You will need to copy that and fill it out before you can begin roleplaying.
If you need help with finding threads or posting, see some of the tutorials above. There are also plenty of other guides specifically about roleplaying. You can see those by clicking the links:
How to Make a Good Character
How to Create a Roleplay
Warrior Cats Traditional Naming Guide
Warrior Cats Naming Guide (Nontraditional)
~ Closure ~
Finally, the tour of the forum has come to an end. I hope that you have enjoyed it, and I hope that it was helpful to you! If there is anything that you still have questions on, please either ask them in this thread or PM them to me. I visit the forum daily, so I will get your answers to you as quickly as possible. Either way, I hope to see you around!
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