| From: | "Gurth" <gurth@******.nl> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Something from the FAQ |
| Date: | Tue, 8 Oct 1996 13:19:53 +0100 |
was important to point out before anyone starts writing. I'd prefer it if
the 2058 method of decker comments is used.
The full FAQ can be found at http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html#nerps
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2a. First lines of paragraphs
In the actual submission, do /not/ begin each paragraph with a tab or a
number of spaces. These are annoying to the editor, who has to remove
them because he prefers to use the automatic paragraph indentation
function of his word processor.
2b. Decker comments
If your article is a piece of "game world" material set in the 2050s, you
may want to include "decker comments" made by people in the Shadowrun game
universe. These should confirm to one of the following formats, depending
on whether the dates used are up until 2057, or later:
Up to and including 2057:
The first paragraph of each comment will have five larger-than signs,
followed by a square open bracket, like so: >>>>>[
Likewise, the end of the last paragraph of the comment must have a
square close bracket followed by five smaller-than signs: ]<<<<<
The line after the last paragraph contains two dashes followed by a
space, and then the name (or alias) of the person making the comment.
Then another space, and the time/date stamp.
The time/date stamp contains the time and date the comment was made;
the time consists of a 24-hour clock, with hours, minutes, and seconds,
each separated by a colon. The date consists of the month, the day, and
the year, each separated by a dash; only use the last two digits of the
year. Between the date and the time is a slash.
This all means we want you to use this format:
-- Joe (16:15:03/9-15-58)
and not this one:
-Joe<16:15:03/09-15-2058>
The reason for this somewhat rigid way of handling time/date stamps is
to create a uniform appearance throughout the NERPS books.
It is possible to have certain commentators use custom time/date stamps
(such as that of the Smiling Bandit in FASA's Shadowtech book), but do
not overdo this. Only highly skilled deckers know how to create forged
time/date stamps, let alone alter them to display another text entirely.
For examples of this type of decker comment, refer to any Shadowrun
sourcebook published until mid-1996.
2058 and later:
Start the first paragraph of the comment with a "larger than" sign: >
Also use a "larger than" sign on the last line, which holds the decker's
name, handle, or email address. A time may be added if you desire, but
this is not mandatory, or even often done.
Refer to Portfolio Of A Dragon: Dunkelzahn's Secrets for examples of
these posts.
2c. Time/Date Stamp Dates
The dates in the time/date stamps (when using the pre-2058 method of
adding comments) should preferably all be around the same time, again to
create a uniform look to the NERPS book. For example, an article
supposedly written in 2054 stands out in a book where all other articles
are dated in 2057, and such a thing would be unusual in an information
society like the one portrayed in Shadowrun. Information gets old very
quickly, even today.
Naturally, all this goes for the non-comment parts of your article as
well. A piece of fiction set in 2050 will stand out just as much as a
comment made in that year.
For any NERPS project, it would be best if your dates are all in the year
we live in, plus 62. This is because FASA books are almost invariably set
in the current year plus 61 (books published in 1996 are set in 2057),
but since NERPS books take a lot of time to finish, it is best to take a
"safety margin" of one year for them. If you are not sure about which
dates to use, ask about it on the list.
2d. Stray At Your Own Risk
If you do not follow these guidelines, it is very likely that your
submission will not be accepted. You will be notified of this by private
email by the Project Leader <gurth@******.nl>
-----
--
Gurth@******.nl - http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/index.html
Learn their rules, play their game, deceive yourself in haste.
-> NERPS Project Leader & Unofficial Shadowrun Guru <-
-> The Plastic Warriors Page: http://www.xs4all.nl/~gurth/plastic.html <-
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