Guide to Discord

Lexicon for Online LARPing
Channel: Down the left hand side of the Discord app, between the text window and the groups icons list, is the category and channel lists. Categories are groups of channels that are thematically linked - usually grouped locations within the city or clan specific channels. OOC channels are often grouped with game support channels, socialization channels, and server support channels.

DM/PM: Discord message or private message. These messages or group chats are private to those participating and are not technically held on the BNS server. Unless staff is invited to them, they are not overseen by BNS, either. A standing rule for the server is that a request must be made and permission given an OOC channel before contacting another player or staffer in DM/PM.

IC: In Character, something done or existing only within the gameworld.

Nickname: The identifying name/text above each post someone makes in a Discord server. It can be set by right-clicking on your current Nickname and going down to “Change Nickname”. Nicknames on the server are in this format: Character Name (Discord Account Name). We use this format to make identifying a player's ST logs easy on the Storytellers, as character names can change over the course of the game.

OOC: Out of Character, something done or existing in the real world.

Role: Roles are Discord permission tags that grant or restrict access to areas of the server.

ST: Storyteller, a person in charge of creating and portraying the game world.

ST Log: A private channel given to all players to allow them and the ST staff easy direct communication.

VC: An acronym for Voice Chat, which is a Discord channel that has allowed audio communication. Headphones or speakers are required to hear the conversation and a microphone is necessary to speak back. Text formatting

You can modify your text with the standardized markdown formatting syntax. A handful of useful markdown styles are featured below. Bold: **Bold** Underline: __Underline__ Italic: *Italic* Strikethrough: Strikethrough Spoiler: ||Spoiler|| Code: `Code` Code Block: ```Code Block Quote: > Quote Divider: --- Emoji: :Emoji_name:

Discord Best Practices

 * 1) For sensitive content issues, we use a practice of marking the text with a [Subject] marker and then putting the text between || || lines to have it blacked out unless a reader chooses to click on it and reveal the words. Sometimes Discord is set to always reveal those words, negating the benefit. To check your settings and change them if you wish, go to Settings - > Text & Images, down to the last line of options and set it how you wish.
 * 2) Make use of the OOC channels for coordinating stories. If such coordination isn’t for general consumption (say, for a primogen meeting), ask the presiding ST to make a dedicated hidden OOC channel.
 * 3) Communicate, communicate, communicate.
 * 4) Please be aware of what channel you’re in, especially the OOC channels, and move conversations that are not appropriate to the channel. This helps people be able to see what’s being talked about on the server in general without having to scroll through 20 different conversations overlapping in one thread. Also helps the staff be able to keep things straight as well.
 * 5) While not required, it is highly recommended to use a standard format of writing for ease of reading and clarity with players and staff:
 * Actions are written as normal prose.
 * “Speech” is put between quotation marks to show it is being spoken by a character.
 * Thoughts should go in italics to show they’re not being said aloud but are also not an action.
 * [Square brackets] are used to indicate that spoken text is in another language or that a power has been used at that point in speech or action. Example: [Italian] “Some talking goes here.” or [Presence] “Pay attention to me!”
 * (OOC communication within an IC thread) is put between parentheses to show it is not a part of the IC flow of the scene. If you need a back and forth conversation, please use an OOC channel so that the flow of scene isn’t broken up or lost in scroll.
 * While not required, it is very useful to preface a new scene in a channel by making a break line (======================) and then using the format: 	[Open or Closed Scene, Date, Time of Night, for a closed scene @ the participants].