/qsg/ - Quest Thread General - 2nd Edition

Sections marked with an asterisk should go into the OP.

*Communication:
--IRC Channels--
[The Cabal] #QMC @ Rizon.net (slightly related to quests; enjoys worldbuilding and politics)
[The Hugbox] #ques/tg/enerals @ Rizon.net (barely related to quests; enjoys Larro quests and anime)
--Discord--
[/qsg/ Discord server] https://discord.gg/0zE5SDpEB4RQRNyY (mostly new questers, little advice to be had)
--Twitter--
[QuestMaster Directory] https://twitter.com/Eisenstern/lists/quest-runner-directory (post your twitter link in Spooky/Lively to get added; accounts that spam quest-unrelated messages may get removed)

*Basic Advice for QMs:
>Read other quests. Learn from their mistakes.
>Use prompts. Don't remove prompts unless your players are creative with write-ins or they'll stop posting.
>Only give options you want to write. Yes, they will pick the joke and demand you run with it.
>Use a majority vote. Don't use last number of their post or highest roll to decide which option is picked.
>Rolling goes after the option is locked in. Players otherwise choose the best option that can't fail.
>Read your update out loud before you post it. Don't spend hours editing your update because of this.
>Chargen kills quests. Usually. Hide it or remove it until you git gud.
>Never demand your players name anything. They either disappear or post the worst suggestions.
>Don't feed the trolls. Shut down their stupid write-ins before they sink your quest.
>Don't meta-talk during the thread. Save anything not about clarifying the vote until the session's done.
>Don't fear failure. Experience helps more than any guide. Don't get too attached to your premises.
>Don't be afraid to stop. If you're not having fun, don't force yourself. Tell your players and try a different idea.
>Make a Twitter so people know when you're running; so your quest doesn't fizzle out for lack of votes. Link it at the start (and end) of your thread. Give at least several hours notice before running. Use UTC for times; not everyone lives in America.
>Don't be afraid to ask for advice in the IRCs/Discord. In there, you know who's giving the advice.
>Don't write in the 4chan reply window; you'll lose an update someday. Use a word processor that autosaves and back up your previous updates with a private pastebin or file upload.

Gitting Gud (for a given value of gud):
--Quest Specific--
[QM Starter Guide] https://docs.google.com/document/d/1emQ6IYzRYN4MG45Zl9a-0UH0ARuWLaBB_U924NXc-DY/pub
[Assorted QM advice] http://pastebin.com/nnXayuZT
[How to Start a Quest] http://pastebin.com/FHMtLTaJ (by Exabyte)
[How to Write a Quest Main Character] http://pastebin.com/keF0uGNw
--RPG/Dice Mechanics--
[Stuff About Dice] http://pastebin.com/MhwpNLBm
[System design pointers] http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/systemdesign/
--General Writing--
[BIG Character sheet] https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2_8lKX8mCRGdXBWNlVWSjBtRXM/
[How to English] http://www.cws.illinois.edu/workshop/writers/
[Self-Editing Tips] http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com/self-editing-tips-from-new-york-times-bestselling-author-gemma-halliday
[Refining your prose] http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/self-editing-back-to-basics-part-i-guest-post-by-karin-cox/
[Sentence Length Variety] http://www.kristisiegel.com/variety.html
[Writer's Quick Reference] http://www.ravenscourtpress.com/uploads/4/8/0/6/4806696/a_self-editing_checklist.pdf
--Misc Writing--
[Smut Writing Advice] http://pastebin.com/eVp3jXHv (courtesy of /wst/, please stop begging them for quest smut)
[How to Write Women] http://pastebin.com/M5FNyVWH (by XS, smut based)

Archives (updated as of 05 June 2016):
http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html
http://archived.moe/qst/

Tools:
[4chan X] https://github.com/ccd0/4chan-x (greatly improves 4chan usability; use with your favorite userscript manager)
[sup/tg/ Archive Script] https://greasyfork.org/scripts/2065-sup-tg-archive-quote-functions
[Tweetdeck] http://tweetdeck.com/ (twitter management, good for readers and QMs; requires a twitter account)
[Notepad++] http://notepad-plus-plus.org/download/ (install Autosave2 in plugin manager to not lose everything)
[Writemonkey] http://writemonkey.com/download.php (minimum-distraction word processor)
[Lucid Chart] http://www.lucidchart.com (flowchart web tool; requires email)
[Hexographer Map Tool] http://www.hexographer.com/free-version/
[Polygon Map Generation Demo] http://www-cs-students.stanford.edu/~amitp/game-programming/polygon-map-generation/demo.html (only gens islands at the moment)

FAQ:
> When is [QUEST] coming back?
Ask the QM.
> [QUEST premise from earlier QTG thread] when?
When you run it.
> Can I run [QUEST]?
Yes.
> Should I run [QUEST]?
Probably not, but that's never stopped anyone.
> Would anyone play [QUEST premise]?
No.
> Give me advice on [QUEST premise].
It's shit.
> How do I git gud?
Lurk and learn. Read quests, ideally a spread of active and finished ones. Check out the links above. Write something everyday.
> Can you help me with [specific QUEST problem]?
Maybe. Take any advice you get with a grain of salt. Don't use your trip unless you're really sure. Try the IRC rooms for somewhat better advice.
> Good run times?
Ideally a chunk of four hours or more between UTC 1600 and UTC 0500. Most days have around the same activity. Weekends tend to be slightly more active than weekdays. Holidays tend to be less active.
> I live in aussieland/the moon/somewhere isolated.
Sucks m8, go to WorldTimeServer.com and calculate a proper runtime for yourself, then cry when it's a shit time with no players.
> How fast should I update my quest?
10 minutes for the voting and 20 minutes for the writing is a good ratio. Anything up to an hour to update is generally accepted. If you take more than 90 minutes to post an update, try an alternative site.
> I DON'T WANT TO SIGN UP FOR TWATTER TO GET UPDATES ON QUEST SCHEDULES
Then don't. Bookmark the page.
> THE TWATTER BOOKMARK DOESN'T WORK ANYMORE
Your QM changed his Twitter username. Find the new one and call him a faggot.
> I DON'T WANT TO GET A TWATTER TO INFORM MY PLAYERS
Nobody's forcing you to. Don't come crying when you get no votes.
> Other quest sites?
>>Anonkun (4chan spinoff, has unique system, currently has administration issues, bogged down with smut quests)
>>tgchan (/tg/ spinoff, imageboard)
>>QuestionableQuesting (SpaceBattles spinoff, bulletin board)
There are others but we don't talk about them.
> Which quests have eBooks?
http://pastebin.com/kbGzcbDb (others might be linked in their individual threads)
> How do I make quest eBooks?
You will need a text editor(optional, useful to strip residual formatting), LibreOffice Writer, Calibre and a PDF viewer.
(1) Find the archived threads, CTRL + F the QM tripcode and copy the posts into the text editor, tag the beginnings and endings of threads somehow.
(2) Save as plaintext.
(3) Open in LibreOffice, apply formatting, use the Headings and Title functions to distinguish between threads.
(4) Save one ODT and one HTML version in a folder with the Quest's title.
(5) Export as PDF, save the result in the same folder.
(6) Open Calibre, Click [Add Books], wait till the import is done, then [Convert Books] and choose MOBI and EPUB.
(7) Complete folder and compress.
(8) Upload to a DDL host.
(9) Post.