12-23-2011, 11:28 AM
| QUOTE (Ulilohi Ehn @ Dec 22 2011, 08:32 AM) |
| Topic tracking[/quote] Man, I only discovered this feature within the past half a year. -Derp.- But it has been a godsend. I still keep a post log for record keeping purposes (timeline, location data, etc.), but as far as knowing which threads require attention *now* the topic tracker is the only way I can keep it all together. XD Since I try to reply to things in the order posts were received, it also helps seeing the time stamps all in one place. (If only there was a way to sort by time stamp instead of just forum! Minor quibble.) Kinda related to what Jess said about OOC endings, I think it also helps me to limit the length of threads in general. I like having some sort of objective for each thread, however minor. I guess if you're into spontaneity it could take the fun out of it, but knowing (even vaguely) what both players want to accomplish helps me "cut to the chase." Even in all welcome threads, I try to let other people know what direction I'd like to go in the first post. Thus, most of my threads wind up being maybe 8-12 posts total (more if there are more than two players, 'course, or if it's something where a lot of quick, shorter posts make more sense, i.e. sparring, fighting, sex). I think that's all you need to have something interesting happen. I would rather have two 10 post threads with the same person than one 20 post thread, too, since I think repeat encounters are more interesting. You can develop more complex relationships over several interactions/conversations rather than one giant one; and realistically, most people don't sit down for an hour long chat with somebody they just met. Along the same vein, really drawn out introductions or conclusions get exhausting to me quick; even more basic interactions needn't be played out in excessive detail. "Fade to black" endings = win if you want to wrap things up quickly. I've found doing this (a) helps keep threads from getting super outdated and (b) cuts away all the "fat" where you're struggling to come up with something to write about (y'know, the stuff that usually gets redundant anyway... I can only describe the weather/scenery/whatever so many times in one thread  ).
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