Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1996 23:01:06 EST Reply-To: Debbie Douglass Sender: Highlander TV show stories From: Debbie Douglass Subject: The HLFIC-L War X-To: HIGHLA-L@psuvm.psu.edu I'm posting this to both HIGHLA-L and HLFIC-L. I cobbled and edited this together using the FKFIC-L files Lizbet put on her Web page, plagiarizing shamelessly. -Debbie -------------------------------------- What is the HLFIC-L War? This has probably been answered, but, briefly, wars are fictional round robin stories where we each play ourselves (perhaps slightly idealized versions of ourselves, but _definitely_ ourselves). Then we cause trouble for the other factions. Which means that a basic plot is started and then other people add written parts to the story. It is a duel, lunge, defend, counter... etc. etc. All really in good fun. You shouldn't take anything _too_ seriously. I think it was Susan Garrett who said about the FKFIC-L wars: "FK--the only fandom where attack is a form of affection." I would like our war to proceed in the same spirit. (Rules below) First: How do you receive the War posts. The war story parts will be posted on HLFIC-L and if you want to participate in the war you must subscribe to that list. To subscribe send an email message to LISTSERV@psuvm.psu.edu with the following in the body of the message: SUBSCRIBE HLFIC-L yourfirstname yourlastname The LISTSERV software will automatically extract your email address from your message. If you subscribed to HLFIC-L after Feb. 20, 1996 then you are already set up to receive the WAR (new subscriptions are currently set to receive the War posts). If you subscribed to HLFIC-L before Feb. 20, 1996 and your subscription is NOT set to DIGEST, then your subscription has been set to NOT receive the War posts. If you are receiving HLFIC-L in DIGEST mode there is NO way to turn off the War messages. For the duration of the war if you don't want the War posts, you should change your subscription options to MAIL (to receive all non-War posts) or to NOMAIL (to receive no posts). If your subscription is currently not set to War and you want to be, send a note to LISTSERV@psuvm.psu.edu with this message in the body (the subject line is ignored): SET HLFIC-L TOPICS: +WAR In order to set the HLFIC list to _not_ send you war mail, send a note to LISTSERV@psuvm.psu.edu with the following message in the body, (the subject line is ignored): SET HLFIC-L TOPICS: -WAR This should set you up to recieve all the topics you previously were receiving, _except_ for war posts. If you want to see what your subscription is set up for, send an email message to LISTSERV@psuvm.psu.edu with the following message in the body (the subject line is ignored): QUERY HLFIC-L I just set up HLFIC-L with TOPICS last week. We now have the capability to use the following TOPICS: WAR HLFIC-L faction war. XOVER Crossover stories between Highlander and other universes. ADULT Stories containing adult themes, explicit sex or violence, or explicit language. When I set up this up I also set everyone currently on HLFIC-L to -WAR and -ADULT. No posts have been made using these TOPICS yet so you haven't missed anything. You would turn on the ADULT topic the same way as the WAR topic. The 'Other' topic is a catch-all for all posts that don't conform to the established TOPICS. _The Rules_ First and Foremost: ALL WAR posts must have 'WAR:' at the beginning of the Subject line!!!! This is the only way that the TOPICS configuration will work. Anyone may participate in the war, if they follow certain rules and guidelines, the first among which is that this is all for fun and not a serious attack. In fact, here and on FKFIC-L are probably the only places in fandom where a "war" is not a "war" and doesn't mean tons of flaming e-mail scorching fiber optics. The point of the wars is to learn about each other while creating a slightly odd, cracking good story. Please be aware that we ask that all incoming players play themselves - don't show up as Immortals, or as your favorite Immortal, elves, superpowered mutants, etc., or plan on turning yourself into same. Kick back and be you. People will like you. Please don't post messages to the list saying `I'm in' or `Use me.' If you want to be in, simply post your opening story. If you want to be used but don't have the time or wherewithal to write for yourself, contact the person who appears to be heading up one of the groups. _How to Play_ NOTE: When I refer to a Character, I mean one of the characters who have appeared on Highlander, i.e. Duncan, Richie, Amanda, Joe, Methos, etc. 1. If you're a member of a group, contact the person who seems to be leading your group with any ideas for posting you might have before you post. This saves lots of heartache later on and will give you some idea of what your group is trying to accomplish during the war. 2. Follow the threads of the story that's been posted. Please don't introduce major new threads or ideas to the story without contacting someone in your group first. 3. No fair pulling in players who haven't posted an opening story and put themselves into play. For example, during one of the FKFIC-L wars, Cousin John kidnapped Beth's rabbit, Hazel. This meant that John was open to attack and potential rabbit rescuers. 4. If you have questions, please e-mail an individual, not the list. The list is for fiction and occasional bits of nonsense like this, to clarify posts (especially for those people who forget to sign them ahem), or clear up problems. If you have questions and you don't know who to send them to, send them to the HIGHLA-L list. Someone over there will help you. 5. Send private e-mail. Send LOTS of private e-mail. Talk to the other people in your group. Make friends/try to subvert people in other groups. Make plans and follow through on them. Ask for help. Offer help. 6. Very Important-all war posts must have WAR: as the beginning of the subject. This will protect people who don't want to play from having to deal with this nonsense. 7. When you post, we ask that you include a title for your post, your name, and maybe a time or general date for when the action happens (this makes it easier for people to follow the war and who later collect it and organize it ... as well as those of us who work with systems that take years to post something *grumble*). And you must 'sign' your posts and include your email address in your signature. 8. Please don't `back date' too many posts. You may see some of these as group leaders try to cover for errors in timing or contradictions, but it really frazzles the people who have to collect these things later. 9. No fair beheading one of the Major Characters. You are Confused. Well, of course you are. Rules are nasty things. So just watch what happens when the war starts. When you feel comfortable, jump in. We'll catch you. Or just sit back and keep watching. Faction members must clear Character movements and major plot developments with their Faction leader. The faction leaders MUST coordinate Character movements with the other faction leaders to avoid Characters being in different places at the same time. Despite the title, Fiction wars are a cooperative effort. Also, this is NOT role-playing. People are exactly who they are in real life. The only Immortals allowed are the Characters from the Series and the Movies. You can, of course, make small allowances like giving yourself a mythical laptop or a better car (there were a LOT of cars destroyed in the first war), or a cousin in another state. You can even take advantage of really odd and strange things if the use of it is particularly clever. The purpose of the war is to meet people, to get to know the other people on the list a little better, and to help them to get to know you. However, there is also a LOT of organization that goes on behind the scenes in e-mail so that the posts won't contradict each other. You need to work within a framework of sorts. The framework is extremely loose, but it does exist and needs to be adhered to. The best fun is trying to sort out posts that were all posted within a few minutes of each other. Despite apparent contradictions, we can work these things out. If you know martial arts in real life, you can use them in the War, but you shouldn't really make yourself a black belt if you've never had a course in it. You could, arguably, boost yourself from being a brown or red belt to a black belt, though. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Debbie Douglass Systems Administrator douglass@chaplin.ndhm.gtegsc.com GTE Government Systems, Needham, MA All I want to do is outlive my cats and all HIGHLA-L subscribers. May your sword always be within reach and may your Foe's skill and luck be less than your own. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- =========================================================================