Writers' Study Chat and Feedback - Ask all your questions here!

[Hitai de Bodemloze]

Or, you know, you could always host them here on TWC The gallery system should work fine.

[Welsh Dragon]

I look forward to seeing the next chapter and hope that you'll enter.

You asked for suggestions for image hosting sites. I use tinypic. It's free and fairly straightforward to use (I haven't joined tinypic so I don't sign in, I simply upload pictures and copy and paste the relevant code into my chapters.)

Thanks Alwyn. Next chapter is nearly there, so hopefully should post it sometime tomorrow fingers crossed, and I'll enter it into the MAARC at the same time.

I'd say Imgur if the image is 10mb or less. If it's bigger, use Flickr.
Imgur is basically a community image hosting site. There's a whole community sharing their pictures. Some of them are cringy, some funny, some gross. Basically to upload an image you just drag the file onto the main page.
Then it'll upload it, and you'll be taken to a page like this. Right click on the image, click open image in new tab, copy that page's url and put it in [img][/img] tags eg [img]https://i.imgur.com/Weh9sjc.jpg[/img]

No account is required for Imgur and no-one on Imgur can see your images unless you make them public. I use Imgur for 99% of my image hosting.

Flickr is what I use to host my game screenshots because they're quite large in file size, and it lets me organise them into albums. It's a pain in the arse to get the urls though. Eg click the Witcher 3 album, click the first picture, click the symbol below the image and to the right that looks like an arrow pointing towards an underscore and click view all sizes, click the required size eg Original (2560 x 1080), right click on the image and do open in new tab and THEN you can put it in [img][/img] tags

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[img]https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4254/34276713193_bc41a5e97c_o.jpg[/img]

Thanks Caligula. Imgur does sound nice and simple, which is probably best for me as I've never done anything like this before. I'm intending to use mostly Rome 2 screenshots (or at least Total War sourced images like the two from the official site I've used already,) and they tend to be 400-600kbs each it seems so the 10mb limit shouldn't be a problem. I also appreciate the instructions on how to do it.

Or, you know, you could always host them here on TWC The gallery system should work fine.

Thanks Hitai de Bodemloze. I didn't even know that was an option! I'll take a look.

Thank you all for the help.

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.

[Alwyn]

Or, you know, you could always host them here on TWC The gallery system should work fine.

Thanks for the tip Hitai, I didn't know that we can now create albums and make our screenshots available on TWC itself, without using a third-party hosting site. If you hadn't mentioned this, and if Welsh Dragon hadn't demonstrated it, I wouldn't have discovered this.

If anyone would like to try this and doesn't know how, here is what to do:-

- Go to 'My Profile' (at the top right hand side of the screen)

- On the left hand column, under the heading 'Albums', select 'Add Album'

- Give your album a name

- Upload photos

- Select a photo which you would like to add to your AAR, and copy the 'BB Code' into your AAR chapter. For example, a code like this ...

[IMG]http://www.twcenter.net/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=350909&d=1518964802[/IMG]

... will give you an image, like this:

[NorseThing]

i

Or, you know, you could always host them here on TWC The gallery system should work fine.

I did just that for a few images in my AAR. Not faulting the system, but when you do not know what you are doing -- it can be frustrating. Of course that is true with all we do in life.

It is a good idea. I think there may be a member limit. What the limit is, I am clueless. Might say that about me in general today.

[Welsh Dragon]

Thanks for the tip Hitai, I didn't know that we can now create albums and make our screenshots available on TWC itself, without using a third-party hosting site. If you hadn't mentioned this, and if Welsh Dragon hadn't demonstrated it, I wouldn't have discovered this.

Thanks, but I didn't really do much. But happy to help as always.

And thanks for the guide.

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.

[Alwyn]

Don't miss out on your chance to vote in the Writers' Study Yearly Awards! They only come once a week ... no wait, once a month ... no that's wrong, surely there must be a clue somewhere about how often they happen.... Please vote now, because voting ends soon!

Meanwhile, there are three great entries to choose from in the Tale of the Week 271 - check them out now and cast your vote!

[Axis Sunsoar]

The voting thread for MAARC LXXIV is now up! Everyone is invited to go vote for their TWO favorite entries here: Voting Thread! With seven entries submitted, we will be running the full competition, which means bigger and better rewards for all involved, so make sure to pop on over and make sure your favorite entries get there!

In addition, we have some very exciting news: The Writer's Study Staff is pleased to report that we are working on a new competition! Like the current Tale of the Week competition, this will involve writing and submitting new material specifically for the competition. However, competitions would run less frequently than the Tale of the Week, so the frequency of the competition would be more reminiscent of the Monthly Competitions. We would like to hear your opinions on where this new competition should be hosted: Would you rather see it in the TotW subforum, or the monthly competitions subforum?

[Alwyn]

Thanks, Axis, for posting the voting thread for MAARC LXXIV! I'm looking forward to seeing the writing which people will create for our new competition. It will involve a style of writing which I find very challenging to do, and which is particularly impressive when it's done well.

Everyone, please don't forget to vote in the MAARC LXXIV and the Tale of the Week 271. Also, this is a final call for votes in the Writers' Study Yearly Awards (thanks to people who voted already).

While you're voting, please support our friends in the Scriptorium by voting in the final round of the Scriptorium Writing Competition.

[Alwyn]

Thank you to everyone who voted in the Writers' Study Yearly Awards! Following Writers' Study tradition for the Yearly Awards, the voting threads have been moved to the ink caves (where Writers' Study competitions are planned and where Critic's Quill articles are written). Writers' Study imps are being given very precise instructions, so that they will count the votes and record them without rushing off to pull the cord which causes the balloons to drop, starting the celebrations prematurely. When voting is complete (and after any tie-breaker votes are done, if they are needed) there will be an announcement of the winners.

[Admiral Van Tromp]

I look forward to seeing what you came up with for the new competition.

Since Axis asked for opinions on where it should be hosted, I think the monthly competitions forum could be interesting. It may draw some more attention to them.

[OathswornOfGaul]

By the Ancestors, its been awhile.

Aight, no one knows me. I'm Aragrath, though I'm trying to figure out how to change my name. And I could use some help. I'm planning to start an Arverni AAR, and have no idea how to start. Any advice? Also, what mods would you guys recommend?

[NorseThing]

By the Ancestors, its been awhile.

Aight, no one knows me. I'm Aragrath, though I'm trying to figure out how to change my name. And I could use some help. I'm planning to start an Arverni AAR, and have no idea how to start. Any advice? Also, what mods would you guys recommend?

First go to the link for the name change request -- Name Change Requests

I will leave it to the expert staff to help you get started on your first AAR. Good luck.

[Alwyn]

By the Ancestors, its been awhile.

Aight, no one knows me. I'm Aragrath, though I'm trying to figure out how to change my name. And I could use some help. I'm planning to start an Arverni AAR, and have no idea how to start. Any advice? Also, what mods would you guys recommend?

Welcome back to the Study (assuming that you have been here before)! You asked for advice on how to start your AAR. I suggest reading Writing a First AAR: Ten things you can do, and My Ten Rules for Writing an AAR (the second is by Skantarios, author of the legendary AAR I am Skantarios).

Here are some suggestions:-

- Pick a difficulty level and mod(s) which will create a campaign that you'll enjoy. It doesn't matter if others play on different difficulty levels (I play on Normal) or with different mods. In Rome II, I use Zoom All the Way Down by Re’goso (for screenshots), Mitch's Guaranteed Major Faction Empires and Turquoise_Falcon's A More Aggressive AI (for a more challenging campaign and a more interesting AAR) and B.Est FOE's Pikemen Start Battles with Pikes (it looks odd to me when they don't). While I recommend the mods which I use, there is nothing wrong with using no mods (if that is what you prefer), or an overhaul mod (Divide et Imperia seems to be very popular, but others are available), or any combination of mods which suits you.

- Pick a style of writing which you like. For example, you could write a 'classic' AAR in which you simply report what happened in your game ('my faction's biggest problem was that we couldn't recruit decent cavalry, so I researched [...] technology and built [...] building'), a 'history book' AAR, which tend to focus on faction leaders and major generals and developments (such as my Carthage AAR), or a 'narrative' AAR which is written like a novel (such as Welsh Dragon's Toutatis Favours the Brave).

- Read and comment on a few AARs on the Writers' Study. Notice what you like about other AARs (and tell the authors), this might help you to make choices about your own AAR. This is a good way to introduce yourself. Perhaps no-one knows you now, but making friendly and helpful comments on AARs and/or Creative Writing will change this. Ask questions here when you want to know more. When you reach 25 posts, you will be able to edit your own posts, which is useful when writing an AAR. (Having said that, I write my chapters on a word processor, which makes editing easier and avoids the risk of losing a chapter because I've been logged out).

[Axis Sunsoar]

About 4 days left to vote for your favorite AAR in the MAARC LXXIV voting thread! Everyone come cast your votes!

[Alwyn]

About 4 days left to vote for your favorite AAR in the MAARC LXXIV voting thread! Everyone come cast your votes!

What Axis said!

As voting is close to completion for the MAARC LXXIV, it is time to reveal our submissions thread for the 75th MAARC (MAARC LXXV). In 2014, the 50th MAARC (MAARC L) was a special competition, with modified eligibility rules. The 75th MAARC is inspired by the work of Scottish King and the other Writers' Study staff who ran the 50th MAARC. Don't miss out on this special competition - it would be excellent to see as many writers as possible entering an AAR.

Meanwhile, everyone is invited to congratulate the winners and nominees in the Writers' Study Yearly Awards. Thank you to everyone who nominated people and who voted!

[Darkan]

Hello everybody, I have a question for you all regarding your votes. Now mind you, the question doesn’t refer the current competition/s, it’s just a thought I had and decided to share it here. Axis Sunsoar has been kind enough to link me to this thread so here it goes. Now, the question might be short but the answer will probably not be.
How do you decide which story/AAR/short story/poem/etc is worthy of your vote? aka What do you look for in the different formats and writing styles?
To start this along, here’s mine:

AAR – Although most of the AARs I’ve read over the years have been for Medieval 2 and mods, the general things I look for in an AAR are as follows:

1. Story – It needs some kind of story to combine all the elements in the campaign (both obvious and surprising), although it doesn’t have to be an immensely prepared and ultra complicated plot. What I mean is that simply stating “I did this and then that happened”, while informative regarding what’s happening in the campaign, might not be enough for me to vote for it.
2. Pics – Although sometimes unnecessary for the story/writing style or simply the author’s preference, I’ve always found that using some pics helps me better get into the story and the overall situation. Now you don’t need a pic for every thing that you say, but a battle without at least 3-5 photos?....come on, it’s Total War for a reason. J
3. Character/s – I always like it when I can get behind a character and hope for the best in his/her endeavours, or when a hated villain can make me anxiously await his/her demise. Again, the author doesn’t have to characterise and describe every little thing the character does, but things like “FM X did this and then this” might not make me get 100% behind the character.

Short Story aka Tale of the Week (but not only)

1. Heart – The limits regarding min/max words used must make the author strive to hit me over the head with his/her quillhammer. I need to suffer, laugh, feel, I need to be there, in the story and believe it. Now mind you, it always depends on the theme/keywords, but you get the idea.
2. Theme – When you have a limited number of submissions (there were more in the past but recently it’s harder to get people to participate), the author needs to get my attention. That being said, the theme needs to be respected. I know it’s not in the official TotW ruleset, but say the theme is about robots, a piece that, while using the five key words, describes something entirely different makes me slightly judgy. This is a minor issue though, but I like the themes.

Poems – now I have to say I don’t know if I like poems. I mean I do but I don’t at the same time, I’m undecided. I honestly don’t know how I feel/what I think when I am presented with a poem to read, but usually it’s something like “ok, a poem, let’s see: do I treat it like a rabid dog and avoid it or like strange food I maybe, might want to taste?”

1. Rhyme – it needs to rhyme, but I don’t care about which system the author uses (as in ABAB, ABBA for example), but it needs to happen. In a slightly different category there’s the haiku, but that’s another thing altogether.
2. Consistency – it needs consistency throughout, as in, if the stanzas have different, what do you call it, flow? Rhythm? Nr of syllables? Anyway, if the consistency varies a lot it makes it harder for me to read.

This is all for now, I might think of other examples and add or discuss with you guys later but for now, this is it. Also, feel free to talk about other styles/pics/things you read/look at/vote for and share examples if you have them, after all I’m all for reading/finding new and interesting things. Sadly, some of mine are quite old (AARs), so a lot of the threads’ photos don’t work or the Aar thread is buried under many, many others.

(All DLV AARs)
An Eastern Jewel in a Western World - by la coupe est pleine
AAR-MEN-NIEN - by LlamaD
The Merchant of Venice - by Nicollo da Conti

[Caillagh de Bodemloze]

That's an interesting question, Darkan.

I'm not sure I have much of a good answer - I need to think about this for a while. I'll let you know...

[NorseThing]

Hello everybody, I have a question for you all regarding your votes. Now mind you, the question doesn’t refer the current competition/s, it’s just a thought I had and decided to share it here. Axis Sunsoar has been kind enough to link me to this thread so here it goes. Now, the question might be short but the answer will probably not be.
How do you decide which story/AAR/short story/poem/etc is worthy of your vote? aka What do you look for in the different formats and writing styles? --snipped the rest--

I have thought about this and I have even posted some related threads on popularity an other aspects related mainly to AAR writing. So I will start there with my votes and why -- Of course I do believe all my posts are worth a vote. But that would just mean all members vote for themselves and the decision is left to members not submitting to the contests. That would be okay if we had many more members voting. That is one reason why I vote on the graphics competitions even though I am not skilled enough to make a submission. I still like to look at the great work that others produce. This is why we check books out at the library and attend arts festivals and spend some time in museums. So what attracts my attention? A different approach is a very good first step. I tried to do that myself by choosing a shorter AAR longer than a Tale of the Week restriction.

An older AAR such as the Moors by Kallum: The Story of the Moorish Empire of Timbuktu. The title first got my interest, but the story is great. Sad the pictures are not rubbished by a third party service change. That brings up another point though. I do like to see the pictures as they relate to the AAR, but I am very cautious about placing a great weight on them over and above the writing. I am so cautious that my own AAR is using only a few pictures and even those are from attachments so they are tied to my membership here on site.

The graphics related competitions are different where there is no narrative. On some more recent AAR's -- I do like the Wise Coffin Video AAR which might be a big part of our future as a TWC site as well as the terrific modifications to the TW games. I also appreciate maps like I have seen with Alwyn's RomeII AAR: New Town (Carthage AAR) [updated March 11, 2018]. That AAR is a good balancing of narrative, pictures, and maps which keeps things moving. That balance is something that helps get my vote (not sucking up to our Content Leader here, really).

I lack the skills or I would be trying the same with my AAR. Modifications are a key as well. My AAR is on M2TW with some chapters Stainless Steel. My mod got messed up so I then started a chapter with Lands to Conquer which is an oldie by Lusted. So people who use more than one mod would get my interest, but I would want it to be logical to do a mix of games played. My switch may not even get my vote, but I might even do a chapter with another modification now that I breached the Rubicon so to speak.

Which brings up another point that helps get my attention -- modifications being used that I am not aware of or have not used myself. The AAR is almost as good as a test drive. The Third Age mod is being used to a great benefit in [Third Age MOS AAR] An Orcs Tale - Chapter VIII - III. I have a buddy who only plays that mod, so I am familiar but I have not downloaded it on my own computer.

So to sum up about the AAR -- more than a narrative is needed. It can be great maps, great dialogue, a great idea twist like a Shakespearean ghost or mythical rocks or sacred stones. But the key is that the AAR be a bit different.

[Alwyn]

Darkan, I agree that this is a good question! I just posted my Critic's Quill review of two quite different Medieval II AARs, Scotland: An Alternative History by Balor and Historia Rhomaike by Roman Heritage (comments are welcome!). One thing that attracted me to both AARs and kept me reading is that each writer had a clear idea of the kind of AAR they wanted to write. Both AARs offer some unexpected twists; both offer variety. Those are the kind of things which attract me to vote for AARs in the MAARC.

In Tale of the Week, I also like to vote for a story which has an emotional impact. Generally, I prefer a story which connects to the theme (and, ideally, the image). Having said that, sometimes I vote for a story which cleverly manages to use the key words to tell a very different story - for example, if the theme, image and key words implied that the story would be about 21st century robots in North America and a writer managed to use the key words to tell a convincing story about an uprising against a Mughal Emperor in 16th-century India, I'd be impressed!

I mentioned the MAARC - don't forget that the 75th MAARC (MAARC LXXV) is open for entries. At the time of writing this post, there is still a bit of time to vote in the tie-breaker for MAARC LXXIV.

Meanwhile, in Tale of the Week, everyone is invited to vote for your favourite story in Tale of the Week 272: Industry.

[Welsh Dragon]

I use a very scientific method.

Step 1: Which story do I like the most? (No specific criteria. I just know what I like when I see it.)

Step 2: If I can't decide between several I like, which story is by somebody new or somebody who I think would most benefit from getting a win. (I know winning MAARC LXXII gave me a big confidence boost with my own writing. So if I can give other people that, especially new writers, then I will. )

All the Best,

Welsh Dragon.