These are just my view of how I want my PBEM (Play By Email) to run, and what sort of ettiquette I would like to see being used. Some of the rules sound very strict, but they are all based on personal experience in various PBEM games, and things I have seen affecting how different players react.

The subject line of all posts should begin with "[BTL]". This will allow mail for the PBEM to be more easily sorted, and not slip through the cracks for those players (and the GM) who have a lot of incoming mail. Also, this formatting will allow the header not to be stripped by those players using Outlook (the format "BTL:" tends to be removed by Outlook when replying).

Please quote at least the piece of the message that you are responding. Please trim your post so that it isn't all a quote (the GM has trouble responding to those sometimes over Pine during the day). Include enough for a point of reference.

All moves which require GM response will be responded to within 24 hours. Generally, the GM will post to each thread at least once a day. More if she can manage, but there are no guarantees.

All players will be expected to post at least once a day, or to let the GM (and other players in their thread) know if they will be unavailable for a period of time. Everyone travels, everyone experiences emergencies. In cases where a player unexpectedly disappears, the GM will do everything under her power to determine what has happened so that that player does not get caught in a "runaway thread".

Runaway threads will be caught by the GM (if she is able) and paused if necessary. No player should be excluded from playing within a thread if their character is there but they are unable to respond. Please remember that not every player has the same posting times available. If a set of players are all available and able to post, they may continue posting (as long as the GM doesn't need to get a word in edgewise *smile*). But if there is a player unable to respond due to timing, the GM would prefer that the players pause the thread themselves, and if they do not, she will step in and ask them to pause.

The GM expects the players to let her know what threads/plotlines they would prefer NOT to play in. While the GM enjoys no-holds-barred gaming, and finds pushing the character's buttons to be quite fine, she does not want to push the player's buttons at all. And if, during game play, a player reacts badly to ANY plotline they are to tell the GM immediately.

The GM does not retcon. She will find a way to work through any problem plotlines in such a way that it can be resolved going forward. But she will not reverse engineer it so that a plotline never happened. For this reason, it is important that any player bring to the GMs attention immediately any difficulty.

For example: A player specifies that he has great difficulties with scenes in which his lover betrays him. The GM forgets (she is human after all) and during the course of a long plot, his lover does indeed betray him. The player is bothered, as this touches upon some past event from real life and touches a nerve, and notifies the GM. The GM then sees how she can fix things so that the plotline does not continue to dance upon the player's nerves.

This last, keeping the GM informed, is the most important. I want this to be a fun time for everyone involved. Gaming is a cooperative effort. You amuse me, I amuse you. I want to have a good time. For this reason, I want things to be good for all players.