What is the Control Panel?
The control panel is your tool to control your participation at NextGen RPG.  First and foremost, it's where you can share a bit about yourself with the rest of the community, and control your account settings, the content that you see on the site and the content that you subscribe to. 

Our goal is to provide you with a customizable site that will allow you to turn on and off the blocks of data that you want to see.  To locate your Control Panel look in the left hand navigation column, it is located immediately under the My Tools section.  Clicking on the CP link will take you to the default view, which will show you what other members will see.  Other members will only see a link to your blog, a listing of how long you've been a member, and things that you provide in the About Me section.

Account Information - You will need to be logged into the site before you can save your settings.

To change your account settings and to customise the content that you see on the site, you will need to Edit the Account Information section.  Following are descriptions of each of the sections and instructions on how to change each item.
 

• Account Information - This section will allow you to change your email address and password.
  • Email Address
  • Password
  • Confirm Password
    • Go to your Control Panel
    • Click on the Edit tab
    • Input your new email
    • Your current or new password
    • Confirm as necessary
    • click on Save at the bottom of the page

• Rich Text Editor Settings - This section allows you to control how you enter your data into your game moves, comments, blogs and forums.  It is recommended that people use the default WYSIWYG editor.  It does have a few quirks that will be explained in the Known Issues section, but not using it can be frustrating when you try to locate your insertion points into game moves.  For those that prefer to use straight html code, this is where you would toggle to that option.
  • Go to your Control Panel
  • Click on the Edit tab
  • Select Default State
  • Choose Disabled to turn off the WYSIWYG editor or Enabled to turn on your WYSIWYG editor
  • Click on Save at the bottom of the page

• Picture - This is where you upload or delete your Avatar for use on the site.  Your avatar will be placed next to all of your blog and forum entries.
  • To Upload an Avatar Picture
    • Go to your Control Panel
    • Click on the Edit tab
    • Click on Browse under Upload Picture
    • Locate the image on your local computer and click Open
    • Click on Save at the bottom of the page
  • To Delete an Avatar Picture
    • Go to your Control Panel
    • Click on the Edit tab
    • Check the box next to Delete Picture
    • Click on Save at the bottom of the page
• Block Configuration - This is the place that you go to turn on and off the blocks of content that are located in the left hand Navigation Column and My Games Page.  Most of the blocks are set as on off default, but please feel free to customize this to your liking.  Following are instructions on how to turn them on/off, as well as descriptions of each of the blocks.
  • Scroll down to Block Configuration
  • Place a checkmark next to the blocks that you want to see.  Descriptions to follow.
    •  Optional: new_update_book: Block - This will eventually disappear after you click through all the content.  Once that happens you will ONLY see this block if there is new or updated content since your last move.  Similar functionality can be found on the My Games page.
    •  Optional: new_update_blogs: Block - This will eventually disappear after you click through all the content. Once that happens you will ONLY see this block if there is new or updated content since your last move. Similar functionality can be found on the My Games page.
    • Recommended: new_update_forum: Block - This only shows in the forum and will eventually disappear after you click through all the content. Once that happens you will ONLY see this block if there is new or updated content since your last move.
    • Recommended: my_games_favorite: Block - This only appears in your My Games Page.  It provides a quick search table on all Next Gen content.
    • Recommended: Book Navigation: Block - This appears in your game moves and blog pieces that are assigned to a book outline.  It will show the book outline of your game in the left hand column, under the Navigation Information.
      
    • Optional: Random FAQ - Random selection of 5 FAQs located on the MyGames Page.  Recommended for new users.
    • Optional: Recent_ImageContent: Block - Shows the last five uploaded image links
    • Optional: Dice Roller - Block that contains the die roller
    • Optional: Counter - This block shows only on the front page, and gives PHP Site Stats.
    • Optional: Most recent poll - disappearing block, it will only show poll content if there are some
    • Optional: Who's Online
    • Optional: Who's New
    • Optional: Latest Image
    • Optional: Random Image

About Me - Click on this tab and fill out the items that will help us get to know you better.  Feel free to upload pictures and write about yourself in the About Me Text Window.  The information in this section will be available to the other members.

Subscriptions Tab - This tab is used for controlling the content notifications that you would like sent to your preferred email account.  All subscription notifications will be delivered to the email address that you have indicated in your account settings.  There are five subtabs located in the subscriptions area; Overview, Pages, Blogs, Content Types and Categories.

• Overview Tab: This is the quick reference tab to see all of your subscriptions
• Pages Tab: Every page at NextGen RPG, has the subscription option.  This is a great way to follow just the game moves that you participate or lurk in.  As you select subscriptions to individual pages, they will show up in this tab.
• Blogs Tab: The blogs tab allows you to subscribe to your favorite user's blog.  Each time they add content to their blog, you will be notified via email.
• Content Types: This is a way to subscribe to broad sections of the site.  I will warn you that this could become overwhelming, so subscribe with caution.  You can select certain content types, such as blogs or forums that you would like to receive notifications on, when new items are posted.
• Categories: This tab allows finite control over the content that you want to subscribe to.  It contains forum categories, game books, authors, characters and galleries.  Once you subscribe to a catagory, you will get email notifications, every time new or existing content is added or updated with the category tags that you've subscribed to.

Track Tabs - The Track Posts Tab follows you as you navigate through NextGen RPG.  It keeps track of each piece of content that you've edited or commented on.  When you visit this tab, it will show a 'red' new or updated alert on any of your tracked content, if it has been added or changed since your last visit.  The Track Page Visits Tab keeps a list of your most recently viewed content.

What are MyTools at NextGen RPG and how do I use them?
In our effort to make NextGen RPG a dynamic place for GMs to run their games and for players to play, we've utilized a lot of tools to help us.  This section is dedicated to explaining them and how to use them.


What is the WYSIWYG Editor?
NextGen RPG utilizes a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) Editor.  We are striving for a gaming environment that is intuitive and that requires a minimal learning curve.  This section will explain the WYSIWYG Editor, any known issues with using it, and details on how to turn the editor off, for those that prefer to use straight html coding.
Basic Layout and Buttons.
How do I paste from MS Works?
How do I paste from MS Works?
How do I upload an image to a game move or blog post?
Known Issues & Bugs

What are Galleries and how do I use them?
Each game is assigned a game gallery, with any subcategories that the GM requests.  Common categories include; Cast, NPCs, Villains, Maps & Misc.  When you have a bodycast or picture that you would like to share, you will upload it into the proper gallery.  If the picture is only related to one story, and not important to the over all game, you can upload it directly into the game file, if you prefer.  This way it will be available to anyone reading that game piece, but will otherwise not remain to clutter the game galleries.

What are PMs and how do I use them?

What are Notes and how do I use them?
Sometimes during game play, it becomes useful to have a place to make notes to yourself.  Things that you want to keep private, whether it's secrets that you've uncovered during game play, or lines that you want to use, or things that you don't want to forget, etc.  This is a place for you to create notes that will only be seen by you.  Some other uses might include, posting character sheets or stats, spell lists, power lists, catch phrases, verbiage of arcane spells (so that you don't have to get the Latin translation or equivalent each time), and clues.

What are the Forums and how do I use them?
The forums are not used for playing the games at NextGen RPG.  The forum is a community tool to allow our members to keep in touch and get to know each other better.  In addition, each Game will have its own forum to discuss the out of character aspects of their game, make story request, and deal with any comments or game related critiques that they may encounter.

1. Click on Forums from the Left Hand Navigation Column
2. Note that in red at the top of each forum page, is a list of new forum threads.  Once you read them, the listing will disappear.
3. Locate the topic of interest
4. Click 'Reply', 'Quote' or scroll to the bottom to make your entry in the text box.
5. Click Save.

How do I Navigate and Find Content at NextGen RPG?
Navigation on the site might take some getting used to, and is very much going to be a user level preference.  What some people might prefer, won't be another person's chosen method.  So, I will outline here, the recommended ways of site navigation, as well as alternative methods that might appeal to you.  The basic navigational tools are; the Left hand Navigation Column, the Search Box at the top left, the three drop down boxes at the top of the page, and some tools available in your Control Panel.

The top of almost every page, has access to three very useful drop down boxes. They are fairly self explanatory and easy to use.  Depending on the content that you are looking for you can use one, two or all of the boxes to narrow your search before clicking apply.  As the site grows, this will be the quickest and most useful tool for searching for your new game moves, catching up on blogs and finding other site related content.

If you are already involved in a game, the My Games page, located under My Tools in the Left Hand Navigation column, will be very helpful.  You will be automatically subscribed to all games that you have permissions to, and all blog, game, image, poll and forum updates will show there.  You will also find a quick search table there that will allow you to find content that you might like to follow, even if you aren't in the games.

As the site grows, these two tools will be the quickest and most useful ways for finding your new game moves, catching up on blogs and finding other site related content.

What are the recommended and welcome uses of my Blog at NextGen RPG?
Every user account comes equipped with a blog.  We encourage you to use this space for your character related game material.  You can be as creative as you like!  Some examples of blog entries are; side fiction pieces, joint posts, diary entries, newspaper articles, letters, and character blogs.  Blogs are very intuitive, but come equipped with a lot of options related to assigning them to books and subscriptions that might cause some confusion. 

Please make sure that your blog entries are contributions to the site and if applicable, to your game.  Does it tell a story or provide insight into your character?  If it's informational in nature, it is more suited for the Forum, most games will have a 'Getting to know the Cast' Thread.  If it is personal in nature, as in player related, it is more suited for the 'Real Life' section in the Forum.  If it's incomplete, please wait until the piece is completed to post it.  This will help ensure that the rest of the community have a chance to read your completed blog entry. 

There are always exceptions, but generally a quality blog entry will be at least one page long in a traditional word processor.  If your peice is long, over ten pages, it might be a good idea to separate it into two parts to allow for easy viewing.  There are no rules in place for this, but personally - I find that a blog entry over 10 pages should be broken into two parts.

1. Locate the Create Content link, in the left hand Navigation Column, under My Tools
2. Click on Blog Entry & this will open your blog entry screen
3. Required:  Title of your fiction piece
4. Suggested: Click on the Story drop down box and select the game that the piece is for.
5. Unless your piece is adult in nature, you do not need to mess with Rating.
6. Suggested: Characters, NPCs & Villains.  Allows you to enter names of important characters in your piece.  It will autoselect if it's already in the database, if it isn't it will auto create.  Check with your GM to see if they have a preference as to whether you fill this out.
7. Required: Author is an optional but recommended field.  Try to be consistent with the name that you'd like to use across all of your games. 
8. Required:  Body - This is where you write or paste your piece into your blog. Feel free to use the text editor for special formatting.  If you are pasting from Word, please use the Pasting from Word button on the text editor, it will  strip some of the unnecessary code from the document.  Click here for additional tips on using the WYSIWIG Editor.
9. The Editor is equipped with a spell checker (button looks like an ABC with a checkmark), if you haven't already, please review your post to ensure your best effort and spell check it.
10. Suggested: Book Outline - This is where you assign your fiction piece to the correct game.  See the next question.
11. Optional: Click Preview to ensure your post is how you want it. DO NOT FORGET TO HIT SAVE if you preview.
12. Click Save
13. IF the page looks broken, never worry or panic.  Just contact an admin, we can fix it or revert to the previous version.  Standard rule is to blame Chairman for all page breaks, because it's ultimately her fault cuz she insists on having the WYSIWYG editor.