@Sydney_H please let me know if this is in the right section. Thanks!
First and Foremost
Welcome to the Episode Forums! I’m Amani, you can ask me anything at all and I’ll help you.
here are the threads in this area:
Let’s start with a quick introduction of the forums.
There are 7 sections in the forums. One of them is the “Welcome, Start Here!” Section where moderators or administrators of the site have posted topics that let us know what the forums is about.
You might be wondering. How do I get there?
Well, I’m going to post the links to each topic but you should know how to find these sections anyway. The way to do this is:
At the top of your screen, you should see a large white bar. Inside of that bar, there is a magnifying glass, three lines, your profile, and the Episode Logo. To find a section, click on the Episode Logo. Now you should see the sections. If you want to go to the “Welcome, Start Here!” section, just simply click on those words!
Now you see two different sub-sections of the forums. “Forum Tutorials” and “More Help”. These sections are also able to be clicked on. Let’s start by clicking on “Forum Tutorials”.
You can click on one of the many topics to see what it says. Here they are, by the way.
Topics in "Welcome Start Here!" "Forum Tutorials"
Please Read: Forum Archiving
🙋♀️ HOW TO: Get Episode Forum App!
Forum Tutorials
Discourse Text Formatting How-to!
Official Tutorial/How-To for the Forums (V2)
A quick how-to for Discourse!
Help me with Forums ... please
Now, let’s go back to “Welcome Start Here!” and check out the other sub-section called “More Help”
There are only two topics here.
Topics in "Welcome Start Here!" "More Help"
Alright, now click the episode logo again. Now, instead of clicking “Welcome, Start Here!”, click “Announcements!”
You should see four subcategories. These include:
Style + Art Updates
This is where the episode team will let you know if they have created any new episode styles (current ones are Classic, ink, and Limelight), and they will let you know if they have created any new outfits/hairstyles and basically anything that has to do with that area.
Topics in "Announcements" "Style + Art Updates"
Episode's 2017 Diversity Standards
Content Guidelines
About the Style + Art Updates category
[Limelight] Tattoos and The Like - #10 by fcukforcookies
Limelight College Life Clothes!
Limelight Fae & Fantasy Set
[Limelight] Animations Part 3 - #3 by kylie_writes
Limelight Animations Release
[Limelight + Ink] Fall Styles
[Limelight] Animations Release
[Limelight] Back to School
[Limelight] A Night Out
[Limelight] Summer Thriller
[Limelight] Casual Clothing
Limelight South Asian Inspired Attire!
[Limelight] Casual Wear Pt2
[Limelight] Skirts and Dresses - #2 by Tijana1
COMING SOON: Update to Limelight Skin Tones!
[Limelight] Summer Time Part 2
[Limelight] Animations: Fourth Walls Beware
[Limelight] Victorian Mystery
[Limelight] Summer Time
Limelight Animations Part 2!
Ink Jewelry & Accessories!
Ink Beach Day Part 2
Ink Beach Day Part 1
Limelight Vocations
New Backgrounds!
Limelight Backgrounds!
Ink Beach Day Pt 3
Ink Beach Day Part 4
Limelight Valentine's Day 2018
Limelight Formal Attire!
Limelight Easter Bunnies!
Selling Art on the Episode Platform
Writer’s Portal Updates
This is where they might release information about new episode styles, speechbubbles, and basically anything about the writer’s portal. As well as Style + Art Updates, Writer’s Portal Updates is mainly if you’re an episode author that it might be useful to you. Even so, if you’re not, it’s neat to check out the changes you may see in your future stories.
Topics in "Announcements" "Writer's Portal Updates
About the Writer's Portal Updates category
New Skin Tones and the Future of Character Tech
Speech Bubble Styles Release
Writer Portal Update: Visual Character Editor
Coming Soon: Account Settings on the Writer's Portal! - #4 by Jane_Vent
COMING SOON: Speech Bubble Style Update & Larger Episode Scripts!
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/pending-update-to-skin-tones-and-naming-conventions/65408
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/writer-portal-update-larger-script-sizes-now-live-to-all-writers/27128
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/donacode-updates-new-previewer/17435
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/using-you-in-toasters-and-speech-bubble-style-update/38924
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/update-skin-tones-dirty-dancing-contest-submission-deadline-and-overlay-reviews/61184
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/new-skin-tones-and-updated-search/59241
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/portal-10-80-ugc-update-coming-soon-exciting-web-previewer-tracking/21610
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/new-features-device-guide-character-generator-update/31587
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/preview-animations-in-character-editor-toaster-and-speech-bubble-updates/45736
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/auto-suggestion-based-on-style-and-story-projects/12861
Mobile App Updates
Well, the title of this subcategory basically explains it. If there is a change in the Episode App, such as a new shelf or something else, then they will announce it here.
Contests
If you are an Episode Author, this section will let you know if there will be a story contest. Some of them were H&V: Fantastical: Dirty Dancing: and the most recent contest that won’t end until the 30th of September, is Thriller.
You Should Know: Users can not post topics in “Welcome, Start Here!” or “Announcements”, those sections are only for moderators and administrators to post in.
Again, click the Episode logo and go below “Announcements”. You should see a section called “Community”
The subsections here are
Episode Fan Community
Here, you can discuss episode stories, authors, or anything related to Episode!
Important Topics in "Community" "Episode Fan Community"
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/trust-levels-how-they-work/75381/5
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/about-the-episode-fan-community-category/32
General Chat
This Subcategory is for topics and conversations where you can talk about anything not related to Episode.
Story Games & Role Playing
This section is a bit different. If you want to know how to work this section, here is a helpful thread.
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/guide-how-to-rp-sg/18763
That was made by a forum user @/SillyCupcake22233
Promote Your Story
If you’re an Episode Author, this is the subcategory you can create topics for in order to Promote Your Story and get more people to read it!
Forum Games
In Forum Games, you can play games. Most of the games are pretty self-explanatory but you should still read the original post to know if there are any examples on how to play!
As you probably guessed, Episode Logo. Scroll below “Community”, where you will find “Creator’s Corner”.
Subcategories in this section include the following:
Directing Helps & Tips
This subcategory is for if you’re an Episode Author and you want help to figure out how to do a specific thing in your story or get rid of an error. You can also create topics where you will help other people.
Share Feedback
If you have a story idea or a story, you can make a topic here to ask for help or ask if anyone would read it if published.
Find a Writing Partner
As the title says, people looking for a writing or plot or directing partner must go here and look for someone to help them. They can also find Writing Groups here. You can create your own writing group if you want!
Art Resources
If you are writing a story or have written a story and need a story cover, a background, a worded background (splash/words like: This Story Uses Sound), banners (like the image at the top of this topic), overlays, profile pictures (for forums), character edits, or art scenes, you can come here and request from one of the many artists, myself included. If you’re an artist and you actually want to make art for others, you can also create a topic saying you’ll make art for people or you can join an art group (more about that later).
Now. Back to the logo, and below creator’s corner to report a bug.
Here are the subsections in this area.
Writer’s portal Bug
If you’re an author on the writer’s portal, and you have a problem like a bug, go here!
Mobile App Bug
Just like the writer’s portal bug, except for the app.
Mobile Creator Bug
This is for Authors using the app to write and have problems!
Logo, below Report A bug, Feature + Art Suggestions
These are subsections here:
Art + Animations
If you have any art ideas such as outfits or hairstyles or customization ideas, you can make a topic asking for it or reply support! to a topic you might agree with.
Writer’s Portal Features
This is if you have ideas for the portal such as speechbubbles or deleting things. Anything that might make things easier for the author.
Mobile App Features
If you have ideas for the app itself, post a topic here or reply support! to one you might agree with.
logo, below, site feedback
This has no subcategories but this is where you go if you might want to give feedback on the forums!
Now that that’s done, let’s teach you how to create topics, private messages, and navigate you through your profile.
The Main Menu
Here is how to access the Main Menu. In the top right of your screen, you should see three grey bars. Click them!! Now you should see Nine different places to click.
latest
Here, you can see what topics have most recently been replied to. In each topic, you should see the title. To the left of the title, the section in which the creator of the topic put it in is in bold. Left of that, you see the profile pictures of a few of the people that have replied to the topic. Left of those, you see a number. That number is the number of replies there have been. To the left of that, there’s another number! This is how many views that topic got. Finally, to the left of that, you should see a number and a letter. m= minute, h= hour, and . This tells you how long ago someone replied to this topic.
New
Here, you can see all the newest posts since you were last here. If you want to dismiss all of them, scroll to the very bottom and click “dismiss”
Unread
Here, any of the topics you’ve ever replied to will give you a notification as soon as it has a new reply.
Top
Here, you can see the top topics ever!!! You can change “year” to “All Time” “Week” “Today” “Month” or “Quarter”. Each category has a latest section and a top section so you can see the top topics in each section or subsection.
Badges
Here, you can see what “badges” or awards you have won on the forums.
Users
Here, you can see the top users of the forums. You can also click on their profile pictures to view their profile
Groups
This really isn’t… needed?
Tags
This area is for when you create a topic, you can put tags to say what it’s about
Cakeday
Here, you can see who’s birthday it is. You can also see who’s forum anniversary is today!
About
Click it to find out
FAQ"
Click it to find out
Keyboard shortcuts
CLICK IT!!!
Now onto creating topics.
If you go to “new” “lastest” or “unread” it gives you the option to create topic in the top right below the white bar.
Private Messages!
No one can access those messages except the people permitted to. Click your profile picture, you will see all your notifications. A green dot means you got a reply from a private message or someone created a private message (pm) with you in it. Also, there is a little envelope icon. Click it! Here, you can see all of the private messages you’ve ever been in. You can also see a button that says “new message”. You click this to create a pm.
You should as well see words on the side saying “inbox” “sent” and “archive”. In your inbox is all your non-archived private messages. In your Sent, is all the private messages. In Archive, you can find all your archived messages.
Your profile!!!
Stay where you are, on the private message page!!! Further up, you should see your profile picture in the top left, your username, and your name. On the top right, you should see expand (on phones, this button is below your name). Click expand. Now you see your background, your profile picture, name, username, location (don’t worry, they don’t know where you are, this is just something you can put in yourself), your website, bio, and that’s all.
Now, below that, there are more words.
Joined: And the date you joined
Last post: the last time you posted
Seen: Last time you were online
Views: how many people have viewed your profile
Trust level: where you are based on badges you have
email: only if you put one in.
Below that, you should see “Summary” “Activity” “Notifications” “Messages” “invites” “badges” “preferences”.
Click Summary and you’ll see
Days visited: how many days in a row you’ve been on forums
Read time: how long it takes to read all your posts (I think)
Topics Viewed: how many topics you’ve read
Posts read: How many posts you have read
given: How many likes you’ve given
Bookmarks: How many posts you have bookmarked
Topics created: How many topics you have created
Posts created: How many posts you’ve made
received: How many likes people have given you.
Top Replies: Your replies that have gotten the most likes (top 6 only)
Top topics: Your topics that have gotten the most likes (top 6 only)
Top links: Top links you’ve ever posted (this is based on how many people clicked on the link)
Most Replied To: The person you’ve replied to the most
Most Liked By: The person who has liked the most of your posts
Most Liked: The person who’s posts you’ve liked the most of
Top Categories: The categories you’ve posted most in
Top badges: your top 6 badges
scroll back up to “Activity”
Here, you will see all your posts.
Go to notifications
Your notifications basically.
Go to messages
You already know this
Go to Invites
How many people you’ve invited to the forums.
Go to Badges
All your badges are here
Go to preferences
Here, you can change your name and email/password for account, you can also change your profile picture!
Go to the left of all that, to “profile”
Here, you can edit your bio. You can also change your Location and website. You can choose your profile backgrounds as well
don’t forget to click save changes
You can go to the side and click emails to choose what emails you get from forums.
Go to notifications to choose how long a topic can be in your new section without being dismissed until it is automatically dismissed, when a topic will be tracked (meaning you will receive unread notifications when there is a new reply, get a regular notification when you are tagged or replied to), what your topic will be set to when you post in it (watching: always will get a notification for every reply tracking: ^^^ normal: you will only receive tag notifications and replied to notifications), notify when you are liked, live notifications, private messages, muted users (they can not pm you)
Now back to the left and click categories, tags, interface.
Those three are self explanatory.
Quoting, bolding, italicizing, linking, block quotes, preformatted text, upload images, bulletpoints, numbering, emojis, and extras.
So, when you make a post, you should see a speechbubble in the top left of your typing box. That is so that you can quote whatever you are replying to.
You also see a B. This means bold. Just click it to bold text. When you click it, you just put words in between the two ** and **.
You see an I. This is to Italicize, and same as bold, you put the words in between the _ and _.
You see a small chain or a link. Here, you can insert a link for something. I never use this, instead I just copy and paste links.
You also see a quotation mark. Use this to
do this.
Next to that, you see a </> right? this will make it like this
You also see a picture frame with mountains and a sun. Click this to upload an image.
You see three dots going down with lines. click this to add a bullet point. The one next to it is for numbers.
Next to that, you should see a smiley face, this has emojis!!! Special ones.
Then there is a gear. Click the gear. You can choose “hide details”
hide details does this
yep
There is also “blur spoiler” that does this
Insert date does exactly that.
Build poll will build a poll.
Moving on to art groups, favorite topics, and the end of this journey.
Art groups: Art groups are complicated. I, myself, am in 5 and have founded 2 or 3. I highly recommend not joining one considering there is some serious drama involved and that can horribly ruin your mental state as it did mine. Although, it can be a lot of fun!!! I met all my best friends through art groups.
Here are my favorite topics:
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/confession-thread-part-2/94623
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/honesty-thread/103584
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/the-appreciation-thread/105290
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/truth-or-dare-part-2/71975
https://forums.episodeinteractive.com/t/the-royal-cult/88794
Also, feel free to check out my profile for reference.
I really hope this thread was helpful. If you have any extra questions, ask below!!
@Jeremy and @Sydney_H are two important forum moderator and leader. If they tell you to do something regarding forums, I recommend you do it. They’re both super cool, don’t worry