Hi, all!
Hard to believe it's almost that time of year, again - the annual FPP reset! You still have about three weeks so DON'T PANIC, there's still plenty of time to hit the next level and claim your unused prizes! To see if you have unclaimed prizes, please check
this post - I've made a chart to help keep track of what you have and have not yet claimed so you can plan accordingly. I update this chart every time someone levels-up or claims a prize and cross-reference it with the system in the forum so there really shouldn't be any errors with this or with the points, but if you notice a discrepancy please let me know!
Just like the past couple of years, the reset will take place on
Wednesday, July 15th, 2020. This means: please submit any outstanding thread claims and prize claims
no later than 11:59pm EDT on Tuesday, July 14th, 2020. Remember that prizes earned this cycle
do NOT roll-over to the next cycle - you must claim them by the conclusion of the current cycle. Please note that all dates and times referenced in this thread and in the main FPP thread are
EDT.
I'll post updates here as well as in the
main FPP thread.
An
FAQ and some general reminders:
- As usual, threads that have been posted-in within the past four (4) months are eligible to be claimed in this current round (i.e. 2019-2020). For the upcoming round, please refer to the next point.
- Beginning on July 15th (EDT), in order for a thread to count towards the new cycle there must be at least one post in the thread dated July 15th (EDT). For instance, if the last post was made on July 14th and I submit a claim for that thread on July 15th, it will not count for the new cycle. However if the last post in that thread was made on July 15th, then it will count towards the new cycle (i.e. 2020-2021) and cannot count towards the previous cycle (i.e. 2019-2020). Alternatively if the last post was July 14th and I submit the thread claim before 11:59pm EDT on July 14th, it will count toward the previous cycle (i.e. 2019-2020).
- In terms of claiming power-ups, the standard rules apply: you may not "backdate" a power-up and use it on a thread that got you to your current level. For instance if I don't have any power-ups at the moment, but then I submit a claim for a 20-point thread that gets me to the next level, and I choose the power-up as a prize, I cannot go back and try to apply that earned power-up to the same 20-point thread.
- For the sake of my sanity and to minimize the potential for errors, after the reset I would very much appreciate if you'd wait at least a week to submit new claims for the new (2020-2021) cycle so I can keep things as organized as possible and make sure the previous cycle is completely accounted-for! In any case, I'll post an update when the system has been reset and it's 'safe' to claim for the new cycle.
- After the reset, you will need to go back and re-register for the FPP with your OOC account. Don't worry about this until after I've posted the update that the reset is complete, but just FYI: in order for this to work properly, you must populate the "Player Name" field (Profile > Forum Profile > Player Name) with your name because the "Player Name" field (not your display name) is what the system uses to display you in the Leaderboard. In other words, you NEED to fill out the "Player Name" field, even on your OOC/master account.
There have been a few minor
rule clarifications since the prior cycle; there are no 'new' rules, but a few are now more specific. They have been outlined below so please take a moment to review them (the rules on the main FPP thread will also be edited accordingly):
- Drivers may NOT gift rewards that they themselves have earned to others - except for CTs, and only with the receiving driver's permission.
- TT Wildcards and FF Wildcards are now active for one year from the date they are claimed as a prize. This is to account for the fact that many drivers are not able to reach a qualifying level such as Sapphire until late in the cycle, which means they have less time to utilize the Wildcard. In any case, once the "expiration" date is reached, the thread in that Wildcard spot does not need to be immediately dropped - but once that thread is completed, the spot cannot be 'renewed'.
- To earn the "group thread" bonus:
>> at least three separate drivers must participate. {This is already in the rules; just restating here for completeness.}
>> in the event that only three drivers are participating, the third driver may not have only a brief 'cameo' that does not otherwise contribute to the thread at large. Driver participation should be approximately equal for at least 1-2 pages of the thread as appropriate, but preferably throughout the entire thread.
>> for smaller previously-orchestrated group threads that include more than 3 drivers, at least three participating drivers must contribute to the majority of the thread.
>> for designated large-crowd open threads (i.e. MP starters), driver participation may be more variable due to the nature of these threads. - The goal of Mini-plots (MPs) is to encourage drivers to thread out admin- and member-written plots and events; including these as bonuses in the FPP merely provides an additional incentive, but the more important piece is driver involvement in these plots to connect drivers and characters. Regarding what types of threads that drivers can check "Plot Thread" for:
>> Only articles marked specifically as The Daily Prophet content (i.e. those with green headers) are MP-eligible threads. Please note that Witch Weekly articles (pink headers), The Quibbler articles (red headers), and Label Magazine articles (blue headers) are not MP-eligible.
>> For the first page of The Daily Prophet (i.e. school/world plots), characters must be present and threading out the event in real-time. For instance, a thread with characters participating in the Beltane activities on May 1st does count; a thread two days later where characters talk about what happened at the bonfire/activities does not.
>> For all other pages of The Daily Prophet (i.e. all other articles with green headers), mentioning and talking about the event is sufficient - however said mentions must comprise the majority of or at least a main focal point of the thread. For instance, two characters may discuss that one's grandparent is currently ill with Dragon Pox (a minor MP in June 2003), but this should be a main focal point of the thread once it comes up in discussion and not simply mentioned as a one-off. - Owl Mail threads are eligible for the FPP, however the majority of the posts in a claimed thread must be at least one paragraph in length (as is the case with the rest of the forum); they may not consist primarily of one-liners.
As always, the Admin Team reserves the right to review each claim submission and - in the case of ambiguity or perceived loopholes - make final calls as to which threads qualify for which bonuses at their discretion. The team will make this assessment as fairly as possible given past precedents and the letter of the rules, and will keep members apprised of any rule clarifications or changes. As always, please PM
Olivia or another member of the Admin Team with any questions regarding claim qualification, prizes, etc.
Happy threading!
~ The Admin Team
