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This guide is intended to provide pretty much all the basic information you need to understand this forum, and answer all the questions that get repeatedly posted.
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'''This is a guide to your membership, abilities, options and access on the [[Total War Center]]. If you are a new user, please review the New User FAQ; more experienced users may also find this page a useful reference.'''
  
==Guide to vBulletin==
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*For the site's rules please see the '''[[TWC Official:Terms of Service|Terms of Service]]'''. You are expected to follow them at all times on the platform!
Here you can find an FAQ for vBulletin, who provide our forum software. Questions on how to use the forum itself, can be found [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/faq.php?faq=vb_faq here]
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*For a general overview of the site and a breakdown of available sections, please see '''[[Total War Center]]'''.
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*If you've read through these pages and still can't find the answer you're looking for, please log in to TWC and ask in the '''[https://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=9 Questions and Suggestions forum]'''.  Also, if there is a known issue with the site or planned downtime for maintenance, staff will post about it in that forum. You can also visit '''[[TWC Discord]]'''.
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*We are aware of issues recieving emails upon account registration on the forum, unfortunately. Please see the second item in the New User FAQ if this is your situation.
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{{TOC right}}
  
==TWC's BB Code==
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=About Total War Center=
Ever wondered how to make your text go bold or italic or all the many many other things you can do with text?<br>
 
[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/misc.php?do=bbcode Here's the complete list of all the BB tags we use here].
 
  
==TWC Terms of Service and Forum Rules==
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'''Total War Center is one of the largest and oldest communities for the [[Total War Series]] on the internet.''' We are centered around modding, discussion, and cultivating a community across the different generations of the franchise. We welcome participants for other sections including historical discussion, politics, general tech advice, writing and more.
Every member when they sign up is expected to keep to these rules. They're enforced by the moderators, and failure to comply will result in warnings suspensions, and ultimately, a permanent ban. We recommend you read and familiarise yourself with them! [[TWC:Terms of Service|Terms of Service]]
 
  
==The Tribunal and the Questions and Suggestions Forum==
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The site has several major spaces:
These two forums are located in the Administrative Forums at the bottom of the main page and provide a place for members to come and sort out and any problems or issues.
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* The twcenter.net site containing:
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** '''The [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/ Forums], where most of the community activity and modding resources are located.'''
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** The [https://www.twcenter.net/ Home Page], with announcements and news for the site, the TW series and mods.  Users cannot post here but may [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/announcement.php?f=11&a=452 request an announcement].
 +
** The [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/content.php Articles (CMS)], where Content Staff publish articles, reviews and features.
 +
** The [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/blog.php Blogs], where TWC members can publish their own blogs (subject to some [[#Blogs|constraints]]).
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** The [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/downloads.php Downloads], where members can upload and access small mods and resources.
 +
** The [[Main Page|TWC Wiki]], hosting information about the site, the TW series, mods and modding.
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* The [https://discordapp.com/invite/w6GRHFp TWC discord server], a chat open to all users, registered or not.
 +
* The [https://twitter.com/twcnet TWC Twitter] account, which posts news items and may respond to inquiries.
  
===The Tribunal===
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=New User FAQ=
This is the place to go if you think you've been unfairly moderated or received a caution, warning, or suspension you don't think is justified. You may air your grievance and three appointed Judges (independent of the moderating staff) will review your case. Suspended members have the ability to post in this forum and this forum alone. [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=146 The Tribunal forum.]
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'''Welcome to TWC!''' Check out what interests you and make yourself at home! There are various communities and sub-communities available, appealing to different interests. The index is a bit long - if you can't find something or need assistance, don't be afraid to ask! If it's not already on the site you can make a suggestion in Questions & Suggestions.
  
===Questions and Suggestions===
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==Registering and New Accounts==
If you have a question that has not been answered by this handy little guide, or you have any suggestion or comment you'd like to make that you think might make TWC that little bit better, then here is the place to post. All thoughts and comments welcome! [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=9 Questions and Suggestions forum.]
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'''If you haven't done so already, the first step is to [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/register.php register]!''' You will need an activated account before you can post on TWC. After 25 posts and being registered for one week, you will be a full member with access to post editing among other features.
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
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! '''How can I register on TWC?'''
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Click the "Register" button on the forums ([https://www.twcenter.net/forums/register.php here]). You will need to provide your date of birth, choose a user-name and password, provide a valid email address and agree to abide by the Terms of Service. You will receive an account activation email in your inbox. You MUST follow the link in that email before you can post. Until you do that you will be able to log-in but not post! If you do not recieve an email, see the following section...
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! '''What can I do if I haven't received my activation email?'''
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If it is not instantly in your inbox, please give it some time, as it can take a little while to arrive. If you still don't see it, check your spam folder. If it's not there you can [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/register.php?do=requestemail request the automated email to be re-sent].  
  
==Signatures, Avatars, and Profile Pictures==
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Unfortunately email does not always send correctly. In this case you can reach out through the [https://discord.gg/w6GRHFp TWC Discord server], the site contact form at the bottom of the index, or to [https://twitter.com/twcnet TWC's Twitter].
Signatures are bound to a 500&times;200 pixel box automatically, with anything outside of that being cut off. The maximum file size of all signature images may not exceed 250 KB according to the current [[TWC Official:Terms of Service|TOS]].
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
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! '''It doesn't let me use (insert offbrand email provider here)?'''
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Unfortunately due to spam we have been forced to blacklist various email domains which create emails with no restriction and have been commonly used as spam. We don't expect these to affect legitimate users, especially big providers like gmail, yahoo, proton etc, or custom domains as long as they're not used for spam - but it's mentioned for completeness. If this applies please reach out to us. This is a different issue from not getting the registration email, a known problem with delivery on our end.
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
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! '''I've activated my account, why can't I do ''"xyz"'' yet?'''
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|-
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New users will find that they cannot immediately access all the forum features. You must make 25 posts and be registered for one week before you can use features such as; creating or voting in polls, editing posts and making a signature. Access to many of these features has been restricted to stop new accounts being set-up solely to spam the forums with advertising. If you urgently need to access one of the features, for example, needing to edit a post, you can contact a site moderator or report your own post with details of the change
  
Custom avatars and user pictures must be uploaded to TWC from [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/usercp.php your User Control Panel]. You will be told the maximum size of each when you try to upload them.  At the time of this writing, the maximum sizes are 80&times;80 pixels or 80 KB (whichever is smaller) for avatars, and 640&times;480 pixels or 250 KB (whichever is smaller) for profile pictures.
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Spamming the forum with posts just to get past the 25 post limit is obviously discouraged, but areas such as the [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?60-Coliseum Coliseum] or [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?6-Thema-Devia Thema Devia] give opportunities to make frequent legitimate posts to reach that point on top of participating wherever else you would like.
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
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! '''What if I want to delete my account?'''
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Total War Center does not completely delete accounts for technical reasons, however what we do is ''blank'' the account. This means all sensitive data is removed including email, ip, and various customization like gender and game ownership. The username is anonymized and the account is permanently banned not to be recovered. In essence it becomes an empty shell.
  
==Some Frequently Asked Questions==
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Posts generally are ''not'' removed. When made posts remain in place unless they violate the [[Terms of Service]] or are terminated individually by their author. TWC does not perform mass post wipes as this can have disruptive consequences on the forum both in technical terms and in conversation flow. If personal information was posted or an odd handful of standalone posts need scrubbing then we can be of assistance, but an account with hundreds of posts for example can only be scrubbed in profile information per above so the account itself no longer has info.
Here are the answers to some miscellaneous questions we've been regularly asked not covered elsewhere in this guide.
 
  
;How do I make polls?
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As for who to reach: message any administrator or use the contact form on the forum!
:You can only make a poll if you are starting a new topic. What you need to click to add a poll to your post is the 'Yes, post a poll...' box near the bottom of the screen. If you need to add a poll later then you need to PM a senior Moderator.
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;What's the "Report" button?
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==Forum Sections==
:This red button at the bottom right of each post will generate an automatic email to all the moderators of that forum telling that that post has been reported. You can use it to tell the moderators every time you see a post that breaks the Terms of Service. Reporting posts is encouraged!
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'''The main index page for the forums is [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/ here].'''  The headings for the forum sections are shown on the left; some recent blogs, announcements and posts are shown on the right.  Some of the headings you see on the index such as the Hosted Modification forums will have a lot of sub-forums within them that you can select if you click through to the lower level.
  
;I've just taken a glance at the Political Mudpit and the Ethos, Mores, et Monastica sections of the Common Community, and I want to post there! But I do not want to get completely butchered by the experienced members who already post in those sections. How can I, a complete newb, post in those sections without getting hacked into little pieces?
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
:I can offer four pieces of advice for this: read, edit, give sources, and stay calm.
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! '''Eeeek!  That forum index is huge! How can I make it more manageable?'''
:# Read - What you first need to do is read the entire thread. This is important as it can give you sources for information (which are very important for a debate) and tells you what has already been argued about. Unless you are bringing new information regarding a past issue or point, it is redundant to dredge up an old settled argument, especially if it has been some time since it was last talked about in the thread.
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:# Edit - After you have written your response, always send it through a spellchecker after reading it over again yourself. It is imperative to ensure that there are as few as possible spelling and grammatical errors in your post.
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:# Give Sources - A credible source can go a long way in helping you win a debate. Facts without sources will be often disregarded as mere opinion.
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Forum sections you are not interested in may be closed with the small ^ in the upper right corner of the category, shrinking your scrolling space. Double-clicking on a forum's left-hand icon will mark it as read.
:# Stay Calm - Far too often, members become frustrated and angry on various threads. This happens to all at times, and the best cure is to step away from the debate. What you do after that is up to you, but do not go back to the debate until you have calmed down. If a debate looks like it is getting too heated, a moderator will often close down a thread temporarily to clean up heated posts, as well as giving both parties a chance to calm down.
 
  
;How would I defend myself against flamers and trolls?
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You can also use "Subscriptions" to subscribe to the threads or forums you are interested in. Updates to those threads/forums will then show up in your [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/usercp.php "My Account"] page.
:Hopefully you won't have to! But if someone does flame you or troll you, report their post using the Report button. DON'T respond in kind. If you flame someone who flames you, that just starts a flame war and you'll find yourself in as much trouble as the original flamer.
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
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! '''How do I know where to post or where to find information?'''
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'''[[The Community Portal]]''' section of the Total War Center page explains which forum sections might be most useful for your particular interests or problems. A large part of the forum index is devoted to sections for each of the Total War Series games. Non-Total War Games also have their own sections. Additionally, TWC provides spaces for debate, advice and chat, creative writing and graphic arts, forum games and competitions, and much more!
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
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! '''Why am I seeing the default vBulletin white/blue skin? Doesn't TWC have its own skin?'''
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The vBulletin skin has been set as the default skin for mobile users; some users may find it useful if using a very small screen, but some features will be inaccessible.  If you've arrived at that view and don't want it, scroll down to the bottom of the page and select the "Full Site" button. Once you've got to the full site you can select alternative skins from the drop-down box at the bottom of each page. If you've allowed your browser to accept cookies you should then see your choice of skin every time you visit the forum
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;What if I want to express my opinion about certain members and I want to contact them individually?
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==Who's Who: Staff, Titles, Badges and Bling==
:Try emailing them if they enabled their email address, or use the "private messaging" - PM. Be careful though, some member do report harassing or annoying PMs to moderators. Just because it is a private message, it does not give you leeway to flame or troll others.
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'''A full list of TWC Staff and a description of their roles can be found [[Staff|here]].''' On the forum, badges and titles can indicate that an individual has a variety of different staff/non-staff roles or awards. User displays (to the left of each post) are customised with coloured names and titles, avatars, badges, reputation symbols and medals. You don't need to understand all the intricacies, but a basic understanding of the badges is useful if you need to choose who to contact about an issue.
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*'''Post Count Titles / Custom User Titles''' are shown directly below the avatar and above badges. See [[#Post Count Titles|below]] for details.
  
;But what if I want to make a conversation public?
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*'''Badges''' are the rectangular images like this:<br>
:It is frowned upon, unless for important purposes and with the consent of all involved parties. Releasing personal information from a PM conversation that is defamatory or embarrassing to another party may result in disciplinary action on your part.
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: [[File:Troy Citizen.png]]<br>
  
;What about MSN conversations?
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*'''Role Titles''' these are shown below the badge locations. If a user has more than one badged award or role they can select which badge to display and the other roles will be shown in text here.  
:Same as the above and chatlogs of any other kind as well, although these are considered to be of a more private nature than even the PMs. Displaying information from a private chatlog that is defamatory or embarrassing to another party may result in disciplinary action on your part.
 
  
;Can I Vote in Polls?
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*'''Reputation''' symbols are the smallest images, arranged in lines to show the total amount of rep a user has acquired.  See [[#Reputation|below]] for details.
:To vote in polls you have to have 50 posts and been registered for at least one week. This was introduced to prevent people creating duplicate accounts and spamming our site awards with them.
 
  
;How do I change my name?
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*'''Medals''' are smaller images shown below badges and rep symbols, if you click on a medal in someone's profile it will take you to an explanation about the award.  Medals are the result of past activity and do not imply someone is currently fulfilling a role.
:PM one of the Administrators whose names are in Bold Red and listed later in this FAQ.
 
  
==The Constitution and the Curia==
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
If you've got this far, you've probably realised TWC isn't like any other major forum you've been a part of. The Constitution is a big reason why. About 4 years ago when TWC was small and cosy, the 3 administrators of the time felt that it would be good to reward their core body of active members. The reward they gave this core group was the ability to have a say on how the site is run.  The Constitution is the document that sets out how it all works.
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! '''What do all these badges mean?'''
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When you view a forum thread you will see that many members have badges under their avatar, such as these;<br>
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:[[File:Troy Citizen.png]]  [[File:Troy Moderator.png]]  [[File:Troy God in Colchester.png]]<br>
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Badges can indicate one of the following;
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*The user is a member of TWC Staff.
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*The user is a holder of a Special Title.
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*An award or position granted by the [[Curia]].
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The [[User Badges]] page shows the currently available badges and which branch they represent.  In some cases, a member may be entitled to use more than one type of badge and has to choose between them. Staff members are normally required to show the badge for their highest staff position.
  
Citizenship is awarded to members who make noteworthy contributions to the forum. These can include, but are not limited to:
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Users with badges will often also have their user-name displayed in a different colour to the standard dark grey. Other roles a user is part of are displayed in text directly below the badge.
  
- Creating After Action Reports (AARs) on battles fought in the various Total War games.
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- Creating a mod, or working as part of a mod team for the Total War games.
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
- Serving as a member of the TWC staff (Moderator, Helios/Eagle Standard writer, Librarian, etc.)
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! '''How do I find the staff member responsible for an area?'''
- Showing your dedication to the site by making consistent intelligent posts around the forum.
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While the [[Staff]] link is the most accurate source to tell who's who running the site, you can also see a list of people who have specific editing powers for a section by scrolling to the bottom of its forum index page and finding the list of ''"Moderators of this Forum"''. It will normally contain a mixture of site Staff and "Local Moderators". For mods and areas without formal site staff, the latter are the people to contact unless they are totally unreachable.
  
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Note that users can have multiple titles and feature in different departments. When choosing someone to contact, see if they have been active recently and are responsible for the area you're looking for. Ultimately though, if you choose incorrectly you will be directed to someone who can help. An administrator (named in bright red) is capable of doing the most by themselves or pointing you to the most appropriate fellow admin or staff member for an area.
  
Additionally, there are two types of Citizen. A Civitate is a Citizen whose primary contribution has been in debates and discussions. An Artifex is a Citizen whose primary contribution has been modding work. All the moderators on the site are drawn from the citizen class as well. To find out how to become a citizen, read on below!
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Technical support for games and mods are '''not''' matters for site staff; consider posting in sections like the Basement, the tech boards for each game, and the various mod forums for mod problems, picking the area most specific to the issue you have. But if you are unsure where to go, any staffer and many members will be willing to help.
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! '''What are "Local Moderators"?'''
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Local moderators are not part of TWC Staff and do not display a badge for the role. They ''do'' have light grey names and a custom user-title, and will be listed in "Moderators of this Forum" mentioned above. They may have different colors because of other titles such as curial positions, but with rare exception they are always distinct from site moderators (dark blue) and administrators (bright red). They are usually modders who have been granted rights to operate their mod teams' hosted forum. The local moderators' role is for 'housekeeping' purposes; they do not enforce the Terms of Service and should not attempt to discipline users. Any disciplinary issue should go directly to site Moderation.
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! '''What do the different staff colours mean, and which of them should I contact?'''
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The '''{{Admin Colour|text=Hexagon Council}}''', also known as Hex or Administrators, are distinctively coloured in bold red; they are in charge of the management of the site. If you need to take an issue straight to the top, they are the ones to approach. Hex members are also assigned to the departments shown below - ideally, choose the administrator who is assigned to the area you are interested in.<br>
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Official comments by Hex may be made in bolded red.
  
The Curia has a number of institutions which help to oversee the citizen class, or run the site. One of them, the Tribunal, has already been mentioned above. The three Tribunal judges are all elected by the Curia.
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'''{{Moderator Colour|text=Moderators}}''', coloured in bold dark-blue are the first line of defense whenever there are disputes on the forum. You can message individual moderators if you need to discuss a problem, but the best approach to issues in a thread is often to "Report" a post and explain the issue in the report. Current Moderators and Moderation Hex are shown [[Staff#Moderators|here]].<br>
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Moderators often make their comments in dark bolded blue when officially regulating a thread.
  
===The Consilium de Civitate===
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'''{{Content Colour|text=Content Staff}}''' wear lighter blue names. Whilst they manage the rules for some competitions and run certain areas, they should not be confused with site moderation. Content Staff's work ranges between making graphics, publishing news announcements and articles, managing various events and competitions, maintaining information archives, managing this Wiki and more. If you want to be more involved in any function, competition or event, contact a Content Staff member or the Content Hex [[Staff#Content Staff|assigned to that area]].  
This is a body of 12 elected Citizens who govern promotions and demotions. They vote on whether a member should be promoted from Peregrinus to Citizen, as well as performing other responsibilities listed in the Constitution. If a Citizen has broken the rules, they may also vote to suspend or strip him of his rank. The CdeC maintain a thread in the Curia giving updates on who the current members are and what they've been doing. [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=126071 You can view their current thread here.]
 
  
[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=57330 Past CdeC reports thread.]
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'''{{Tech Colour|text=Technical Staff}}''' manage the backend of the website. They are not normally available for member questions. If you have queries about technical issues with the site post in [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?9-Questions-amp-Suggestions Questions and Suggestions]. For troubleshooting computer issues with your own hardware/software use the [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?8-The-Basement Basement].  For problems with computer games or mods use the sub-forum relevant to the game/mod.
  
And [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showgroups.php#Consilium_de_Civitate_member here are current CdeC members.]
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'''{{Black Colour|text=Tribunes}}''' are the Staff appointed members of the appeal tribunal, they share black coloured names with Magistrates who are the Curia appointed members.  If you wish to appeal a decision made by a moderator amongst [[#Moderator Actions, Infractions and Appeals|other options]], you can take the issue to the [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?146-The-Tribunal Tribunal] and the Tribunes will help judge your case. Note that the Tribunal process is public; if you wish to appeal to Moderation in discretion first, consider the Praetorium section. Note as well that appeals based on clemency must be done in the Praetorium; Tribunes are strictly in place to determine if the TOS was applied correctly.
  
An in-depth guide to the Curia may be found [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=184168 here.]
 
  
===The Curial Officers===
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All staff members are ultimately regular users who have volunteered their time and drive to help improve and maintain the site, please treat them with courtesy! Also please note that real-life commitments may sometimes mean individuals are not as active as others or temporarily unavailable.
To oversee the running of the Curia and its various bodies, there are a number of elected Curial Officers.
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
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! '''How do I earn or win myself a shiny medal?'''
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|-
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{{Medals and Awards}}
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The Total War Center has a wide-ranging system of Medals and Awards, they vary between awards given to long-standing staff members, awards given by the Curia, awards given by TWC Administrators (Hex) and medals that can be won in competition or awarded by public vote.  Links to pages showing the currently available medals and awards are given in the box to the right:
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;The Speaker of the House
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==Rules and Conduct Advice==
:The Speaker is the voice of the Curia to the rest of the site. He's an administrator, and and a member of the Council. He serves a 3 month term.
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'''Every member when they sign up has to agree to keep to the rules in the [[TWC Official:Terms of Service|Terms of Service]]'''. They're enforced by the moderators, and failure to comply can result in warnings, infraction points, suspensions and ultimately a permanent ban. We recommend you read and familiarise yourself with them!
:The Speaker is [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=1094 Erich von Manstein]
 
  
;The Curator
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The Terms of Service apply as a minimum standard throughout the site, some forum sections such as The Mudpit and the Personal Help and Advice Fora have additional rules and/or recommended codes of conduct.  Check the "Sticky:" threads pinned at the top of a forum to see if special rules apply.
:The Curator deals with the day to day running of the Curia. he moves debates vote, orders the archives, maintains order in the Curia, and also makes rulings on the interpretation of the constitution where necessary. He holds his term for 3 months.
 
:The current Curator is [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?do=getinfo&username=Ferrets54 Ferrets54]
 
  
;The Modding Registrar
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===Conduct Advice===
:The Registrar is responsible for running and maintaining the modding registry. He holds his term for 3 months.
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
:The current Registrar is [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?do=getinfo&username=Hader Hader]
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! '''How can I post in The Discussion & Debate area without getting (metaphorically) hacked into little pieces?'''
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|-
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To improve your chances of having a civilised debate in these areas remember: read, edit, give sources, and stay calm.
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*Read - Try to read the entire thread. This is important as it can give you sources for information (which are very important for a debate) and tells you what has already been argued about. Unless you are bringing new information regarding a past issue or point, it is redundant to dredge up an old settled argument, especially if it has been some time since it was last talked about in the thread.
 +
*Edit - After you have written your response, always send it through a spellchecker after reading it over again yourself. Your post will be better received if it doesn't include obvious spelling and grammatical errors.
 +
*Give Sources - A credible source can go a long way in helping you win a debate. Facts without sources will be often disregarded as mere opinion.
 +
*Stay Calm - Far too often, members become frustrated and angry on various threads. This happens to all at times, and the best cure is to step away from the debate. What you do after that is up to you, but do not go back to the debate until you have calmed down. If a debate looks like it is getting too heated, a moderator will often close down a thread temporarily to clean up heated posts, as well as giving all parties a chance to calm down.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''How would I defend myself against flamers and trolls?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Hopefully, you won't have to! But if someone does flame you or troll you, report their post using the Report button. DON'T respond in kind. If you flame someone who flames you, that just starts a flame war and you'll find yourself in as much trouble as the original flamer (provoker).
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''What if I want to express my opinion privately to certain members and I want to contact them individually?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Try emailing them if they enabled their email address, or use the "private messaging" - PM. Be careful though, members do (and should) report harassing or annoying PMs to moderators. Just because it is a private message, it does not give you leeway to flame or troll others.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''I'm being harassed by a forum member, what should I do?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
The "Report" function is available in threads, visitor messages & even private messages so just use that and a site moderator will intervene and deal with the issue.  Harassment is not allowed on TWC as per [[TWC_Official:Terms_of_Service#Harassment_or_Invasion_of_Privacy_(1,_4,_or_8_points)| these rules]].
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''What's the "Report" button? https://www.twcenter.net/forums/images/y2skin/buttons/report-40b.png'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
This button at the bottom right of each post will generate an automatic email to all the moderators of that forum telling them that the post has been reported. You can use it to tell the moderators every time you see a post that breaks the Terms of Service. While it is not our aim to create a generation of informants, experience has proven time and again that reporting a post that you consider offensive or disruptive is far better than attempting to deal with it "on your own", by either attacking the poster or threatening with some form of action in the thread. Furthermore, a report is the fastest way to alert the moderators about serious breaches of ToS such as posting of porn and also to get yourself rid of ad-bots. Reporting posts is encouraged!
 +
|}
  
;The TWC Wiki Editor
+
===Moderator Actions, Infractions and Appeals===
:The Wiki editor is responsible for overseeing the work done on the Wiki Project. He has a 3 month term.
+
'''TWC's staff moderators enforce the Terms of Service throughout the site and can issue warnings and infraction points for breaches.'''  There are methods of appeal if you feel you have been given an infraction unfairly (that is outside the terms of the ToS).
:The current Editor is [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?do=getinfo&username=Spiff Spiff]
+
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''Where do I complain about moderators and their actions, or if I feel I am being mistreated?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
If you think you are being mistreated or that a moderator is acting outside the ToS then you should PM one of the administrators who oversee moderation on a daily basis. These are the current Moderation Overseers:
 +
{{Template:ModerationOverseerList}}
  
===The Curial Committees===
+
You can also post about any problems you're having, or your thoughts about moderation, in the [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=272653 Moderation Commentary Thread] where administrators will try to resolve your problem or answer any of your relevant questions regarding site moderation. It is best to be calm and coherent when talking about the matter in public as it breeds positive conversations, which further breeds solutions and satisfaction.
A Curial Committee can be convened by the Council to discuss or investigate a particular issue. They are designed to bring members of the staff and the Curia together to work on a particular project. There is currently one committee, The Curial Committee on the expansion of TWC.
 
  
==How to become a Citizen==
+
|}
So, after reading all that, has it caught your interest? Do you want to get involved in running this site? Do you want to have your say on how we do things here? Then here's how.
+
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''How do I appeal an infraction I think I've been given unfairly?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
There are a variety of possible methods please see below:
 +
*'''Appeal by PM to the Moderator concerned or to a Moderation Hex''': Members should feel free to discuss any moderator action or decision either with the moderator concerned or with one of the moderation overseers. This is usually the best way to start if you disagree with an infraction you have received, but you should also start here if you have an issue with other actions such as thread warnings, thread closures, notes, and so on. These are the current Moderation Overseers:
 +
{{Template:ModerationOverseerList}}
  
To become a citizen of TWC you first have to meet the qualifications. These are set pretty low and it's not a case of everyone who meets these gets the rank automatically. To qualify for Citizen, a member must have at least fifty posts, been a registered member for one month, and have no warnings within the last three months. Non-point infractions or 'notes' are not factored into this.
+
*'''Appeal to the Praetorium''': Appeals in the [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=1309 Praetorium] are heard by all moderation staff, and all cases are private, which means that other members will not be able to view your appeal thread. You can appeal infractions in the Praetorium and you can also ask for an official ruling on any instruction you have been given by a moderator via PM, note, or thread warning. You cannot appeal other moderator actions like post deletions, thread closures, probation, and so on. You can find the Praetorium guidelines [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=320988 here].
  
Above and beyond these basic standards, the rank is then awarded for contributions. So if you think you make a valuable contribution to the site, chances are you're citizen material.
+
*'''Appeal to the Tribunal''': Appeals in the [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=146 Tribunal] are heard by an independent panel of Tribunes and Magistrates, and all cases are public, which means that other members will be able to view your appeal thread. You can only appeal infractions and other penalties in the Tribunal. You can find the Tribunal guidelines [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=98523 here].
  
To get promoted you have to be patronised by an existing citizen. There are two ways this can happen. The most common is for a citizen to notice your contributions and send you a PM asking if you'd like the rank. If however, you think you are worthy, you don't have to wait to be noticed! You can PM a citizen directly and ask if they will sponsor you. Only those citizens who have themselves held their rank for 3 months can patronise.
+
Appeals against infractions follow much the same process in both the Praetorium and the Tribunal. To open an appeal against an infraction, simply create a thread requesting an appeal. Try to provide relevant information about the infraction such as the approximate time the infraction was given, the name of the moderator who issued the infraction, and the relevant thread or forum. After you have created the thread, a moderator will post the infraction and deliberations will begin. You may explain your position in the appeal thread. After you have given your side of the story, a thread will be created in a hidden forum and deliberations will be initiated. Once a decision has been reached you will be informed of the verdict.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''My account's been banned but I haven't logged in or done anything. What's going on?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Unfortunately there have been issues for some time where older accounts have been compromised, either through weak passwords or a broader breach (such as account leaks elsewhere and the password being reused on TWC). The accounts are then used to spam the forum. These cases force us to ban the account regardless if it was once a legitimate member. Just reach out to us and we can get it straightened out, but first ensure ''all'' of your accounts are up to date and that you are using secure passwords.
  
If you get asked, or a citizen agrees to patronise you, you then have to write a short paragraph explaining why you want to be a citizen and why you think you are worthy. Keep in mind that the better you present your case to the CdeC, the more likely you will be considered citizen material. Include links to your most worthy contributions, be they modifications tools or work, or well-composed debates. PM the paragraph to your patron; they'll add their own comments and PM both to a member of the Consilium de Civitate. The CdeC will then take a week to discuss and vote on you. If you get 60% of the non abstaining votes, you'll receive a PM from the Curator congratulating you, and have your rank, a shiny new badge, and all the privileges of being recognised as one of TWC's outstanding members!
+
We have no reason to believe this is a flaw in TWC's systems at this time causing accounts to be entered through an exploit, but Technical Staff have been informed of this trend and we may institute measures to protect accounts of a certain age unused/with weak passwords as we are able.
 +
|}
  
If, for whatever reason, you should fail the vote you must wait 1 month before you can apply again
+
=Features Breakdown=
 +
Please see also: ''[https://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?569659-Shankbot-s-Unofficial-Guide-for-New-Members-step-by-step-instructions-on-creating-sigs-editing-thread-titles-adding-rep-and-more! Shankbot's Unofficial Guide for New Members - step by step instructions on creating sigs, editing thread titles, adding rep and more!]'', which explains some of the features in more detail and includes screenshots (you will need to be logged in to view the thread).
  
More info can be found on the TWC forums, with a quick and simple walkthrough[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=196022]
+
==Forum Posts and Messages==
 +
'''The TWC forum uses vBulletin software, with BB code for posting.''' [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/misc.php?do=bbcode This page lists most of the BB tags used on TWC]; the page explains how to make bold or italic text and use other more advanced formatting options for posts.  You can switch between BB code being shown in the reply window and WYSIWYG mode by clicking the <sup><small>A</small></sup>/<sub>A</sub> buttons at the top left of your reply screen.  The "Go Advanced" reply option gives you access to shortcuts for more BB code features, such as spoilers and indents.  You can also access the "Preview Post" function from the Advanced reply screen.
  
==Meet the Staff==
+
The following are frequently asked questions about posting:
Got a desire to know who the mighty and powerful are who work overtly and covertly to make TWC a better place? Then you found your answers right here!
 
  
Additionally, a list of all those people with moderator status can be found on the [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showgroups.php Forum Leaders] page
+
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''Why can't I edit my posts?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Sorry for the inconvenience, members have to have 25 posts and been registered for at least five days in order to edit their posts. This was introduced to prevent spam advertising accounts from editing their posts.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''Can I re-name my own thread?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Yes, if you posted the first post in the thread you can change the thread title.  Either "Edit" the first post and use the "Go Advanced" button to access the title, or from the forum view, double-click on the thread title to open just the title for editing.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''Can I delete\close my own thread?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
No you can't unfortunately, you can report it though and explain in the report why you would like a site moderator to close/delete it for you, he/she may or may not close/delete it at his/her discretion.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''I've realised I posted in the wrong forum, can I move the post/thread?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Sorry, only moderators can move threads or posts, please report your own post and explain where you think it should be moved to.  Please try and avoid posting the same post/thread in multiple locations!
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''How do I make polls?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
You can only add a poll to the first post in a thread. When you start a new thread select the tick box below "Post a poll" near the bottom of the screen and enter the number of options you require in the box below that, compose the main text of your post and then click to "Submit New Thread" you will then be taken to a new screen where you can enter your poll options. To add a poll to a thread you have already started select the "Thread Tools" drop-down and "Add a Poll to this Thread".
  
===Officer Ranks===
+
If you need to amend the contents of a poll you have posted you will need to PM an Administrator.  To create polls you need to have 25 posts and have been registered for at least one week.
There are 3 ranks of staff officer
+
|}
* Council Officer
+
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
* Senior Staff Officer
+
! '''Can I vote in polls?'''
* Staff Officer
+
|-
 +
|
 +
To vote in polls you have to have 25 posts and been registered for at least five days. This was introduced to prevent people creating duplicate accounts and spamming site awards or competition votes with them.  Note: If you have more than one account you should not use them to multi-vote in the same poll!
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''Can I edit a poll that I created in my thread?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
No you can't unfortunately, however you can report your opening post in your thread and ask a site moderator to edit the poll for you to whatever you want. Alternatively, you can also create a new thread and report the old thread for deletion, whichever you prefer.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''How do I post and reply to visitor messages?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
To post visitor messages, you have to have 25 posts and been registered for at least five days. After that, you can view another user's profile and post a message using the "Visitor Messages" tab.  If you want to reply to a message someone has left on your profile use the "View Conversation" button so the reply goes to their profile and not yours!  Please note that visitor messages are public by default.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''How do I send a private message?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Click on someone's name in their user display and you will see an envelope symbol and "Private Message" button, you can use that to open the message window with their name as the recipient.  You can also find the "Send New Message" button in the "My Messages" section at the top left of your "My Account" view.  If you start typing in the "Recipient Users:" box you will get an autofill of the possible user-names starting with your text (which can help on hard to spell names).  You can send messages to multiple recipients by adding a ';' between names, but please don't 'spam' other users!
  
The Council Officers are the administrators who form the Council and run the show; the rest of the staff are divided into the 3 branches to serve the site. all staff may be recognized by their badges and oftentimes colour-coded usernames. All Officers display their officer rank in preference to their member rank, so there's no disguising them!
+
Private messages can be formatted in exactly the same way as forum posts. You can even send yourself a message as a way of saving a draft for a complex forum post.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''How do I make or join a Social Group?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
To join or create a group you have to have 10 posts and been registered for at least five days.  Groups are accessed from your '''My Profile"''' page not "My Account".  Go to your profile page and on the left-hand side under "Albums" you will see "Groups" with "Join Groups" link next to it, note this is a different section to "Permission Groups".  Click that Join Groups button to join or create a social group. Also remember to search the already made Social Groups to see if there is already one for your topic.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''How do I rename or delete my Social Group?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Just contact any [[Staff#Moderators|{{Moderator Colour|text=Site Moderator}}]], and they can rename/delete or edit your group description if need be. Alternatively, you can post your request in [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=459174 this thread].
 +
|}
  
===The Council===
+
==Reputation==
This is the governing body that runs the site. Its made up of 5 permanent members, and a variable number of non-permanent members who contribute their specific talents to making TWC the best it can be.
+
'''Reputation is a fun feature that theoretically enables you to see your community standing with the other members of TWC.''' In theory, the more reputation you have, the more highly thought of you are by the other members of the community. It has no other real meaning, and many members choose to disable the display.
 
 
Council Officers names appear <span style="font-weight:bold; color:#ff0000">Bold and Bright Red</span> on the forum display and have the following badge
 
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/images/team_icons/council_spiff.png
 
 
 
;Permanent Officers
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=851{{Admin Colour|text=imb39}}] - The Site Owner
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=4130{{Admin Colour|text=Seneca}}] - Chief Moderator
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=7151 {{Admin Colour|text=gigagaia}}] - Chief of Content
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=1729 {{Admin Colour|text=Simetrical}}] - Chief Technician
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=1729 <span style="font-weight:normal; color:#800080">pannonian </span>] - Speaker of the House
 
 
 
;Non Permanent Officers
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=8066{{Admin Colour|text=Mimirswell}}]
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=10080{{Admin Colour|text=M.CorneliusMarcellus}}]
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=10080{{Admin Colour|text=sapi}}]
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=10080{{Admin Colour|text=Trajan}}]
 
 
 
===The Moderation Branch===
 
These are the people in staff responsible for enforcing the rules and terms of service across the forum.
 
 
 
;Chief Moderator
 
:[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=12850{{Admin Colour|text=pannonian}}]
 
 
 
;Senior Moderators
 
:http://www.twcenter.net/forums/images/team_icons/seniormod_spiff.png
 
:The Senior Mods, along with the two moderating admins and the site owner are responsible for setting TWC's moderation policy, and oversee its forum-wide enforcement.  Their names appear {{Senior Mod|text=bold and demonic red}} on the forum display, and they use the above badge
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=10097 {{Senior Mod|text=Hader}}]
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=12850 {{Senior Mod|text=pannonian}}]
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=8317 {{Senior Mod|text= scottishranger}}]
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=18495 {{Senior Mod|text=Roman_Man#3}}]
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=6164 {{Senior Mod|text=Scorch}}]
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=810{{Senior Mod|text=Valus}}]
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=7083 {{Senior Mod|text=Empress Meg}}]
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=6895 {{Senior Mod|text=Seneca}}]
 
:*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=1200 {{Senior Mod|text=Trajan}}]
 
 
 
;Staff Moderators
 
:TWC's front line policemen, ready to enforce rules with edit button and ban stick!  Shown with their names in {{Staff Mod|text=green and bold}} and the moderator badge, these are the people responsible for the day to day enforcement of TWC's rules.
 
 
 
:You can find an up to date list of {{Staff Mod|text=Global Moderators}} [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showgroups.php#Global_Moderator here] and for {{Staff Mod|text=Junior Moderators}} [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showgroups.php#Moderator here].
 
 
 
===The Content Branch===
 
Articles, Competitions, Podcasts, yes indeed this is the content branch; responsible for all the community projects that go on here and always looking to expand. With so much to see and do the content branch is by far the biggest branch of TWC staff.
 
 
 
The permanent members of the various content projects have their names in blue and wear one of the badges shown below. Some publications have temporary members, or free lance reporters, who aren't considered part of the content staff.
 
 
 
;Chief of Content
 
:[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=7151 {{Admin Colour|text=gigagaia}}]
 
 
 
;Senior Content Officer
 
:Each Senior Content Officer, usually an Editor but not always, has a specific publication or project that they manage. Editors have direct control over their publication's staff and are tasked with the smooth and effective running of their publications. They may also from time to time support the Content Manager in ongoing projects such as this very FAQ.
 
:The Senior Content Staff use the following badge
 
:http://www.twcenter.net/forums/images/team_icons/editor_spiff.png
 
 
 
;Content Staffers
 
:The content staffers are the writers and other contributors to the various projects that go on here on TWC. They use this badge
 
:http://www.twcenter.net/forums/images/team_icons/writer_spiff.png
 
 
 
 
 
====Publications====
 
 
 
;The Helios
 
:http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/8135/thboq0.jpg
 
:Editor: - [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=5602 The Sundance Kid]
 
 
 
You can read the Helios and see the current team [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=122 in their forum], further details also available on the [[Helios]] wiki page.
 
 
 
 
 
;The Eagle Standard
 
:http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t95/LGA_PICS/ESnewbanner.jpg
 
:Editor: - [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=7083 Empress Meg]
 
 
 
You can read the current Eagle Standard and see the current team [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=40 in their forum], further details also available on the [[Eagle Standard]] wiki page.
 
 
 
 
 
;General Sun's Tent
 
:Editor: - [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?do=getinfo&username=General%20Sun General Sun]
 
 
 
You can read General Sun's latest article [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=39 in his Tent].
 
  
 +
Reputation here will be described as if you were using the default TWCenter skin. The symbols are different on the other skins, the principle is the same however.
  
;TWC Podcast
+
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
:http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/346/podsig1qu1.gif
+
! '''How do I give rep?'''
:Editors: - [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?do=getinfo&username=Evariste Evariste] and [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?do=getinfo&username=the%20Black%20Prince the Black Prince]
+
|-
 +
|
 +
You can add reputation to a post by clicking this button:
 +
:https://www.twcenter.net/forums/images/y2skin/buttons/reputation-40b.png<br>
 +
You can only add 1 point of rep to each post and you can only give 7 points total a day.  Additionally, you have to rep 3 different users before you can give rep to the same user again, in order to prevent rep abuse.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''Who can give rep?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Because of issues with account cloning in the past, where people created accounts just to give themselves rep, only users registered for at least five days with over 10 posts may give rep. Furthermore, it may take an hour or so after your 10th post for your rep to start working, even if you've been registered for over five days by that point.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''How do I know which member gave me rep?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Generally people also mention their username along with the rep comment, if they have not chosen to do so then it's an anonymous rep and you won't be able to find out who it came from. However, if you have been insulted via rep feature then contact any moderator or an administrator as they have the access to view it, they can remove the insult and take care of the offender as per TWC's terms of service.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''Where does reputation show?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Your reputation shows up in two places. One, on the left hand side where you post, a collection of symbols shows a rough guide to how much rep you have. Two, in your control panel, which gives your total number of points and a more comprehensive display of the last 20 rep points you received, showing which post you got it for, who gave it, and any comment they left.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''How many rep points do I have?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
You can see the current number of rep points on your profile by clicking [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/usercp.php My Account].  The total is shown at the top of the "Latest Reputation Received" table.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''Can I disable reputation?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Yes, you can disable the display of your reputation in your control panel under "General Settings". If you do so, your own rep won't be displayed on your posts but you will still be able to give other people rep as well as receive it and view rep messages.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''What does it look like?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Each symbol represents a certain number of rep points. It starts at 3, so if you have less than 3 rep points, you'll show the scales symbol for neutral rep.
 +
:https://www.twcenter.net/forums/images/y2skin/Reputation_New/Balance.png
 +
Some very few members who have received negative rep from the staff will have this replaced by a red square. Those users who have disabled the reputation feature will simply show a grey square.
 +
Once you hit 3 rep points, you'll get 1 gold ring
 +
:https://www.twcenter.net/forums/images/y2skin/reputation/reputation_pos.png
 +
Each ring = 3 points, so if someone has 5 rings, they have 15 Rep points. You can only get a maximum of 5 rings, after that the rings are transferred into a fleur-de-lis.
 +
:https://www.twcenter.net/forums/images/y2skin/reputation/reputation_pos2.png
 +
Each gold fleur-de-lis is worth 15 rep points.
 +
:https://www.twcenter.net/forums/images/y2skin/reputation/reputation_highpos.png
 +
Each red fleur-de-lis is worth 150 rep points.
 +
|}
  
You can download old and new TWC Podcasts from [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=190 their forum].
+
===Reputation Descriptions===
 +
'''When you hover over the reputation icons in someone's post a reputation description will be shown.''' The descriptions are based on famous movie quotes, the quotes change as the number of rep points increase. 
 +
 
 +
Below is a list of all the descriptions, and which film they came from, sorted by the number of rep points. "User" in the descriptions will be replaced by the member's actual user-name.
  
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''List of Rep Descriptions and Point Levels'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
{| class="collapse-custom" |'''Rep Points''' || '''Rep Description'''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 0 || User, My precious - ''Lord of the Rings''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 1-5 || User, we have a problem - ''Apollo 13''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 6-15 || User can't handle the truth - ''A Few Good Men''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 16-20 || User ought to go careful in Vienna. Everybody ought to go careful in a city like this - ''The Third Man''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 21-25 || User came to TWC for the waters - ''Casablanca''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 26-35 || User coulda had class. Coulda been a contender. Could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what he is - ''On the Waterfront''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 36-45 || User was once tested by a census taker. He ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti - ''Silence of the Lambs''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 46-55 || User, you got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk? - ''Dirty Harry''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 56-65 || User, TWC thinks this is a the beginning of a beautiful friendship - ''Casablanca''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 66-75 || User's looking at you, kid - ''Casablanca''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 76-85 || User is not in Kansas anymore - ''Wizard of Oz''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 86-95 || User could carry a coconut by gripping it by the husk - ''Monty Python and the Holy Grail''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 96-105 || User didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition - ''Monty Python's Flying Circus''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 106-115 || User , Hasta la vista - ''Terminator''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 116-125 || User , short of being attacked by a giant octopus, would like to be undisturbed for the next thirty minutes - ''Crimson Tide''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 126-150 || User can't fight in here! This is the Total War Room - ''Dr. Strangelove''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 151-175 || User says: Freeeeeeeeeeedom! - ''Braveheart''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 176-200 || User . James Bond - ''James Bond''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 201-225 || User 's hometown were two miles of public lighting in the streets when London was a village - ''Lawrence of Arabia''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 226-250 || User has seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion - ''Bladerunner''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 251-275 || User made us an offer we could not refuse - ''The Godfather''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 276-300 || User knows what they call a Quarter Pounder with cheese in France - ''Pulp Fiction''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 301-325 || User is following the white rabbit - ''Matrix''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 326-350 || User is like the smell of napalm in the morning - ''Apocalypse Now''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 351-375 || User is Keyser Söze - ''The Usual Suspects''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 376-425 || User CAN simply walk into Mordor - ''Lord of the Rings''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 426-475 || User will dine tonight in Elysium - ''Gladiator or 300''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 476-525 || User is big! It's the rep icons that got small - ''Sunset Boulevard''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 526-575 || User is Rosebud - ''Citizen Kane''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 576-625 || User lived in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias - ''The Third Man''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 626-675 || User is poised on steady legs, then begs for several eggs frothed to a mousse - ''Cyrano de Bergerac''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 676-725 || User is getting cuter every minute - ''The Big Sleep''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 726-775 || User has all the usual vices, besides those they've invented for themselves - ''The Big Sleep''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 776-825 || User likes his brandy in a glass - ''The Big Sleep''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 826-875 || User knows what gold does to men's souls - ''The Treasure of the Sierra Madre''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 876-925 || User had a friend once. A dear friend - ''Once Upon a Time in America''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 926-975 || User doesn't have to show you any stinking badges - ''The Treasure of the Sierra Madre''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 976-1025 || User shall possess, unscathed, something outlasting mortal flesh - - ''Cyrano de Bergerac''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 1026-1075 || User will show you where the iron crosses grow - ''Cross of Iron''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 1076-1125 || User is the stuff that dreams are made of - ''The Maltese Falcon''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 1126-1175 || User grieves over his manners on long winter evenings - ''The Big Sleep''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 1176-1225 || User frankly just doesn't give a damn - ''Gone with the Wind''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 1226-1275 || User likes talking to a man who likes to talk - ''The Maltese Falcon''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 1276-1325 || User bets you 105,000 dollars that you go to sleep before he does - ''The Treasure of the Sierra Madre''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 1326-1375 || User knows there are two kinds of people in the world - ''The Good, the Bad and the Ugly''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 1376-1425 || User , I expect you to die - ''Goldfinger''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 1426-1475 || User is ice cold in TWC - ''Ice-Cold in Alex''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 1476-1525 || User kicks ass for the Lord - ''Dead Alive''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | 1526+ || User doesn't feel any pity if one of those dots stopped moving forever - ''The Third Man''
 +
|}
 +
|}
  
;The Scriptorium
+
==Post Count Titles==
:Head Librarian: - [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?do=getinfo&username=Ragabash Ragabash]
+
'''In your user display directly under your avatar, you will see a short line of text, this is your post count title, or custom user-title.''' Post count titles don't have any deep meaning they are merely associated with your post count. The more posts you have, the further you progress up this list. Citizens, Local Moderators and TWC Staff have the ability to override their default title with a custom user-title of their own choosing.
  
You can view the Library [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=157 here].
+
Here's the list of the current default titles, they were based on the game [[Total War: Attila]].
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''List of Post Count Titles'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
{| class="collapse-custom"
 +
| '''Title''' || '''English Translation''' || '''Required Post Count'''
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Barbarus || A barbarian|| 0
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Laetus ||  A Barbarian settler defeated by the Romans and dispersed to another or several parts of the Empire. || 1
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Foederatus || Barbarian settler or soldier in a group under treaty with the Romans || 25
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Libertus || A freed slave. ||50
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Civis  || A citizen ||100
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Tiro || A soldier in training ||200
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Miles || A soldier, known as Pedes or Eques depending on his unit. ||300
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Semisalis || A veteran soldier with 1.5 times pay grade. ||400
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Decanus ||The same as the Strategikon's Dekakontarchos, or the commander of a Contubernium. ||500
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Biarchus || Equivalent to the Strategikon's Pentakontarchos, commander of 50 men, essentially the Late Roman Optio. ||600
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Ordinarius  || A centurion in a Limitanei unit. ||700
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Centenarius || A centurion in a Comitatenses or Auxilia Palatina unit. ||800
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Ducenarius ||  A commander of two centuries in the Late Roman Era in Auxilia Palatina units. ||900
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Senator || Not much is known about the rank, but modern historians think he was a battlefield herald. ||1,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Campidoctor || regimental drill master ||1,500
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Domesticus || regimental chief-of-staff ||2,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Vicarius|| Not to be confused with a Late Roman Governor, this man was the replacement should the Tribunis die in combat. ||2,500
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Primicerius|| The Lieutenant Commander and Administrative head of a Late Roman unit. ||3,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Protector Domesticus || A cadet officer earmarked for military or political role that often served in a Late Roman unit. Like an ensign, in a way.||4,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Praepositus || Commander of a Limitanei garrison, or in some cases an old Legion  ||5,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Praefectus || Commander of a Roman Legion ||6,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Tribunus  ||  A generic command title, but always used in the Legio and Auxilia Palatina regiments, the elite forces of the field armies. ||7,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan=”1”| Praeses ||the Governor of a minor province, such as Pannonia Valeria ||7,500
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Vicarius Provinciae || Governor of an important province, such as Dalmatia ||10,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Limitis ||A count of Limitanei in a province: this is a rather unusual occurence and seems to be beneath the command of a Dux. E.g. Comes Tractus Aremoriciani||12,500
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Dux Limitis || The Commander of the Limitanei in a Province or sometimes a region. E.g. Dux Thebaidos ||15,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1"| Comes Rei Militaris || The Commander of a Comitatensian Field Army. E.g. Comes Dalmatae ||20,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Patricius || The title of Patrician, which at this time held no real privleges but paved the way for obtaining higher ranks. ||25,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Domesticorum || The Commander of the Protectores Domestici, originally the Imperial Guard but by the Late 4th century an Officer's Cadre. ||30,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Cura Palatii || The new commander of the Imperial Guard units, according to Dr. Meaghan McEvoy. Lit. "Curator of the Palace" ||40,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Magister Militum || The Commander of a Regional Field army, such as Comes et Magister Militum per Gallias. ||50,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Praefectus Praetorio || The administrative chief of a praetorian prefecture, such as the Praefectus Praetorio Italiae, Illyrici, et Africae. ||60,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Magister Officiorum || The Commander of the Scholae Palatinae and the administrative chief of offices in the Empire. ||70,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Magister Militum || Meaning "Master of the Soldiers", was a top-level military command. ||80,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan=”1”| Patricius Noster|| The Full title being Magnificus vir parens patriciusque noster, the title that cemented men like Stilicho and Aetius as supreme commander. ||90,000
 +
|-
 +
|rowspan="1" | Augustus || There were two of them: one in Constantinople, usually the Senior Augustus, and one in Ravenna, usually the Junior Augustus, for each administrative half. ||100,000
 +
|}
 +
|}
  
 +
==Profile and Account Settings==
 +
'''The [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/usercp.php "My Account"] section gives access to a number of ways you can personalise your TWC profile, including adding signatures, avatars and profile pictures.'''  Here you can also choose how much information you'd like to add to your profile, e.g. if you'd like everyone to know your gender, or birthday, or which Total War games you own.  You can also set a number of privacy options and choose if you are emailed notifications about your thread subscriptions.
  
All current news Editors are listed [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showgroups.php#News_Editors here.]
+
Some common queries about profile features are answered below:
  
===The Technical Branch===
+
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
The most mysterious and smallest of the three branches of staff, the techies are the ones who by sheer skill and dint of hard effort amazingly keep this place together and just about functional.
+
! '''Why can't I create a signature yet?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
To discourage joining/posting simply to spam signature links all signatures are currently disabled for new users. Once you have 25 posts and have been a member for a week you will be able to create a signature.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''What can I put in a signature?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Signatures can contain text and/or images, the dimensions are bound to a 550&times;175 pixel box automatically, with anything outside of that being cut off. The text can include BB code and hyperlinks. The maximum combined file size of all images in a signature may not exceed 250 KB according to the current [[TWC Official:Terms of Service|TOS]]. 
 +
Any images used must be uploaded to an independent hosting site.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''How can I display an avatar?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
The "Edit Avatar" button in your control panel allows you to select an avatar from some pre-defined images hosted on TWC.  You can also choose to use your own custom avatar which can have a maximum size of 100&times;100 pixels or 80 KB (whichever is smaller). You can upload the image to TWC but uploading images to an independent hosting site is preferred.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''How do I add a profile picture?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
The "Edit Profile Picture" button in your control panel allows you select a small picture to display in your profile.  The image can have a maximum size of 640&times;480 pixels or 250 KB (whichever is smaller). You can upload the image to TWC but uploading images to an independent hosting site is preferred.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''Can I change my username?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
You can't do this yourself from your account options, but you can request a name change in the [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=581961 Name change requests] thread in the Questions & Suggestions forum and an administrator will rename your Username.  Please note that you cannot change to a name that is already in use, even if the other user has not been active.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''I can't remember my user-name/password, how can I log-in?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Sometimes members use a typical username, or include special symbols in it and forget them, hence they can't re-login again, in that case, use the [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/sendmessage.php contact us] option and explain your problem. You can also send a message to staff on [https://twitter.com/twcnet TWC's Twitter] (please be patient when waiting for a reply) and if you use Discord you can also seek advice on the [https://discord.gg/w6GRHFp TWC server].
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''Can I delete or suspend my account?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
As a rule, TWC never deletes an account. However it is possible to have yourself suspended if you no longer have the time for TWC, or just need to take a break. To have your account temporarily suspended just send an Admin a private message with your request. To request deletion of your personal data, please use the '[https://www.twcenter.net/forums/sendmessage.php contact us]' button at the bottom of the forum index and select the relevant option.  
 +
|}
  
The Techies have their names in blue like the content staff, but wear the tech Staff badge shown below. Each Technician has his own specialised access answering direct to the Chief Technician.
+
==Features for Modders==
 +
'''TWC provides a range of features that can help modders including the possibility of having their own hosted mod-forum.'''
  
http://www.twcenter.net/forums/images/team_icons/technical_spiff.png
+
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''Where can I post information about my mod?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Each of the game sections has a 'Modifications' sub-forum, these are normally subdivided further with separate sections for WIP/Proposals and Released Mods. If you start your thread in the wrong section or would like it moved when the status changes from WIP to released, you can message a moderator for the forum, or report your own post to request the move. (Moving the thread will mean anyone already subscribed to it can find the new location)
  
;Chief Technician
+
Substantial released mods or very active mods in development may benefit from having their own Hosted Mod Forum.
:[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?u=1729 {{Admin Colour|text=Simetrical}}]
+
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''How can I get a Hosted Mod Forum?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
To obtain a hosted forum at TWC mod teams need to be able to show that they already have a good track record of making progress with their mod. If you have a mod and would like to apply for a subforum, private message a {{Admin Colour|text=Modding Hex}}. Links to the profiles of the current Modding Hex/Hexes can be found '''[[Staff#Hexagon Council (Administration)|here]]'''.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''How can I advertise my mod?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
In addition to posting mod details on the forum, modders can create pages for their mods on this Wiki.  Modders can also '''[https://www.twcenter.net/forums/announcement.php?f=734&a=452 request News Announcements]''' for releases, updates, previews, recruitment drives etc.  The announcements will appear on TWC's home page and can optionally also be posted on TWC's Twitter feed. Note that announcements should point people to their TWC thread or wiki page, and not necessarily off-site ie, directly to moddb or a discord server.
  
;Technicians
+
|}
:* Mimirswell
+
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
:* Nihil
+
! '''Can I upload my mod to the TWC server?'''
:* kshcshbash
+
|-
:* Augustus Lucifer
+
|
:* GrnEyedDvl
+
The '''[https://www.twcenter.net/forums/downloads.php Download Section]''' can be used to post small (max 100MB) mods, tools and resources for the Total War games.  You can also create a page in the downloads section which links to a larger file hosted externally, the page can be retained and edited and the file link changed for later updates allowing you to see the total number of downloads over various versions.
:* pannonian
 
:* sapi
 
:* Scorch
 
  
==Member Ranks==
+
For suggestions on sites to host larger files, check out the wiki page about [[Upload Sites]]
While not everyone has a fancy officer's title, everyone on TWC has a rank. Officers, be they Staff or Curial, are the people who carry out various jobs, but each of them, along with everyone else will hold a rank as well. The higher your rank, the more privileges and access you have and the greater your opportunities for promotion to an officer position. There are two broad types of ranks, Honorary and Normal. The three Normal ranks carry all the benefits of a Citizen; the four Honorary ones are used as rewards for specific services rendered or for achievement.
 
  
===Normal Ranks===
+
|}
The three Normal Ranks are as follows:
+
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''Will my copyright be protected?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Mod contents are not normally treated as having a 'copyright' as they are in some part based on the game assets and software.  However, TWC maintains a policy of protecting modders 'rights' within TWC and will not host mods that have used modders' work without permission.  The [[Mod Register]] provides a way for modders to register brief details about their mod and include a permission statement indicating their intentions regarding re-use of their content.  The Terms of Service also includes a [[TWC Official:Terms of Service#Using Modders' Work Without Permission (1, 3, or 6 points)|penalty clause]] for using modders' work without permission. Modders are ''strongly encouraged'' to make an entry into the registry, particularly to be clear how a mod was created and its usage permissions by other members. Reuse in another project with attribution ''may'' be authorized by administrators if no permissions policy is set and the author has been absent for a long time.
 +
|}
  
;Peregrinus
+
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
:This is the basic rank that everyone starts out on and many thousands of our members never achieve greater than this. Peregrinus grants posting rights in almost all of the forum and they have the opportunity to hold content and technical staff positions.
+
! '''Can I use assets from this mod? It hasn't been updated in a long time and the author never got back to me!'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
If the modding permission is "free to use" or "with attribution" you are good to go, attributing the original creator for their part in your mod. Permissions can be found through their entry in the [[Mod Register]] if they made one, or specified when the mod was published.
  
;Citizen
+
If the permission is not specified and there is no entry in the Register, please refer to the [[Modding Permissions Policy]] for exact requirements, but the key is this: you must reach out to the author even if they have been absent for a long time, and if you do not get a response in a reasonable time (a few weeks) you must reach out to the {{Admin Colour|text=Modding Hex}}. They can look into it and if they believe there is no issue, they ''may'' authorize use until the modder returns and says otherwise.
:http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/d/dd/Citizen.png
 
:This special rank is given as a reward by the CdeC to those members who make a significant contribution to the Forum. It carries all the benefits of Peregrinus but additionally it grants members posting ability in Symposium and the Curia, as well as voting rights. Citizens are therefore given the opportunity to have a say in how their site is run. After 3 months in the rank, Citizens can also begin patronising new citizens. Only Citizens and above can become a member of the moderating staff. Additionally, most Curial Offices have the requirement of Citizen rank.
 
:'''Citizens''' can choose to further define as one of two types depending upon which part of the site they most associate with.
 
:The '''Civitates''' are those who earned their rank through hard intelligent posting and thoughtful debate<br>
 
:http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/e/e4/Civitate.png
 
:An '''Artifex''' is someone who earned their rank through modding<br>
 
:http://www.twcenter.net/w/images/3/33/Artifex.png
 
  
The Awarding of Normal Ranks is the job of the CdeC who may, if they feel it necessary, strip members of them. Requirements for the ranks are governed by the Curia.
+
At this time there is unfortunately no recourse if a mod's permissions are 'by request only' or 'do not reuse', even if the mod has been dormant for some time. This is an area the administration is currently discussing.
  
===Honorary Ranks===
+
The Modding Hex: {{ModdingHex}}
Instead of one of the 3 Normal Ranks, a member may prefer to show one of these far rarer Honorary Ranks as a sign of the extra special commitment or achievement they made toward the Community.
+
|}
  
;Opifex
+
==Blogs==
:http://www.twcenter.net/forums/images/team_icons/opifex_spiff.png
+
'''TWC's blogs are written by members of TWC, they can be found [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/blog.php here].'''  A wide variety of topics can be covered but special rules apply to the blogs and political or religious topics are not allowed. Members are welcome to apply to join the blogging group if they want to start their own blog or just want to comment on existing blogs.
:Opifex is awarded by the Curia to any member who makes an outstanding contribution to the site outside the field of staff. Many, though by no means all of its holders are Modders. As well as making some great achievement, a nominee must also meet the requirements for Citizen, which if not already held is additionally conferred by the awarding of this rank. This rank, as its awarded by the Curia, can only be removed by the Curia.  
 
  
:A citizen must nominated the potential Opifex and a member of the CdeC must second the nomination.   
+
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
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! '''How can I get my own blog or comment on someone else's?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
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Anyone can request permission to have a blog.  Requests should be made by going to your profile and clicking on [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/profile.php?do=editusergroups "Join Groups"] in the "Permission Groups" section, and then clicking to join the "Bloggers" groupThe site administrators will decide whether or not people should have permission to post a blog on a case by case basis. Generally applicants who have shown good conduct and have some activity on TWC will be accepted.
  
;Divus
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Only people with permission to post blogs will be able to post comments on blogs. If you do not want to post a blog of your own, but you do want to be able to post comments on blogs, then you should follow the steps above and request Bloggers access.
:http://www.twcenter.net/forums/images/team_icons/divus_spiff.png
 
:The rarest of all the ranks on TWC and the hardest to achieve. Divus is only awarded to those former administrators who put such outstanding effort into the site and devoted so much to it that they should be deified in the manner of roman emperors upon retirement. Nominees must pass a vigorous 2 stage test before the Curia confers this rank upon them. This rank, as its awarded by the Curia, can only be removed by the Curia.
 
  
:A citizen must nominated the potential Divus. The nominee must have served a term as an administrator and must wait three months after retirement from the admin position before accepting a nomination.  
+
A forum for blogging without the special restrictions including politics and religion can be found [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?360 here]. This forum has less publicity but is open to all members from the start. The Terms of Service still fully apply.
 +
|}
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''What are the special rules for blogs and blog comments?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Some content is not appropriate for blogs and blog comments.  If you have a blog, or if you post comments on any blogs, you must strictly follow these rules:
 +
* no religion
 +
* no politics
 +
* no content which breaks TWC's [[TWC Official:Terms of Service|Terms of Service]] (please note that this means all content must be family-friendly).
  
It's very possible for a member to hold multiple ranks at the same time, as well as one or more Officer Positions, and as such they will usually, but not always follow this precedent in choosing which rank to display. Administrators, Senior Content Staff and Moderators will normally always display that rank over all others for quick identification, and Honorary Ranks will tend to take precedence over Normal Ranks.
+
Anyone who breaks the rules above will lose the ability to post blogs and also the ability to post comments on blogs, and their blog will be deleted. This is a purely administrative decision which cannot be appealed to the Tribunal or Praetorium.
 +
|}
  
Some examples:<br>
+
=Citizenship & Opportunities=
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?do=getinfo&username=imb39 imb39]<br />Our glorious Site Owner imb39 displays his admin rank as a Council Officer, but also holds the ranks of Citizen, and of course, Peregrinus
+
'''TWC rewards those who participate!'''  Browsing the forums, you may notice that many users have at least a few medals, perhaps a badge and title, a coloured name etc. Rewards and positions can result from anything like helping with graphics, to proving yourself for the moderation team, to being a good modder, to patching up errors on the wiki. Whatever your niche, if you're dedicated at something on the site and stick to it, you will almost inevitably be rewarded, and if you're really putting in legwork, you may be offered [[Citizenship]] or a staff position (they do not mutually exclude or require each other). If you just want to be a normal user doing your thing, that's perfectly fine too!
*[http://www.twcenter.net/forums/member.php?do=getinfo&username=the%20Black%20Prince the Black Prince]<br />Currently he is using his Content Editor badge, he could also display Divus, Citizen, or simply appear as a Peregrinus.
 
  
For more information on Curial ranks and awards [http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=184168 please see here.]
+
If you want to strive for more, or think you could help the site in some way, please read on:
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''What is Citizenship?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
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Citizenship is recognition for your contributions to the website. It is a badge, a coloured title, a bit of recognition and a small selection of extra forums to post in (the [[Curia]]). It is also a path to the Magistrate position and local moderation/management positions within the Curia. Finally, it is a place to propose users for existing awards or suggest new awards, as well as make and vote on suggestions for both the Curia itself and for the website in general. Note that votes passed in the Curia are still subject to administrator review, and further, citizenship does not entitle authority over other members. Likewise, you are not obliged to participate in the curia and discussions - but it would be appreciated if you lend your voice from time to time, if only in voting.
 +
|}
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
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! '''How can I become a TWC Citizen?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
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The minimum requirements to be considered for the award are; to have made at least fifty posts, been registered for at least two months, and not have received a warning within the last six months. You will also need to have contributed constructively to the forums, and have another Citizen act as a Patron to propose your application to the Curia. Please see [[Citizen#How_to_Become_a_TWC_Citizen|here]] for more details.
  
==Post Count Ranks==
+
If you believe you deserve this, message a current citizen and who knows? They might just wish to patronize you.
On the left hand side of each of your posts you'll note a number of things. First, your avatar, which you can set and change from your account control panel. Second, your Reputation, explained below. Third, your online status and add rep buttons. Fourth, your post count, and finally another rank.
+
|}
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
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! '''How can I join or help staff?'''
 +
|-
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|
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To join staff, please message the relevant administrator or Director. They'd be happy to consider you! If however you are brand new, are not accepted into staff, or are not ready to take the responsibility of a staff title, there are other opportunities.
  
Unlike your Peregrinus rank, this one is entirely meaningless and conveys nothing. It's merely associated with your Post Count. The more posts you have, the higher this rank. It's actually your custom user title, and only Citizens and above have the ability to override their title with one of their own design.
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There are the Member or Modding Award Committees, public discussions started by staff or members in the Questions and Suggestions forum users are free to lend their input to, and the value of members who are just plain helpful or welcoming cannot be understated. These things will benefit the site without needing to be in staff to do it. You can also submit articles to [[Content]] for publication on the front page - just check out the site's [[Publications]], and write what comes to mind! Content Staff will review the submission and if it works out, it might just be published.
 
 
Here's the list of those ranks.
 
 
 
* Serf 0
 
* Peasant 1
 
* Apprentice 30
 
* Yeoman 50
 
* Journeyman 100
 
* Reeve 175
 
* Page 225
 
* Squire 275
 
* Freeman 300
 
* Knight 500
 
* Knight Commander 550
 
* Paladin 650
 
* Baronet 900
 
* Baron 1000
 
* Viscount 1100
 
* Count 1300
 
* Landgrave 1450
 
* Margrave 1550
 
* Earl 1650
 
* Duke 1800
 
* Grand Duke 1900
 
* Elector 2000
 
* Regent 3000
 
* Prince Consort 3600
 
* Prince 4000
 
* King 6000
 
* High King 8000
 
* Emperor 10000
 
* Divine Emperor 15000
 
 
 
==Reputation==
 
  
The reputation feature is a fun little thing that enables you to see your community standing with the other members. In theory, the more reputation you have, the more highly thought of you are by the other members of the community. It has no other real meaning, and many members choose to disable it.
 
  
Reputation here will be described as if you were using the default Medieval skin. The symbols are different on the Rome skin, or the Barbie skin.
+
To be a part of Staff formally requires members to have a good history of complying with the [[ToS]]. Within staff some additional rules such as non-disclosure of private information apply. Moderation, Administration (Hex) and Technical departments will tend to be more stringent in their requirements, the Administration and Technical Departments particularly will require that you've built up a high level of trust over a longer period of time on the forum.
  
If you are using the Rome skin, the add rep button is an eagle standard, a Ring is a helmet, and a crown is a legionary standard. The principle is the same however
+
The widest range of opportunities tend to be within the Content branch; read on below if you are interested.
 +
|}
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
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! '''What opportunities are there in Content Staff?'''
 +
|-
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|
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'''[[Content Staff]]''' cover a wide range of areas, working for them could involve:
 +
*Writing articles for publication.
 +
*Publishing news bulletins.
 +
*Running writing or graphics competitions.
 +
*Producing graphics for use on the site.
 +
*Supervising or working on this Wiki.
 +
*Acting as a Librarian for the Scriptorium.
 +
*Helping organise access to modding information.
 +
*Looking after the Downloads section.
 +
*and more...
  
If, (for whatever unknown reason!) you are using the Barbie skin, the add rep button is the eagle standard again, a ring becomes a type of spangly star, or maybe a flower and a crown is a diamond ring.
+
If you're interested in joining please contact the head of the section you're interested in, or Content Hex. See current staff [[Staff#Content_Staff|here]]. You are also free to submit articles and suggestions or work on the wiki without committing to the badge! Content is not very demanding so if you only have a limited amount of time to offer weekly but can still get things out in that time, feel free to take your shot.
 +
|}
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
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! '''What about the Gaming Staff?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
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Gaming Staff is no longer a department unfortunately, due to troubles in keeping it running as a formal branch. If however you are interested in gaming related activities - forum games, a competition, even a play by post RPG - send the administration a message! We're happy to talk and work something out.
 +
|}
  
Moving swiftly back to the default Medieval Skin then...
+
=TWC Wiki=
 +
'''You're here! Welcome to the [[TWC Wiki]]!'''  This Wiki hosts information about the TWC site and the Total War games; it includes articles on TWC site history, site information, summaries of modding knowledge, lists and pages for mods, and overviews of the games themselves as well as their features. Making it better is a never-ending process for a site that's been online over a decade.  
  
;How do I give rep?
+
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
:You can add reputation to a post by clicking this button, on the left<br>
+
! '''I can't find an edit button, only "view source", why is that?'''
:http://www.twcenter.net/forums/images_medieval/buttons/reputation.gif<br>
+
|-
:You can only add 1 point of rep to each post and you can only give 7 points total a day.<br> Additionally, you have to rep different users before you can give rep to the same user again, in order to prevent rep abuse.
+
|
 +
Users must be [[Special:UserLogin|logged in]] in order to edit pages.  If you have ever previously logged in your account name and password should still be valid.  If you haven't logged in yet you will need to [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?796550-Request-a-Wiki-Account-HERE request a wiki account] on the forum.
  
;Who can give Rep?
+
Once you have logged in you should see an "edit" button on ''most'' pages, you will also get the option to "create" pages if you follow a link to a page that does not exist yet. Some popular pages are semi-protected so that very new users cannot edit them and a few pages like the Terms of Service and System Files that change the default behaviour of the wiki are protected so that only wiki administrators can edit them. If you spot something that needs changing on one of those pages you can edit or create the "discussion" page for that article to explain what is needed.
:Because of issues with account cloning in the past, where people created accounts just to give themselves rep, only users registered for at least one week with over 50 posts may give rep that counts. Users with less than 50 posts or who have been registered for less than a week will give a 0 rep point instead of 1, so any comments they leave will show up in your account, but you won't actually get a point for it. Please note, when a user jumps over the 50 post mark, rep they have given prior to that does not count retrospectively.  Furthermore, it may take an hour or so after your 50th post for your rep to start working, even if you've been registered for over a week by that point.
+
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''I can't see a "Register" button, how do I get a wiki account?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
You can't register for an account directly on this wiki. The function has been removed because the standard wiki software is too vulnerable to spammers and bots signing up solely to spam advertising.
  
;Where does reputation show?
+
To get a wiki account please first log in to TWC and post a request in '''[https://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?796550-Request-a-Wiki-Account-HERE this thread]'''.  A wiki admin will make you an account using your forum user-name and message you with a temporary password for the wiki account (which you should change as soon as possible). If you give the wiki your email address you can thereafter retrieve your account if you forget the password, you can also "watchlist" pages, which works similarly to a thread subscription and gives you an email notification of changes.
:Your reputation shows up in 2 places. One, on the left hand side where you post, a collection of symbols shows a rough guide to how much rep you have. Two, in your control panel. There's a more comprehensive display of the last 20 rep points you received, showing which post you got it for, who gave it, and any comment they left.
 
  
;Can I disable reputation?
+
You are welcome to request an account even if you don't want to edit the wiki, being able to log-in allows you to use the watchlist and set various preference options such as viewing the wiki with a different skin.
:Yes, you can disable your reputation in your control panel. If you do so, your own rep won't show up but you'll still be able to give other people rep as well as receive it yourself.
+
|}
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
 +
! '''How can I help out?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
The [[TWC Wiki:Help|Help page]] gives some editing advice to get you started and suggests ways you could help the wiki and gives you an idea of what the priorities are at the current time, but you're free to just find pages and subjects you're interested in and work on them as you see fit. You're always welcome to contact the [[TWC_Wiki#Wiki_Director|Wiki Director]] for advice, especially if you might be interested in joining the Wiki Team.
 +
|}
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{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
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! '''What rules apply on the Wiki?'''
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
Please note that the [[TWC Official:Terms of Service|Terms of Service]] and the [[TWC Wiki Policy & Guidelines]] apply throughout the Wiki; importantly you must not submit copyrighted work without permission! Deliberate vandalism or repeatedly ignoring the Wiki Staff may result in temporary or even permanent removal from the Wiki (which is '''not''' open to appeal on the forum), breaches of the ToS may also result in disciplinary action taken against your forum account.
 +
|}
 +
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
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! '''Are there any rewards for working on the Wiki?'''  
 +
|-
 +
|
 +
There are a series of [[Special_Contribution_Awards#TWC_Wiki_Editor_Award|TWC Wiki Editor Award]] medals available to non-staff for merit and time served as a non-staff member editing the wiki.  The medals are given at the discretion of the Wiki Director and Hex.  Wiki Team members who are part of Content Staff instead receive the Scribe's Quill award for their service, but members of other staff branches (e.g. moderation) who do work on the wiki unrelated to their staff role could also be eligible for the Wiki Editor Award medals.
  
;What does it look like?
+
You can't directly acquire forum rep for edits or pages on the wiki, but if you post somewhere like the [https://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?788480 Discuss the Wiki] thread to explain what you've been working on, that can help generate more help/interest and you ''may'' incidentally find your posts about it receive rep.
:Each symbol represents a certain number of rep points. It starts at five, so if you have less than 3 rep points, you'll show the scales symbol for neutral rep.
+
|}
:http://www.twcenter.net/forums/images_medieval/reputation/reputation_balance.gif - Neutral Rep
+
{| class="mw-collapsible mw-collapsed collapse-custom"
:Some very few members who have received neg rep from the staff will have this replaced by a red square. Those users who have disabled the reputation feature will simply show a grey square.
+
! '''Should I join TWC Staff and the Wiki Team?'''
:Once you hit 3 rep points, you'll get 1 gold ring
+
|-
:http://www.twcenter.net/forums/images_medieval/reputation/reputation_pos.gif
+
|
:Each ring = 3 points, so if someone has 5 rings, they have 15 Rep points. You can only get a maximum of 5 rings, after that the rings are transferred into a crown
+
If you are interested in organizing the wiki, send a message! If you are a regular editor who wants to lend input to staff sections, you are also free to apply and be considered. Otherwise if you just want to edit articles without formality, being Wiki Team is not required.  
:http://www.twcenter.net/forums/images_medieval/reputation/reputation_highpos.gif
 
:Each crown is worth 15 rep points.
 
:*Scales: 0-2 Rep
 
:*1 Ring: 3-5 Rep
 
:*5 Rings: 15 Rep
 
:*5 Rings 1 Crown:30 Rep
 
:*and so on
 
  
 +
Content membership does require a higher standard of behavior than other members and you are asked to follow certain conventions, such as directing your concerns about other staff branches through internal forums first (we'd rather not berate ourselves in public, but bantor is quite fine!). If this sounds alright to you however, feel free to say send a message. To join, please contact the [[TWC_Wiki#Wiki_Director|Wiki Director]] or Content Hex.
 +
|}
  
 +
{{TWC Info}}
 
[[Category: Total War Center Information]]
 
[[Category: Total War Center Information]]

Latest revision as of 02:01, 20 April 2024

Faqs.png

This is a guide to your membership, abilities, options and access on the Total War Center. If you are a new user, please review the New User FAQ; more experienced users may also find this page a useful reference.

  • For the site's rules please see the Terms of Service. You are expected to follow them at all times on the platform!
  • For a general overview of the site and a breakdown of available sections, please see Total War Center.
  • If you've read through these pages and still can't find the answer you're looking for, please log in to TWC and ask in the Questions and Suggestions forum. Also, if there is a known issue with the site or planned downtime for maintenance, staff will post about it in that forum. You can also visit TWC Discord.
  • We are aware of issues recieving emails upon account registration on the forum, unfortunately. Please see the second item in the New User FAQ if this is your situation.

About Total War Center

Total War Center is one of the largest and oldest communities for the Total War Series on the internet. We are centered around modding, discussion, and cultivating a community across the different generations of the franchise. We welcome participants for other sections including historical discussion, politics, general tech advice, writing and more.

The site has several major spaces:

  • The twcenter.net site containing:
    • The Forums, where most of the community activity and modding resources are located.
    • The Home Page, with announcements and news for the site, the TW series and mods. Users cannot post here but may request an announcement.
    • The Articles (CMS), where Content Staff publish articles, reviews and features.
    • The Blogs, where TWC members can publish their own blogs (subject to some constraints).
    • The Downloads, where members can upload and access small mods and resources.
    • The TWC Wiki, hosting information about the site, the TW series, mods and modding.
  • The TWC discord server, a chat open to all users, registered or not.
  • The TWC Twitter account, which posts news items and may respond to inquiries.

New User FAQ

Welcome to TWC! Check out what interests you and make yourself at home! There are various communities and sub-communities available, appealing to different interests. The index is a bit long - if you can't find something or need assistance, don't be afraid to ask! If it's not already on the site you can make a suggestion in Questions & Suggestions.

Registering and New Accounts

If you haven't done so already, the first step is to register! You will need an activated account before you can post on TWC. After 25 posts and being registered for one week, you will be a full member with access to post editing among other features.

ShowHow can I register on TWC?

Click the "Register" button on the forums (here). You will need to provide your date of birth, choose a user-name and password, provide a valid email address and agree to abide by the Terms of Service. You will receive an account activation email in your inbox. You MUST follow the link in that email before you can post. Until you do that you will be able to log-in but not post! If you do not recieve an email, see the following section...

ShowWhat can I do if I haven't received my activation email?

If it is not instantly in your inbox, please give it some time, as it can take a little while to arrive. If you still don't see it, check your spam folder. If it's not there you can request the automated email to be re-sent.

Unfortunately email does not always send correctly. In this case you can reach out through the TWC Discord server, the site contact form at the bottom of the index, or to TWC's Twitter.

ShowIt doesn't let me use (insert offbrand email provider here)?

Unfortunately due to spam we have been forced to blacklist various email domains which create emails with no restriction and have been commonly used as spam. We don't expect these to affect legitimate users, especially big providers like gmail, yahoo, proton etc, or custom domains as long as they're not used for spam - but it's mentioned for completeness. If this applies please reach out to us. This is a different issue from not getting the registration email, a known problem with delivery on our end.

ShowI've activated my account, why can't I do "xyz" yet?

New users will find that they cannot immediately access all the forum features. You must make 25 posts and be registered for one week before you can use features such as; creating or voting in polls, editing posts and making a signature. Access to many of these features has been restricted to stop new accounts being set-up solely to spam the forums with advertising. If you urgently need to access one of the features, for example, needing to edit a post, you can contact a site moderator or report your own post with details of the change

Spamming the forum with posts just to get past the 25 post limit is obviously discouraged, but areas such as the Coliseum or Thema Devia give opportunities to make frequent legitimate posts to reach that point on top of participating wherever else you would like.

ShowWhat if I want to delete my account?

Total War Center does not completely delete accounts for technical reasons, however what we do is blank the account. This means all sensitive data is removed including email, ip, and various customization like gender and game ownership. The username is anonymized and the account is permanently banned not to be recovered. In essence it becomes an empty shell.

Posts generally are not removed. When made posts remain in place unless they violate the Terms of Service or are terminated individually by their author. TWC does not perform mass post wipes as this can have disruptive consequences on the forum both in technical terms and in conversation flow. If personal information was posted or an odd handful of standalone posts need scrubbing then we can be of assistance, but an account with hundreds of posts for example can only be scrubbed in profile information per above so the account itself no longer has info.

As for who to reach: message any administrator or use the contact form on the forum!

Forum Sections

The main index page for the forums is here. The headings for the forum sections are shown on the left; some recent blogs, announcements and posts are shown on the right. Some of the headings you see on the index such as the Hosted Modification forums will have a lot of sub-forums within them that you can select if you click through to the lower level.

ShowEeeek! That forum index is huge! How can I make it more manageable?

Forum sections you are not interested in may be closed with the small ^ in the upper right corner of the category, shrinking your scrolling space. Double-clicking on a forum's left-hand icon will mark it as read.

You can also use "Subscriptions" to subscribe to the threads or forums you are interested in. Updates to those threads/forums will then show up in your "My Account" page.

ShowHow do I know where to post or where to find information?

The Community Portal section of the Total War Center page explains which forum sections might be most useful for your particular interests or problems. A large part of the forum index is devoted to sections for each of the Total War Series games. Non-Total War Games also have their own sections. Additionally, TWC provides spaces for debate, advice and chat, creative writing and graphic arts, forum games and competitions, and much more!

ShowWhy am I seeing the default vBulletin white/blue skin? Doesn't TWC have its own skin?

The vBulletin skin has been set as the default skin for mobile users; some users may find it useful if using a very small screen, but some features will be inaccessible. If you've arrived at that view and don't want it, scroll down to the bottom of the page and select the "Full Site" button. Once you've got to the full site you can select alternative skins from the drop-down box at the bottom of each page. If you've allowed your browser to accept cookies you should then see your choice of skin every time you visit the forum

Who's Who: Staff, Titles, Badges and Bling

A full list of TWC Staff and a description of their roles can be found here. On the forum, badges and titles can indicate that an individual has a variety of different staff/non-staff roles or awards. User displays (to the left of each post) are customised with coloured names and titles, avatars, badges, reputation symbols and medals. You don't need to understand all the intricacies, but a basic understanding of the badges is useful if you need to choose who to contact about an issue.

  • Post Count Titles / Custom User Titles are shown directly below the avatar and above badges. See below for details.
  • Badges are the rectangular images like this:
Troy Citizen.png
  • Role Titles these are shown below the badge locations. If a user has more than one badged award or role they can select which badge to display and the other roles will be shown in text here.
  • Reputation symbols are the smallest images, arranged in lines to show the total amount of rep a user has acquired. See below for details.
  • Medals are smaller images shown below badges and rep symbols, if you click on a medal in someone's profile it will take you to an explanation about the award. Medals are the result of past activity and do not imply someone is currently fulfilling a role.
ShowWhat do all these badges mean?

When you view a forum thread you will see that many members have badges under their avatar, such as these;

Troy Citizen.png Troy Moderator.png Troy God in Colchester.png

Badges can indicate one of the following;

  • The user is a member of TWC Staff.
  • The user is a holder of a Special Title.
  • An award or position granted by the Curia.

The User Badges page shows the currently available badges and which branch they represent. In some cases, a member may be entitled to use more than one type of badge and has to choose between them. Staff members are normally required to show the badge for their highest staff position.

Users with badges will often also have their user-name displayed in a different colour to the standard dark grey. Other roles a user is part of are displayed in text directly below the badge.

ShowHow do I find the staff member responsible for an area?

While the Staff link is the most accurate source to tell who's who running the site, you can also see a list of people who have specific editing powers for a section by scrolling to the bottom of its forum index page and finding the list of "Moderators of this Forum". It will normally contain a mixture of site Staff and "Local Moderators". For mods and areas without formal site staff, the latter are the people to contact unless they are totally unreachable.

Note that users can have multiple titles and feature in different departments. When choosing someone to contact, see if they have been active recently and are responsible for the area you're looking for. Ultimately though, if you choose incorrectly you will be directed to someone who can help. An administrator (named in bright red) is capable of doing the most by themselves or pointing you to the most appropriate fellow admin or staff member for an area.

Technical support for games and mods are not matters for site staff; consider posting in sections like the Basement, the tech boards for each game, and the various mod forums for mod problems, picking the area most specific to the issue you have. But if you are unsure where to go, any staffer and many members will be willing to help.

ShowWhat are "Local Moderators"?

Local moderators are not part of TWC Staff and do not display a badge for the role. They do have light grey names and a custom user-title, and will be listed in "Moderators of this Forum" mentioned above. They may have different colors because of other titles such as curial positions, but with rare exception they are always distinct from site moderators (dark blue) and administrators (bright red). They are usually modders who have been granted rights to operate their mod teams' hosted forum. The local moderators' role is for 'housekeeping' purposes; they do not enforce the Terms of Service and should not attempt to discipline users. Any disciplinary issue should go directly to site Moderation.

ShowWhat do the different staff colours mean, and which of them should I contact?

The Hexagon Council, also known as Hex or Administrators, are distinctively coloured in bold red; they are in charge of the management of the site. If you need to take an issue straight to the top, they are the ones to approach. Hex members are also assigned to the departments shown below - ideally, choose the administrator who is assigned to the area you are interested in.
Official comments by Hex may be made in bolded red.

Moderators, coloured in bold dark-blue are the first line of defense whenever there are disputes on the forum. You can message individual moderators if you need to discuss a problem, but the best approach to issues in a thread is often to "Report" a post and explain the issue in the report. Current Moderators and Moderation Hex are shown here.
Moderators often make their comments in dark bolded blue when officially regulating a thread.

Content Staff wear lighter blue names. Whilst they manage the rules for some competitions and run certain areas, they should not be confused with site moderation. Content Staff's work ranges between making graphics, publishing news announcements and articles, managing various events and competitions, maintaining information archives, managing this Wiki and more. If you want to be more involved in any function, competition or event, contact a Content Staff member or the Content Hex assigned to that area.

Technical Staff manage the backend of the website. They are not normally available for member questions. If you have queries about technical issues with the site post in Questions and Suggestions. For troubleshooting computer issues with your own hardware/software use the Basement. For problems with computer games or mods use the sub-forum relevant to the game/mod.

Tribunes are the Staff appointed members of the appeal tribunal, they share black coloured names with Magistrates who are the Curia appointed members. If you wish to appeal a decision made by a moderator amongst other options, you can take the issue to the Tribunal and the Tribunes will help judge your case. Note that the Tribunal process is public; if you wish to appeal to Moderation in discretion first, consider the Praetorium section. Note as well that appeals based on clemency must be done in the Praetorium; Tribunes are strictly in place to determine if the TOS was applied correctly.


All staff members are ultimately regular users who have volunteered their time and drive to help improve and maintain the site, please treat them with courtesy! Also please note that real-life commitments may sometimes mean individuals are not as active as others or temporarily unavailable.

ShowHow do I earn or win myself a shiny medal?
Medals and Awards

The Total War Center has a wide-ranging system of Medals and Awards, they vary between awards given to long-standing staff members, awards given by the Curia, awards given by TWC Administrators (Hex) and medals that can be won in competition or awarded by public vote. Links to pages showing the currently available medals and awards are given in the box to the right:

Rules and Conduct Advice

Every member when they sign up has to agree to keep to the rules in the Terms of Service. They're enforced by the moderators, and failure to comply can result in warnings, infraction points, suspensions and ultimately a permanent ban. We recommend you read and familiarise yourself with them!

The Terms of Service apply as a minimum standard throughout the site, some forum sections such as The Mudpit and the Personal Help and Advice Fora have additional rules and/or recommended codes of conduct. Check the "Sticky:" threads pinned at the top of a forum to see if special rules apply.

Conduct Advice

ShowHow can I post in The Discussion & Debate area without getting (metaphorically) hacked into little pieces?

To improve your chances of having a civilised debate in these areas remember: read, edit, give sources, and stay calm.

  • Read - Try to read the entire thread. This is important as it can give you sources for information (which are very important for a debate) and tells you what has already been argued about. Unless you are bringing new information regarding a past issue or point, it is redundant to dredge up an old settled argument, especially if it has been some time since it was last talked about in the thread.
  • Edit - After you have written your response, always send it through a spellchecker after reading it over again yourself. Your post will be better received if it doesn't include obvious spelling and grammatical errors.
  • Give Sources - A credible source can go a long way in helping you win a debate. Facts without sources will be often disregarded as mere opinion.
  • Stay Calm - Far too often, members become frustrated and angry on various threads. This happens to all at times, and the best cure is to step away from the debate. What you do after that is up to you, but do not go back to the debate until you have calmed down. If a debate looks like it is getting too heated, a moderator will often close down a thread temporarily to clean up heated posts, as well as giving all parties a chance to calm down.
ShowHow would I defend myself against flamers and trolls?

Hopefully, you won't have to! But if someone does flame you or troll you, report their post using the Report button. DON'T respond in kind. If you flame someone who flames you, that just starts a flame war and you'll find yourself in as much trouble as the original flamer (provoker).

ShowWhat if I want to express my opinion privately to certain members and I want to contact them individually?

Try emailing them if they enabled their email address, or use the "private messaging" - PM. Be careful though, members do (and should) report harassing or annoying PMs to moderators. Just because it is a private message, it does not give you leeway to flame or troll others.

ShowI'm being harassed by a forum member, what should I do?

The "Report" function is available in threads, visitor messages & even private messages so just use that and a site moderator will intervene and deal with the issue. Harassment is not allowed on TWC as per these rules.

ShowWhat's the "Report" button? report-40b.png

This button at the bottom right of each post will generate an automatic email to all the moderators of that forum telling them that the post has been reported. You can use it to tell the moderators every time you see a post that breaks the Terms of Service. While it is not our aim to create a generation of informants, experience has proven time and again that reporting a post that you consider offensive or disruptive is far better than attempting to deal with it "on your own", by either attacking the poster or threatening with some form of action in the thread. Furthermore, a report is the fastest way to alert the moderators about serious breaches of ToS such as posting of porn and also to get yourself rid of ad-bots. Reporting posts is encouraged!

Moderator Actions, Infractions and Appeals

TWC's staff moderators enforce the Terms of Service throughout the site and can issue warnings and infraction points for breaches. There are methods of appeal if you feel you have been given an infraction unfairly (that is outside the terms of the ToS).

ShowWhere do I complain about moderators and their actions, or if I feel I am being mistreated?

If you think you are being mistreated or that a moderator is acting outside the ToS then you should PM one of the administrators who oversee moderation on a daily basis. These are the current Moderation Overseers:

You can also post about any problems you're having, or your thoughts about moderation, in the Moderation Commentary Thread where administrators will try to resolve your problem or answer any of your relevant questions regarding site moderation. It is best to be calm and coherent when talking about the matter in public as it breeds positive conversations, which further breeds solutions and satisfaction.

ShowHow do I appeal an infraction I think I've been given unfairly?

There are a variety of possible methods please see below:

  • Appeal by PM to the Moderator concerned or to a Moderation Hex: Members should feel free to discuss any moderator action or decision either with the moderator concerned or with one of the moderation overseers. This is usually the best way to start if you disagree with an infraction you have received, but you should also start here if you have an issue with other actions such as thread warnings, thread closures, notes, and so on. These are the current Moderation Overseers:
  • Appeal to the Praetorium: Appeals in the Praetorium are heard by all moderation staff, and all cases are private, which means that other members will not be able to view your appeal thread. You can appeal infractions in the Praetorium and you can also ask for an official ruling on any instruction you have been given by a moderator via PM, note, or thread warning. You cannot appeal other moderator actions like post deletions, thread closures, probation, and so on. You can find the Praetorium guidelines here.
  • Appeal to the Tribunal: Appeals in the Tribunal are heard by an independent panel of Tribunes and Magistrates, and all cases are public, which means that other members will be able to view your appeal thread. You can only appeal infractions and other penalties in the Tribunal. You can find the Tribunal guidelines here.

Appeals against infractions follow much the same process in both the Praetorium and the Tribunal. To open an appeal against an infraction, simply create a thread requesting an appeal. Try to provide relevant information about the infraction such as the approximate time the infraction was given, the name of the moderator who issued the infraction, and the relevant thread or forum. After you have created the thread, a moderator will post the infraction and deliberations will begin. You may explain your position in the appeal thread. After you have given your side of the story, a thread will be created in a hidden forum and deliberations will be initiated. Once a decision has been reached you will be informed of the verdict.

ShowMy account's been banned but I haven't logged in or done anything. What's going on?

Unfortunately there have been issues for some time where older accounts have been compromised, either through weak passwords or a broader breach (such as account leaks elsewhere and the password being reused on TWC). The accounts are then used to spam the forum. These cases force us to ban the account regardless if it was once a legitimate member. Just reach out to us and we can get it straightened out, but first ensure all of your accounts are up to date and that you are using secure passwords.

We have no reason to believe this is a flaw in TWC's systems at this time causing accounts to be entered through an exploit, but Technical Staff have been informed of this trend and we may institute measures to protect accounts of a certain age unused/with weak passwords as we are able.

Features Breakdown

Please see also: Shankbot's Unofficial Guide for New Members - step by step instructions on creating sigs, editing thread titles, adding rep and more!, which explains some of the features in more detail and includes screenshots (you will need to be logged in to view the thread).

Forum Posts and Messages

The TWC forum uses vBulletin software, with BB code for posting. This page lists most of the BB tags used on TWC; the page explains how to make bold or italic text and use other more advanced formatting options for posts. You can switch between BB code being shown in the reply window and WYSIWYG mode by clicking the A/A buttons at the top left of your reply screen. The "Go Advanced" reply option gives you access to shortcuts for more BB code features, such as spoilers and indents. You can also access the "Preview Post" function from the Advanced reply screen.

The following are frequently asked questions about posting:

ShowWhy can't I edit my posts?

Sorry for the inconvenience, members have to have 25 posts and been registered for at least five days in order to edit their posts. This was introduced to prevent spam advertising accounts from editing their posts.

ShowCan I re-name my own thread?

Yes, if you posted the first post in the thread you can change the thread title. Either "Edit" the first post and use the "Go Advanced" button to access the title, or from the forum view, double-click on the thread title to open just the title for editing.

ShowCan I delete\close my own thread?

No you can't unfortunately, you can report it though and explain in the report why you would like a site moderator to close/delete it for you, he/she may or may not close/delete it at his/her discretion.

ShowI've realised I posted in the wrong forum, can I move the post/thread?

Sorry, only moderators can move threads or posts, please report your own post and explain where you think it should be moved to. Please try and avoid posting the same post/thread in multiple locations!

ShowHow do I make polls?

You can only add a poll to the first post in a thread. When you start a new thread select the tick box below "Post a poll" near the bottom of the screen and enter the number of options you require in the box below that, compose the main text of your post and then click to "Submit New Thread" you will then be taken to a new screen where you can enter your poll options. To add a poll to a thread you have already started select the "Thread Tools" drop-down and "Add a Poll to this Thread".

If you need to amend the contents of a poll you have posted you will need to PM an Administrator. To create polls you need to have 25 posts and have been registered for at least one week.

ShowCan I vote in polls?

To vote in polls you have to have 25 posts and been registered for at least five days. This was introduced to prevent people creating duplicate accounts and spamming site awards or competition votes with them. Note: If you have more than one account you should not use them to multi-vote in the same poll!

ShowCan I edit a poll that I created in my thread?

No you can't unfortunately, however you can report your opening post in your thread and ask a site moderator to edit the poll for you to whatever you want. Alternatively, you can also create a new thread and report the old thread for deletion, whichever you prefer.

ShowHow do I post and reply to visitor messages?

To post visitor messages, you have to have 25 posts and been registered for at least five days. After that, you can view another user's profile and post a message using the "Visitor Messages" tab. If you want to reply to a message someone has left on your profile use the "View Conversation" button so the reply goes to their profile and not yours! Please note that visitor messages are public by default.

ShowHow do I send a private message?

Click on someone's name in their user display and you will see an envelope symbol and "Private Message" button, you can use that to open the message window with their name as the recipient. You can also find the "Send New Message" button in the "My Messages" section at the top left of your "My Account" view. If you start typing in the "Recipient Users:" box you will get an autofill of the possible user-names starting with your text (which can help on hard to spell names). You can send messages to multiple recipients by adding a ';' between names, but please don't 'spam' other users!

Private messages can be formatted in exactly the same way as forum posts. You can even send yourself a message as a way of saving a draft for a complex forum post.

ShowHow do I make or join a Social Group?

To join or create a group you have to have 10 posts and been registered for at least five days. Groups are accessed from your My Profile" page not "My Account". Go to your profile page and on the left-hand side under "Albums" you will see "Groups" with "Join Groups" link next to it, note this is a different section to "Permission Groups". Click that Join Groups button to join or create a social group. Also remember to search the already made Social Groups to see if there is already one for your topic.

ShowHow do I rename or delete my Social Group?

Just contact any Site Moderator, and they can rename/delete or edit your group description if need be. Alternatively, you can post your request in this thread.

Reputation

Reputation is a fun feature that theoretically enables you to see your community standing with the other members of TWC. In theory, the more reputation you have, the more highly thought of you are by the other members of the community. It has no other real meaning, and many members choose to disable the display.

Reputation here will be described as if you were using the default TWCenter skin. The symbols are different on the other skins, the principle is the same however.

ShowHow do I give rep?

You can add reputation to a post by clicking this button:

reputation-40b.png

You can only add 1 point of rep to each post and you can only give 7 points total a day. Additionally, you have to rep 3 different users before you can give rep to the same user again, in order to prevent rep abuse.

ShowWho can give rep?

Because of issues with account cloning in the past, where people created accounts just to give themselves rep, only users registered for at least five days with over 10 posts may give rep. Furthermore, it may take an hour or so after your 10th post for your rep to start working, even if you've been registered for over five days by that point.

ShowHow do I know which member gave me rep?

Generally people also mention their username along with the rep comment, if they have not chosen to do so then it's an anonymous rep and you won't be able to find out who it came from. However, if you have been insulted via rep feature then contact any moderator or an administrator as they have the access to view it, they can remove the insult and take care of the offender as per TWC's terms of service.

ShowWhere does reputation show?

Your reputation shows up in two places. One, on the left hand side where you post, a collection of symbols shows a rough guide to how much rep you have. Two, in your control panel, which gives your total number of points and a more comprehensive display of the last 20 rep points you received, showing which post you got it for, who gave it, and any comment they left.

ShowHow many rep points do I have?

You can see the current number of rep points on your profile by clicking My Account. The total is shown at the top of the "Latest Reputation Received" table.

ShowCan I disable reputation?

Yes, you can disable the display of your reputation in your control panel under "General Settings". If you do so, your own rep won't be displayed on your posts but you will still be able to give other people rep as well as receive it and view rep messages.

ShowWhat does it look like?

Each symbol represents a certain number of rep points. It starts at 3, so if you have less than 3 rep points, you'll show the scales symbol for neutral rep.

Balance.png

Some very few members who have received negative rep from the staff will have this replaced by a red square. Those users who have disabled the reputation feature will simply show a grey square. Once you hit 3 rep points, you'll get 1 gold ring

reputation_pos.png

Each ring = 3 points, so if someone has 5 rings, they have 15 Rep points. You can only get a maximum of 5 rings, after that the rings are transferred into a fleur-de-lis.

reputation_pos2.png

Each gold fleur-de-lis is worth 15 rep points.

reputation_highpos.png

Each red fleur-de-lis is worth 150 rep points.

Reputation Descriptions

When you hover over the reputation icons in someone's post a reputation description will be shown. The descriptions are based on famous movie quotes, the quotes change as the number of rep points increase.

Below is a list of all the descriptions, and which film they came from, sorted by the number of rep points. "User" in the descriptions will be replaced by the member's actual user-name.

ShowList of Rep Descriptions and Point Levels
0 User, My precious - Lord of the Rings
1-5 User, we have a problem - Apollo 13
6-15 User can't handle the truth - A Few Good Men
16-20 User ought to go careful in Vienna. Everybody ought to go careful in a city like this - The Third Man
21-25 User came to TWC for the waters - Casablanca
26-35 User coulda had class. Coulda been a contender. Could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what he is - On the Waterfront
36-45 User was once tested by a census taker. He ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti - Silence of the Lambs
46-55 User, you got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk? - Dirty Harry
56-65 User, TWC thinks this is a the beginning of a beautiful friendship - Casablanca
66-75 User's looking at you, kid - Casablanca
76-85 User is not in Kansas anymore - Wizard of Oz
86-95 User could carry a coconut by gripping it by the husk - Monty Python and the Holy Grail
96-105 User didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition - Monty Python's Flying Circus
106-115 User , Hasta la vista - Terminator
116-125 User , short of being attacked by a giant octopus, would like to be undisturbed for the next thirty minutes - Crimson Tide
126-150 User can't fight in here! This is the Total War Room - Dr. Strangelove
151-175 User says: Freeeeeeeeeeedom! - Braveheart
176-200 User . James Bond - James Bond
201-225 User 's hometown were two miles of public lighting in the streets when London was a village - Lawrence of Arabia
226-250 User has seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion - Bladerunner
251-275 User made us an offer we could not refuse - The Godfather
276-300 User knows what they call a Quarter Pounder with cheese in France - Pulp Fiction
301-325 User is following the white rabbit - Matrix
326-350 User is like the smell of napalm in the morning - Apocalypse Now
351-375 User is Keyser Söze - The Usual Suspects
376-425 User CAN simply walk into Mordor - Lord of the Rings
426-475 User will dine tonight in Elysium - Gladiator or 300
476-525 User is big! It's the rep icons that got small - Sunset Boulevard
526-575 User is Rosebud - Citizen Kane
576-625 User lived in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias - The Third Man
626-675 User is poised on steady legs, then begs for several eggs frothed to a mousse - Cyrano de Bergerac
676-725 User is getting cuter every minute - The Big Sleep
726-775 User has all the usual vices, besides those they've invented for themselves - The Big Sleep
776-825 User likes his brandy in a glass - The Big Sleep
826-875 User knows what gold does to men's souls - The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
876-925 User had a friend once. A dear friend - Once Upon a Time in America
926-975 User doesn't have to show you any stinking badges - The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
976-1025 User shall possess, unscathed, something outlasting mortal flesh - - Cyrano de Bergerac
1026-1075 User will show you where the iron crosses grow - Cross of Iron
1076-1125 User is the stuff that dreams are made of - The Maltese Falcon
1126-1175 User grieves over his manners on long winter evenings - The Big Sleep
1176-1225 User frankly just doesn't give a damn - Gone with the Wind
1226-1275 User likes talking to a man who likes to talk - The Maltese Falcon
1276-1325 User bets you 105,000 dollars that you go to sleep before he does - The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
1326-1375 User knows there are two kinds of people in the world - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
1376-1425 User , I expect you to die - Goldfinger
1426-1475 User is ice cold in TWC - Ice-Cold in Alex
1476-1525 User kicks ass for the Lord - Dead Alive
1526+ User doesn't feel any pity if one of those dots stopped moving forever - The Third Man

Post Count Titles

In your user display directly under your avatar, you will see a short line of text, this is your post count title, or custom user-title. Post count titles don't have any deep meaning they are merely associated with your post count. The more posts you have, the further you progress up this list. Citizens, Local Moderators and TWC Staff have the ability to override their default title with a custom user-title of their own choosing.

Here's the list of the current default titles, they were based on the game Total War: Attila.

ShowList of Post Count Titles
Title English Translation Required Post Count
Barbarus A barbarian 0
Laetus A Barbarian settler defeated by the Romans and dispersed to another or several parts of the Empire. 1
Foederatus Barbarian settler or soldier in a group under treaty with the Romans 25
Libertus A freed slave. 50
Civis A citizen 100
Tiro A soldier in training 200
Miles A soldier, known as Pedes or Eques depending on his unit. 300
Semisalis A veteran soldier with 1.5 times pay grade. 400
Decanus The same as the Strategikon's Dekakontarchos, or the commander of a Contubernium. 500
Biarchus Equivalent to the Strategikon's Pentakontarchos, commander of 50 men, essentially the Late Roman Optio. 600
Ordinarius A centurion in a Limitanei unit. 700
Centenarius A centurion in a Comitatenses or Auxilia Palatina unit. 800
Ducenarius A commander of two centuries in the Late Roman Era in Auxilia Palatina units. 900
Senator Not much is known about the rank, but modern historians think he was a battlefield herald. 1,000
Campidoctor regimental drill master 1,500
Domesticus regimental chief-of-staff 2,000
Vicarius Not to be confused with a Late Roman Governor, this man was the replacement should the Tribunis die in combat. 2,500
Primicerius The Lieutenant Commander and Administrative head of a Late Roman unit. 3,000
Protector Domesticus A cadet officer earmarked for military or political role that often served in a Late Roman unit. Like an ensign, in a way. 4,000
Praepositus Commander of a Limitanei garrison, or in some cases an old Legion 5,000
Praefectus Commander of a Roman Legion 6,000
Tribunus A generic command title, but always used in the Legio and Auxilia Palatina regiments, the elite forces of the field armies. 7,000
Praeses the Governor of a minor province, such as Pannonia Valeria 7,500
Vicarius Provinciae Governor of an important province, such as Dalmatia 10,000
Limitis A count of Limitanei in a province: this is a rather unusual occurence and seems to be beneath the command of a Dux. E.g. Comes Tractus Aremoriciani 12,500
Dux Limitis The Commander of the Limitanei in a Province or sometimes a region. E.g. Dux Thebaidos 15,000
Comes Rei Militaris The Commander of a Comitatensian Field Army. E.g. Comes Dalmatae 20,000
Patricius The title of Patrician, which at this time held no real privleges but paved the way for obtaining higher ranks. 25,000
Domesticorum The Commander of the Protectores Domestici, originally the Imperial Guard but by the Late 4th century an Officer's Cadre. 30,000
Cura Palatii The new commander of the Imperial Guard units, according to Dr. Meaghan McEvoy. Lit. "Curator of the Palace" 40,000
Magister Militum The Commander of a Regional Field army, such as Comes et Magister Militum per Gallias. 50,000
Praefectus Praetorio The administrative chief of a praetorian prefecture, such as the Praefectus Praetorio Italiae, Illyrici, et Africae. 60,000
Magister Officiorum The Commander of the Scholae Palatinae and the administrative chief of offices in the Empire. 70,000
Magister Militum Meaning "Master of the Soldiers", was a top-level military command. 80,000
Patricius Noster The Full title being Magnificus vir parens patriciusque noster, the title that cemented men like Stilicho and Aetius as supreme commander. 90,000
Augustus There were two of them: one in Constantinople, usually the Senior Augustus, and one in Ravenna, usually the Junior Augustus, for each administrative half. 100,000

Profile and Account Settings

The "My Account" section gives access to a number of ways you can personalise your TWC profile, including adding signatures, avatars and profile pictures. Here you can also choose how much information you'd like to add to your profile, e.g. if you'd like everyone to know your gender, or birthday, or which Total War games you own. You can also set a number of privacy options and choose if you are emailed notifications about your thread subscriptions.

Some common queries about profile features are answered below:

ShowWhy can't I create a signature yet?

To discourage joining/posting simply to spam signature links all signatures are currently disabled for new users. Once you have 25 posts and have been a member for a week you will be able to create a signature.

ShowWhat can I put in a signature?

Signatures can contain text and/or images, the dimensions are bound to a 550×175 pixel box automatically, with anything outside of that being cut off. The text can include BB code and hyperlinks. The maximum combined file size of all images in a signature may not exceed 250 KB according to the current TOS. Any images used must be uploaded to an independent hosting site.

ShowHow can I display an avatar?

The "Edit Avatar" button in your control panel allows you to select an avatar from some pre-defined images hosted on TWC. You can also choose to use your own custom avatar which can have a maximum size of 100×100 pixels or 80 KB (whichever is smaller). You can upload the image to TWC but uploading images to an independent hosting site is preferred.

ShowHow do I add a profile picture?

The "Edit Profile Picture" button in your control panel allows you select a small picture to display in your profile. The image can have a maximum size of 640×480 pixels or 250 KB (whichever is smaller). You can upload the image to TWC but uploading images to an independent hosting site is preferred.

ShowCan I change my username?

You can't do this yourself from your account options, but you can request a name change in the Name change requests thread in the Questions & Suggestions forum and an administrator will rename your Username. Please note that you cannot change to a name that is already in use, even if the other user has not been active.

ShowI can't remember my user-name/password, how can I log-in?

Sometimes members use a typical username, or include special symbols in it and forget them, hence they can't re-login again, in that case, use the contact us option and explain your problem. You can also send a message to staff on TWC's Twitter (please be patient when waiting for a reply) and if you use Discord you can also seek advice on the TWC server.

ShowCan I delete or suspend my account?

As a rule, TWC never deletes an account. However it is possible to have yourself suspended if you no longer have the time for TWC, or just need to take a break. To have your account temporarily suspended just send an Admin a private message with your request. To request deletion of your personal data, please use the 'contact us' button at the bottom of the forum index and select the relevant option.

Features for Modders

TWC provides a range of features that can help modders including the possibility of having their own hosted mod-forum.

ShowWhere can I post information about my mod?

Each of the game sections has a 'Modifications' sub-forum, these are normally subdivided further with separate sections for WIP/Proposals and Released Mods. If you start your thread in the wrong section or would like it moved when the status changes from WIP to released, you can message a moderator for the forum, or report your own post to request the move. (Moving the thread will mean anyone already subscribed to it can find the new location)

Substantial released mods or very active mods in development may benefit from having their own Hosted Mod Forum.

ShowHow can I get a Hosted Mod Forum?

To obtain a hosted forum at TWC mod teams need to be able to show that they already have a good track record of making progress with their mod. If you have a mod and would like to apply for a subforum, private message a Modding Hex. Links to the profiles of the current Modding Hex/Hexes can be found here.

ShowHow can I advertise my mod?

In addition to posting mod details on the forum, modders can create pages for their mods on this Wiki. Modders can also request News Announcements for releases, updates, previews, recruitment drives etc. The announcements will appear on TWC's home page and can optionally also be posted on TWC's Twitter feed. Note that announcements should point people to their TWC thread or wiki page, and not necessarily off-site ie, directly to moddb or a discord server.

ShowCan I upload my mod to the TWC server?

The Download Section can be used to post small (max 100MB) mods, tools and resources for the Total War games. You can also create a page in the downloads section which links to a larger file hosted externally, the page can be retained and edited and the file link changed for later updates allowing you to see the total number of downloads over various versions.

For suggestions on sites to host larger files, check out the wiki page about Upload Sites

ShowWill my copyright be protected?

Mod contents are not normally treated as having a 'copyright' as they are in some part based on the game assets and software. However, TWC maintains a policy of protecting modders 'rights' within TWC and will not host mods that have used modders' work without permission. The Mod Register provides a way for modders to register brief details about their mod and include a permission statement indicating their intentions regarding re-use of their content. The Terms of Service also includes a penalty clause for using modders' work without permission. Modders are strongly encouraged to make an entry into the registry, particularly to be clear how a mod was created and its usage permissions by other members. Reuse in another project with attribution may be authorized by administrators if no permissions policy is set and the author has been absent for a long time.

ShowCan I use assets from this mod? It hasn't been updated in a long time and the author never got back to me!

If the modding permission is "free to use" or "with attribution" you are good to go, attributing the original creator for their part in your mod. Permissions can be found through their entry in the Mod Register if they made one, or specified when the mod was published.

If the permission is not specified and there is no entry in the Register, please refer to the Modding Permissions Policy for exact requirements, but the key is this: you must reach out to the author even if they have been absent for a long time, and if you do not get a response in a reasonable time (a few weeks) you must reach out to the Modding Hex. They can look into it and if they believe there is no issue, they may authorize use until the modder returns and says otherwise.

At this time there is unfortunately no recourse if a mod's permissions are 'by request only' or 'do not reuse', even if the mod has been dormant for some time. This is an area the administration is currently discussing.

The Modding Hex: lolIsuck & Dismounted Feudal Knight

Blogs

TWC's blogs are written by members of TWC, they can be found here. A wide variety of topics can be covered but special rules apply to the blogs and political or religious topics are not allowed. Members are welcome to apply to join the blogging group if they want to start their own blog or just want to comment on existing blogs.

ShowHow can I get my own blog or comment on someone else's?

Anyone can request permission to have a blog. Requests should be made by going to your profile and clicking on "Join Groups" in the "Permission Groups" section, and then clicking to join the "Bloggers" group. The site administrators will decide whether or not people should have permission to post a blog on a case by case basis. Generally applicants who have shown good conduct and have some activity on TWC will be accepted.

Only people with permission to post blogs will be able to post comments on blogs. If you do not want to post a blog of your own, but you do want to be able to post comments on blogs, then you should follow the steps above and request Bloggers access.

A forum for blogging without the special restrictions including politics and religion can be found here. This forum has less publicity but is open to all members from the start. The Terms of Service still fully apply.

ShowWhat are the special rules for blogs and blog comments?

Some content is not appropriate for blogs and blog comments. If you have a blog, or if you post comments on any blogs, you must strictly follow these rules:

  • no religion
  • no politics
  • no content which breaks TWC's Terms of Service (please note that this means all content must be family-friendly).

Anyone who breaks the rules above will lose the ability to post blogs and also the ability to post comments on blogs, and their blog will be deleted. This is a purely administrative decision which cannot be appealed to the Tribunal or Praetorium.

Citizenship & Opportunities

TWC rewards those who participate! Browsing the forums, you may notice that many users have at least a few medals, perhaps a badge and title, a coloured name etc. Rewards and positions can result from anything like helping with graphics, to proving yourself for the moderation team, to being a good modder, to patching up errors on the wiki. Whatever your niche, if you're dedicated at something on the site and stick to it, you will almost inevitably be rewarded, and if you're really putting in legwork, you may be offered Citizenship or a staff position (they do not mutually exclude or require each other). If you just want to be a normal user doing your thing, that's perfectly fine too!

If you want to strive for more, or think you could help the site in some way, please read on:

ShowWhat is Citizenship?

Citizenship is recognition for your contributions to the website. It is a badge, a coloured title, a bit of recognition and a small selection of extra forums to post in (the Curia). It is also a path to the Magistrate position and local moderation/management positions within the Curia. Finally, it is a place to propose users for existing awards or suggest new awards, as well as make and vote on suggestions for both the Curia itself and for the website in general. Note that votes passed in the Curia are still subject to administrator review, and further, citizenship does not entitle authority over other members. Likewise, you are not obliged to participate in the curia and discussions - but it would be appreciated if you lend your voice from time to time, if only in voting.

ShowHow can I become a TWC Citizen?

The minimum requirements to be considered for the award are; to have made at least fifty posts, been registered for at least two months, and not have received a warning within the last six months. You will also need to have contributed constructively to the forums, and have another Citizen act as a Patron to propose your application to the Curia. Please see here for more details.

If you believe you deserve this, message a current citizen and who knows? They might just wish to patronize you.

ShowHow can I join or help staff?

To join staff, please message the relevant administrator or Director. They'd be happy to consider you! If however you are brand new, are not accepted into staff, or are not ready to take the responsibility of a staff title, there are other opportunities.

There are the Member or Modding Award Committees, public discussions started by staff or members in the Questions and Suggestions forum users are free to lend their input to, and the value of members who are just plain helpful or welcoming cannot be understated. These things will benefit the site without needing to be in staff to do it. You can also submit articles to Content for publication on the front page - just check out the site's Publications, and write what comes to mind! Content Staff will review the submission and if it works out, it might just be published.


To be a part of Staff formally requires members to have a good history of complying with the ToS. Within staff some additional rules such as non-disclosure of private information apply. Moderation, Administration (Hex) and Technical departments will tend to be more stringent in their requirements, the Administration and Technical Departments particularly will require that you've built up a high level of trust over a longer period of time on the forum.

The widest range of opportunities tend to be within the Content branch; read on below if you are interested.

ShowWhat opportunities are there in Content Staff?

Content Staff cover a wide range of areas, working for them could involve:

  • Writing articles for publication.
  • Publishing news bulletins.
  • Running writing or graphics competitions.
  • Producing graphics for use on the site.
  • Supervising or working on this Wiki.
  • Acting as a Librarian for the Scriptorium.
  • Helping organise access to modding information.
  • Looking after the Downloads section.
  • and more...

If you're interested in joining please contact the head of the section you're interested in, or Content Hex. See current staff here. You are also free to submit articles and suggestions or work on the wiki without committing to the badge! Content is not very demanding so if you only have a limited amount of time to offer weekly but can still get things out in that time, feel free to take your shot.

ShowWhat about the Gaming Staff?

Gaming Staff is no longer a department unfortunately, due to troubles in keeping it running as a formal branch. If however you are interested in gaming related activities - forum games, a competition, even a play by post RPG - send the administration a message! We're happy to talk and work something out.

TWC Wiki

You're here! Welcome to the TWC Wiki! This Wiki hosts information about the TWC site and the Total War games; it includes articles on TWC site history, site information, summaries of modding knowledge, lists and pages for mods, and overviews of the games themselves as well as their features. Making it better is a never-ending process for a site that's been online over a decade.

ShowI can't find an edit button, only "view source", why is that?

Users must be logged in in order to edit pages. If you have ever previously logged in your account name and password should still be valid. If you haven't logged in yet you will need to request a wiki account on the forum.

Once you have logged in you should see an "edit" button on most pages, you will also get the option to "create" pages if you follow a link to a page that does not exist yet. Some popular pages are semi-protected so that very new users cannot edit them and a few pages like the Terms of Service and System Files that change the default behaviour of the wiki are protected so that only wiki administrators can edit them. If you spot something that needs changing on one of those pages you can edit or create the "discussion" page for that article to explain what is needed.

ShowI can't see a "Register" button, how do I get a wiki account?

You can't register for an account directly on this wiki. The function has been removed because the standard wiki software is too vulnerable to spammers and bots signing up solely to spam advertising.

To get a wiki account please first log in to TWC and post a request in this thread. A wiki admin will make you an account using your forum user-name and message you with a temporary password for the wiki account (which you should change as soon as possible). If you give the wiki your email address you can thereafter retrieve your account if you forget the password, you can also "watchlist" pages, which works similarly to a thread subscription and gives you an email notification of changes.

You are welcome to request an account even if you don't want to edit the wiki, being able to log-in allows you to use the watchlist and set various preference options such as viewing the wiki with a different skin.

ShowHow can I help out?

The Help page gives some editing advice to get you started and suggests ways you could help the wiki and gives you an idea of what the priorities are at the current time, but you're free to just find pages and subjects you're interested in and work on them as you see fit. You're always welcome to contact the Wiki Director for advice, especially if you might be interested in joining the Wiki Team.

ShowWhat rules apply on the Wiki?

Please note that the Terms of Service and the TWC Wiki Policy & Guidelines apply throughout the Wiki; importantly you must not submit copyrighted work without permission! Deliberate vandalism or repeatedly ignoring the Wiki Staff may result in temporary or even permanent removal from the Wiki (which is not open to appeal on the forum), breaches of the ToS may also result in disciplinary action taken against your forum account.

ShowAre there any rewards for working on the Wiki?

There are a series of TWC Wiki Editor Award medals available to non-staff for merit and time served as a non-staff member editing the wiki. The medals are given at the discretion of the Wiki Director and Hex. Wiki Team members who are part of Content Staff instead receive the Scribe's Quill award for their service, but members of other staff branches (e.g. moderation) who do work on the wiki unrelated to their staff role could also be eligible for the Wiki Editor Award medals.

You can't directly acquire forum rep for edits or pages on the wiki, but if you post somewhere like the Discuss the Wiki thread to explain what you've been working on, that can help generate more help/interest and you may incidentally find your posts about it receive rep.

ShowShould I join TWC Staff and the Wiki Team?

If you are interested in organizing the wiki, send a message! If you are a regular editor who wants to lend input to staff sections, you are also free to apply and be considered. Otherwise if you just want to edit articles without formality, being Wiki Team is not required.

Content membership does require a higher standard of behavior than other members and you are asked to follow certain conventions, such as directing your concerns about other staff branches through internal forums first (we'd rather not berate ourselves in public, but bantor is quite fine!). If this sounds alright to you however, feel free to say send a message. To join, please contact the Wiki Director or Content Hex.


Total War Center Information: The Total War Center | Terms of Service | FAQ
TWC Staff Hexagon Council | Content Staff | Moderation Staff | Technical Staff | Tribunes
Content Areas The Writers' Study | The Graphics Workshop | The Eagle Standard | Gamer's Gazette | The Helios | The Scriptorium | TWC News
Medals and Awards Curia Awards (The Curia) | Hexagon Council Awards | Site Service Awards | Special Contribution Awards | Members' Awards | Contest Awards | Citizenship
History of TWC History of the Syntagma | Triumvirates on TWC | Gaming Staff | Modding Staff | Curial Officers | Personal Perspectives
Other TWC Information: Mod Register | TWC Downloads | User Badges | Forum Overviews | TWC Blogs | TWC Discord
Other Wiki Sections: Total War Series | Total War Mods | Modding Portal | TWC Wiki