Writing a post, especially for the first time can seem a bit daunting. But don’t worry! Just remember all a post is, is a section of an overall story. The same as any fiction you would write in the club or for personal enjoyment. This guide is here to help explain some of the specifics of post types and things to be aware of when partaking in your own ACC journey.
Writing a Post
Details of a match
Writing an ACC post is like writing any other kind of fiction within the Brotherhood. You utilize the characters, and the setting, then begin to craft a combat narrative. Depending on the post the specifics of what is within will change but at its core, it is still just storytelling.
There are however a couple of things to keep in mind when making a post:
- All ACC posts have a minimum word count of 250 words, and most typically have no maximum unless explicitly specified.
- It's a good idea to verify how many words your post has to allow a buffer. Failing to meet the minimum word count will cause you to lose the match!
- The ACC system makes use of the Markdown language, which can be used for formatting.
- Bold typically helps emphasize certain words or actions, and Italics works great for internal thoughts or telepathic communication.
- There is a preview button to check the formatting. Use it!
Depending on what the post is, there are also some specific details to keep in mind.
Opening Body Post
Preview of a first post
Once a challenge has been accepted, the match will open for posting. By default, the first poster is randomly selected. The match itself will start with a Venue Introduction, which is a short prewritten section that sets the environment of the battle. This can be used to establish the tone and direction of the match.
When writing the first post of a match, it is your job to establish yourself and your opponent in this location, create a reason for the fight and initiate the combat. Every story needs a beginning and that is one of the core pieces of a good first post in a match.
Remember to keep the total post count in mind when writing a post. If a match is a standard 4-post Alternative Ending match, this is your one chance to put in some combat before working on your final concluding post. When matches are longer, it becomes easier to take a slower more in-depth approach to the narrative and combat.
As the first post, you have the freedom to create your own reason and narrative for the combat. Subsequent posts will have to build off what you establish in this first post. It is important to remember that the first post should end in a condition for the fight to continue. That means something such as killing or crippling your opponent will not only make it impossible for the match to continue, but you will suffer a loss of the match. Even putting a character in an impossible-to-overcome situation will be scored low. This is the first of several posts (at least two more for a full narrative) so rushing to the ending will hinder the posts that follow.
Body Post(s)
Following the opening post and before the final closing posts are made, there are the remainder of the body posts to be made. You are expected to build off the previous post and keep the continuity of the story. A standard match will only have one additional body post after the introduction before the ending posts are done. In longer matches, body posts continue to alternate between opponents. It is important to remember that much like the opening post, body posts need to end in a state where the fight isn’t finished, and the next post can build upon what has been included.
Your body post starts right at the moment the previous post ended. Make sure to fully read the prior posts in the match to account for the continuality of the story, things such as terrain, weapons, and injuries, should all be accounted for as a singular narrative.
While typically each combatant will focus on their own character in their posts, it is important not to ignore what your opponent’s character is doing. Yes, you do write your opponent’s character, while typically keeping the POV of your post as your own character, including their thoughts and motives. The best ACC combatants fully utilize both characters and their skills and powers within their posts. Don’t be afraid of writing your opponent's actions, as doing this is expected!
Final Post(s)
The final post is your last
Final posts will result in a match closing, and as such should in some capacity end the narrative and combat of the match. There are two different types final posts, the standard Alternative Ending or the Singular Ending.
Fights do not need to end in death, but there should be a clear victor in the final post. This means one character is down, injured beyond continuing the fight, or unconscious. There is one very critical thing to keep in mind when writing your closing post in a match.
Winning an ACC match does not mean your character was the victor in the story.
ACC matches are scored on a myriad of factors (discussed below) and often times the realistic ending is that your character loses in the narrative. ACC matches are typically non-canon to your character’s club-wide story, don’t be afraid to end a match by losing in the story. Some of the best ACCers so frequently win the match because they let themselves lose in the narrative.
Alternative Endings
The standard format for the ACC, Alternative Endings see both combatants write their own unique conclusion to the match based on the last body post. In the standard 4 post format, this means if you posted second, you will be continuing directly from the end of your last post. If you wrote the opening body post, you would be picking up from what your opponent wrote.
Your opponent will not be able to see your final post once it has been submitted until the battle has been judged and closed. This is to prevent the combatants from accidentally pulling similar ideas from each other.
While the first poster gets to set the stage for the match, the second poster gets to set the stage for the finale, giving an edge in setting up how they want to end the match in their final post. In this situation, it is important to remember not to include parts of the final post when making the last body post in a match. You are free to write the final post immediately with the last body, you will not be able to post it until after your opponent has posted their ending. The final posts follow the same alternating style as the rest of the match.
Singular Ending
In this format, only the very last post made is the conclusion to the fight. This means that if you are not the final poster in a match, you will only be contributing body posts, typically meaning you were the first poster in the match. As a single narrative, one combatant writes the opening, and the other gets to write the close.
When writing a singular ending post, treat it the same as any other ending post in a match, pay attention to the body posts that come before it, and give a definitive ending to the match.
Time Limit Considerations
Every match has a post time limit, the default is 3 days (72 hours). That time is calculated from the time the last post was made on the site. But real life often happens, and as always that should be your priority. If you find yourself unable to complete your post before the time limit is reached you can request an Extension.
On your match page, there is a Battle Information section. This includes how much time remains for you to make your post, and will have an Extend Battle button. This will extend the post due date/time. The first extension request is automatically approved, with others possibly requiring your opponent’s approval to continue.
Should you fail to post before the timer expires, and an extension was not made, your battle will automatically close due to a time-out. Closed matches will remain closed and cannot be reopened except in the instance of major personal emergencies.
Wikipedia and Character History Usage
Brotherhood Wikipedia Articles can be used to expand the history of a character, their career, and their relationships. In the ACC feel free to use the information found on Wikipedia pages to enhance the storytelling.
Should you introduce a character that appears on a Wiki page, but is not mentioned on the attached character sheet for a match, make sure to properly introduce them to the reader. No one reading a match should need to hunt down and read an entire Wiki page to get context for the information in presented in a match.
Wikipedia page information cannot be used to skirt the Character Sheet, Loadouts, or ACC guidelines.
Good Example: A character has +5 in their Blasters Skill on their Character sheet. Their Wikipedia Page mentions winning several galaxy-wide marksmanship awards. This is relevant and makes sense between what is on the Character Sheet and what is on the Wiki.
Bad Example: A character Wiki mentions growing up on a Hutt world, and speaking Huttese fluently, but the Character sheet does not list Huttese as a learned language. They cannot speak Huttese in the match or there will be a realism issue.
Additional weapons, equipment, armor, skills mentioned on a Wiki page that are not on a Character Sheet cannot used in a match. Wikipedia pages are not policied for realism or equipment compared to the site, and in the context of a match, only what is on the Character Sheet or included in a Loadout is relevant to the match.