Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 warfteiner Oct 22, 2008 23:06:25	So, we've had plenty of folks asking how to order adventures and how to navigate the "new" RPGA/DCI site. I use the quotes simply because I should've had this posted weeks ago but work interfered (doesn't it always?) and many people are now quite comfortable with the site... but this post is for those of you that aren't 100% comfortable with it and want a picture-by-picture guide! Each image should be pretty close to exactly what you see on your screen. If the format looks slightly different, please know that I use Firefox - IE/ Opera/ Mosaic/ etc will have a different visceral look and feel, but the same functionality at the heart of it. A few things to assume, here: 1 - You are a Herald-level DM or higher. 2 - You have basic web familiarity. 3 - ... you'll send me pie. I love pie. 4 - The images are not edited. They're goofy-lookin' 'cause it's late and I'm using Windows paint... Here we go! Follow the circles to find the easy path! 1.) From the basic http://www.rpga.com website: 2.) The RPGA/ DCI log in. Enter your number (old-schoolers, update to a 9- or 10-digit number please) and password. 3.) Hit your event sanctioning button. Look to the lower-right of your screen. 4.) What are we playing today? Circles FTW! 5.) What type of event today? Use your drop-down box. 6.) Here are your options. Conventions will need a convention code (or so I hear; I've never set up a convention). 7.) Where are you playing? At home? At your FLGS? Your local disco? Spell it out, man! 8.) Personal data. It's not shared, and if you don't fill it out, Chris Tulach will find you... and make you work in HQ at GenCon... (and you still can't rub Dave C.'s bald head for good luck when you get there) ** PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU ORDER ANYTHING BUT A "HOME" GAME, YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION WILL BE LISTED ON THE WIZARDS.COM EVENT CALENDAR!! ** (so: if you want to get an RPGA-sanctioned game for Joe, Jim, Kim, and Bob on the block... make it a home game so random scrubs don't show up at your front door demanding xp and Mountain Dew) 9.) Sort the campaign files for easy reading: 10.) Add some adventures to your event order. Bear in mind that home games only get two adventures no matter how many consecutive days Joe, Jim, Kim and Bobbo keep you practicing those Iron DM skills. The little circle on the right is where you should be selecting your desired adventures, the big circle on the bottom is what you need to hit after you select the appropriate adventures-in-question: 11.) Verify your selected adventures! Few things suck harder than going to all this work only to realize that you've ordered the wrong adventures for your event (ok, so lots of things are worse but we're talking in dice-chucking terms here): 12.) Verified, locked and loaded? Awesome, let's go press that little "next" button and move on. It wants to be hit! Look at it!: 13.) Finalize it! 14.) Go to My Events! 15.) Check your email for the sanctioning number (this is mostly used when a DM has set up multiple events and gamedays). Then, inside My Events, find the event with the sanctioning number that was emailed to you and click on it. 16.) Find the adventure(s) and download it! Hopefully you have software to deal with .zip archives and .pdf files... 17.) Reporting an event is a whole 'nother animal. We can cover that later, time permitting... So, there you (mostly) have it. It's clunky and looks like I threw it together... because I did. If there is demand I can do a whole slick flash presentation later on - but for now, hopefully this will help the new DMs or those that just don't know the new system yet. Feedback encourages, PMs welcome, and pie suggested. Warm pumpkin, or maybe some dutch apple with caramel glaze this week? - warfteiner.
#2 WolfStar76 Oct 23, 2008 6:36:00	You just made the FAQ
#3 smerwin29 Oct 23, 2008 6:36:39	This was such a generous thing to take the time to do, and it pains me to do this, but there is a slight problem that many people are having that is duplicated in these otherwise great instructions. In Step 10, people are having this problem all the time (including me). Instead of clicking "Next" as instructed, you need to click "Add/Remove Selected Adventures." If you click "Next" before clicking "Add/Select," you get an error message saying "Not Enough Adventures Selected." Thanks, Shawn LFR Global Admin
#4 WolfStar76 Oct 23, 2008 6:45:42	This was such a generous thing to take the time to do, and it pains me to do this, but there is a slight problem that many people are having that is duplicated in these otherwise great instructions. In Step 10, people are having this problem all the time (including me). Instead of clicking "Next" as instructed, you need to click "Add/Remove Selected Adventures." If you click "Next" before clicking "Add/Select," you get an error message saying "Not Enough Adventures Selected." Thanks, Shawn LFR Global Admin Nice catch. Warft, if you update your pictorial guide, I'll update the FAQ.
#5 kildaere Oct 23, 2008 11:06:31	I was just going to say the same thing (about "you need to click "Add/Remove Selected Adventures.") That is where I got stuck too my first time. Nice Job!
#6 pedr Oct 23, 2008 12:36:54	One other minor 'nit-pick' ... the details you enter in the location fields will be viewable in the Event Calendar, if you choose any option other than 'Home'. This is useful if you want people to turn up to your game-day or retail event, or at least contact you about it, but don't put details, such as phone numbers, if you don't want that info shared. The Phone number field is mandatory, but any text in there will be accepted, as far as I can tell. This also means that if you order something other than a 'Home' event, you ought to run the event on the day in question, or cancel the event from the calendar, otherwise people might turn up and wonder why the event isn't running! Fabulous guide, though!
#7 that_darn_cat Oct 23, 2008 13:24:20	6.) Here are your options. Conventions will need a convention code (or so I hear; I've never set up a convention). I tried to sanction some convention events Oct 8th or 9th and the system did not ask for a convention code. However, the system was semi down at that point and my events did not sanction, so this may have changed. A code would be awesome for us TOs organizing conventions
#8 warfteiner Oct 23, 2008 19:08:05	Faaaaaaaantastic! Thanks for the input, all. As soon as the wife and I finish dinner I'll do some hot updating action and maybe even do a guide for submitting results. ;) As for FAQ'ing me... woot! I'm absolutely thrilled to be a part of the larger community! (truth is, I'm probably going to continue doing these little guides for some of the weirder things in our communities... wait until you see some shots of my gaming space)
#9 warfteiner Oct 23, 2008 21:48:47	Ok, unintentional bump but.... Very intentional and important update! Added the "Add/Remove Selected Adventure" and "Next" steps (see #s 10 & 11) per popular request. No pie yet. That hurts me, right in the feelings.
#10 amysrevenge Oct 24, 2008 12:20:45
#11 warfteiner Oct 24, 2008 19:03:04	Oh. My. Lord. You get a bonus point! Don't ask me what it can be used for, 'cause I don't know, but you certainly get one...
#12 pedr Oct 25, 2008 1:52:53	Though note that is six-and-a-half year old pie. ;)
#13 kinevon Oct 25, 2008 4:07:39	Though note that is six-and-a-half year old pie. ;) Yeah, I think they missed the use-by date. ;)
#14 ibixat Oct 29, 2008 1:25:17	ePie does not expire. It looks just as good as it did the day it was made =) Thanks for the guide, I'm looking at possibly running some stuff for a home game, I guess my question is not really related but what happens if you have to cancel or reschedule because the people you play with have hectic lives and children etc? They can usually try to be there for sure on a given day but it's not a 100% chance type of thing.
#15 kinevon Oct 29, 2008 5:07:14	ePie does not expire. It looks just as good as it did the day it was made =) Thanks for the guide, I'm looking at possibly running some stuff for a home game, I guess my question is not really related but what happens if you have to cancel or reschedule because the people you play with have hectic lives and children etc? They can usually try to be there for sure on a given day but it's not a 100% chance type of thing. Cancel? Nothing, just no points, and it is easy to re-order. Reschedule? If you play soon enough after the original date, you can report it within the 8 day limit, or just cancel and re-order for the correct date.
#16 ibixat Oct 29, 2008 7:01:12	Ah ok, so as long as I report it within 8 days of the original setup date or cancel it no bad juju happens, that's all I was worried about, I'd had to have it all setup and ready to go and have it show as a black mark for not getting done. I really like my friends but scheduling games can be a nightmare with them =)