This is the Official Argent Archives Frequently Asked Questions. If you have a question that hasn’t been answered here, or you want more thoroughly explained, please contact us using the Contact form.

General Questions

HOT TOPIC: MY NAME IS ALREADY TAKEN!
When you register a name it usually goes through (even if you get a 500 error or similar). To see if it was registered, just do a Search and see if the name is there. If it is and the profile is empty, it probably means that your name is now awaiting activation. Check the date of the profile. If it is the same day as you registered, it's your profile waiting to be activated. This usually happens within 48 hours or less. Wait and look in your spamfolder for the email with your password.

If you get a "That name is already taken" message, do the same; Do a search. Was the name registered within a few minutes ago? That means you are registered. Wait for the password. Check your spamfolder.

If you get a "That name is already taken" taken message, you do a search and: "OMG! Someone has already taken your name and the profile is full of stuff!", do not despair. This either means that A) Someone used to have the same name but have now changed it to something else, B) Someone has a variation of your name (Say your name is Míchaels, but the profile for Michaels is already there), C) Someone is using the wrong name on the AA (Eg: Someone is named Jeffrey Michaels in character, but since Jeffrey was taken by another character, they registered as Michaels, and thus took your rightful spot), or D)Someone is trolling you with a fake profile.
D almost never occurs. C, B and A does. All the time. Don't despair. Send us an email and describe what's going on and supply us with your characters full name ("Míchaels McAwesome" for example). Please include links to the profiles you describe! This speed things up! We will create a profile for you somehow.
Please remember that the AA system only understands one version of each name. That's why Míchaels cannot exist simultaneously as Michaels. So if you're creating a new character; consider not using special characters. You'll save us and yourself lots of trouble!

What is the Argent Archives?
The Argent Archives is a Webportal that brings the players of the World of Warcraft Argent Dawn role-play server (EU) a new dimension to their role-playing experience. Read the latest news, add your character- and guild profiles and search the database for others.

The Argent Archives also refers to a fictional in game part of the Ironforge Library with the same name. The guild the Argent Archives represents this library in game. The guildmembers can help you with questions about the site. We also love arranging events for the community as all our members are die-hard roleplayers.

Note that The Argent Archives want to provide the best-conceivable IC experience as possible for a site/portal such as this.

Do you host events yourself?
We do! But we prefer to promote yours! Read more on http://www.argentarchives.org/advertising 

Can I join your guild?
Most likely not. We encourage people to form their own guilds and roleplay, rather than joining the Argent Archives. The guild is more a tool to help further roleplaying on Argent Dawn as well as work as a support team for the site.

Can I join your team then? I’m a proficient author/artist/reporter/community manager etc.
We'd love to have more people on the team, but please know that only four people have been added to the team since we started years ago. The best way of getting hired is using the webportal to promote RP on the realm. We're looking for people that are mature, neutral, friendly and energetic. Use the Contact form on the website and tell us why you want to join and what you can offer. Make sure to include some examples of your work. 

How is this portal different from other sites and wiki’s?
The Argent Archives differs from other sites in the way that there is very little or no OOC information being exchanged. We focus purely on the IC aspect of the game. Thottbot and the Armoury can do the other part. The Argent Archives differs from wiki’s since it requires no prior coding knowledge. Our focus is to make the site easy to use and navigate. Did we mention it looks pretty good too?

Why isn’t there a forum?
The Argent Archives basically has three functions: encourage and inspire roleplay; creating a portal to serve the excellent roleplay community and creating an archive of events and characters for all of the community to look back at which hopefully will in turn inspire new RP. This is however done by an IC approach with some OOC touches. The site itself has several features such as news, character portraits, event announcements, but will also function as a portal that links to the great communities out there. The AA hopes to connect the people and those wonderful communities. An AA forum tends to lead the attention away from the main purpose of this portal, but we encourage you to run your own forums, which we will then provide a link to. If you want a forum for free on a site that people from the realm visit, check out; http://thekalimdorproject.eu/forum/

Can I make a forum for your site?
We will of course help you advertise and link any forum (or website) related to Argent Dawn and RP, no matter how OOC it is. Send us a notification using the Contact form and we will do our best to help you.

I have a great idea for your site! You have to add this! What do I do?
Great! Use the Contact form to the left on the site and tell us what you want. We love receiving feedback or ideas and implement them as best as we can. Though don't suggest these things;
- We will not add a forum to the site.
- We will not add a comment field anywhere on the site
- We will not add the ability to add music to your profile (tried that, been there)

Registration

How do I register a character?
You will find the option “Create a new account” on the right bar on the frontpage. On the new page that this link leads to, type in your characters name (eg: What hovers over his head in game. Not the full RP name.) and the email address where you wish to receive the password. Please remember to wait for us to approve your account before contacting us. We usually approve accounts once every 24 hours. Be patient!

I registered my character, but my password doesn't work.
We need to approve your account first. Make sure you registered with the correct name, and wait a day or two. Usually we approve accounts once every 24th hour.
Make sure to read the message below to ensure you registered with a correct name.

Linking

How do I make those links I see everywhere?
To learn everything about become a link master, read the newsitem called "The Beauty of Brackets".

Ok, I know how to make a link now! But the player/guild/etc I want to link to haven't created a profile yet here on the Argent Archives!
Don't worry! The system is foolproof. Create the link in your text without worry. Until the profile is created the link will simply work as a search function. Try it and you'll see!

Advertising/External Publicity

I want to create an event!
You can do it yourself! Choose "Create content" from the left sidemenu, then choose "Event." We recommend making an illustration for the event as it makes it stand out more. If the illustration is 590x150 pixels in size, the chances of it being put on the frontpage increases!

I want to create an ad!
Advertising for events are free. Advertising for guilds cost gold since it is an IC matter as well. Read more about it here:
http://www.argentarchives.org/advertising

How do these banners work? Why don’t I see my own advertisement on the bar at the right side?
The ads appear randomly for each time you refresh the page.

I have an idea for a poll!
Send your idea for the poll to Alabast. It might be put up onto the site.

Guilds

Do I need special rights to create a guild?
No! As of May 2011, guildmaster rights are no longer needed to create guilds. Everyone can create a guild now! Though beware; create a fake or phony guild and we'll give you the special "Lifetime ban" status. :-)

I used to have a different guild, can I also put this onto your website, in the Archive?
Of course! The Archives is here to remember former and disbanded guilds as well!

I am no longer the guildleader of that guild, what should I do?
Relax. Change your profile and notify us using the Contact form. Only the original guildnode owner can request a guildmaster change. Please give us links to both your guild and the new guildmaster!

My guild no longer exists. Do I delete it?
As the name suggests the Argent Archives has also an archive function. Leave the guildnode for everyone to see!

I have a new guild now. My old one is gone. Can I just change the old guildinfo to make it my new guild?
No! Create a new guildnode and leave your old guild to the Archives. That way everyone will see what you once created and ran. Regard it as your own legacy.

Can I create several guilds on the Archives with the same character?
Yes. Every guild you create in game you can create on the AA.

I'm the guildmaster in game of my guild, but I'm too busy to create a guildnode. Can I ask someone else do it for me?
Yes. You can ask any of your guildmembers or a friend to take care of it.

Ex members are still showing up in my guilds list. Can you delete them for me?
Sorry, no. Feel free to create your own list of 'approved members' in your background. But the list itself is based on what people put in their profiles and the AA team does not have time to edit other peoples profiles. Politely ask the ex-members to remove your guild from their profile.

IC/OOC

The Argent Archives wants to encourage Roleplay, which is why we also encourage to stay I(n) C(haracter) the greater part of the time and to try to enact your character as much as possible, also on this portal.

What does OOC mean? What does IC mean?
To play on a Roleplay server means a player actually imagines him/herself as part of a fantasy world or tale by playing out his/her character as such.

OOC: Out of Character.
IC: In character.

Anything OOC is what your character wouldn’t normally say. Such as: “I’m from Denmark” or “LFG DM plz!” or “I’m soo looking forward to the latest episode of Desperate Housewives!”. Anything IC would be what your character would say. Such as: “By Elune! We will not fail you!” or “This muffin tastes funny…” or “I saw a sea giant once… wasn’t a nice sight.” Read more on the game policies here: http://wow-europe.com/en/policy/roleplaying.html.




If you see OOC content on the AA, please report it. Read how to here.

Formatting

Are there special requirements (sizes) for putting up banner images?
Yes. In more detail:
Profile and guild Banners, Large News items and Event banners: 590x150 pixels
News items also need a smaller image: 275x100

For ads:
Horizontal banner ads: 590x150 pixels
Larger vertical sidebar ads: 110x330 pixels
Small sidebar ads: 110x110 pixels
Read more about advertisements here: http://www.argentarchives.org/advertising

I get this strange thing at the top of my node. It looks somewhat like this:
"Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE" What do I do?
This is usually from Microsoft Word. Paste your text into another text editor (like NotePad or TextEdit) before you bring it onto the Archives.

Content

How does the rich text editor work?
The rich text editor enables you to edit your text online. However, it does not like editing you might have done in Word. In order to get rid of Word editing we advise you to copy/paste your text into notepad (Windows) or Stickies (Mac) before posting it to the AA site. This way you will always copy/paste plain text into the rich text editor, which you can then edite into a perfect looking piece!

You can also try to clean up the HTML (layout) code in your Word text using the Paste from Word button , which will preserve most formatting, or use the Paste as Plain Text button . Results will vary, however.

I want to add news to the site. How do I do that?
Read all about this here: The Argent Post

I want to add an event. But how?
Choose Create Content from the left side menu and then choose Events. Fill in the blanks and hit Submit.

I want to add music to my profile!
Due to copyright issues and the irritating nature of a tune starting to play every time you visit a profile, we no longer allow music on profiles. Though you are allowed to link to a tune you like using brackets.

I want to be able to put more information on my profile, how do I do that? Can I add more subjects/topics?
Try to be creative with the background slot, or write up an Adventure story about it. Another option is to send your suggestions to us. Use the Contact button or send to contact@argentarchives.org. The more suggestions we receive the better!

Can I upload my own movies? Will this be a future possibility?
Same answer as why we can't put music in profiles.

Can I upload images?
Each profile has a gallery in which you can upload images. The max resolution for images is 1024x1024; bigger images are resized to fit within these constraints. Clicking on the thumbnails in a gallery will take you to a fullscreen slideshow. Try to tag your images with appropriate keywords, for instance use the tag “artwork” when you’re uploading drawings. Remember to keep the names of the screens short. Always keep a local copy of your images!

How do I put images into my stories?
Choose Create content> Image. Upload your image and press Submit. The next window will show you your image and a URL adress beneath the image. It is labeled: "Image link: (for use in posts, etc.)" Copy this link. Create your story. Select where you want the image to appear in the story. Select "Insert/Edit image". A window will now pop up. In the box labeled "Image URL", copy the image URL. Don't forget to write a brief "Image Description" and a "title" as well. Click Insert.
Because you host the image on the Argent Archives the image is both automatically resized and it will stay here for as long as the Archives exist.

What is the off-white colour used on the Archives? The background isn't white!
The RGB values are: R: 252 G: 250 B: 234
Photoshop tip: Hold down the Eyedropper tool and drag it anywhere. It'll take the colour from anything, even outside of Photoshop.

I stink at making banners! So what do I do?
Ask someone with a great banner to make you one of course! Make friends! Here's a list to help you out: http://www.argentarchives.org/artists

How do I delete an image?
When you add a picture to the site, not only is the picture added, but also a "container", which is the page the picture and its description is on. In case you want to replace the picture, simply upload a new one on that page. In case you want to delete the picture and its description, scroll down, and click the [Delete] button at the bottom of the screen. This will remove the page, as well as the picture on it.

I uploaded a cool image with my character in New York! Why is it gone?!
It's an IC site. Though IC parodies might be allowed, we do not want this to become an OOC pun site. Keep that to forums and such.

I've found content that is inappropriate or OOC for the site. What do I do?
Read all about the report function here: http://www.argentarchives.org/reportbutton.

Why doesn't the Breaking News function work like a newsarticle?
Read all about it here: http://www.argentarchives.org/theargentpost

Interaction

Why is there no shoutbox such as there is at the guildportal site?
Shoutboxes can be fun, but generally people tend to see them as borderline between IC and OOC. Since the AA focus on the IC aspect of player interaction, we prefer to leave this communication way out of this site.

I like to get in touch with another player-character found in the Archives, how?
Send the player-character a private message by clicking on the link below the profile. Everyone has a personal mailbox, which can be entered via the menubox "My mailbox" below your charactername. You can also directly send messages from the mailbox. As you sent your messages through the site your own emailaddress will stay hidden. Via the menubox "My account" you can change the settings of your mailbox. However, we encourage you to contact players directly by sending them a mail in game. Imagine this site being a compendium and a summary of what happens in game IC between players, nothing more, nothing less. Everything can be read here and it can just grow through the contributions that the players themselves will provide. However, the only significant IC interaction between players must happen in game and not through this site. Another way of interaction on the site is through adventures. You can set up some roleplay stories where other characters get involved and react through their own stories. Try to use the freelinking!

I do not want to make use of the private message system, how do I turn it off? The private message system can be turned off in your account settings. Go to your account settings via the menubox "My account" in the menu. Here you can switch off your mailbox, no one will now be able to send you a message.

Privacy

Why do I need to register with every single character? Why can’t I just have one login for all of my characters?
The Argent Archives is a tool made to enhance the In Character (IC) experience of the game. To ensure that nobody can understand who your alts are you must therefore register a new account for each character you have. Your email is safe with us, but we recommend not using your Wow password! Remember to only add what you want others to know of your character. Most fields in the profile are optional.

This Search button is cool but it gives away too much info about my character (linked by others), what can be done about that?
Contact the team and we will see what can be done about the matter. Don’t reveal more about yourself than you wish others to know, but remember: It's only a game, cut eachother some slack and enjoy it! Any offensive OOC information will be removed.

If you have a question that hasn’t been answered here, or you want more thoroughly explained, please use the Contact form and ask us!

Have you read the comic tutorial yet? If not: http://www.argentarchives.org/tutorial1