Before you do anything else on this forum, please watch the following:

Posting and You

catch(Exception) is an infrequently-updated webcomic made by Elizabeth Lowry (me) about a pair of ordinary kids from this world who get randomly transported to the Rockman Battle Network cyberworld. For more information, read the comic, browse the cast pages, or read the comic site faq.

This forum is for discussion of the catch(Exception) comic and about the worlds of Rockman.EXE and Bokura no Taiyou. It, as well as the main comic site, are hosted on Hostgator.

Avatar images must be hosted somewhere else, like on Photobucket (no hotlinking, though), and must not exceed 100x100 pixels in size. Signature images must also be externally hosted, and your entire signature (including images, text, and how you separate the lines) should be able to fit in a square 100 pixels high by 500 pixels wide.

I will remove avatars and signatures that are too large or that contain material I deem offensive. If you put something really nasty in there, I might just ban you as well.

Again, see Posting and You.

Only create a new thread if you have something meaningful to ask or contribute and if there is no recent thread about the same thing. When you create a thread, make sure your initial post isn't spam - if you have a question, be specific and provide background information and details, and if you post a comment, make sure it's specific, meaningful, and preferably more than just a sentence or two. Some forums may have additional rules.

And, of course, proofread!

If you have something meaningful to add to a discussion, then please do! Don't post spam though. On this board, spam includes things like short phrases, meaningless one-liners (i.e. saying "Good job!" or "I like it" without giving details), or things that are wildly off-topic. The board is configured to automatically reject posts shorter than 50 characters as spam, but longer posts can still be spam. Use your common sense.

Also, don't post in a topic that's more than a month old unless you have something really important to add (or if the forum is so dead that the month-old topic is still on the first page). Exceptions to this rule exist in certain forums, but in general, Necroposting will be met with thread locks.

Finally, make sure you proofread your grammar and spelling before you post, don't overuse smilies or bbcode, and don't flame, of course.

Only in your signature or in your first post in the Introductions thread in the General section. Self-promotion anywhere else counts as spam.

In general, no. I won't allow roleplaying threads or long roleplaying posts on this forum.

Two or three lines of imagined actions are okay if they're just additions to otherwise meaningful posts though. For example, if someone posts a picture of Sabata looking hawt, it's okay to post something like:

	Fangirl wrote:
	*nosebleed* Sooo sexxxy ... *tackles* Sabata: God, why me??! <a line or two of meaningful feedback about the image itself>

Yes, but you must hide your spoilers with the [spoiler] [/spoiler] tags.

Nothing in any of the Rockman.EXE games, manga, or anime series counts as a spoiler on this board because they've all been released (in Japan at least) for quite some time. Nothing in Boktai, Zoktai, or Shinbok counts as a spoiler either, for the same reason.

For recently released games, however, plot points and bosses not shown in trailers or described in official releases count as spoilers. Anything in a recently released movie or book that hasn't been released separately (i.e. trailers, posters, reviews, covers) is also a spoiler. For this forum, "recently released" means ... oh ... I'll say one month. After that, you don't need to use spoiler tags unless it'd really ruin things.

Sure, you can swear a little bit. Just don't get gratuitous or explicit (think PG-13, not R or NC-17) and don't substitute vitriol for content.

Extreme racist or sexist slurs, however, will not be tolerated.

No! This is a forum, not a chat room. Write in complete sentences and use proper English spelling and grammer or get out. I'll cut you some slack if English isn't your native language, but if you refuse to write like an intelligent person, I will ban your pathetic ass.

If you see a post that breaks the rules, don't backseat moderate. Just wait for the mods (or me) to take care of it. If it seems like we haven't noticed, send a PM to the appropriate moderator.

First, search the forum to see if someone else has already complained. If no one else has, post a polite explanation of why you disagree with the rule *once* in the Forum section. If your complaint has merit, the rules will be revised. Otherwise, sit down and shut up. This forum is not a democracy - it is mine. I am the Admin. My word is final.

Iris of Stage Select says this better than anyone else, so I'll quote her forum rules:

Iris warned:

5- NO EMOS! We are like Netmafia Gospel here! SEAN: Have you forgotten the Second Rule of Gospel? DUDE: No, Sir! "Death to those who make lame excuses", Sir! B- But, Mr. Admin, Sir! That's right. DEATH TO THOSE WHO MAKE LAME EXCUSES! You lost your cat? Too bad. You got a bad day? Whatever. PMS? It'll go away. Aspergers? No giving a rat's ass. DO NOT BE AN ASS AND SUDDENLY GO "YOU'RE SO MEAN TO ME! YOU CAN'T! MY MOM DIED! MY HAMSTER DIED! MY BOYFRIEND DUMPED ME! I WORKED HARD ON MY COMIC! I HAVE A MENTAL ILLNESS!!! WAAH! WAAHH!" I will ban your ass ON SIGHT.

Like I said before, I am the Admin. My word is final.

The Comic section of the forum is for dicussion of the catch(Exception) comic itself. Post here if you have questions or comments about individual comics, story arcs, original characters, or differences between the Battle Network universe as it appears in the games and as it appears in this comic.

Before you ask a question, though, check the main site FAQ, the cast page, and the threads already posted in the comic section to see if your question has already been answered.

This section is also the place to post constructive feedback on the comic. If you post criticism, please be specific and polite (that is, don't post things like "ur c0m1k = t3h suxx0rz!!1!!111 g3t 0ff t3h 1nt3rw3bz n00b!!1!!!1oneone"). If you post praise, please be tell me what exactly you like about the comic and why (don't just leave it at "Your comic is nice!" - gimme details!).

Someday soon, I hope. -_-;

I try to update twice a month, but the frequent distractions (translation: giga-normous assignments) that come with being a double major in Physics and Computer Science conspire against me, making me lucky to update at all during the school year. And when I do update, well, these comics take a lot of time to make. I have trouble drawing smooth curves, so I make up for my lousy lineart with pretty colors, effects, and backgrounds, all of which take a lot of time to finish.

It's very frustrating - I have the comic mostly planned out several storyarcs into the future but I update at such a glacial pace.

Please don't. If you really want one of my characters to deliver a punchline in, like, one panel of your comic and never appear again, PM me and we'll talk, but I really don't want anyone I create to become a regular in someone else's comic. I am a jealous goddess.

No.

If you ask me for something like this, the answer will always be no. If I see your character somewhere else and really like him/her/it, I might someday ask if you'd like your character to appear here, probably as an extra in a large crowd. Other than that, I don't want other people's fan-work to bleed into my comic.

Stop right there. I refuse to put anyone else's story ideas in my comic. Don't even post suggestions - I don't want to have to wonder where the ideas in my head really come from.

The Forum section of the board is for things related specifically to the BBS. This includes bug reporting, questions about the rules, and suggestions for improving the forum.

First off, search the forum to make sure someone else hasn't already made the same complaint or suggestion. If they have, don't bother posting - you'll just piss me off if I have to give the same answer again.

If your complaint or suggestion is new, make sure your subject line follows the following format:

BUG/COMPLAINT/SUGGESTION [Section of the forum that the post is about or Universal] - Title that describes the problem

Finally, word your post clearly and politely and give details - just saying "the forum isn't working" isn't specific enough.

Yes, there are several things:

• Things that have already been suggested.
• Roleplaying forums.
• Spam forums.
• Complex forum modifications. I delayed a comic for a few months once because I got addicted to modding the forum ... Never again!
• Cameos or story ideas for the catch(Exception) comic.
• Anything else that pisses me off.

NO.

This is not a spam section. Spam is not allowed anywhere on this forum. Repeat offenses will most likely get you banned.

No. You should introduce yourself in the stickied Introductions thread. That's what it's there for.

Stuff about anime/manga/game series other that Rockman.EXE or Bokura no Taiyou, politics (keep it polite please), homework help, or anything else that isn't spam and doesn't fit anywhere else in the forum.

I use the Japanese names for the original Capcom/Konami characters because most of the characters are Japanese and because I just like most of the original Japanese names better. Deal with it.

If there isn't one already, then go right ahead! Just make sure you include what your favorite battlechip/game/character/whatever is and, more importantly, why. Just because your post is the one starting the thread doesn't mean you can get away with making it spammy.

Nope! The Battle Network games have all been released and the anime and manga series have both been concluded in Japan for quite some time, so you can talk about them all you like.

Things in other Rockman series, like ZX or Ryuusi, are still spoilers if they're less than a month old, though.

Sure, go ahead. Keep in mind, though, that Ryuusei is pretty much irrelevant to the catch(Exception) plot - not only is it a long ways in the future in the canon universe, things will probably happen in the catch(Exception) universe that make the future depicted in Ryuusei unlikely. No, I will not give details - it'll probably be several years before you see anything significant.

Sure. None of those series are likely to have any relevance to catch(Exception), though - this is a Battle Network fancomic, after all.

No, and you can't ask about them anywhere else on this site either. ROMs are illegal. Go somewhere else if you want to break the law.

No. Some people love dubbed anime, some people want to mutilate the dubbers, and neither side can really convert the other. There's no point posting things that can only lead to flame wars.

If you like one version or another better, go ahead and say so, but don't insult anyone for disagreeing.

Sure! Just don't make a new thread for each video.

YouTube links are preferred but not manditory.

In Japan, it's a Boktai game. In America, it's a "completely unrelated" game with a similar premise, similar main characters, and similar floating, talking sunflower. I prefer the Japanese canon for games that originate in Japan, so for the purposes of this forum, it's a Boktai game. Please don't argue.

Heck yes! They'll be important too, but not for quite some time - at the rate I update this comic, they won't show up in full force for several years.

Sure, just make sure you include what your favorite is and why.

No. Everyone already knows it's a crying shame, but whining won't help.

No. Someone somewhere else has probably already bitched about it far more eloquently. You won't be adding anything but more emo to the forum, and I don't want any emo here.

No. Buy a blacklight and go fry some bloodsuckers.

No. They're illegal. Go somewhere else if you want to break the law.

YES! Please post any videos you can, especially cutscenes, especially from Shinbok! If you post a Shinbok cutscene, someone might be able to translate it, and then I'll learn more precious story details! Please post!

YouTube links are best, but you don't have to use YouTube.

DEAR GOD YES!!! Please post it! I will love you forever if you translate Shinbok!

Of course, I know no one ever will. But if you do, I will be very, very happy.

The Fan Art section is for fan art of Rockman.EXE, Bokura no Taiyou, or (dare I hope) catch(Exception) characters, settings, etc. Oekaki art, handdrawn pictures, CG work, Flash animations, and other art are all welcome here. Just put a warning in the thread title if you post anything R-rated and don't post anything NC-17.

Don't start a thread to ask for feedback on an idea alone - only start a thread in this forum with actual art. Also, don't use your thread for an ongoing comic series - a few stand-alone comics are okay, but if you want to make your own webcomic, set up a website for it elsewhere and link to it in your sig.

Yes, but only If you've put in a significant amount of other work into the piece. Slapping an official picture of Django on a fancy bckground and applying a filter isn't enough - you have to actually draw something yourself.

No, not even if you have their permission. You can only post work that you, personally, have created - posting someone else's work is against the rules. Posting someone else's work without crediting them isn't just against the rules, it's art theft and will get you banned from the forum, possibly forever.

No. In the Fan Art section, you're allowed to dig up your old thread if you have an update. In fact, not only are you allowed to, you're required to revive your old art thread rather than start a new one, no matter how old it is.

First off, whether the opinion you post about someone elses's work is positive or negative, be sure to explain why you hold that opinion. Just saying a piece is great or isn't very good isn't enough - say what about the piece is good or bad. Is the shading spot-on or sloppy? Is the character anatomy accurate or unrealistic? Are the poses dynamic or dull? If you think something shows a lot of effort or a lack of effort, say why. And if you have criticism, offer suggestions for how the artist can improve.

If your piece is the one being criticised, take the comments in stride. Constructive criticism is not an attack.

And whether you're giving or recieving feedback, don't spam or flame.

Yes. If an image is taller or wider than 500 pixels, please don't post it directly. Post a link or a linked thumbnail to it instead.

If you want to post images directly, use an image hosting service like Photobucket or, if you have web hosting of your own, on your own site. If you host your images somewhere like deviantArt, post a link to the image page, not the image itself - otherwise, you're hotlinking, which isn't allowed here.

Only if they say you can. Unless an artist specifically says people can request things from them, don't ask.

Um, I'm not very good at teaching things. Just look at other people's work to figure out how they do things, consult tutorial sites like PolyKarbon.com, and practice whenever you can.

The Fan Fic section is for written fan work about the Rockman.EXE or Bokura no Taiyou worlds. DO NOT POST FAN FICS ABOUT CATCH(EXCEPTION) CHARACTERS OR CONCEPTS! I DON'T WANT OTHER PEOPLE MESSING AROUND WITH MY CREATIONS!

Poems, one-shots, and extended works are all welcome here. Don't start a thread to ask for feedback on an idea alone - only start a thread in this forum with actual written work. Please make just one thread for all your one-shot pieces and poems. Multi-chapter pieces can have their own threads. And please use the Fan Fic thread title format described below.

Please format your thread titles the following way:
Title (Authors, if more than one) - Series - Pairings (if any) - Descriptive codes - Rating

Series: Battle Network, Boktai, or both. Use abbreviations if you like as long as they're clear.

Pairings: If there are any romantic relationships depicted, please say so - some people are just plain allergic to certain pairings and putting up warnings is just common courtesy.

Descriptive codes: Please include all that apply, especially of the first four.
OS = One Shot
AU = Alternative Universe
WIP = Work in Progress
OOC = characters behaving Out Of Character
R = Romance
Hu = Humor
D = Drama
AA = Action/Adventure
M = Mystery
Hr = Horror
P = Parody
A = Angst
SF = Sci/Fi
Su = Suspense
Sp = Supernatural
T = Tragedy

Rating: G, PG, PG-13, or R. NC-17 is not allowed.

Absolutely not!

No sex here. You can describe characters hugging, kissing, sleeping in the same bed/sleeping bag/whatever, exchanging innuendo-riffic comments, etc., you can strongly imply that something sexy has happened or is about to happen, you just can't describe the act itself. And if the characters are children, you can't even imply it. I don't want any pedo-fics here.

No, not even if they give you permission. Posting anything you didn't create yourself counts as art theft!

If you write something in collaboration with someone else, however, you can post it as long as you make it very clear that it's a collaborative piece and credit the other author(s).

First off, whether the opinion you post about someone elses's writing is positive or negative, be sure to explain why you hold that opinion. Just saying a work is great or isn't very good isn't enough - say what about it is good or bad. Is the wording clear or muddled? Is the grammer and spelling clean or painful to read? Is the characterization accurate or way out of whack? If you think something shows a lot of effort or a lack of effort, say why. And if you have criticism, offer suggestions for how the author can improve.

If your work is the one being criticised, take the comments in stride. Constructive criticism is not an attack.

And whether you're giving or recieving feedback, don't spam or flame.

No. Forums can be hacked, databases can be lost, all kinds of things can happen. Keep backup copies of your work on your own computer and/or on other sites, like Fanfiction.net. Don't rely on this forum for permanent guaranteed storage.

There's no specific minimum, but in general, if it can fill four or five pages (12-pt font, single-spaced, 1-inch margins) in a word processor, it's probably long enough. Prologues and Epilogues can be shorter.

There's no maximum either, but remember that readers can get bored if each installment takes forever to read. Twenty pages is probably on the long side.

If you want someone to proofread your writing (or if you want to volunteer to proofread other people's writing), say so in the Proofreading thread. Don't post your work there, just ask for volunteers and email or PM them your work if they agree to look it over. And if you get criticism from them, please pay attention to it - that's what proofreading is for.

The Fan Other section is for fan creations that don't really belong in either of the other sections. This is where you post things like music remixes, AMVs, cosplay photos, or jack-o-lanterns that look like Otenko.

Yeah, probably.

There is no number three.