How do I set my avatar (profile picture)?
Go into your profile, then look for the 'Forum Profile Information' link under the 'Modify Profile' section. Here, you can select from one of the pre-made avatars or upload your own. You can put a link to an image you have hosted elsewhere or upload a file from your hard drive. It is much better to use your own so that there is less chance someone else has the same avatar as you.

I have an animated avatar, why does it not animate when I upload it?
The maximum dimensions of an avatar is 70x70 pixels. If your avatar is larger than this, the forum will automatically re-size it. You need to reduce your avatar manually to 70x70 pixels, make sure it animates properly at these dimensions, then upload it. The forum will not attempt to re-size the avatar, and it should display and animate correctly

How do I set my signature, what are the rules for this?
Go into your profile, then look for the 'Forum Profile Information' link under the 'Modify Profile' section. Here, you find a box to enter your signature. You can enter what you want in plain text, have links, or put in an image all using BB Code. Please what is BB Code to find out how to use it.

What does 'cannon fodder, recruit, regular...' etc mean?
These refer to the board rankings and you will move up the ranks depending on how many posts you have made. Here is a breakdown of the rankings

Why do some people have pets and where can I get one?
Pets are shop items which you can purchase. Please see the Shop questions for more information.

What is Power level?
Power levels are an indication of respect and to some extent, authority. People with higher power levels often make useful posts and helpful ones. Therefore, if you see a poster with a high power level, you know they fairly respected on these forums. Power levels do not indicate how long someone has been on the boards for. There have been people who have gotten power levels of 10+ with less than 50 posts and people with negative power levels that have hundreds of posts.

How do I add or subtract power levels from someone?
If you are new to the forums, you will not see the power level modifying buttons. You need to become a recruit to be able to change power levels. This means a minimum of 40 posts. Once you reach 40 posts, you should see something like this underneath each posters mini-profile section. Click on up or down to add or subtract a power level. You can only do it to the same person once every 72 hours.

How do I know who added or subtracted MY power level?
You can check it in your profile. You will see two links "who changed my power levels" and "who's power levels have I changed?". You can view the logs of any member on the site. If you find some members abusing the power level system, please notify a global mod who will look into the issue. Please make sure to read the Power Up/Down Guidelines.

What are the benefits of having a higher power level?
Apart from being more respected and your posts generally having more value when people read them, random mineral bonuses are given out to users with high power levels. Additional prizes are also being considered. Regardless, the higher your power level, the better. People with higher power levels can and will earn more minerals in bonuses compared to people posting a lot.

Is there any penalty for having a negative power level?
You will risk being banned if your power level drops to negative 20. If you manage to get this low, you are clearly not contributing usefully to the community and will be removed. I have yet to instate random mineral penalties for negative power levels but may consider doing so.

How do I post images?
To post images, you can click on "additional options..." when using the post form (not quick-reply, you need to go into the full reply section). You can then choose an image to upload. It is recommended your image is less than 640 pixels wide. If you have the URL of an image (eg. http://somewhere.com/image.jpg), you can use this to quickly post and image. Either click on the IMAGE bbc button, or type this in:
[img][/img]
Between the first [img] and second [/img] you need to put in the URL of that image. It should then show up in your post.

How do I post a video from Youtube (or similar site)?
Just post a link to the video, that's it!

What is BB Code, how do I use it?
BB Code is a way to format and add image and flash content as described in the above 2 questions. You can do a lot of other things with it, full a full list of the codes you can use, please see this page

What is the forum Shop?
The shop is a forum feature that lets you earn minerals form posting and receiving bonuses. You can use these minerals to buy things from the forum Shop

How many minerals can I earn?
The amount of minerals you earn depends on how much you post. You can read about the amounts which may change in the front page for the shop. Please note though that more minerals are earned for bonuses such as having a high power level or doing a good deed. People who post spam just to get minerals will find they lose minerals even faster because of penalties. You lose 50 minerals every time a moderator deletes your post.

What can I buy?
The forum shop houses many different items. They range from collectible icons to posting abilities to real world items. Posting abilities let you do things like make your topic sticky, or buying your own forum blog or news announcement. Real world items are currently limited but I will be adding more when I get the chance.

How can I earn interest?
You can deposit your minerals in the bank to earn interest. The basic rate is very low, to increase the interest rate, you need to earn worker units that will give you a permanent increase in interest. Moderators will give these worker units out to valuable members of the community who make constructive posts. You can also win worker units in competitions we might be running.

Can I lose minerals?
Moderators will penalize members for spamming or any other inappropriate behavior. The amount penalized will vary depending on the act.

What uses are there for collectibles?
Collectibles cannot be used but they can be had for display. Also, collectibles are limited in numbers. This means that they may increase in value when sold out and you can make a profit from buying and selling them. Bonuses may also be rewarded for collectibles. For example, everyone who owns a Kerrigan doll may mysteriously have their money doubled...

How can I sell my services/something I made?
This feature is currently being looked into. If you have a neat service or something for sale, you may soon be able to have it as a shop item and sell it for minerals to other members.