Support

Questions about Tips

1. What is Tips?
• PlayFirst Tips is a community program that allows everyone on this site to trade information. Think of it like game forums with a search engine. Got a question about one of your favorite games? Need help passing a certain level? Well, no one knows more than your fellow site-users! Just ask a question, about any game, and wait to see who gets back to you. You'll be able to look through and review all the answers that come in until you find one that's helpful to you. Think of it like standing on a chair in the middle of an arcade and shouting for help—only a lot less embarrassing!


2. This sounds great, how much will it cost me?
• Absolutely nothing! PlayFirst Tips is free to anyone who enjoys casual gaming, though you have to have a free PlayFirst membership to ask and answer questions. We here at PlayFirst strongly believe that knowledge is meant to be shared. And sharing, after all, is caring!


3. Now that I know what Tips is, how does it work?

• It's easy. As mentioned above, when you find yourself with a question about a game (or anything, really), head on over to the Tips page and click the link that says "Just Ask!". You'll then select the game you're asking about from the drop down box, enter your question along with any specific details to help explain your quandary, and click preview. Read over your question to make sure it's clear what you're asking, click submit, and then just wait for the genius to pour in! Your question will be open to the PlayFirst community for 72 hours or until you select a best answer. If you really can't decide how to rank all the brilliant advice, your fellow users also have the power to vote for the answer they think is best.

  For those gaming gurus out there, we know you're never stuck, and that's okay. Tips still has a very important function for you! Someone needs to answer all those questions that are being asked, right? Well, that someone is you. Show off your skills, unstump the stumped, and help your fellow site-users sleep at night. Face it, no one knows more than you do. So why not share the wealth? Trust us, it's good karma.

  However, if you need further coaxing, here are three more reasons to help:

  1. You earn Points for each answer you give.
  2. You can establish your reputation as a games expert.
  3. You can feel munificent and/or superior every time you help out other gamers!



4. Points? What are Points?
• Please visit the Points topic for more information.


5. All right, I asked a question. How will I know when someone's responded?
• When you ask a question, before submitting, you have the option of selecting to be notified by email whenever anyone responds. If you don't want to receive email, you can always check back on your question at the end of the day to see if anyone's replied.


6. Someone's given the perfect answer—how do I select it as best?
• When you've found an answer that totally gives you the information you need, just:
  1. Log in
  2. Go to the Tips Page
  3. Select the question being answered from your side profile
  4. Click the "Select as best answer" button that appears next to your favorite answer (and remember, there can be only one).


7. How long do I have to select a best answer?
• In order to make sure every question has been given a chance to be answered, each question is open for 72 hours.


8. What happens if I ask a question and forget about it?
• No worries! We understand that sometimes people get busy, so we've made sure that the rest of the PlayFirst community can help you out. While answers to your question are accumulating in Tips, the community has the opportunity to vote on which ones they find most helpful. You'll receive an email notification if the community votes in a best answer for you, or if seventy-two hours have passed and your peers are still clueless.


9. I think my question broke the community's brain. What if no one's able to help me?
• If no one is able to help you, you might have asked an unclear question, or perhaps your question has stumped the entire community! Either way, you should ask again—someone out there knows the answer.


10. I've found a question/answer I really like, how can I easily find it again?
• If you happen to find something really helpful and want to save it for later, mark it as a favorite by clicking the "Add to Favorites" button. Easy, right? After that, you can always refer to that question/answer by looking in your "my favorites" section in your profile.


11. I marked a question as interesting, what does that do?
• Marking a question as interesting is a way to applaud the question asker for asking a great question. The more "interesting" a question is, the more likely it is to appear as a Featured Tip. So ask good questions, and you just might find yourself in the spotlight!


12. What's the difference between Tips and Forums?
• Though there is some potential cross-over, Tips and Forums are different animals at heart. Tips is a place where you can go get specific help for a specific game. The Forums, on the other hand, are a place to talk about anything and just hang out with your fellow gamers.
13. What are those stars underneath my name?
• Those brilliant stars represent your Tips ranking.
14. Tips ranking? What's that?
• Your Tips ranking is a great way to see how useful the rest of the PlayFirst Community thinks your tips are. Your ranking goes up when people vote for you and when one of your tips is selected a best answer. A low tip ranking might mean that other users feel that the information you're providing isn't useful, or just that you haven't participated very much.
15. How can I move up in rank?
• Since your rank is determined by the members of the community and how they rate your tips, the best way to move up in rank is to post thoughtful, thorough, and informative tips. This is true for everyone, so remember to vote for other members when you appreciate their tips, too.
16. What are the different ranks?
• First-Time Tipper
• Frugal Tipper
• Conservative Tipper
• Generous Tipper
• Lavish Tipper
17. What else will my Tips ranking do for me?
• The Tips ranking is a lot like a medal that shows the rest of the community you've done something well, and it also informs the number of Tips you're able to post within a given time frame. This is meant to help dissuade users who spam the community. The higher your Tips ranking, the more Tips you'll be able to post within a defined period of time (see table, below). We hope this encourages our best users to contribute more frequently while curtailing the impulses of those intent on spamming.
• This table shows how many times you can ask a question, answer a question, mark a question as interesting or inappropriate, or rate an answer as best, depending on your rank:

  Rank	Ask a Question	Answer a Question	Mark a Question	Rate an Answer
  First-Time Tipper	4	10	10	99
  Frugal Tipper	6	15	15	99
  Conservative Tipper	10	20	20	999
  Generous Tipper	15	30	30	999
  Lavish Tipper	15	999	999	999

18. I've used up all my actions, what now?
• All actions reset after 24 hours. In the mean time, go play games!