[Guide] How to Create a Professional Advertisement Thread

[Devsome]

1. Before You Post: Read the Section Rules First

This guide only covers how to build your thread. The binding requirements are maintained in one place so they never go out of sync: Silkroad Online Pserver Advertising Rules

Two of those rules are called out separately below because they must always be delivered as real BBCode rather than as part of an image: the Team Table (section 4) and the VirusTotal Scans (section 5).


2. Design Guidelines

• Optimal width: 700-765 px
• Max height before resize: 965 px (put larger graphics in a spoiler)
• Image-based presentations are fine: most current threads are built mainly out of images (a single banner/graphic covering logo, features, rates, etc.) rather than long blocks of written text. This is acceptable and common practice.

3. One Thing That Never Changes: Team Table + VirusTotal Stay BBCode

Even if your whole presentation is one big image, the Team Table and the VirusTotal scan links must always be typed out as actual BBCode in the post itself, not part of the graphic. Reasons this is enforced:

• Moderators need to be able to read/verify the team members and scan links directly, without opening/zooming an image.
• If the image host goes down later, this critical information must still be visible.
• It keeps admin/position changes editable without redoing the whole banner.

Everything else (logo, features, trailer thumbnail, rates as a graphic, etc.) can be delivered as an image if you prefer that style.



4. Mandatory: Team Table (BBCode)

Must list every person who has held Server Admin rank or higher, including former members who once held that rank.

Username - epvp	Join Date - epvp	Nickname - PServer	Position - PServer
	02/03/2009	Devsome	Server Admin
	08/23/2013	andii	Head Admin
	02/23/2011	Lumi	Sponsor
____________________	____________________	________ ____________	____________________

 BBCODE Example

[table=head][B]Username - epvp[/B]|[B]Join Date - epvp[/B]|[B]Nickname - PServer[/B]|[B]Position - PServer[/B]
[URL="https://www.elitepvpers.com/forum/members/1199443-devsome.html"]Devsome[/URL]|02/03/2009|Devsome|Server Admin
[URL="https://www.elitepvpers.com/forum/members/5483932-andii.html"]andii[/URL]|08/23/2013|andii|Head Admin
[URL="https://www.elitepvpers.com/forum/members/4136881-lumi.html"]Lumi[/URL]|02/23/2011|Lumi|Sponsor
____________________|____________________|________ ____________|____________________[/table]

5. Mandatory: VirusTotal Scans (BBCode)

Scans can be created at . Simply upload each file and link the resulting scan page.

Important: even if your server opens in 14 days and you don't have a final sro_client.exe, Silkroad.exe, Replacer.exe or custom.dll yet, the scans are still required at the time of submission. A thread without these links will not be approved, regardless of how close the release date is.

• sro_client.exe:
• Silkroad.exe:
• Replacer.exe:
• custom.dll:

 BBCODE Example

[LIST]
[*]sro_client.exe: [URL="SCAN-LINK"]Scan[/URL]
[*]Silkroad.exe: [URL="SCAN-LINK"]Scan[/URL]
[*]Replacer.exe: [URL="SCAN-LINK"]Scan[/URL]
[*]custom.dll: [URL="SCAN-LINK"]Scan[/URL]
[/LIST]

6. If Your Thread Isn't Approved

If a moderator declines your thread, you will automatically receive a private message stating the reason(s). You cannot simply edit the declined thread; you need to create a new thread that fixes the issues mentioned in that private message.



7. Recommended Structure (Order)

1. Logo (centered, or use [imgleft]/[imgright] to float it)
2. Trailer/gameplay video or main banner image (a [gallery] works well for video)
3. Core links: Website | Register | Download | Social Media
4. Status & date: Beta or Release? Start date (remember the 14-day rule)
5. Presentation image(s): team introduction, server concept, features, rates all fine as graphics
6. Team table (real BBCode, mandatory, see section 4)
7. VirusTotal scans (real BBCode, mandatory, see section 5)
8. Signature banners/title graphics for the community to download (optional)