I'm running my first game as a GM on rpol so I'm still learning how to use the site features. I'd like to hear how others do.

I use the wiki to present the players with setting info that is general knowledge to their characters, like general geography, religion, etc.

But how to handle background information that only some of the characters are aware of? Like geographic info on the character's birthplace or specific cult info about a god only a few or one of the characters are members of?

I use the game wiki for information available for all characters.

I've used the "groups" to make posts, and assigned characters to the groups containing the info they are aware of. But there is a limited number of groups, and what's worse is the group memberships are public information, which reveals potential secrets about cult membership or whatever.

I use the "private groups" for languages.

Is there a better way?

Moved question over to Technical Discussions as it relates to use of site features.  :>

I've seen a few ways of sharing specific information between character sub-groups ...

- set up a character info thread and post private lines ("Private to Fred; Marvin:" or "Secret to Fred; Marvin:" if you don't want them to know who knows what) to specific characters (recommend you keep editing each specific private line to add info rather than create new ones every time something else comes up as it'll be easier for you/the players to find ... and I'd use visible headings or post titles to organise and just hide the info in the private lines)

- set up private groups for the different areas of interest and add the appropriate characters to them (basically the same as the first option, a bit messier to manage, but you can set and forget, once the character is in the appropriate group you don't need to remember who knows what, you just post the private line to that group - though again, like groups there are a limited number of private groups)

- set up private messages for the information and address to the relevant players (you can have as many private messages as you want, only have to add the players once and thereafter just post in that thread ... but has the drawback if you add new players you have to start a new thread)

- post the information publicly and trust players to only use the information their character would know - perhaps wrap it in spoiler tags so it's only visible by running the mouse over it so nobody sees it by accident (this is by far the easiest method to my mind - let's face it, in say a Forgotten Realms campaign, if you have the sourcebooks you have a lot of information to hand, so it's incumbent on the player not to use details their character wouldn't have)

over the years   we have found the best way, in out  games. To note only ask OOC questions  with out everyone seeing, or   IC   as a charcter,  the players  will either send me a PM , or  put a private line in the IC posts..directed  at  me, ot   another player.


 sometimes they will ask teh question in the OOC thread.

 I will always answer questions  like that with a PM..My played  maintain a PM thread  to me in teh PM  section, and  we always use  that for  'hidden' or private   communication.

Private Messages, Private Lines in a thread, or (for long term information that needs to be found easily) I'll paste it in at the bottom of the character sheet.

I have a couple of Notice Threads that hold private lines to individuals & groups - as well as using most of the techniques the other have mentioned.

Thank you very much for input.

RPoL supports groups Public, 0 - 9, A - U, and Z.  That's (what?) 32 groups, 29 of which are private, the other three (Public, 0, and Z) being reserved for special purposes.

That does not include the language groups, which I use to simulate "foreign" language and radio traffic.

I assign each player their own private group in which I create topics like Character Development and Personal Notes for each character and player, respectively.  It's worked well enough so far, but I typically don't have more than about six players maximum in my games to date because that's all my little pea-brain can handle.

I run a lovecraftian horror game and I use secret messages in posts all the time. If you don't mind making a beastly post (and can keep track of it) you can make posts that read completely differently for each player. I do most of the rolls for the players ESPECIALLY for things that one character would know, but not the others, as well as Awareness rolls. It's funny to watch what players assume other know, plus you get realistic banter as a Doctor explains something or a soldier explains how an ambush was done.