is there a reason this is being done here instead of the game forums?
I suppose it's because, as with the previous Annulus Connectens, the primary goal is to create NPCs, rather than to have an accelerated game. I wouldn't object to being moved to a dedicated subforum, though.
Yes, it's not a game, it's a design project. Right now this thread is miles long, because of lot of general discussion by a lot more people than Anulus Connectens.
Participants are already beginning to branch off in threads of their own for each magus. And I suppose I should make a thread for "The Covenant of Caepernum" with general information for the covenant, list of the resident magi, plus occasional updates about the covenant and the theme for the next 15 year period.
I assume this thread closes down once people are set.
honestly I don't mind this particular thread, I object to a half dozen new thread popping up for character creation for what looks like a game to me... and wondering how far it will go in terms of threads taking over the forum to ply this game or setting or whatever you want to call it..
there is a procedure for getting your own forum for something like this instead of hijacking the main discussion forum.
The primary purpose of those threads is to hash out new spells, devices, creatures, mystery initiations, and the like. That's completely in line with what this board is here for.
Did the Annulus Connectens threads bother you when they were happening a few years back? (That's not a rhetorical question). Silveroak is right that we could get a game forum set up, but that means fewer people will see and comment so it's not what I'd like. Yet if it feels to Silveroak and many others as if we are hijacking the board for a game then we probably should.
We want to call it a character design project, because that is what is it. With each character in a thread of their own, because the intention is for the designer to post designs for scrutiny and discussion. But instead of just posting designs on a whim, we're doing them for a magus developed over the course of 75+ years. And for fun we're trying to coordinate and have the magi work together for some synergy. We decide upon themes for each period to give each magus some sinpiration and direction of his or her endeavours.
I understand that a game per se should be in a subforum of its own. However, this is not a game. What part of it makes you think it is a game?
Last time around, when we did Anulens Connectens, there were no issues about this. There were five of us writing designs, and the project seemed fairly popular. There may be more participants this time, and if it turns out a significant number of forum uses have a problem with this, a Moderator may move the threads to a subforum.
firstly, because one day I go to check the forums and suddenly there are a half dozen threads for creating characters for the same covenant, and it feels like a game starting up. I have certainly seen games in the forums that never get past this point.
secondly, because in Ars magica character creation can be part of the game instead of just what you do before you play. My own game (Praesidium Orae) is set on a modified solo play basis to write a back story for the game which still has 76 years to go game time and has been going for over a year real time.
Last time arround I wasn't on the board yet, and I don't know how other people feel aside from the point that I would conjecture that at least one other person probably feels similarly (conjecture simply by statistics- there are enough people on the board that the probability of at least one other approaches certainty), but how many or what percentage I could not say, but most of all it simply feels arrogant to declare your project as somehow special and thus worth taking over the main discussion forum while others have to put in a request and wait for the admins to create a thread in order to start their games/projects.
Arrogant - really?
We’re not declaring our project special, and we’re not taking over the forum. It’s going to be a while with half a dozen threads with many posts, and likely also many reads. With the amount of threads this forum is having this’ll hardly swamp it.
There are plenty of threads discussing rules interpretation, house rules, history, culture, language, stories, character design, and other spell- and device design. I did not anticipate this project - a rerun actually- would cause major gripe on the forum.
I'll tell you all this; If someone wants to pick up an apprentice at some point, and grabs any of the ones from my November thread, I'll expand it to a full (area appropriate) character and move on in. or maybe when I have time I can add a Jerbiton sculptor, or something. Add that organic feel of not everyone moving in at once. 
I would certainly want an apprentice at some point, but probably after the two first advancements.
For the sake of reducing spam, I think we should end this thread.
There is a general Caepernum thread for the themes etc. for each period. I don't envision much being posted in that thread, mostly just a "Ok, everybody has caught up. The next period features XX as a theme for the challenges. Go!"
Also, people have started posting threads for their designs, all discussion about these magi and their designs should be in that thread. Please don't start new threads for new periods, but keep it all in one.