Site Rules

While participating in RP or general chat, it's important to adhere to certain rules. The most important rule to remember is that this is meant to be enjoyable. If it ceases to be fun, then something is awry. This isn't a platform for those who take role-playing too seriously to quibble over rules and definitions. Fun is at the heart of stories and make-believe; don't lose sight of that amidst the rules. You can also refer to our Content Policies and Copyright Policy.

Rules

Revision v1.54 by Cyclops (talk) 13:51, 3 July 2023 (EDT)

1. Do not troll, for any reason, including but not limited to seeking attention, sex, RP, information, favors, laughs, etc.
   • Avoid @ mentions unless necessary.
   • Bypassing restrictions using alternate accounts is strictly prohibited.
2. Maintain respect for all server members and avoid drama.
   • Slurs based on race, ethnicity, gender, or sexuality are not allowed.
   • If someone requests a topic change, respect their wish.
   • Threats are unacceptable.
   • Do not copy/paste content from other sources into the server or vice versa to stir drama.
   • Killing a player's character without consent is prohibited.
   • Recognize that players invest considerable time and energy into crafting a storyline.
   • Staff members are not involved in drama.
3. If you consent to the death of your character in the game, the death is irreversible.
   • A character's "return" should be a part of the plot prior to their death.
   • Characters allowed to return must not have actually died. Death cannot be undone.
   • A storyline involving a character's apparent death and subsequent return requires staff approval.
4. Do not direct message server users with invite links without their consent.
5. Bot abuse is not tolerated.
6. Player handles / nicks should adhere to our Nick Policy as closely as possible.
7. Characters must be approved see here for more details.
8. Keep content in the appropriate channels.
   • Limit out-of-character discussion in in-character channels.
   • In-character actions have no place in out-of-character channels.
   • Media links, images, and videos should be confined to #media.
   • #server-ads is the designated channel for server ads, and only approved players can post.
9. Adult content is restricted to adult areas.
   • Adult media links and images should be posted in #nsfw-media.
   • Adult RP is limited to #naughty-wings.
10. In-game actions can lead to in-game consequences, which may result in the removal of the character from play.
11. Speak up for yourself. You are responsible for your own experience.
12. Players must be at least 16 years old, unless granted special permission from staff.
13. Zalgo text is forbidden.

Trolling

Trolling is strictly prohibited. Although it might sometimes seem fun or entertaining, it ultimately creates a negative atmosphere. Whether it's for attention, argument, or simply to upset others, trolling in any form is unacceptable. A certain level of engagement, debate, or contrarian perspective (playing the devil's advocate, for example) is permissible, but it must be underlined with respect. Violations of this policy will result in immediate consequences.

In relation to character play, there is a distinction to be made. Some characters may indeed exhibit troll-like behavior, which can be an aspect of their personality. However, in-character reactions to such behavior should be expected. As a rule, server staff will not interfere in in-character disputes between players. In instances where intervention is necessary, be prepared for an uncomfortable resolution.

Pings / Mentions

The Discord server has a mention feature which sends a notification to the targeted users. On the Discord server, this triggers a live push notification on desktop or mobile devices. Our servers heavily depend on these notifications; they streamline communication, facilitate user engagement, and enable system-wide announcements. This function plays a crucial role in maintaining server activity. Users have the ability to mute both the server and individual mentions (also known as pings), which means they may not check the server unless reminded to do so. Given that many people belong to multiple servers on Discord, it is crucial for us to send out relevant and meaningful notifications.

Abusing the ping feature for trivial purposes sends a message that we don't respect our users' time.

Therefore, any abuse of the ping function, whether for groups or individual users, is considered a clear violation of our rules and will be addressed accordingly. We strive to maintain a welcoming environment and don't want to push our players, particularly our busy ones, to ignore our server because a few individuals misuse the mention feature for their amusement.

Alternate Accounts

Using alternate accounts to circumvent any restrictions placed on your main account is strictly prohibited. This applies to all types of limitations, such as muting, banning, or exclusion from a specific game or channel. If an alternate account is found to be used in this manner, it will be immediately banned. Repeated violations of this rule will result in a rapid escalation of consequences for your main account, potentially leading to a 7-day ban or even a permanent ban.

Respect

Respect is fundamental to our community. We do not tolerate disrespect. It's important to remember that not everyone has to get along; however, everyone must demonstrate respect. If you don't wish to engage with someone, don't. Likewise, if someone doesn't want to engage with you, respect their decision and allow them to participate in the channel without interference.

Communication is key. If you find someone's behavior, statements, or actions unsettling, address it with them directly, clearly, and respectfully. This applies to RP too - when discussing or participating in a story or game, always show respect for your fellow players. No one is perfect, and most aren't intentionally trying to cause distress. If you find yourself embroiled in a heated debate, disengage unless you can maintain respect for differing viewpoints. You don't have to agree or approve, but engagement should always be respectful.

At the core, we're all humans deserving of respect. Treat everyone as you'd like to be treated. Regrettably, this doesn't seem to be common sense for all, hence the need to clarify: Respect means refraining from harmful behavior such as making racist slurs, sexist remarks, or ridiculing someone for who they are. We welcome everyone, and we won't tolerate behavior that undermines this. If a staff member advises you to modify your behavior due to potential offense, comply respectfully.

A final note on privacy - everyone should feel safe to share in our chats without fear of their words being used against them later. Thus, it is strictly prohibited to repost content from our server elsewhere. Do not share private content publicly or public content privately via other platforms. This rule is strictly enforced when it comes to content of a sensual or erotic nature.

Don't Ask to be Staff

Do not request to become a staff member - the answer will invariably be no. This extends to Administrator roles. Regardless of your prior experiences managing forums, servers, or chat rooms, or your coding language proficiency, we do not entertain requests for staff positions.

Don't Abuse the Bots

We employ bots in our server for various functions. These bots are tools, designed for facilitating role-play and occasional amusement. We urge users not to misuse these bots, for instance, by flooding channels with irrelevant content or random images. If there is a demand for a channel dedicated to memes and video links, let us know - we're open to suggestions.

Characters and Death

All characters are susceptible to damage. However, there can be instances where a player unknowingly lands their character in a potentially fatal situation. If such a situation arises, the player intending to strike a potentially fatal blow should inform the other player, and both should agree on a resolution before continuing IC.

We encourage players to be considerate and understanding of others' perspectives regarding character mortality. If one player insists that their character would die from a certain action, we suggest that the other players respect that perspective. If agreement can't be reached, it's best to retcon or diffuse the situation to remove conflicting opinions from the narrative.

IC/OOC Status

Please respect the designated status of a channel. Maintain the Out of Character channel for OOC chatter and keep In Character channels as free from OOC chatter as possible. This practice ensures a cleaner, less confusing experience for everyone. Note that our server bots will respond in channel, so avoid using commands in IC channels whenever possible.

Drama

Alongside respect and trolling, drama is a critical topic. Keep the channel drama-free. Most issues of drama can be mitigated by adhering to the guidelines of respect and avoiding trolling. Our server staff prefer not to get involved with drama - we don't want to witness it, participate in it, or even hear about it. If it becomes disruptive, both parties involved (whether right or wrong) will be held accountable. This accountability refers to creating a situation where the staff has to intervene and resolve the drama.

However, we understand that this is a role-playing environment. While we discourage OOC (out-of-character) drama between players, we acknowledge that IC (in-character) drama between characters can enrich a story by adding conflict, motivation, and interest. We just want to avoid drama between players themselves.

Stories

Please respect stories. They require effort to brainstorm, plan, plot, outline, and compose. If an ongoing story intrigues you, consider sending an OOC message to one or more involved players before jumping in. Players have rights to their storylines, and it's essential to acknowledge that. Don't disrupt someone's hard work by interfering without permission.

If you request participation in an ongoing story, treat the original player like the moderator of their narrative. If they permit you to join but place certain restrictions, respect their guidelines, even if you disagree or if your character would typically behave differently. Don't be forceful or try to hijack the storyline. If you're asked to withdraw, comply graciously. Comparing your situation with other players' only adds to the pettiness - focus on finding another story to participate in.

The Fudge

'The Fudge' is what I call the areas where things fit together well enough, provided one doesn't scrutinize too closely. Sometimes, we need to fudge to maintain the story's coherence. However, while we try not to overdo it, there might be times when we prioritize coherence over precise details. We cover up the inconsistent parts with 'delicious fudge.'

Not everything needs to be perfectly accurate. Try to keep 'the fudge' to a minimum and work on writing around such issues. Providing extra detail helps different parts of a story to align and blend better. But there might be situations where certain background elements don't fit together seamlessly. In these cases, a bit of fudging might be necessary.

Dead-Even Rule

As part of 'the fudge', the Dead-Even rule maintains balance. This rule means that weapons, character abilities, or items should be evenly matched. For instance, the most commonly used weapons and abilities across different realities/universes should be roughly equivalent. A turbo-laser from Star Wars is roughly equivalent to a phaser from Star Trek, ensuring a balance during conflicts, unless the storyline demands otherwise.

While this approach might break canon, both players and staff should aim to balance different reality weapons with corresponding strengths and weaknesses. The goal is equality when averaged out. The same goes for character abilities; our Leveled Ranking System ensures balance between characters of similar ranks. Characters should have unique strengths and weaknesses so that the story and character development remain the primary focus, not the numbers.

This policy aims to emphasize the characters and their problem-solving skills during gameplay. If a storyline requires a power mismatch, this rule is temporarily suspended, with such situations moderated on a case-by-case basis by players and staff.

Adult Content

Adult content is evaluated using a common-person approach. Essentially, if an average individual from the street would categorize the content as 'adult', then so do we. Naturally, this definition is flexible. In our server, we concern ourselves with adult content posted either for role play (such as Erotic Role Play) or adult-oriented images, links, or other media. In an effort to maintain a comfortable environment for everyone, we provide designated areas for adult content. The #media-nsfw channel is set aside as a catch-all for non-RP adult content. To access these adult areas, players must explicitly request it from the staff. We operate on an honor system: if you claim to be of legal age, we assume you are. However, if it becomes apparent that you cannot handle adult content (or are not of legal age), we reserve the right to restrict your access based on the staff's discretion.

Erotic role-playing can be enjoyable, but also off-putting for some. We have a dedicated channel for ERP (Erotic Role Play), #naughty-wings, which is accessible only by request. The channel's history is visible to anyone with Adult Access and should be considered public. However, it's strictly forbidden to share content from any ERP session elsewhere without permission, and doing so may result in a permanent ban from the server.

We can't overstate the importance of respect. Erotic scenes can be enjoyable, but not everyone is interested. Respect all declines, whether IC or OOC. While in-character, respect remains essential. In-game, we do not accept non-consensual play. Period. If a player refuses your advances, accept it. If you don't understand why, click here to discuss further. If you and another player wish to engage in non-consensual play, please do so privately, as Discord provides robust options for private communications.

Given that we have a dedicated ERP channel, sexual activity in the main channel is prohibited to maintain an inclusive space for all role-players. We understand that some players may wish to engage in public sexual acts, but to be as inclusive as possible, we do not allow this.

Character Punishment

If a player has their character perform an in-game action that necessitates punishment, the matter will be dealt with in-game. For instance, if a character commits murder, gets captured, and prosecuted, they could receive a life sentence and thus be removed from play. While we strive to enable players to continue playing their characters, there are instances where overlooking certain actions for the sake of a single character can disrupt the overall role-play. A certain suspension of disbelief is needed in any fiction. Allowing characters to evade the consequences of their actions undermines the game's integrity and respect for the setting and our staff. If necessary, the staff will determine whether a character can reasonably escape a predicament, but ultimately, the player is responsible for their character's actions.

Taking Initiative / Speaking Up

This is important.

If you're offended or upset by something, it's your responsibility to voice your concerns if you believe it's warranted. Staff will not speculate on what might be offensive. While we encourage players to resolve disputes amongst themselves, if that's not feasible, please reach out to a staff member for assistance.

That said, we strive to ensure everyone feels welcome. There may be instances where a staff member or another player asks you to stop discussing a particular topic in the channel. Please respect that request; usually, it's for a good reason and is not personal.