Role-playing Rules!, Read Before You Role-Play! Rating Options

[melgirl1778]

• Write in complete sentences and in paragraph form. Each post that you make should be at least two paragraphs in length with each paragraph made up of at least two sentences. Separate the paragraphs by double spacing between them. This makes your posts easier to read and more enjoyable for everyone. When a character speaks, his or her words should go between quotation marks.
• Chat-style abbreviations are not allowed. For example, say "How are you today?" not "How r u 2day". Short chat-style posts which encourage other players to post in a chatty style are also not allowed. Be descriptive, and try not to use a lot of dialog.
• Stay in character on the RPG thread. Use PMs or the discussion thread for out of character (OOC) comments or discussions.
• You must tell your fellow players if you will be unavailable for a while. Any character that goes missing for a two week period of time can be "killed off" or "lost" and will be out of the game. In faster moving games, this limit may be lower. Check with the game leader. In the alternative, the game owner can decide if someone else can take over your character if need be until you get back.
• Interact with the other players. Don't try to write the story yourself. An RPG is a communal effort with everyone participating. Follow the story line and read what the other players are posting. Use the discussion thread for planning. Also, don't "hijack" other player's characters. It is bad form to send another character off somewhere without the permission of the player. Writing 'Joint Posts' is a good way of interacting. You can either use a Brave Ireland chat room for this, or instant messenger.
• Listen to the game founders, moderators, and the administrators. They are trying to help.
• No Bunnying! Bunny (noun) (also known as godmodding)
  • actions that interfere unjustly with other characters
  • anything that gives your character unfair advantages over other characters
  • presenting someone else's character in such a way, whether by actions or words, that you change the basic nature of that character.
  Examples of Bunnies: Ultimate weapons/spells. Killing off other players without permission. Killing non-player characters without a good reason. Invulnerability. Unduly large numbers of skills. Skills conflicting with your character.
  
  Depicting someone else's character in a way they would not act. On those rare occasions that you speak for another character, be very careful to do it in a way that does not misrepresent them or do anything significant without the permission of the person who owns that character. Don't act in ways that give you unfair advantages over other players.
  
  Players have the right to request that you modify your post when they feel that their character has been misrepresented or unfairly treated. Game founders and/or moderators will mediate any disagreements.
• Be polite to your fellow players. Everyone makes mistakes. That is what the "Edit" button is for. There is no reason to get angry at someone else. It's just a game.
• Keep to the time period chosen for the RP. No televisions in the middle ages. And if your character is walking around in modern days with a sword, he'd better have a good reason.
• If a problem arises with another player, whether it is a personality conflict or a rules violation, contact the game founder first. If the problem is not resolved, contact a moderator.
• Clarification of using SAVE in an RPG
  
  Reasons for SAVES in RPGs:
  Often, writers, because of work schedules, or time zone differences cannot post when the majority of the other players are on. In order to keep the game rolling along, they will post a 'SAVE' when they note a part of the game they need to respond to. They can then make their posts when their schedules are free to do so.
  
  Uses:
  To provide an opportunity for the writer have a space where he/she can insert a post so that it will follow logically in the storyline.
  
  Rules of SAVE:
  • Keep the SAVE option to a minimum. Don't use it for a crutch, thinking you will get back to the post later - this usually doesn't happen.
  • SAVEs should be gone back to and posted on within a 24 hour time period. (and preferably less time than this)
  • SAVEs should contain a brief, even one sentence description of what the poster intends to post about.
  • Other writers are free to post after a SAVE has been put on a space. It is the responsibility of the writer who has posted the SAVE to work within the posts before and after it.
  • If you decide you are not going to use a SAVE, then it is your responsibility to DELETE it from the game.
• Be a reliable player. By looking at the post times in an RP, you should be able to determine how active it is. If people post several times a day, and you're only on once or twice a week, you probably shouldn't join that RP. It isn't fair to the other players if they have to sit around and wait until the next time you get online. If you absolutely must join, then make a character that isn't vital to the plot so that the others can carry on when you're not around. Of course, things like vacations or computer failure don't count, as long as you warn the others in your group if you can.
• As sort of a continuation of the previous rule, don't just drop out of an RP. If you're not sure if you want to take part or not, make a character that can be easily written out and don't involve them too deep into the plot. Then, if you decide that the RP isn't for you, you can gracefully bow out without messing up the plot. If you do decide that you want to continue, then you can get your character more involved, or make a different one. If you decide later on that wait, you don't want to be in the RP after all, then wait until the action has calmed down. Leaving in the middle of an event that your character is vital for isn't fair to the other players.
• If you want to join an RP that is already in progress, read the topic first. If it's a really long topic, then at least read the last two or three pages to get a feel for whats going on. If that is just too boring for you, then the RP probably isn't for you. Also, ask permission of the other players, instead of barging in without warning. They might be doing something that they just can't fit other people into at the moment. Which also means that even if you get permission, you shouldn't just jump in whenever. Wait for a plausible time. If all the characters are fighting a big climactic battle, it wouldn't make sense for your new character to wander in and ask what's going on. Wait for breaks in the action to introduce your character.
• And the most important rule...
  
  
  HAVE FUN!