-◙- RULES -◙-: df

df_keeper

-◙- RULES -◙-

Mar 31, 2008 06:51

Index of Rules

GOD-MODDING || DON'T DO IT.

Always ask permission from another mun if you want certain things to happen to a character that is not your own to play with. Do not simply assume that it will be okay if you do a certain action. Asking is easy and prevents misconceptions and bad feelings in the long-run. Communication is the key to maintaining good relationships and we want everyone to have fun. If, for some reason, you do not have the means to contact the mun, word your tag in a way that allows for a range of options by the other person.

Example: /*hauls her fist back then lashes forward, aiming for his face!*/

In doing this kind of general action, you're leaving the other mun open to either dodge or get hit, instead of just straight-up punching their muse in the face.

[If you are at a loss still for what all this means, please see the FAQ/GUIDE for further explanations, or contact a moderator]

IC > OOC = NO DRAMA || Leave your beef at the front door.

We understand that sometimes you cannot stand someone OOCly, and while we wish everyone would get along, we know this is difficult if not impossible. When RPing, please keep any OOC feelings out of the way you play your character. Do not project yourself onto your muse and have them act out on another person's muse simply because you dislike them [or even like them, in some cases]. If you find yourself in this kind of situation and feel that there is no way things can stay civil, CONTACT A MOD and stay on your side of the interwebz. It's that simple. Any type of wank or rumors being spread about another person will not be tolerated and you WILL be punished if we get evidence of this.

IN THE CASE OF RP_SECRETS
No. Just, no. Though that community is about 50/50 when it comes to constructive interaction, the other half-- WANK --is of serious concern and is as tolerated as you'd expect; which is NOT AT ALL. IF we find that you are utilizing the RP_Secrets community for the sake of defaming, insulting, hurting, or hating another member of our community you WILL be banned immediately. We take a zero tolerance stance on such ridiculous behavior and expect all of our players to act maturely and within the mindset of 'treat others the way you want to be treated'. You treat people like shit? We'll treat you like shit right back.

If you wank or flounce (aka, make an unnecessary production about dropping the game, insulting other players, or otherwise make insinuations that your drop was forced upon you) in the OOC comm, do not expect to be allowed back in. If you feel that you need to state your opinion about how your drop was handled, there is space provided in the DROP POST and will be addressed by the moderators if necessary. If you feel you need to speak to the mods privately, please email them.

ACTIVITY CHECKS || Please, STAY ACTIVE.

We know RL happens and you might disappear for a while, but posting twice a month isn't that hard. If you can't bring yourself to post, then you can at least do six threads a month, right? There will be Activity Check posts done monthly that will list players who have not met the requirements and those on hiatus.
- If you find yourself being called out on an Activity Check post, all you need to do is post with your character in the main community or post links to your threads. If you find yourself on the Activity Check post a second time, expect a moderator to be contacting you about potential removal. If you are unable to provide a valid reason for your constant inactivity, you will be placed on activity probation until we're sure you have become a productive member of the community again (in which we will tell you that you are no longer on activity probation). If you are repeatedly on the list (but not necessarily in a row) we may also ask you to drop the character as you have habitually shown little interest and we would like to give someone else a chance to app. that character.
  - In a nutshell:
    - Activity Check 1 = Warning
    - Activity Check 2 = Probable Removal
- RECORDING YOUR ACTIVITY is easy. On the first day of the new month, a post will be up with a list of all active muses, those who missed the last AC, and those who will be dropped for inactivity. The characters exempt from meeting AC are those who were accepted into play that month or are on Hiatus for more than 10 days out of the month. As you complete your AC, fill out the forms on that post and comment for your character. There will be reminders on the fifteenth of the month and the last day of the month to get your activity posted. Your activity may not be counted if you do not post your activity on that post, so make certain you post promptly.
  - Threading rules:
    - Three threads minimum must be linked!
    - Each thread must have at least 5 comments from the character using the thread for activity! Sorry, but icon spamming 1/2, 1/3 don't count.
    - Log threads DO count, but the post itself does not.
- IF YOUR CHARACTER(S) WAS DROPPED due to inactivity, you may not app them again for at least one week from the notice you were given about their being removed. If you do decide to apply as one of those characters again -or any characters at all- after one or more has been removed by a mod, you may only app as one character and one character only to prove you will be active. If you show up on the inactivity list for the next month, the character [if previously dropped] will be removed and you will not be allowed to re-app as that character again unless permission from the mods has been granted. For those who are active with other characters, we may ask why you're having trouble with that particular muse.

HIATUS || Be responsible for your absence.

If you know you're going to be gone for a week or more, please go to the Hiatus post and fill out the information required. It is your responsibility to let the mods and other players know you will be MIA so plots will not be held up. This is also the case for any extended period of time that you will be very slow in tagging or may just be gone days at a time. Just announce a Semi-Hiatus and all will be well. However, semi-hiatus will be treated as a full hiatus. Any players on a hiatus for more than 10 days in a month will not be required to meet AC requirements for that month.

NOTE: Announcing your hiatus only in the OOC comm. and not in the actual Hiatus Post leaves you open for possible misunderstandings, as such posts are sometimes overlooked by moderators on accident. The point of posting your time away in a separate area is to make sure your voice has been heard, as well as to help keep it organized so no miscommunication arises needlessly.

There is a three month limit for all Full Hiatus and Semi Hiatus notices. When you post your hiatus dates, please be aware that it will expire when you decide or in 90 days from when it begins, whichever comes first. If you need an extension due to RL issues, please email the mods so that we can discuss this further with you. If it is found that you are on hiatus status more than active status in a six month period, you may be contacted by the mods to discuss the best course of action. Even though this game is not as fast paced as others, we feel that stagnant characters will not benefit others who are in play and it may be best for those characters to drop until the mun has more time to commit to play.
If you post a hiatus and allow it to lapse for more than 90 days and do not respond/contact the mods, your character(s) will be force dropped. You are more than welcome to reapply for your previous characters or new ones. If you choose to reapply for your previous character, that character must not be already taken by another player nor be reserved by another player. If you want to reapply for multiple characters, application rules still apply. Keep in mind that if you were force dropped, the mods reserve the right to place restrictions on your application to make certain characters will be active this time around. If you have placed yourself on semi-hiatus (meaning that posting may be slow and tags may or may not happen) and have been meeting minimum activity requirements with your characters (though not necessary when on semi-hiatus), and 90 days have passed, your status will be shifted back to 'active.' If you feel as if you still need to be on semi-hiatus status, please contact the mods so that we can review this.

PLAY-STYLE || To the best of your ability, do your muse Justice.

We understand that everyone has a different way of interpreting a character. That's what makes RPing with different people fun. However; if we feel you are deviating from the base personality of your character with little or no development, or we receive respectable, valid complaints about such, we will contact you about it. If the issue arises where your character's validity in action and story is being called into question, you may be asked to respond with a write-up about the why, how, what, when, etc. regarding your muse's transformation thus far.

With great certainty, we assure you this: No one is ever going to be targeted because of personal preference or bias, and all claims that may come up against a mun will be thoroughly looked into. This isn't hyperbole, it's blunt fact; do not think otherwise if you can help it. It's all about either clarifying a muse's stance to those who are questioning, or in some cases, about trying to get the muse back on track. And if the situation comes down to the fact that for whatever reason the mun just isn't fit for the muse, they may be asked to either drop the muse altogether or re-think and re-apply completely.

NON-HUMAN CHARACTERS, ORIGINAL CHARACTERS || Subject to Situation.

We know that aliens, shinigami, and LOADS of strange things are extremely fun to play in a RP and we encourage all to apply, but if you have any questions on how a certain trait/power/characteristic will transfer over into the game, contact a mod BEFORE you apply so that the accepting process will be nice and smooth once you submit your application. For information on POWER REDUCTION and your character, please go here
Original characters, however, are not accepted to this particular roleplay at this juncture.

Revision 4/2010: As of April 1st, Application of Original Characters and Native Persons (OCs originating from this version of Earth) will be accepted for review. An OC can be one of many things, but generally are defined as characters made for an original, unpublished, story or a character created in fanfiction [or RP] that use a canon setting for its base. Characters that are created from a well known verse (aka, a Kender from Dragonlance) may be used as an OC. HOWEVER, named characters in a canon (aka, Matt from Death Note) that have no canon information on them and almost all of the personality must be filled in via 'head canon' -history is another matter, as many characters do not have extensive backgrounds aside from the scenes they appear in the source material- that character will not be applicable. We request at this time that at least one Canon Character from established media must be in play before an Original Character can be applied.

Alternate Universe [AU] characters aren't applicable in the game. An AU character is any canon muse that has been altered from author created canon or the character has been changed by history obtained in another RPG, fanfiction or doujinshi ['fanon'], or 'head canon.' All characters must develop naturally in the environment we have provided for you. We expect all characters to develop into an AU over time as non-canon events will change the character in ways unexpected if they were left in their own worlds, but the base personality should not be drastically changed without serious character building that happens over time or if there is a major event.

Any person who wishes to have a pet must go to the moderators for approval. The only request that will be honored is one that is emailed to the mod account [dystopic.flux.moderators@gmail.com]. When you request a pet, the animal requested must be realistic. Aka, no monkeys, unicorns, mutinous creatures, zombies. Please add how you found this animal in your request.

The moderators will review this request and inform you of acceptance or denial.

Please remember that all pets must be registered and licensed by the city veterinarian. (usually an assumed event) An NPC will be provided should you choose to role play that aspect (any character development is always encouraged) After that, the only restriction is the number of pets one may have. If you are found to have more than one animal in your possession, you will be ordered to relinquish all but one. If you are found to have an animal that is unlicensed, it will be surrendered to the authorities immediately.

Also remember that you are trying to keep an animal in a city with limited resources. There are not going to be any cans of cat food or dog kibble available for purchase. Your pet will subsist off table scraps, vermin, and the like. There's barely enough food for humans! There are people starving in Veles, and if your pet is found roaming unsecured, it may be snatched up for a stew pot. (Veles citizens have a fondness for rabbits and cats.) Please remember how your charge will be affected when things happen in game! Though we give every player leeway in NPC usage, in cases of large scale upheavals, keep in mind that your pet may get loose. For example, if there is a fire or a zombie attack on one of the buildings, your animal may escape the apartment and you will have to retrieve it. If a disease is going around, your animal may become ill. Or if you leave a window open, you may have an escaped pet. It will be up to you to retrieve it, but if you have not in a reasonable amount of time, the possibility of your pet becoming someone's dinner is very, very real. If we find that the ownership of an animal is not being kept realistically within the game premise, we will notify you if we will be taking the pet back.

The exception to this rule are creatures that have been brought through the gate as a Player Character's personal item. Animals randomly spat out via the Gate will be subject to the whims of the mods. Said animals will disappear once the Gate expends its energy for the animals or if a player emails a request to keep an animal, it may remain if it is approved.

FAR-REACHING PLOTS AND EVENTS || Seek Moderator Approval.

For any plots that will involve a large group of people, may effect other characters indirectly or involves character death, please contact a mod by posting in our Suggestions / Events department. We love to see epic plots, but remember that there are a few different things we need to be sure about before you continue with it. We must be sure that it fits into our RP's environment, and we also need to be aware of the extent with which your idea will effect other muses. In most cases, there will need to be an announcement made to lay out the details and keep everyone updated on how things will work, etc.

CHARACTER LIMIT || Five characters per mun.

Always subject to change as the community grows.

APPLICATIONS || Put time and effort into your application.

If you want to play a character, taking the time to write out an application with your own words should be a joy~! We understand that it can be tedious, but please do not directly copy and paste a Wikipedia entry or a character description from some random site. Paraphrasing things that really can't be said any other way is fine, but do not do that for your entire application. We suggest writing from your mind first then going to wiki to confirm and add things you forgot.

Sometimes, but not always, moderators accepting applications WILL be doing Google checks on phrases/descriptions that read in a way that conflicts the general style of your writing as we've perceived it. If it happens that you have been seen directly copying from another source word for word, your application will not be accepted.

You can apply for two muses every 30 days, or one calender month. Meaning if you have applied for two characters within thirty days of each other, you may not apply for a new character until 30 days have passed on the second acceptance. Please refer to the Applications page for further details.

DROPPING || Hey, it happens.

Follow the directions provided in this post, and PLEASE do not make a habit of app'ing then dropping characters every few weeks when you find a muse you feel you want to play more. In other words; be totally sure that you want to play as the muse you've selected before applying for them. Frequent dropping of characters more often than not does nothing else but impede the progress of other people's muses, so please keep others in mind as well.

On that note, however, there are always going to be different circumstances for dropping a particular character, and the moderators do understand this. Sometimes you bring a muse into a RP with high hopes yet things just aren't clicking for them, or maybe you realize that your particular muse's personality just doesn't mesh well with the overall mood of the RP. Sometimes, you lose your voice for them. These are all acceptable reasons for loosing a character. Unacceptable reasons would be that you just like far too many muses and can't make up your mind, or that you only had to free up some space because you suddenly want a new one. As said above, this kind of flaky outlook doesn't really hurt you so much as it hurts those around you. Please be responsible in your decision-making.

PROBATION || We don't really want to use it.

We all know that dropping a character is not a bad thing. Sometimes the muses leave, or that they simply aren't working out in this style of RP. Drop if you must! We won't get mad! However, if you take on too many muses and then start dropping or switching around, that also impedes play. If you drop two muses inside of 30 days, you may get a friendly poke to see if everything's okay and if there's anything us mods can do to help you. We want to help you succeed! Please utilize us! In the same breath, if we see that the app/drop procedure is being used as a revolving door, measures will be taken.

Probation Protocol:
- You will be informed that you are on probation by one of the mods. What probation entails is that your current muses have to show sufficient activity before app'ing for a new muse. Probation activity means that not only should each muse post in dystopian_flux at least twice a month, they need to thread with another PC (player character) who is not one of your current muses. We'd like to see three threads with a minimum of five responses each.
- If you show activity within the 30 day period, then you can apply for a muse. Then they are subject to the probation activity along with your current muses. When the probation activities are met for another 30 days, you will be informed that you are off probation and can go about normal business. If there are any questions during this time, you are more than welcome to contact a mod about it.

CHARACTER RESERVATIONS || One character at a time, one week at a time.

If something comes up IRL, you may get ONE extension only. We know stuff happens, but please do not procrastinate in doing applications when you have them reserved. Once your reservation week has expired, you must wait another week before trying to reserve another character. And TWO weeks before reserving the same character if someone else has not already reserved them or posted an application. Also keep in mind that you can only reserve ONE muse at a time.
- TL;DR:
  - Character 'A' reserve = 1 week
  - Character 'A' reserve extension = Valid reasoning in mind; 1 extra week tacked to the original, making for 2 weeks of reservation
  - Character 'A' reserve expires = You must wait 1 week before reserving ANY character, and 2 weeks before you can reserve character 'A' again

ADULT/NC-17 MATERIAL|| Think of the children!

It is allowed in the comm, but use lj-cut and warnings on these posts. Give people a choice about whether or not they want to see the intimate details of what other characters are doing behind closed doors.
- Keep in mind that even though you may have private/filtered your thread, if your characters are being loud, other characters MAY be able to hear them, if not see, what is going on. In those cases, contact the other mun before posting with "lolol I heard Bob and Sally getting it on last night!".
- Also, since this community is more based in 'reality' than most, but with a twist, pregnancy and even STDs may be an issue. Promiscuous behavior and unsafe sex have the same kinds of consequences here as they do in the real world.
ALL POSTS/LOGS/THREADS THAT CONTAIN STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT ARE TO BE F-LOCKED AT ALL TIMES.
Failure to lock your smut will (the first time) be proceeded by a warning from a moderator and a 24-hour window to get it locked up. If you fail to lock the thread within that time, your writing will be backed up, given to you, and the post deleted. You can then try again...
Repeated failure to abide by this rule will result in your privilege to write NC-17 material within our community REVOKED. Personal journal will have to suffice, in that case.
MUN AGE RESTRICTION ON NC-17 CONTENT
If a player is under the age of 16, we do ask that they keep ALL NC-17, strong sexual content, writings OFF our community. This has nothing to do with personal preference on our part, it has to do with having a fail-safe set up in order to remain without scrutiny from LiveJournal and to stay within their protocol as much as possible. Entire communities have been deleted because of underage involvement in content that is not deemed appropriate for that age group according to U.S. law--- we don't want to become one of them.
- If you are someone who falls under this category, you are more than welcome to thread such content within your personal journals and it WILL count toward the plot of the DF community still. Just please make sure to label your entry there, as well as inform those who are to be privy of said developments so they can bounce over to wherever your RP'ing is taking place at that time.

AGE LIMIT || Simply put, there isn't one.

We're all grown up enough not to need this, right? So there is no age-limit set on either muns or muses; however, do not have your 13-year-old muse going around having sexual relations with other characters (unless it is part of their canon personality, of course, though even then-- use good judgment on what is and isn't just plain wrong). Be realistic with your relationships and have plenty of character development to back it up.

MODERATOR CONTACT || Don't be scerred~

If you have any questions, are confused, want approval, or even want to talk--- the mods are here to listen. That being said, please do not get offended if we are scatter-brained or just don't seem to be around. At least ONE of us will always be available in some form or another, even if you don't see us on instant messenger, so do be sure to utilize that thur 'electronic mail' when needed. =B Adversely, we have lives to lead, jobs to work, school to pretend to go to; so please be patient with us and we'll be patient with you~
MOD CONTACT

MOD = GOD || But we're not dictators.

Sometimes people forget that the point of having moderators in the first place is for keeping the game on track. We're not here to watch your every move or breath down your neck, we shouldn't have to, and we're certainly not around just for the sake of being. Our goal is to keep the community flourishing, moving... Keep things FUN! To help with plots and events and story-telling. We WANT to hear what you have to say, healthy discussions and asking the mods questions is perfectly fine! We love getting feedback of almost every kind and don't want you to be scared of us--
However. If the line between 'talking' and 'arguing' is broken, if you're asked to take it to email yet refuse to, or if you're generally impeding on the game and it's players in a negative way; there will be action taken to fix the problem. And most likely it won't be all flowers and happy-fun-tiemz if you decide to get stupid about it. None of us particularly enjoy bad feelings or having to deal with others on this kind of level, trust me, but we will if we have to. Even if it means suspending or removing someone completely, then that's just how it is. It's a hard-knock-life, like that.

COMMUNITIES || Where to post?

In-character, first person posting is done at the main community, dystopian_flux . This is where almost ALL character interaction takes place.
In-character, third-person posting is done at the logs community, dystopian_logs . This is where story-style interactions take place, either by private closed logs or open-to-all interactions.
All out-of-character posts, announcements, plottings, etc.. should be done at s1_s_anonymous (Solanum Survivors Anonymous). You will also find Mod Posts and other information being posted there on a regular basis, so be sure you have either set up email notifications from the community by going here and changing your settings to notify, or are checking it at least every other day.

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