Game Rules and Regulations
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE READ EVERYTHING HERE FIRST!
AGE WARNING: This RPG is PG-15. Players under 15 need not apply. You can have a little bit of sexual content, some adult language, and for crying out loud this is a Brawl RPG of course a little violence is allowed.
HOWEVER! Chatroom and OOC tomfoolery might climb up to an R (18 and above) rating.
BEFORE YOU APPLY:
Know your characters. This doesn't mean you need to have play the game 47 times, but please DO YOUR RESEARCH if you want to play a character in a game you've never touched before. Before you settle down and get ready to write, make sure you check the acceptable series list.
If you're unsure of you how you're going to play a character, head on over to our youre_smashing where you can try out your potential character with other potential characters, characters already in the game, or just plain joke characters!
Make Your Apps Long Enough.
We don't want epic novels either, but please have at least one paragraph in both the backstory and personality. If the backstory seems too vague or the personality is too flat, it might mean rejection.
Only One Playable Brawl Character Per Fandom.
If, for example, you wanted to play Fox and Falco, you wouldn't be allowed because they're both playable characters in Brawl AND from the same game. You could, however, play Fox and Luigi-- in fact that is an excellent idea and you should capitalize on it.
Character Backstory.
Effective immediately, CANON character histories are now linkable to a wiki. However, there are a few rules in regard to this;
1 - Your character must still include a paragraph as to where they cut off in the timeline and how they ended up in Smash Academy
2- The link must, obviously have a good amount of history for us to consider it. For example, Otacon's wiki link would be accepted, but Lash's barely contains anything in history since there isn't much told about her in the game, and would require you to write one up for her.
3- Obviously, OCs and Canon character with barely any histories in the games will require the normal write ups.
Six Characters total & Activity Requirements:
From the get-go you get five character slots. You are allowed to app three when you join the game, the 4th and 5th can be apped two weeks afterwards. However, the mods reserve the right to deny you a character or a slot if they see you are completely inactive with the other characters you currently have. This will be dealt with on a case-to-case basis.
The 6th character is a bonus; you can earn it only if you prove you are active and posting on a regular basis with all your other characters in the game.
Applying and Dropping:
Dropping a character is hard to do, but sometimes you've gotta do what you gotta do. If it's your first time dropping a guy, you can instantly pick up another character if your heart desires (and if you have the slot for it). If you drop again, however, you're going to have to wait TWO WEEKS before you apply for another character. This applies the same way, no matter how many characters you drop in the same drop post.
If you had 6 characters and dropped one, don't worry! Your first five slots are permanent. You are going to have to reapply for a slot if you had six characters before you dropped, however.
If you've dropped all your characters and quit the game, but are reapplying: you'll still have five slots from the get go and will need activity samples for your 6th.
Reservations:
Reservations last for TWO WEEKS. This means you have two whole weeks to write your best application ever and nobody else is able to apply for that same character while the reserve is in play. If you don't finish before your reserve runs out, the character you reserved will be fair game and applicable to anyone again. You have to wait a week before you're allowed to place another reserve for the same character, though; give other folks a chance! When you put in a reservation, please put in your name. If you REALLY want it to be a mystery you could PM your name it to the mods but seriously we just want to know who you are.
Keep Your Pants On, Geeze:
Please be patient while waiting to be accepted. Sorry for the inconvenience, but not all of us mods are online 24/7. We have lives too, you know. 8( We aren't encyclopedias, either; we aren't familiar with every single video game ever so it might take us a while to do adequate research and/or evaluate OC-like characters, like Pikmin or Pokemon. Mods generally meet Thursdays to discuss apps and slots.
Relationships With Characters Already in the Game:
The player might have something else planned, different from what you do. This applies to relationships, canon, etc. It is a good idea to try and get in contact with your potential castmates! It's good to talk things out face-to-face. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN YOU ARE APPLYING FOR 'VILLAIN' characters. Most players aren't shy and would love to help you out! If you can't seem to get in contact with your castmates, ask a mod for some help!
Abilities:
For the most part, your character can retain all of their abilities. Kirby is still able to copy abilities like he does in the games, Ganondorf still has his magic, etc. Just keep it under the godmod limit, think like a Smash Brother, and don't overdo it. Seriously, don't. There aren't three billion Smash Balls or invincibility stars in the food and Porky Minch can't turn into Optimus Prime and smash everything in sight. DON'T DO IT. If you apply for a non-human character and humanize them, they might not retain all of their abilities. (Example: Meta Knight can't turn into a giant tornado with a swoop of his cape or anything like that if he's human.) You know, be a little realistic with it, it varies for every character.
Respecting the Moderators & Rules
Moderators perform extra duties when it comes to roleplaying. We help run the game, enforce rules, judge apps and maintain harmony between players to the best of our ability. It becomes difficult for us to do our job when players argue clear-cut rules and decisions. Rules (such as our B/W spoiler policy and "mark NSFW links in chat", for example) are in place to ensure that the game is a fun and comfortable place for everyone, and we ask you to respect the authority of a mod if and when they ask you to adhere to a certain decision. Obviously, if you have a problem or believe something was handled unfairly, you are certainly allowed to bring it up to a mod, but please understand that moderator decisions are final. Repeatedly challenging or arguing the rules and regulations of the game makes it difficult for us to keep everything running smoothly. Keep in mind that some mod decisions are made with all the mods present; many questions can be answered on the spot by one mod, but bigger issues often require all five moderators to be on the same page. If a mod asks you to be patient because they feel more comfortable consulting another mod, please respect this and allow us the time to do so. Do not hop from mod to mod until you get the answer you want--this is disrespectful to the team and undermines our authority. Please remember that some decisions take time and effort; continually challenging or failing to respect rules and moderator decisions will result in a warning.
Please understand we also have the right to reject players and applications for unacceptable OOC activity. (Repeated flouncing, history of wanking, ect.)
Our number one rule here is to treat other players with respect. This includes respecting the authority of the mods. We want to make the game fun for everyone, and we can't do it without your help!
Headcanon & General RP Etiquette
You may sometimes get an amazing idea for a particular franchise's canon that isn't in the game (headcanon), but you think it really fits well and sounds awesome. Sometimes it's just a tiny little thing that affects no one but your own character (thinking in depth about how your character flies, can he spell, what's her thinking process, etc.) and that's fine! We're okay with this. But keep in mind, when it comes to potentially game or world-changing headcanon, it is courteous to run it by the other members of the cast to make sure everyone is in agreement/on the same page. It can sometimes be difficult to get a hold of everyone, so posting something in a character journal regarding the decision is a good way to go!
A quick explanation about the different types of ways you may accidentally do this, and what they are;
· Canon Puncture: The act of informing a fictional character they are a fictional and/or the act of a character being aware of another character's existence, setting or event outside of their canon. (For example, in SBG it's generally accepted amongst the muns that most of the Star Fox crew is relatively familiar with Metroid's areas of space, and vice-versa. Your mileage may vary per mun/character. This makes for easier CR building, but should still be used sparingly and only with discussion and permission. Something like ICly telling Green that his real name is Blue and he's really hard to get ahold of in his video game will be frowned on without explicit permission.)
· Fourth Wall: That thing everyone wants to break. Kyle's wall. The act of a character informing the reader that they are aware that they are fictional/in a fictional setting. FOR SOME CHARACTERS, this happens in their canon (Please see: Psycho Mantis or Kranky Kong) and is generally done just for a humorous effect. In that case, please use your judgment/in moderation/take with a grain of salt/discuss with the muns involved or contact mods if it really bothers you/etc. Any character able to break the 4th wall canonically will be asked to have a permission post. PLEASE don't break the fourth wall otherwise.
· Metagaming: Also called Infomodding. The act of letting out-of-character knowledge effect what your character does or says in-character and in-game (for example, Wingaling the Fruitfly knew all along that Uxie was responsible for the Freaks Get Out incident, and put him in jail without asking Snap, characters going 'I have a bad feeling about this guy/gal' when the characters are completely nice, just because they know they are evil in canon). Accidents can happen, we understand! But RESPECT THE MUNS' AND MODS' WISHES. BE CIVIL if mistakes are made and when you ask/are asked to rectify them. Please, please use the permissions post directory and fill out the permission post for those characters to help them out! It's very much appreciated for everyone.
· Godmod: Having an overly powerful character and/or controlling the actions/speech of other characters (without permission). This usually goes hand-in-hand with powergaming (for example, if a player decided to blow up Kyle's wall without asking Kyle's player). Keep in mind you can app godly characters, but make sure before doing anything that all the people involved are fine with said decisions. Nobody wants to play with you when you say stuff like "MY GUY IS A 16-FOOT TALL ANGEL DEMON WIZARD AND HE HAS A 16-FOOT GOLDEN LIGHTNING SWORD AND HE'S TOTALLY BUFF AND YOU CAN'T ATTACK HIM BECAUSE HE IS MADE OUT OF BULLETS AND OH NO HE JUST KILLED YOUR GUY BY LOOKING AT HIM." Seriously, though, godmoding is frowned upon and nobody's totally invincible. Be a little realistic, even if this is a wacky Brawl-based game. And again, do not make canon-changing decisions for the entire cast without permission.
HOW DO I GET SLOT?
You can apply for your first five characters at any time. Your six character though, will be based on a couple of different things:
1.) ACTIVITY. You have to be active with all of your characters. Not just one or two, but all of them. The 6th character is a bonus for active players, so to speak.
Any time you are requesting a slot PLEASE PLEASE provide links to your most recent activity.
Pokemon:
There are 150 or more to see a lot of Pokemon. No, seriously, they have what, almost 500 now? Needless to say, this is not a Pokemon-centric game and we really don't want 500 Pokemon in the game. There's a cap on this, so no more than 30 POKEMON are in the game at one time.
Pikachu, Pichu, Squirtle, Ivysaur, Charizard, Lucario, Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, and Rayquaza do NOT count towards this number, because they appear in Brawl. Pokemon that appeared in Pokeballs like Manaphy or Mew DO count towards this limit.
We only allow TWO POKEMON CHARACTERS PER PLAYER. Give everyone else a chance, geeze.
NOTE: You can only have one legendary Pokemon per mun. Legendaries that appeared in Brawl, whether a Pokeball, trophy, or in-game character (ie, Mewtwo and Rayquaza) will also count towards this limit.
AN ADDENDUM! 4/15/10
In response to inquiries about apping Charizard/Ivysaur/Squirtle that do not belong to Red/Pokemon trainer, we have reached the following decision"
- Players may app the main brawler versions of Squirtle, Ivysaur, and Charizard. These Pokemon belong to Red/Pokemon Trainer, and will not count as taking up a Pokemon slot, as they are Brawlers.
- Because the Brawl versions depend so heavily on a Red being around, however, we will also allow OC versions to be apped and exist within SBG in addition to the main brawlers. These Pokemon will not belong to Red/Pokemon Trainer, and will take up a Pokemon slot, as they are OCs. A player may not app both the main Brawler version of Squirtle/Ivysaur/Charizard and an OC version, however.
- It is highly encouraged that people who wish to app a version of these characters discuss it with any OC/main brawler counterparts that may exist within the game -- it would be preferable if the characters were easily told apart (one has a name, one is shiny, one has four arms, one is another gender, whatever).
- Please note that this rule does not extend to the other Pokemon main Brawlers (Pikachu, Lucario, etc.); this is a special case only because Squirtle/Ivysaur/Charizard are tied to the Pokemon Trainer, rather than being their own independent Brawl characters.
- If, in the future, any other players wish to evolve their Pokemon character into something that has already been apped at SBG, these situations will be discussed on a case-by-case basis. So if Player A plays Magikarp and Player B plays Gyarados, but A wishes to evolve Magikarp, for example, we'd discuss it with A and B and come to a decision from there.
NPCs and You:
Click here for the handy guide!
Hacking and You:
Another handy guide!
Player Interaction:
PLAY NICE. We're all adults (or at least pretend to be hurr hurr) here. Your character being a jerk is no excuse to be a jerk to other players OOCly. Keep it civil, please. IN CHARACTER DOES NOT EQUAL OUT OF CHARACTER. Do not blur that line! Do not self-insert yourself into the character! You should not force, pressure or guilt other players to log with you, or play your character a certain way. You should not flip shits if they decide to do something with their character that you do not agree with. We trust you guys enough not to make a big scene and/or fight with other players, but if you think something's getting out of hand, PLEASE contact a mod.
The Four Sacred Rules of Applying:
Rule # 1 - Make sure your app is 100% finished. Don't submit half of an app. Check, check and check a 3rd time to make sure everything is there.
Rule #2 - SPELL CHECK. Use it. Love it. Don't submit an app that looks like you just text-messaged it to somebody.
Rule #3 - Three strikes and you're out. If you submit an app for a character and you get rejected all three times, you cannot apply for that same character for a month. This is so you can do your canon reviews and make sure that your app is 100% up to par. I mean, nobody likes spam. The rule's mostly to ensure that you don't submit the same app three times in a row with just a single change, like "this is my invisible shiny Bulbasaur," "this is my invisible shiny Bulbasaur with a mustache," "this is my invisible shiny Bulbasaur with a top hat," "this is my invisible shiny Bulbasaur with a monocle" and so on all in the span of a month.
Rule #4 - Every character is fair game. It's okay to apply for a character as long as there isn't a reserve for them. Don't feel bad for applying a character someone else is interested in, it happens!
TWO DOLLARS DAYS.
If you take longer than 48 hours to reply you're gonna have to apply again. It's not fair to other people if you're sitting on a character and you're not even in the game yet, bro. In the event that your approval's voided, you'll have to wait two days to re-apply.
If you don't think you're going to be around to see your app get approved (like if you're going on vacation or something), DON'T APPLY. Put up a reserve instead so you've got the time to write an app!
ONE WEEK to Make an IC Post.
SEVEN DAAAAYS You have one week to make your first IC journal/log post. Either is fine, so long as you've got one up. Posts to the OOC communities (smash-ooc , smash-random , and smash-creative ) don't count.
The ONLY exception to this rule is if you have to take an emergency hiatus or something; in that case just put up a hiatus notice and you're a-ok.
No AIM, No Service.
We will not accept your app if you don't give us any form of contact. AIM is a requirement and has been since the beginning. Our OOC chatroom is AIM-based and it's the mods' preferred means of contact. Can't download AIM? No worries! There are other IM clients out there that can handle AIM, like Trillian, Pidgin, or Adium. If none of those work, try a web-based IM client, like Meebo or AIM Express.
Chatroom Etiquette It's no secret that the chatroom can get pretty crazy. But please, keep in mind that everyone is different no two people are not on fire. We ask that you keep both an open mind and common sense in mind when you talk. Remember the number one rule of all RPGs (and life): TREAT OTHERS WITH RESPECT. Keep an open mind and use common sense when in the chat room. We ask that not safe for work links are clearly marked, and to use discretion with strong language or other topics/subjects that might make others uncomfortable. Again, we all have different values and find different things offensive, so just use your common sense.
Again, if a moderator asks you to step down, to move a discussion somewhere else or to otherwise cease doing something, please be polite and listen to them! We are here for a reason, and that's to make sure that everyone is comfortable and having fun. Being rude to us and undermining our authority will get you a warning.
GEEZE HAVE FUN
This is a game, after all. We're here to play and have a good time. Don't, you know, be an asshat. Asshats aren't fun.
Super Shiny New Rule
Anyone apping an Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan must punch Kamek in the face at least once.
Rules brought to you by whata . oh yeah and pixle wrote the first draft a really long time ago mine is better. >8(