[Mod Post 03] - FAQ & Guidelines
FAQ & GUIDELINES||
We tried to make the rules section of the game as thorough and informative as we possibly could, but we know that there will probably still be a bit of confusion, so we made these guidelines and list of FAQs to help you out.
We'll update this section as questions and confusion arise among the the players. We are aware that this list may appear staggering, but it is simply to address every possible concern. You don't have to read all of it! Just questions that apply to your own confusion!
Feel free to contact us with any other questions not addressed here, and we'll make sure to answer you as best we can, then add it to our list!
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- In Character Issues -
? What are my classes at school this year?
° This is up to you. It's your job to decide what your character's class schedule is, and what exams they'll need to be taking when the time comes, etcetc. A good way to enjoy classes, would be to simply make an open log in ststreetlogs, tell everyone what subject/year/period/etc the class is taking place in, and people can jump in and help out. Otherwise, you can just not touch on academics at all, and just leave it up to the imagination what classes you should be in. It'll be assumed that everyone is going to their scheduled classes regardless, unless otherwise noted.
? I want to play Such-and-Such a character, but I have no idea what grade they should be in, or what their last name is, or anything! Help please.
° Decision on ages for rather unknown characters are all up to the decision of the player themselves. Not everything is set into stone. As long as you work in the realm of reality [Ike is not a 30yo investment banker while Kyle is still a sophomore, etc]. A lot of characters from this fandom have barely been touched upon by Matt & Trey, and so a lot of things are left up to fandom to decide. However, if you are playing a canon character with lots of canon information, please stick close. If you're playing more of a background mentioned character, go wild.
? How does this weekly/bi-weekly update work?
° Think of it like a town newspaper that your character's will have delivered to their house to read. It is called the South Park Gazette, and it is published somewhat randomly, but it can still be quite useful! It is public, and viewable to everyone who wants it. Physical copies will be delivered to every house in South Park, but they also post on the journal system [think of it as using their website or something], so you can find out the news either way. Their publication is used to tell us loads of things, from what the weather is going to be like this week, to what is happening at school with academics/social fronts, major news in the outside world, etcetc.
With the post upon the journal system, anyone can reply there, and reply to anyone else, which can also be replied to by anyone else, and so on, and so on. Think of the news post on the journal system to be like a website message board, so everything is visible to all students with journals and nothing is private. Leave your feedback or comments to the weekly news, ask questions your character may have, muse over upcoming events or hate for the poor weather, make fun of others - anything at all! Just have fun and do what your character would do! Remember to keep all replies as first-person responses only. Any third-person/action role-playing is not to be done in these entries.
? This game is AU, right? How does that change my character?
° The AU label on this roleplay does not have any bearing on your character's past, only their future. Up until the beginning of this roleplay, everything about your character has been exactly the same as it canonically should have been. They grew up and lived their semi-normal lives, in their semi-normal environments. They had their family [or not?], went through elementary school, through junior high, started high school, and now find themselves back for another year.
No amazing changes, just semi-normal life. It's this year that is going to be AU, and cause change for the characters. We have some plot planned, and will probably plan more, that is going to otherwise change the course of how the future would turn out. Couples that would be normally canon might break up, characters that might have normally lived might end up dead, people may fail, people may succeed, things are going to change. We're creating an AU future. If you find an alternate universe setting to be difficult to deal with, then perhaps this is not the game for you. However, if it sounds like something you'll enjoy, we welcome you with open arms!
? Baaaaaw, no one interacts with my character(s)!
° This isn't a problem for the moderators to deal with. If you're having trouble getting attention, then it is your job to garner it and solve the problem. Try commenting on other people first, or jumping into open threads/logs, rather than waiting for people to come to you.
Keep canon in mind, too; if you're a total Melvin, then those nasty jocks probably aren't going to be clambering to comment and chat with you on your journal. We are really hoping that we will have a friendly game here, and that everyone will get along and take care of each other, but sometimes that cannot always be achieved. We'll make sure that no one is singled out here at SPS, but we can't force people to interact with each other.
? So-And-So isn't playing their character very canonically. This does not impress me.
° That is a problem that the moderators will take care of. If you have a problem with a character, please do not harass the person over it, or upset them. That just isn't polite. Chances are, the mods will notice if someone is being OOC, and we will warning them/talk to them about it on our own, in privacy. If it truly is driving you insane, you can politely mention it to one of the moderators, to see if they are aware of the situation. You're welcome to show us some cited reasons/examples of the OOC, but we don't want to be receiving emails about how much you "OMFG HATE" so-and-so's characterization.
? Hey, that isn't canon! I thought you guys wanted us to follow canon? Isn't that what you said?
° Yes, we did say that, but we also said that is an alternate universe game. Things are going to be kept generally canon-ish, but things will change. We're not here to do a re-write every episode put out so far, we're having fun and doing it our way. When we refer to keeping things canon, we're more so talking about the way of the world, rules of the school, laws, personalities, and so on. We are going to have loads of events/happenings that aren't canon. That's the fun of making it up ourselves, isn't it?
? So-And-So left and dropped their characters. Can I pick them up?
° Yes, you can. Anyone who leaves the game, or drops a character, is putting them back up for grabs to the general public. Also, if someone is planning on dropping a character, and you would like to completely take over for them [without having to re-apply/start brand new as another incarnation], then this could be possible , in some special cases. You will need the permission of the player dropping the character, as well as the mods, and it will need to be discussed. You would also be on a one week trial period, to see if you can truly keep up.
? Do we have to apply from the 'wanted character' list?
° No, of course not. The wanted characters list is simply a place for our current players to let new players know who they'd be interested in having, but you are in no way obligated to choose from it. If it inspires you, all the better, but you can play whoever you want, as long as they aren't currently taken.
? How does time pass in South Park Street?
° We follow the Gregorian Calendar. If it is the 9th of August for you, it is the 9th of August for your character. And in December, when we roll over into 2010, our characters will be rolling over just the same. A normal day goes on like normal time passage. If your entry was written at 3am, then it was written during 3am that day for the character (unless otherwise stated). This means that if your character posts at 11am, during a class hour, then they were more than likely posting from class, and thus that was where they were located during the entry, unless otherwise stated. Logs are different, as they can take place at any time you designate for them.
? Somebody previously played the character I want to apply for. What do I do?
° Whenever a character is dropped and then picked back up by a new player, this is always a "new" incarnation of the character, unless they are taking over for the old player [an act mentioned in a question above this one]. In most cases, we keep the basic canon bits and pieces about the character only, not the things the old player has written for them. So, if we go through several different Wendys, or three different Stans, all of them are "different" each time.
Generally, the new player does not need knowledge of the old threads/logs/plots associated with the character, they just need to be apply to show themselves capable of writing the character's voice well, same as any regular applicant, because it is a new start. Therefore, older players would be wise to please not confuse a new player by having your character remember VERY DETAILED events with the previous version of the character. You can mention them, surely, as some events will tend to shape our characters, but don't keep things like inside-jokes going, etc. It's rude to the newbies.
? Does my character have to live in the town?
° Yes, we'd prefer that. Almost all of our roleplaying is going to be done in South Park, and it just wouldn't make sense for you to live somewhere else, and get involved in our shenanigans! You're welcome to have moved here, before or after the beginning of the game, but note that moving away means removal [temporary or permanent] of your character from the game.
? Can my character get into trouble?
° Naturally! Of course, not everything will be caught, but anything like a large fight, drunk driving, murder, big time crime, etcetc, will probably result in some sort of consequence for your character. Just be sneaky about it, and you might be just fine. If not, detentions, arrests, etc, will depend on you as the player to decide for your character. You've got Principal Victoria and the never competent South Park detectives watching you, so be careful.
? I'm having trouble coming up with a first/last name for a canon background character who was only ever given one name. What do I do?
° Just make something up! We promise not to laugh, we swear.
? My preferred character is a young child/adult. Can I play them? Or how about a teacher?
° Go for it! You can play characters of all ages here, as long as you can prove you're capable.
? I want/need to share a history with another character, is this okay?
° Most definitely. If your character has siblings/cousins/whatever here at school with them, a relative of any sort, a best friend for life, a mortal enemy, whatever, you are welcome to share and or plot a history with the other player. It is up to players to do this, but hell, we encourage it, just to keep a nice flowing story going here.
So if you are going to apply for a character that may share a history with a currently played character, you would be wise to contact that player and maybe discuss things, or read some of the history they've already written. And if you're unsure how a character is related to another character with just a last name to go on [are they cousins? siblings? etcetc], you're welcome to ask any of the mods, or the player themselves. Or if you're going to be playing the first member of that family, just go with whatever, and then future players can contact you to hash things out. We are aware that this might seem a bit tedious, but it is for the greater good of the game, we promise. Half of playing in a game means a time of communicating with others and plotting things out.
? I'd like to play another student from a different town. Can I?
° As mentioned above, only if they are transferring into South Park high school.
? Can my character die?
° Well, that's your choice, but don't expect them to be coming back, unless they're a McKormick! Our South Park is set in a world where rebirth generally isn't possible. Though there are some exceptions [Kenny naturally comes to immediate mind], for most characters? Dead is dead.
Therefore, I would refrain from killing off a muse, unless you are positive that you want to, and the mods give you an okay. We will examine each proposed death in a case by case evaluation; we don't want people killing off all of their characters just because they're leaving the game and don't want someone else to have them. This is unacceptable, as everyone deserves a fair chance. We also don't want any characters baaaw'ing over a boyfriend/girlfriend/whatever and killing themselves, or any attention-seeking bullshit like that. It's cliche, trite, and we can do without it. Our recommendation is that the worst being done to characters are some severe injuries that could land your muse in Hell's Pass for a few days.
? Hows about some sex? And pregnancy?
° Sexual activity is up to the players themselves. We do allow it, as long as both characters are over fifteen years of age, and the players remember to tag/lock/warn their posts containing any sexually explicit material. We also ask that your characters at least have mun consent; we'd rather not get into graphic rape threads. It's a touchy subject for some, and we'd just rather avoid it all together.
In the case of pregnancy, well.. if you really want to get your FEMALE [no mpreg plz] character pregnant, then that would also be up to you. No just saying/deciding you're knocked up, out of the blue. That isn't cool. You'll need an okay from the mods first, and make sure that you okay it by whoever happened to father your character's child. We evaluate these situations the same as death, in case by case; we're not having a bunch of pregnant girls running around school, it will be a rare event, if it ever even happens at all.
? My character is bi/tri/whatever-lingual. Can I speak/write in my other languages?
° Yes, of course! If your character comes from a background that would enable them to speak fluently in something other than English, you're more than welcome to include that in your portrayal of them. Maybe their parents/grandparents originated from another country, and so they were raised with the language at home, or they spent some time living in another country/traveling with their families. It's up to you to decide how/why they speak it. Just be reasonable, and use moderation, because we would rather not have every character in the game running around and speaking three or four languages; you're going to need to tell us how/why your character speaks this other language.
When posting in this other language, you do not necessarily need to speak it, or use a translation program/website/etc. We'd like the players themselves to be able to read and understand what you're saying without hassle, even if their character cannot canonically know what the post is saying in game. Unless, of course, they speak the same language. If you're including the foreign language in a post for a log/thread, perhaps just designate the fact that your character is saying their speech in another language. Make it clear to your other players, so that they do not react in the wrong way. We'd like to use the following method if you're going to be posting to your journal/commenting on someone else's journal in another language;
[French]
Your French Text HERE
[/French]
If you have a character who speaks a certain language outside of English, and you notice another character speaking it, you're free to reply in the same language. Just be realistic, not everyone in town is able to speak German, French, Japanese, or whatever. So if your character cannot understand the language, don't suddenly make him or her understand what was written/said. Characters could, theoretically, also teach other languages to each other. Just try to be realistic at how much they may be learning, and how quickly, since nobody could instantaneously know a language from just speaking to someone else who speaks it. They would have to learn about it through the character first, and then practice, and so on. It will take time.
? Can my characters see other character's icons?
° In short, yes, they can. We're going to consider the journals sort of like a myspace/facebook/social network, on which pictures are typically used. If the icon is of your play by, then it is considered a personal photo of your character. Just try to refrain from constantly relying on the icons; talking about somebody's appearance on their icons can get a little over-done. You can see the icons, yes, but you don't have to constantly make comment on it, or even acknowledge them if you don't want to.
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- Out of Character Issues -
? What are the uses of each community?
° We have three communities here at South Park Street, and each one has a purpose of it's own. Only the mods can post in southparkstreet; it will be used for news posts [to which your characters can comment], and the moderator posts [activity checks, etc]. We can all post in spstreetlogs & spstreetooc; the former is used for posting logs or creating threads, and the latter is for anything out of character to be posted [hiatus notices, ideas, etc].
? So how are we explaining these journals exactly?
° They're just a typical online blog. Most people at school have them, you add your friends, talk to each other, upload pictures, etc. There isn't anything particularly special about them. And just like the typical lj, people can only read open posts, posts filtered to them, etc. If a character makes a private entry, then chances are that you cannot read it, unless it is privately directed at your muse. People should please try to remember to mark entries, so that we're all clear. Use one of the following; [OPEN], [PRIVATE], or [FILTERED TO], including characters names in the latter.
? How long could it take for my application to be approved?
° We're going to go ahead and tentatively say around three days. You may be approved the same day, or the next, depending on the schedule of the moderation team, but we are going to try to keep on top of things here. It will take up to a week at the very longest. And it's highly unlikely that we'll leave you hanging for that long. You're welcome to contact us about the status of your application, if we seem to be taking too long, but please try to keep in mind that we mods have lives outside of SPS, and we do need time to work/study/breathe.
? How long should my history/appearance/etc be? How long should my application be in general?
° As long as you feel it should be. We believe that quality is much more important than quantity, as long as we can see that you have a good handle on the character you're applying for. We just want to know you understand the character, and have a good feel for their voice. You don't need to write us a book, unless you want to. Just write what you feel you need to say, to make us understand.
? Are original characters allowed?
° At this time, no. At least not in the typical definition of an OC. You're welcome to take a lesser known character, and make them into your own interpretation, but you are not allowed to completely make a character up from scratch and bring him/her into SPS.
? How long do we have to wait before submitting a second application?
° No wait! Just remember to be active with all characters, or you'll have the inactive ones purged from the game.
? So how exactly do we play here?
° Quite simple, really! After you apply and get accepted, you can use all of our four easy methods. First, we use our personal character journals, where you post entries in the first person format. Other characters can comment on you, and you can comment on them. Second, we write logs and threads [which are detailed interaction with other characters written in third person format]. You can write logs and threads either in spstreetlogs, or over a instant messenger, and then posted in spstreetlogs when you're done. Third, you can interact over our news posts. This operates the same way as a journal post, with you posting first person comments, which other characters can respond to and interact with. It's sort of like a weekly bulletin board. Fourth and last, you can roleplay on AOL Instant Messenger, through our chats.
? But how do your AIM chats work?
° You can either make up an AIM name for your character, or use your personal one. We have two chat rooms; spstreet & spstreetooc.
The spstreetooc chat room speaks for itself, simply a place for us to hang out and act silly and talk to each other out of character. With the spstreet chat room, it is like an in character version, where you are writing as your muse, and talking to other characters in online group chat. Inviting yourself into either room is easy, simply add your aim name to your own list, right click your name and invite yourself to the chat room spstreet or spstreetooc, then invite. If you're still having trouble feel free to ask for help, or simply ask for someone to send you an invite. This may happen regardless, if someone notices you are online, and we are having an active chat session. Feel free to decline if you're busy, it's as easy as just clicking the 'decline' button. Both chats are open 24/7, although there may not always be people in the room at all times.
? Do you guys run activity checks here?
° We generally try to run activity checks on the first day of every month. You'll need to participate in these in order to keep yourself and your characters from being purged from the game. It's a very simple process, which takes about two minutes of your time. We will explain it in detail each time we post one.
? When are you mods even around, anyway?
° Our moderation teams has work obligations, as well as educational obligations, and so we're obviously not going to be around constantly. Evenings/nights/weekends will might be the best times, but that doesn't necessarily hold as a constant. Each day/week/whatever will be different. Currently, we are in AST & EST.
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More will be added, as they are addressed.