Post by Riley Campbell on Jun 23, 2009 21:08:29 GMT -5
General Rules
--//-- Welcome to Variable Intricacy! --//--
We have a number of rules and regulations in place to ensure the quality of experience for our members. Please make sure you read the rules thoroughly. It's very important that you do, and it is a requirement that you do so before your first application is even approved.
Warning!! There is no excuse if you break the rules, because you are expected to read them before you even start, so if you do not adhere to our guidelines, "I didn't know" simply will not fly.
Please read our rules carefully so that you will be familiar with what is expected of you as a member. In doing so, you will be able to avoid making missteps here on the forum, which can and will lead to repercussions.
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01.
--//-- Member Conduct --//--
[/b]--//-- Welcome to Variable Intricacy! --//--
We have a number of rules and regulations in place to ensure the quality of experience for our members. Please make sure you read the rules thoroughly. It's very important that you do, and it is a requirement that you do so before your first application is even approved.
Warning!! There is no excuse if you break the rules, because you are expected to read them before you even start, so if you do not adhere to our guidelines, "I didn't know" simply will not fly.
Please read our rules carefully so that you will be familiar with what is expected of you as a member. In doing so, you will be able to avoid making missteps here on the forum, which can and will lead to repercussions.
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01.
--//-- Member Conduct --//--
We expect you to show respect to every member on the site, whether they be admin, mod, member, or guest. A standard of respect is necessary to protect the quality of our experience here on the site. If you wish to express your opinions, do so in a civil and mature manner. Debates are good, but heated and nasty arguments are unacceptable; if your conversation has taken a turn for the worst, show that respect by handling the matter privately in PM or private chat. Discrimination toward others for their race, sexuality, age, etc. is completely unacceptable and will have repercussions. Profanity is okay in realistic context, but not simply for the sake of itself. Lastly, if a staff member requests that you stop, listen to them, or actions will have to be taken to keep the peace.
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02.
--//-- Literary Standards --//--[/b]
There is no competition or award for highest post count. There are, however, standards for you to meet with your literature, and you'll be expected to meet them. Put some time and thought into your post, and give the people you are roleplaying with something to reply to. Make sure that your posts are not just a couple of lines long-- this is just dead space. Be creative! Also, spell check your work, and use proper grammar and punctuation. Role-play is a literary art, so it is a no-brainer to understand that literacy is a must. Proof-read your work, and although it's fine to deliberately mispell words in dialogue to reflect accent, dialect, or slang, there is no excuse for bad spelling mistakes when there is a spell checker available to you.
Please Note: Posts will only be counted for posts made to role-play sections in-character, and character development extras such as Relationship or Journal threads.
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03.
--//-- The Absence Registry --//--[/b]
We have an absence registry for those times when you won't be around to remain active (linked just below this paragraph). The purpose of this sheet is so that when you are going to be away from the site for close to a week or longer, or suffer a considerable reduction in availability, you can make this known to us so that the people roleplaying with you aren't being simply blown off. It is your responsibility to sign the away sheet when you are going to go away. If you are active, you should be able to post at least once every few days or so, and that's slow. Here it is, please use it when you need it:
The Absence Registry
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04.
--//-- The Karma System --//--[/b]
There is a karma system in place that allows you to [exalt] or [smite] other players. Please use it to award players with karma when you feel they have done some thing to earn a point. If you abuse the system, we will know about it, so please don't waste our time and yours by doing so. This includes using the karma system to carry out a personal grudge on another player, in which case, their losses will be transferred from *your* reserves. Please note that the system exists for a reason, and we would like you to use it. People who have contributed to the site in any way deserve a click, and it only takes a second!
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05.
--//-- God-moding --//--[/b]
God-moding is completely and totally unacceptable! This includes playing your character as unrealistically untouchable, indestructible, invincible, or taking control of a thread to make everything go your way. It also includes writing for someone else's characters. God-moding ruins RP, and makes people not want to RP with you ever again. Don't do it. If you find yourself wanting to do something that you are unsure about, by all means, ask us in PM or the Cbox, or consult the owner of the character you are interacting with.
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06.
--//-- Continuity & Placement --//--[/b]
It's important to keep track of your own character's activities and events, and if you cannot do so in your head, you might want to consider creating a journal to help you. It is perfectly acceptable to be in multiple threads at once with one character, so long as the continuity is still good. You may also create threads that take place in the past or future. It's up to you to keep track of your own character and keep your own personal continuity in check. Placement is important. It does not make sense to be in one thread in Atlanta and another in Phoenix simultaneously, unless your power allows for it. Are you a speedster, can you fly, or are you capable of teleportation? If you are limited to the same forms of commute as everyone else, you can only be in one city at a time.
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07.
Jeebus, Proboards. Does your crusade to remove sexuality from all human beings know no bounds? This site has been inactive for several YEARS now.
Gods help us if you people ever get your fingers into genetic engineering...
Also, since you've been apparently picking through my site for years now (it seems more likely that someone is actually pathetic enough to still be searching desperately for ways to harm me, even though I haven't crossed paths with them for years...), so obviously you're not going to take to spending less time than I do here any time soon... so I know you'll see this. I'd just like to point out that the context you've flagged abuse over in fact contained nothing sexual whatsoever save for the actual word "sex". Are you going to flag this entry for the same reason? Maybe you should go through all of your sites, and carry on your righteous crusade to those who dare use the term "sex" to indicate gender. Or maybe you guys could try being forum hosts instead of an extremist faction for social and biological "reform".
Pure represso-extremist nonsense, and a waste of my time and yours... though I'm sure you don't believe so, what with so many vile sinners to forcefully rehabilitate.
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08.
--//-- Overall Player Activity --//--
Post as often as you can. As mentioned earlier, you should be able to post at least every few days. We need to keep our members list up-to-date, so members who are inactive for a month or longer will be deactivated. Your screenie will be deleted, but your character profile will be saved [archived to Inactive in Registration], and you can return later if you wish to rejoin, using your old profile. Once again, if you are going to be out for a bit, that's okay, but do let us know in Absence Registry, so that you are not dropped to inactive!
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09.
--//-- Realism, Keeping to the Site's Theme --//--[/b]
Try to be original with your threads, use your creativity, but also be realistic. Remember that Heroes is about ordinary people with extraordinary abilities. Those people have jobs, real problems, hobbies, etc. Your roleplay should not revolve entirely around your ability, and idealy, it won't. Please try to breathe something real into the story.
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10.
--//-- The Role of the Villain --//--[/b]
Villains are naturally very important just like anyone else, but if you are to play a villain, there are some things you should know. Any large-scale actions or destruction will need to be cleared with admin in PM. Also remember that villains are people too, so don't be one-dimensional or overly cliche. In other words, don't assume that being a villain means you are entitled to level cities just for fun.
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11.
--//-- The Rule --//--[/b]
If you wish to have your application approved, then you'll need to remember what to say when asked if you have read the rules: The rules? My dog ate them. Honest.
Please bear in mind that if you were required to read the rules to find this information that if we needed to use a code phrase in order to get you to read the rules, obviously they needed to be read. Players who fuss and moan about having to read the rules generally raise red flags early on.
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12.
--//-- The Pitfalls of Metagaming --//--[/b]
You are not your character. Your character is not you. Metagaming, or playing off-board, is unacceptable. Just because your hero knows about a trap set for several villains, does not mean your villain gets to magically guess when and where, or even if, it's going to happen. What is said to your character IC is not an attack on you OOC, and should not be taken that way. If you've made a decent character, they should not be a Mary Sue, and so they should not be some kind of avatar for all your hopes and dreams and who you want to be. If your not a Mary Sue, there's no reason for you to be taking IC stuff to a personal OOC level. Mind the seperation, as it keeps the integrity of roleplay golden.
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13.
--//-- The Spoiler System --//--[/b]
Due to the nature of the spoiler system, there is a rule in place to protect it's uses from being ruined. The spoiler system allows players to mark certain information in their applicaions, npc applications, etc. so that they can only be viewed if the spoiler tag has been clicked. We ask that you avoid clicking every spoiler so that the system plays it's part on the site, but this is optional. Do note, however, that spreading spoiler information in public places or to people who did not agree to be subject to that information (even in private) is strictly forbidden. If you'll cooperate with us in using the spoiler system properly, you'll find that unlike many RPGs, Variable Intricacy will have twists, turns, and shocking reveals just like the show. To run that down for you once more, the only people you may reveal someone else's spoiler information to are members who consent to the reveal, and *only* those members, and therefore, if it must be done, please do it in private chat. *Never* reveal spoilers in the cbox. It collects a history as old as time itself.
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