Rules and Such

Rules

Rules are the sort of things which are a necessary evil. By their very nature they limit what is allowed in behavior. But they are important if the natural chaos that is community fanfiction is not to explode into something that is no longer helpful to anyone.

Number of Characters

Let me start with the obvious. ONE Main Character per Account and ONLY one Main Character per account. A Main Character is allowed to have a number of Support Characters as well as Summons and Pets and even the occasional Recurring NPC, so this shouldn't be too much to ask. If this rule is broken, then the BoardMom stick comes out and no one likes to see that.

IC vs OOC

Now, some terms need to be settled. There are IC (In Character) and OOC (Out of Character) comments possible. In the RP sections of each world, the default setting for any post is IC, which means that unless you mark the comment otherwise, those who read it will read it as something being said by your character.

If you, the player, wishes to make a comment, then mark it as OOC either by beginning the comment with OOC: or by bracketing it with double crescents (( like so )). If you use the OOC: marking, then please be certain to insert a paragraph break or such to mark the return to IC status.

For example:

((Are we ever going to get this story moving?))

Ilserun sighed in frustration. All they did was talk. Was no one ever going to cease the talking and begin the acting?

In the other areas of the forum, the line between the two blurs by its very nature. In the Miscellaneous section all posts are presumed to be OOC. Do not abuse the Miscellaneous section or we will be forced to take steps and we don't like it when someone messes up the sandbox for everyone.

Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar

Please, please, PLEASE, for the love of all that is Holy; attempt to adhere to the simple guidelines of grammar, spelling, and punctuation. It isn't that we want to be English teacher nutjobs around here, but if the people you're attempting to role-play with cannot figure out what you just said that you were doing . . . it's not going to be very fun for anyone.

There is a great deal which can be overlooked. Goodness knows we all do it every day. Someone hits the shift key a little late and *grin* comes out looking like *grin8. Any number of little things like that can be just rolled off our backs. It's a hazard of the environment and of quickly moving fingers over a keyboard.

Posting New Threads

When you post a thread in any forum, please be certain to fill out the Description line. It is AS IMPORTANT as the thread Title. In RP threads this is where you describe what requirements you have on the thread, such as Open or No Fighting, or whatever. In Creation threads put the name of the character the Creation is related to or some other descriptor.

This is for a very simple reason. The icons I use for threads are fairly tall. If you don't put the description line in then the top and bottom of the icon are cut off and it looks weird.

Respect

Also, take note, a cardinal rule of environments such as this is RESPECT! You are expected to show it at all times, most especially to those who are Staff Members here. They are expected to show respect back, but do not push them too far. Everyone has bad days, and those bad days are likely to make a simple comment sound snippy when it wasn't supposed to. A little open mindedness and forgiveness goes a long way to making a name for yourself. A little more restraint goes even further.

Nine times out of ten, if someone has pushed the Staff too far, the one blowing up won't be me. I have perpetual foot-in-mouth syndrome, so when I get started, I'm liable to say something I will regret later, so I mostly don't say anything even when I should. If I do, however, pull out my tremendous vocabulary, then be aware that someone has made a terrible mistake, and needs to make amends.

Simply put, walking in here and acting all high and mighty is only going to earn you rolled eyes and very little in the way of true help. In extreme cases, it can earn you punishments, like banning, but I really don't like pulling out the banhammer for anything except the most extreme cases. Sometimes though, it can help restore focus. Players have come back from bans better than they were going into them.

All punishments, all comments, are offered in the attitude of helping someone change in a positive way. Or at least, they should be.

Spamming

Spamming is bad. Spamming is wrong. Spamming would be more of an issue if we were on a Post Count system instead of a Point Count system, but it's still an issue and so it needs to be addressed.

The biggest form of spamming is posting random comments on a thread, usually in the Miscellaneous section, that really doesn't progress a conversation or do anything useful at all. We don't like this kind of spamming. But sometimes it's unavoidable when people get to being friendly and chatty and all kinds of talkative.

In general you don't get Points for posting in the areas that are the largest targets for spamming, but if we notice a problem with Points going up for posts that really don't seem like they deserve it . . . well, there are ways to correct the issue. Admins can adjust Point counts up *and* down if we need to.

The second means of spamming that is of concern to us here (because we *do* emphasize posting in RP) is the use of very short posts put up on the board in quick succession. We do not have a minimum post length for RP, nor do we have a time requirement between posts, but please note that detail is your friend, most especially if you wish to make a name for yourself here. Repeated very short posts will earn you a warning. If you cannot take the warning then other steps will be taken.

Short posts by themselves are not a problem. Occasionally they are unavoidable. Just try not to make a habit of it.

For all other things, keep the non-RP posts to as much of a minimum as possible.

RP note pertaining to number of threads

Some sites limit the number of threads a given player can be involved in at a time. We do not, at this moment, have such a limit, but be forewarned, if you are layering threads, as I call it, then you had better be paying attention to continuity. If you RP gaining an ability in one thread, and another thread takes place before then, you cannot use that ability in the earlier thread, even if you are posting *after* you gain the ability.

Also be aware that there are potential issues with creative burnout if a person tries to maintain too many threads. All in all it can get very messy, so be careful and don't stretch yourself too thin.

Assorted Goodies

We do allow avatars of up to 150 by 200 pixels and we do allow signature banners. Please do not be absurd or obscene with these, we will be very angry.

You can include pictures in some of your posts, but please keep the size down on them as much as possible. Big ones are allowed in your Character and Weapons files, but a little restraint or resizing goes a long way, you know? Something to keep in mind that I have the width of the forum set for aesthetic reasons so larger pictures are likely to be cut off on the edges, so resizing is a good idea for some things.

Please be certain that all information in your Signature is accurate, and if you want to promote a personal website, there is an area in your User Profile to link it. If you want to fill in the information on your User Profile, go right ahead, but we aren't requiring you to give more information than you are comfortable offering.

Real Life Drama

Look, it is the nature of role-playing that the people least capable of dealing with themselves and their lives are going to be drawn to each other. Each and every one of us is torn, damaged, scarred in some way by a real life that, at times, is too painful to face. You aren't alone. But don't go taking it out on the rest of us because you are hurting. We're hurting too.

It becomes a problem if the real life issues begin affecting the Board. Please don't explode all over the forums with shouting and arguing if your real life is giving you fits. If you want to alert the board that real life issues are going to cause problems with activity, so be it. We'll commiserate with you as best we can. Please, do not use someone else's problems as an excuse to make them feel worse.

If there is an issue, then the Staff will become involved and that gets messy for everyone.

Objectionable language

Again, this should go without saying, but it doesn't, so I'm saying it. Restraint, people. Don't curse, insult, flame, or try to hurt someone with words. Don't go using profanity, don't go shouting demeaning words at people. This includes terms that relate to gender, bodily functions, bodily parts both male and female, ancestry, or cultural status.

I don't like it and I will start shouting back if I have to. But, see, I don't have to resort to profanity to make you feel about three inches tall. Trust me, if I have to go to the effort to compose one of my rants in your honor, you will get to see it and then you will get to see the business end of my BoardMom stick.

As a side issue, this also goes for demeaning nicknames. I am not kidding. I don't care if you've called that person by the nickname since you were kindergartners together in the sandbox. If the person who is the object of the nickname doesn't find it funny, or feels hurt by the use of it, then I will hear about it and I will bring out my BoardMom stick. I have had enough of snarky insults to last me my entire life. I have been the object of those words and those phrases and I will personally ban anyone who seeks to break another person's will and spirit by using them.

You have been warned.

Transportation

Traveling between Nations is a matter of some complication because players must wait for a certain post count before they have access to their own vessels, however, there are ferries available going from Nation to Nation for those who lack their own.

Other than that, there are flighted Chocobos (also post count dependent and must be written up as Mounts), and the occasional true teleporter.

Teleportation is highly limited, in terms of just which players are allowed to utilize it. Administration are allowed to teleport as they wish. Other Staff are allowed to teleport as they wish in non-combat situations. Players are allowed to teleport after proving to the Administration that they are capable of handling the responsibility and then it will be under the same restrictions as Staff Members.

Death

Death is a legitimate hazard of combat in the world of Artegal. Main Character death is, by and large, irreversible and requires the player to move to a new Account with a new Point Count and create another Character to play. There are exceptions, though, in rare cases involving multiple Characters and much difficulty. Resurrecting a Character is not easy and should never be easy. Depending on Administration Approval, a Support Character can be a replacement Character in which case a new Account will not be necessary, but that is highly dependent on circumstances.

Character Wills

Each Character has the right to name an Heir or Heirs to take up their Legacy in the case of Character Death. The Legacy remains with the Heir(s) should the Character in question be resurrected, but In Character considerations might include returning some aspects to the resurrected Character. All Wills should be posted publicly on the Site some place so that they may be linked back to for reference. Inheriting a Legacy cannot outweigh Point Count restrictions in some cases (Pets, Mounts, Support Characters, Vessels, some Armor and Weapon Upgrades) though an Heir can choose to refrain from claiming some aspects of a Legacy until point count is reached.

Note on Battle Parties

Here on Spirits of the Crystals a given Main Character can have several Party Members plus Pets (especially if the Character is a Beastmaster) plus Shokanjuu. So in the interests of maintaining some order in what could EASILY become chaos I am setting some guidelines. A player may include no more than three characters in any given battle. That can be the Main Character and one Support character and a pet or two Support characters and a pet or one Main or Support character and two pets (if a Beastmaster) or a Main Character and two Support Characters. Or any combination of available Characters and Pets so long as they add up to three. Additionally, only one Shokanjuu may be active at any one time in a battle. However, a Shokanjuu may be dismissed and another Summoned in its place. Conversation threads can maintain their own rules as per the number of participants for any player.

Please note that large battles, such as Arena Matches or other situations, might place further restrictions on this, particularly if more than two players are involved. Those situations will be clearly spelled out in advance.

Other special circumstances will be taken under consideration by the Administration. Do not be afraid to ask.

Other things

If you are not a Staff Member, do not go poking your nose into the Approvals sections, other than to read up on what the other players can do. If you notice an issue that a Staff Member has missed, please utilize the PM feature. That's what it's for.

If a thread is marked (Closed) or (Private) or (Invitation Only) or whatever, you can read, but do not post there, unless you are one of the ones involved. Those are mostly for storyline threads, where there is a planned sequence of events that needs to take place, or two characters simply want to talk without interruption. Don't interrupt them. But feel free to read them and use a PM if you have comments. Threads marked (Open) are free game.

We, the Administration, reserve the right to edit these rules and add to them as necessary. A word of warning, for every rule, there is a situation that make making the rule necessary. Think about that for a moment.