RP Covenant.

[zanzibar]

Why: If the Character you are roleplaying with/to has no ability regarding telepathy Noone should have any idea what so ever what You are thinking.
<snip></snip>
A player does not have access to your thoughts and emotions. Only what can be observed by the expressions carried out.

That makes sense, but mimics do it all the time. Some of it can be pretty good, so... it's sort of like porn. No one can define porn, but we all know what it is.

As far as telepathy... those /tell and guild chats... aren't those... dare I say... telepathy?

Porn is the combination of sex and violence in media.

[Vorsh]

I agree with Raekh.  Both sets of "guidelines" should be implemented.  I think with a little touch up Xillix will be able to poll this to everyone.

[Zontick]

Porn is the combination of sex and violence in media.

And where does art end and porn begin? That's the point. If you really think you can nail down what is porn and what isn't and reach consensus with everyone else in the world so that a fair law can be written,  I do know people who would love to have your input on Internet Governance. 

[Xillix Queen of Fools]

if a covenant is ratified by the entire community I will advance its inclusion in the tutorial . . .

That should answer your needs.

Now aggregate thoughts, assess and let me know when you are ready . . . if ten of you will say that a document is ready for a vote I will put said document up for a vote.

No linking, do it here.

[Illysia]

Why: If the Character you are roleplaying with/to has no ability regarding telepathy Noone should have any idea what so ever what You are thinking.
<snip></snip>
A player does not have access to your thoughts and emotions. Only what can be observed by the expressions carried out.

That makes sense, but mimics do it all the time. Some of it can be pretty good, so... it's sort of like porn. No one can define porn, but we all know what it is.

As far as telepathy... those /tell and guild chats... aren't those... dare I say... telepathy?

Porn is the combination of sex and violence in media.

One better, from Merriam Webster:

1  : the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement 
2  : material (as books or a photograph) that depicts erotic behavior and is intended to cause sexual excitement 
3  : the depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction <the pornography of violence> 




I hate to say it but the above is why I now have to say the current documents aren't enough. Maybe one will work as a cursory guide for the people we know won't read the detailed version. But, there does need to be a more detailed document accompanying it. It will need to specify how things are viewed so that loopholes and playing with semantics are rendered basically moot.

If we set the precedent now, we won't have to rehash certain things every time they come up. (I.E. is it really considered mature content, why bother if there are no little kids around, everyone is of age, etc....) Not that I am calling for a totalitarian approach but some stuff (especially main tab) should be extra fortified against loopholes which means more thought being put into it.

[Zontick]

One better, from Merriam Webster:

1  : the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement 
2  : material (as books or a photograph) that depicts erotic behavior and is intended to cause sexual excitement 
3  : the depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction <the pornography of violence>

Good. Now define erotic behavior, et al. It's a pretty big hole you'll fall into. While this may be considered off topic, the point I have been trying to make despite responses based on the assumption that people who write laws cannot read is that - it's decidedly unclear. As is roleplay. In the case of defining pornography such that art is not censored, this is seen very clearly. In the case of roleplay, it is not always clear.

The point that using 'telepathy' in /me commands doesn't balance well with a /tell ability, or guild chat. So roleplay etiquette, as being discussed, would have to cover both if the idea is to create a roleplay experience.

I hate to say it but the above is why I now have to say the current documents aren't enough. Maybe one will work as a cursory guide for the people we know won't read the detailed version. But, there does need to be a more detailed document accompanying it. It will need to specify how things are viewed so that loopholes and playing with semantics are rendered basically moot.

And so...

If we set the precedent now, we won't have to rehash certain things every time they come up. (I.E. is it really considered mature content, why bother if there are no little kids around, everyone is of age, etc....) Not that I am calling for a totalitarian approach but some stuff (especially main tab) should be extra fortified against loopholes which means more thought being put into it.

And if you set a totalitarian precedent now, you can probably expect it to be increasingly broken over time.

In my experience, peer pressure works best. It's a whole new world and there are plenty of grey areas. I'm going to go with my own rendition of roleplay despite what anyone writes. If we have to remember rules and subparagraphs of a document, where is the roleplay?

That's my two cents.

[Illysia]

Good. Now define erotic behavior, et al. It's a pretty big hole you'll fall into. While this may be considered off topic, the point I have been trying to make despite responses based on the assumption that people who write laws cannot read is that - it's decidedly unclear. As is roleplay. In the case of defining pornography such that art is not censored, this is seen very clearly. In the case of roleplay, it is not always clear.

Zontick, the only people who are going to debate it that far are the people who know exactly what it means. A person can't debate nuance without a firm grasp of the core concepts. Long story short, that specific an argument means they understand well enough to know where the boundaries are intended to be.

The point that using 'telepathy' in /me commands doesn't balance well with a /tell ability, or guild chat. So roleplay etiquette, as being discussed, would have to cover both if the idea is to create a roleplay experience.
And so...

And if you set a totalitarian precedent now, you can probably expect it to be increasingly broken over time.

Now, who's not reading.  I specifically said to not have a tolitarian approach and rule break is why there are consequences. Everyone knows there will be a percentage of people not following the rules, there are provisions for that.

In my experience, peer pressure works best. It's a whole new world and there are plenty of grey areas. I'm going to go with my own rendition of roleplay despite what anyone writes. If we have to remember rules and subparagraphs of a document, where is the roleplay?

That's my two cents.

True there is myriad... nigh infinite shades of grey. But, as in real life, you can't represent them  all, so the question is: Which ones do you really want? Because, well all know you can't really have everything. Further, if we take the "few rules as possible" argument in to real life you end up with Anarchy. That usually doesn't go well.

You are overlooking the fact that some people will look for loopholes and try to exploit them just for the fun of it or to be a pain. That can ruin a far large percentage of the community's playing experience.

Also, you have to draw a line in the sand somewhere. You may know a good place to stop, but, trust me, people will test the boundaries often. If you constantly relax the standard because some people don't want to stick to it then you will end up no standard because someone will always be unhappy.

Lastly, if the roleplay is within settings and reasonable then itshould have no problem. Nobody is calling for "RP Naziism". But, if it strays too far out of those bounds then yeah, someone will have to check it. That is why society has rule, to keep the order.

[Marqsaynt]

I agree with Raekh.  Both sets of "guidelines" should be implemented.

Sounds good to me.

Looked over Sangwa's proposal again and tried to pull all the basics that aren't already in my earlier compilation. Ideally I'd like to make an expanded version with the RP "basics" listed first under their own heading (so now there would be "Basics, "Principles," and "Ideals). However, before going on any further I would like to get Sangwa's input on the work. A lot of the wording is still his but, I did add to/condense it some and shuffled a few things around.

---

Roleplay Basics

1. This is a Roleplay (RP) Game.
You and your character are not the same person. Live as the character you create.

Example: In Character (IC) you may want to overthrow Yliakum's government, but out of character (OOC) you are a real person having fun playing a game.

2. Planeshift is a fantasy game with its own unique world.
Always keep your character’s chat, action, and history consistent with the PS universe.

Note: This means there are no such things as tanks, lightsabers, guns, vampires, angels, demons, Jedi, hobbits, etc. in the world of PlaneShift.

3. When in doubt ask a Game Master (GM).
They volunteer for the love of the game and are there to help.

4. Be Respectful.
The fun of an MMORPG is interacting with other people. Be sure to treat other players with respect.

5. Be consistent.
Stay true to your character. It will make them more realistic and fun to RP with.

Example: If your character wouldn’t associate with criminals, don’t have him/her/kra knowingly run an errand for a notorious crime lord.

6. Do not “God-Mod.”
A player should always have a chance to react to another player’s roleplayed action. Ideally, all players involved should agree with the outcome or on a fair method of deciding the result.  

[Sangwa]

EDIT: Hadn't read Marqsaynt's post.

I like it mostly, it surely is shorter and up front. I'll have to rephrase it to give you my opinion though:

1. This is a Massive Multiplayer Online Role Play Game (MMORPG).
You and your character are not the same person. Live as the character you create, enjoy as the civilized person you are.

Example: In Character (IC) you may want to overthrow Yliakum's government, but out of character (OOC) you should just want to have fun, like the rest of us.

2. Respect PlaneShift's unique game world.
Always keep your character’s chat, action, and history consistent with the PS universe.

Note: Make sure you know what exists in PlaneShift before making anything up. Self phones, vampires, hobbits, etc. do not belong in this game.

3. Respect other Players.
The fun of an MMORPG is interacting with other people. Be sure to treat other players with respect.

Note: Remember that a player should always have a chance to react to another player’s action, so everyone has a role in this play. Ideally, all players involved should agree with the outcome or on a fair method of deciding the result.

4. When in doubt ask a Game Master (GM).
They volunteer for the love of the game and are there to help.

5. Be consistent.
Stay true to your character. It will make it more realistic and fun to role play with.

Example: If your character wouldn’t associate with criminals, don’t have him/her/kra knowingly run an errand for a notorious crime lord. You might get a good reward, but your character will probably lose its chance at leading the lawful life you wanted for it.

(As you can see mostly wording choices and the removal of the elite-sounding "God-Mod" term which should be replaced with the simple concept of respecting other people.

EDIT: Also made the titles sound like stuff you have to agree to do, like a covenant requires, I think.)

[khoridor]

I'd personally be happy with only the following 2 guidelines, which are pretty inclusive:
- Whatever you do, keep it immersive: Things happen in Yliakum, not on a computer screen.
- Live by example. Stick to the rules of the game even when others don't.

But of course that doesn't help with specific cases. So I just aggregated the ideas written along this thread. There's about everything said in one form or another, I believe; I just tried to keep each entry short for an easier read. I'll edit this summary as much as needed, according to the next posts and any suggestion.

Dialog:
- Use english. No leet, no abbreviations, no foreign languages; all these are OOC.
- Keep OOC text to a minimum.
- Enclose all OOC text within brackets.
- Try to answer ICly to OOC questions and remarks.
- Remember that typing and reading take time. Keep your texts short, and allow your interlocutors some time to respond.

Other tools:
- Try to use the Auction tab like a shouted announcement, not like an internet personal ad.
- Use your description box for a physical description, not for your biography.
- Do not issue a /challenge to an unknown character without prior dialog. This is merely a tool for when you both have already agreed to a duel.
- Avoid being /away for a long time.
- Refrain from playing a telepath. The /tell and guild chat are convenience tools, not immersive RP tools.

Etiquette:
- Don't take things said in game personally. Things are said to your character, not to you.
- Your character may be rude, but as a player, you must be polite.
- Don't deprive others of your RP. Do all the roleplay in the Main chat tab.
- Don't exclude others from your RP. If you want a private session, find a private place.
- You can't force others to RP with you. If you are being ignored, play with someone else.
- Don't ignore another character. If you don't want to RP with one, /tell him so diplomatically.
- Do not harass another player.
- If someone harasses you, /report or /petition to a Game Master
- Do not /report people who ignore you, for it's their right to do so.
- Do not complain or get angry for getting killed in a PvP zone, for it's fair game.
- RP should be “PG” rated.
- Always leave people a chance to react to your  roleplayed actions.
- Be cooperative even when competitive. Even conflicts should make all parties happy.
- A Game Master always has the final word. If you argue, keep it very short and don't insist.

In Setting:
- Stick with what you know about the PS world (biosphere, geography, economy, politics, etc.)
- Don't try to bend the environment to your liking; learn to like the environment.
- Play one of the given races, not something inspired from another universe.
- Interact with others as your character would, not how you, the player, would.
- Respect the names conventions.
- Don't assume you know someone's name because you see it written. Play your ignorance as much as your knowledge.
- Don't assume you know a guild because you see it written on a name tag.
- Don't ignore the law. Don't pretend NPCs guards are not there because you don't see them move or react.
- Leave the official guarding to the government (and Game Masters).
- Avoid the use of figures to describe your skills, goods quality, etc.
- Avoid the use of K (kilo) for prices. "8 circles" is immersive, "2K" is not.
- Immerse your guild in Yliakum. A guild can't have social power if it doesn't have a purpose.
- Roleplay your guild recruitment.
- If you have a doubt about being in setting or not, ask for help.

Playing the role:
- Have at least a basic personality and background; it will evolve naturally with your story.
- See your character as a living being, not a list of stats and skills.
- Be consistent. Don't be someone one day and someone else the next day.
- Don't do things just because you can. Act with a purpose in your storyline.
- Avoid using /me or /my to indicate what you are thinking.
- Don’t try to grab the spotlight; let everybody play their part.
- Don’t cheat yourself with exposition you don’t need. It's unrealistic and removes your mystery.
- Have only as much power as the community accepts. A reputation must be earned.
- Don't be so obsessed with being unique.
- Give your character weaknesses, to rise the interest of other players.
- Don't act something that your skills tell you you can't act. Ideally, RP and stats should coincide.

[zanzibar]

Porn is the combination of sex and violence in media.

And where does art end and porn begin? That's the point. If you really think you can nail down what is porn and what isn't and reach consensus with everyone else in the world so that a fair law can be written,  I do know people who would love to have your input on Internet Governance. 

Didn't I just nail down what is porn?

[Marqsaynt]

Like this version of the basics a lot, Sangwa. The change of titles was definitely for the best and the tweaks you made I think are all improvements. Merged the "Basics" with the "Principles" and "Ideals" sections. There may be some redundancies now that need to be moved/merged/deleted and any ideas people have on what should go under what heading I'd appreciate hearing.

---

Role-Play Basics

1. This is a Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Play Game (MMORPG).
You and your character are not the same person. Live as the character you create, enjoy as the civilized person you are.

Example: In Character (IC) you may want to overthrow Yliakum's government, but out of character (OOC) you should just want to have fun, like the rest of us.

2. Respect PlaneShift's unique game world.
Always keep your character’s chat, action, and history consistent with the PS universe.

Note: Make sure you know what exists in PlaneShift before making anything up. Cell phones, vampires, hobbits, etc. do not belong in this game.

3. Respect other players.
The fun of an MMORPG is interacting with other people. Be sure to treat other players with respect.

Note: Remember that a player should always have a chance to react to another player’s action, so everyone has a role in this play. Ideally, all players involved should agree with the outcome or on a fair method of deciding the result.

4. When in doubt ask a Game Master (GM).
They volunteer for the love of the game and are there to help.

5. Be consistent.
Stay true to your character. It will make it more realistic and fun to role-play with.

Example: If your character wouldn’t associate with criminals, don’t have him/her/kra knowingly run an errand for a notorious crime lord. You might get a good reward, but your character will probably lose their chance of leading the lawful life you wanted.

Role-Play Principles

6. All out of character (OOC) chat must be enclosed within a type of brackets.
This reduces confusion and shows respect for the other players role-playing (RPing) around you.

Examples: [OOC comment], (OOC comment), {OOC comment}

7. No 1337 speak, IM abbreviations, or languages other than English in the main chat tab.
However, feel free to create a dialect or interesting speech pattern for your character.

8. Leave the official guarding to the government (and GMs).
GMs, Developers, etc. are the only people officially allowed to role-play legitimate government officials. If your character strives to protect/serve the citizens of Yliakum, do it under your own banner not the government’s.

9. Role-plays should be “PG” rated.
PlaneShift is intended for a broad age range of players. Keep this in mind when creating RPs.

10. A character’s name is not known until it is heard IC.
Just as there are no floating nametags over our heads in real life, there are no floating tags in PlaneShift from an in-character perspective. In game nametags exist only for player convenience.

Role-Play Ideals

11. Give your character a description.
Character descriptions are only for what another person's character would see. Books are for autobiographies, character descriptions are not.

12. Stick with what is known about the PS world. (AKA: Know the settings)
A person must know the rules before they bend/break/add to them. All back-stories and character abilities should still be firmly aligned with what is known about the settings.

Note: PS is still a game heavily in development and therefore apt to change/grow/add to the in-game universe and lore.

13. Using /me or /my to indicate what your character is thinking is poor form.
Your thoughts are your own in RL. Your character’s thoughts are their own in PS.

14. In general, do not exceed your character’s race traits.
This includes extremes like attempting to RP a 7-foot tall dwarf or a Kran made entirely of vanilla ice cream, to less obvious faux pas like playing a character much older than any other of his species to ever walk the realm.

15. Don’t try to grab the spotlight; you’ll burn yourself.
An excellent way to turn-off fellow players to your role-play is to constantly insist on being the most tragic, loud, dramatic character in the room. Not only is it obnoxious, it leaves zero room for anyone else to talk to you about their own character’s events or story.

16. Every great role-played strength should have an equally great weakness.
No weakness means zero conflict. It also ensures more thoughtful RPers will largely avoid you since it is no fun playing a game with someone that can never lose.

17. Ideally, role-play and in-game stats should coincide.
While not always possible, if you are role-playing a person that knows magic or is quick with a sword, it is probably a good idea to invest a little time training these skills using the game mechanics. Likewise, if you were RPing a farmer it would make little sense to train stats that make him the equivalent of a warrior.

18a. Do not take things said in character personally.
Unless someone is specifically harassing you (which should be reported to a GM) assume there is a nice person behind the character simply trying to liven up the PS universe. Just because their character is a thief, gruff, conceited, etc. does not mean the person playing them is the same way or intended any insult against you (the player).

18b. Do not use “being in character” as an excuse to be rude.
Remember, there are real people with real feelings behind every character. While a myriad of IC personalities makes role-playing interesting, using your character as a convenient excuse to treat people poorly is not acceptable. Always be aware of the line between being IC and being just plain rude.

19. In general, role-play should be done in the Main tab.
Using Tells, Group, and Guild tabs to role-play means other players have no idea what your character is doing. Don’t deprive others of witnessing and perhaps participating in your role-play.

20. Bald exposition is lazy role-play.
Don’t cheat yourself with exposition you don’t need. It is unrealistic and removes a lot of the mystery from your character.

21. Your character only has as much power as the PS community accepts.
Just because you say you are a “powerful” mage/warrior/etc. does not mean others will treat you like one. A reputation is something that must be earned.

22. Have fun.
Never forget it’s just a game.

[Garris Shrike]

Thanks Marq.
That nails it down, I believe!

[zanzibar]

#6:  Some don't think OOC talk belongs in open chat, period, and it's disruptive even if it has brackets.  I think there's truth to it.

#8:  PlaneShift has a medieval setting, and vigilante justice was very common in medieval times.  I think vigilantism can be IC and within the settings, although it would be punished IC as well.

16#:  I find this one to be a little limiting and artificial... what if you just want to be a wise old man, or a good fighter?  Some characters are very simple.  I think conflict comes from the game itself with invasions from the stone tunnels and such.

17#:  Grinding isn't fun though.  A lot of people would leave the game if they're forced to grind just so that they can roleplay...

19#:  I often use /tell to whisper to people, or send notes.

21#:  I don't entirely understand this one.  Can you write more on it?

22#:  Truth!

[Garris Shrike]

I think on #21, it's a polite way of saying "No god-modding". Basically, you only have as much power as the other players are willing to attribute to you. So you have to earn their respect to earn the power you want through roleplay.