RP rules on Laanx server

[Raekh]

I agree on having consequences possible, but this would require some definition on good or worse RP.

First of all the Covenant has to be established, for people will know how to do things at all. Then define quality, for people will know to distinguish good from bad RP, and finally set up some guideline on consequences for what type of misbehavior.

Sorry, I can't agree there. A discussion about good and bad RP will take years. And the view on this will change with the player-base. I'm more for the "Rules first then discussion about what is acceptable RP" approach. I guess the question what is accepted in RP will be a ongoing discussion and the rules and their enforcement should be adjusted to this discussion.

[Akkaido Kivikar]

I agree, trying to punish people for poor quality RP is a step too far. If someone's doing a crap RP, you have the right to not participate.

Let's face it, most of those "madness" RPs will get thrown in an asylum (which I can model if you guys want) or just general prison, as temporary/permanent insanity isn't a defence under Octarchial law.

So we have enough GMs to police the game OOC and ward against people acting outside of the rules using OOC means (/tells and /group), but we don't really have them enough for IC policing as various forms of guards...

That said there are a few goodguy guilds that can do some of that, unoficially, if both sides are adhering to the rules we've agreed to on that splash screen thingy.

[Boaal]

I don't know, madness could be pretty fun to RP if done correctly.

Yes, but too many people claim IC madness and then use it as an excuse to act like idiots. I'd rather see people picking a genuine disorder and play it out realistically than run around abusing the /shout command and deliberately annoying people.

I see that kind of madness on the bus all the time, though XP Abuse of the shout command, rambling incoherent nonsense, etc, etc. I'd say leave the shout command alone though, just keep it as a 'say', but there are plenty of whacked out people who do actually seem to fit that description...

[Rigwyn]

As for rules I would say keep them as terse as possible if you want people to read them.

Regarding enforcement, I think its better to teach than to punish in the case of bad rp.
I don't see how you could punish bad RP without going to an extreme...

Code: [Select]

Player1 tellls gm: so and so said that he's a just a figment of my imagination. Tell him to stop it !

Player 1 tells gm: so and so godmodded me. Can you please ban him ?

Player1 tells gm: I was just about trick xyz into hiring me for a job until so and so used ooc info and
made xyz change her mind. I'll send you the 20 pages of logs as proof. Please incarcerate this character

I think each player should know how to deal with these problems themselves in a constructive manner.  Ignoring is one option but unless its really needed I think it has the potential of doing more damage than good. Someone who godmods for example could be dealt with by telling them that the effects of their action was less than they stated:

Code: [Select]

Godbert stuffs Rigwyn into the closet and locks the door.
Rigwyn laughs at Godbert's failed attempt.
Godbert casts ball of fire at Rigwyn burning him into ashes and then snorts the ashes
Rigwyn ducks sustaining minor burns. He wrinkles his nose as it gets a whiff of burnt hair.
Rigwyn then swings his sword at Godbert's head.
Godbert laughs as the sword bends over his own head like a wet noodle. Zero damage is done. Godbert cannot fail.
Rigwyn tells Godbert: [your refusal to lose and insistence on forcing your actions on my character makes me not want
to rp with you.  I'de be glad to discuss this with you ooc sometime ]
Iampsychic says: Rigwyn, I know your an Outlaw. Leave or I'll call the guards
Rigwyn holds his hand to his ear as if straining to hear [ that's ooc info. Let's chat anout this in tells for a moment ]


[Aiwendil]

What is the point of having a RP and a Non-RP server if the only differences are stricter naming policies and the rule to use brackets for OOC chat in main. Everything else needs to be accepted as RP? The rules I suggested are not meant to serve as a purpose to ban a players at the slightest RP-mistake. They are meant to show people what is expected on the RP server and to give other players the possibility to point out misdoings in other RPs. Right now I don't see any rule that forbid someone playing a 400 year old Nolthrir/Dermorian halfbreed, a dragon or a yeti. With the current rules everyone could state something like this in their descriptions and all that other players can do about it is either ignore the players or try to convince him that his character is out of the settings. If the player doesn't want to be convinced there is no other way.

Failing to follow one of these rules won't lead to immediate banning but constant complains from different players (together with a /report about the misdoing) about a player not following the rules will lead to sanctions like kicking or banning.

With some rules players had at least the chance to complain and if enough players complain GMs can take some actions. I never suggested that GMs should policy all ongoing RP. But they should have rules to enforce if players start to complain. And these rules would also give them the possibility to poke players about settings mistakes in descriptions or deal with excessive godmodding. Right now godmodding isn't even forbidden on the RP server. Sure, I'm aware that it is disputatious what is still acceptable and where godmodding starts. But a GM standing next to a players doing something like "/me draws his sword, walks past xxxx and beheads him with a mighty blow" and not having the backup to even sent a tell that this is no acceptable behavior is for sure not what we all want on a RP server. But in the first place the rules I suggested address the players and should give them the means to poke others about their wrong-doings. I don't really get how you want to teach anyone what is acceptable RP on laanx if there is nothing that tells yourself what is accepted. All you can teach is your own view on RP.

I agree, trying to punish people for poor quality RP is a step too far. If someone's doing a crap RP, you have the right to not participate.

In general I agree with this. /ignore is your friend. But there should be a way to deal with a player messing around with a majority of the other players. A player RPing some strange monsters that eats the brains of others on sight no matter if it's near a guard or some other bystanders is annoying for a lot of players the first time until they put him on /ignore. And /ignore is not the best solutions anyway because it always leads to situations where part of a group playing with each other ignores a player and the other part doesn't. A more general way to deal with such players is better in my opinion.

Edit:typos

[Lhaa]

Seems like my last post was too vaguely worded: I did not mean to punish people for "poor RP", in fact with poor RP I was referring to invalid RP, according to "acceptable RP" as Raekh wrote.
As for "madness RP", the content does not matter at all, make it a plot concerning flowers, love, peace and cuddling, or one about insane night stalkers - what matters is if it is valid according to the setting and the covenant, or just a fake "RP" as an excuse for OOCly bugging people (intentionally or by ignorance). For the latter, I am not really sure if facing OOCish behavior by ICish means like imprisoning is a good and appropriate idea, since such won't teach the difference between valid and invalid but might even encourage to continue acting in a way not supporting a RP-focused game.

[bloodedIrishman]

Put the finished product on the website and forums, have them be curt and followed up with detailed but concise explanations; not many want to read from a wall of text.

As for the idea of a splash screen contract with an 'I Agree' option, I believe that its already within policy that a person will be banned for not obeying the rules after numerous offenses, among these rules are those concerning roleplaying. However. before a player enters the game for the first time a list of the most important roleplaying rules popping up wouldn't be half bad.

Among the notes during login/loading screens, ("Dwarves may be short, but noyone grows a better beard!") have a rule there, along with the url of the page where they are all listed.

Those are some ideas.

[Xillix Queen of Fools]

http://www.hydlaaplaza.com/smf/index.php?topic=31960.msg367011#msg367011

Rp Covenant is placed there, and is going into the exit of the tutorial.

Everyone already passed the tutorial should read it in the above link.

This is as far as the team feels it can commit via rules.

[Aiwendil]

Thanks for the effort Xillix.

Of course not what I meant but it seems I have to do with laanx being a server where RP is only tolerated.
So no way that the team can come up with an official opinion on the following for laanx?

• Is godmodding allowed?
• Are Non-RP guilds allowed on laanx?
• What chat tabs are IC? (especially the public available auction tab. At the moment this is more or less a OOC only tab is seems)
• Do all people on laanx have to tolerate RPs in which OOC knowledge for example from the forums is used? Is it valid to accuse others of crimes they did and posted logs from here in the forums for everyone to read?

[Xillix Queen of Fools]

This is as far as the team feels it can commit via rules.

The rest is for the community to lead by example.

If people violate the rules, OR cause disruption, CALL A GM!