Out of Character Rules
- Be Nice, Be Courteous: If you hate someone, don't take it out on them in the OOC. In fact, don't take it out on them at all. It's OK to dislike someone, but we're all capable of getting along! Give people a chance. And if they frustrate you, take a pause, drink something sweet, and calmly tell them about your feelings. Being openly hostile to someone else can warrant a ban, and if it's out of control, a report to Gaia staff.
Character Acceptance: A character must be accepted before being active in the RP. This doesn't include side characters, however, such as assistants, cop partners, random bystanders, etc. For a character to be accepted, they must have a completed character profile that has been accepted by an Administrator. You do not need to have an accepted character to post in the OOC! Feel free to stop on by the OOC and ask us questions or get to know us better!
Posting Format: Your RP posts can be formatted however you wish them to be. We request that any images used are not obscenely large, text isn't colored in a difficult-to-read manner, and no seizure gifs.
Posting Order: Several RP situations may be occurring at once. We request that in every situation, players try to post round robin style (A posts, B posts, C posts, A posts again). Challenges may demand a strict adherence to a certain post order. We also understand if a player goes idle for too long (1 week+) and other players decide to skip them. Outside of Challenges, there is no strict enforcement on the order in which players post, and players may post in the order they wish. Just be courteous to others, OK?
Activity: We understand that you have a life outside of Gaia. Never feel pressured to devote more time to us than you have available! If a roleplay event requires your character to be present, but you are unavailable due to circumstance, we will not impose negative consequence, and you can consider yourself pardoned. If you can tell an administrator ahead of time that you will be busy, that would be excellent as well! In cases of prolonged inactivity, however, characters may lose their Suit Ranks to other characters, so that other characters are not denied the chance to rise in ranks.
In Character Rules
- No Godmoding: Godmoding is controlling someone's character without permission, having your own character land blows on others without giving others a chance to react (John shoots Billy in the head vs John fired a shot at Billy's head), and other forms of controlling elements that belong to another player without permission. Even if your character is guaranteed a blow, it is up to the other person to write the impact of their own character getting hit, or else it will be considered Godmoding.
No Powerplay: Powerplaying is the act of making one's character unfairly powerful; for example, making a character dodge every shot, making a character land every blow, making a character overly talented (such as being able to speak every language or play every instrument), and so on. In some situations, a dice roll can be used to settle a combat outcome in order to avoid Powerplay.
No Metagaming: Metagaming is when a player uses out of character knowledge to benefit their character. This can be done in a few ways. If John sneaks up on Billy, Billy will not know unless John makes a mistake, even if Billy's controller is fully aware. This also applies to information - if John hears Billy won a million dollars through the lottery, even though Billy stole it from a bank, John may either believe what he heard or be suspicious, but not know the truth without being told. In some situations, a dice roll can be used to settle if a character notices another in a sneak-type situation.
Time is Fluid, with Exceptions: This means that, when RPing, characters can be in more than one place without having clone or time traveling powers. This way, when characters are summoned for Challenges, they do not immediately have to exit whatever non-Challenge thread they were previously in. Characters can not be in multiple Challenges at once.
No Rated M Situations: We're on a public forum thread, for Gaia's sake! Put that thing back in your pants! All restriction that apply to this RP are those of Gaia's Terms of Service.
Combat Rules
- Crazy Combat: Since special powers are involved, and the RP has an anime-styled theme, it is expected there will be some rather ridiculous moves made in combat. If a certain combat move becomes a problem due to excessive dodging, questionable competition over physical prowess, plausibleness, or some possible instance of powerplay, a dice roll can be requested. Whoever rolls the highest has their action succeed. An Administrator can also be called to judge the situation and decide over the winning action.
Disagreements: If an agreement on an action cannot be made, or some form of frustration occurs concerning an instance of combat, contact an admin. You may request Fate to intervene, or an administrator to judge a match. Do not take your frustration out on another player! Always be nice and courteous, and contact an admin if a situation is getting out of hand.
There is no need to write in possibilities. Keep things open ended. For example, “John charged at Billy with his blade at such an angle, if Billy didn’t move, it would slice into his right arm.” Instead, treat your action as if it will succeed. “Charging at Billy, John angled his blade and plunged it forward into Billy’s right arm.”
All actions can be interrupted: This includes a character leaving in the midst of another character’s speech before he or she finishes speaking, or attacking while a character is consumed with a different activity. Interrupted actions may require an amends to how the post above it is received, but does not mean the post above it needs to be modified (in fact, it should not be modified at all). For example, if John is speaking, and Billy slaps him midspeech, a third character may note that he or she fails to understand what John said due to Billy’s interrupting action.
No Consent Needed to Fight: You do not need to ask a player personally if it is alright to attack their character, or put their character in a life-threatening situation. This applies in and out of Challenges. It is considered courteous (as well as appreciated) to honor the requests of another player, but not required.
Special Combat Situations:
- Challenges: Challenges are declared by Fate. Characters who are Summoned cannot refuse, even if they do not wish to participate (unless the character’s owner is away or unavailable). Challenges will always pit characters against one another. While all Combat Rules apply, each Challenge also will have its own rule set, found on the first post of a Challenge thread.
Gauntlets: When a character challenges another in the realm of combat, a Gauntlet Situation will form. A Gauntlet is a special form of dueling in which competitors are trapped in a 200 square meter area (with attempts to leave stopped by some sort of invisible leash) and forced to fight until a victor can be found (through death or surrender) or a draw is agreed on. While Gauntlets typically involve two characters, it can involve any number, either in a team format or an outright Battle Royal. Outside of a Challenge, a Gauntlet automatically triggers when a violent action with intent to kill is carried from one character to another, even if it is not verbally declared. Gauntlets cannot be refused; only surrendered. In rare cases, a Gauntlet can be broken if a Challenge is declared.
Suit Royals: If the highest ranking Face Card of a Suit decides (or are forced as the result of a Challenge), they can declare a Royal on another Suit. Royals are similar to Gauntlets, following the same rules, except with a 500 square meter area instead of 200. Royals can either include every member, every even or odd ranking number, or only the face cards of a suit. If a Suit outnumbers another Suit in a Royal, excessive members of the outnumbering Suit will have to sit it out so that the numbers are even.
If you have any questions or comments in regards to a rule, either see our FAQ or message an administrator!