Rules and Guidelines

[vespurr]

Rules and Guidelines

Breaking any of the Golden Rules will result in guild suspension/ banning.

GOLDEN RULES:

1. Follow all Gaia ToS. No excessive foul language, no racial slurs, no cybering/ overly sexual comments or scenes. Basically, keep it all PG-13!

2. Follow all rules set forth by the Guild captain/ crew members.

3. Follow all rules set forth in each particular RP thread. If you start a role play, you are allowed to set your own rules for it in addition to guild rules.

4. Be nice, no flaming or condescending comments allowed.

5. Constructive criticism is fine, if the person asks for it! If you want critique on your post, mark it as [CCW].

6. Out of character comments should be marked [ooc] on role play threads. If you find yourself having more ooc discussion than actual RPing, you may want to create an OOC thread specifically for your RP.

7. Post in the correct forums and topics. Role plays go in the role play forum, stories and critiques go in the writing forum, etc. No bumping/ spamming allowed, except in the Random thread!

8. Advertisements are allowed in the Self Promotion thread / your signatures only!

9. Report rule breaking to captain/ crew/ mods.

10. No god-modding or power playing.

11. This is ~*literate*~ role play guild. Role play and writing posts should be as free as possible from spelling and grammar errors, and usually at least a paragraph in length. This is different if you're posting a poem or something, but in general you should try to write as much as is necessary.

12. Only refer to members as they have introduced themselves- if you know someone's IRL name, but they don't want to be referred to that online, be sure to respect that!

**Rules are subject to change at any time and for any reason. If there are any rule changes, an announcement will be posted. **

 

[vespurr]

Guidelines

***Know your terms and avoid the following***

Power playing- controlling someone else's character without their permission. This sounds easy to avoid, but it also includes little things like hitting them without giving them the chance to dodge, describing how others react to your actions, implying they're doing something, knowing what they're feeling, etc.

Ok: Vespurr drew her sword and launched through the air at JerPanda, aiming straight for his heart.
Not Ok: She drew her sword and plunged it through his heart, killing him instantly.

Kind of an extreme example, but it could be anything from fighting to reaching out for a hug.

God-Modding- Giving your character stupid amounts of powers. Basically, making them a God who can do anything: flying, super strength, speaking 3209483029 languages, amazing fighting abilities, never misses a hit, etc. etc. etc. It's just not fun to play with someone invincible!

Ok: The wizard manipulated the forces of gravity immediately surrounding him, allowing himself to fly a short distance and gain better aim at the dragon.

Not OK: The wizard lifted the entire dragon telekinetically, and shot him into space, saving the town instantly, without getting a single scratch on him. Then, he magically produced an entire feast and fed the town, ending the famine that had been plaguing them for years.

Mary Sues/ Gary Stus- To put it simply, characters that are PERFECT. They're super smart, super attractive, super talented, and oh yeah, super humble. Everyone loves them; they have romantic suitors falling all over the place to impress them. They are usually beautiful and have no physical flaws. They're probably super powerful/ skilled, and might play 5 instruments, speak 6 languages, be an amazing singer and artist, have EVERY (or a lot of) super powers, etc.

They might have wings, color changing eyes, a tragic back story, or other unique and special things that make them different from other characters (Note- having one or even a few Mary-Sueish qualities does not necessarily mean your character is a Mary Sue, as long as there is good reason for them to have these qualities rather than just sprinkling them on to make your character seem more interesting). Usually, a Mary Sue character is a sign that the writer is trying to insert an idealized version of themselves into the story! Here is a helpful test for determining whether your character has Sue-like tendencies: http://springhole.net/writing/marysue.htm

Meta Gaming- I've only heard this term used in DnD before, but it can apply to written role plays as well. Basically, meta-gaming is what happens when you, the player (/writer) know something that your CHARACTER DOES NOT, and use it give that character an unfair advantage.
For example:
Joe, Jim, and Bob are having a conversation in a tavern.
Their party member, Adriana, is across town buying potions.
A fight breaks out at the tavern! Joe, Jim, and Bob are under attack- and getting their butts kicked!
Adriana then magically knows that she must return to the tavern to help, and does so! Without even being near the fight in the first place!

This is a big no-no. Your character must stay in character, and act according to their OWN knowledge. It can sometimes be tricky to catch, but it's important!

Constructive Criticism Examples:

Ok for all posts- positive reactions: "Wow! This was great! I love your character and this post was awesome!"

OK for CCW posts only- constructive criticism: "I loved how you described the setting; the imagery you used was beautiful. But, I do think the dialogue was a little clunky and unrealistic. Some editing and different word choice there could help."

Never ok- outright flaming/ bullying: "Wow, your writing is trash and so are you. This is the worst thing I've ever read and I can't believe you'd even post it. Find a new hobby. Also, your avi is ugly".

If a mod calls you out on any of these, don't worry! We've all been guilty of at least one of these at least once. Learn from your mistake, edit your post if possible, and move on with your life heart None of these are bannable offenses, unless you continue to do them after multiple warnings.  

[vespurr]

Reserved