Post by Starfleet Command on Jun 29, 2012 3:32:19 GMT -8
We are a Star Trek RP. We expect our members to have knowledge of the Star Trek realm and to be able to interact properly within this realm at all times. Our boards are for ORIGINAL characters only. No characters who are based on or related to any known Star Trek character will be accepted.
Please read all the rules below before posting. We recognize that these are extensive, but they have enabled us to create a pleasant experience for the members. You only have to read it once. We appreciate the time that you have to spend on this and thank you for making the effort.
Table of Contents
0 – General Rules
.....0.01 – The Rules
.....0.02 – Admin's Decisions
.....0.03 – Copying Work
.....0.04 – Impersonation
.....0.05 – Questions
.....0.06 – Staff
.....0.07 – PG-13
.....0.08 – Star Trek Reality
.....0.09 – Additions to the rules
1 – Characters
.....1.01 – Ranks
.....1.02 – Races
.....1.03 – Departments
.....1.04 – Avatars
.....1.05 – Names
.....1.06 – Relatives
.....1.07 – Telepathy
.....1.08 – Secret Organizations
.....1.09 – Character Death
.....1.10 – Promotions
.....1.11 – Originality
.....1.12 – Pets/Animals/Children
.....1.13 - Inventing Tech
2 - Posting Rules
.....2.01 – Location
.....2.02 – Time
.....2.03 – Double-Posting
.....2.04 – Starting a Thread
.....2.05 – Tagging
.....2.06 – Ending
.....2.07 – Activity - Posting Requirements
.....2.08 – Style
.....2.09 – Spamming
.....2.10 – Etiquette
.....2.11 – God-Modding
.....2.12 – Meta-Gaming
.....2.13 -- Posting Length
.....2.14 -- Canon
3 - Vacations and Loss of Characters
.....3.01 – Vacations
.....3.02 – Loss of Characters
4 - Applying for Characters
.....4.01 – First Application
.....4.02 – Subsequent Characters
.....4.03 - Returning Members
5 - Sanctions
.....5.01 – Gentle Nudge - PM
.....5.02 – Warning Levels
.....5.03 – Banning
0 – General Rules
0.01 – The Rules
Although obvious, this is the most important of all the rules!
ALL OF THE RULES LISTED HERE MUST BE FOLLOWED AT ALL TIMES BY ALL MEMBERS.
0.02 – Admin's decisions
The admin team on this site works very closely together to reach their decisions. We are more than happy to discuss things with our members new and old alike. However once a decision has been reached, that decision is FINAL AND NON-NEGOTIABLE.
0.03 – Copying Work
While no one on this site claims to own or be affiliated with Star Trek in any way, shape, or form, we do expect that members will not copy other members work for any purposes both on and off this board. If you feel there is a reason to copy large portions of someone's post, please PM that member and ask their permission beforehand. Also, when responding to another member's post within the RP, please only utilize small portions of speech for quoting purposes. Whole paragraphs do not need to be copied within your post. We can all read back to see the extra details from the original post. Try and use paraphrasing so that large quotes are not necessary.
0.04 – Impersonation
Do not impersonate other members at any time, anywhere on the boards or off the boards. This is cause for immediate removal from the boards and banning from the site.
0.05 – Questions
If you have any questions use the cbox, post in the question thread, or pm a member of staff. Please keep in mind that c-box posts are not stored for long periods of time.
0.06 – Staff
Don't ask! If we need more staff, we will seek you out after you have proven yourself on the boards. If you ask, the answer will be an automatic no.
0.07 – PG-13
In compliance with the Proboards Terms of Service, this board is PG-13. Nothing OVER PG-13 will be permitted. If you are unsure, don't post it! You can also PM an admin member if you have questions. This includes ALL posts on the board AND the chatbox!
0.08 – Star Trek Reality
Realize that this is a Star Trek RP, set in the 25th century. Objects that we use in the present century, do not exist in the 25th century in the same way, shape or form. Please make sure that things your character comments on, uses, and interacts with FIT in the 25th century.
A few notes of particular interest:
a) Money - The Federation does not utilize money. Earth does not utilize money, so therefore there is no poverty on Earth. Other cultures may still use money, credits or trading.
b) Maps - There is no need for paper maps in Star Trek. The computer system, PADDS, and Tricorders, as well as the ship herself, can direct any crewmember to where they need to go.
c) Television/Books - There is no television in the 24th century. Old (20th-21st century) shows could be pulled up on the computer systems. Paper style books are few and far between. There are some, but most information is stored on the computer or on PADDs.
d) Alcohol - Most 'alcoholic' drinks onboard starfleet vessels actually contain synthehol rather than alcohol. Synthehol is a chemical variant of alcohol. It appears to have the same taste and smell as 'real' alcohol to most individuals but none of the deleterious effects associated with alcohol for most humanoids; e.g. debilitating intoxication, addiction and alcohol poisoning. Synthehol's intoxicating effects can be easily dismissed.
0.09 – Additions to the rules
Any changes to these rules, including modifications or additions will be communicated to all members via PM or general announcement.
1 – Characters
1.01 – Ranks
All characters should be Starfleet officers, except for those jobs open for Civilians. This means that they can be Crewman, Ensign, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Lieutenant or Lieutenant Commander in rank.
If you are unsure what rank your character should have, PM an admin to discuss it.
1.02 – Races
You may choose any race so long as it is an appropriate race for a Starfleet officer onboard a ship and it is not a race in the prohibited list in the Character Creation thread. However, no telepathic characters or character with powers of any kind without prior clearance from the admin staff. No one may be an all-knowing character, like a Q, or anything similar, unless controlled by a member of the admin staff. Be prepared to defend your choice of race to the admin if necessary! So, plan appropriately and have a good reason for your character's race or hybrid if it seems unusual! We do not accept cyborgs or androids.
1.03 – Departments and Positions
The open positions thread details which positions are currently open for application on the ship. No other departments or positions will be considered without prior admin approval.
1.04 – Avatars and Signatures
ALL avatars on the site should be a real photograph of a person. If for some reason your species does not have a real photograph that can be found ANYWHERE, you will need to PM an admin member to discuss this. The new ProBoards avatar creator should not be used to create your avatar.
Absolutely, NO CARTOON style avatars or signatures. If you do not choose an avatar for your character, the admin team will choose one for you, which may or may not be what you had in mind, but the admin team's choice will stand.
ALL avatars must be NO WIDER than 150 pixels when submitted with applications or for changes.
Any avatars that are wider than 150 pixels will not be accepted.
Signatures should be no wider than 500 pixels and the height should be no more than 300 pixels. Signatures should only be about Star Trek or your character. No promoting your favorite band, another site, etc. Signatures that are over-sized or inappropriate will be deleted at the discretion of the admin team. Signatures should not contain nudity (even if only implied) or gore.
1.05 - Names
All names must be sensible and appropriate for the Star Trek Realm. No silly names will be accepted.
Please check the current crew listing on the sidebar and make sure your character does not already have the same first or last name to another character. We want diversity!
No surnames or variations of surnames for canon characters from the Star Trek series will be accepted without express permission from the admin team. Be prepared to present a very valid reason for said name to the admin via PM, as most requests for canon surnames will be instantly denied.
1.06 - Relatives
Relatives and family of main RP characters should be treated as side characters. They should not be involved in major plots, unless they have been accepted as a character of their own. However, if they do not have their own specific account, they should not be involved except as short asides within the main character’s post.
Whilst the potential exists for someone to play a family member, the admin will have to look at each specific case to decide if it will help or harm the RP. We do not want to end up with someone who is only RPing back and forth with themselves.
Possibilities for having others play family members will be open for discussion as well. Both the person who is playing the family member, and the person that they're related to will need to pm an admin for permission to create a family account. These will ONLY be considered if we, the admin, feel they will be beneficial to the RP, so be prepared to defend your claim for taking on a family member! Remember, with the vast number of people in Starfleet, it would be extremely rare for siblings to be serving on the same ship, let alone in the same region of space.
1.07 - Telepathy
No telepathic characters will be accepted on the board without prior clearance from the admin staff. Whilst we are aware that such characters exist within the Star Trek world, we do not believe that they can be roleplayed effectively within the confines of this roleplay. This includes having more than passive empathy; if it's not something that a normal human person might expect to have, then it's not allowed on the Talon. This is non-negotiable and the admin's decision is final.
1.08 – Secret Organizations
No one is to be a secret agent or a covert agent of any force both within Starfleet or another realm (This includes Section 31) without the express permission from the Admin Team. If you have a valid reason for your character to be part of something like this, please PM the Admin for consideration. Anyone found to be carrying out covert actions without permission will be banned from the board.
1.09 – Character Death
Active characters cannot be irreversibly maimed or killed without the admin's permission.
1.10 – Promotions
Characters may be able, in time, to earn promotions on the ship. Such promotions will be dependent on the writer's commitment to the ship, as well as the character's behavior within the RP. In Starfleet, only good officers get promoted. Those who have black marks on their record do not.
1.11 – Originality
All characters created for this site must be your own original work. You may not use any canon characters or characters derived from any other Star Trek related works such as, but not limited to, books or computer games.
1.12 - Animals/Pets/Children
Only small pets may be allowed on the USS Talon. The USS Talon has education and daycare facilities for children.
1.13 - Inventing Tech
Starfleet has an entire Research and Development division staffed by the finest minds in the organization. Your character will not be developing new technology or bringing it with them when they arrive. It is fine for them to tinker as a hobby, but changing the existing phasers, PADDs, computers, transporters, etc is not allowed. Even if your character did invent something in their off time, it would be sent to Starfleet's R&D division for further testing and development before it would even be allowed in the field. The reason for this is simple, new tech makes it harder to create plots. If everyone was running around with a belt-mounted personal shielding device, we'd never have any fun.
Posting Rules
2.01 – Location
Your character CANNOT be in more than one place at a time in the RP. That means that if you are talking to someone in the holodeck, you cannot also be in your room or on the bridge. You must first finish your current thread before moving your character to the next thread.
This means that you MAY NOT be in more than one thread at a time. You must following the proper ENDING rules detailed below before moving on.
The only exception to this is when a plot ends and older threads are placed in the Finishing Up board. You may RP in the new plot AND finish up your old thread. Please, though, do not draw out the threads in the Finishing Up board as they need to be ended as soon as possible.
2.02 – Time
We will ALL move together through the stardates. So that means you CANNOT skip ahead unless we are moving the plot forward as a whole RP. The odd time discrepancy may occur, but everyone should be more or less moving together through the stardates with the Main Plot outline. The only exception is in the case of the Finishing UP board (see 2.01 above)
2.03 – Double-Posting
In most circumstances double posting is NOT allowed. Please refrain from double posting within main areas and threads.
If you post for your character, plan to leave at least 48 hours for another member to reply before you have your character exit the thread. We all have real lives and live in different timezones. Be considerate of others and allow them time to reply!
Some exceptions to the double-posting rules:
1) Within your individual quarters it may be necessary to do some double posting, as most quarters are not shared. Please try and refrain for having your character spend long periods of time in their quarters reflecting alone. Also, avoid going to your quarters to be alone on a regular basis. You need to get out there where your character can actually interact with the other characters.
2) After 24 hours, you can decide to move your character from the post if the other member has not replied. However, one would hope you would wait a bit longer, as most member do have real life commitments.
3) If your character is absolutely needed for the main plot to continue, a second post can be permitted so the storyline can continue without delay. (Abuse of this exception can result in warnings and sanctions -- see Section 5 -- being instituted against your character)
2.04 – Starting a Thread
a) Any member is permitted to start a thread, so long as they are not currently involved in any other thread. Thread titles should give some indication of what the thread is about. Posting the word, open, in the thread title is one way of stating that the story is open to any and all characters. You may also use tagging rules to indicate the thread is open (see below)
b) If there is a valid reason for a thread to only be open to certain characters, you may post these names as part of the title. Please make sure you have already planned this thread with the other member(s) before posting it. You may also use tagging rules to indicate who the thread is open to (see below).
2.05 – Tagging
a) Tagging to start a thread – When you begin a new thread, please TAG it properly so other members will know who can and should post. If you want anyone to be able to join your thread, please place in BOLD the words Tag: Any.
If you have a need to tag a specific character or characters ONLY to join the thread, please do so at the end of your post by posting in BOLD --- Tag: @ Character’s membername (without the space)
b) Tagging in large threads – If a thread has more than two characters, please use the tag option to state whether any character can respond after your response or only specific characters should interact with your character at that time.
c) Respecting tags – Please respect the tags that are placed at the end of a post. If a character has tagged someone else, please do not just jump in without checking with that member beforehand, via PM or C-box or some other means.
2.06 – Ending
When your character leaves a thread you MUST post an END for your character so all members know your character has left. Other members may not tag you once you have posted your ending, and you will be free to move to a new thread.
2.07 – Activity - Posting Requirements
An active character should be posting good quality posts 3-5 times per week. This is especially important for Chief and Assistant Chief positions. By accepting one of those positions, you have accepted the responsibility for moving a plot along.
2.08 – Style
a) Write in the 3rd person (he, she). The use of “I” should only appear in your character’s thoughts about him/herself and speech to others, not in your description of his/her actions.
b) Write in the past tense when describing your character's actions. Example: He walked into the room. – NOT: He walks into the room.
c) Please write in complete sentences at ALL times. This includes using proper capitalization and punctuation and proper grammar.
d) Proper spelling is expected from all members at all times. Please use the spell-check feature found on the boards, or write your post in a program that offers spell-checking capabilities before copying and pasting it to the site.
e) No copying of large portions of another member's post to respond to in your post. If necessary, you can copy a small line, or quote into your post. Make sure to place this type of quote in italics. Do NOT copy whole paragraphs.
f) No block-quoting or formatting of your text size in standard RP posts. Use the default settings for ALL RP posts within the forum.
g) Do NOT use bold for speech. Please use standard quotation marks to indicate speech -- "example". Use single quotation marks -- 'example' for internal thought when necessary.
h) Do NOT use asterisks when marking actions or any part of your RP posts.
i) For internal communications that need to be posted in another thread -- use Italics AND mark the communication with two slash marks. Example: //Simmons to Jones. All okay over there?//
j) Do not use strikethroughs in your posts in the RP or when commenting on missions. If something needs to have a strikethrough in it, it does not belong on the boards in the first place.
Try and envision that you are writing a story to be published in a book. Follow standard writing rules and you will fit in fine.
2.09 – Spamming
No spamming. This means no one word or one line/one sentence posts. Please don't post "Ok" or "Thank you" in a post by themselves. Posts like these will be deleted and you will be warned.
Also, there should be no OOC-only posts within the RP. If you have to post an OOC comment, please do so at the end of a decent RP post. If you cannot do that, then please PM the other member(s) or use the C-box for OOC comments.
Keep OOC comments to a minimum within the RP.
2.10 – Etiquette
a) Absolutely no "net-speak" allowed in posts. Under no circumstances will "text-speak" or "net-speak" be allowed in any post in this RP. This means that phrases like "How r u?" or substituting numbers for words, such as "2" for "to" will not be allowed. This will be closely monitored by the Administrators. Please avoid this type of speech as much as possible within the c-box as well. No one wants to have to work to decipher others’ c-box comments.
b) No flaming, trolling, or any other abusive, harmful behaviors will be tolerated.
c) Treat others with respect and play nicely at all times.
2.11 – God-Modding
No God-modding. Period!
That means you can not speak, act or think for another character, unless you gain their permission in advance. That means for example, if the Captain asks the First Officer a question, the Captain cannot say what the First Officers' answer was. The Captain will have to wait until the First Officer responds. This also means that you should not be telling another person how to play the game or what they should be posting.
Realize that God-modding also involves describing an action that another character has not SPECIFICALLY stated that their character has done. This includes seeing things in people's eyes, or picking up on subtle actions that the character DID NOT describe.
If you are ever not sure if an action is god-modding, PM an admin or the character in question to ask BEFORE posting. Posts that contain god-modding can be removed at the discretion of the admin if not modified appropriately.
2.12 – Meta-Gaming
a) All-knowing characters are NOT allowed. Do not attempt to have your character be a part of every interesting thing that happens inside or outside of the ship.
b) Do not have your character claim to KNOW things about other characters unless they have actually witnessed the actions, been told the information, or otherwise had access to the information.
c) Realize that within the Star Trek realm, some information is not available to certain characters. There are security levels that dictate what information your character would know based on rank. NEVER assume that you have access to certain information!
Crew medical records are NOT available to anyone outside of the medical field and the highest ranking officers of Starfleet (including the Captain and Starfleet Command).
2.13 - Posting Length
While we think that imposing a minimum posting length inhibits creativity, posting fewer than 100 words in an RP post is hardly helpful to other players and thus we will add a 10% warning on a character's account if a post falls below that. Non-RP posts can be any length.
2.14 - Canon
We would prefer that members stay away from information obtained from books, RPG modules, graphic novels, etc., as this information is vast and on many occasions contradicts itself. Many of our members do not read the novels and are therefore not privy to the information therein. It isn't fair to them to expect them to know the entire Star Trek genre, which is why we primarily focus on what is included ONLY in Memory Alpha. If you do want to include something from a novel, something that is not mentioned in Memory Alpha, please run it by the Admin before adding it to your post or bio. We'd like to keep everyone on a level playing field. This will also help quell any disagreements when it comes to anything canon related.
3 – Vacations and Loss of Characters
3.01 – Vacations
a) If you know you will be away or believe you will be unable to post on the boards for any period of time, you should post a message in the absentee board. This is the only way to guarantee your character if you are not active on the board for a period of time.
b) If you post in the absentee board, you also MUST post your character to the side of the RP, so the story can go on around you. If you do not post your character to the side, then you give the other members of the RP the right to god-mod your character in ways that are necessary to further the storyline.
3.02 – Loss of Characters
a) If you do not actively post in the RP for the stated time periods listed below without notifying the admin through the absentee board or PM, your character position can be put back up as available, and your character can be removed from active duty. This is especially true for characters holding key positions, such as Chief or Assistant Chief.
If you return, you are welcome to REQUEST your same character again. However, your request does not mean you will be granted the character or the position. Also, if you return and take up some of your old characters, you MUST have another 40 NEW posts for all of those characters before you can be granted another. Even if your characters have 500+ posts under their belts, when you return you will be held to the same 40 post rule for new characters just as a new member would. If you return and simply want a new character, that is fine. However, if you then decide you want to bring back one of your old characters after that, you still need 40 posts for the new character before bringing them back.
b) Once a character has reached a warning level of 100%, the character will be retired and removed from their position. See Warnings, below.
c) Any new member who joins but does not post an application within one week is subject to immediate removal. Any new member who has posted an application and has received a message from an admin advising them to change their application, has one week to do so before the bio is removed. Also, any character who is accepted but does not post within the RP within a week is subject to immediate removal.
4 – Applying for Characters
4.01 – First Application
a) Creating Your First Character -
* Follow all character rules outlined in the rules.
* Be willing to compromise. The admin may make suggestions that will make your fit in better with the boards. If you are not open to suggestions or willing to make compromises, then don't apply!
* Post your application in the character application board.
* If you have questions, please PM an admin.
ONLY the applying member and the staff are permitted to reply to an application. All other members, please see part b.
Once your character has been accepted by the admin, you are free to join in the RP. PLEASE take some time however to familiarize yourself with what is currently happening. This will make your transition into the story smooth.
Make sure you've read ALL the rules very carefully!
b) Current members who have questions or concerns about a new character should NOT post them in the character's application. Please PM an admin member with your questions or concerns.
4.02 – Subsequent Characters
If you are an active person, who contributes well to the RP, you can be offered extra characters. No limit is set as to the number you may play, but you MUST keep all characters active. Please realize that no one is entitled to more characters. The admin will make the choice based on activity, character development, and other factors. Please also read RULE 0.02!
The following posting levels must be met for subsequent characters on the starship:
To apply for a 2nd character: Your first character must have at least 40 posts.
To apply for a 3rd character: Your first and second characters must each have at least 60 posts.
To apply for a 4th character: Your first, second and third characters must each have at least 100 posts.
For all further characters: All characters must have at least 200 posts.
4.03 - Returning Members
Returning members can be granted new characters and/or bring back their previous characters at the Admin's discretion. This will be predicated on the conditions the member left originally, and their prior posting record.
5 – Sanctions
5.01 – Gentle Nudge-PM
These are PMs which instruct you to change something about your character or your actions on the board. Simply follow the instructions in the PM and all will be good.
If the same problem continues, is not corrected, or multiple rule infractions exist and continue to exist, the warning level system will be utilized for the character account(s).
5.02 – Warning Levels
a) Warning levels will be applied based upon the severity of the infraction and the response of the member to the PMs sent from the staff. Warning levels can only be seen by the individual member and the admin team. No one else can see your warning level. If your level increases beyond 100, your character will be retired and removed from their position.
b) Warning levels will be decreased once you begin to comply with the rules again. Please be aware that you will need to show consistent following of the rules before your level will be reduced. Reduction is based on admin decision. If you work hard, your warning will diminish quicker than if you just lollygag around.
c) If you have shown good posting activity and no problems existed for a month's time after a warning level is applied, you can petition the admin to have the warning reduced by 10%, then another 10% the next month, etc., until the warning is clear.
d)For every 15 days of inactivity without prior notice (ie absence notice), you will receive a 25% warning if your character is not involved in an active thread. If your character is holding up a thread for more than 7 days, you will receive a 25% warning which will increase by 25% for every 7 days you continue to hold up that thread, whether you put in an absence notice or not. After 100%, your character will be retired and removed from their position.
5.03 – Banning
Bans are only implemented for individuals who have shown a consistent disrespect for the board, the admins, and/or other members.
Thanks for reading the rules! If you have any questions, PM Starfleet Command or ask in the Shout Box.