::Roleplaying Rules -2009-::

[XxShadiusxX]

Index
General Rules
Threads and Roleplays
PG-Marking
Club-Specific Roleplays
God Moding
Application
Post Value
Bribary
Advanced clause
NEW! OOC only posts


General Rules
The roleplaying forum is a part of the Yugioh Card Maker community. Henceforth, all rules specified by the Moderators are applied here as well. It is a given that if anyone breaks any rule stated by Moderators or any of the rules below, you are to REPORT them and they will be promptly dealt with.

Threads and Roleplays
An RP does not need more than one thread. You don't need to post a new thread every time your RP reaches a new "part" or equivalent. However, if you have finished your RP - usually fulfilling some sort of goal - and want to continue with the same characters in a different story, such matters require a different thread. As long as the new story has little relevance to the old, it is treated as a different Roleplay.

Any single RP must contain the most important things, firstly a synopsis and application form in the first post, any posts that have OUT OF CHARACTER (Commonly abbreviated as OoC or OOC) comments must also include IN CHARACTER (IC) posting as well, however more specific talk regarding questions or applications can be sent in an IM to the RP host. All applications which must work in a "accept" and "decline" basis if Non-Club Related. If you wish to provide an explanation to your choice, feel free to do so.

A member can host any number of Roleplays at the same time, but be reasonable. Don't host more than you can handle.

PG-Marking
Not all roleplays are appropriate for all members here on YCM. Therefore, when posting a roleplay aimed at a specific group, put the appropriate tag in the title:

[PG-13]
If your roleplay includes mild swearing, a degree of graphical violence, or mild sexual content, it is better placed as a PG-13.
[PG-16]
If your roleplay includes harsh language, strong graphical violence, or a higher degree of sexual content, it is classified as PG-16.
[M]
M-Rated roleplays, including gore, graphical violence or extreme sexual content, are not allowed at the Yugioh Card Maker Forum. A large part of our members are eighteen or under: Having an M-rated roleplay here wouldn't make any sense.

Club-Specific Roleplays
Club-Specific Roleplays, where only members of a certain club can join and play, are allowed on this forum. Apart from all the other rules, Club-Specific Roleplays have one special rule: A club can only host one Club-Specific Roleplay at any one time. This is to promote open roleplays.

God Moding
God Moding is, for short, when a player does something she isn't allowed to do. This might include:

Controlling other player's characters, given that they don't have a permission.
Controlling NPC's, characters normally controlled by the host.
Controlling battle, rendering yourself invulnerable and one-shotting all your opponents.
Have amazing luck.
Creating NPCs to improve your own character's strength.

Late Applications
If you wish to join a roleplay after it has started, contact the host via PM. Do not post in the thread; this tends to annoy people.

Post Value
To improve the overall feeling around the roleplay you are in, try to make you post worth as much as possible. Add more content by describing how the world moves around you as you walk by. (without conflicting with Rule 6) Write so that anyone can understand you when they read and elaborate on your post.

Bribary
Roleplay hosts may not advertise their roleplays by means of bribary. This includes paying reputations, points, or other things to roleplayers for joining their roleplays. Signatures however may be used to advertise your roleplay instead, this is because many members will take when things are given.

By the way, if you feel the need to ask anything regarding these rules don't hesitate to post here or drop either of us an IM, best to ask than act and get in trouble for things you didn't ask before hand.



Advanced Roleplaying

While not rules per se, the Advanced Roleplaying clause includes a various selection of Rules that can be used to improve the overall quality of your Roleplay.

Minimum post quality

A good, lengthy post in a role-play should consist of at least four sentences with proper English grammar and spelling. However, as a general rule, one to two paragraphs should be included in every post, by the least.

A good post should be able to elaborate from, to take material from and use it on your own post. Don't make a post that doesn't move forward the story at some point. (Warning! Be careful when doing this - elaborating too much may be on the brink of Godmoding)

Proper dialogue

Dialogue / dialog in an RP should be presented either by quotation marks or by speech lines. Script format and/or other means is strictly prohibited.

Using script format, por ejemplo, gives lesser room for character evolution and makes overall conversation dull.

Copy-paste characters

Characters used in different roleplays, with only minor details altered to fit the plot, is strictly prohibited. They completely halt character evolution by not evolving as characters - not in a true way. Sure, this particular incarnation might change, but the overall idea will always be the same.

OOC Only posts

There is one thing more that members here have been doing that I do not believe should done, under the clause or not. What is this, you may ask? This is the usage of RP threads to hold conversations that are completely irrelevant to the task at hand. It completely defeats the point of the Advanced Clause, which would lead to further encouragement of bad posting habits. Therefore, any posts that are purely OOC can be reported, and the poster will receive a 20% warning. Threads with these in excess will be locked. That's the same as under the Advanced Clause, so no complaining there.

The only things that are excusable are:
RP applications.
Posts notifying an accepted application by the RP master.

Anything else does not fly, and can easily be handled over PM.

~Shadius and Rinne - 09


Credit for an extension of Rule 2: Threads and Roleplays goes to Deadlycremepuff.