Server and Character Creation Rules (READ ME)

by **NuggetandSkull** Wed Apr 02, 2014 10:35 am

Server Rules

Learn to use the roleplay commands correctly.

It is not inherently bad to not know them, but in a serious RP server it is expected you take on a few extra habits in order to help with the narrative. This rule includes IC commands (such as /me, /y, and /w) as well as OOC commands (such as .//, //, /pm).
Do not make joke characters.

This includes a wide range of possibilities. Characters using a star's name, a video game character's name (unless they have a common name), using a description for comical effect (including a description that is meant to show a popular video game character), as well as character names that are puns. This is an incomplete list, but essentially do not make a character that isn't meant for serious roleplay. No exceptions.
Do not act unrealistically.

This includes parkouring from skinny beam to skinny beam, randomly running or jumping around, and ICly doing something that does not make sense in the current situation.
Do not randomly begin attacking players.

This is poor roleplay and regardless of past interactions, if you are to fight you must do so in a controlled way. Running up behind someone and beating them to death without warning will not work.
Do not statwhore.

This is where you do actions to raise a specific stat without roleplay. This leads to a poor balance ICly and OOCly and is a reason for banning a character and, if repeated on another, the player. RP isn't about building stats, it's about developing a character.
Do not metagame.

Metagaming is using information you learned outside of roleplay (for instance, if I told you the name of my MPF officer) and then use that in-character. This is not entirely restricted to names however, and anyone going out of their way to OOCly gather information for IC use when their character did not have prior knowledge of it will be punished.
Do not spam in any of the chats

Be it OOC, LOOC, or any of the IC renditions, do not spam. I don't care how frustrating something is, it's not frustrating enough that you need to send a long string of messages that are short by themselves. The OOC and LOOC chat are there for convenience and abusing them will lead to punishment.
Do not powergame.

This is forcing an action onto another player's character without their consent. You do not have a character capable of doing everything perfectly. When in a fight, you don't successfully hit immediately, you try to hit. In mugging, you don't successfully rob, you try to rob them. Each situation is unique but powergaming is looked down on. Doing this repeatedly will lead to a ban.
Do not exploit glitches.

This is self-explanatory, but let it be restated as many times as needed. Do not exploit glitches. This ruins the flow of roleplay and be easily seen as malicious, even if you're simply trying to get a better view of the map. Exploiting glitches will be met with a harsh punishment.
Do not exploit flags.

As prop spawning, tool use, and physgun use are restricted to players with flags, let it be said that anyone using their flags will be punished harshly. Gaining a flag of any kind is through trust and to break that trust will result in losing the flags you have as well as most likely be banned.
Do not spam voice commands.
Yes, voice commands are pretty cool and the fact they come standard as opposed to requiring a donation to use may be enticing, but please refrain from using them constantly. You may use them when the situation permits, but do not use them for everything you say, a majority of what you say, or even some of what you say. Use them sparingly and be done with it. Anyone spamming voice commands will lose their privilege to use them on the character they spam them on. Repeat offenders will lose the privilege on every character they make. Anyone that makes a new character just to spam commands after being warned multiple times will be banned for a short time.
Do not exploit whitelists.

Each faction has a set of IC rules they follow. Do not break them as there are IC punishments. However, breaking IC protocol for OOC reasons is seen as heinous. Leaving the UCN offices open when they are normally locked so you can try and raid the building on another character is an example of this. Dropping a weapon on an MPF officer OOCly so that someone can have it is an even worse example. Exploiting your whitelist will have you barred from it, your character banned or perma-killed, and then being banned.
Avoid the many -ists and -isms

We are an advocate of freedom of speech and expression, but we're not too accepting of general prejudice. Yes, you can have a racist, sexist, and generally hateful character, but using OOC to spout your hatred of certain groups is not ok. You can state your opinion, yes, but the community's reaction will be its own. Some may agree with you, some will disagree with you, but above all else you are just a player in a game. If you take it out of control and talk only about how certain groups are nothing but lazy layabouts, or how women or men shouldn't have equal rights, then you will be banned. This is a server for roleplay. You can save your opinions for a debate on the forums or in Steam chats.
General "golden rule".

This server is hosted on duck tape, good will, faith in humanity, the sound of cat footsteps, and hugs. Don't be a dick. Seriously. If you're a toxic member, we do not need you. Don't be a dick. I'll say it again. Don't be a dick. We are ready to help people new to roleplay learn how to do it, but we will not tolerate a member who cares more for themselves and their character over the solidity of the community. I'm being serious here. Running around insulting people for what you perceive as a lack of experience, or for a minor inconsistency to HL2 lore, or just to break windows for the sake of "teh lulz" isn't tolerated. I don't care how good at RP you are, we are a community first and foremost and we will not tolerate someone trolling other members.

Final notes: This rules list isn't entirely complete. There are deviations and exceptions to the rules that may occur as the state of RP is not something easily predictable. We would rather defuse a situation before we ban anyone. That being said, don't try to find loopholes in the rules. If it's not covered here and it's something you do to troll normally, consider it part of the golden rule. Finding what you perceive as a loophole will not help you be unbanned. If you feel you were unjustly banned, make a ban appeal and we will look into the situation.

Addendum: We do not have an admin disrespect rule. You can be unhappy with how admins are behaving and voice your concerns, but you cannot be kicked for it. For instance, saying you don't like how long someone was banned for and you feel it was an overstep is not kickable or bannable. We prefer to allow people to voice their concerns. If you are ever banned for admin disrespect, let either Nathan or myself know immediately and we will rectify the situation. That being said, admin disrespect is not covered by racist, sexist, or otherwise intolerant remarks. You may voice your opinion, but please refer to the "avoid -ists and -isms" rule as well as the "general golden rule" for guidance. While you cannot be banned for criticizing an admin, being a dick because you can isn't going to be viewed favorably.

Character Creation Rules

Heights may range between 5'6" to 7'2". This is flexible and mild deviations are permitted whereas major deviations require permission from an admin or above.
Unless permission is given by a super admin, your character may not start with a police, military, scientist, politician, or otherwise "important person" backstory. (This includes previous MPF or CWU connections on other servers, though that backstory may be enabled if your RP is good enough.)
Unless permission is given by an admin or above, the youngest your character may be is 27 and the oldest is 70. The Union invaded 20 years ago and the youngest they permitted to enter the cities were 7 year olds in this canon. They were used for basic labor. Anyone younger than 27 must be cleared through the admin staff but also made to understand that with such controlled procreation, the Union takes any child in after birth to raise them, essentially making them die-hard loyalists.
Unless permission is given by a super admin, your character may not start with a weapon or armor of any kind. You will start with standard issue items according to your factions and must acquire other items through RP.
Your character may have any accent and be any race, though please also consider that it has been 20~ years since the Union invaded and English was made the standard use language. Accents will be somewhat diminished in younger characters while older characters may retain their accents.
Hair colors must be natural and there are no exceptions. Albinism is permitted, but hair dyes are no longer around and anyone using other methods to dye their hair must have an IC method of doing so but you must also OOCly understand there will be IC repercussions if the dyes stand out too much.
Genetic defects are rare, but benign ones are permitted. Heterochromia (iridum) is an example of this as your irises are two different colors. This does not mean you can have bright purple and hot pink, but rather two different, common eye colors. As this disorder is not relatively common, do not make all your characters with it.
Stereotypical characters can exist, but also keep in mind that making them a stereotype to be insulting will be looked down on. Human beings are vastly different and we cannot expect them all to obey laws given to them, but a black character that steals televisions with an afro and a hair pick is an example of simply going well beyond the bottom standards and will be seen as malicious. It is permitted to have a character that fits certain stereotypes, but making nothing but stereotypical characters will result in your characters being banned.
Your character is not incredibly healthy. This can be changed through RP, but starting out does not permit for a character with a powerful build or even close to average weight. Characters will start out emaciated or slightly less emaciated and you will work your way up from there. Certain whitelists will assist in the build of a character (an MPF officer will receive better nutrition than a normal civilian, for instance) but just being a normal civilian will take a long time to get close to what we consider healthy.