Official Rules of the RP forum (README)
Mar 18, 2016 18:58:40 GMT -5
Marxist Germany and Wille-Harlia like this
Post by Central Ruska on Mar 18, 2016 18:58:40 GMT -5
TERMINOLOGY
In order to post in the RPing subforum, a certain level of comprehension is required when it comes to the terminology that is used by the users:
IC stands for In Character. When you're typing in the RPing subforum, you're undertaking the role of someone else that you created, whether it is a leader or a soldier or what-have-you. When you post a new thread, the default format is IC. Most players will assume a player is posting ICly (in-character) unless otherwise specified. Likewise, if someone contacts or disagrees with you, please take their comments as in-character, unless otherwise specified.
OOC is the next big term. It means 'out of character'. In a nutshell, it means you're talking, and therefore not RPing. When you use OOC, or when someone uses OOC, it means they want to talk to you as a player, not as a nation. You cannot and should not respond to OOC comments with IC, and vice versa. Likewise, if a thread has 'OOC' in its title, assume all content in that thread is by default OOC unless otherwise stated.
Godmodding, defined as (per Kannex): Making oneself all-powerful in role-playing through any actions, series of actions, or traits that are so unrealistic it is impossible in real life. These actions are not permitted on any RPing forums, this one included.
Auto-hitting: with the definition of an action in which a player, while in battle, attacks an opponent and forces the player to take the hit by describing it in their posts, which is (as godmodding) unauthorized in the forums.
Recton: Adding or altering information regarding the back story of a fictional character, world or roleplay, regardless of whether the change contradicts what was said before. Often performed when a godmod has to be reversed.
COMMON RULES OF DECENCY
Note that the rules applied to all other parts of the XKI forums are likewise enforced in this subforum. All deviation from the established dos and don'ts (flaming, insults, griefing...) will be treated as in any other subforum and dealt with by the appropriate administrative authority. Insulting ICly, when directed at another IC character, is authorized within the limits of decency: however, using an IC post as a way to attack someone behind the character (in this case, another user) will be classed as direct insult and will be reported.
WHAT IS ROLEPLAYING?
Roleplay is a vast and sometimes complex field that encompasses actions on various technological levels. More often than not, it can be simply reduced to "playing countries and nations", however it is more vast than the simple phrase can convey. From politics to wars to trade, every aspect of living life (and more) can be changed to your liking via the representation of your fictious country on this subforum.
However, in order to avoid a vast era of confusion and confrontations over issues that may arise from a roleplaying thread, certain necessities are required to be fulfilled before a user can start roleplaying. These shall be listed below.
I. FACTBOOK.
The factbook is the portal to a view inside of your country: how it is run, how it's people live, etc. It is also there to provide a certain rigidity to roleplaying by providing various facts. These range from your country's name and population, all the way down to what kind of handguns your soldiers use. Bypassing the use of a factbook is impossible: it is to be considered as your "licence to roleplay" in one way or another.
Before you start roleplaying, it is therefore obligatory to create a factbook (attempting to do so without one will more than likely result in your actions being ignored or simply sent to this thread). Since it's not everyday that you have to make a nation's factbook, more experienced and willing players from the RPing forum will guide you through the creation of your country, providing assistance and facts in the path of helping you create your little patch of land. Once your factbook is completed via this aid, it will be up to the experienced community to decide if it is to be accepted or not. A certain degree of realism is expected in these factbooks (as an example, you can't act as an impoverished country requiring international aid while wanting four aircraft carriers, a subject that shall be further explained later on).
When applying for your factbook to be accepted, to start you'll have to open a thread in the FACTBOOK FORUM while using this template:
People and culture
Official Language:
How its citizens are known/referred to (IE, Americans):
Population:
Major Cities:
Life Expectancy:
Economy
Currency:
GDP per capita:
Major industries:
Government
Capital:
Government Type:
Ruler type and name of ruler:
Legislative Body:
Geography and Environment
Climate:
Geography:
Military
Army Active Duty:
Army Reserve:
Air Force Active Duty:
Air Force Reserve:
Navy Active Duty:
Navy Reserve:
Total Active Military:
Total Reserve Military:
Total Military:
II. Realism.
Roleplaying is, as per definition, acting out a certain situation or experience based in a context defined in advance. In our case, this context implies a certain level of realism. This affects all aspects off RPing in different manners. Some examples will be provided below, more can be gained and further explanations provided on a case-to-case basis by resident RPers.
On population: Your Nation States population is undoubtedly high: some countries even go past the 10 billion marker. Obviously we cannot go about roleplaying countries with dozens of billions of inhabitants (let alone would it be an absolute nightmare to contain and control, it would be extremely unfair to those starting out with lower populations). When making your factbook, a population number that can be realistically sustained will be provided via the RPing and You assistance scheme.
On economics: Also to be provided via the factbook help, a country (as an example) can't simply claim to have a sole economy being wooden furniture fabrication as this is realistically unsustainable: all you need is for the market to collapse or suffer a devaluation, and your country will be thrown into an absolute crisis.
On the different types of Governments: As in real life, certain Governments are capable of certain different actions. As an example, it would be impossible to imagine a liberal democratic government attempt to nationalise all businesses located in the country without risking major public unrest and instability.
III. This is getting complicated.
In order to provide a community in which a certain insistence on good roleplaying can be put into place, a degree of quality can be expected in posts. This isn't about making things look nice, but purely to serve as a possible future training ground for new RPers. Something we highly recommend to new users is to go about reading some of the older threads. Roleplaying threads are essentially stories that are made to be read and enjoyed. Like any good story, continuity and quality are an essential foundation to a good thread, but there are also equally important points required to make an interesting story, such as originality, motivation...
Of course, we don't expect every new player to arrive with the capacities of an experienced user. We're not evil, and realize that most new RPers have never even heard of the term before, let alone participated in a thread. That is why we recommend going through the older threads and reading what some of the older (and many now long gone) users have wrote during their times on the forum. Although you may be slightly worried by the size and sheer volume of their texts, rest assured in the fact that everyone started somewhere, and if you go far enough back in time in their post history you'll surely find their first posts to be as basic and simple as could be.
Another important step to go about is to read some of the RolePlaying guides provided on Nation States by the official International Incidents roleplaying mentors. These are all hand picked RP guides whom, over the years, have contributed solid foundations to the community online. A short selection of threads may be found below, in which we highly recommend (if you have the time) to read as many as possible:
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=103236 - How to avoid being a novice, by New Azura.
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=158614 - Guide: Building your military, by The PeoplesFreedom.
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=69551 - Basic primer to Naval Warfare, by Questers.
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?ns=1&f=5&t=128633 - A theory of RolePlay: Creativity and Common Sense, by Kagetora.
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=105678 - Guide to Overlooked Aspects of Warfare, by Automagfreek.
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=170201 - RP Population Realism Guide, by Radiatia.
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=75017 - The International Incidents Stickies, by Euroslavia (good definitions, some apply on here).
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=315058 - A Brief Guide to Roleplaying Genocide, by The State of Monovia.
These are just a few examples of the hard hours of worked done by these people to create comprehensibly simple threads to guide newer RolePlayers. Reading them may be time consuming, which is why it isn't necessary, but it never hurts to have a look. Certain exceptions apply to this reading and other informations that can be gained from Nation States, which shall be explained more in-detail below.
IV. Limits of NationStates.
We are not on Nation States. Well, our subforum isn't. What applies to Nation States does not necessarily apply to the RolePlaying subforum. A great example of this are nuclear weapons: liberally allowed and not really controlled on NS, their use is highly restricted on our forums in order to limit any possible abuse of power. In order to use a nuclear weapon, permission is required from all users involved in the roleplaying thread and, if required, that of the RPing moderator and the RP community. Such limits also apply to some of the technology used on the NS forums. To add to this: decisions made by the World Assembly on NS do not affect our roleplaying in any what whatsoever.
V. Use of the RolePlay Map.
The addition of your roleplay nation to the RP map requires several factors, implemented due to the amount of users asking for a spot on the map and then becoming inactive. In order to be added to the RP map you must hold a certain degree of activity in the RP subforum. You must, to begin with, either possess a verified factbook or have submitted a factbook for review in the RPing and You thread, and must display activity in general in the subforum (be it ICly or OOCly).
It should be noted that the RP map is in no way related to the XKI regional map already in existence, and is only to be used within the context of the RP subforum. Nations that cease to exist or fail to provide any activity in the RPing subforum without due warning shall be, in the necessary delays, removed from the RP map.
In order to avoid this, provisions must be made to contact the RP moderator (or members of the community in general in the said individual is out of reach) as to inform him of your coming absence, therefore avoiding your removal from the map. It should likewise be noted that the RP moderator and whomever is in control of the RP map dispose of the right to refuse or accept requests made by users pertaining to where they wish to be on the map.
In order to post in the RPing subforum, a certain level of comprehension is required when it comes to the terminology that is used by the users:
IC stands for In Character. When you're typing in the RPing subforum, you're undertaking the role of someone else that you created, whether it is a leader or a soldier or what-have-you. When you post a new thread, the default format is IC. Most players will assume a player is posting ICly (in-character) unless otherwise specified. Likewise, if someone contacts or disagrees with you, please take their comments as in-character, unless otherwise specified.
OOC is the next big term. It means 'out of character'. In a nutshell, it means you're talking, and therefore not RPing. When you use OOC, or when someone uses OOC, it means they want to talk to you as a player, not as a nation. You cannot and should not respond to OOC comments with IC, and vice versa. Likewise, if a thread has 'OOC' in its title, assume all content in that thread is by default OOC unless otherwise stated.
Godmodding, defined as (per Kannex): Making oneself all-powerful in role-playing through any actions, series of actions, or traits that are so unrealistic it is impossible in real life. These actions are not permitted on any RPing forums, this one included.
Auto-hitting: with the definition of an action in which a player, while in battle, attacks an opponent and forces the player to take the hit by describing it in their posts, which is (as godmodding) unauthorized in the forums.
Recton: Adding or altering information regarding the back story of a fictional character, world or roleplay, regardless of whether the change contradicts what was said before. Often performed when a godmod has to be reversed.
COMMON RULES OF DECENCY
Note that the rules applied to all other parts of the XKI forums are likewise enforced in this subforum. All deviation from the established dos and don'ts (flaming, insults, griefing...) will be treated as in any other subforum and dealt with by the appropriate administrative authority. Insulting ICly, when directed at another IC character, is authorized within the limits of decency: however, using an IC post as a way to attack someone behind the character (in this case, another user) will be classed as direct insult and will be reported.
WHAT IS ROLEPLAYING?
Roleplay is a vast and sometimes complex field that encompasses actions on various technological levels. More often than not, it can be simply reduced to "playing countries and nations", however it is more vast than the simple phrase can convey. From politics to wars to trade, every aspect of living life (and more) can be changed to your liking via the representation of your fictious country on this subforum.
However, in order to avoid a vast era of confusion and confrontations over issues that may arise from a roleplaying thread, certain necessities are required to be fulfilled before a user can start roleplaying. These shall be listed below.
I. FACTBOOK.
The factbook is the portal to a view inside of your country: how it is run, how it's people live, etc. It is also there to provide a certain rigidity to roleplaying by providing various facts. These range from your country's name and population, all the way down to what kind of handguns your soldiers use. Bypassing the use of a factbook is impossible: it is to be considered as your "licence to roleplay" in one way or another.
Before you start roleplaying, it is therefore obligatory to create a factbook (attempting to do so without one will more than likely result in your actions being ignored or simply sent to this thread). Since it's not everyday that you have to make a nation's factbook, more experienced and willing players from the RPing forum will guide you through the creation of your country, providing assistance and facts in the path of helping you create your little patch of land. Once your factbook is completed via this aid, it will be up to the experienced community to decide if it is to be accepted or not. A certain degree of realism is expected in these factbooks (as an example, you can't act as an impoverished country requiring international aid while wanting four aircraft carriers, a subject that shall be further explained later on).
When applying for your factbook to be accepted, to start you'll have to open a thread in the FACTBOOK FORUM while using this template:
People and culture
Official Language:
How its citizens are known/referred to (IE, Americans):
Population:
Major Cities:
Life Expectancy:
Economy
Currency:
GDP per capita:
Major industries:
Government
Capital:
Government Type:
Ruler type and name of ruler:
Legislative Body:
Geography and Environment
Climate:
Geography:
Military
Army Active Duty:
Army Reserve:
Air Force Active Duty:
Air Force Reserve:
Navy Active Duty:
Navy Reserve:
Total Active Military:
Total Reserve Military:
Total Military:
II. Realism.
Roleplaying is, as per definition, acting out a certain situation or experience based in a context defined in advance. In our case, this context implies a certain level of realism. This affects all aspects off RPing in different manners. Some examples will be provided below, more can be gained and further explanations provided on a case-to-case basis by resident RPers.
On population: Your Nation States population is undoubtedly high: some countries even go past the 10 billion marker. Obviously we cannot go about roleplaying countries with dozens of billions of inhabitants (let alone would it be an absolute nightmare to contain and control, it would be extremely unfair to those starting out with lower populations). When making your factbook, a population number that can be realistically sustained will be provided via the RPing and You assistance scheme.
On economics: Also to be provided via the factbook help, a country (as an example) can't simply claim to have a sole economy being wooden furniture fabrication as this is realistically unsustainable: all you need is for the market to collapse or suffer a devaluation, and your country will be thrown into an absolute crisis.
On the different types of Governments: As in real life, certain Governments are capable of certain different actions. As an example, it would be impossible to imagine a liberal democratic government attempt to nationalise all businesses located in the country without risking major public unrest and instability.
III. This is getting complicated.
In order to provide a community in which a certain insistence on good roleplaying can be put into place, a degree of quality can be expected in posts. This isn't about making things look nice, but purely to serve as a possible future training ground for new RPers. Something we highly recommend to new users is to go about reading some of the older threads. Roleplaying threads are essentially stories that are made to be read and enjoyed. Like any good story, continuity and quality are an essential foundation to a good thread, but there are also equally important points required to make an interesting story, such as originality, motivation...
Of course, we don't expect every new player to arrive with the capacities of an experienced user. We're not evil, and realize that most new RPers have never even heard of the term before, let alone participated in a thread. That is why we recommend going through the older threads and reading what some of the older (and many now long gone) users have wrote during their times on the forum. Although you may be slightly worried by the size and sheer volume of their texts, rest assured in the fact that everyone started somewhere, and if you go far enough back in time in their post history you'll surely find their first posts to be as basic and simple as could be.
Another important step to go about is to read some of the RolePlaying guides provided on Nation States by the official International Incidents roleplaying mentors. These are all hand picked RP guides whom, over the years, have contributed solid foundations to the community online. A short selection of threads may be found below, in which we highly recommend (if you have the time) to read as many as possible:
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=103236 - How to avoid being a novice, by New Azura.
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=158614 - Guide: Building your military, by The PeoplesFreedom.
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=69551 - Basic primer to Naval Warfare, by Questers.
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?ns=1&f=5&t=128633 - A theory of RolePlay: Creativity and Common Sense, by Kagetora.
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=105678 - Guide to Overlooked Aspects of Warfare, by Automagfreek.
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=170201 - RP Population Realism Guide, by Radiatia.
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=75017 - The International Incidents Stickies, by Euroslavia (good definitions, some apply on here).
forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=315058 - A Brief Guide to Roleplaying Genocide, by The State of Monovia.
These are just a few examples of the hard hours of worked done by these people to create comprehensibly simple threads to guide newer RolePlayers. Reading them may be time consuming, which is why it isn't necessary, but it never hurts to have a look. Certain exceptions apply to this reading and other informations that can be gained from Nation States, which shall be explained more in-detail below.
IV. Limits of NationStates.
We are not on Nation States. Well, our subforum isn't. What applies to Nation States does not necessarily apply to the RolePlaying subforum. A great example of this are nuclear weapons: liberally allowed and not really controlled on NS, their use is highly restricted on our forums in order to limit any possible abuse of power. In order to use a nuclear weapon, permission is required from all users involved in the roleplaying thread and, if required, that of the RPing moderator and the RP community. Such limits also apply to some of the technology used on the NS forums. To add to this: decisions made by the World Assembly on NS do not affect our roleplaying in any what whatsoever.
V. Use of the RolePlay Map.
The addition of your roleplay nation to the RP map requires several factors, implemented due to the amount of users asking for a spot on the map and then becoming inactive. In order to be added to the RP map you must hold a certain degree of activity in the RP subforum. You must, to begin with, either possess a verified factbook or have submitted a factbook for review in the RPing and You thread, and must display activity in general in the subforum (be it ICly or OOCly).
It should be noted that the RP map is in no way related to the XKI regional map already in existence, and is only to be used within the context of the RP subforum. Nations that cease to exist or fail to provide any activity in the RPing subforum without due warning shall be, in the necessary delays, removed from the RP map.
In order to avoid this, provisions must be made to contact the RP moderator (or members of the community in general in the said individual is out of reach) as to inform him of your coming absence, therefore avoiding your removal from the map. It should likewise be noted that the RP moderator and whomever is in control of the RP map dispose of the right to refuse or accept requests made by users pertaining to where they wish to be on the map.