“Now this is the Law of the Jungle—as old and as true as the sky; And the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die.”
-The Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling
Respect:
Respect is paramount. Be respectful of your fellow players and the Voltron Team at all times, and in turn, you will be respected.
What this means:
1) Always be courteous to everyone on the game at all times. We are not asking you to like everyone (it would be nice, but we also understand it is nigh impossible), but please do not air out your dislike for another player or one of the Lions in any way, shape, or form on the game.
2) Be mindful of the private spaces of other players (i.e. their private rooms). Do not enter without permission.
3) Do not bother someone for any reason (including asking for play) on public or private channels. In the case of requesting play, ask the person once, and do not pester them if they say no. Remember: No means No, no matter what.
4) Ask before joining or watching an RP session, even if it is in a public room. This also applies to TPs (ask the mod running the TP to join).
5) Ask permission of the others in a scene, before posting any partial or full logs.
6) If a Lion is off-duty, please do not bother them. Any and all issues or questions you might have with another player, with one of the other Lions, or with the game in general must be directed to the actual Lion (do not pester them when they are on their characters, except to ask if they can be available in a moderator capacity). If a Lion is unavailable at the time, send a mail to Blue and Black. Do not bother Chitter with issues, questions, or comments about the game at any time, unless it relates to the code AND you have cleared it with Blue or Black first.
7) Anything else you can possibly think of (and then way beyond) when it comes to respect. The Voltron Team suggests that you use common sense when it comes to how to act around other adults.
If, at any time, you are unclear as to whether something may or may not be in violation of this rule, chances are it is. When in doubt, always ask first. Blue and Black will all be happy to answer any questions you might have.
Violations of these rules include, but are not limited to:
1) Slander or insults that a person finds offensive on public or private channels
2) Harassing a person for play on public or private channels
3) Harassing a person for any other reason on public or private channels (such as demanding to know their other characters, demanding to know personal information, etc)
4) Badmouthing (also known as talking shit) a player you dislike in order to get other players to dislike said person on public or private channels
IC and OOC:
In Character and Out of Character are two very different worlds, and must be maintained that way in order for roleplay to be enjoyable for everyone.
What this means:
1) IC=/=OOC (In Character does not equal Out of Character). People tend to have difficulties with this from time to time, but it is extremely important that each and every player and Lion in the game understands this completely. Just because another character hates your character does not mean that player hates you. At the same time, just because another character loves your character does not mean that player loves you.
2) ICA=ICC (In Character Actions equal In Character Consequences). This is another thing people can have trouble with, even though it is very straightforward. If your character acts like an ass? Expect for other characters to treat him like an ass. If your character commits a crime? Don’t be surprised if the in-game police catch up with them. A good player understands this concept. A great player understands it and uses it for character development. The Voltron Team is not interested in hearing any complaints about your character receiving an IC punishment for something they did IC.And to prove you read these rules, please write parsnips in the Misc. Section.
3) ICA need OOCC (In Character Actions need Out of Character Consent). You must always get the other player(s) consent for play. Where most instances are automatic (asking someone to play, and receiving the answer of yes qualifies as receiving initial consent), some situations must be discussed by all players involved before the play is carried out. These situations are as follows:
A) Fights or other forms of violence. The exception to this rule is when the Team goes out on a mission: it is implied that some type of violence may ensue in such a play, and all players are expected to realize that it is a possibility.
B) Muggings or rapes. For the later, this is an extremely sensitive issue, and the Voltron Team strongly suggests not playing such a scene out; the fade-to-black method is versatile and quite useful in this situation. If you do play this event out, do so in a private room (even if the location is public IC), and do not, under any circumstances, post the log of it.
C) Intercourse. Some people do not enjoy playing sex out, some people do. Make sure you check with your RP partner(s) first, so that everyone is on the same page. Under no circumstances should sex happen in a public room (even if it occurs in public IC, take it to a private room), nor should the log be posted.
D) Pregnancies, abortions, miscarriages, and births. Always discuss this with your RP partner. Any player who does not receive permission from their RP partner first in any of these instances will be placed under review. Please see the list of punishments for further details.
E) Depowerment, swapped powers, stolen powers. In cases where the effects of any or all of these lasts longer than 24 hours in-game time, Blue or Black Lion must give prior approval.
F) Death. Under no circumstances will any character kill another character, commit suicide, or die from other means without prior approval from the whole Voltron Team and any players involved. This is a serious event that can have massive repercussions on the game, and the Voltron Team reserves the right to strip a character from a player rather than have the character killed off if that character is an FC.
4) Godmoding=GTFO (Godmoding equals Get the %&^#l Out). Godmoding simply won’t be tolerated in this game. For those unfamiliar with the term, the definition is as follows:
Godmode: To play a character in an invincible manner and/or to dictate the actions of other characters.
A) As covered above, consent is a must from other players. If you fail to do so, you will be seen as godmoding.
B) Always leave the other character an out. Instead of saying “The Hulk smashed a massive, green hand through the roof of the car, yanked Sue Storm free, and pummeled her into unconsciousness,” try something like, “The Hulk smashed a massive, green hand through the roof of the car and groped around for Sue Storm to try to yank her free.”
C) Take hits. If your character constantly dodges, withstands, or otherwise is unaffected by blows, you’re godmoding. That doesn’t mean you should take every hit, but a great roleplayer will find a good balance between that fits the character (Daredevil, for instance, is going to dodge a hell of a lot more than Jubilee). Superman isn’t allowed in this game, so don’t try it.
D) Play it out if you’re going to play it. Don’t simply say, “Spidey ducked the bullet.” How boring is that? Explain how Pete manages to do it. “Senses tingling, Spidey shot out a thread of web and hauled himself off of the ledge just in time to avoid being perforated. ‘Boy, was that a close one!’ he exclaimed, landing on the street, and then promptly got hit by a truck.” Isn’t that much more exciting?
5) Mary Sue/Gary Stu=DIAF (Mary Sue/Gary Stu equals Die in a Fire). “I swear, if I catch anybody playing a Mary Sue in this game, I’m going to destroy them personally.” –Black Lion. You heard the mod. Just don’t do it. What’s a Mary Sue/Gary Stu?
Mary Sue/Gary Stu: A character lacking noteworthy flaws that is plagued by clichéd mannerisms, functioning as a fantasy font for the player.
We’re pretty sure you’ve encountered them before. The overly perfect buxom blond with perky DDDs who is a sweet-tempered assassin that dances at a strip club on the side, “just for fun,” and the Adonis with exquisitely chiseled features, washboard abs, and a $500,000 salary that he earns by working only two days out of the week as a lawyer in a firm he started himself? Yeah. Those are Sues. F that. Character flaws are a must in this game. Please refer to the application process for more information.
Violations of these rules include, but are not limited to:
1) Crossing the line between OOC or IC in any way, shape, or form. This includes becoming upset at another player because of what occurs IC, becoming overly attached to another player due to the relationship of the characters, stalking another player, treating another player poorly due to IC actions, etc.
2) Not accepting ICC for ICA, or else doling out ICC that is not befitting of ICA.
3) Not gaining consent for play of any kind.
4) Godmoding in any way, shape, or form.
5) Playing a Mary Sue/Gary Stu in any way, shape, or form.
Punishments:
1) The player will first receive a warning, varying in severity comparable to the infraction. This can be anything from a simple reminder of the rules, to a stern reprimand on a private channel from one or more of the Lions, to an official e-mail sent by the Voltron Team to the player. For any of these warnings, the player is considered on probation for a set amount of time to be determined by the Voltron Team.
2) If the player violates the same rule while on probation, one of three things will happen:
A) If the first violation was mild, then an official e-mail will be sent by Voltron to the player for the second violation. The player’s probationary period will be extended to a minimum of three (3) months.And to prove you read these rules, please write parsnips in the Misc. Section.
B) If the first violation was severe, the player will be suspended for a set amount of time to be determined by the Voltron Team for the second violation. The player’s probationary period will be extended to a minimum of six (6) months.
C) If the first warning was severe, and the second violation is deemed particularly heinous, the player will be banned indefinitely.
3) A third violation warrants an automatic ban, regardless of severity.
Appeals:
1) Players can always appeal a punishment for the violation of these rules, no matter the punishment. In order to appeal, they must present evidence of their innocence to the Blue and Black Lions. Extenuating circumstances (i.e. an infraction occurred due to the provocation of another player) will also be taken into consideration.
Please note: All channels in-game are logged and can be reviewed at the leisure of the Voltron Team. It is within the player’s right to request that the logs be reviewed by the Voltron Team, but not within the player’s right to request a copy of the logs, due to privacy issues. Blue and Black Lion may, at any given time, show a portion of a log to any player if they deem it necessary, while maintaining the privacy of all other players. Demanding to see the logs will result in an automatic denial of appeal.
