InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Hello world!"

Macvarish (macvarish) wrote,
@ 2008-01-04 22:49:00

Rules/Guidelines
We're aware the rules are long, but there's good reason. We cover pretty much everything. Makes it easier on the members and on us. Please take the time to read them, they aren't that bad :]

Game Rules, Guidelines & Suggestions

FIRST THINGS FIRST
A community runs on two things: dedicated mods and dedicated players.

We are pledging to you that as your mods, we will be dedicated, fair and firm. We want to create a fun & laid back game, and we also want to make sure we do our part to keep the community organized and running smoothly. The lines of communication are OPEN to us at all times. Utilize the Drop Box, IM us, or drop us an email!

We need YOU as players to be active, advertise for the community and have fun. Can you do this? We think you can!

Our Philosophy: We believe that everyone has the right to roleplay and they may do so however they choose. We’re not here to judge, babysit or dictate, however, because of the size and diversity of this community we feel its important to have set rules, guidelines and suggestions to keep the community in balance and fun for all. We rarely “reject” applications as we feel everyone who needs roleplay, needs it for different reasons, and those who want roleplay, want it for various reasons.

THE PREMISE
We are a city-based, played-by roleplay community, set in the city of Chicago, Illinois! We also offer a Housing Section and a Job Section, as well as the new School/University Section to help you with interaction! Right now, we are a diverse group of writers with an even more diverse group of characters! We DO allow your everyday, girl-next-door, Fed-Ex employee, NBA star or even the daughter of the mayor. That said, we WILL allow some "faux celebs" into the community, however, they should be realistic. Make sure to read the rules below regarding bringing in a "faux celeb".

See "About Chicago" for more information on the city and culture, and to check out all the resources we offer for you! Please research using the links provided, or ask one of your mods for help.

ACTIVITY & REMOVALS
Please see said list below, which outlines our expectations of activity:

It’s simple. A journal entry/update OR an AIM log OR a thread every 4 weeks. Place holders are not allowed.

Threads If you choose to engage in a thread please post it in chicagothread and place a header of some sort at the beginning with the character’s names included in it somewhere. Group threads count. They must be available to read so that we are aware that you are adhering to the guidelines. As of 02/03/09: To count toward activity, your character must have 3-4 replies (at least!) within the one thread to count toward activity. These replies must be in paragraph format. If you start a thread and no one replies, this will not count. You will need to do something to count toward activity.

AIM Logs If you choose to post an AIM log (whether it be a “scene” or in the form of a “text message”, please post it in chicagothread. You may copy & paste "as is" or edit it so it is nice on the eyes, and easier to read. We understand that sometimes, a lot of random conversation IC happens here and that is fine to post. Putting it under a cut is recommended and to have it count toward activity it should be substantial. As of 02/03/09: To count toward activity, your character must have 3-4 replies (at least!) within the one thread to count toward activity. These replies must be in paragraph format. Use common sense. If you choose NOT to ever post AIM logs that is fine! You must do a journal update or engage in a Thread then to maintain activity.

A note on posting Threads/AIM logs: Just a reminder, the content that is posted is not IC knowledge. Just because someone posted a scene or started a thread, that doesn't mean the information inside is "public knowledge". Please know that even if YOU read a scene, it doesn't mean your character knows about it, unless your character it told about it, of course. If you want to post a scene but do not want it public, you may make it private to "macvarish", so only the mods can read. We've had many concerns about this and decided it would be best to make this an option. It will count toward activity.

Character Journal Updates If you are not a Threading type of player, or you don’t wish to post AIM logs, you may post an update in your character’s journal. You can do it in whatever format you would like; third person, as a blog entry, etc. to have it count toward your activity however, this must be a substantial entry, at least two decent paragraphs or more. One-liners, lyrics, videos and things of that nature will not be counted as a "substantial entry"!

In a nutshell, we gauge activity starting from the DAY you are accepted into the community. You have 4 weeks to adhere to the above guidelines to maintain your active status or you will be subject to removal. There are to be no exceptions to these rules.

GAME PLAY

“In-Character” SUB-COMMS We have two “In-Character” sub-communities:

chitube and

chiforum. We do allow posting of lyrics, some-ecards, jokes, one-liners, etc. but keep it to a minimum please and do not flood the friends page. We feel that posting in this forum is great for character interaction & believe it or not, development! Have your character reply to as many as you see fit, and have your character post in the forum as much as possible, however, Not only does this show that you are being interactive, but it is good for everyone!

"Tweak Says" updates/announcements need to be kept to a minimum and are highly discouraged. Put it under an lj-cut and please include something substantial in the update.

POSTING VIDEOS Due to IJ now allowing videos/music to be easily embedded in posts, we are asking that you now start posting ALL VIDEOS/MUSIC to the new video/youtube community,

chitube! Membership is optional.

GROUP CHATS We encourage nightly IC group chats! No need to let a mod know, just use your messaging system and start your own. Invite whoever you want and if someone wants to post the chat for activity, you may.

WRITING FORMATS All writing formats are accepted here (descriptive storybook, asterisks, first/third person, random IM scenes, etc.), but please make sure you ask the other player's writing preferences before you scene with them.

STORYLINES Mature storylines (including ones of a darker nature & pregnancy) are accepted and encouraged. While they don’t have to be run by the mods (except for a DEATH), please make sure that all parties involved are warned and O.K. with the subject matter. Drug addictions, eating disorders, suicide etc., may be played out but please do your research on any and all topics to make sure you are playing them as accurately as possible. Pregnancy lines are to be played out the full nine months.

STORYLINE COMMUNITY Yes, we have an OOC Community. Yes, it sometimes works for storyline requests, but from now on, all SL requests must be made under a cut. We would rather you IM someone, PM them or leave a comment in their journal, or even an OOC note to a comment; however, we understand and have witnessed first-hand that sometimes requests have been successful. We just want everyone to try to be interactive and let nature take its course. You will be surprised what amazing storylines can come from just "going with the flow".

IC/OOC Don’t cross the line. We're not going to stretch out the definition of this rule because everyone should know IC and OOC do not mix. Keep them separate. If your character is homophobic, that doesn’t mean the writer is! Some characters are immature, have a dislike for typos, or may have a foot fetish, but that’s life. If you feel you are being harassed OOC, please let a mod know.

DRAMA IC yes, OOC no. While we love to help you out, and are usually available for every one of you, if an issue or minor problem arises OOC, we hope tiffs can be worked out amongst yourselves, don't go looking for a referee. However, if you start big OOC drama with anyone, it won't be looked kindly upon, and doing it habitually will more likely than not get you dropped from the game.

Drama happens in real life and it should happen IC here, we encourage dramatic stories, however, remember not to drag OOC issues IC and vice versa. Try to stay true to your character and their habits/beliefs and always stay IC. Just because you hate the played-by, doesn't mean you should hate the character or the writer. Separation is key! And please, don’t hide behind the “It’s IC!” guise, it’s foolish and immature.

MATURITY We like to think all of our players are mature and that you are here to have fun and "escape" real life issues. We all love to role-play, write and create. You joined a community because you wanted that "brotherhood/sisterhood", a place to house a beloved character, right? While we can never be the perfect community, which is unrealistic, we want to strive to be the best we can. Feel free to make your own entertainment, but don't spoil anyone elses. Just common courtesy.

GODMODDING Do we really need this rule? In case you do not know, godmodding is when you try to take control over characters that are not your own. If you want something to happen, run it by the other person. Godmodding is used like a "Get Out of Jail Free card" when things don't go the way a player wants. Rather than working with previously unfolded events, a player will godmod to get things going their way. THIS IS NOT TOLERATED! This is common sense and pretty much Rule #1 when rp'ing. 1 STRIKE AND YOU ARE OUT. Bottom line.

HIATUS, REMOVALS, DEPARTURES
HIATUS: Let's keep this simple. If you need a hiatus, please let us know ASAP! We will grant you up to a 4 week hiatus. If we see you active in the community we will count your Hiatus as over. Let us know by posting in our DROP BOX, or making a post in

chicagooc. If we notice hiatuses are happening recurrently, we will talk to you about it.

Hiatus + Removal - Sometimes real life happens and BAM! you need a hiatus. Sometimes, during that hiatus we MAY do removals. If your character is on hiatus and is also up for removal, they will be exempt. HOWEVER...upon returning from hiatus, you have to update your character's journal to maintain activity within 48 hours, otherwise, we will carry on with the removal. If your writing partner or you can post an AIM scene during the hiatus, this will also count toward activity.

REMOVALS: We do removals every 4 weeks. Starting 9/20: We will no longer be providing reminders or a "Reminder List"! After over a year of reminding members that they are up for removal, we feel it is not the moderators duty to do this. It is YOUR responsibility to keep YOUR character(s) active. We will list the date of removals at the top of the Taken/Held list in advance, however. Please stay abreast on the removal date.

Note: If your character(s) is removed for inactivity OR you leave voluntarily and would like to rejoin, you need to do the following: (1) Update your character's journal with a substantial update as outlined in the above activity guidelines, (2) Request membership to all communities and (3) Re-Apply. As of 12-08-08: If you are removed for inactivity twice you will not be allowed back in the game. We're dedicated, and we want our members to be as well. This IS retroactive, meaning, this rule will start the day the game opened. Yes, we've kept track.

DEPARTURES: There comes a time when you lose a muse or just need to leave the community. It happens. It’s not required, but if you do choose to leave the community, we’ve created a “Friend Removal Button” for you so you may remove all of the characters from your Friend’s List in one click.

YOUR CHARACTER

CREATIVITY is key here. Making a carbon-copy of your PB is not cool or creative. Please use some imagination and create a character of substance.

It is your character, but please try to keep them "real"; meaning, please research how long it takes to become a doctor or professor at a university. Keep in mind ages for college students, graduate students, etc. If we notice something that is far-fetched or unrealistic, we will talk to you about it.

Played-Bys Be creative, the PB can make or break the character. Choose wisely! NO DECEASED celebrities allowed out of respect. PB's must be at least 15 years old. There is a FIVE (5) character limit. PB Ages vs. Character Ages: Starting today, 10/16/2008, those characters coming IN (not established characters, these are "grandfathered in") must use the 5 year rule to maintain realism. No more bringing in a 23 year old character when the PB is 36.

We do allow ONE change of PB per character PER MONTH. Please let the mods know, however, in advance. Played-by restrictions are few, as long as you use creativity. The only restrictions we have are if the person is deceased, a member of royalty/politics, or an "original". Just because they have a MySpace/Facebook or just because they married a celeb doesn't mean they would want their likeness used as a PB. Originals that do not regularly feature themselves in somewhat of a fandom are unfair choices, only because the individual has not "willingly" thrown themselves into the public eye. To clarify, scene queens and kings that DO put themselves out there (i.e., God's Girls and Suicide Girls) will be accepted. Why? See a Mod for further details. :]

Biography You need a substantial history and biography on your character, posted to your journal, to be approved. 15 or more "Quick Facts" or "Bullet Points" are also acceptable.

Journal and AIM Names AIM is not a requirement, but some type of messaging medium is recommended. All AIM Screen names are required to coordinate in some way – either with the journal name (preferred) or the character’s name Please TRY to make them both coordinate. Your application will be denied if you do not adhere to these guidelines. The community has grown, and that means so has the AIM Buddy List, and it is very confusing to members who get an IM from someone with a name they have no idea who it belongs to.

Icons Icons (at least one!) of your character are required upon application.

Dual Residences If you choose to have your character reside in Chicago and another city community, please let the mods know. We do allow this, but remember that your character updates should refer to this community and it's members to count toward activity. If you have any Q's let us know.

FAUX-CELEB: While we consider ourselves more of a general PB community, we will welcome certain "faux-celebs" if we feel they fit into the premise of the community. There are celebs in Chicago, but it isn't L.A. or NYC and we'll limit the amount if it starts to become overcome with them. Please know, if your character is a faux-celeb, we will now be requiring some type of "credits" in the character biography upon applying.

Remember...faux celebs are just that, make-believe. When creating a "celeb" for this comm please be creative and make up your own credits instead of using those of an already existing celebrity. Have fun with it! If you want to say your faux celeb worked with a real actor in a fictional credit you made up, go ahead! We’ll follow along if you provide the appropriate information. If we notice something that is far-fetched or unrealistic, we’ll contact you about it. Or if you have a question about this rule please make use of one of the many ways to contact us at the bottom of this post. Starting today, 10/16/2008, those characters coming IN (not established characters, these are "grandfathered in") must have faux-celeb credits in their bio/history. We'll be checking this on the applications as well. Using credits of the same PB is not allowed - unless you talk to the mod.

MISCELLANEOUS
Use an lj-cut for large images please! "Large images" would be anything over 300x300.

Do not pimp for other communities in this community! There are plenty of advertising comms for that.

Please remember to make every update, either in your journal or sub-community, FRIENDS ONLY!

No incest. No MPREG Just...no.

NO flaming or trolling

While we are VERY tolerant of members, if we find out there have been rule breaking and mistrusting behavior, especially in regards to bringing in over the set limit of five characters, we reserve the right to remove ALL from the community. Honesty goes a long way.

SUGGESTIONS
There are some things we wanted to touch base on but decided they were merely “suggestions” and not “rules”. We want to thank our dedicated members who were considerate and thoughtful enough to share these with us:

Update your friends list. We are always getting new members and in order to keep things up to date and have full-on interaction, this is a must. It makes the new members more inclined to play along with everyone, if lists are accurate and up to date.

If you have some one fill a storyline OR you fill a storyline for someone, please discuss the details as much as you can prior. Remember communication is key! If you fill a line for someone, make sure you’re staying within the boundaries of what they expected of you when you filled it. If you have other creative ideas, run it by the each other to eliminate any confusion and upset.

Disabling of Anonymous Comments is HIGHLY suggested to avoid anonymous harassing.

Please remember that behind every computer is a human. Every person has feelings, personal space boundaries as well as their own opinions.

"Stolen" icons, graphics, layouts...We will not police this, but please give credit where credit is due! If you notice someone is using your icons or graphics, contact the person first before coming to us. Most cases will be solved this way.

If there was something NOT covered here and you have a question, please contact us:

email