Forgotten Shadows Rules

Forgotten Shadows

Rules: (based on Zakiyah’s Circle of Power rules: http://www.geocities.com/zakiyah_99/ettiquette.html (though, it's seems the page does not exist anymore. The page it is associated with "The Circle of Power" is still working. http://members2.boardhost.com/Circle/index.html?1265583983)


RULES FOR DUMMIES (short version)
1.You cannot post what any player character, besides your own, is SAYING or DOING.
2. Limit yourself to only 1 character to start with.
3. Do not enter a group in the game, or jump from one group's plotline to another's, without permission from the players in that group. (if we end up having groups).
4. WARN people if you have a plot of your own!!
5. Be considerate.
6. Decisions of the moderators are final.
7. Have FUN!

The Rules:
(in a little more detail)

1. You cannot post what any player character, besides your own, is SAYING or DOING.
You are here to play your own characters. Only YOU know what your character would do or say in a given situation. The same goes for every other player character in the game. The disadvantage is that it makes conversation difficult, but you have to live with it if you want to play here. There's ways around it, as you will learn by watching others.
Exceptions:
You can post for another character if you have cleared it with that player first.
You can post for random NPCs or monsters which are not controlled by a specific player. You can post for player-created NPC characters if you have cleared it with the player who created the character first. In other words, special NPC characters are treated like player characters. Special NPCs that you don’t want anyone else to use should have ((please do not use)) next to their name the first time they are introduced.

2. Limit yourself to only 1 character to start with.
You will have enough to keep track of with that one character. Once you've learned the ropes, you may introduce other characters after clearing them with the moderators. A word of caution: If you're going to play more than one character, you had better be ready to play them both with the same frequency. Otherwise the rest of the players are going to get really annoyed with you when they have to wait days for your post. This means twice the amount of work for you. Be certain this is what you want before you bring another character into the game.

3. Do not enter a group in the game, or jump from one group's plotline to another's, without permission from the players in that group.
This is a little like writing fanfic, there are a number of plots happening in the background that are not explained. An inconsiderate player jumping in at the wrong place and time, or posting something based on incomplete knowledge of the situation. It will happen but it can be kept to a minimum by simply asking the group first if there is a good time and place to enter their plot.

4. WARN people if you have a plot of your own!!
We can't stress this enough! If you want to start a plotline of your own, that's great, we encourage that. But if you don't warn anyone, they can and will trample it unknowingly. Use the OCC thread to post info on plots and stuff. If it involves someone else's NPC character or player character, you must clear it with them first. You do not have to give the entire plot away. For example, "Hey guys, don't leave the inn yet, I have something I want to happen to my character first" is fine. It will get a much more positive response than complaining later that you didn't get a chance to do your really cool idea.
PLEASE NOTE that there are a number of very big plotlines that have already been decided upon. Please don't try to change those.

5. Be considerate.
If someone does something you don't like, or breaks one of these rules, PLEASE try to resolve the issue privately via email first. Most of the time you'll find the other player very willing to retract a post or change things around to accommodate you. If you can't resolve the problem, contact a moderator. We really want to keep sarcastic and flaming messages off the board, and any such posts will be deleted.
Also-- Character disputes should not be extended to out-of-character disputes. Characters on the board fight all the time! (Part of the fun!) Remember that it's just a game- and if it's not fun anymore, don't play!

6. Decisions of the moderators are final.
If we're called on to resolve a dispute and make a decision, it's final. We're fair and reasonable people. But somebody's gotta keep law 'n' order around here. If we think your plotline is going to throw off the rest of the game, or we think your character is acting too powerful, we will try to work with your ideas and offer you alternatives.

7. Have FUN!
That's what we're here for...
This is a complicated, involved, twisted plot with plenty of room for everyone to add their own share of creativity. This is an OPEN-ENDED game that will continue as long as there are people who want to play it, so there is no point in trying to race ahead and be the winner. Settle back and enjoy the ride, because in the end, this game is about the adventure, not about the conclusion.


That's mostly it for the rules. You'll see from playing that it's not hard to work within these guidelines, and a heck of a lot easier than most roleplaying rules systems. PLEASE email the moderators if you have any questions!
So you've read the rules, now you want to jump in! Here are some general guidelines for creating a character and posting....
General Guidelines:
Posting:

Posting is generally done as if you were writing a short passage for a fanfiction, usually in the past or present tense and in the third person. "Misake walked into the room and waved at those present," for example.

Out of Character comments:
If you want to post a comment that is not part of the game, the format is to include either the letters OOC (for Out Of Character) and put double parentheses around and comments. ((OOC – LOL, Melamin, that was so amusing. ^_^)) indicates the comment is OOC. OOC commenting on the action is a lot of fun, but we request that you keep them to a minimum so as not to clog up the board with non-game-related things.

PLEASE read all the posts that pertain to the current action before you post. It's easy to miss them. Here's what we're aiming for in posts:
(1) Consistancy. You have to read the posts and know what others in your group are doing.
(2) Logic. When you're plotting, ask yourself whether your idea would work in a fanfiction / story. Dungeonmaster showing up unexpectedly works. A portal opening up in front of you without explanation does NOT work.
(3) Inclusion. Try to include other characters...don't just run off on your own to solve the mystery. Try to include others. Try not to ignore anyone's post; nobody likes feeling like their opinion doesn't matter!

Examples of ways of getting around that "not speaking/acting for others" rule...
(1) Direct a large number of questions and comments to another player, without answering for them. They can respond to each of them in their response. It's almost like a real conversation. EG - Some people “quote” what they are replying to and add in their responses to what’s happening.
Ashleyien writes:
Ashleyien pulls up a chair and sits down at the table. She then calls over the waitress. “I’ll just have water.” She turns to address her friends. “What are you guys having?”
After finishing her drink she gets up to head upstairs to bed. “I’ll take room number one. Who wants to bunk with me?”
Misake might respond:
Ashleyien pulls up a chair and sits down at the table. She then calls over the waitress. “I’ll just have water.” She turns to address her friends. “What are you guys having?”
Misake sits down beside her, “I’ll have the same.”
After finishing her drink Ashleyien gets up to head upstairs to bed. “I’ll take room number one. Who wants to bunk with me?”
“Not me, I’m going to room with Yakuko.”

(2) Use anonymous voices. Instead of saying, "Sterling asked Zakiyah whether she was hungry..." I could say "When asked if she was hungry, Zak replied 'Yes, I'm starving!' '"

(3) Describe your own actions and let the other players react. Instead of saying, "Zakiyah puched War Scribe in the nose," I could say, "Zak lunged for War Scribe, aiming for her nose with a wild punch." War Scribe is then free to reply, "War Scribe dodged easily and stuck out a foot to trip Zak as she went by," or, if she feels Zak's punch was likely to have connected, "War Scribe was taken by surprise and ended up with a bloody nose."