- Metagaming - Also known as Player-to-Character Knowledge (PCK/PK), Mindreading, and Switching. What a Player knows and what their Character knows are to be kept separate. Periphery Characters will be out and about moving the game along, and the Mods must roleplay them. Do note that the Periphery Characters are Plot Catalysts, and not Plot FOCUS. They are not 'The ST's Characters', they are 'Plot Devices'.
If one proceeds as if their Character magically knows who is and isn't to be trusted, then they WILL be taken to task on it. Conversely, expecting the other Players' or Periphery Characters to 'know' something about one's Character which that particular Character hasn't specifically told them (such as whether they're 'in love with them', 'who they really are' or similar) is definitely out. As an illustration, say a theater group is performing 'Julius Caesar' and as soon as the curtain goes up the actor playing Caesar orders Brutus put to death because the actor knows Brutus will betray/kill 'him'. See how that messes up the story now? Then don't do it. Expecting one to play their Character as if they didn't have the knowledge the Player does is not 'The Staff trying to tell them how to play their character.' it is 'The Staff expecting the Players to play with respect and cooperation towards the other Players.' If one cannot/will not, don't expect that to be everyone else's problem - and don't be surprised if the Mods 'solve' the problem by ejecting you.
Further, it is suggested that the Players not list their stat or power Intensities on their statsheet, nor list every facet of their C or similarly 'give away' details that could be used even subconsciously by the other Players to affect their play. (We still expect every detail to be divulged for review purposes, but players should certainly avoid telling other players how to kill their Cs or similarly wall off routes of play. For instance, if a C is publicly listed as a homosexual, then other players' Cs of the opposite sex will probably never approach them and ask for a date - which cuts down on the fun and interaction. Similarly, Cs that flee in panic from Characters which their Player feels 'they don't have a chance against' when the C has never seen or heard of them before..? If the C doesn't have the Panicky Hindrance, and the Player doesn't want it assigned to them? Don't.
- Twinking - Also known as Godmoding or Bulletproofing. In this game we stick to a certain level of 'reality', specifically: Every Want Has a Price. Every Action Has a Consequence. Trying to 'weasel out of them' or similarly minimize the effects that come from a Character's actions in the game (IC/OOC) is not going to be well-received. IE: If you have a C steal something, they're probably going to get caught. Security is MUCH beefier all over in times of war, as if I had to mention it. If one has their C steal something and 'get away with it' in the same post, they're not going to get away with it - or the stealing.
On the aspect of combat, we use MSHAG rules here. If someone takes a poke at a C (or vice versa) and they fail the opposed action defense - then the C gets poked, and should resolve damage accordingly. There are no automatic actions in PvP situations. There is no flawless danger sense either - so even Professor X can get sucker punched.
Further, if one has their C do something in the game and something happens because of it in the game (ie: they begin to count a fan of money on a street corner and the ST has a Periphery Character come along and stick them up) then it is to be considered a plot point. To try and explain away the effects by saying that "they were only counting singles and they've still got a roll of twenties in their bra/sock/shorts" is considered Twinking. Bottom line, the world today is MUCH more dangerous than it was in the 50s and if you're not careful, you're simply asking for trouble. Sometimes you get it. That is reality. Even here.
- Sponsorship - A specialized form of Twinking wherein someone comes along that is "the answer to a Character's prayers". This can range from having some wealthy C in play decide to share the largess with a less well-off C with no strings attached, to having some powerful C show up just in time to save a C from their enemies, to having someone freely give a C items/weapons that increase that C's powers/abilities.
- Log Jam - Several characters are working a story arc and it all comes down to one person answering the call before any of the other characters in said arc may proceed, and that character doesn't... For hours. Nobody expects you to write a 3000 word post during play - and one shouldn't expect everyone to wait for them to finish writing one. Nothing kills the fun more than being 'stuck waiting', so the rule is that Players have thirty minutes to contribute to the phase before the situation is resolved according to CD. Afterwhich, that Player will receive a PM from the Staff/ST asking if they want to continue playing or not. Failure to answer this PM within thirty minutes will be considered a negatory response, and the Character will be considered NPC for the duration of the scene - including Original Characters, pursuant to Subsections H and M (below), and Gameplay Section 4. So if one doesn't want anyone moving 'their' stuff, it would behoove them to do it themselves in as timely a manner as possible.
- Warping - Players posting a scene that 'condenses' a span of some time doing whatever (getting a tan, cutting a record, serving a sentence, etc), are requested to refrain from trying to 'yank anyone up' to where they are in the time/storyline. Example: A player takes their C out for a weekend while the other members of their group stay behind doing something else that takes much longer, and are still dealing with these events when the player does something requiring a response from another/all of their group. This is poor form, and the timer for the response as per Subsection D (above) will not begin until the others 'catch up'.
That is not to say that we expect Players to roleplay every waking minute of their C's life, only that we expect them to show a modicum of respect to those players that are putting more into their own C's day than 'Elektra spent the whole day working out at the gym and then decided to go see so-and-so. *Knocks on the door*'. As a compromise, the 'timer' for responses to calls made to a C 'while they were out' will not count against the Player skipping ahead. Players may also answer any open tag they choose in order to stay active during the 'lag' - within reason, of course.
- Barging - Players who set up a scene amongst themselves should be approached in PM for permission before joining their scene. Conversely, if a Player creates an open scene/setting, this is not required. However, the Players should use some modicum of decorum when entering even open scenes. For instance, if the open scene is a mutant rally or a SHIELD briefing, then one is expected to not insert into that scene any Cs which would cause by their mere presence or otherwise immediately disrupt this scene. If the ST wants the scene disrupted, they'll disrupt it themselves.
- Breaking - Anything that can be considered a direct or indirect attempt to hinder other players or botch up the works, including but not limited to disregard of these rules, will be 'paused' gameplay-wise and addressed for an explanation of motive. The player creating the stir will be allowed to present a case for doing whatever was done, and to justify it/prove it legal within the parameters of the rules. If this cannot or will not be done by said player, the action initiated by same will be voided.
- Cliquing One's Heels - Giving permission to move one's characters only to certain Players is disallowed. If one can't play regularly, it's poor form to try and have someone hold open their spot. Thus, such an action is considered bowing out of the game, as per relinquishing control of stated character/s. One may retire from a scene if something comes up IRL that needs attention, but every Player is allowed to move NPCs - not just the Players that are on one's Buddy List.
- Ignoring Other Players' Posts - Okay, say a Player has Character A, and sees Character B is in a coffee shop. Player A writes up a post on their laptop during lunch that has Characters A and B interacting, but in the meantime Character B posts he/she leaves the coffee shop and has a conversation with Character C, and then goes on a date with them. Then you post your A/B interaction... Not a good idea. If the Staff sees a post that counteracts/ignores/retcons Game Continuity, the Player will be informed that they should adjust the post accordingly. By the same token, if Player A makes this post several days after the B/C post has been up, that will tell the Mods that Player A is not reading the other Players' efforts - which we interpret as disrespectful to the other Players and the Game. We don't have much of a sense of humor about this sort of thing. Be aware of the in-game continuity. You want people to read/respect your posts, so it's only fair to read/respect theirs. Granted, nobody's perfect and sometimes one forgets a detail here and there, but that's where the Staff comes in and explains where the post needs to be adjusted. Afterwhich, we expect it to be adjusted in a timely manner.
- Plagiary - If a Member - Player or Lurker - of this room uses their Membership to steal the works of another player and pass them off as their own; for example on a fanfiction site, a blog, or another game, said Member will be banned and their ISP notified. There is no way to do this sort of thing accidentally; thus, such deliberate actions will be treated as deliberate actions from people that know better. The posts made to this game are for this game. Getting ejected does not mean we will delete any past posts. Such posts were made voluntarily to this game, and as such are part of the game continuity. Rest assured these posts will not be used elsewhere, but don't pretend that this is a fanfiction hosting site and the Staff should delete anything because anyone got themselves ejected prior. Won't work. All posts are considered unsolicited, voluntary contributions, and thus there is no 'ownership' to speak of under the DMCA or otherwise. As long as the entire post doesn't appear anywhere else before/during/after one's Membership in the Game wherein one voluntarily contributed it, there is no claim. However, if a Player feels the RPs that they have personally done might be 'fanfic caliber', they are of course free to do with them as they like. Similarly, if one intends to post a dramatization of any given scene, it is allowable - provided the poster has the express written permission from all participants in said scene. We will ask.
- Tantrums - If something happens in the game that affects a C, we expect the Player to roleplay it without complaint. Furthermore, failing to successfully resist Taunting, Intimidation, Manipulation, or any other skill or power that requires a specific In Character reaction means that one should roleplay that effect - whether or not the Player feels it is 'in character' for the C to do so. Not that we expect Captain America to wet his chainmail if Colonel Nick Fury shouts at him, but we don't expect him to keep smiling either. We also expect Players to be able to differentiate the IC effects of the various Cs actions from OOC 'persecution', and to avoid from engaging in any similar petulance if the dice don't happen to go their way.
- Cathartic Bullying - This is a game, and we all use it for a bit of escape from the daily grind. However, this game does not exist so that anyone can 'get even with the world for mistreating them'. Therefore, if one feels the need to bust some heads in the game because they had a bad day - especially the heads of other players' Cs - then we strongly suggest they rethink things, preferably after calming down/seeking counseling. Also, do not attempt to 'avenge' oneself or one's C against anyone for anything that happens in the game. For instance, if the Player for Mockingbird rebuffs the advances of someone else's Moon Knight, the jilted party having the Hulk pop up and stomp on her will not be acceptable - even if they're also playing the Hulk.
- Long Hiatus - We understand that this is a hobby and things happen in real life that may need one's full attention, but it's simply arrogant to expect everyone else to just twiddle their thumbs in limbo until any particular Player gets a free moment to grace us with their company - especially when it occurs regularly. If one has a problem outside of the game that may interfere with their play, they may request a 'leave of absence' which will last thirty (30) days. If it seems after that time that they won't be able/no longer want to continue, we ask that they have respect enough for the other Players to bow out.
Original characters that have become entwined in the story will not 'vanish' leaving everyone interacting with them in the lurch, but will be phased out by the other players according to the rules for non-player characters. So no one should fret about anyone 'killing their baby' if they get bogged down IRL. Afterwards, should they manage to clear up their schedule, they may bring the C back in - which we understand happens all the time in comics.
Again, these rules are intended to cover the most common snags of 'other' games FAQ-style and provide an idea of what will happen/be decided should these snags arise during play. We expect everyone to read the rules and behave themselves, since playing babysitter isn't a lot of fun for us. We'd prefer to have fun. Hopefully, you do as well.
