MASADA RULES AND GUIDELINES - ver. 1.0 (JAN12)
Contents
1. DISCLAIMERS
2. PREAMBLE
2.1 WHAT IS MASADA
2.2 What we mean by "roleplay"
2.3 What we mean by "combat"
2.4 Groups and links:
3. GENERAL RULES
3.1 In game areas
3.2 Safe zones
3.3 Meter
3.4 IC/OOC
3.5 Poaching
3.6 XP Camping
3.7 Reporting problems
4. ROLEPLAY
4.1 Death/Permanent injury
4.2 Fade To Black (FTB)
4.3 Left In Scene (LIS)
4.4 Limits
5. COMBAT RELATED RULES
5.1 Consent to combat
5.2 Meter
5.3 Meter state changes (Combat/nocombat switch)
5.4 Defeat
5.5 Capture and post-defeat roleplay
5.6 Reviving and healing
5.7 Crash in combat and technical issues
5.8 Rezzing
5.9 Teleporting
5.10 Fighting trough prims
5.11 Melee animations
5.12 Calling for help
5.13 Dragging people
6. WEAPONS
7. OTHER RULES
7.1 Movement/Jump Enhancer
7.2 Fly
7.3 Veichles
7.4 Gestures/Sounds
6.5 Shouting
7.6 Radars/spy devices
7.7 Griefing tools
7.8 Child Avatars/Ageplay
7.9 Internal or external Voice chat programs
1. DISCLAIMERS
*** YOU MUST READ THESE RULES BEFORE CONTINUING ANY FURTHER, IGNORANCE OR FAILURE TO READ THESE RULES IS NOT A VALID EXCUSE FOR VIOLATIONS. BY ENTERING MASADA YOU AGREE THAT YOU WILL FOLLOW ALL RULES OF MASADA RP COMMUNITY AND THE LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY COMBAT SYSTEM (CCS), WHICH IS IN USE ON THIS SIM.
*** ANY INFORMATION NOT COVERED IN THESE RULES IS SUBJECT TO DETERMINATION BY MASADA GM AND MANAGMENT
*** BY THE SECOND LIFE TERMS OF SERVICE YOU INHERENTLY AGREE, BY AGREEING TO ABIDE BY THESE RULES AND ENTERING MASADA , THAT YOU ARE OVER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN AND YOU ARE NOT OFFENDED BY VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE OR SEXUAL CONTENT. THE OWNERS OF DEFER ALL RESPONSIBILITY BEYOND THIS AGREEMENT, IN LEGAL LIABILITIES, TO THE TRESPASSING PARTY, PARTIES NOT OVER THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN ARE TRESPASSING AND THUS LEGALLY LIABLE FOR THEIR OWN ACTIONS.
*** You agree that you will follow the instructions given by the staff of Masada, who can be identified by the GM title over their CCS Meter or the "((OOC~MASADA GM))" tag above their head.
*** By entering Masada, you agree to the use of chat and IM logs to resolve any issues that may arise. These logs and related informations will only be used if there is issue with your player on the sim and will never be used in any other form or shown to anyone not directly involved in the "incident" at hand.
*** These rules are subject to change and any additions to or changes will be notified generally by group notices and/or a sim wide message. However is players responsability to be always updated about rules.
*** This is a game and we're all here to have fun. Masada GMs have the right and obligation to remove anyone that is posing a serious disruption to the flow and health of the sim. This includes people attempting to use the rules against someone, being jerks, or in any way disrupting the sim and its level of fun.
Act as an asshole and you'll be surprised to see how fast you can get a ban.
2. PREAMBLE
2.1 What is Masada
Masada is a RP/Combat community where you can come and live a character life that's not all shiny and happy and new like most of Second Life. Roleplay in Masada is players driven according to the freeform model.
2.2 What we mean by "roleplay"
There are dozens of different ideas out there what "RP" actually means. None of them is "more true" than the other, but it's important to understand what people mean when they use the term.
Masada RP is immersionist, about the daily life and interactions of our characters, based on their opinions motivations, goals, fears, history.
Immersionist RP mean trying to "immerse" into the game world, to play a character that lives inside that world.
Purpose of masada GM and staff is NOT to promote or enforce a specific storyline but just to grant a fair framework for players to develop their own.
2.3 What we mean by "combat"
Combat in Masada is intendeed as a sub-type of conflictual roleplay where the IC events flow is handled by specific tools and game mechanics (the meter and related rules). This means, aslo that:
- A fight is an IC scenario
- A meter fight is accettable only inside an IC framework
- Whatever fights initiated with enemies must have IC reasons corresponding with IC events.
- No starting fights out of boredom or "just for fun" (those are OOC reasons).
- OOC driven fights are totally unacceptable.
- Crafting fake IC excuses to start a combat (i.e.: "my character is evil and violent, my character had a momentanly laps of reason" and so on) is not going to work. We're not stupids.
2.4 Groups and links
Masada Group:
secondlife:///app/group/0cc68285-02d7-3c92-7886-9c39aa943110/about
Masada Forum:
http://masada.forumer.com
3. GENERAL RULES
3.1 In game areas
From the minute you step in MASADA you are IC and involved in the roleplay. The whole region as the meter works is considerated IC and every action you take, every word you say, everything you and others do, is a part of that roleplay.
3.2 Safe zones
There're no "safe" areas in Masada. We to avoid fights in the main mall/teleport area, however is not a safezone.
3.3 Meter
- The official meter used in masada is CCS. Other meters or huds are not allowed in the sim.
- Wearing an active meter is a requirement for IC interactions. Meterless users are deemed as OOC/observers. As general rule Observers/OOC are not allowed to engage RP (or combat, of course) to interfere with an ongoing IC scene. At any time an observer can be required to leave a scene or an area. CCS meter is free and easy to setup. There's no reason to not wear one.
- Same guidelines apply to players wearing a meter in a non-combattive state; they are deemed as OOC/AFK
3.4 IC/OOC
All chat in Sanctuary RP Community CCS Sims is considered in character or IC, meaning this is chat being said by the character you play. OOC or out of character comments must be enclosed in brackets…((OOC))or use an OOC talker , please keep OOC chat and comments to a minimum or keep it to IM. This being said, please respect fellow players when speaking OOC. OOC insults, behavior and dialogue that are generally viewed as offensive have no place and will not be tolerated.
3.5 Poaching
Poaching is the act of going into a community and deliberately trying to pull players from said community in order to strengthen another. We expect that people from other factions, other sims and other combat systems would not poach from us and in return we expect the same of our players and staff when visiting other sims.
Internal poaching within the sim is not allowed either. Attempting to pull people from one faction into your own in an IC or OOC manner is strictly against the rules. Faction hopping in general is frowned upon but it does happen and when it does it needs to be strictly the player’s decision to leave one faction and join another. To help avoid drama, when accepting a new member into your faction, who was just in another, you should OOCly speak to the leader of that faction and make sure they know, as a courtesy.
Recruiting unfactioned players in Masada region is allowed only to Masada established factions.
Please note that cross-sim RP among players and factions is encouraged to expand upon the RP possibilities and to assist in providing a fun and diverse playing environment through the CCS community.
3.6 XP Camping
When your metr is active you’re expected to be responsive to any IC interaction. XP camping is not tollerated.
3.7 Reporting problems
Any issues, questions, instances of rules violations or any other problems can be brought to the GM staff. These are players with "GM" above their meter. Please be polite and straight forward with your issue so it can be addressed quickly.
Any accusations of cheating/metagaming/or any violation of any rule, must be brought to your faction head or a GM to be addressed. Do not make public accusations of cheating. Disrupting the game with OOC complaints in local chat will result in your temporary removal from the sim.
4. ROLEPLAY
4.1 Death/Permanent injury
Death, permanent injuries, character transformation and in general any long-term roleplay going beyond the simple post-defeat/capture timeframe requires the consent of the other party and have to be agreed.
4.2 Fade To Black (FTB)
If you need to log off or the RP is going in a direction that makes you uncomfortable or breaks one of your limits, you may Fade to Black (FTB). If you fade to black, you MAY NOT engage in combat again with the party for 24 hours.
Fading to black is NOT the same as voiding a scene. When you fade to black, you simply fast forwards, skipping whatever portion of the RP that would make you feel uncomfortable, if not the whole scene. Your character is STILL EFFECTED BY THIS.
Fading a scene should be avoided at all costs, just as voiding should. Talk in IM's with the other people involved, compromise and remember that this is just RP. If you need to leave (log off) then you need to leave but still, come to a compromise on what happened to your character in your absense and RP the effects the next time you log on.
Abusing the fade to black rule will result in disciplinary action. It is not a way to avoid having to do defeat RP. Keep in mind RP is for everyone, not just for you. By fading to black, you are taking away from other people's RP and in turn, people may not wish to RP with you as often.
4.3 Left In Scene (LIS)
If a player has to go for RL or has to leave urgently or crashed, you have the option to request LIS, whereby the RP will be continued when all RPing parties are online together again. This is not FTB. LIS ( Left in Scene ) simply means that the RP was paused and to be continued when all parties involved are together again, thus Left in Scene in other terms means that the RP is To Be Continued ( TBC ).
4.4 Limits
Personal roleplay limits are allowed if you're uncomfortable with a certain roleplay. This is for people that truely find a particular scene severely disturbing on RL level.
However keep in mind:
- you are in a rolepaly and in this kind of games you are often not in control on the events and what happens to your characrter. Using “limits” as an excuse to avoid/alterate the IC events flaw is not allowed.
- Limits have to be reasonable, ie: a "no mutilation" limit when just 5 minutes before you were just swinging your sword in combat and chopping hands is hardly credible.
- If you have a certain type of roleplay as a limit, you cannot perform that roleplay on others or attend to such scenes in any role. Not even as mere spectator (were scenes making you uncomfortable in real, right?).
5. COMBAT RELATED RULES
5.1 Consent to combat
Combat in Masada is consensual: wearing the meter you implicitly give your consent to be attacked anywhere and anytime. You’re wearing a meter: you’re a target. Period.
Chatting or emoting to initiate a fight is not required.
5.2 Meter
You must have a meter on and set to combative to engage in RP. If your meter is set to non-com, then you are not allowed to be active in any RP or combat.
RP is considered conflictual not only if a fight is started but also if it has the possiblity to provoke someone. Such as insulting, intruding or spying a factional base or someone home, holding captives and so on.
Using the lack of an active meter as an excuse to avoid the IC consequences of your IC actions is not tollerated.
Your meter must be always visible and readable when you are wearing it. Bright color and above your head.
5.3 Meter state changes (Combattive/nocombattive switch)
If you have to go non-com please do so before any kind of aggressive RP begins and it is against the rules to go non-com to avoid RP or combat, if this is the case and you wish to avoid combat then please walk away to a suitable area and then TP out.
Any combattive/nocombattive switch resulting in some kind of advantage in combat or alterating a roleplay scene is not allowed if not agreed preventively with the other involved players.
5.4 Defeat
When defeated in the meter the IC state of the character is extremly weakned and severly injured. The defeated player is expected to properly play this state. This includes but is not limited to:
- No aggressive/hostile roleplay.
- Action taken on him cannot be countered are deemed to be always successful (bindings, removing weapons, dragging and so on).
- No moving if not dragged by somene else (enemy pr friend).
- No calling allies or friends for help
- No shouting and in general play a weaknes state.
- Give a proper follow up to the action taken emoted.
Any animation overriding or hiding the defeat status have to be disabled as soon as possible. If defeated your avatar is expected to give a visual evidence of this.
5.5 Capture and post-defeat roleplay
If after a defeat you’re captured (binded, caged or any other emoting indicating this) you’re expect to play accordingly. A capture can end in 3 ways: 1) your captor release you 2) someone rescue you 3) you’re abbandoned unguarded and nothing is going on around (no fights or post defeat rp going on), in this case you can emote your escape/self untie or whatever needed. To avoid problems self-untieing this have to be done follwoing this steps:
1 - you are revived (no longer defeated)
2 - emote your beginning/try to escape
3 - wait at least 5 minutes
4 - emote your successful self-untie
If tied up you are required to wear some kind of bindings. Don’t have to be the ones given to you by the captor but any kind of binding. The conceptis: if you’re captured your avatar have to give a visual evidence of this to the other players.
Any animation overriding or hiding the defeat status have to be disabled as soon as possible. If captured your avatar is expected to give a visual evidence of this.
5.6 Reviving and healing
- If you naturally revive or are revived in the middle of a fight by an healer you’re allowed to rejoin the combat.
- If you use an healing balls or similar device you have to stay out of combat for at least 20 minutes.
- when you’re on an healin ball in no way can support a fight (not even healing someone else involved in it).
- you can be attacked while on an healing ball, in this case you are required to stand and are allowed to fight back.
- The second your revive you come back to be a valid target again.
5.7 Crash in combat and technical issues
If you crashed during a group fight, you cannot rejoin it. If you were already defeated when crashed and required by other players you are expected to rejoin the scene to play defeated.
Any other technic problem (meter not working, SL issues, and so on) is considerated and handled as “crash in combat”.
5.8 Rezzing
The second you rez in Masada (login or tp) you become a valid target. You can call “((rezzing))” but there’s no obligation for other players to wait for it (in case would be just a courtesy). Rezzing safely is your own resposability.
5.9 Teleporting
Teleporting in the sim allies or reinforcements when a fight is going on is not allowed. TPing away when involved in a fight or any conflictual RP is not allowed.
Using point to point public visible local tp is permited.
5.10 Fighting trough prims
Meleeing or shooting trough prims is illegal. No matter what textures the prim has, and no matter if, to you look like a grate, a windows or whatever: if is a prim is not allowed to shoot or melee trought it. On the countrary using skill from behind prims is allowed.
5.11 Melee animations
If you are using melee combat, you need to have an animation that shows your character attacking. You may not engage in melee combat without a visual indication that you are actually attacking.
5.12 Calling for help
Calling friends or allies for help is deemed as "aggressive rolpelay" so is allowed if you're not defeated or captive and if your comm devices have not been removed. The call have to be emoted/played in local chat.
5.13 Dragging people
A defeated or captive can be dragged by friend rescuing him or by enemy. Each character is deemed to be able (emoting it) to drag only once at the same time. If attack/fight while dragging is assumed to have automaticlly dropped the carried one.
As general rule all the actions related to this are expected to be emoted properly and realistically beside the use of scripted bindings and similar item.
6. WEAPONS
You are allowed to wear a total of 2 weapons (This can be 2 ranged weapons or 2 melee weapons or a mix of the 2). Note: what counts here is the number of weapon attachments per avatar, no matter if the weapon are visible or not, drawn or holstered if you're using it or not: is an attachment, takes a weapon slot.
- Anything more than 2 weapons is considered "weapons stacked" and not permitted.
- Epee, martial arts, fists as a weapon type are considered to take up 1 weapons slot.
- two handed weapons (example deathblade) takes 2 weapon slots.
In addition to this, for enhanced CCS weapons, also:
- Max 1 enhanced mele (one handed, dual or two handed)
- Max one enhanced gun (single or dual).
So, for instance:
1 enhanced one handed melee + 1 enhanced single gun: OK
1 enhanced one handed melee + 1 enhanced item (armor, bracelets and so on): OK
1 enhanced one-handed melee +1 another enhanced one-handed melee: NOT OK
1 two-handed + anything else: NO OK
Fo anything else we apply the general CCS guidelines (http://ccs-gametech.com/viewpage.php?page_id=27) and the weapon maker specifications.
Expecially:
- do not use two enhanced weapons which affect your enemies with the same negative effect more than once.
- do not stack nor attach multiple instances of the same weapon to increase the benefit of a single effect on yourself nor others.
- CCS enhanced armors, shields, bracelet and so on count as one weapons (take 1 of 2 avaiable slots)
- CCS enhanced hud can be used only alone (count as 2 weapons/slots)
7. OTHER RULES
7.1 Movement/Jump Enhancer
Using any kind of movement or jump enhancers is not allowed in Masada as distruptive for the immersion feeling essential for a RP envinroment.
Is considerated “movement enhancer” anything enhancing the standard SL movements (walk, run, jump). This also includes: prim sitting, prim raiding, AO with built-in enhancer, TPers, TP to avatar tools, use prims to sit on to access places you would not be able to reach otherwise or to bypass the designed access path, and so on.
This kind of “tools” can be used only OOC: for instance if your avatar is stucked or such (in this case announce your problem in open chat) but never as part of an IC scene (combattive or not).
7.2 Fly
Flying is not allowed in Masada. At no time are you allowed to fly through the sim, or, in any way, override the No Fly setting. Do not use prims to sit on to access places you would not be able to reach otherwise.
7.3 Veichles
A vehicle is defined as any object that uses the physics engine to drive it (i.e. cars, motorcycles, trucks, magic carpets, hover platforms, etc), rather than an object that attaches to the avatar (i.e. horses, skateboards, bicycles, etc). If you are uncertain whether or not the object you wish to use is a vehicle, please contact a GM for help in determining the difference.
7.4 Gestures/Sounds
Any kind of spam (text, sound, animation, effect or whatever) have to be avoided. Do not spam gestures or sounds repeatedly as this could disrupt the roleplay and is annoying for other players. Out of character gestures are not allowed.
6.5 Shouting
Please keep shouting to a minimum and in conjunction with ongoing role play. OOC shouting is prohibited in the sim.
7.6 Radars/spy devices
Radars/spy devices, chat listners, probes… Not allowed. You’ll get banned and eventually reported to LL.
7.7 Griefing tools
Shields, cagers, orbiters,etc.: not allowed . You’ll get banned and eventually reported to LL.
7.8 Child Avatars/Ageplay
Not allowed, you know.
7.9 Internal or external Voice chat programs
The use of voice, and or Skype or Ventrilo or other voice chats are forbidden to use for roleplay or combat.
