As questions of RP styles have come up a few times in all incarnations of Razorwing, the GMs have decided to codify the rules and roleplaying styles that acceptable/unacceptable. This page is not meant to call anyone out for past issues, it is meant to allow RP to continue forward with little to know hinderance or confusion on the parts of both player and GM. If you have any questions, any of the GMs will be happy to address them in a PM on IRC.
- A GM's Word Is… - This is a very straight forward rule…what the GM says, goes. If you have an issue with a rules call or anything like that, please approach the GM privately and calmly to have the situation sorted out. Disobeying the ruling of a GM will result in temp-bans to start with. Punishments escalate from there.
- Do Not Power-Game - This is probably the most basic rule in any well run RPing community. This covers the following things: min-maxing (dumping as many skill points as you can in a certain area), Mary Sue/Stu-ing (playing your character as the absolute best at everything), and Plot-Hogging (getting involved in all plots and then keeping them to yourself). This rule includes God Modding/Modeing in-character. If your character is wounded, role-play it out and make sure your attacks are realistic to the weapon you wield and the character that does the wielding. GMs reserve the right to retcon any action(s) that break this rule.
- Do Not Meta-Game - Keep in-character discussions in-character and do not confuse IC and OOC drama. This INCLUDES private messages on IRC or any other chat client. While the GMs cannot be the thought-police, meta-gaming takes away from the overall roleplaying experience. Use your judgement as players to determine what you should and should not discuss OOC with other players. While this rule really only applies to 'hard' (GM-run) roleplaying, keep this in mind for soft RP as well.
- Is this Good for the Story? - This is a big one…in fact it is THE big one. Every action you take in a Razorwing roleplay should be prefaced with this very question. All Razorwing players should always ask themselves "Are my actions good for the story?" The same thing should be asked before taking issue with another players actions. We may not agree with one anthers actions, but sometimes you need to run with what the others give you. This is also not a PvP environment, the players not out to defeat one another. Consider Razorwing player vs. the plot, and remember that we're all here to have a good time and tell one amazing story.
- What YOU Want RP - It is the PCs right in any roleplaying game to step away from scenarios they are uncomfortable with. Razorwing is no different. All of the PCs of Razorwing have the right to say public or privately to the GMs that they are not going to participate in a given scene for whatever reason. This also extends to soft RP scenes. No player can force another player into a plot/scene they do not want.
- The Law of Wiki - Players are always encouraged to add their own unique tidbits into the role-play as it progresses. Doing this is a good thing, and it impresses the GMs and means a whole to them as well. That being said, before adding in your own planet name, form of entertainment, etc, please check the wiki first. If there is something you can use, please use that instead, as a lot of hard work went into (and still goes into) writing the thematic pages on this site.
The Razorwing RP Disciplinary System
The GMs of the Razorwing RP do not rule with an iron fist, because that is not fun for anyone. That being said, there is a system of punishments in place to ensure that everyone has a good time and that bad attitudes and violations of the RP Guidelines are kept to an absolute minimum. Razorwing operates on a three strike system. Strikes are handed out by the GMs for rules abuse, negative behaviour, and all other behaviours deemed by the GMs to be inappropriate. After three strikes, a 24-hour ban is issued. When the player or players returns from the 24-hour ban, a final warning is issued. Should the belligerent behaviour continue, a 7-day ban is issued. After this ban is lifted there are no more warnings, no more chances, no more slip ups. Error, intentional or otherwise will result (after a brief review by the GMs) in a permanent ban from Razorwing.
The Tao of Drama Llama
Most of you have probably heard the phrase 'drama llama' on more than one occasion. We all do it, I (Gwen) do it, and so do you. We let the drama of our meatspace (real) lives get in the way of everyone else's role-play. Yes, we are all guilty of being a drama llama at one point or another. Being a drama llama, or an attention whore is an unacceptable action in RW and will result in muting and possible banning if it doesn't stop. Now you're all asking "but Gwen, what if I've had a shitty day, and want to rant about it here?" Providing that you do it with the consent of your fellow member, you can talk about your day. That being said, we have a strict 'leave your baggage at the front desk before you enter' policy. We want to have fun, and forcing others to deal with your baggage takes that away. If you feel as though you're having a really bad day, mention it to the GMs, or take a break. There is nothing wrong with taking an RP break for a day or two.
Player Complaints
It is inevitable that someone is going to be upset with something that has happened in-character. There is, of course, a right way and a wrong way to deal with this things. The wrong way is pulling the issue into OOC chat and shouting and screaming giving both the GMs a headache. The GMs do not like headaches…no one likes headaches. The PROPER way is to contact one of the GMs via private message on IRC and discuss the issue. During this discussion the GM may 'freeze the scene' meaning no RP continues until after the complaint is resolved (if possible). Further reading on the Player Complaint and Resolution System can be found here.
