OVERDARK FORUM AND GAMEPLAY RULES

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(KEEP IN MIND)
-There is no age limit on our website, but it is expected that you be mature enough to follow the rules.
-If you notice a rule being broken then report it and we will deal with the problem as soon as we are made aware of it.
(A rule infraction will result in one of the following punishments)
-Warning From Admins
-Demotion of rank
-Loss of forum rights
-Ban from specific sections
-Short Term Ban
-Long Term Ban
-Permanent Ban

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BASIC FORUM RULES

Profanity there is to be no obsessive or unnecessary swearing or other profanity. Censoring has not been added, but constantly spamming the forum with profanity will result in punishment, up to and including a ban.

Spamming Whether in the form of regular posts or OOC, this is not tolerated. Please keep in mind that constant, pointless replies will result in punishment. If you have something you need to discuss to that extent, then please, take it to the PMs. The definition of spamming is also applied to posting in another persons RP thread with no intent of joining/without being a member. Please, if you notice something wrong, alert the moderators instead of posting in the thread yourselves.  in any since of the word will result punishment depending on the circumstance, up to and including a ban.

Images that are posted on the forum must be appropriate and PG13. If any inappropriate images are discovered on this forum the person responsible will receive punishment depending on the circumstance. Up to and including a ban.

Flaming is not tolerated in any form, or at any time. If you are having a problem, or another person does something you don't agree with, Then put on your big boy pants and address it in a civilized manner. If a person has been giving you grief and you're fed up with it-- DON'T RETALIATE-- Instead, alert one of the moderators so that they can address the problem as quickly as possible. Attacking the person back will result in you receiving punishment as well. It should be noted that flaming over PM wont save you either-- If you are a victim of this, don't hesitate to come forward. If you are able, please screenshot the evidence of the flaming and send it to a moderator.

Bullying of any sort is not tolerated-- If you are found out to be the culprit with sufficient evidence behind it, You will be permanently banned without a second thought. If a person is upset, then you should have enough common sense to know when to just drop it. This forum is no place for petty spats, and disgusting behavior to the other members results in severe punishment. So keep it in mind before you fly off the handle and run your mouths.

Racism whether in the form of comments/jokes/remarks will NOT be tolerated on this forum. Racism when in character and in role play, whether between aliens or other humans is to remain PG13 and limited.

Advertisement Advertisement of any forum/site/blog etc, is aloud on the Advertisement board. However anything adult or profane in nature will be deleted on the spot. You may only bump or update your advertisement once every 12 hours. If you bump it before then, you will receive a warning from admins.

Ignorance when you notice a rule being ignored, abused, or broken, is not tolerated. You should report it immediately. Failure to report rule violations, have knowledge of their existence and or hiding this knowledge from the Admin Team can make you subject to similar punishment.

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ROLEPLAY RULES

The following rules and policies are required knowledge for everyone who wishes to post in this forum. These rules apply universally to every post in every thread and violating them may subject you to Moderator action. Please read them carefully and understand them well before posting.

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Read and Obey the Forum Rules
The Overdark Forum Rules and FAQ applies to everyone posting in any section of Overdark forums, this one included. Moderators have the authority to enforce these rules and will take direct action against violators. Rule violations should be reported to the Moderator for appropriate action.

The Game Master's Word is Law
Upon the creation of a game, its Game Master has jurisdiction over all actions within that game. Game Masters may generally conduct their games however they see fit, thus allowing them a great deal of control over the scenario they seek to create. That level of control is often necessary to allow for the creation of varied and interesting worlds and adventures. Game participants found to be violating the instructions of their Game Master may, at the Game Master's discretion, be subject to Moderator action.

No One-Line Posts
This is not meant to annoy you, but rather to give your fellow role players something to work with. It is very annoying when others do not give you something to work with and continue the story, and it might even break a roleplay, so please do not write one line posts in-game. I don't think a couple paragraphs is too much to ask for. We also hope that you'll eventually learn to post even longer posts. As a small addition to this rule, Game Masters are allowed to specify the minimum of lines each post in their campaign must have, as long as it's five or more. Anyone not following their preference can be reported and their post will be removed. If no preference is posted, this rule still applies.

Duplicate Roleplays
RPs that deal with the same premise/subject are not allowed to run during the same duration of time. For example, two different role plays about an invasion of the same planet. You cannot have two that deal with the same or similar plots in the same place, or anything of that sorts-- You yourself should be able to look at the RPs already in existence and determine whether or not the idea you had was similar or not. If it is, then don't post your RP-- it'll just be closed down.

Play-By-Post
A general format of role playing that is not strictly limited to role playing. This may include both strict GM controlled adventures, or open collaborative stories where all members have an equal input and control over the scenario and setting. Gameplay in Overdark is usually in 3rd person due to the fact that multiple members submit a post for their characters in pre-decided turns.

Stay In Character
If you have a question or disagreement with the GM then post a reply in the OOC board. Don't add out of character comments to an in game thread. Remember every time you do the admins/moderators have to take the time to delete them all.

Romance
When it comes to gameplay, romance is actually encouraged. As it adds a unique dynamic to the roleplay. However try to keep the certain aspects of romance in the bedroom and out of the roleplay itself. We don't want in depth detail about how two lovers spent the night together.

NPC
All non-player characters in any roleplay will be under the control of the GM as well as anyone they specifically give permission to control them.

Originality
Be original when adding content to the forum. This means we don't want canons of anything (other then our original cannon characters we create). Stereotypes are fine but don't use that as an excuse to make a parallel of something someone else has already made. Whether that be a character or a roleplay.

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Combat In many play by post roleplays, most role-playing combat is done using Emotes to state actions, counters, defenses, etc. Using the Emotes to state intended actions and damage taken. A good way of doing this is visualizing the fight similar to one from a movie or tv show. Watch some classic fight scenes… anything to get a feel of the combat sequence and what you want to convey.
Here’s an example of a brief combat (emotes are in italics):

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John: “I’ll teach you to mind you’re own business!”
John grabs his staff from the bar.
Eric: “Eh? Do tell?”
Eric steps back to prepare.
John:
John takes a wild swing at Eric, trying to knock him off balance.
Eric:
Jumps back a little, but backs up against a table.
John:
John rushes Eric with his staff, to pin him down to the table.
Eric:
Raises up to take a strike at John, but gets pinned to the table – unable to move.
John: “Now… leave this tavern before I plant a knot in your head.”
Eric:
Reluctantly nods and tries to get back up.
John:
Lifts his staff slowly up, allowing him to leave.

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CHARACTERS

Approval All submitted characters and adoption claims must be reviewed and approved by either an admin or moderator. No exceptions.

Number of Character Members are aloud to have as many characters as they think they can handle, there is no official limit.

Adoption When a character is dropped and put up for adoption, it is open for any member to adopt it. Even the creator if they decide to readopt their character in the future. If a member wishes to adopt a character then simply post the word "Claim" on the same thread and an admin or moderator will move the character profile to the archive with the name of the new owner in the thread description.