UPDATE: Barge Changes
Barge Changes
Here’s the finalized list of changes that are going to be implemented into the Barge, starting 5/5/09! It’s a lot of repetition from the first post, but there are some clarifications here that you should bear in mind (regarding such things as the showers, which seems to be an endless case of confusion). The rules, FAQ, and previous informational posts will soon be updated reflecting these changes, but as of now, consider them official and in play.
Death Toll
When a character dies on or off the Barge, they may be revived either automatically (Wardens only) or through an appeal from their Warden (or another Warden, if theirs is not available/they are not assigned). Upon revival, the character suffers from a temporary Death Toll. Characters are revived where they died, and must be taken to the Infirmary to recover.
Effects of the Death Toll:
1. Automatic revival 8 to 24 hours after death (Wardens only; Inmates still need to be vouched for)
2. Fatigue for at least 72 hours;
3. General malaise for at least 72 hours;
4. Ghost pains of the injuries received prior to death for at least a week, decreasing in severity as time passes. These should reflect the injuries you’ve received prior to death and the way you died! The rule of thumb is: severe injuries (such as severed arm/leg/head) will create more intense ghost pains for a shorter period of time (example, a severed leg will cause intense pain at first and probably a limp, but won’t cripple you for a week), while minor injuries (such as a broken arm/leg/neck) will generate less intense ghost pains (for example, you’d be sore, but it wouldn’t impair your ability to move) over a longer span of time. Poisoned/drained by vamp/bled to death? Then you’d probably feel light-headed and fatigued longer;
5. Nausea/inability to hold down food for the first few days;
6. Headache lasting from 24-72 hours (longer if desired);
7. Dizziness lasting from 24-72 hours (longer if desired);
8. Impaired motor skills for at least 48 hours; and
9. Lack of control over bodily functions for at most 48 hours (OPTIONAL).
Note: The severity of the death toll and how long these effects last are also dependent on the character. If the character has enhanced stamina, strength, endurance (read: if you’re a human and you don’t have powers that give you enhanced stamina/strength/endurance or aren’t an Olympic athlete, it’s unlikely you fit into this category), then he/she will probably overcome the Death Toll faster than somebody who doesn’t have any enhanced physical capacities.
Level 0 Changes
Sentencing - Wardens can no longer appeal to the Admiral to toss Inmates into Level 0. They will now have to haul the little jerks into the cells physically. Now, this can be a potentially huge problem for our smaller/weaker Wardens, particularly those with big, strong Inmates, but the point of this is to encourage… WARDEN TEAMWORK! Go on, guys, help each other out!
Or, like, you could give your Inmate more incentive to behave and go quietly yourself.
Remember, Level 0 only has 10 cells, so Inmates will have to bunk up if they all get filled-or if their Warden is feeling like a jerk.
Opening the Cells - Wardens’ items act as keys to the cells. So long as the Warden has their item on their person, they can open a cell. Unoccupied cells can be opened by ANY WARDEN. That way, if an Inmate’s acting up like crazy and their Warden isn’t around (or has been drugged or killed or something), somebody else can deal with them temporarily. If the Warden comes around later and goes “HEY I DIDN’T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN!” then they can easily run down to Level 0 and let their Inmate out themselves.
An Inmate’s cell can only be opened by their Warden, and only if the Warden has their special Warden item with them. This means that if you steal a Warden’s item to break your pal out, it won’t work. If you appeal to one of the dumber Wardens to open the cell for you, it won’t work. For Inmates who DON’T have a Warden, the Warden who sentenced them to Level 0 will be the one who can let them out; however, this Warden can be overridden by the other Wardens if they get together and decide it’s unfair.
Visiting - Inmates can’t visit their pals in Level 0 without a Warden’s supervision. The door to the level just won’t open, sorry.
Observation Room - A private place that, much like the cells, has to be opened by a Warden who has their item on their person. This is a place where Wardens who're going to stay down in Level 0 to guard/watch their Inmate can rest while keeping the cells in sight. So, it a sort of stand-alone room with a big plexiglass sort of window, a bed, private toiletries, etc.
Interrogation Room - Another private place that, much like the cells, has to be opened by a Warden who has their item on their person. This is where Wardens can drag an Inmate they need to question in person, where they won’t be interrupted by naysayers, troublemakers, etc.
For reference, here is the layout of Level 0:
Voice Posts
All characters, Wardens AND Inmates, now have a communication device. This way, they no longer have to write out “HELP ME, I’M BEING ATTACKED!!” They can just… click the device on and shout it instead. However, for Inmates, filters can’t apply; the only available options are: PUBLIC or PRIVATE TO WARDEN. But hey, you guys can still conspire with your journals.
Wardens, for ease of communication, will have a Warden-only channel so they can coordinate/communicate easier in situations where they can't sit down and write stuff out.
For all characters, the standard will be a small, hand-held communication device, but you can specify something different that may fit your character better (like a wrist com-link or a walkie talkie or whatever!). Olde timey characters will get to enjoy trying to master more modern technology.
Food/Supplies
Food and medical supplies are “replenished” at the beginning of each month, and there’s enough to last the month each round. This means if you aren’t careful or people are sneaking around for too many midnight snacks, you CAN run low on food, or at least certain food items. We don’t want to decree what food is being delivered each month, but just know that it may vary each month and that special or fancy things like sushi, raw oysters, and filet mignon, to name a few, are not going to be regular occurrences.
For those characters whose cabins have fridges/mini-fridges/pantries in them, you basically will have whatever food was in there when you left your world for the Barge, and it, too, will replenish at the beginning of each month. Enjoy a looping supply of the same stuff.
This also goes for medical supplies. The way med supplies work is that stuff like Band-Aids, gauze, over-the-counter medicines, and other basic supplies will be available in greater abundance than things like morphine, which will be scarce.
Because it affects EVERY OTHER CHARACTER IN THE GAME if your character decides to destroy the food supplies, you absolutely cannot do any large-scale tampering with the food supplies without 1) receiving mod permission, and 2) putting up a plotting post PRIOR TO THE EVENT so that other players can give feedback on whether or not they’d enjoy a plot where they all have to starve to death because of one person’s actions. Now, things like characters sneaking in to make a romantic dinner, people nicking midnight snacks, and minor tampering (like swapping the salt with the sugar, pranky stuff) are certainly permissible without mod permission. If you’re drugging or spiking any food, you should also talk to a mod and put up a post in the OOC community to let people know what’s going on BEFORE you do it.
Furthermore, with the addition of inventory positions and a set kitchen crew, know that somebody will VERY LIKELY be noticing if food/med supplies regularly start going missing. But if you get caught or show some initiative, you may be able to make deals, and that’s part of the fun.
Barge Layout Changes
Above-Deck Floors - Currently, there are now TWO above-deck floors, both of which are locked to Wardens only. The same restrictions on opening Level 0 cells apply to the Warden-Only floors. Above-Deck Floors consist of two levels.
Level +1 - This level contains the Pub (SORRY, INMATES), a Pool/Spa, and a really sweet Warden Conference Room. This will allow the Wardens a place to go and take a break, but it’s not advised for them to spend ALL their time there. The Warden Conference Room will also give them a place to go and have private meetings, to work out any issues they may have and build teamwork.
Level +2 - While it may not look impressive from the deck, Level +2 features a Closed Ecological System (CES), which provides a nice, natural environment to relax in. It’s not humongous (you couldn’t get lost in it), but it’s large enough to have an immersive feel to it. The default setting is a lush green forest; however, the CES can and will spontaneously change to different environments that the characters come from, so long as they are… well, an ecological system, and not a cityscape or other man-made setting. You cannot appeal to the Admiral to change the setting; just hope that you’re lucky enough when you enter that it will have what you’re looking for,
In other words, we’re leaving this up to player discretion, so please use it responsibly!
The CES does have flora and fauna in it, but they can’t and won’t leave Level +2, so don’t bother trying to smuggle anything out.
Level 1 - The pub has been moved above deck. Also, the Dining Hall now has a stage in it; however, it’s nothing fancy. It’s a small stage inlaid in the Dining Hall-just google image search “Cafeteria Stage” and you’ll see what we mean. We’ll get real pictures later. This is designed so that Wardens can get up and make announcements, if need be; however, somebody with a taste for theatrics can certainly put on a show if they want.
Level 3/Shower Rooms - The Pool/Spa has been moved above deck and replaced with shower/dressing areas for inmates, separated by sex. All Inmates will find that they no longer have their own showers/bathtubs/Jacuzzis/whatever. They will still have private toilets and sinks adjoined to their cabins; however, anything fancy is gone. These have all been standardized to the same crappy linoleum floor and stand-alone sink and toilet. No marble countertops, no… golden toilet seats, none of that. Fully functional bathrooms are a privilege and a luxury, so Inmates on particularly good behavior will have the chance to earn a private/not lame bathroom, complete with a personal shower. Ill-behaved Inmates will just have to deal with it.
The women’s shower room is on one end of Level 3, and the men’s shower room is on the other end of Level 3. Now, to clarify things, the shower rooms are NOT MODELED AFTER PRISON SHOWERS. It is not a row of showerheads that everybody has to stand naked under in a line. This is not mass naked time, it isn’t wrestling time, it’s not stand around and measure your dicks time, and it isn’t mass orgy time. To be PERFECTLY CLEAR, so that there isn’t any more confusion as to what we mean when we talk about Shower Rooms, here’s a layout:
The Shower Rooms for both genders are separated into three areas. The first area, which you enter in, contains a row of lockers and benches, where Inmates can store their clothing, hair gel, or whatever. Beyond this area, it splits off in two directions. One way will take you to standard bathroom stalls (and urinals for men) and sinks with mirrors. The bathroom stalls have doors and can lock from the inside, like… most bathroom stalls. There are three stalls and two sinks.
ALL INMATES STILL HAVE PRIVATE TOILETS & SINKS ADJOINED TO THEIR ROOMS. This is just for convenience.
The other direction will take you to a row of ten shower stalls, five on each side, which are… just your standard shower stalls. They contain a shower head, three tiled walls, and a shower curtain for privacy. I guess if your character is a creep who likes to walk in on people and stare at them, you… can… but there will most likely be consequences, so… yeah.
There is no set ‘shower time;’ Inmates can come and go as they please, without supervision because… COME ON, THEY’RE ADULTS. The purpose of this is to give Inmates something to complain about, to further divide Warden and Inmate privileges, and to give the characters a new and ongoing situation to react to-such as nerdy characters, who’ll have horrifying memories of high school, or neat freaks who insist on wearing sandals, people who only shower at 2 AM to avoid being around anybody else, ETC.
Note: If your character’s powers can use the water to kill everybody, consider them turned off whenever they’re in the shower room. Also, characters with special needs obviously get to have their own accommodations in their cabins.
Level 6 - LAUNDROMAT! There are now 10 washers and 5 dryers in the Level 6 Laundromat. There’s also a sad bin of community clothes for people whose stuff gets stolen and/or ruined, so they don’t have to run around naked. There are also sinks in the Laundromat, so that people who need to hand wash clothing can conveniently do so with the detergents available in the Laundromat.
Level 6 now also contains the AWESOME POOL TABLE, which is just a common room that has, yeah, a pool table, some couches, and chairs.
Here’s the finalized list of changes that are going to be implemented into the Barge, starting 5/5/09! It’s a lot of repetition from the first post, but there are some clarifications here that you should bear in mind (regarding such things as the showers, which seems to be an endless case of confusion). The rules, FAQ, and previous informational posts will soon be updated reflecting these changes, but as of now, consider them official and in play.
Death Toll
When a character dies on or off the Barge, they may be revived either automatically (Wardens only) or through an appeal from their Warden (or another Warden, if theirs is not available/they are not assigned). Upon revival, the character suffers from a temporary Death Toll. Characters are revived where they died, and must be taken to the Infirmary to recover.
Effects of the Death Toll:
1. Automatic revival 8 to 24 hours after death (Wardens only; Inmates still need to be vouched for)
2. Fatigue for at least 72 hours;
3. General malaise for at least 72 hours;
4. Ghost pains of the injuries received prior to death for at least a week, decreasing in severity as time passes. These should reflect the injuries you’ve received prior to death and the way you died! The rule of thumb is: severe injuries (such as severed arm/leg/head) will create more intense ghost pains for a shorter period of time (example, a severed leg will cause intense pain at first and probably a limp, but won’t cripple you for a week), while minor injuries (such as a broken arm/leg/neck) will generate less intense ghost pains (for example, you’d be sore, but it wouldn’t impair your ability to move) over a longer span of time. Poisoned/drained by vamp/bled to death? Then you’d probably feel light-headed and fatigued longer;
5. Nausea/inability to hold down food for the first few days;
6. Headache lasting from 24-72 hours (longer if desired);
7. Dizziness lasting from 24-72 hours (longer if desired);
8. Impaired motor skills for at least 48 hours; and
9. Lack of control over bodily functions for at most 48 hours (OPTIONAL).
Note: The severity of the death toll and how long these effects last are also dependent on the character. If the character has enhanced stamina, strength, endurance (read: if you’re a human and you don’t have powers that give you enhanced stamina/strength/endurance or aren’t an Olympic athlete, it’s unlikely you fit into this category), then he/she will probably overcome the Death Toll faster than somebody who doesn’t have any enhanced physical capacities.
Level 0 Changes
Sentencing - Wardens can no longer appeal to the Admiral to toss Inmates into Level 0. They will now have to haul the little jerks into the cells physically. Now, this can be a potentially huge problem for our smaller/weaker Wardens, particularly those with big, strong Inmates, but the point of this is to encourage… WARDEN TEAMWORK! Go on, guys, help each other out!
Or, like, you could give your Inmate more incentive to behave and go quietly yourself.
Remember, Level 0 only has 10 cells, so Inmates will have to bunk up if they all get filled-or if their Warden is feeling like a jerk.
Opening the Cells - Wardens’ items act as keys to the cells. So long as the Warden has their item on their person, they can open a cell. Unoccupied cells can be opened by ANY WARDEN. That way, if an Inmate’s acting up like crazy and their Warden isn’t around (or has been drugged or killed or something), somebody else can deal with them temporarily. If the Warden comes around later and goes “HEY I DIDN’T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN!” then they can easily run down to Level 0 and let their Inmate out themselves.
An Inmate’s cell can only be opened by their Warden, and only if the Warden has their special Warden item with them. This means that if you steal a Warden’s item to break your pal out, it won’t work. If you appeal to one of the dumber Wardens to open the cell for you, it won’t work. For Inmates who DON’T have a Warden, the Warden who sentenced them to Level 0 will be the one who can let them out; however, this Warden can be overridden by the other Wardens if they get together and decide it’s unfair.
Visiting - Inmates can’t visit their pals in Level 0 without a Warden’s supervision. The door to the level just won’t open, sorry.
Observation Room - A private place that, much like the cells, has to be opened by a Warden who has their item on their person. This is a place where Wardens who're going to stay down in Level 0 to guard/watch their Inmate can rest while keeping the cells in sight. So, it a sort of stand-alone room with a big plexiglass sort of window, a bed, private toiletries, etc.
Interrogation Room - Another private place that, much like the cells, has to be opened by a Warden who has their item on their person. This is where Wardens can drag an Inmate they need to question in person, where they won’t be interrupted by naysayers, troublemakers, etc.
For reference, here is the layout of Level 0:
Voice Posts
All characters, Wardens AND Inmates, now have a communication device. This way, they no longer have to write out “HELP ME, I’M BEING ATTACKED!!” They can just… click the device on and shout it instead. However, for Inmates, filters can’t apply; the only available options are: PUBLIC or PRIVATE TO WARDEN. But hey, you guys can still conspire with your journals.
Wardens, for ease of communication, will have a Warden-only channel so they can coordinate/communicate easier in situations where they can't sit down and write stuff out.
For all characters, the standard will be a small, hand-held communication device, but you can specify something different that may fit your character better (like a wrist com-link or a walkie talkie or whatever!). Olde timey characters will get to enjoy trying to master more modern technology.
Food/Supplies
Food and medical supplies are “replenished” at the beginning of each month, and there’s enough to last the month each round. This means if you aren’t careful or people are sneaking around for too many midnight snacks, you CAN run low on food, or at least certain food items. We don’t want to decree what food is being delivered each month, but just know that it may vary each month and that special or fancy things like sushi, raw oysters, and filet mignon, to name a few, are not going to be regular occurrences.
For those characters whose cabins have fridges/mini-fridges/pantries in them, you basically will have whatever food was in there when you left your world for the Barge, and it, too, will replenish at the beginning of each month. Enjoy a looping supply of the same stuff.
This also goes for medical supplies. The way med supplies work is that stuff like Band-Aids, gauze, over-the-counter medicines, and other basic supplies will be available in greater abundance than things like morphine, which will be scarce.
Because it affects EVERY OTHER CHARACTER IN THE GAME if your character decides to destroy the food supplies, you absolutely cannot do any large-scale tampering with the food supplies without 1) receiving mod permission, and 2) putting up a plotting post PRIOR TO THE EVENT so that other players can give feedback on whether or not they’d enjoy a plot where they all have to starve to death because of one person’s actions. Now, things like characters sneaking in to make a romantic dinner, people nicking midnight snacks, and minor tampering (like swapping the salt with the sugar, pranky stuff) are certainly permissible without mod permission. If you’re drugging or spiking any food, you should also talk to a mod and put up a post in the OOC community to let people know what’s going on BEFORE you do it.
Furthermore, with the addition of inventory positions and a set kitchen crew, know that somebody will VERY LIKELY be noticing if food/med supplies regularly start going missing. But if you get caught or show some initiative, you may be able to make deals, and that’s part of the fun.
Barge Layout Changes
Above-Deck Floors - Currently, there are now TWO above-deck floors, both of which are locked to Wardens only. The same restrictions on opening Level 0 cells apply to the Warden-Only floors. Above-Deck Floors consist of two levels.
Level +1 - This level contains the Pub (SORRY, INMATES), a Pool/Spa, and a really sweet Warden Conference Room. This will allow the Wardens a place to go and take a break, but it’s not advised for them to spend ALL their time there. The Warden Conference Room will also give them a place to go and have private meetings, to work out any issues they may have and build teamwork.
Level +2 - While it may not look impressive from the deck, Level +2 features a Closed Ecological System (CES), which provides a nice, natural environment to relax in. It’s not humongous (you couldn’t get lost in it), but it’s large enough to have an immersive feel to it. The default setting is a lush green forest; however, the CES can and will spontaneously change to different environments that the characters come from, so long as they are… well, an ecological system, and not a cityscape or other man-made setting. You cannot appeal to the Admiral to change the setting; just hope that you’re lucky enough when you enter that it will have what you’re looking for,
In other words, we’re leaving this up to player discretion, so please use it responsibly!
The CES does have flora and fauna in it, but they can’t and won’t leave Level +2, so don’t bother trying to smuggle anything out.
Level 1 - The pub has been moved above deck. Also, the Dining Hall now has a stage in it; however, it’s nothing fancy. It’s a small stage inlaid in the Dining Hall-just google image search “Cafeteria Stage” and you’ll see what we mean. We’ll get real pictures later. This is designed so that Wardens can get up and make announcements, if need be; however, somebody with a taste for theatrics can certainly put on a show if they want.
Level 3/Shower Rooms - The Pool/Spa has been moved above deck and replaced with shower/dressing areas for inmates, separated by sex. All Inmates will find that they no longer have their own showers/bathtubs/Jacuzzis/whatever. They will still have private toilets and sinks adjoined to their cabins; however, anything fancy is gone. These have all been standardized to the same crappy linoleum floor and stand-alone sink and toilet. No marble countertops, no… golden toilet seats, none of that. Fully functional bathrooms are a privilege and a luxury, so Inmates on particularly good behavior will have the chance to earn a private/not lame bathroom, complete with a personal shower. Ill-behaved Inmates will just have to deal with it.
The women’s shower room is on one end of Level 3, and the men’s shower room is on the other end of Level 3. Now, to clarify things, the shower rooms are NOT MODELED AFTER PRISON SHOWERS. It is not a row of showerheads that everybody has to stand naked under in a line. This is not mass naked time, it isn’t wrestling time, it’s not stand around and measure your dicks time, and it isn’t mass orgy time. To be PERFECTLY CLEAR, so that there isn’t any more confusion as to what we mean when we talk about Shower Rooms, here’s a layout:
The Shower Rooms for both genders are separated into three areas. The first area, which you enter in, contains a row of lockers and benches, where Inmates can store their clothing, hair gel, or whatever. Beyond this area, it splits off in two directions. One way will take you to standard bathroom stalls (and urinals for men) and sinks with mirrors. The bathroom stalls have doors and can lock from the inside, like… most bathroom stalls. There are three stalls and two sinks.
ALL INMATES STILL HAVE PRIVATE TOILETS & SINKS ADJOINED TO THEIR ROOMS. This is just for convenience.
The other direction will take you to a row of ten shower stalls, five on each side, which are… just your standard shower stalls. They contain a shower head, three tiled walls, and a shower curtain for privacy. I guess if your character is a creep who likes to walk in on people and stare at them, you… can… but there will most likely be consequences, so… yeah.
There is no set ‘shower time;’ Inmates can come and go as they please, without supervision because… COME ON, THEY’RE ADULTS. The purpose of this is to give Inmates something to complain about, to further divide Warden and Inmate privileges, and to give the characters a new and ongoing situation to react to-such as nerdy characters, who’ll have horrifying memories of high school, or neat freaks who insist on wearing sandals, people who only shower at 2 AM to avoid being around anybody else, ETC.
Note: If your character’s powers can use the water to kill everybody, consider them turned off whenever they’re in the shower room. Also, characters with special needs obviously get to have their own accommodations in their cabins.
Level 6 - LAUNDROMAT! There are now 10 washers and 5 dryers in the Level 6 Laundromat. There’s also a sad bin of community clothes for people whose stuff gets stolen and/or ruined, so they don’t have to run around naked. There are also sinks in the Laundromat, so that people who need to hand wash clothing can conveniently do so with the detergents available in the Laundromat.
Level 6 now also contains the AWESOME POOL TABLE, which is just a common room that has, yeah, a pool table, some couches, and chairs.