Rules

[phantommod]

Player Conduct

1.) Be nice to each other.

This is a fun social game, and we want to maintain a fun and social environment. OOC bullying and harassment only take away the fun for everyone. Don't ever be afraid to contact a mod if you have a concern about another player, but if it's something you can sort out amongst yourselves, go for it. It's usually better anyway to give the other player a chance to know what they're doing is upsetting you before you go to a mod.

2.) IC does not equal OOC.

We know anyone who reads this already understands this, but this has still got to be the number one cause of conflict in role playing games. Just because a character ignores your character or treats him or her distastefully, does not mean the player dislikes you. Please, please, try not to get your feelings hurt, and think carefully first about who is giving you the problem. Is it actually the player or their character?

3.) Favoritism or cliques will not be tolerated.

We understand that your character may naturally favor those she is familiar with, and that your character's involvement with what's familiar to her is to bound to outweigh her involvement with someone who's not. But please don't purposely exclude yourself and your character from interacting with strangers.

4.) No godmoding without prior approval from all parties involved.

Godmoding includes controlling the outcome of your actions against a character, making your character invincible or all-powerful when canon does not dictate him as such, controlling another person's character in any way, or taking a personal belonging from a character. If you want to steal or misuse something (or someone), just ask the player first.

5.) No metagaming.

Metagaming is having a character act on knowledge that only the player has access to. Just because you know something OOC does not necessarily mean you know it in character. Please be realistic and work out a way for your character to gain needed information.

6.) Be careful of the fourth wall rule.

Even if you're a major fan of a particular canon, your character should not share your enthusiasm. In fact, without player approval, your character shouldn't know anything about another character's canon or history. Of course, if a character is historical, and your character is familiar with Earth history this would be an exception.

Gameplay

1.) You must meet the activity requirement of 15 tags and/or one log every thirty days.

The log does not have to be epic-- even a brief encounter will do-- but there must be some participation. Participation is defined as starting your own log, or joining another log and making at least 15 tags. Solo/reflective logs that are meant to be stand-alone will count. If you're having problems getting into a log, please just contact a mod and we can work something out. They'll be a post up one week before the end of the month where you can post a link to your 15 tags and/or completed log. Those that did not meet the requirements will be dropped from the game and a cuts' list will be posted at the first of the month.

2.) You may go on hiatus at any time.

There is no limit to the amount of time allowed, but if it is going to be an extreme length of time, wouldn't it be better to let your characters go for now in case someone else wants to pick them up?

3.) Please stay in character at all times when posting to in-character areas.

We understand that interpretations of characters vary between players, but no drastic personality changes should occur without the in-game character development to back it up. This game is heterosexual, homosexual, and whatever else friendly.

4.) Do not create logs if you aren't going to finish them.

If life gets in the way and you cannot finish a scene you wholly intended to complete, please keep an open line of communication with all other parties involved in the log and offer to mutually withdraw. Don't leave anyone hanging and unable to figure out what's going on. The option to mutually end an otherwise unfinished log, or "handwave" it for any reason is always there (assuming all parties agree), but you are not allowed to start a ton of logs with different people and then pick or choose which you feel like finishing. Sometimes you must role play through "boring stuff" to enrich your character's development and the overall enjoyment of the game for everyone. Besides showing respect for other players, this is the rule we plan on enforcing the most and a huge problem with most other games. We want Crowded Hour to be different.

Characters

1.) There is a five character limit initially.

If you are actively (at least doubling the posting requirement) involved with all five of your characters, you may request additional characters to be approved on a case by case basis.

2.) Three of your five characters may be from the same canon.

But don't reserve related characters just to give your current character someone to interact with. This game's open and friendly, so there's bound to be someone new your character can meet.

3.) There will be only one version of the same character.

For example, if there is already an Anakin Skywalker, you may not apply for Darth Vader. If there is a Fifth Doctor, you may not apply for Ten.

4.) Every character must have a real world "played by."

That means no drawings, cartoons, or anime. It does not mean you cannot play a cartoon, anime, or original character, it just means you must find an actor, actress, or otherwise real world representation of them. This rule may sound harsh, but there are plenty of other games where you can use animated versions of characters. We're doing something different and allowing people to be more creative about the look of their character while maintaining a consistent appearance. No two characters may use the same played by, and you may not use a played by in the form of a character from a film, television show, or movie. For example, you may use Harrison Ford, but you cannot use Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, even if the character is not currently taken.

5.) Relationships change

One of the best parts of role playing is being able to take a character you love and put her in new situations. Being able to develop a favorite character beyond the bounds of her known canon can be really interesting and rewarding. However, please be aware that as a character develops through in-game events, her preferences and relationships may alter -- sometimes drastically. This is not OOC behavior; it's simply good psychology. Please, try not to get your feelings hurt if your characters ends up on the other end of the relationship.

6.) You can reserve a character for up to 3 days before applying.

Sometimes players know what character they want to play, but don't have the time right away to complete the application. Submit your information to the this post to make sure you get first shot at applying for a character. If you don't apply within the allotted time, or if your application isn't accepted, the character will revert back to a first-come, first-serve basis.