riverview: rules and procedures

[riverviewmod]

rules and procedures

rules

● Play nice. If you are making the OOC atmosphere of the game toxic for fellow players or the moderator, there will be consequences. This includes all the standard accepted rules of roleplay: don't infomod or godmode, keep IC separate from OOC, don't fourth-wall without permission, stay in character, and don't try to hog the spotlight all the time. All offenses will be handled on a case-by-case basis, as no two situations are the same. The mod reserves the right to issue warnings or remove players from the game, depending how serious the offense is, and to refuse applications or reserves based on a strongly demonstrated history of toxic behavior.

procedures

● Reserves will be open from 10:00 PM EST on the 15th of every month until 10:00 pm EST on the 1st of every month, when applications open; reserves will be valid until 10:00 pm EST on the 7th of every month, when the application cycle closes and the reserves page will be cleared.

● Applications will be open from 10:00 PM EST on the 1st of every month until 10:00 PM EST on the 7th of every month. Application challenges are not currently an option, though applications may be submitted for a reserved character in case the reserver doesn't follow through or is declined.

● Character caps will be 2 per person with subsequent character slots to be purchased with activity points to a maximum of 4 characters per person. There will be an overall game character cap of 125 characters. These caps may be re-evaluated depending on moderator workload. There will be a cast cap of 15 characters per canon; this may be re-evaluated as needed.

● Activity Check will be open from 10:00 PM EST on the 1st of every month until 10:00 PM EST on the 7th of every month. All comments used as activity proofs must be dated between the first and last days of the month and be posted to an entry from either the current or previous month.

● All players will be required to submit 1 thread of 10 or more comments for Activity Check proof.
● However, if your comments are 150 words or more, only 5 comments will be required. In this case, the 5 comments do not need to be consecutive, but they must be part of the same thread.
● Borderline word count comments will generally be 'rounded up.' For examples of what 150 word comments look like, please click here.
● In all cases, threads may be from either the log or network communities.

● Newly accepted characters will not have to provide activity proofs for their first month. They will be required to provide a link to their response on the Taken Characters page, and, if applicable, the Occupations page.
● If a player fails to reply to Activity Check they will be swept, and it will be treated as a drop, including the one-week grace period to rejoin without an application. If a character is swept for non-response and wishes to rejoin during the grace period, they would need to provide activity proof at that time.
● If a player doesn't have enough proof of activity, they may post to the Activity Check with a request for a strike. There is no option for two strikes in a row, so proof must be posted the next month or the character will be swept. If players are showing a pattern of taking a strike every second month, that will be dealt with privately on a case-by-case basis.
● While threads on the Test Drive Meme and individual character inboxes can be submitted for Activity Points, they cannot be used for regular Activity Check.

● Activity check standards have been put in place as of April 2018. These standards have been put in place to ensure that players are engaging with the game at large rather than sandboxing or squatting. Players submitting AC that shows a low level of engagement with the game for three months in a row (from any of the bullet points below) will be given a reminder to submit stronger AC the following month. If this reminder is ignored for three months in a row, the player will receive a strike for Activity Participation. Two strikes (total of 9 months low-engagement AC) will be considered grounds for removal from the game. The following types of AC submissions are considered low-engagement:

● Split AC: This is when a player submits two short proofs instead of one proof to AC standard. This type of split proof is intended only to avoid a strike in the event of a rough month and shouldn't be relied upon consistently.

● Castmate/Close CR AC: This is when a player consistently submits AC-length threads only with castmates, ship partners, or other close CR. This is one I don't always catch because I am not completely familiar with the relationships that every character in the game has, but I do notice when AC is submitted very consistently with only one other character or group of characters. Please note that attempting to circumvent this by just threading with the same friend's second character will be noticed and counted under this bullet.

● Late AC: This is when a player makes AC but is consistently on the warning list

● Appable characters include fandom characters, original characters, or AU versions of characters that appear in canon and have a personality distinguishably different from the original. Characters should have sufficient released information in English (or translated to English) to form a personality that is less than half headcanon, and be from a canon that has been released for a month or more at the time of application.

● Non-appable characters include fandom-based original characters, AU versions of characters that are not supported by canon, and characters so minor that a case cannot be made for their personality without large amounts of headcanon. Characters who are non-humanoid will not be accepted, except in certain specific cases where the character is partially humanoid (eg. centaurs, robotic characters, or shape-shifters) - if you are uncertain if your character fits this description, please contact the mod via PM. CRAU characters may be considered on a case-by-case basis with extra scrutiny and application requirements to ensure that the character is still recognizable and will not cause undue problems for any castmates - if you wish to apply for a CRAU character, please contact the mod in advance.

● Malleable protagonists from games like Mass Effect or Dragon Age are appable, providing they are applied with a solid and consistent personality that matches what is presented in the game and are applied as if no romance options were taken in order to avoid discomfort for any NPC castmates; this would go both ways - anyone apping the NPC castmates would have to app as if they were not romanced as well. Exception added June 1st: Malleable protagonists from dating sims or games that cannot be played without a romance option can be appable with a chosen romantic interest so long as said castmate is comfortable with it.

● Characters who are dead in canon can be brought in from the moment of their death. When they arrive, they will immediately be transported to the hospital, where they will be treated with futuristic medical procedures and put through the usual orientation while they recover over a period of 24 hours.

● Young or teen characters are allowed in Riverview, though younger characters may not be able to fully participate in dangerous missions, depending on suitability. Characters under 18 may not be involved in very sexual logs on the communities. Obviously making out and other romantic content is fine, as is fade to black for older teens, but please avoid smut with underage characters on the communities. CLARIFICATION ADDED 03/20/2018: This includes Friendr posts, IC inboxes, and other entries linked from the Taken page, all considered game canon.

● While the game is sex-positive, non-consensual sex should not be played on the communities. Mechanics in the game are not put in place to encourage sexual assault, or to 'trick' characters into having sex that they would not normally have. This includes any objects, drugs, aphrodisiacs, or other mechanics used in adult prompts to facilitate consensual sex. If guidelines are included in these prompts to keep everything consensual, it is the player's responsibility to carefully read and follow those guidelines, but even if no guidelines are included, these prompts should not be used to play out non-consensual sex or to trick characters into sex they would not consent to normally.

● Character abilities will not be nerfed unless they involve interdimensional travel or use of interdimensional spaces, or are otherwise gamebreaking. Please be aware that, ICly, the authorities in Riverview are capable of temporarily nerfing abilities in cases of violence or vandalism - please contact the mod if you need this type of interference in a thread.

● Characters may arrive with whatever they have on their person including vehicles up to the size of a large motorcycle, or non-sentient animals/familiars up to the size of a large horse.

● The communities are: riverview for network posting, riverviewlogs for in-person interactions, and riverviewooc for OOC interactions and memes. Tagging should be done in the form of "canon name: character name" and players are responsible for their own tagging. Please see this entry for more information on how the devices and network works.

● Canon updates are possible - it is ICly very difficult for characters to travel back and forth from their world to Riverview, so they would not be sent back home and brought back. Rather, the portal would expel a tech canister containing code for a memory download and physical restructuring (similar to the tech used for AC reward body mods) and the character would be summoned to receive them. Characters need to consent to the update, the authorities won't force it on them.

● Monthly schedule:

➛ 1st: reserves close, applications open, activity check begins
➛ 7th: activity check closes; applications close; reserves expire and reserve page is swept
➛ 8th: monthly state of the game modpost
➛ 15th: CR meme posted; reserves open; exploration mingle is posted every second month
➛ 20th: montly TDM is posted

Click here for a live calendar.

questions

If you have any questions about how the game works or need further details, feel free to reply to this entry and it will be clarified (providing it hasn't already been outlined).

app-related and character suitability
● Can Transformers and other large and/or robotic characters function in the game?
● Are characters created for tabletop or LARP systems appable?
● Are CRAUs of OCs considered appable?
● Can a teenage character be aged up to a young adult?
● Would doubles from different mediums be considered appable? (ex. Marvel 616 vs. MCU)
● Are genderswapped or sexswapped versions of characters considered appable?
● Should characters from comics/anime/video games use live action PBs? What if there isn't enough canon material for icons? What if a better PB option is found?
● Can characters who are bonded to or otherwise reliant on another character regarding powers be independent in Riverview?
● What is the verdict on trans headcanons in various situations?
● Would characters with a second personality (multiple personalities, possessions, or similar) be considered appable?
● What are some more specific parameters for non-humanoid characters and what would be allowed or not? Could a merperson work in the setting and be appable?
● Would player-created characters from MMOs be considered malleable protagonists or fandom OCs?
● Can young characters who have fighting experience participate in missions to some extent?
● Would doubles that are reincarnations of each other be able to be played at the same time?
● If a character would not use the network much, can a second log sample be used on the application instead?

ooc game housekeeping
● What is the IC:OOC day ratio and how does the calendar match up?
● Would late-teens characters attend school or have a job? Should headcanon be included on an application? How should a character's birthday be chosen?
● How should tagging for similarly named canons work? Should we tag entries that we tag into, or just ones we post? What if the character's name and canon is too long for a tag?
● Should assigned jobs that are said to work closely with the Perimeter Guard be posted on the Perimeter Guard page?
● Can the Activity Bonus perk for gaining a new power be used to level up current powers? Can characters start up their own businesses? Is there a Riverview equivalent of (popular website/app)?
● How should we go about describing the first level of a new power?

ic life in riverview
● Can characters from police backgrounds join the police force in Riverview instead of the Perimeter Guard?
● Does Riverview have magic? Is it alright for characters to make large summoned creatures?
● Are there tailors or seamstresses in Riverview to create clothes from the past?
● How would a werewolf character be handled? Can residents go outside the walls whenever they like?
● Are there supernatural creatures in Riverview? Is there a place in Riverview for people who deal with them? Would this include creatures like youkai or ayakashi that only some humans can see?
● Can characters find familiar or readable books in Riverview? What about movies or tv shows like Star Wars or Indiana Jones?
● Can characters who are illiterate, deaf, blind, or have other special circumstances use the devices?
● Are new arrivals told during orientation that they came to Riverview because they felt displaced?
● How would characters with abnormal dietary restrictions (ghouls, vampires, Turians, etc.) be fed in Riverview?
● What happens if a new arrival attacks the Perimeter Guard orientation team when they arrive through the portal?
● Do characters receive money when they arrive? What is the money in Riverview called and how does it compare to real-life money? (Plus additional detail about the economy in Riverview.)
● Is there physical money in Riverview? What is provided for free when new arrivals stay in Community Housing? (Plus additional detail on healthcare, homelessness, etc.)
● Can characters with no job skills make it as an adventurer rather than as a monster fighter with the Perimeter Guard?
● Would characters under 18 be allowed to carry weapons? How would that happen and what happens if they carry them illegally?
● Are recreational drugs available in Riverview? What are the laws regarding them? How are criminals punished?
● Do new arrivals receive new clothing if their clothing from home is destroyed?
● What are new arrivals told about the state of their home reality when they arrive? Is this information given freely or do they have to ask? What does this mean for CRAU characters?
● How are characters with chronic illnesses handled?
● If a character is seriously injured, how long would recovery take with the medical tech in the city?
● Can a character manufacture a drug and/or start a drug trade?
● Various questions about the handling of vampires who want to feed the old-fashioned way and need protection from the sun. Also can things like control chips be removed in Riverview?
● Are there cemetaries or graveyards in Riverview?
● Is there a black market in Riverview?
● Can characters get apps or games from their canon and do Riverview equivalents of Instagram, Twitter, or other apps for social media exist? Can characters make their own apps if one doesn't exist?
● Is there an accessible ocean in Riverview?
● Can older teenagers join the Perimeter Guard part-time while attending school, or drop out of school to join the Perimeter Guard? If a character skips school are there any IC consequences?
● How would a character find out that another character had gone home via being dropped?
● What would new arrivals who arrived by mistake and want to go home be told by the orientation team or other NPCs?
● Riverview is set on a moon orbiting the Capital World, so what does the sky look like on the moon including visibility of the Capital World, other satellites, and constellations?
● What information about the Capital World is available and what can characters find on the in-game internet?
● Where do the books in the Public Library come from?
● Are there any notable political figures in Riverview, and if so what are they like and can they be ICly contacted by characters? Here is a short short dossier of Mayor Hulla Dichard, one of the contactable political figures.
● What is the music and entertainment scene like in Riverview, and can characters break into it?
● Can characters change their network username if they want to? How does it work?
● Are there a lot of lightning storms in Riverview? Can characters with weather powers use them?
● Is the network accessible to NPCs? How do characters access public records of people who've come and gone? What do the authorities in Riverview know about new arrivals when they come through the portal?

plot or game mechanic related/mod permissions
● Is the afterlife considered a different dimension? Would necromancers need to be nerfed? What does the afterlife look like in Riverview?
● Would other planes of existence such as the D&D ethereal plane be considered alternate dimensions?
● Do we have to wait for events to thread out monster attacks on the walls/fence? What about things to draw characters out into the jungle?
● Would teleportation or portal use that only allows a character to travel inside the Quarantine zone be allowed?
● Are conversations on the network visible to everyone, and how can messages be considered private? Are they hackable?
● Can a character lie about their identity when signing up for a network username? What happens if the person whose identity they've stolen arrives later?
● Can characters make anonymous postings on the network?
● How do translation and the language barrier work in Riverview, for verbal and written communication? Can characters speak their own languages? If a character is hearing a translated language, what would the character hear when listening?
● What happens if a character dies while in Riverview? How can this be played with by necromancer characters?
● When new characters arrive, can they use digital or physical money they had on them when they arrived? If a character is underage on arrival but has a birthday that makes them 18+ in game, can they participate in adult activities after said birthday?
● Can characters who have a sylladex, hammerspace, or other pocket dimension type storage system use it in Riverview? What about a summoned weapon like a Keyblade?
● If a character has an ability that allows them to procure or do something that's on the Activity Bonus Perks list, should their ability 'cost' bonus points to use?
● How do the AC Bonus Perks look to characters and how are they explained ICly?
● What is the policy on fourth-walling other characters?
● If characters go looking in the Abandoned City for abandoned spaceships to fix up, would that be allowable?

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Awesome, thank you.