User:GreytideSkye/Sandbox/Principles

Skyrat 13 Guiding Principles

Introduction

The server merges player freedom, action, and roleplay together. We expect medium to high roleplay. We grant our players freedom in exchange for them being more responsible and considerate of their fellow players. Even if you are not much of a roleplayer, you are welcome on this server as long as you follow our principles.

If you are an experienced roleplayer on Space Station 13 and feel confident in your own ability, you can save time by reading the headers for each principle and the underlined text in the body. However, it is highly encouraged you read all of it thoroughly.

Basic Principles for Skyrat Players:

Disclaimer: Consistent violation of these principles will result in corrective action. Long-term, clandestine violations will result in being placed on a watch-list. If found guilty, you will be given a permanent sticky ban that may or may not be appealable.

Principle #1: Be a good community member by being considerate of others!

This is essentially the golden rule when it comes to interacting with others. We do not require that you be friendly with everyone here. In fact, we understand that conflict will arise at some point, but we expect toxicity to be kept to a minimum. We do not demand that you withhold your honest opinions, rather we ask you to avoid any toxic or antagonistic behavior when speaking in this community. Come with good intentions and be considerate of others. This only applies for out-of-character behavior

We encourage well-roleplayed, in-character conflict in our servers as long as you are considerate of others OOCly! However, be wary as some IC actions may be inconsiderate OOCly. For instance, you are to obtain admin approval before touching a SSD player, although certain situations such as the need to move a player to safety or the shuttle are permitted.

While we encourage IC conflict, do not harass players ICly if unwelcome. Furthermore, do not OOCly target any players in bad faith. In fact, anyone who participates in a coordinated effort in the form of a meta-gang to maliciously target a player will be permanently banned without appeal if found guilty and found uncooperative if found worthy of the charge. We will assume the worst if we cannot obtain reliable, unadulterated information.

Principle #2: Roleplay First!

Your character's actions should be driven by your character and not by the player. As such, playing in a way to maximize winning by exploiting the rules is strictly prohibited. For instance, if you make a player type and then you attempt to surprise them with mechanical combat in the middle of it, you will be dealt with. In fact, we allow incompetent characters within reason as one cannot be picky on the frontiers of civilization, given that they do not play a doctor or an engineer.

Remember: Losing is part of the game and part of roleplaying. Keep in mind, respawns are allowed as long as you choose another character and do not meta-game. With that said, escalate appropriately according to your character and situation. While you as the player are safe, your character is not. Play your character as if pain hurts and that cloning has significant side-effects, so that you are not unbelievably reckless.

Stress should also be factored when playing your character, especially in combat or emergency situations. Brave characters truly stand out when bravery actually means something. For instance, elite units in real life suffer one battle fatigue casualty for every ten wounded in action. Conversely, the ratio can be as high as one to one on average. Source: FM22-51 1-4B

Prioritizing roleplay does not mean we must abandon the wackiness of SS13 nor limit player freedom. In fact, we argue that maintaining a roleplaying environment with standards allows the player to organically develop an interesting experience for themselves and others. While we certainly must limit player behavior in some ways to permit this, we do so with the aim of granting you freedom elsewhere.

For instance, once you are an accepted part of the community, in-character criminal activity is encouraged as long as it is done with thought, consideration, and effort. In-character racism is encouraged. You are roleplaying on the very rim of society and civilization! Unsavory types will be found in all facets of life here. All we ask is that you put in the effort and not be inconsiderate towards others.

With this freedom in mind, we expect a higher level of responsibility towards your fellow community members when it comes to executing your ideas. If you are ever in doubt on whether you should do something or not, consult the players near you or contact an admin.

Principle #3: Marry Roleplay and Action Together

Please read the following in its entirety.

1. Cooperation

Work to create a story with others. Be a good winner and be a good loser. Whether you like it or not, roleplaying on the server is a communal and cooperative effort that works because the players within it agree to play a certain way. You cannot play selfishly, and you cannot ignore the rules. For instance, mechanics can kill ongoing roleplaying scenes if not done with consideration and thought. Roleplay can only exist if people know what to expect from one another.

Consider the following:

Imagine you are playing in a game like Rust or DayZ where you have the option of cooperating with someone or killing them for their loot. If you cooperate, both players can benefit from each other's cooperation. It's no surprise that clans tend to dominate these games for this reason. However, if you shoot first and kill the other person when they want to cooperate, you will gain everything the other player has with no cost to yourself. Conversely, you could try to cooperate but they could kill you, meaning you lose everything. Since you do not know what the other party will do, you will most likely shoot first, most likely after you end up getting shot in the head several times yourself, as this is what others will default to as well over time. It is similar to the Prisoner's Dilemma where people will gradually digress to a certain set of actions.

We do not want to harbor an environment where shooting first is the default choice. Roleplay dies at that point. Yet, we do not want a server where no conflict happens. We exchange excitement for more roleplay, and it leaves very little at stake as a result. The paradigm has to be shifted instead so that conflict can happen but roleplay is the desired outcome. This is where the action-RP lawset and combat indicator comes into play. Love it or hate it, it is here to make it so that roleplay is favored over combat without doing away with the latter. Rather, we work to intertwine roleplay and combat with this methodology. We have experimented with and without this lawset, and we ended up preferring this every single time.

2. Combat Indicator

The combat indicator is a way to show other players that you are interested in transitioning from roleplay into combat or some form of mechanics. Think of it as a handshake that should be returned by the other party before you engage in combat. So ideally, the combat indicator should predate any breakdown into mechanics. Sometimes, a handshake may not be returned. In those cases, poor escalation will be punished for repeat offenders, particularly those that "jump" people in the middle of a roleplaying scene.

Triggering Combat Indicator Example:

TODO: copy the image from wherever else it was.

3. When to Roleplay, When to Mechanic

Assume roleplay, i.e. saying and emoting, by default, until roleplay dictates that mechanics are needed to advance a scene or if mechanics, like a breach in the hull, gunfire, or an explosive device, inhibits roleplay. Keep in mind calling for help or for back-up is considered mechanics. If you are faced with a situation where you must lead with mechanics such as an ambush, it should be done infrequently with good IC motive and thought, not to mention ideally given pretext with the combat indicator. This is not an invitation to overrule roleplay with mechanics. Avoid doing this spontaneously and frequently. Keep in mind that mechanics serve the overarching story and the roleplay contained within, not the other way around. They are there to make the roleplaying experience more real, not prohibit it from happening. Please read the Basic Steps for Combat Indicator listed below the Action-RP Lawset.

4. Conduct During Ongoing Scene

If a roleplaying scene is present, you must create proper context and a lead-up into using mechanics, meaning you cannot engage mechanics immediately. Good escalation is key to enhancing the action, while bad escalation is the enemy of roleplay. While we encourage people to engage in a lengthy scene to create context and roleplay, you may not always have the luxury of doing so due to time constraints.

Therefore, the minimum requirement to engage in mechanics during a roleplaying scene is straightforward:

a) You must create a pretext beforehand. This can be as simple as showing hostile intentions with an emote or giving a final demand with a say. You can have a full-blown scene beforehand or you could immediately start with that immediately. Keep in mind that lacking roleplay as an antagonist is grounds for punitive action, so doing the latter in bad faith can be punished

b) Give them time to respond or submit.

c) If they do not submit, turn on CI. A grace period of 5-7 second will begin to allow the other party to turn on CI. Mechanics can begin if the grace period ends, even if the other party has not turned on CI. See "Basic Steps for Combat Indicator" below for a basic overview.

5. React and De-escalate

React to mechanics by mechanics, i.e. individual is running away, however, look to de-escalate to roleplay when you can. If you need to resort to mechanics and you intend to stick with it, use the combat indicator to indicate your intent such as when you intend to run away or fight. The red dot indicates that mechanics take priority. Disable it or surrender if you wish to revert back to roleplay. Every party should keep an eye on the combat indicator and react accordingly. Keep in mind that if someone is already using mechanics, you are not required to turn on the indicator immediately, as it is mostly there to indicate an escalation into mechanics.

6. No Unnecessary Killing & Abusing Surrender

Do not unnecessarily take someone out of the round, however, you do not have to go out of your way to avoid killing someone. For example, if someone's combat indicator is turned off, that may indicate a willingness to de-escalate to roleplay. You can also surrender mechanically. Do not abuse surrendering. Turning the indicator on and off to gain an advantage is prohibited. Keep in mind the activation and deactivation of combat indicators are logged.

Basic Steps for Combat Indicator

Remember - CI must be turned on first before the grace period timer begins.

a) If either party is in roleplay, emote hostile intentions or give a final demand. Give them a chance to relent. If they do not submit, turn on CI. Wait at least the grace period of 5-7 seconds for a CI response. Engage at your own discretion if both parties have CI up or grace period ends. Please see Action-RP Law #4 for more detail.

b) If neither you or your target is in your roleplay, you may immediately activate CI and engage in mechanics without a grace period. However, you must have a reason to do so. Furthermore, this should not be done regularly, rather it should only be done in select cases where it makes sense such as when you're looking to execute an ambush or if you're already engaged in hostilities and there is reasonable expectation of combat. Abuse of this, especially to forego roleplay, is grounds for punitive action. You should try to default to a) when permitted.

c) If something is forcing mechanics, i.e. another player, an event like depressurization, and so forth, you are free to engage in mechanics. While it is preferred that you CI first, if you are under immediate duress, you do not have to turn on CI. Do not try to force mechanics in bad faith.

Important Action-RP Lawset Notes

By the way, the lizard question in the application is no joke. Please make sure to read the community rules to understand why.

Combat indicators can be triggered either independently (Combat Indicator Only) or with combat mode. You can change the keybinding as needed for your convenience. You do not need to use combat mode to turn on combat indicators.

You can also surrender by doing *ff or *surrender into the command bar or turning it on in the IC tab.

You can continue to roleplay after the grace time of 5-7 seconds is up or if both parties have CI up, however, you will not have roleplay protection. You can be attacked at any moment, and **it will be fair game.** Roleplay protection will be reapplied if nobody engages in mechanics after CI is up or once the grace period is up, **given that one party turns off the CI to signal de-escalation.**

A call for help is mechanics. You do not need to turn on CI to engage in mechanics if someone calls for help.

Why do we necessitate the use of a combat indicator besides the example given in Action RP Lawset #1?

We want to merge action and roleplay together. While the two can co-exist in the same server and enhance each other, the use of mechanics and roleplay can sometimes clash. In fact, it is inevitable. Now, improper use of mechanics or a dependence on mechanics can prevent roleplay from ever occurring, especially when the user of the mechanics is focused more on winning than playing out his character and creating an experience for others. Since we are a roleplay server, we prioritize that by default until mechanics are needed to resolve a situation. A proper escalation and breakdown into mechanics is needed, so the combat indicator is used to communicate to others that you are prioritizing mechanics over roleplay at the interval you turn it on and off. Remember at the end of the day that Skyrats is a roleplay first server.

P.S. Abusing the 'leniency' given to stealth and ambush as described in Law #2 even by so-called "accident" will be dealt with harshly, as you will be suspected of following the law in bad faith to be LRP, regardless of your supposed intent.

END OF ACTION RP (TODO break this out, remove it, or have it be a link to where it already is in Fundamentals_for_Players#Action-RP_Lawset. Heck, looking there, it's in a different order or something.) (TODO: proofread that yeah it mentions *ff and I remember correcting that in a different document)

The above law set should be followed, much like a silicon follows their AI laws. The intent of the law set is not to discourage the use of mechanics or even demand one should use roleplay over mechanics to resolve conflict. Rather, it is present to prevent mechanics from ruining either an ongoing scene or a potential one, i.e. randomly grabbing someone and pulling them away in the middle of a conversation for no good reason.

In this server, combat serves roleplay, not the other way around. This does not mean you have to roleplay everything, rather you should have an eye open for roleplaying opportunities. If your only interest is in being robust and winning, this is not the server for you unfortunately, though there are plenty others that cater to your tastes!

A player should learn to mix action and roleplay together whenever possible, even as an antagonist. In fact, one should learn not to rely solely on mechanics when encountering a possibly dangerous situation with a player character. If a player character indicates that they are looking to roleplay, taking advantage of that desire to win a fight is a punishable offense under metagaming.

We highly recommend that you handle each encounter as an opportunity to not only fight but to create a roleplaying experience. For instance, whenever a player character encounters a dangerous situation with another character, their instinct should not be to shoot first and ask questions later, unless your character has a good reason to. Furthermore, if someone is aiming a lethal and ranged weapon at you, attempting to charge someone with said lethal weapon empty-handed will be considered poor roleplay without a valid reason.

In some instances, a player character may find themselves forced to engage in mechanical combat immediately. When the mechanics start, you are free to open fire as needed. Be careful not to end a player's session unnecessarily by killing them with little reason. However, players who attempt to take advantage of this through excessive use of fake surrenders, may be dealt with by staff.

If you find yourself forced to use combat mechanics immediately, we understand that these things happen due to the circumstances that arise. Sometimes, the proper roleplay response is to engage in combat immediately. However, if we notice that you have a habit of immediately forcing mechanical combat when it is not necessary, you may be approached by a staff member. If you find yourself forced to react purely mechanically more often than not with someone, that means someone is not acting to roleplaying standards.

Principle #4: Be a Team Player and Roleplayer in Group Combat

When it comes to pirate raids or a simple invasion by a mysterious foreign entity, those who form part of a cohesive combat unit from a team of mercenaries, a crew of pirates, a squad of security personnel, or even a ragtag mismatch of conscripted crewmembers, should act like a cohesive fighting unit. Maintain cohesion and even formations. Coordinate with your comrades, taunt your enemies, and move like a team instead of rushing in alone. Move slowly and think tactically. Most of all, play to have fun, not win. Do not try to fight to the last man instead, retreat, unless you are in a last stand or you are told directly by an event manager or in-game prompt that your unit has to fight to the last man.

In fact, as stated before, try a roleplaying approach first before shooting. Negotiations, diplomacy, all of that is encouraged! Be sure to give the other side breathing room to roleplay! To accomplish this, certain events will be lengthened in duration.

We understand combat is fast, and we do not expect you to forsake mechanics. We found from our experience that taking group combat more slowly and tactically as you execute a battle plan tends to be the most rewarding.. By taking the steps above, group combat can be fun and more manageable for all. Even if it is not the most efficient way to win, you should aim to roleplay and have fun that way. In the end, the way you should approach a battle should be intentful and tactical.

Be warned that anyone who unfairly attempts to take advantage of this more organized approach will be punished. However, creative and realistic approach to group combat against a more organized enemy through ambushes in maintenance and hit-and-runs on the security bay are encouraged!

Principle #5: Produce Net Gain of Fun

Produce a net gain of fun for those near you. For instance, capture when you can over killing someone. When you do capture, try to roleplay with said captives. Otherwise, provide them with some level of freedom to roleplay. Unnecessary killings, such as those who cannot resist, will be punished by staff. If you see a roleplaying opportunity to spice things up, think to yourself, "will this make things less fun for everyone near me?" If so, avoid doing it. If unsure, ask an admin or obtain consent with those you are roleplaying with.

In Regards to Erotic Roleplay

Editor's Note: Please be aware this is what Misc_Roleplaying_Policy is FOR. It's in there already.

We are a RP server foremost, not an ERP server. However, when it comes to ERP, we have light protection in accordance to the "do not be a dick OOCly" rule. We also expect players to LOOC each other beforehand for permission. We expect people, whether they are a participant or bystander, to be considerate of each other and the situation they're in, as this is an adult server where you are expected to be an adult. As a result, you should expect adult situations to arise, and you are expected to be mature about it. For instance, if you stumble upon players who appear to be doing a ERP scene in private and there is no urgency to the situation (I.E. combat isn't happening etc), please ask them in LOOC if it is okay to interrupt. Please note that for the sake of roleplay, it is preferred that ERPers say 'yes' if the person interrupting clearly state that they have no intention of stopping the scene. However, this is left to the players' discretion. Do not bomb the dormitory. Do not try to be cheeky and cause other forms of mass damage through bags of holding and so forth. The same principle applies. It is preferred you directly confront your target in accordance to our ERP policy and Action-Roleplay Lawset.

If you ERP in public, you are not required to use subtle emote. However, without the use of subtle emotes, you should be ready to welcome IC interference, given that said interference is roleplayed out. It is recommended you LOOC beforehand. Furthermore, for the sake of roleplay, it is preferred that you do not use subtle emotes for overtly noticeable actions. You should not face OOC backlash, only IC reactions and actions. Alternatively, if you witness ERP in public without the use of subtle emotes, react accordingly and roleplay it out. Like everything else, there is no excuse to be a dick OOCly.

With this protection comes responsibility, we expect participants of an ERP to be considerate to others outside of their ERP scene. If you are in an essential role and are called upon to do your duty where no one else can fill the void, you are expected to respond effective immediately. To avoid this, simply request a demotion beforehand and open up the roles to others. Those who do not comply may find themselves removed from their roles and possibly charged. However, people who prove themselves inconsiderate to others may find themselves job-banned.

Note: A private place is essentially an area that is not in public use and is very much out of the way, i.e. located in an enclosed room in maintenance or a locked dorm room. If you leave behind a trail and are actively pursued, every place will be considered "public" for the official search party [i.e. security and so forth]. If found under those circumstances, you will be obligated to roleplay with the consequences. This does not apply to people who stumble upon you incidentally. Keep in mind, if we find that a player is abusing our policies, expect to be charged with valid-hunting and other rule violations.

We have a basic rundown of the ERP Policy in the #server-rules channel for easy reading.

Principle #6: Embrace IC Conflict and Factionalism

Please read the following in its entirety.

We aim to create a roleplaying environment that emulates the grittiness of living on the frontiers, so we encourage IC conflict. For instance, once you've settled into the community, criminal activity will be tolerated within reasonable bounds as long as it encourages roleplaying. Certain extreme acts may require the permission of the other party or appropriate escalation.If you wish to perform a series of acts that may seem like self-antagging for roleplaying purposes or if you're in doubt, consult the administration.

Employment with NanoTrasen means literally nothing as to your attitudes to NanoTrasen, and being disloyal doesn't make you an antagonist. Forming gangs, striking out on your own against everyone else, or even outright betraying your employers by working with an opposing faction can provide unique, refreshing roleplaying opportunities for everyone involved (Warning: Before you willingly collaborate with an enemy faction, please ask for admin permission beforehand!). The Station is composed of numerous factions and possibly gangs, and Security is no where near omnipresent - nor omnibenevolent.

Criminal (and also broadly immoral) behavior is common. Including anything from petty theft to premeditated murder. All of the aforementioned, and more, can make roleplay more interesting if done with effort and consideration for your fellow community members on an out-of-character basis. However, Security still has to play its part when it comes to major issues, particularly those that are station-wide. While smaller, less profit-damaging crimes may go overlooked - severe crimes that affect a substantial portion of the station(classification 3 or 4) will provoke a strong response from Security.

NanoTrasen is not an ethical company. Characters may witness or face discrimination based on species. Those in its employment on the Frontier are exploited greatly. Far beyond what is seen in the more developed regions of the Galaxy. You came here because you were desperate, delinquent, unhireable anywhere else, a refugee of some description, or some combination of the four. If NanoTrasen cared about you, they wouldn't have sent you out to the frontier, to a station where the rules are loose and the morals even looser. NanoTrasen doesn't care about you, just about your productivity. As a direct result, no one is safe from (in-character) conflict. Individuals may face harassment, any number abuses, or be physically threatened by someone else on-station. Security (being a flawed, profits-protecting, and possibly corrupt force) will not necessarily intervene to protect you. You are, or will be, on your own in many situations.

Principle #7: Be Realistic with Your Character Skills

You should treat your character as if they are an actual person. This applies to things like skills, knowledge, behavior, fighting ability, weapons competency, and how they react to combat in general.

Delegate as a leader. If you are the Head of your department, delegate when you can, as you are a manager first and foremost! Micromanaging is the devil, unless you are playing that type of character!

Value your life. Your average person may be able to figure out how to handle a firearm through experience, however, please note that it has been shown empirically that proper and thorough training is more valuable than experience. If you are a civilian with no military training, you should value your own safety more than a hardened veteran. This is an extension to what was discussed in Principle #2. However, this does not apply as much to antagonist, as it is expected that you would have received some degree of training. However, you should attempt to remain as true to your character as possible.

Mary Sue characters should be avoided. If no one is available to do a critical task to keep role play going, such as an appendectomy or setting up the stations power, it should be handled in a manner that is realistic (Read the steps from books, only do the bare minimum for an engine setup, use the solars instead, etc). Lastly, keep to your role and ultimately department whenever possible. Only perform the roles outside your department if there is an emergency and no one is manning the position. Additionally as stated in Principle #2, you are allowed to roleplay your character incompetently within reason , though this does not apply to engineers and doctors.

While basic interdepartmental knowledge is allowed, a character should not be proficient in more than a single job branch that requires an advanced degree and a high level of specialization. There are only two branches that meet this requirement. Please pick one for a character and stick with it if possible. Place said job branch in your flavor text where anyone can easily verify it. You do not have to pick a job branch if your character do not play any of these roles!

• Biological - Chemist, Virologist, Doctor/Surgeon, Geneticist, Xenobiologist, RD
• Mechanical - Engineer, Atmosphere Technician, Roboticist, Scientist, Miner, RD

Note: This is subject to change. For instance, while unlikely, we may make a separate job branch for skilled manual labor, depending on what we empirically see on the server. Later on, security will be handled in a special way.

We largely rely on the community to honor and enforce this principle by reporting offenders.

Example:

If you are a doctor, you should not be knowledgeable in engineering. If you are an engineer, you should not be knowledgeable in surgery. These restrictions do not apply to any jobs outside of science, engineering, or medical. However, security will have its own requirements which will be specified at a later date.

Additional Note: These restrictions will not be strictly enforced with a small population. We do have plans, so that players may split specializations across two fields. For now, you should ask for an exception if it makes sense for your character's IC background, given that it is of good quality and is within reason. If approved, you will be asked to list your allowed specializations in your flavor text with the name of the admin who gave the approval.

Please be aware we also have a rule set: Skyrat 13 Ruleset

Editor's Notes/Rambling

First of all, #TODO for the first TODO or in-line editor's note I put in there. Anchor is a good template and I love it very much.

The original google doc is riddled with excessive underlining which a) feels like emphasis should be found in other ways, b) I had to translate as Italics which actively detracts from the message, c) ehhh? Like, I get it's important, but this is a document where everything is supposed to be important.

Action RP stuff already exists and is a major pace-killer in this page and in the doc. It was in a Table in the Doc in order to delineate it but that wouldn't work so well here. We could make it into a collapsible but since it's already in another doc... I was just going to remove it entirely from this doc, just a link to where it is in the wiki already.

Some of these are Rules and some of these are very much Not Rules:

Like, I think we've sort of moved past "have a career track" as a rule, instead we have Server_Rules#Rule_6:_Play_the_job_you_have saying "don't do surgery as an engineer" as a function of your job. This seems like a principle of making a Believable Character more than We Are Defining This As LRP, You Will Get Banned.

Heck, "Be Realistic With Your Skills" doesn't feel like a whole-ass Principle, not on the same tier as "Produce Net Gain Of Fun" and "Roleplay First!" Feel like it should be under Guide_to_Roleplaying_Excellency, not a Server Principle.

There's a "shocking" line about how doctors and engineers aren't allowed to be roleplayed as incompetent, which I vaguely thought was covered already under rules about not round removing folk or something?

Wow, a lot of the vibe is lost when margins aren't enforced. Paragraphs of like 2 lines seem sparse and empty, when on the doc they look dense enough. This is totally a monitor-dependent view. We could also use a Template for "Title" so that it's not a Header but also not dinky "it's just bolded" stuff.

Do we actually need to add this document into policy? Opinion: Nahhhhhh, maybe? Seems kind of redundant.

Why did you port it? Proof of concept, secret back-up of the doc? Feelings of inadequacy that can be solved only through doing something insubstantial?

--GreytideSkye (talk) 06:52, 15 November 2023 (UTC)