YCM Roleplay Section Rules

[BANZAI!!!!]

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YCM ROLEPLAY SECTION RULES

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Welcome to the YCM Roleplay Section! If you're new here, it would probably be good to note that roleplaying here can be a considerably different process and experience than on other sites. We're a very close knit community, but also very kind and welcoming so you can integrate yourself in no time. Whether you're new or not, it would be a good idea to review your knowledge of the Section Rules. Otherwise, you may incur the wrath of the incredibly attractive, omnipotent RP moderator(s).

The general rules of the YCM forums apply to these forums as well unless explicitly stated otherwise. Please familiarize yourself with them. They can be found here: http://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/forum-28/announcement-61-yu-gi-oh-cardmaker-forum-rules/

You must only post your own work. Plagiarism of any form, including posting other people’s work sans permission; claiming someone else’s work as your own; or posting blatant derivatives is forbidden. If you break this rule, you will be banned without argument. That said, disclaimer incoming: all media posted in this forum is assumed to be copyright of its respective owners. Unless otherwise stated, an individual poster makes no claims as to the possession of anything they’ve posted. Just covering our butts here.

RP content rating system: Every RP that is posted on YCM must follow certain guidelines as to its content, and as a result we use a rating system to identify what can and can not be depicted in an rp. All Roleplay threads (both OOC and IC) must include their rating in the thread title. Any post not adhering to the rating of an RP should be reported and brought to the attention of an RP moderator. The ratings we use on YCM are in ascending order as follows:
R-G (Rated for General Audiences)- Not something you'll usually see on YCM, but for those who want to avoid most depictions of violence and sex, this rating exists. R-G RPs allow for depictions of mild violence and implied sexual content.
R-13 (Rated for ages 13 and up)- Formerly known as PG-13, this is what the vast majority of RPs on YCM fall into. R-13 RPs allow for depictions of some violence and some sexual content, but nothing graphic.
R-16 (Rated for ages 16 and up)- R-13's big brother. Formerly known as PG-16, R-16 RPs allow for depictions of some graphic violence and sexual content.
R-16+ (Rated for ages over 16)- The absolute limit of what is allowed on YCM, including graphic violence and (SFW, mind you) sexual content. Please note that all R-16+ RP concepts must be PMed to and approved by an RP moderator before they are posted, and will be strictly monitored by staff to ensure that they stay within site guidelines.
R-18 (Restricted to those over 18)- Pornography, Ultraviolence, etc. Nothing that would warrant an R-18 rating may be posted in the RP section. This means no overly graphic sex or violence in either written or visual form.

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CREATING AND HOSTING ROLEPLAYS

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There are several important guidelines to follow in order to ensure quality and smooth operation of your roleplays on YCM.

A roleplay starts with a thread in the OOC Forum. You can make an interest check thread containing a minimum of 100 words describing your roleplay before creating an OOC thread with a description of the plot, rules, and an application template; or you can move straight into a full-blown OOC. Before the IC starts, you must have a plot paragraph describing what the RP is about, the rules and an application form in your OOC opening post. For those of you who are new to hosting, here is the most helpful guide in the universe (in Zai's unbiased opinion) on creating a roleplay: http://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/topic/333475-zais-guide-to-ooc-threads-and-rp-conceptualizing/

 

Note: You are allowed to have a separate thread for Interest Check and Out of Character Planning (though it's recommended you simply edit your Interest Check once moving to OOC).

 

However an RP may not have more than one thread of each unless given special permission from a Moderator.

The same goes for In Character RP threads.

All OOC threads must include the Advanced Clause in their rules. On YCM, we have what is commonly called the “Advanced Clause,” a set of basic rules designed to promote literate roleplaying. All OOC threads need to use the body of the clause as follows or reference the clause in some way.
 

a. All IC posts require at least 100 words (not including quotes from previous posts), roughly 4 lines at standard formatting.
b. Posting in script format is forbidden.
c. Copy-pasting or “expying” characters without tailoring them to the new roleplay is forbidden.

A roleplay needs at least two people, including the host, to start. The IC cannot be posted without the host first accepting at least one other person in the roleplay... otherwise it's not an RP, go post in Creative Writing instead. One on one roleplay is perfectly fine.

If you reject an application, you must provide an explanation as to why. If you feel their ability as a writer and roleplayer is insufficient, it's good ettiquite to critique them and offer them suggestions to help improve their writing. If the issue has more to do with their previous conduct in other roleplays, please be polite about it. A moderator may step in asking you to elaborate if they feel your explanation is not enough (or if you're being a dick).

If a roleplayer has been inactive for an extended period of time in a roleplay, the host has the right to control that roleplayer's characters in order to move the RP along. If conflicts arise as a result, please contact a roleplay moderator to settle the issue. It is up to the moderator's discretion whether the host's use of this right was appropriate. It is however, good form to try to contact and discuss with the inactive roleplayer first, before resorting to taking control of their character(s).

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ROLEPLAYING CONDUCT

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These rules are to make sure everyone has fun.

You must follow the rules set by the roleplay host. If you have a problem with any of the rules or the way which a roleplay is run, please contact a roleplay moderator to resolve the issue. Unnecessarily aggravating the issue and parties involved can result in punishment.

Please proofread your work and do not use chatspeak or emoticons in IC posts. Please abide by all properties of proper prose. A degree of mastery of the English language, spelling, and grammar is required. If English is not your forte or your first language, accommodations can be made, however you must be willing to improve.

Avoid godmodding, metagaming, or powerplaying in IC. Performing actions that cannot be defended against or giving oneself inordinate amounts of power (godmodding), using information that couldn’t be known in-character (metagaming), or controlling another player’s actions without their permission (powerplaying) is not allowed. We understand that this can be unintentional, but you must correct your posts if caught doing so. Moderator action may be taken if this is a persistent problem.

Contact a moderator if problems occur. Some disagreements can be resolved by the roleplayers themselves, but before things get heated please contact a moderator as a mediator.

Ghosting Any player who fails to post in a roleplay after at least 10 days have passed since their last post can be reported to the Roleplaying Moderator for Ghosting. Roleplayers who are Ghosting are barred from joining or creating any new roleplays for a duration of time equal to their absence from the roleplay (in other words, a minimum of 10 days). The same rule applies to hosts who fail to keep their own roleplays running by not posting in them. These penalties stack if someone is ghosting in more than one roleplay. Should a player or a host inform the other participants of an unavoidable absence of any length, they are granted leniency, but this can only be extended to an individual once every 30 days. As well, a host may at any time and for any reason grant leniency to an absent player at their discretion, which overrides any reports made by other players. All hosts (or players, if the host is MIA) are strongly encouraged (but not required) to inform the Roleplaying Section moderator of any ghosting absences, and the section will be kept updated with a list of penalized roleplayers here: https://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/topic/369196-the-spooky-list-of-rp-ghosts/?do=findComment&comment=7062328

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ROLEPLAY MODERATOR(S): CowCow