Role-Play

Consent-Based Role-Play
In its most basic form, consent-based role-play means that you always portray your character "attempting" an action against another character rather than declaring success or describing the outcome. Remember, don't "god mode"; take the hits as well as dishing them out; lose sometimes so everyone gets a turn to come out on top--it makes the experience more fun. To that end, various emitters have different preferences for how you handle emitted characters, especially thugs or minions. Rather than assume how this should be handled, it's always best to check with the emitter first. In many cases, you will be asked to utilize the game system to resolve such encounters.

There are limits to when consent may be used. First and foremost, we believe that "In Character Actions equal In Character Consequences" (or, "ICA=ICC"). That is, if you attack or insult someone, you may be unable to avoid getting into a fight with them. If you annoy someone, you cannot stop them from smearing your name all across the Outer Rim or spreading ugly rumors about you through the police societies of the Core Worlds. If you spread rumors about someone, it is fair to give them the chance to do something in retaliation. That kind of give and take is very much in keeping with the spirit of consent policy, but it means that sometimes your actions will automatically indicate consent for consequences--you can't, for example, march into crimelord's stronghold and the cry foul when he, oh, drops you in a rancor pit.

A few specific points about consent policy:


 * No one can take steps to render another character permanently unplayable or to keep another player's character out of play for an indefinite period of time. While capture or injury can and should happen, and it is certainly possible to suffer IC losses per ICA=ICC, you should not be kept from playing your character for these reasons.


 * No one is ever expected to engage in role-play that makes them personally uncomfortable, including sensitive subject matter, romantic situations, and honestly anything else that a player chooses to opt out of. Even if it is assumed that something happened "off-screen," you are not required to role-play it.


 * No one may assume they have discovered hidden information about another character, whether that information is included in their character +sheet, background, wiki, canonical history, or any other aspect of the character. All information your character has must come from IC sources, never OOC sources.

Continuity
In some games and themes, the fluidity of continuity is most important to reflect the ability to have many different possible "takes" on characters and storylines. However, for the purposes of this game, we wish to preserve a reliable and steady continuity so that we can assure the storyline develops and moves forward instead of losing track of itself or wandering aimlessly.

To that end, when picking up a character with history we ask that you at least skim old role-play logs, examine the past entries in their background, and otherwise keep on top of things as best you can. We realize that no transition is ever flawless, nor do we expect them to be, but we still want to strive to keep stories alive and character histories and experience relevant to the universe of the game.

By the same token, we expect that players do their best to help out with this. If Wes Janson's player drops the character after a year of active play, we do expect that the next player will do their best to both understand the character's past and to bring them back into play in a reasonable fashion, preferably explaining "where they have been." Yet, other players (and, of course, staff) should also do their best to assist the new player in transitioning into play. The aim of this is to make the game more fun for everyone, preserving the IC past for future relevance.

Retcons
Limited retcons may be possible under special circumstances. For example, if all parties involved in a scene agree that it should be retconned and a log has not yet been posted, then the retcon may be done automatically.

Otherwise,Else, an appeal to staff may always be made. To open up such a petition, just send in a +request to the staff +jobs list along with a message that explains the situation. If there are particularly pressing\ circumstances, we will consider making special arrangements.

Please note, though, that we prefer not to do this often, as we feel it can disrupt continuity, and so we will not approve such a change unless a very justifiable reason is presented. Minor adjustments, of course, are more likely to be approved than large, sweeping changes.

Tone
Role-play on the game can be categorized via several different "tones," each with different purposes. Each major public scene should declare an intended tone at the beginning so players know what they may expect.

Heroic
''"Never! I'll never turn to the dark side. You've failed, Your Highness. I am a Jedi, like my father before me." --Luke Skywalker''


 * Heroic RP explores many of the core values of classic Star Wars with good vs. evil and a dependable moral center--The Force will be with you, always. Heroes tend to triumph, villains tend to be defeated, and balance of one kind or another tends to be restored at the end of the day. Its purpose is classic adventure and Space Opera.

Gritty
''"Mos Eisley Spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious." --Obi-Wan Kenobi''


 * Those who enjoy Gritty RP feel right at home within places like Mos Eisley or Coruscant's sub-levels. The Sith only deal in absolutes, but "shades of grey" are the primary colors of heroism and villainy alike in this style of role-play. Its primary purpose is usually to explode the "other side" of things, complicating the Galaxy.

Angsty
''"I... I killed them. I killed them all. They're dead, every single one of them. And not just the men, but the women and the children too. They're like animals, and I slaughtered them like animals. I hate them!" --Anakin Skywalker''


 * Angsty RP explores the bleaker side of emotional RP and often strikes a brooding tone, often grappling with heavy, negative feelings, and it may heavily focus on the characters' need to deal with internalized pain and suffering. Its primary purpose is usually character development.

Dark
''"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened." --Obi-Wan Kenobi''


 * Ranging from horrific acts of evil to more commonplace but otherwise disturbing fare, Dark RP focuses on the more potentially unsettling aspects of play. More than realistic or emotional, such scenes tend to emphasize brutality and malice as very adult-oriented elements. Its purpose is generally to create antagonists and drama.

Romantic
''"I love you!" --Leia Organa'' ''"I know." --Han Solo''


 * In Romantic RP, emotions are treated as having more meaning, and the story is strongly impacted by them. This does not necessarily mean "love" or "relationship" role-play, though that is often the focus. Its purpose is often character development and the creation of personal subplots for characters.

Comedic
''"Uh, we had a slight weapons malfunction, but uh... everything's perfectly all right now. We're fine. We're all fine here now, thank you. How are you?" --Han Solo'' ''"Who is this? What's your operating number?" --Imperial Officer'' ''"Uh..." He shoots the intercom. "Boring conversation anyway." --Han Solo''


 * Sometimes, fun is all you need! Comedic RP sets a tone that is designed to be light and enjoyable, probably even funny, and it is often serves to offset the operatic epic qualities of Heroic RP or the bleakness of Angsty, Dark, or Gritty RP. Its purpose is generally to offer fun and levity without heavy consequences.

Social
''"Well, this is exciting! Do you know, Anakin, you're the first boyfriend my sister's ever brought home?" --Sola Naberrie''


 * Social scenes are those that are generally just character-driven and may have less to do with the business of saving the Galaxy or skirting its fringe, but they don't necessarily have to be Angsty or Romantic, either. Sometimes, a chat is just a chat. Its purpose tends to be character development or setting up plot elements.

Weird
''"I don't want your help. I want my lamp back.  I'll need it to get out of this slimy mudhole." --Luke Skywalker'' ''"Mudhole? Slimy?  My home this is." --Yoda''

It is notable that some things (see: Conduct) are not generally appropriate for public scenes on the game; no matter what the tone of a scene might be, it should fit within those rules.
 * Whether dealing with strange Force manifestations, ancient and mysterious technology, or truly bizarre aliens, "weird" scenes are all about experiencing the kind of oddities that occupy the more remote nooks and crannies of the Galaxy. The purpose of these scenes varies; they may range from dramatic incidents incidents to a Comedic setup.

Danger
''"I've got a bad feeling about this." --Basically Everyone Ever''

Any planned event can have a particular threat level associated with it. Note that this does not mean that anyone is necessarily excluded from an event that is "too dangerous," but it does mean that characters who enter a very dangerous scene and try to leap into the epicenter of the action might reasonably need to role-play walking away with injuries, potentially even being hospitalized. Such characters might still join in the scene, but they might be wiser to choose other roles besides directly confronting the central threat.

If a scene is well below your character's power level, then it might be best not to join it as that alt to avoid overshadowing others--but, when in doubt, you can always contact the emitter and work something out.

Event danger levels:


 * Minimal: Everyone should walk away from this fine. Even without major combat skills or weapons, any character could take center stage without any great risk to his or her person.


 * Low: To face the central threat in this type of scene, characters should have strong combat skills or at least minor powers or weaponry. Expect some minor injuries if your character does not have such abilities.


 * Medium: To face the central threat in this type of scene, characters should have some notable powers or weaponry at their disposal. Expect serious injuries if your character does not have such abilities.


 * High: To face the central threat in this type of scene, characters should have fairly high-level powers or weaponry at their disposal. Expect critical injuries if your character does not have such abilities.


 * Epic: To face the central threat in this type of scene, characters should have top-tier powers or weaponry at their disposal. Even those with the greatest powers will probably not walk away unscathed.