NPC Application
Mar. 16th, 2014 11:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tripled_mods( Application and explanation below )
If you're looking for the regular character applications, those are over here.
If you're looking for the regular character applications, those are over here.
tripled_mods
APPLICATIONS
Jan. 22nd, 2013 08:28 pmtripled_mods[ PERMISSIONS POSTS ROUND-UP ]
Aug. 31st, 2012 04:37 pmtripled_modsThese are the permissions posts for everyone in the game who has them! If you have one that was missed, or a new one that you'd like to add, please comment with the link.
( Read more... )
( Read more... )
[ PLAYER DIRECTORY ]
Jan. 6th, 2012 09:27 amtripled_mods( Player Directory )
( Add Yourself! )
( Update Information )
[ CONCRIT DIRECTORY ]
Jan. 4th, 2012 10:23 amtripled_mods❨ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ❩
Welcome to the Concrit Directory, a collection of character concrit pages put together for easy access. If you'd like your character(s) to be listed, please fill out the form on the bottom of the page. Although it's completely optional, we do strongly encourage everyone to have a concrit page for the benefit of all players. :)
( and go: )
[ Mod Approval Requests ]
Jan. 4th, 2012 09:40 amtripled_modsPlease comment here to request approval for any upcoming plots or actions which require mod review. Said plots and actions include, but aren't limited to:
► Use of a non-claimed canon character on a temporary basis, i.e. occasional journal hacking or RLs involving canon characters. Each instance of journal hacking, etc. will need separate approval. Use of a canon character for longer periods may require actually applying for the character on a permanent basis. Semi-sentient pets, sidekicks, henchmen, and other, similar characters also fall under this rule if they are pulled from the canon (not player-created) and are going to be interacting with community members at any great length.
► Plots involving the death of one or more characters. Canon deaths do not require approval. However, we ask that canon deaths also be brought to our attention to prevent any confusion over approvals and to give us a heads up as to what's going on. Certain methods of resurrection may also be subject to mod review, so if a plot involves character death, please bring it to us here.
► Plots involving sensitive subjects, as defined here. This list isn't comprehensive, other sensitive subjects that aren't listed may still require mod approval. If a plot could potentially offend or make people uncomfortable, to be on the safe side you might want to check with a mod beforehand. Mods reserve the right to deny or stop the progress of any ongoing plot deemed to be inappropriate or disruptive.
There may be other situations in which mods should be contacted beforehand, mostly where plots are going to affect the majority of the community. If you have doubts as to whether something falls under one of these categories or needs approval for any other reason, it's always best to err on the side of caution. Please ask one of the mods (a list of which can be found here) or mod assistants if a formal request is necessary, or just go ahead and put one in. We'll be happy to let you know if it's something that doesn't require approval. It should also go without saying, but once you've made a request here, do not go ahead with your plot point until either it's approved by a mod, or you're advised by a mod that approval isn't needed.
Please note: Approval requests will be checked, on average, every week or so. To avoid any delays to being able to implement your planning, it's best to get your requests in as soon as possible. If you're unable to do so and need to make the request on short notice with a specific deadline or if your request goes over a week without being reviewed, you can give one of the mods a friendly nudge. ♥
► Use of a non-claimed canon character on a temporary basis, i.e. occasional journal hacking or RLs involving canon characters. Each instance of journal hacking, etc. will need separate approval. Use of a canon character for longer periods may require actually applying for the character on a permanent basis. Semi-sentient pets, sidekicks, henchmen, and other, similar characters also fall under this rule if they are pulled from the canon (not player-created) and are going to be interacting with community members at any great length.
► Plots involving the death of one or more characters. Canon deaths do not require approval. However, we ask that canon deaths also be brought to our attention to prevent any confusion over approvals and to give us a heads up as to what's going on. Certain methods of resurrection may also be subject to mod review, so if a plot involves character death, please bring it to us here.
► Plots involving sensitive subjects, as defined here. This list isn't comprehensive, other sensitive subjects that aren't listed may still require mod approval. If a plot could potentially offend or make people uncomfortable, to be on the safe side you might want to check with a mod beforehand. Mods reserve the right to deny or stop the progress of any ongoing plot deemed to be inappropriate or disruptive.
There may be other situations in which mods should be contacted beforehand, mostly where plots are going to affect the majority of the community. If you have doubts as to whether something falls under one of these categories or needs approval for any other reason, it's always best to err on the side of caution. Please ask one of the mods (a list of which can be found here) or mod assistants if a formal request is necessary, or just go ahead and put one in. We'll be happy to let you know if it's something that doesn't require approval. It should also go without saying, but once you've made a request here, do not go ahead with your plot point until either it's approved by a mod, or you're advised by a mod that approval isn't needed.
Please note: Approval requests will be checked, on average, every week or so. To avoid any delays to being able to implement your planning, it's best to get your requests in as soon as possible. If you're unable to do so and need to make the request on short notice with a specific deadline or if your request goes over a week without being reviewed, you can give one of the mods a friendly nudge. ♥
[ REQUESTED CHARACTERS ]
Jan. 3rd, 2012 03:29 pmtripled_modsIf you'd like to add a character, just fill out the form below!
NOTE TO POSSIBLE APPLICANTS: Before applying, please refer to the Taken Characters List to make sure none of these characters have already been accepted.
Thank you!
( Requested Characters )
( Request one of your own! )
[ TAKEN CHARACTERS ]
Jan. 3rd, 2012 03:13 pmtripled_modsIf you have any questions or concerns over how a character is being portrayed, feel free to visit the Concrit Directory. :)
Adds last updated through 1/24/16
Drops last updated through 9/26/16
( Taken Characters )
Player's Guide
Jan. 3rd, 2012 03:07 pmtripled_modsHere you'll find information on almost every aspect of
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
dramadramaduck's gameplay. For more information visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.( Guide beneath the cut. )
tripled_modsNOTE: For a more comprehensive guide to DDD, please see the Player Guide. You may also want to visit the FAQ.
( THE RULES OF THE GAME )
( THE RULES OF THE GAME )
APPLICATIONS: 2011; 001
Apr. 5th, 2011 04:25 pmtripled_mods→ Important Rules
→ Click this link for an explanation of our application. Worth a read for a refresher even if you've applied twenty times before!
→ Click this for an explanation of what we consider plagiarism
→ A convenient word counter. We encourage using this to confirm your samples meet the require word minimums before posting.
→ The Application
( Prompts )
We strongly discourage conversations on applications. A comment here or here is fine, but please reserve all 'celebrating' for intro posts.
We check applications every few days.
They are always open.
If you write an intro post for your sample, it's going to be very hard to judge you, and we're probably going to ask for another one.
The previous application post is here.
- You must be at least 15 to play.
- No original characters or real people.
- You may submit two applications each calendar month, and that's it. Deleting applications to get around this rule will lead to an applications suspension and automatic rejection.
- We have a character limit of 9 and a fandom limit of 3 (that is, three characters from a single fandom per person.)
- Please realize the difference between catchphrases and copying material from a book or script. The former is a saying your character often uses, which is perfectly acceptable, while the latter is copying lines directly from a book or script, which is grounds for automatic rejection.
- Lyrics will not count to your word count.
- Should we request another sample, you have a week from that request date to supply one before the application is automatically rejected.
- We do reference IP addresses on this post and this is to avoid people getting around our application rule or those few banned players we have getting back in. We don't mind if you use a sock puppet account in general but if there will be complications, please contact us. Additionally, no one can see your IP address but moderators.
- If you are re-apping a previously dropped character, feel free to link your old entries for a first person sample. However, if it is your first time applying, please write a new sample for your application, rather than linking to an entry in another game.
- The taken characters list
- The Reserve Page, to see if someone has reserved the character or if you, yourself would like to. See the page for more information about reservations.
- Please don't be presumptuous. Mods reserve the right to reject the application of anyone announcing their acceptance prematurely.
- Do not bother the moderators about your application. Asking for a verdict in PM or otherwise will result in an auto-reject.
- If you feel you've been overlooked, post a comment with a link to your application and we'll make it our priority. Being overlooked and reposting your application will not count to your two a month limit.
- If you have any general questions about applications or how the application process works, feel free to contact any of the moderators/modpoles.
→ Click this link for an explanation of our application. Worth a read for a refresher even if you've applied twenty times before!
→ Click this for an explanation of what we consider plagiarism
→ A convenient word counter. We encourage using this to confirm your samples meet the require word minimums before posting.
→ The Application
( Prompts )
We strongly discourage conversations on applications. A comment here or here is fine, but please reserve all 'celebrating' for intro posts.
They are always open.
If you write an intro post for your sample, it's going to be very hard to judge you, and we're probably going to ask for another one.
The previous application post is here.
(no subject)
Nov. 8th, 2010 03:59 amtripled_mods❨ • • ❩
INDEX
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use ctrl + f to find certain characters or players - (or command +f if you're a mac user)
hover over the inbox link to see its capabilities
( it begins. )
(TL;DR) MOD ANNOUNCEMENT - PLEASE READ
Jul. 9th, 2010 07:43 amsamuraiprosecutorFriends, Romans, DDDers, lend me your ears. It's been a while since a post like this was needed, but over the past week there have been a few developments and changes we need to make you guys aware of. There are also a few other things that we feel everyone should be reminded of now and then, and as some of you are probably already aware, now is a very good time to refresh your memories on them. We've got a lot to go over, so please bear with us and read every point of this announcement. There will be a quiz later, and no, it won't be multiple choice. Multiple choice is for wimps. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to comment here, here, or bring them to any of us privately if you'd prefer.
And that's about it. Thanks for sticking with me through all of that, guys. If you've got any questions, concerns, suggestions, etc., again we're open to having discussions here. We'll be expanding on the rules and guidelines of the game to include a lot of this stuff so newbies and people who just want to refresh their memories will soon be able to find this info there. Thanks again for your patience and your cooperation. o/
• NPCing with regards to interpreting canon relationships - We've never made a hard rule about this type of situation, but it's come up several times in the past so we thought it was time to clarify things. As you should all be aware, NPCing of a canon character that's not in DDD requires mod permission. There are a few exceptions to the rule, such as playing out a scene directly from canon without alterations, but for the most part if you need to get an unapped character involved in DDD events or posts, you need to bring the request here first.
What we never really clarified is how to handle indirectly referencing characters that are a part of your character's life. Just as playing them in DDD can affect anyone who wants to app for that character in the future, indirectly involving them in DDD events through having the character make mention of them or assuming a relationship that's not specifically given in canon can also affect future players. For this reason, we expect these usages of other characters to be kept to a bare minimum wherever possible. Occasionally mentioning that the character is off doing something that the character frequently does in canon is fine, but mentioning that said character is, say, joining your character offscreen on an intergalactic TARDIS tour courtesy of the community is not so much.
Obviously this is going to bring NPCing into a bit of a grey area, especially when there are viruses or events that involve a character's whole world. We're not going to ask you to come to us for things that will never be mentioned in game and won't affect the character if a player should decide to app for them later. As long as the situation doesn't alter canon much and the mention is kept brief and/or vague, that should be fine. Any extensive involvement in DDD events or large assumptions about characters that aren't yours, including familial relationships that aren't directly supported by canon, should be brought to the mod approval post. If you're not sure which category your situation falls under, bring it to us and we'll be happy to let you know if permission is needed!
• Awaiting mod permission for events and viruses - We all know what it's like to get superuberexcite about a potential virus or a plot idea, and doing some preliminary brainstorming or fishing for interest in the OOC comm/chat/on Plurk beforehand is a great way to get things started. But please remember that until that virus wins or that event is approved, there are no guarantees that they will happen. We understand how easy it is for plotting to take on a life of its own once it's started, especially with the levels of excitement we maintain around here, but when people get carried away it's possible for excitement to be mistaken for an assumption that mod permission is a foregone conclusion, whether or not that's actually the case. Out of respect for the authority of the mod team, please try to hold off on the really heavy-duty public plotting until final permission is given.
• IC =/= OOC - This has been brought up in the past, but everyone needs a reminder now and then. DDD is like Vegas: what happens in game stays in game. The reverse is also true. In a game with a playerbase the size of DDD, occasional OOC conflicts are inevitable, but to keep the game comfortable for all players, every effort needs to be taken to keep those conflicts from bleeding into our characters' interactions. In a similar vein, a character's words shouldn't be taken as representing the player's opinions unless there's significant evidence to suggest it. If you suspect that this guideline isn't being followed and it's becoming detrimental to the game, the mod team is always open to hearing player concerns through direct contact or the Suggestions and Complaints post.
For more info, please see the Rules of the Game.
• Plurk – In the past, we as a mod team have taken a very hands-off approach to Plurk. Plurk accounts are the property of their owners. Their connection to DDD is obviously unofficial, and just like personal journals, they don’t fall under our jurisdiction.
However, as you’ve all probably noticed, Plurk has taken over for chat as the chief form of OOC communication in the game. As a result, occasional problems that might have normally been actionable if they’d happened on the OOC comm or chat have gone unremarked, allowing situations to fester into something worse than they should have been. With this in mind, we’ve decided we’re going to have to revise our stance on dealing with OOC conflicts that take place on Plurk. We’re going to try to maintain minimal interference with your privacy and we still recognize that these are your accounts and you have the right to use them as you choose, but if interactions on Plurk threaten the comfort of the game we may take certain steps to prevent things getting worse.What we may do:
►Step in to act as mediators if game-related interactions in public Plurks begin to get out of hand and/or threaten to affect in-game interactions.
►Review public Plurks or private Plurks provided to us by involved parties as evidence in an official complaint. This is similar to the way we currently treat IM and chat logs that players provide to us as evidence. As with outside sources like RPS and Anon Meme, such Plurks will generally only be acted on in cases of clear harassment and/or cases where they serve to backup other evidence that’s actually in our jurisdiction (i.e. from the OOC comm or chat).
What we won’t do:
►Take any mod actions in private Plurks, unless our intervention is specifically requested by a player or players involved in the Plurk.
►Take any mod actions on purely personal matters that aren't related to the game.
►Take any official action without clearly delineating it as such. We’re also players in the game, and like anyone else we have our own opinions about situations that take place. We have the right to express those opinions, so unless we make it clear to you that we’re acting in a mod capacity, please don’t assume that our personal opinions constitute an official stance from the entire mod team. (Again, this is similar to the stance we’ve taken in the past in places like RPS and Anon Meme.)
These guidelines are still new and may be revised or clarified further in the future. We’ve based them entirely on the way we treat other outside sources, personal journals, IM logs, and DDD’s official boundaries. If you guys have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please bring them up here or in the suggestions post so we can discuss them. You guys may see things from a perspective we haven’t considered, so we’d love to hear your input.
• R-E-S-P-E-C-T. FIND OUT WHAT IT MEANS TO ME - Finally, and most importantly, we want to remind everyone of the #1 rule of DDD—respect your fellow players. I think most of us can say that we love our characters and their friends dearly, but at the end of the day, they’re just that—characters. The people we’re playing with should always take precedence over them. In a forum with the relative anonymity that the internet provides, it’s easy to forget that there are people on the other end of the line, but that just means it’s even more important to make an effort to remember them.
When conflicts arise, keep the other person in mind. If you’re getting upset, take a few minutes to cool yourself down. Try to look at the situation from an outsider’s perspective and see if it helps you to understand both sides of the story. Don’t jump to conclusions, especially when anonymous commenters are involved and you have no context other than what’s being given to you. When dealing with anons, don't make assumptions about who you're speaking to. Unless you've got IP addresses or a confession, you don't know for certain, but assuming you do will taint your interactions with the filters you'd normally use for the person you suspect, which could get in the way of anything useful being said. Don't dismiss criticism out of hand because of the source. Valid crit is valid crit, regardless of where it's coming from. If you feel one of your friends is being attacked and your instinct is to defend them, try to do so in a calm manner, and keep in mind that defending a friend isn’t the same as hurting the one that’s hurting them. Enabling a bad situation only makes it worse, which doesn’t do anyone any favors.
One of the things that’s kept me (and probably a lot of you) in this game is the caring that we all have for each other. To me, DDD feels like a family. Like any family, we’re going to quarrel and argue at times, but at the end of the day we still love and respect one another. I’ve seen evidence of this numerous times in my tenure as a mod. I’ve seen you guys look for evidence instead of running immediately with the easiest and most inflammatory assumptions. I’ve seen people on both sides of some heated arguments do their best to mediate the situations and strive for some understanding between both parties. After some of the things that I’ve seen this game go through, I should probably be jaded as hell, but every time I think I’ve reached that point you guys do something to restore my faith in this playerbase. I know this is more than just some game to you guys, and you care as much about it as we mods do.
DDD may still have a reputation for wank, but you’ve proven to me time and again that’s the last thing you really want. We’re here to have fun with friends and enjoy a unique hobby that brings us a lot of pleasure. Let’s all keep that in mind as we play, and remember that our behavior, inside and outside of the game, reflects on DDD as a whole.
And that's about it. Thanks for sticking with me through all of that, guys. If you've got any questions, concerns, suggestions, etc., again we're open to having discussions here. We'll be expanding on the rules and guidelines of the game to include a lot of this stuff so newbies and people who just want to refresh their memories will soon be able to find this info there. Thanks again for your patience and your cooperation. o/
samuraiprosecutorAnnouncement time, gang! As you’ll hopefully remember, about two weeks ago we made another How’s Our Driving post, where you all could bring us any concerns, suggestions, or complaints on the game and the mod team’s performance. This time we had an awesome turn-out, and a lot of things were brought to the table. After reviewing everything, we’ve amended some policies and decided there are a few things that need to be addressed to the game as a whole.
______
• Sensitive content
While a large portion of our player base is 18 or older, our minimum applicant age is 15, and we feel our content should reflect that. DDD is not an 18+ game; even if it were, comfort levels aren’t restricted by age groups, and not everyone is going to have the same reaction to all material. We don’t want to hamper anyone’s creativity, but we also don’t want DDD to be a place that people can’t feel comfortable in.
To this end, we’ve amended our policy on posts that involve sensitive content. From this point on, posts involving explicit content—whether graphic violence and extensive gore, overtly or explicitly sexual content, or the other content outlined on our sensitive topics list—should be locked and placed behind an LJ-cut with all applicable warnings. This applies to both community content and content on personal journals. Previously posted content doesn’t need to be amended, but anything posted as of this announcement must follow this rule.
Please be aware of warnings before viewing a post’s content. If it looks as though a post might be something you’d find objectionable, it can then be easily avoided. Again, this rule isn’t meant to hamper players’ creativity, but to help prevent the discomfort that can occur when dealing with content of this nature. You’re still free to explore such subjects; we’re only asking for these topics to be handled with the care appropriate to a 15+ game.
These changes are in addition to the guidelines we already have on sensitive topics that need mod approval, which are defined in the Mod Approval Requests post.
• Characters who are minors and the LJ Terms of Service
For those who aren’t aware, sexualized depictions of a minor (which is, as defined by California law, anyone under 18) are against Livejournal’s TOS. If reported, the distribution of anything that can be considered child pornography could have dire consequences for the game and the people who run it, up to and including legal action. As none of the mod team can really afford a visit from Chris Hansen, we have to set some guidelines on this content.
Currently, this subject’s still under discussion. When we have a more concrete decision on the guidelines for this type of content, we’ll make a detailed announcement, but for now, we’re asking that all overtly sexual content involving a character who’s under the age of 18 is locked to members only and given the appropriate warnings.
We are aware that some of you play from canons where the age of consent is lower or unstated, or canons where there are no restrictions/issues/scandal involved in characters being sexually active at the age of 15, but again, LJ’s TOS is based on California law which sets age of consent at 18+. The argument on fiction vs. actual depictions isn’t a guarantee of safety on this, either, as the Australian case involving Simpsons porn and LJ’s own Strikethrough ‘07 made clear. At this time, we’d rather be safe than sorry.
If you guys have any comments or suggestions on how this content can be handled, please share it with us. Anonymous commenting is enabled for this post, and our HMD and ‘Suggestions and Complaints’ posts will be linked at the bottom of this one. Please don’t hesitate to bring us any opinions on the subject, but we do ask that all discussions be conducted civilly and constructively.
• IC =/= OOC or “What happens on the community stays on the community.”
As it should be apparent within a few days of starting on DDD, not all the characters on DDD are the best of friends. Many of the characters are opinionated, argumentative, or downright mean, and the clashes that result can be a hell of a lot of fun to play out.
But when a character insults another, that’s all the insult is: a rude gesture from one character to another. It should never be meant as a personal insult, just as it should never be assumed that it is one without substantial evidence. The characters we play aren’t tools for expressing our own opinions or venting our own frustrations. Just like with any group of people, drama will occasionally happen between players, but when characters are interacting, that drama needs to be left behind. If you’re ever given reason to believe that it hasn’t been, please feel free to bring the situation to the mods for review.
Furthermore, if we feel that comments or conversations between characters are displaying a level of aggression that is beyond what’s called for by their characterization or we’re given reason to suspect that more than IC interactions are going on there, we may feel the need to investigate. If we approach you regarding it, please keep in mind that you are not necessarily in trouble. We have no intention of punishing anyone for simply having their characters behave as their characters would, but we do want to be sure that tensions aren’t rising unnecessarily.
• Breaking the 4th Wall, Infomoding, and Godmoding, oh my!
Most of us are aware that controlling another person’s character without permission is considered godmoding and is prohibited on DDD. But there are other actions that also fall under godmoding, and these are equally objectionable.
Godmoding: Controlling another player’s character without permission. This can be in the form of assumptions on what their next action will be or delegating their next action. Suggesting they were in a situation they were never in can also be a form of godmoding, as it involves a player in something that they may or may not want to be involved in. While some characters like to lie and play tricks on others, a player should always have permission before directly involving another player’s character.
Breaking the 4th wall or Canon Puncturing: Having a character explain to another that they’re fictional is also godmoding unless it’s done with permission. Part of the fun of exposing characters to the many mores of the community is exposing them to the fact that on some of these worlds, they’re characters in a movie/book/video game. But it is always up to the player to decide when they’re ready to have the character deal with that issue. We know it’s tempting to give new characters a ‘warm welcome,’ but please leave out the “You’re a cartoon!” response, unless you’ve verified with the player that they’re comfortable with it.
Along the same lines, there are many characters on the community who have secret identities. Superheroes like Batman and Superman, spies, phantom thieves, assassins: many of these characters can become extremely difficult to play if their extracurricular activities are spread throughout the community. Oftentimes a character’s setting will allow them to know the other character’s identity, and the players are usually fine with the character being recognized, but the character should never be publicly outed without permission. Before doing so, you should always check for a permissions post or contact the player directly for permission.
Infomoding: Giving a character knowledge that they couldn’t realistically have is considered infomoding. This, in particular, has been a real problem lately, and when dealing with other characters, you should always keep in mind how much and what type of information your character could conceivably have access to. If the character was a cheerleader in his high school years, but hasn’t made any mention of anything remotely related to the sport, no one should know that but the character himself, and occasionally canonmates or characters with specific, in-game reasons to know.
Additionally, going back to the subject of canon puncturing, even if your character knows that character as fictional, you should never have your character reveal that by bringing up the deep, dark secret, unless the other player has given you permission. Unless you’ve asked the player or their permissions post indicates that information is up for grabs, do not assume you have permission to spill a character’s secrets.
Finally, if you have an omnipotent character with access to information that others don’t have, make a permissions post for your character or check our existing permissions posts before revealing or utilizing any of that information. If a player hasn’t given you permission, or has given you permission for only limited information, that information is all that your character knows, regardless of what they may ICly have access to. Always ask before revealing information that you don’t have permission for.
Godmoding of any sort is prohibited. If it happens, players are within their rights to ask the other player to remove that content from their post/response or to screen the comment themselves until the situation is resolved. If it happens frequently or repeatedly, it should be brought to the mods’ attention. All forms of godmoding are against the rules, and if repeat offenders make no effort to curb the behavior the mods reserve the right to strip a player of an offending character.
______
We all want to thank you for the participation we had on this community HMD. We got a lot of comments and some wonderful feedback, for which we’re really grateful. If you guys have any questions on any of these bullets, you can address them to us either here (anonymously or otherwise), on the HMD post, where comments are screened, or through AIM to any of the mods or modpoles. Please remember that the Suggestions and Complaints post is always open if you ever need to voice your concerns. The mods and modpoles are here to serve you guys, but we can’t help out with problems if we aren’t aware they are problems.
And one final reminder… The ratio of filled to unfilled stuff is still really low, so if you haven’t filled anything out yet, stop by and see if anything tickles your fancy. :3
• Sensitive content
While a large portion of our player base is 18 or older, our minimum applicant age is 15, and we feel our content should reflect that. DDD is not an 18+ game; even if it were, comfort levels aren’t restricted by age groups, and not everyone is going to have the same reaction to all material. We don’t want to hamper anyone’s creativity, but we also don’t want DDD to be a place that people can’t feel comfortable in.
To this end, we’ve amended our policy on posts that involve sensitive content. From this point on, posts involving explicit content—whether graphic violence and extensive gore, overtly or explicitly sexual content, or the other content outlined on our sensitive topics list—should be locked and placed behind an LJ-cut with all applicable warnings. This applies to both community content and content on personal journals. Previously posted content doesn’t need to be amended, but anything posted as of this announcement must follow this rule.
Please be aware of warnings before viewing a post’s content. If it looks as though a post might be something you’d find objectionable, it can then be easily avoided. Again, this rule isn’t meant to hamper players’ creativity, but to help prevent the discomfort that can occur when dealing with content of this nature. You’re still free to explore such subjects; we’re only asking for these topics to be handled with the care appropriate to a 15+ game.
These changes are in addition to the guidelines we already have on sensitive topics that need mod approval, which are defined in the Mod Approval Requests post.
• Characters who are minors and the LJ Terms of Service
For those who aren’t aware, sexualized depictions of a minor (which is, as defined by California law, anyone under 18) are against Livejournal’s TOS. If reported, the distribution of anything that can be considered child pornography could have dire consequences for the game and the people who run it, up to and including legal action. As none of the mod team can really afford a visit from Chris Hansen, we have to set some guidelines on this content.
Currently, this subject’s still under discussion. When we have a more concrete decision on the guidelines for this type of content, we’ll make a detailed announcement, but for now, we’re asking that all overtly sexual content involving a character who’s under the age of 18 is locked to members only and given the appropriate warnings.
We are aware that some of you play from canons where the age of consent is lower or unstated, or canons where there are no restrictions/issues/scandal involved in characters being sexually active at the age of 15, but again, LJ’s TOS is based on California law which sets age of consent at 18+. The argument on fiction vs. actual depictions isn’t a guarantee of safety on this, either, as the Australian case involving Simpsons porn and LJ’s own Strikethrough ‘07 made clear. At this time, we’d rather be safe than sorry.
If you guys have any comments or suggestions on how this content can be handled, please share it with us. Anonymous commenting is enabled for this post, and our HMD and ‘Suggestions and Complaints’ posts will be linked at the bottom of this one. Please don’t hesitate to bring us any opinions on the subject, but we do ask that all discussions be conducted civilly and constructively.
• IC =/= OOC or “What happens on the community stays on the community.”
As it should be apparent within a few days of starting on DDD, not all the characters on DDD are the best of friends. Many of the characters are opinionated, argumentative, or downright mean, and the clashes that result can be a hell of a lot of fun to play out.
But when a character insults another, that’s all the insult is: a rude gesture from one character to another. It should never be meant as a personal insult, just as it should never be assumed that it is one without substantial evidence. The characters we play aren’t tools for expressing our own opinions or venting our own frustrations. Just like with any group of people, drama will occasionally happen between players, but when characters are interacting, that drama needs to be left behind. If you’re ever given reason to believe that it hasn’t been, please feel free to bring the situation to the mods for review.
Furthermore, if we feel that comments or conversations between characters are displaying a level of aggression that is beyond what’s called for by their characterization or we’re given reason to suspect that more than IC interactions are going on there, we may feel the need to investigate. If we approach you regarding it, please keep in mind that you are not necessarily in trouble. We have no intention of punishing anyone for simply having their characters behave as their characters would, but we do want to be sure that tensions aren’t rising unnecessarily.
• Breaking the 4th Wall, Infomoding, and Godmoding, oh my!
Most of us are aware that controlling another person’s character without permission is considered godmoding and is prohibited on DDD. But there are other actions that also fall under godmoding, and these are equally objectionable.
Godmoding: Controlling another player’s character without permission. This can be in the form of assumptions on what their next action will be or delegating their next action. Suggesting they were in a situation they were never in can also be a form of godmoding, as it involves a player in something that they may or may not want to be involved in. While some characters like to lie and play tricks on others, a player should always have permission before directly involving another player’s character.
Breaking the 4th wall or Canon Puncturing: Having a character explain to another that they’re fictional is also godmoding unless it’s done with permission. Part of the fun of exposing characters to the many mores of the community is exposing them to the fact that on some of these worlds, they’re characters in a movie/book/video game. But it is always up to the player to decide when they’re ready to have the character deal with that issue. We know it’s tempting to give new characters a ‘warm welcome,’ but please leave out the “You’re a cartoon!” response, unless you’ve verified with the player that they’re comfortable with it.
Along the same lines, there are many characters on the community who have secret identities. Superheroes like Batman and Superman, spies, phantom thieves, assassins: many of these characters can become extremely difficult to play if their extracurricular activities are spread throughout the community. Oftentimes a character’s setting will allow them to know the other character’s identity, and the players are usually fine with the character being recognized, but the character should never be publicly outed without permission. Before doing so, you should always check for a permissions post or contact the player directly for permission.
Infomoding: Giving a character knowledge that they couldn’t realistically have is considered infomoding. This, in particular, has been a real problem lately, and when dealing with other characters, you should always keep in mind how much and what type of information your character could conceivably have access to. If the character was a cheerleader in his high school years, but hasn’t made any mention of anything remotely related to the sport, no one should know that but the character himself, and occasionally canonmates or characters with specific, in-game reasons to know.
Additionally, going back to the subject of canon puncturing, even if your character knows that character as fictional, you should never have your character reveal that by bringing up the deep, dark secret, unless the other player has given you permission. Unless you’ve asked the player or their permissions post indicates that information is up for grabs, do not assume you have permission to spill a character’s secrets.
Finally, if you have an omnipotent character with access to information that others don’t have, make a permissions post for your character or check our existing permissions posts before revealing or utilizing any of that information. If a player hasn’t given you permission, or has given you permission for only limited information, that information is all that your character knows, regardless of what they may ICly have access to. Always ask before revealing information that you don’t have permission for.
Godmoding of any sort is prohibited. If it happens, players are within their rights to ask the other player to remove that content from their post/response or to screen the comment themselves until the situation is resolved. If it happens frequently or repeatedly, it should be brought to the mods’ attention. All forms of godmoding are against the rules, and if repeat offenders make no effort to curb the behavior the mods reserve the right to strip a player of an offending character.
We all want to thank you for the participation we had on this community HMD. We got a lot of comments and some wonderful feedback, for which we’re really grateful. If you guys have any questions on any of these bullets, you can address them to us either here (anonymously or otherwise), on the HMD post, where comments are screened, or through AIM to any of the mods or modpoles. Please remember that the Suggestions and Complaints post is always open if you ever need to voice your concerns. The mods and modpoles are here to serve you guys, but we can’t help out with problems if we aren’t aware they are problems.
And one final reminder… The ratio of filled to unfilled stuff is still really low, so if you haven’t filled anything out yet, stop by and see if anything tickles your fancy. :3
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carnality.livejournal.comYes, I guess this is in response to the recent roleplay secrets post and it's to try and clarify any concerns people might have and to concrete unsaid rules we've put in place regarding the gods and god-like characters.
1. You must have a permissions post and you MUST always run viruses, afflictions and all other ailments by the players involved before it happens. ALWAYS.
This one goes pretty much unsaid and counts for all players anyway. Godmoding will NOT be tolerated here and you will be reprimanded if you continuously do it. God's may be in the name but please remember that all characters are capable of this. All of them.
Permission posts/Crit posts are NOT mandatory but they are HIGHLY encouraged. We have an HMD every three months and we definitely would like you guys to participate as much as possible.
2. You may be playing a god but toning down needs to happen.
Not to say they dont have them but being this is a game primarily made up of characters who cannot effectively retaliate, we are humbly asking (not requesting I'm afraid) that you tone your gods powers down so they are not entirely 'all powerful'-- this mostly goes for gods who do not have a predefined set of powers, as opposed to god-like characters with a strict canon.
For example, not all gods can do all godly things. When I had Eros, I picked two primary powers for him and stuck to them. those were flight and shapeshifting. He could not affect weather like Apollo, he could not control the dead like Hades, he had his set, 'canonical' power. We ask that you put thought into your gods and pick 2 or 3 powers that you feel they represent and contain it to that. Anything extraneous can be attributed to plots, but it has to be realistic, or events that are preplanned between players and mods. Any extra powers needed for a specific plot can be taken on a case-by-case basis, but still keep in mind not adding in too many powers just for the sake of it.
Which brings me to my third point!
3. Gods can have hobbies too!
It's a trend I've been noticing personally, but gods and god-likes tend to be played more as plot points than characters. Plot points in this case means that they are mainly being played as a being with powers who can generally antagonize people, turn them into animals or switch their gender, etc.-- This is all well and good but please remember you apped a god with a personality. Play them. They all have their own weird little quirks and hobbies and it would be nice to see that represented more. I'm sad to say this seems to be a problem primarily with gods, not just with everyone-- but it is a suggestion to everyone to think about what your characters hobbies might be and how they might be able/willing to share them with the community!
Finally, as this is not a rule but rather a suggestion, another issue that seemed to come up with was gods having one-track posts-- yes, they have egos, keep that in mind but I agree that it's time to branch out of the box and find some more varied things for them to talk about. As I remember how hard that could be, I am suggesting this post ALSO be a GOD/GOD-LIKE PLOTTY PLANNING POST-- and remember EVERYONE can suggest stuff here! Maybe something the gods could get involved with that WOULDN'T be antagonization or just some other personal plots that wouldn't be bandwagon'd or what have you. Heck, throw out everything you got, it'll help them have more for you guys to respond to and I think getting some communication flowing would be healthy for the group as a whole.
And, just as an aside, I want you all to know that you really CAN come talk to us about stuff you dont feel comfortable with or things you are frustrated about-- we're always here for you, okay? We love you guys and we want the best for you and even if we dont agree, we wont judge you for how you feel or think of you any less. ♥
IMPORTANT EDIT: Sorry! I forgot something that needs to be clarified not only for the gods but all super powered creatures/robots/everything-- your power is always contained to your world. You have no direct influence over ANYONE ELSES, no matter what, unless agreements are met between the players involved. If you would like to do a plot that affects the community as a whole, we can talk that through but as it stands, please watch yourself. Thank you again fff. 8)
1. You must have a permissions post and you MUST always run viruses, afflictions and all other ailments by the players involved before it happens. ALWAYS.
This one goes pretty much unsaid and counts for all players anyway. Godmoding will NOT be tolerated here and you will be reprimanded if you continuously do it. God's may be in the name but please remember that all characters are capable of this. All of them.
Permission posts/Crit posts are NOT mandatory but they are HIGHLY encouraged. We have an HMD every three months and we definitely would like you guys to participate as much as possible.
2. You may be playing a god but toning down needs to happen.
Not to say they dont have them but being this is a game primarily made up of characters who cannot effectively retaliate, we are humbly asking (not requesting I'm afraid) that you tone your gods powers down so they are not entirely 'all powerful'-- this mostly goes for gods who do not have a predefined set of powers, as opposed to god-like characters with a strict canon.
For example, not all gods can do all godly things. When I had Eros, I picked two primary powers for him and stuck to them. those were flight and shapeshifting. He could not affect weather like Apollo, he could not control the dead like Hades, he had his set, 'canonical' power. We ask that you put thought into your gods and pick 2 or 3 powers that you feel they represent and contain it to that. Anything extraneous can be attributed to plots, but it has to be realistic, or events that are preplanned between players and mods. Any extra powers needed for a specific plot can be taken on a case-by-case basis, but still keep in mind not adding in too many powers just for the sake of it.
Which brings me to my third point!
3. Gods can have hobbies too!
It's a trend I've been noticing personally, but gods and god-likes tend to be played more as plot points than characters. Plot points in this case means that they are mainly being played as a being with powers who can generally antagonize people, turn them into animals or switch their gender, etc.-- This is all well and good but please remember you apped a god with a personality. Play them. They all have their own weird little quirks and hobbies and it would be nice to see that represented more. I'm sad to say this seems to be a problem primarily with gods, not just with everyone-- but it is a suggestion to everyone to think about what your characters hobbies might be and how they might be able/willing to share them with the community!
Finally, as this is not a rule but rather a suggestion, another issue that seemed to come up with was gods having one-track posts-- yes, they have egos, keep that in mind but I agree that it's time to branch out of the box and find some more varied things for them to talk about. As I remember how hard that could be, I am suggesting this post ALSO be a GOD/GOD-LIKE PLOTTY PLANNING POST-- and remember EVERYONE can suggest stuff here! Maybe something the gods could get involved with that WOULDN'T be antagonization or just some other personal plots that wouldn't be bandwagon'd or what have you. Heck, throw out everything you got, it'll help them have more for you guys to respond to and I think getting some communication flowing would be healthy for the group as a whole.
And, just as an aside, I want you all to know that you really CAN come talk to us about stuff you dont feel comfortable with or things you are frustrated about-- we're always here for you, okay? We love you guys and we want the best for you and even if we dont agree, we wont judge you for how you feel or think of you any less. ♥
IMPORTANT EDIT: Sorry! I forgot something that needs to be clarified not only for the gods but all super powered creatures/robots/everything-- your power is always contained to your world. You have no direct influence over ANYONE ELSES, no matter what, unless agreements are met between the players involved. If you would like to do a plot that affects the community as a whole, we can talk that through but as it stands, please watch yourself. Thank you again fff. 8)
