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Important to know before Rping on this board. Most Rper's know these but we all need to know from what sheet we're singing from.

BASIC Rping
Introduction:
When you play in a roleplaying game, you take the role of a character within that game. Since you’ve come here, you probably already understood that.

Here, a roleplaying game (or RPG, or RP) is much like a novel. Imagine, for a moment, your name is Timothy Zahn, Michael A Stackpole or Karen Traviss. Pretend there is a large, leather-bound hardcover book with the name of the game written in beautiful gold leaf script on the cover. When you open up this hardcover, a few pages are full, but most of it is blank.
You, my RPing friend, have the pen to complete this masterpiece in the making. Along with others, post by post, you write the story (according to the gamemaster’s rules) of what your character does in the game. He can live, die, love, hate, get into lightsaber duels, blast away at Imperial stormtroopers – it’s all up to you.

Basic Rules of Gaming
Each RPG has its own rules according to what the GM wants. What’s below are four fundamental rules you’ll come across in virtually every game on the RPF (the Role Playing Forums, or RPF for short). Understanding what these rules mean will help you get into an RPG faster. It’s important to understand the rules of RPGs since if you don’t abide by them a GM does have the right to ask a moderator to intervene, including imposing a ban from the boards if necessary.

1. Obey the TOS.
Obvious, but it has to be said again. The TOS, if you don’t already know, stands for the Terms Of Service, and it sets out what you can and can’t do on the whole board system. Read it, comprehend it, post in accordance with it, and you will prosper. Swear, flame, bait, or spam a thread, and you’ll not only forfeit your place in the game, but you’ll also most likely be banned from the boards altogether.

2. No godmodding.
Godmodding is named for the “god mode” you often find in a computer game - a cheat mode where you’re invulnerable, have unlimited ammunition, can walk through walls, and so on. In an RPG there are two types of godmodding:
Creating and using a character with no weaknesses, or a character with limitless or unbelievable resources or abilities at his disposal; and
Writing your character doing things in the game that your character really has no plausible chance of achieving – for example, a ten-year-old padawan character taking on Darth Vader in a lightsaber duel and whipping the Sith Lord’s butt. Another example might be me saying I survived the explosion of my X-Wing fighter because "i.hada.field".

Godmodding, in short, is cheating by another name, and it is looked on severely by Game Masters (GMs) and players alike. Don’t do it.

3. No auto-hitting.
This means do not assume someone else's reaction, because they might have a different idea for what their character is doing.

For example; you could write “Luke swung his lightsabre at the stormtrooper, aiming for his knee.” You would not write “Luke swung at the stormtrooper and cut his leg off.” That is auto-hitting because you’re not giving the other person a chance to come up with a defence. Needless to say you don’t kill another person’s character without permission from the GM and the other player.
In a more general sense, do not manage other people's characters in any way, shape, or form. This means that you cannot control them, post damage for them, etc. unless they give you permission. This includes the non-player characters (NPCs) that the GM or other play is running as well...unless told otherwise. These agreements must be posted in an OOC comment during play.

4. The GM’s word is final.
This is plain old common sense, but it’s important to say it anyway. The GM has the final say on any issue in the game. It doesn’t matter how harsh the decision is; it’s his/her game – his/her house, he/she is your host, and you are their guest. A guest does not make a mess in his host's house (and yes, a host does have to look after his guests, but that's not the issue here). If a decision is bothering you, why not consider starting up your own RPG? But do not start one that is line one already running, it will be deleted.

What do GM, PM, IC, OOC?
When you read some of the threads in these forums you’ll probably see some of these abbreviations. Don’t panic! Truth is, they aren’t that complicated: they are there just to make life a bit easier for everyone participating in the RPG. Here’s what they mean:

GM is an abbreviation for Game Master. It’s the guy running the game, usually the author of the whole thread. The Game Master is basically “God” in the world of your RPG. He controls events and non-player characters, and needless to say his word is generally law. Where you are interacting with a character who is not a player, or attempting to do something which has a chance of failing, it’s typically up to the GM to say what their reaction is, or the outcome of your attempt.

PM, or Private Message. This is a feature you can use anywhere on the boards, using the “Private Message” buttons either in the thread or at the top of the forum page. It allows you to send a private message to a person, including the GM. Usually you’ll see the request “PM your CS to me before posting” from the GM. This means you should send a private message with your proposed Character Sheet to the GM for him to look over and approve.

IC stands for In Character. It shows where you’re writing the actual story of the character. But in general it is not necessary to do so on this site. For example:

IC: Luke strode across the room, igniting his lightsaber. He hoped the stormtroopers on the other side of the far door wouldn’t hear him coming.


OOC stands for Out Of Character. You use it when you (as opposed to your character) want to say something in the thread. Typically you do it before or after your IC post. For example:


((OOC: Boy, this is turning into a nasty situation, huh?))

IC: Luke strode across the room, igniting his lightsaber. He hoped the stormtroopers on the other side of the far door wouldn’t hear him coming.

When Joining an RPG
Read the opening post.
Then read it again.

If you're confused in any way, ask rather than trying to struggle on. For example, I have come to the conclusion that some very new players don't PM sheets when told to do so simply because they don't know what a PM is. I'm being serious- I was in a similar situation when I arrived on the boards. And it took me forever to work out what TAG meant and how to use it properly. I also produced many fine examples of god-modding with the most innocent intentions. And then I asked lots of questions to lots of very helpful veterans, and I improved.

Honestly, I know it all seems very intimidating at first. But remember that no one here will laugh at you for asking questions if you're stuck (and I daresay a few enjoy giving out advice). It's far better to be embarrassed in the pursuit of knowledge than it is to be shunned for your ignorance.

Language use

Grammar
Grammar is also monumentally important. Take the words 'atypical' and 'a typical'. They are two antonyms, that is, words with opposite meaning. "A typical ISD floated above the planet." means that there is a garden variety ISD over your planet.

But "Atypical ISD floated over the planet." means, albeit in a poorly phrased manner, that an unusual ISD is over the planet. Now, we can't be sure if you forgot to put the space between 'a' and 'typical' or whether you forgot to include the word 'the' or 'an'!

So we can't be sure if it's a normal or unusual ISD if you don't use good grammar. This could lead to charges of godmodding. Say your atypical ISD is equipped with 60 Death Star superlasers, but people think it's just a typical ISD, they'll say "GODMODER!!!11!!@11!1!" when you destroy 60 planets simultaneously.

Punctuation
Truly, punctuation can really change the meaning of your sentences. "Zaarin's brother, Ruslan, drank some blue milk." has a different meaning to "Zaarin's brother Ruslan drank some blue milk." They are both legitimate sentences, no doubt about it.

However, the commas change the meaning. In the first sentence, "Zaarin's brother, Ruslan," implies that Zaarin has more than one brother, and that Ruslan is the one being mentioned. However, the second sentence is just naming the one brother he has.

That was a pretty poor example, I grant you, but I hope you understand that something as insignificant as "," can give new meaning to a sentence.

Spelling
I'm not saying you have to know how to spell "ubiquitous" off the top of your head, but good spelling is a gateway to others understanding what you have written, while bad spelling at best 'jars' the reader. This includes knowing the difference between words that sound the same but are spelled differently (their is a possessive; they're is the contraction for the words they are. And don't get me started about when you use it's, its, and its' - go and look it up.) You may want to actually compose your posts offline, on Microsoft Word or something similar, and then conduct a spell check before you post it up.

Capitalisation
Capitalisation is important if you don't want to look like a newbie.

"The ISD Triumph, under the command of Rear Admiral Rachman began to bombard Pelemax, in accordance to the Tarkin Doctrine." Sounds professional, yes?

"the isd triumph, under the command of rear admiral rachman began to bombarb pelemax, in accordance to the tarkin doctrine." Sounds n00btastic. Also note the lack of markup code in the name of the ship, the Triumph. Ship names are always italicised, or, if handwritten, put in quotation marks. However, since we can, we italicise on these boards.

Additionally, while it follows from everything mentioned above, there’s another general rule for getting yourself taken seriously as a player on the boards. Don’t use the type of language or words that you ordinarily would use on Internet messenger services or text speak. This language marks you as immature and not someone to play with. And yes, it’s probably an elitist attitude, but it’s true and it will affect your playing experience here regardless. You’ve come to a forum where clear (or even clear-ish) English is a very important means of communication, so behave like it is. One other thing while we're on the subject of language, no swearing. It will not be tolerated, we have supplied a list of allowed swear works which are not to be used constantly.

Small RPG or Large RPG?
This post is designed to provide an opinion on the differences between 'smaller' RPGs and 'larger' ones, in general, and is intended to be of particular use for newcomers to the RPF and/or more inexperienced players. I hope you find it of use.

Participating in smaller RPGs
It's not uncommon for players to prefer participating in smaller RPGs. This is often a wise choice for beginners as the game tends to be easier to follow and is often, yet not always, a little slower-paced to allow for all players a chance to keep up with events.

While playing in such RPGs it's important to get to know your fellow players (characters) in order to allow you to interact with them. The purpose of the RPF is to provide a community for Role Players. It's no fun being alone. By knowing some of the other players and characters in your RPG you can better learn from them and play with them.

Smaller threads have the advantage, generally, of a lower player count. This leads to less trouble learning who is who and what exactly is going on. It often reduces confusion and allows for bonding between all players.

Besure to read all posts, but remember that when your character is not in the presents of others that is considered OOC knowledge. Only events and people that your character is interacting with is IC knowledge, this becomes flexiable on subjects that may be talked about during IC.

Participating in larger RPGs
Larger RPGs are often difficult to find acceptance into. They are generally filled with large amounts of players and tend to have many posts that are often difficult to keep up with. To avoid getting lost, it helps to focus on the smaller picture. That is, concentrate on the workings of your own faction or team. Keep an eye on a few characters and players whose posts interest or effect you and monitor them.

These RPGs are large communities and it is not always possible for you to interact with every player. Instead concentrate on one thing at a time. Work on improving your own character, before you start worrying about other players' characters.

In having a high post count, these RPGs are often best suited to dedicated Role Players who have the time needed to make a genuine effort to the RPG. If you're short on time and have troubles using the Internet, it might be wise to consider joining a smaller RPG.

It might be impossible to view every post that is made. As such, be sure to know what events are occurring that will have an effect on you. Focus on your status, before looking at the bigger picture.

But most of all, enjoy your time here. These rules are mostly guide lines.

Moreover, just some character rules to take note of.

As we are apart of the Comby (SW Combine) we have to observe their rules on characters. We will allow you to play as a Jedi, Sith. But as to you level of ability in the Force will be questionable. If your character on Comby is Force Sensitive, a screen shot of you Force XP will need to be sent to The Duke. If your character is not FS or you are not a member of Comby, The Duke will assign you your Force Abilities. These will then be added to your Character Sheet in the CS threads.

Your character and his/her fleet/armies.
This will be determined by your rank, this rank is found under your avatars name.

Recruit; Has no control over anyone/or ship but themselves.

Private; Again has no control over anyone, but may use small vehicles of any kind.

Lance Corporal; Can have one NPC Trooper, or can fly any one starfighter and the above.

Corporal; Can have four NPC Troopers or equivalent vehicles, or can fly any one starfighter.

Sergeant; Can have nine NPC Troopers (Squad) or equivalent vehicles, or can fly any one starfighter or small freighter.

Lieutenant; Can have 39 NPC Troopers (Platoon) (Includes 3 officers, in this case sergeants) or equivalent vehicles, or can fly any one starfighter or freighter.

Band, is equal to half a Company.

Captain/Squadron Leader; Can have 159 NPC Troopers (Company) or equivalent vehicles, or can fly a squadron (12) Starfighters or command one capital ship.

Troop, is equal to half a Battalion.

Major/Wing Commander; Can have 639 NPC Troopers (Battalion) or equivalent vehicles, or can fly two squadron (24) Starfighters or command one capital ship.

Corp is equal to half a Regiment.

Colonel/Wing Captain; Can have 2'559 NPC Troopers (Regiment) or equivalent vehicles, or can fly four squadron (48) Starfighters or command one capital ship.

Brigade, is equal to half a Legion.

Major General/Commodore; Can have 10'239 NPC Troopers (Legion) or equivalent vehicles, or command three capital ship, plus assigned starfighters. *It is best to get another player to control the fighters.*

General/Rear-Admiral; Can have 40'959 (Division) NPC Troopers or equivalent vehicles, or command three capital ship, plus assigned starfighters.

Vice-Admiral; Commands six capital ship, plus assigned starfighters.

Admiral; Command ten capital ship, plus assigned starfighters.

*With Troopers, these numbers are what would be on the ground with you. Remember to include a blanket of what they are doing in your post.*

i.e; Captain Danni crouches behind the small bank with two Platoons, with hand signals to his remaining two Lieutenants to take the other two Platoons along the temporary trenches. Once in position Danni gives the attack signal, both Bands spill out of their hidding places. Blaster rifles firing at anything that moves.

Technology does and don'ts
First off this is a Star Wars Rping group, with loose ties to SW Combine. We will allow any ship, item or weapon (So long as there is something similar in the Star Wars Universe) from any Sic-fi universe (i.e. Star Trek) but there are two types of tech that will not be allowed;

One: Transporter tech of any description, i.e. transporter rooms, beaming out etc.
Two: Time travel of any type.

Ships, Items or weapons that are unequal to another universe (Nothing similar in the Star Wars Universe) needs to be discussed with the mod's and Admin.

Add on rule:

Fleets and armies are subject to individual Rp's. Therefore in each game set up it is to be stated whether fleets or armies are allowed or not, plus a cap of how many fleets/armies are allowed.