Advanced Rules

Most rules are common sense and it would therefore be impossible to list all the things you could do to get yourself banned. This page is not acting as a complete list of bannable offenses — it instead aims to clear up some confusion about those rules that may not be obvious. All moderators and admins have the power to ban players as they see fit (with reason, of course). If you do not know if an action will be permissible - ask via admirable.

However, we are reasonable. If you feel you were grossly mistreated by an admin, you can create a post in the "Ban Appeals" forum. If you weren't mistreated, but now see the error of your ways, we may also unban you.

1. Maintain a friendly and welcoming environment:

Hate speech, bigoted language, discrimination or harassment will not be tolerated at all and may at admins discretion be considered grounds for immediate banning. OOC Profanity should be kept to a minimum and must be stopped if directed to do so by a member of staff, or if it appears that it is upsetting other players. Some people are going to be new to the game. If you teach them and make them feel welcome, then you’ll still have other people to game with down the line. Terms like faggot, nigger, and the variations on them, are neither acceptable IC or OOC. This does not apply to discrimination against non-existent species. Discrimination against non-existent species (or humans as a whole) is an IC matter.

2. Play the Role you’ve chosen:

Choose the role based on what you want to spend the round doing, not in order to obtain access and equipment or to impress people with a prestigious title. If you take a role, other players will be expecting - and may rely on you to do it. Playing as a head role has extra responsibility. If you are a head, it is assumed NT has assessed and approved your character. Higher standards of RP and game knowledge are expected. Logging out as a head without informing admin will result in a jobban - if you suddenly had to go due to external reasons, a quick appeal to explain is fine. This does not apply for assistants, clowns and mimes, of course. If you're playing a crucial role, notify the admins via adminhelp and your co-workers via radio if you need to log off for an extended period. Not following this may result in a job ban.

3. Avoid Excessive Violence:

When provoked into extreme anger a punch or two may be realistic but Nanotrasen doesn't hire people who bludgeon someone to death with a crowbar when angry or bored. Self-defense only justifies a proportional use of force and only what’s required to save your life. Chasing a person down is not self defense, neither is crushing their skull with an oxy tank while they're down. If you think murder or extreme violence is justified in response to someone's actions, then admin help for permission. Even if it is justified in an RP context, without admin permission it is not allowable. Lethal force should always be a last resort, even for security. Remember as well that what the admins will permit and what security will arrest you for a two completely different things. Saying your character is CRAZY LOL is not an excuse for this - that's just bad roleplay.

4. Keep the station intact for everyone else to use:

The air is for everyone to breathe, the singularity is contained so it doesn’t eat the station and the power keeps the lights on for everyone. Don’t take these things away from the other players for your own enjoyment. If you happen to be an antag, you are required to consider which your actions are necessary to complete the objectives you have been given and which are not.

5. Play antagonists responsibly:

If you’re selected for an antagonist role, then treat it as an interesting challenge and not an excuse to destroy other peoples’ game experience. Your actions should make the game more fun, more exciting and more enjoyable for everyone. Even or perhaps especially your victims. Keep to your objectives, they’re there for a reason. Being an antag is NOT a license to murder whomever you please - unless your objective is to kill whomever you please. If your objective is to die a glorious death, do so in a way that would make people laugh or say "That was awesome!", not just kill until killed. The focus should be on -your- death, not others.

6. Self-Antagging:

While petty crimes and theft are acceptable if it fits your character, if you are not an antagonist, actions such as subverting the AI, stealing high value items such as the Captain's ID, mutiny, and other actions that could lead others to believe you are antagonists are not to be done. It is not your job to add to the chaos and treachery of the station - that's the antags and/or GM's job. While there is no absolute way to be clear what is and isn't self antagging, as always, if in doubt, adminhelp, and if an admin tells you to desist, do so at once.

7. Meta:

Don’t take advantage of factors outside the game. Don’t log in with multiple accounts - if a friend is on the same IP, just adminhelp to tell us. Don’t mess with SSD characters especially if you’re an antagonist. It’s too easy. This includes stealing their equipment. If you -really- need to, adminhelp first. Don’t exploit glitches, OOC knowledge or knowledge of the game system to give your character advantages that they would not possess. These are all grounds for banning. Keep IC out of OOC and OOC out of IC. This means do not talk about in game events for the round in OOC, and don't use smiley's, netspeak, etc, in IC chat. When it comes to antagonists, all can be assumed to be known by your character, or not, as you choose. When it comes to character skills, please try not to be a Mary-Sue who knows how to do everything on the station. As a guideline, it is ok to know 1 department out of your field - such as a security officer knowing engineering, or 2 if they are related, such as a Scientist knowing some medical and chemistry.

8. Character Names:

Character names can both help or break immersion. As such, famous names, highly offensive names, or simply mashing your hand violently across your keyboard are not viable options of character naming. Plain silly names are really only acceptable for the clown (and/or the wizard). If you do any of these things, expect that an admin will most likely change your name for you, And we admins like names such as Gertrude, Mildred, Englebert, and Anthony (sorry if you are actually named any of these IRL).

9. Communicate openly and respectfully:

If there’s a problem, let the staff know in a reasonable and mature fashion. There is no need to complain in Out of Character, spread rumors, start politics or otherwise degenerate the situation. If you want to do something but are unsure of whether it will inconvenience other people or go against these guidelines, asking first goes a long way towards avoiding misunderstandings. Don’t use the server for advertising or other commercial interests. Don’t insult or denigrate other servers or play-styles. You can enjoy gaming on a particular server without invalidating the hard work and fun that’s involved on another site. Admin helping the words "neat llama" will also let us know you've read the rules.

10. Don't grief on the shuttle:

Do not grief, even while the shuttle is in transit. Antagonists are allowed, however to pursue their objectives if they are on the shuttle/pods. _The Last 60 seconds_ of the game (post dock, after objectives have been announced) IS NO LONGER a free-for-all. Normal rules apply UNLESS you are in the thunderdome. Similarly, don't attack people at arrivals. Even if you are an antag, attacking people who enter after you is really pathetic.

11. Clown/Mime:

These rolls are not an exception to server rules. Remember they are hired by NT to provide entertainment for the crew, not to attack other people. A banana peel in a corridor is acceptable. Smashing someone with a tool box is not. Excessive violence against someone because they are the clown/mime is also not acceptable.

12. AI:

Just like in Asimov's works, law order determines law priority. In the case of two laws contradicting, the one with the lesser law number or top of the list wins. Having all laws purged does not make you an antagonist or immune to other server rules, such as excessive violence, station destruction, or respecting other's enjoyment. AIs are not required to do what players who threaten self-harm demand, unless they personally decide to interpret law 1 to include that. Playing AI and changing your laws yourself (outside of an AI malf round) or not abiding by your laws will see you jobbanned from AI. If you suspect a change to your laws by another may be grief - adminhelp and we'll tell you if it's legit.

13. Security:

Read the Space Laws. Understand that this isn't the middle ages and starting off with lethal force against those posing a non-lethal threat is murder. Permabrigging (the official one or a makeshift one) is also functionally the same as murder. Don't do it unless the law allows. Leaving prisoners buckle cuffed - which is when you tie someone to a chair or bed after already they are already handcuffed, is only to be done for exceptionally violent prisoners.

14. Karma:

Swapping Karma between friends repeatedly or other methods of 'Farming' is an offense that may result in being banned from the Karma system and all of its unlocks. Our Karma system is in place to reward good players, not those who have a friend to swap with every round. You are also forbidden to attempt reverse-engineer the code from the game to attempt at cheating the karma system's functionality.

15. NO ERP:

While it's a well known fact that we all have weewees and chachas, admins have to read everything that is said on the server. Every sentence, every emote. So please do us a favor and keep your kinky sex life to the privacy of a Skype chat, where only the NSA will have to be grossed out and/or intrigued.

16. Asking to be made antagonist:

We're sick of it. Adminhelp asking to be made an ninja/wizard/traitor/alien may result in you being turned into a crab. If you're lucky we'll give you an objective. Asking to be a crab will get you gibbed.