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#OOC roleplaying preferences must be respected.
#OOC roleplaying preferences must be respected.
##Characters have an examinable section called “OOC Notes” where ERP preferences are listed. You are likewise expected to fill out your own OOC Notes with your do’s and don'ts before playing.
##Characters have an examinable section called “OOC Notes” where ERP preferences are listed. You are likewise expected to fill out your own OOC Notes with your do’s and don'ts before playing.
##We strongly recommend including a brief summary of your vore preferences and major likes/dislikes at the top of your OOC Notes. Dense blocks of text and links to ##F-list work best to provide further detail to your interests after you catch another player’s attention.
##We strongly recommend including a brief summary of your vore preferences and major likes/dislikes at the top of your OOC Notes. Dense blocks of text and links to F-list work best to provide further detail to your interests after you catch another player’s attention.
##Many players elect to have their OOC notes visible in the Character Directory, accessible by pressing “Character Directory” under the OOC tab. It is recommended to check this if you want to try out vorespawn.  
##OOC Notes do not protect you from most gameplay. For example, your ERP preferences do not protect you from being arrested for committing a crime but do protect you from a security officer trying to turn an arrest into an ERP scene.
##OOC Notes do not protect you from most gameplay. For example, your ERP preferences do not protect you from being arrested for committing a crime but do protect you from a security officer trying to turn an arrest into an ERP scene.
##If you are approached with an uncomfortable ERP topic not mentioned in your OOC Notes, you may say no via LOOC (or using ((double brackets)) if the other player has LOOC disabled). Do not use IC for this; it may be misinterpreted due to the popularity of unwilling ERP scenes.
##If you are approached with an uncomfortable ERP topic not mentioned in your OOC Notes, you may say no via LOOC (or using ((double brackets)) if the other player has LOOC disabled). Do not use IC for this; it may be misinterpreted due to the popularity of unwilling ERP scenes.

Revision as of 23:31, 30 December 2021

Getting Started on CHOMPstation
The Basics General Help
Commands Server Rules
A Crash Course In Roleplaying
Character Creation Guide to Vore
Terminology More Guides


Always refer to the forum page for up-to-date rules. This page may be outdated.

Foreword

CHOMPstation13 is a vore-based, roleplaying-focused Space Station 13 furry server. As a community, we strive to provide an enjoyable adult roleplaying environment with gameplay to offer immersion and provide game content when members feel like doing something other than roleplay. Since we allow the use of game mechanics in many situations despite being roleplay-focused, we consider ourselves MRP (medium roleplaying).

As a staff team, we prioritize vore first, roleplaying second, and gameplay third. Our enforcement of rules, community focus, and development of the game will typically follow this priority. As a player, if you treat your fellow players with kindness and respect, you will generally fare well. Our community comes here to relax, have fun, and take a break from the stresses of offline life.

Please note that we typically host at least one staff-led event every week which may present a different game environment than standard rounds. Many events strive to tell a story and further flesh out CHOMPstation’s roleplaying history, but may be much more gameplay-focused than typical rounds. Rules regarding gameplay and roleplaying tend to be laxer during events, particularly as it can be easy to get carried away during chaos.

Lastly, when in doubt, send an admin help. While each rule comes with clarifying subsections, it is not possible to cover every potential situation in a short document. If you have any questions or confusion regarding the rules, message a moderator, administrator, or head administrator. Other forms of staff are not permitted or trained to moderate.

Unfamiliar with some of our terminology? We’ve included a glossary at the end of this document.


Rules Summary

The following is an abbreviated summary of the rules for quick reference. Each rule is further explained and detailed in the “Rules” section should you need more clarification. We recommend reading the full rules at least once should you participate in our community long-term or desire a whitelist.

  1. You must be 18 years or older to play here, no exceptions.
  2. Be respectful toward other players in OOC (including Discord).
  3. OOC roleplaying preferences must be respected.
  4. Keep IC and OOC separate.
  5. Do not powergame or abuse metaknowledge.
  6. Do not self-antag.
  7. Do not discuss on-going rounds in Discord.
  8. Do not go out of your way to disrupt ERP.
  9. Dormitories are OOC protected for roleplay, even during events.
  10. Do not backseat moderate.
  11. Play a reasonably sane and mature character and stay in character.
  12. The use of racial slurs and/or derogatory/bigoted language toward real life social groups is prohibited
  13. You are expected to forget the events leading to death.
  14. Do not inconvenience AFK/disconnected players.
  15. Suicide is prohibited.
  16. Roleplay when feasible.
  17. Do not abuse global OOC.
  18. Do not disconnect if contacted by the moderation team.
  19. You are expected to fulfill the basic responsibilities of the job you sign up for.*
  20. Roles with AI laws must follow said laws.
  21. The intent of the rules is more important than the letter.
  22. Listen to the moderation team.

Rules

  1. You must be 18 years or older to play here, no exceptions. All characters must be 18 or older.
    1. Suspicion of being underage will result in a ban unless you can provide a photo ID proving you are of age. Immature behavior may be taken as evidence of being underage.
    2. Knowingly remaining silent about an underage user is grounds for a ban.
  2. Be respectful toward other players in OOC (including Discord).
    1. Targeted harassment, conspiracies to drive off/get another player in trouble, and giving out player usernames/ckeys without permission are prohibited.
    2. This rule does not extend to previous drama in other communities.
    3. Reasonable IC drama can be permitted, if kept in moderation. The best rule of thumb is whether or not everybody involved is enjoying the interaction. If you feel unsure, use LOOC.
    4. Letting IC drama bleed into OOC or treating a player’s characters poorly for OOC reasons is prohibited.
    5. Pervasive, round-to-round IC drama may violate this rule.
    6. Politely ignoring somebody you do not want to interact with is permitted.
    7. Publicly complaining about other players in Discord is prohibited, even without stating the player’s name. Said player will likely see your message and know exactly what you refer to.
  3. OOC roleplaying preferences must be respected.
    1. Characters have an examinable section called “OOC Notes” where ERP preferences are listed. You are likewise expected to fill out your own OOC Notes with your do’s and don'ts before playing.
    2. We strongly recommend including a brief summary of your vore preferences and major likes/dislikes at the top of your OOC Notes. Dense blocks of text and links to F-list work best to provide further detail to your interests after you catch another player’s attention.
    3. Many players elect to have their OOC notes visible in the Character Directory, accessible by pressing “Character Directory” under the OOC tab. It is recommended to check this if you want to try out vorespawn.
    4. OOC Notes do not protect you from most gameplay. For example, your ERP preferences do not protect you from being arrested for committing a crime but do protect you from a security officer trying to turn an arrest into an ERP scene.
    5. If you are approached with an uncomfortable ERP topic not mentioned in your OOC Notes, you may say no via LOOC (or using ((double brackets)) if the other player has LOOC disabled). Do not use IC for this; it may be misinterpreted due to the popularity of unwilling ERP scenes.
    6. Do not attempt to coerce another player into a scene or force yourself into ongoing scenes when a participant has stated disinterest in LOOC. Likewise, you are not required to ERP with anybody, even if preferences match.
    7. Do not kinkshame others. While calm discussions about interests and dislikes are generally okay, passive-aggressive remarks toward others’ preferences are prohibited.
    8. Keep in mind that this is a vore server. While you are not required to be into vore to play here, you will be routinely exposed to voraphiles, a vore-centric community, vore roleplay, vore gameplay mechanics, vore discussions, vore humor, voraphile-targeted advertisement, vore-focused staff, and more. If vore makes you uncomfortable, you probably should not play here.
    9. If you have never tried vore roleplay or developed an opinion on it, we recommend trying it out. If that last line makes you uncomfortable, this might not be the community for you.
  4. Keep IC and OOC separate.
    1. You are expected to roleplay a character; thus IC (in character) and OOC (out of character) knowledge, interactions, etc. are separate. You knowing how to setup a supermatter engine does not make your medical doctor knowledgeable in engineering. Similarly, you knowing another player does not mean your character(s) knows that player’s character(s).
    2. While this rule is always applied when relevant to moderation, it is not always followed due the the prevalence of an “I am my character” mindset in furry communities. If you fear an action might upset another player, ask in LOOC. Do not assume.
  5. Do not powergame or abuse metaknowledge.
    1. Better known as “playing to win”, Powergaming consists of acquiring items, assets, etc. for the sake of being powerful. Common examples include adding extra access to ID’s without reason, stealing powerful objects from other departments, or doing the job(s) of other departments when said department is available and willing to do the job itself.
    2. Metaknowledge consists of acting on knowledge which your character would not reasonably know. This may be from outside of the game (such as the code on Github) or inside of the game (such as dying, witnessing a crime as a ghost, then reporting said crime when revived).
    3. Using third-party programs (Discord, Skype, etc) to coordinate with other players to gain an in-game advantage (metacommunication) is prohibited. Joining with multiple accounts simultaneously is considered metacommunication.
  6. Do not self-antag.
    1. Self-antag refers to a wide range of behavior best described as interfering with other players. This can range from stealing from departments or breaking vending machines to going on a murder spree or blowing up a department.
    2. This rule has the most amount of grey area due to the sheer number of actions which could be considered antagonistic. A good rule of thumb is whether or not an action will seriously hamper the enjoyment of another player. When in doubt, don’t do it.
    3. Being a nuisance might not be a good idea even if it does not violate this rule. Pranks and mischief are only enjoyable when those involved are having fun. If your behavior consistently upsets other players, you are probably in the wrong.
    4. Certain event volunteers during certain events are exempt from this rule, instead following guidelines from an Event Manager.
  7. Do not discuss on-going rounds in Discord.
    1. This is considered metacommunication and thus a violation of rule 5.
  8. Do not go out of your way to disrupt ERP.
    1. As a vore roleplaying server, vore roleplay is our focus. Attempting to enforce standards which make vore more difficult will likely get you ostracized while actively attempting to prevent or disrupt ERP may result in punishment.
  9. Dormitories are OOC protected for roleplay, even during events.
    1. Dorms are reserved for private roleplay. You are not permitted to patrol or break into occupied dorms, even as security/medical. You may not sabotage, destroy, or otherwise intentionally make dorms inaccessible.
    2. Medical is expected to ignore suit sensors located in the dorms.
    3. Due to the above restrictions, you may not use dorms to hide from security, stash illegal goods, or otherwise use dorms in a way intended to force other players to carry out their job duties (excluding damaging other players in roleplay).
    4. Dorms are not for going afk or disconnecting. Falling asleep during your roleplay is fine.
    5. Maintenance, bathrooms, areas outside of station grounds, areas not publicly observable, and public areas with activated privacy features lack special protections but are considered private for roleplaying purposes. You should not expect complete privacy but will not need to move your roleplay elsewhere.
    6. Public areas are somewhat of a grey area. While extreme kinks are prohibited, roleplay kept to whispers/subtles is usually okay as is public roleplay if nobody expresses discomfort. You should expect no privacy in public areas and should expect to move or transition to whispers/subtles if asked. A good rule of thumb is to avoid large, public ERP posts in crowded areas.
  10. Do not backseat moderate.
    1. Accusing other players of rule-breaking, threatening punishment, and/or threatening to call the staff is prohibited. If somebody is breaking the rules, contact the moderation staff. Threatening to contact us tends to start/worsen drama and may get you in trouble.
    2. Observing the round solely to search for rule-breaking is prohibited. Many behaviors may seem questionable without context and many rules deliberately include grey area. If everybody involved is enjoying themselves, it is probably not a rule break.
  11. Play a reasonably sane and mature character and stay in character.
    1. Your character should have a reasonable set of strengths and weaknesses. Knowing too much or possessing too many skills may violate rule 5.
    2. Speech should consist of speech, not emoticons or lolspeak.
    3. This setting contains no magic; your character cannot have any special powers which do not exist in this universe and cannot be replicated with game mechanics. ##Private roleplay in the dorms is the only exception to this.
    4. OOC Notes and Flavor Text are required. OOC Notes should detail your ERP preferences, Flavor Text should contain at least a basic physical description of your character. Flavor Text should only contain details evident from physically observing your character, not thoughts or backstory.
    5. Flavor Text may include reference images, though NSFW links should be labelled appropriately. We recommend a short URL such as imgur which allows the game to generate a hyperlink without cutting it off.
    6. Meme and reference characters are prohibited.
    7. Whitelisted species are expected to know and follow species lore.
  12. The use of racial slurs and/or derogatory/bigoted language toward real life social groups is prohibited.
    1. Words not widely recognized as slurs fall into a grey area. These are evaluated on a case-by-case basis but typically only prohibited when used offensively or directed toward somebody expressing distaste for said word.
    2. This rule does not extend to in-game only groups.
  13. You are expected to forget the events leading to death.
    1. Should you die and be later resleeved, you are expected to forget the events leading to your death. This is particularly important for event rounds with antagonists: if you can identify the antagonist who killed you, the antagonist needs to make sure you cannot be brought back to life for the rest of the round.
    2. Death during ERP is an exception if all involved players agree to letting you remember. Ask first, do not assume.
    3. Seeking revenge for an OOCly consented death is heavily frowned on and may violate rules 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8. If a fatal kink makes you want to seek revenge, do not roleplay it.
  14. Do not inconvenience AFK/disconnected players.
    1. IC emergencies and events may override this rule.
    2. Disconnected players may be placed in cryosleep after 30 minutes of inactivity.
    3. Jail time served while disconnected still counts as jail time served.
    4. You may not eat disconnected players unless their OOC notes explicitly allow such.
  15. Suicide is prohibited.
    1. This is mostly due to suicide being used for attention and/or guilting other playersinto roleplay.
    2. This only applies to suicide. Space Station 13 is designed to teach you the game by killing you in a wide variety of stupid, often humorous means.
  16. Roleplay when feasible.
    1. Keep in mind that player-versus-player combat may violate other rules.
    2. You are expected not to engage in player-versus-player combat without reasonable provocation. Common examples of provocation include roleplay clearly leading into a fight, harassment after a stated threat, or harmless mechanics building into harmful mechanics.
    3. Fleeing from security, brandishing a deadly weapon, moving when being aimed at, and attempts to disarm frequently count as reasonable provocation.
    4. Playing a typically AI-controlled mob and acting like an AI-mob or hanging around a dangerous location may count as provocation. It is frequently not obvious at first glance when a hostile mob is player-controlled.
    5. This rule is not strictly enforced and is typically applied during player disputes about appropriate/inappropriate use of mechanics.
  17. Do not abuse global OOC.
    1. Global OOC is intended for short announcements and simple questions. Drama, lengthy discussions, spam, memes, rants, and generally anything which floods the chatbox is prohibited. We have Discord for this.
    2. Complaining about misuse of Global OOC in Global OOC is misuse of Global OOC.
  18. Do not disconnect if contacted by the moderation team.
    1. Disconnecting when contacted about a rule violation will be regarded as an attempt to avoid punishment. If you must leave, say something first.
    2. We will be understanding if your internet cuts out at a bad time but you may need to contact us through Discord.
  19. You are expected to fulfill the basic responsibilities of the job you sign up for.
    1. Repeatedly failing to do the bare minimum required by your department may result in a job ban. The specifics vary from job to job while Heads of Staff are held to higher standards than other staff.
    2. Your character must be physically capable of performing the job. For example, most jobs require at least one functioning hand. Security needs to be physically capable of subduing criminals and thus lack easily exploitable traits such as lightweight or dirt weakness.
    3. You are expected to obey reasonable orders from your Head of Staff (or Central Command, if you are the Colony Director).
    4. As a Head of Staff, you are expected to give reasonable orders and only when necessary. Micromanaging a department on a quiet round or ordering your staff to drop a roleplay to handle a nonessential chore will quickly earn you the ire of other players and may cost you your whitelist if severe. If an essential duty crops up and your staff are unavailable, you are expected to handle it.
    5. Heads of Staff are expected to be knowledgeable in their department. A whitelist is not a license to take command of a department you have never played.
    6. As a Head of Staff, abusing your authority against players you dislike is prohibited and may violate other rules.
    7. This rule does not apply to failing a job due to not knowing the job. You are expected to make mistakes frequently while learning a new job.
  20. Roles with AI laws must follow said laws.
    1. Lawed roles (AI, cyborg, drones) must follow their AI laws, even if the laws are illegal or require disobeying Command staff.
    2. If you believe a law or order breaks server rules, send an adminhelp.
    3. This rule is not a license for other players to prevent you from doing your job or bar you from roleplaying. If your orders prevent you from having fun, contact the moderation team for a second opinion.
  21. The intent of the rules is more important than the letter.
    1. The rules deliberately contain much grey area as it is not possible to detail every potential situation which does/does not violate the rules. The intent and thus enforcement of the rules is to provide an enjoyable roleplaying environment for a community of voraphiles.
    2. As such, a rule may not be enforced if everybody involved is enjoying themselves. Similarly, a situation which upsets a large number of players may need admin intervention even if not specifically addressed in the rules.
    3. If it is not yet clear, attempting to find a technicality in the wording of the rules will be ignored. If your behavior is causing problems for many other players, it must stop.
  22. Listen to the moderation team.
    1. As implied by rule 21, the enforcement of the rules is flexible and thus up to interpretation by the moderation team. Our job is to tackle problems not mentioned in the rules and never seen before by anybody on the team: if an admin tells you to do something, do it; if an admin tells you to stop, stop. If you disagree with a ruling, contact the staff member after the situation settles. We frequently need to make quick decisions on limited information and may not be able to fully address your concerns in the heat of the moment.
    2. If you suspect bias, you may discuss your case with up to three administrators. Pressing the issue further will be considered harassment.

Roleplaying Resources

New to roleplaying? Want to understand more about what distinguishes roleplay from gameplay? We have included some links to helpful roleplaying guides. You are not required to read any of the following resources. That said, springhole is full of roleplaying and writing tips useful for both newcomers and veterans; these links are just a handful which we find relevant to roleplaying in ss13.

https://springhole.net/writing/beginner-tips-for-entering-a-roleplaying-community.htm

https://springhole.net/writing/common-problems-in-roleplaying-characters.htm

https://springhole.net/writing/general-roleplaying-tips-and-advice.htm

https://springhole.net/writing/tips-to-avoid-killing-rp-conversations.htm

https://springhole.net/writing/introduction-to-roleplaying.htm

https://springhole.net/writing/writing-intimate-scenes.htm


Glossary

AFK: Away from keyboard. Refers to online players not currently interacting with/paying attention to the game.

Bellybrig: Serving a sentence to the brig in a stomach instead of the brig.

Dogborg: A type of playable cyborg with the appearance of a dog.

Drop nom: A mechanic in which falling onto another player results in one eating the other. Controlled by spontaneous vore preference toggles.

ERP: Erotic roleplay. Any form of roleplay intended to be erotic, typically vore, sex, or other kinks. This is the main focus of the server.

Godmodding: Controlling another player’s character in a roleplay. This typically refers to writing another player’s actions or backstory without permission.

Grab & Gulp: Eating players without roleplay. Frowned on unless explicitly permitted in the prey’s OOC notes.

IC: In character. This is a general term encompassing the game setting, character actions, and pretty much anything observable/knowable from a character’s perspective. Contrasted with OOC.

LOOC: Local out of character. Refers to in-game OOC text generated by the LOOC command, visible only to nearby players/ghosts within view range.

OC: Original character. Refers to a character created by a player in contrast to a character from a published work. Not to be confused with OOC.

OOC: Out of character. Refers to almost anything outside of the game setting, frequently players themselves or conversations in the community Discord. Also refers to text in ((double brackets)), a common convention for communicating in OOC using commands typically reserved for IC (such as Say, Me, Whisper, or Subtle). May also refer to global OOC, the in-game blue text generated when using the OOC command. Contrasted with IC.

OOC Notes: A section of a player’s examination description stating the player’s roleplaying preferences.

Me: An in-game command for describing a character’s actions. Used for any form of roleplaying except exclusively verbal posts.

Medbelly: Using a stomach in heal mode to heal injured crew. Typically used in reference to medical dogborgs. Synonymous with healbelly.

Metaknowledge: Any information a character has no way of realistically knowing. Typically refers to information knowable by a player but not a player’s character.

Post: Any written action/dialogue. Typically refers to a player’s turn when roleplaying.

Powergaming: A “playing to win” mentality. This refers to a broad range of behaviors typically geared toward scoring a win against another player, such as attempting to outperform everybody else. Powergaming is usually toxic and may violate the rules.

Robust: A vague ss13 term typically referring to competency with game mechanics, using mechanics instead of roleplay, or engaging in PvP combat. Difficult to define due to lack of a consistent definition.

RP: Roleplay. A broad term referencing a person acting out a role they do not possess or playing a character other than themself. Here, roleplaying typically refers to writing out a character’s speech and actions with other players’ characters and frequently excludes gameplay without writing. Most roleplay here can be categorized as ERP.

Say: A command used exclusively for spoken dialogue. Automatically formats posts with quotes and a speech verb.

Slip vore: A mechanic in which slipping into another player results in one eating the other. Controlled by spontaneous vore preference toggles.

SS13: Space Station 13, the game these rules are about.

SSD: Space sleeping disorder. An in-universe explanation for characters passing out whenever their player disconnects.

Subtles: A “Me” command displayed only to adjacent players. Subtles are italicized.

Televore: Any vore mechanic involving a prey somehow teleporting into a predator, usually with one of many teleportation devices. Controlled by spontaneous vore preference toggles.

TF: Transformation. Typically refers to a roleplay in which a participant is transformed into something else. May also refer to the transformation belly mode.

Vorespawn: A vore mechanic in which a prey enters the round by spawning into a predator or a predator enters the round by spawning around a prey. Controlled by vore spawn preference toggles.

Whisper: A “Say” command fully displayed only to adjacent players. Whispers are italicized.