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These are the rules for the server and ''are subject to change without notice''. For further clarification, also see the guide to [[Not Getting Banned]]. If you did get banned, there's probably a good reason for it, but if you disagree, you can always [http://www.chompstation13.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=12 appeal your ban]. Although these are rules, but they are not infallible, complete, or concrete, and probably never will be despite our best efforts. If ''ever'' something feels wrong, either don't do it, or admin-help it first. Above all, use your common sense, listen to the game staff, and try to keep the game fun for everyone; not just yourself.
'''Always refer to the [https://forums.chompstation13.net/showthread.php?tid=2&pid=2#pid2 forum page] for up-to-date rules. This page may be outdated.'''


If you disagree with the rules as they currently stand, talk about it on the forum or with admins and maybe we can improve them through some healthy criticism and debate.
== 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).


'''These rules are designed to be written in such a way that you can ''usually'' understand them just by reading the headers''', because reading ''all of this'' would be insanity for most people. If you cannot understand a rule just by looking at it, or wish to know about possible exceptions or examples, click the rule to learn more.
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.


If you find yourself spending too much time reading this page, or are confused about any rules, please contact an admin on Discord to make suggestions on how these rules could be better worded.
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.


== You must be 18 or older to play on this server ==
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.
<font color="red">'''There are no exceptions.'''</font> If the staff suspects that you are underage for any reason, you will be banned from playing on the server until you are able to prove to the satisfaction of the staff that you are at least 18 years old. Proof would involve a ID/Driver's license with most info blurred out except the date of birth and a randomly chosen word to be written on a paper next to it.  


*Use of real world slurs, ‘lolspeak’, and other indications of immaturity may be taken as signs that you are underage.
Unfamiliar with some of our terminology? We’ve included a glossary at the end of this document.


*Knowing another user is underaged but not reporting it is considered grounds for an immediate, permanent ban.


*The age of consent in your country is irrelevant. Your opinion about this rule is irrelevant.
== 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.


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


== Be respectful to other players ==
== Rules ==
This is a game, we're all here to have fun, but try to make certain your type of fun fits our server and doesn't ruin things for others. Don't be overly offensive, rude, rapey, violent, or insulting OOCly. With IC there's some wiggle room, but there's still a limit to how much people will tolerate before they get sick of you, so keep it in moderation. When in doubt, use LOOC.


*Racial slurs/epithets, derogatory/defamatory language against social groups, and generally any other category of bigoted language is not allowed (as covered by the global rules). Using this language ICly is still not allowed if it pertains to any real-life social group. Saying that “all Tajara look the same” is fine. Saying that “all [insert rl social group] look the same” is not. Also, being part of some real life social group doesn't grant you immunity to this rule or some special ticket to use these slurs.
#You must be 18 years or older to play here, no exceptions. All characters must be 18 or older.
*Metagrudging can be considered being disrespectful. Metagrudging is having an extreme grudge against another player through different rounds, causing heavy amount of drama between the two and causing the other person to feel upset about it. However, we think it's fine if there is some sort of grudge as long as it's agreed on OOCly first.
##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.
*Ignoring people because you do not want to interact with them is not considered being disrespectful, as long as it's kept mature and within it's boundaries this is considered fine.
##Knowingly remaining silent about an underage user is grounds for a ban.
*Do not share people's usernames/details anywhere as this can be similar to "doxxing" another player in-game, and this can easily create metagrudge issues with other players. Exceptions to this can be if the other player agrees.
#Be respectful toward other players in OOC (including Discord).
*We want to encourage some drama in the game, as this is what can add a lot of depth and character design into the game, but keep it moderate, otherwise staff would have to be involved. If you do feel like there's any drama getting way too far, or getting to the point where it's going over IC interactions and into OOC interactions, contact a staff member as this can be considered disrespectful.
##Targeted harassment, conspiracies to drive off/get another player in trouble, and giving out player usernames/ckeys without permission are prohibited.
##This rule does not extend to previous drama in other communities.
##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.
##Letting IC drama bleed into OOC or treating a player’s characters poorly for OOC reasons is prohibited.
##Pervasive, round-to-round IC drama may violate this rule.
##Politely ignoring somebody you do not want to interact with is permitted.
##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.
#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.
##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.
##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.
##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.
##Do not kinkshame others. While calm discussions about interests and dislikes are generally okay, passive-aggressive remarks toward others’ preferences are prohibited.
##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.
##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.
#Keep IC and OOC separate.
##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).
##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.
#Do not powergame or abuse metaknowledge.
##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.
##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).
##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.
#Do not self-antag.
##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.
##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.
##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.
##Certain event volunteers during certain events are exempt from this rule, instead following guidelines from an Event Manager.
#Do not discuss on-going rounds in Discord.
##This is considered metacommunication and thus a violation of rule 5.
#Do not go out of your way to disrupt ERP.
##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.
#Dormitories are OOC protected for roleplay, even during events.
##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.
##Medical is expected to ignore suit sensors located in the dorms.
##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).
##Dorms are not for going afk or disconnecting. Falling asleep during your roleplay is fine.
##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.
##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.
#Do not backseat moderate.
##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.
##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.
#Play a reasonably sane and mature character and stay in character.
##Your character should have a reasonable set of strengths and weaknesses. Knowing too much or possessing too many skills may violate rule 5.
##Speech should consist of speech, not emoticons or lolspeak.
##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.
##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.
##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.
##Meme and reference characters are prohibited.
##Whitelisted species are expected to know and follow species lore.
#The use of racial slurs and/or derogatory/bigoted language toward real life social groups is prohibited.
##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.
##This rule does not extend to in-game only groups.
#You are expected to forget the events leading to death.
##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.
##Death during ERP is an exception if all involved players agree to letting you remember. Ask first, do not assume.
##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.
#Do not inconvenience AFK/disconnected players.
##IC emergencies and events may override this rule.
##Disconnected players may be placed in cryosleep after 30 minutes of inactivity.
##Jail time served while disconnected still counts as jail time served.
##You may not eat disconnected players unless their OOC notes explicitly allow such.
#Suicide is prohibited.
##This is mostly due to suicide being used for attention and/or guilting other playersinto roleplay.
##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.
#Roleplay when feasible.
##Keep in mind that player-versus-player combat may violate other rules.
##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.
##Fleeing from security, brandishing a deadly weapon, moving when being aimed at, and attempts to disarm frequently count as reasonable provocation.
##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.
##This rule is not strictly enforced and is typically applied during player disputes about appropriate/inappropriate use of mechanics.
#Do not abuse global OOC.
##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.
##Complaining about misuse of Global OOC in Global OOC is misuse of Global OOC.
#Do not disconnect if contacted by the moderation team.
##Disconnecting when contacted about a rule violation will be regarded as an attempt to avoid punishment. If you must leave, say something first.
##We will be understanding if your internet cuts out at a bad time but you may need to contact us through Discord.
#You are expected to fulfill the basic responsibilities of the job you sign up for.
##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.
##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.
##You are expected to obey reasonable orders from your Head of Staff (or Central Command, if you are the Colony Director).
##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.
##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.
##As a Head of Staff, abusing your authority against players you dislike is prohibited and may violate other rules.
##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.
#Roles with AI laws must follow said laws.
##Lawed roles (AI, cyborg, drones) must follow their AI laws, even if the laws are illegal or require disobeying Command staff.
##If you believe a law or order breaks server rules, send an adminhelp.
##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.
#The intent of the rules is more important than the letter.
##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.
##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.
##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.
#Listen to the moderation team.
##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.
##If you suspect bias, you may discuss your case with up to three administrators. Pressing the issue further will be considered harassment.  


== Do not inconvenience AFK or disconnected characters ==
== Roleplaying Resources ==
Under normal circumstances, do not harm, eat, or otherwise inconvenience characters whose player is idle, ghosted, or disconnected entirely. There are some exceptions to this rule, as follows:
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.
*If they've disconnected/idle for more than 30 minutes, you can put them in cryosleep. If you do that, take away all of their belongings except for their jumpsuit, shoes, ID, and PDA, and return everything else to its rightful department.
*If they've committed a crime, jail them as you normally would and conduct their sentence even if they aren't connected. 20 minutes in the brig is still 20 minutes in the brig.
*Some players will say in their OOC notes that they're okay with getting devoured while AFK or offline. As long as you don't break these preferences, it's okay to do things to them.
*Emergencies bypass this rule. If it's an emergency and you need something an idle player has to fix it, you may take it.


If you are caught possibly breaking this rule, you will be questioned and without a reasonable/acceptable answer, you will be punished. If you are lying (it's very easy to find out) you will be faced with a more serious punishment.
https://springhole.net/writing/beginner-tips-for-entering-a-roleplaying-community.htm


== ERP preferences must be respected ==
https://springhole.net/writing/common-problems-in-roleplaying-characters.htm
Players should have their ERP prefs listed in their “OOC Metainfo” or “OOC Notes” on their characters. You are required to respect these preferences so long as they pertain to ERP. If you are unsure about the meaning of some of their preferences, then use LOOC to discuss it with them. If you accidentally go against someone’s preferences, or someone else goes against yours, work to correct it as quickly as possible, even if that means just deciding in LOOC among yourselves that ‘this didn’t happen’ and going your separate ways.
* Do not put "anything goes" or similar in OOC notes, we will warn you once, and not take complaints in ERP regards if your notes remain unchanged.
* If you like non-consensual scenes, State that in your notes! If it is not stated in someone's notes, assume all scenes should be consensual.
* AFK/SSD/Disconnected players are not valid targets for any ERP unless their OOC Notes specifically permit otherwise.
* If you learn of something that makes you uncomfortable while you are in game. Please speak up in LOOC as normal, and remember to add it right away after the round has ended on station, or when you leave so it does not happen again in the future.
* Remember this is a vore server! Because of this, it is suggested not to have "no vore" in your OOC preferences. It is okay to be nervous about it or unsure, but making some attempts to at least experiment would be appreciated.


*Do not kinkshame others. This includes overt comments about someone’s ERP preferences being ‘wrong’ or ‘immoral’, but also includes passive-aggressive remarks related to preferences, such as public remarks suggesting that you won’t go near someone because of their OOC ERP preferences. If you have negative feelings about someone’s ERP preferences, don’t interact with them, and keep it to your self.
https://springhole.net/writing/general-roleplaying-tips-and-advice.htm


*Do not attempt to force yourself into ERP scenes where the other party (or parties) involved are not comfortable with it, or not even actually participating. This includes (but is not limited to) repeatedly jumping into people's food as a micro, trying to do ERP that a player has blatantly stated they are uncomfortable with, trying to guilt players into having a pity RP with you, doing [https://www.reddit.com/r/SS13/comments/451jtt/hitandrun_erp_is_a_thing_now_apparently hit and run ERP], filling drinks with your bodily fluids, etc. You get the idea. Don't do that.
https://springhole.net/writing/tips-to-avoid-killing-rp-conversations.htm


== The dorms are protected ==
https://springhole.net/writing/introduction-to-roleplaying.htm
The ‘dorms’ area on the map are reserved for ERP and are ‘protected’ from interruption. It is a violation of this rule to break into occupied dorms or harass players in dorms.
* Security is not allowed to indiscriminately inspect dorms for crimes, but a known criminal hiding in a dorm is not protected by this rule.
* It is not permissible to attempt to use dorms to hide from security, or to make their job of finding you harder. The dorms are for people who want to ERP in privacy.
* Do not leave the server in locked dorms. They're for scenes only


See also: [[Guide_to_Vore#Area-by-Area_Response|Guide to Vore - Area by Area Response]]
https://springhole.net/writing/writing-intimate-scenes.htm


== Roleplay as long as it's feasible ==
Roleplay as long as it's feasible
This is an MRP (Medium roleplay) server. This server will allow combat but keep in mind there are also people who like to rp. You can fight with someone if its with someone that you know would willingly fight but do not involve others who don't want to fight.
* We'll allow stuff to be dealt with IC instead of ooc if its in character drama, the only way that you'll be in trouble for this is if you do something to violate someone's prefs or you murderbone, make sure you read OOC notes.
* You are expected to roleplay out roleplay actions. However, if combat breaks out, or you find yourself in a situation against another player trying to fight you or just suddenly attacking you with no explanation why, you are expected to use the in-game mechanics.
* You are expected to roleplay your actions with other players as long as it's feasible. If someone engages you in purely ‘robust’ (aka game-mechanics driven) combat while you were attempting to roleplay with them and you never gave ooc permission, with no "reasonable provocation", please use the admin-help feature to inform an admin.
* "Reasonable provocation" are situations or actions that deem you too dangerous to be given even a chance to talk. For example, openly wielding a gun while threatening people, charging someone with a knife, trying to create a hazard, or being the target of a manhunt.


Please Note
== Glossary ==
If a fight does begin, you're not expected to type out every gunshot and dodge and attack. You are to roleplay up until the point that it makes sense to start attacking, and then use game mechanics from there. You are allowed to respond to ‘robust’ violence with your own, if you desire, though you should attempt to return to roleplaying as soon as feasible. The environment is not designed for a focus on action, but rather for character-building and roleplaying. When a fight is over, resume roleplaying.
'''AFK''': Away from keyboard. Refers to online players not currently interacting with/paying attention to the game.
Movement is considered a game mechanic for the purpose of this rule. Wordlessly running at a security officer who is attempting to arrest you, or wordlessly fleeing from them, is considered engaging in game-mechanic combat. The security officer has valid cause to stop trying to roleplay and stunlock you into the ground.


== Do not join with an inappropriate ckey ==
'''Bellybrig''': Serving a sentence to the brig in a stomach instead of the brig.
Ckeys, better known as BYOND user names, must be appropriate. If any are deemed inappropriate, the ckey will be banned and you will be unable to play on our server until you make an account with an appropriate name.
*Ckeys that mock certain players or groups are an example of inappropriate.
*Ckeys that violate BYOND's terms of service may also be reported.


== Do not misuse Global OOC ==
'''Dogborg''': A type of playable cyborg with the appearance of a dog.  
Many servers simply mute global OOC. We do not, because the OOC command is useful to have on in an RP heavy server.


* Global OOC is used, for instance, to contact someone you were typing a reply to had walked out of the room before you were done, and you're trying to ask them to come back. It's also useful if you're a new player, or an old player exploring new mechanics, who asks something like, "How do I make Tricord again?" or something short and similar. Short, sweet, and relevant OOC messages are generally okay. Welcoming old players returning, or new players joining, is also generally okay.
'''Drop nom''': A mechanic in which falling onto another player results in one eating the other. Controlled by spontaneous vore preference toggles.


* Global OOC is ''not'' for idle banter, ranting, things pertaining to incidents in the current round (see previous rule), in-depth explanations (an explanation that takes more than a few lines), shitposting memes, or discussing topics not relating directly to the game. If you want to chatter OOCly, go to our Discord channel, which is linked from the home page at https://vore-station.net/ or use LOOC so as to not disturb the rest of the server.
'''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.


* Also, if someone does misuse OOC, do not complain in global OOC about their misusing of global OOC. Not only are you just making the problem worse, that is considered being a backseat admin, which is prohibited by other rules.
'''Godmodding''': Controlling another player’s character in a roleplay. This typically refers to writing another player’s actions or backstory without permission.  


== Keep IC and OOC separate ==
'''Grab & Gulp''': Eating players without roleplay. Frowned on unless explicitly permitted in the prey’s OOC notes.
IC (In-character) and OOC (Out-of-Character) actions and knowledge should be separated as much as possible. Don't use OOC channels to discuss what's going on IC until after the round is finished, don't use OOC knowledge to do things your character wouldn't know, such as operate medical machines when a cargo technician. You are not playing yourself in the game, you are controlling a character with their own wants and knowledge and the IC/OOC boundary is to help reflect that.


== Do not discuss ongoing rounds in any discord channels on the chompers discord ==
'''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.
Note that these same rules apply to LOOC as well.
* Don't complain in OOC when your actions IC get you in trouble. This is self explanatory.
* Disconnecting or using other OOC means to avoid IC consequences is against the rules. If you do need to suddenly leave, a-help admins and looc/ooc to the server.
* Do not use Metacomms: Using third-party programs, such as Discord, IRC, Skype, or even the BYOND pager, to discuss and share information of the ongoing round. This excludes other players, can contribute to toxicity among the playerbase, and is often a tactic used by griefers and thus is a no-go.
* Do not Metagame: Using information obtained from elsewhere to influence IC decisions and actions. Your opinions or knowledge of other players or characters obtained via OOC methods should not direct your IC actions. If you have an OOC grudge against someone, you may not try to antagonize them IC, for example.
There is one exception to this. Asking in LOOC to be cloned after a vore scene is fine.
* Multi-keying: Logging in with multiple BYOND accounts on our game server. There is never any legitimate reason for you to do this and thus is not allowed.
* Create and play server-appropriate characters


== Please use a functional, appropriate character ==
'''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.
* Play a reasonably sane and mature character, give them a non-immersion breaking name, do not play obvious reference characters, or characters from published works without a special character application approved for that character.
* Keep in mind that people do not like pain or dying and usually try to avoid it without good reason. Give your character a reasonable set of strengths, fears, and weaknesses. When writing things for IC, write things out that sound like speech, not emoticons or lolspeak.
* The setting contains no magic. Your character cannot have any superpowers, magical abilities, or anything that does not exist in the setting or cannot be reasonably replicated with game mechanics. That being said, if you do have a question about an ability you wish to have that is small and more flavor based, please ask an admin.
* If they are not someone who has a good reason to work on the station, they should not occupy any normal job slot and should be a ‘Visitor’ only.


'''Exception to this rule'''
'''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.


The exception to this is purely private roleplay. For example: If your character and another character are in a dorm by themselves, and the other is OOCly fine with it, your character can display potentially supernatural abilities. This is limited to that roleplay, though. You should not discuss anything about that in public. Use magic at your own risk however, because technically the moment your RP is discovered by someone else, it stops being private, putting you in potential violation of this rule.
'''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.


== Please use workable sizes ==
'''OOC Notes:''' A section of a player’s examination description stating the player’s roleplaying preferences.
Obscenely oversized or undersized characters are forbidden. Minimum height is at least a few inches. Maximum height is about 30 feet. Anything more or less really pushes the already shaky believably of micros or macros existing on the station--and that's coming from a server whose theme is eating people.
If you are playing a whitelisted species such as Diona, Vox, Xenochimera, or whatever else we add in the future, you are expected to play the race as they are canonically meant to be played.


== Flavor Text is encouraged ==
'''Me''': An in-game command for describing a character’s actions. Used for any form of roleplaying except exclusively verbal posts.
Adding flavor text to describe your characters, along with visual refs if you have them can really help people get a good idea of your character. These should not include non-physical attributes (do not include feelings your character has, or how they act).


== Do not kill or attack things (including yourself) for no good reason ==
'''Medbelly''': Using a stomach in heal mode to heal injured crew. Typically used in reference to medical dogborgs. Synonymous with healbelly.
*This includes yourself. Even in self-defense your goal is to fight off your attack and escape to go get help, killing in a fight should only be done as a last-ditch effort when it's clear it's a you or them situation.


*Suicide or self-mutilation is almost NEVER allowed. Contact an admin if you want to have a character commit suicide. Typically the manner in which suicide is carried out is played as an in-game attention grab and without actual compelling reasons. This can upset those that find this subject OOCly uncomfortable. The punishment for suicide is nearly always a permanent ban, so think about that before you kill yourself.
'''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.


*Excessive responses are also covered by this. Caving in someone's skull for cutting in line, stabbing yourself in the eye with a screwdriver because you are bored, or jumping out an airlock because you're sad, are all examples of being excessive.
'''Post''': Any written action/dialogue. Typically refers to a player’s turn when roleplaying.


== Do not powergame ==
'''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.  
*Better known as 'playing to win'. As a security person this can be seen as going out of your way and needlessly endangering others to ‘win against’ criminals. As the station AI exploiting loopholes in your laws to get yourself out of them or getting the person who subverted you into trouble is another way. There is an implicit allowance for lawed characters to ERP. You may create loopholes for this reason only.


*While this shares several things in common with other rules, it still is it's own entity. Play to have fun, allow yourself to lose now and again and roll with the blows as it can make things potentially even more interesting.
'''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.  


*Having '''way''' too many skills for one character is another example of this. Just because you're the Colony Director and have access to everywhere doesn't mean you should (or can) know how to do all the different jobs. (See [[Character Creation#Give them a set of skills|Character Creation]] regarding skills for more information.)
'''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.


*[[Identifying Antagonists]] when you shouldn't be able to is also a violation of this rule.
'''Say''': A command used exclusively for spoken dialogue. Automatically formats posts with quotes and a speech verb.


== Do not ‘Self-Antag’ ==
'''Slip vore''': A mechanic in which slipping into another player results in one eating the other. Controlled by spontaneous vore preference toggles.
Do not be hostile to other crew for no legitimate reason. Don’t break things, steal things, or do other antagonistic stuff just because you’re bored, it's the end of the round, you “want to give Security something to do”, etc. If you're going to be an asshole, have a believable reason why you're being an asshole. Think about how a normal person would behave under similar circumstances.
Remember that if you are selected to be an antagonist-type role, it does give you some wiggle room than usual as far as the server rules go, but it does not give you permission to break any rules. Stick to your objectives, don't be over-the-top and ruining everyone else's fun if you can avoid it. Ask for admin help if you're not sure.


== Make sure you do your assigned job ==
'''SS13''': Space Station 13, the game these rules are about.
When your character joins the round, you are accepting the responsibilities that the job you have chosen brings with it Remember: if you are playing in a slot, you are likely preventing other players from performing that role. It is important that you fulfill the tasks that you have signed up for!


Should you join as a head of staff, you accept you'll be held to higher job standards than other crew due to the authority, responsibilities, and limited slots of said positions. When a vital job duty crops up, responsibility ultimately falls on you to ensure it is fulfilled. What this means is should such a duty be ignored in a well-staffed department, you will be held accountable . While you may delegate tasks to others in your department, you will be expected to pause roleplays and address the issue should nobody else do so.
'''SSD''': Space sleeping disorder. An in-universe explanation for characters passing out whenever their player disconnects.


* We reserve the right to ban players from jobs who repeatedly fail to perform to an acceptable standard until we're confident that they will be able to perform the job in question.
'''Subtles''': A “Me” command displayed only to adjacent players. Subtles are italicized.  
* Do not do other people’s jobs. If you joined as medical, do not attempt to hunt down criminals. If you joined as engineering, do not attempt to perform medical treatment on your coworkers. If you are a head position, allow your staff to do work before you do the work yourself; you are a supervisor and manager first and foremost as a head position.
* Do not hijack other people's jobs. For example, if you're a chemist but someone needs surgery, and there's already a surgeon who isn't currently busy, then don't perform the surgery instead of letting them do it.
* Playing jobs that can be called upon at any time to assist other crew members in emergencies waives your right to have interruption-free (E)RP sessions in private, even if you are in the dorms, you are required to put your scene on hold.
* You are expected to obey the chain of command (within reason)
* The Colony Director is the station's boss, so listen to them. Likewise, you should obey your department's Head of Staff unless directly overridden by the Colony Director.
* If you consistently do not follow reasonable orders, you will be job banned.


Permitted character disability is covered under the [[Standard_Operating_Procedure#NanoTrasen_Disability_Policy|NanoTrasen Disability Policy]].
'''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.


== AI must obey laws ==
'''TF''': Transformation. Typically refers to a roleplay in which a participant is transformed into something else. May also refer to the transformation belly mode.
If you're playing a role that has AI laws, you must obey these rules first and foremost to the best of your ability. This includes even disobeying Central Command staff if your AI laws are in conflict with the orders given. (Note you can disregard AI laws when vore is the goal of disobeying them, but it's usually more immersive to play this off as glitches or by finding loopholes that allow you to eat people.)
* As any role without AI laws, you can disobey orders you think are traitorous, harmful, immoral, or violating Corporate Regulation. Use your judgement and consider whether or not disobeying the order could get you in trouble or get someone else horribly killed.
* If you are given an order or AI law that may break another server rule, please alert the admins for a second opinion before continuing.


Keep in mind. this is not a rule that lets people be fun police as heads of staff. If you feel that someone is ordering you do things that basically require you not to do your job, or to do your job in ways that aren't fun, then contact an admin for a second opinion.
'''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.


== Memories of unwilling deaths are imperfect ==
'''Whisper''': A “Say” command fully displayed only to adjacent players. Whispers are italicized.
You are expected to forget events leading up to an unwilling death UNLESS if it was LOOC consensual between ALL parties involved in the situation. [[Clone_Memory_Disorder|Non-contiguous memory disorder]] (or Non-Con Disorder for short) is the in-character explanation for your character losing memories of recent events leading up to their death. You should not remember how you died, or who killed you.


Exceptions for this is a scenario where both prey and pred consented in LOOC to gurgles and remembering it.
== The purpose of the rules is to preserve a fun and enjoyable environment for all players ==
If everyone is enjoying themselves even while the ‘letter’ of a rule is not being followed, it’s likely that no staff intervention will be required. On the other hand, just because something isn't in the rules doesn't mean it's okay or allowed if it's upsetting a large number of players.
It is within admin staff's discretion to decide that certain actions violate one or more rules, even if the specific action is not listed as part of the rule. This is simply the job of the staff to interpret the rules. You can appeal decisions to other admins if you believe one has a bias against you, but doing so to more than three staff members will be considered harassment.
Plenty of rules are left vague enough to cover as much as possible without being too oppressing. Attempting to rules-lawyer saying that "this rule doesn't specifically say I can't do X", even if what you are doing is disrupting the server, will generally be ignored. We assume most of you have enough common sense to recognize what a sane and stable individual would and wouldn't do within this fictional setting.
== Listen to admin staff ==
One admin's word is usually as good as any other. For example, just because the Server Host says it's okay to do something one moment doesn't mean you can still do it when a Trial Admin later tells you to stop.
If this causes a contradiction, you can (and should) inform the new admin of what you were told previously. For example, a Head Admin says you can do something, but that admin has left the server. A lower ranked admin shows up and asks you to stop doing that thing. You can explain that the Head Admin previously said you could do this, but if the lower ranked admin still wants you to stop, then you should stop. (This obviously works vise-versa as well.)
Intentionally not telling a new admin about a contradiction is considered lying. It's like asking your mom for ice cream, but she says no, so you go ask dad because you think he'll be less strict.
== CHOMPstation is not a democracy ==
Our rules and guidelines exist for a reason and we have staff dedicated to enforcing them and help set further guidelines if necessary. However, these rules are always going to be incomplete, and as such, just because something isn't written doesn't mean it's allowed. If a staff member tells you to do something, do it.
They tell you to stop, then stop. If you disagree with a ruling, don't try to argue it then and there, especially if things are hectic. Once things have calmed down, or preferably after the round has ended, you can try to contact the staff member privately to discuss the ruling, or talk to another admin if you cannot talk to or cannot convince the offending admin.
You can talk to up to three other admins. If all of them are unanimous in their decision, you are probably in the wrong and should give up. If you do not, it will be considered harassment.
If you have a question over something unclear or questionable, never be afraid to adminhelp. The staff on hand should discuss it among themselves and give you a ruling, from there on if the ruling is in bad judgement, it's on the admin who cleared it, not you. The staff should also NEVER ban you purely for a complaint against them. Even if you're a complete asshole about it, as long as the argument stays private, you cannot be banned just for arguing. Although being an asshole usually won't win an argument, so you probably shouldn't do that anyway.
Don't confuse this for "complaining grants you immunity to bans", because that's not how it works. If you are told to not break windows and you complain how that isn't fair, you're still getting banned for breaking windows if we disagree with your complaint. What this means is we won't ban you or make an existing ban worse just because you tell us we're being excessively mean, confusing, or unfair to you or someone else.


[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Rules]]
[[Category:Rules]]

Revision as of 22:27, 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. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. Do not kinkshame others. While calm discussions about interests and dislikes are generally okay, passive-aggressive remarks toward others’ preferences are prohibited.
    7. 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.
    8. 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.

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