Rules & FAQs

[warrior_chief]

Rules

1. This game is PG-13.
This isn't a hard rule, as you might want to do something a little more adult (like bang). For the comfort of everyone involved, no characters under the age of 15 can participate in sexual situations, not even with a 'fade to black.' Students and teachers with any significant age gap should not engage in sexual situations with one another. Explicit material needs a lock and a warning. If you forget or fail to do this, the post will be deleted without a warning.

2. Don't make other players uncomfortable.
Even if scenes aren't explicit, the overall tone of the game is fairly light in nature. For example, having your character kidnapped and brutally mutilated, even if it's just implied, wouldn't fit well with the tone of the game. The mods aren't going to make a specific list of what's allowed and what isn't, but if players state that they're reasonably uncomfortable with the scenarios you're presenting, the mods will ask you to retcon and/or remove the content in question.

3. Don't wank.
Look, we all need to vent, and certain players or characters may irritate us more than others. But if you have to vent, keep it private, or at the very least vague enough where the player in question wouldn't have their feelings hurt if they happen to see what you've publicly and/or anonymously stated. Be a grown-up about conflict resolution.

4. Don't harass the mods.
If you need help or have a question, you may feel free to send a PM to the mod account at any time, and we will get back to you when we're able. If it's been more than a week without a response, feel free to nudge or poke, but not before then. This includes Plurk; do not vent frustrations in an attempt to put pressure on the mods to respond to you sooner. No one likes being manipulated.

5. Play characters responsibly.
If you need to drop, use the drop page. Don't just post to the OOC comm or Plurk, use the drop page so we know for certain what your intentions are. Because there are no activity checks, it should not be used as an excuse to hold onto a character that you're not playing. If mods see that you're squatting on a character, they may ask for proof of activity and/or refuse to accept applications for any further characters.

6. Don't godmode.
This should go without saying, and yet, it still happens all the time. Don't do things that affect other people's characters without their permission. You can throw a punch, but the other player decides if it lands or not. Conversely, if someone isn't willing to accept IC consequences for their actions and/or essentially makes their character perfect (artfully dodging every attack that comes their way), you are not required to play with that character until they're willing to sell at least a little. Don't do things that would significantly affect or damage the school or setting without mod permission (i.e. blowing up the entire science wing of the high school).

7. Muncest is Allowed.
Because of the nature of the game, it's unlikely that two characters will never run across or interact with one another. As long as interaction is not excessive (i.e. not playing with any other characters but your own), you're allowed to have more than one character present in a scenario, class, club, etc. If you decide to play a character's family members as stand-alone characters, this is also allowed.

8. Communicate.
Not every last rule is listed here, and there are some rules where mods may be flexible depending on circumstances. It's a game, after all, and the goal is to have fun, not to be a hardass or get tied up in the letter of the law. Ask questions liberally. Make avid use of the OOC comm to plot events, post memes, and get to know each other better. Give constructive criticism kindly. Be open and honest with each other, and the game will be a lot more fun for everybody.

FAQs

How many characters can I play?
As a general guideline, the mods recommend no more than one student per grade level, and a maximum of two staff members. However, if you're active with the characters you have and still want to play more, go for it. As long as you're not character squatting, it will probably be allowed.

What's the Activity Check like?
There isn't one. Please use the drop post responsibly!

How do I add a character?
Post your character on the Taken Characters page, then join the communities. You're done!

Where's the hiatus page?
There isn't one. You can let people know if you'll be unavailable for a while via Plurk or the OOC comm, but posting to a specific page isn't necessary as long as you make the AC check-in.

Can I still play my character if they graduate from high school?
Absolutely! It just so happens that there's a community college on the outskirts of town, where characters can continue their schooling if they wish, or they can choose to get a job, or even attend a university outside of the setting. Keep in mind that characters who live far away from the main setting may have a hard time interacting with the rest of the game characters, so plan for that.

Can I play a nonhuman character? Are there limitations?
Nonhuman characters are absolutely allowed, and though uncommon, they're accepted as a part of modern society. Large characters can choose whether they're scaled down or canon size, but the school was originally built for human-sized students, so they may not be able to fit into a classroom if they're too big. Some limitations may be imposed if such a character is completely impractical for the setting of the game, so if you're not sure, feel free to ask the mods. Alternatively, if you want to AU a nonhuman character as a human, this is allowed, so long as the character is an actual character, and not an object upon which you have imbued human qualities (i.e. no TARDIS, no Dean's car, etc.).

What kind of technology exists, anything unusual?
Characters shouldn't have access to any technology that doesn't already exist today, save for very special circumstances (i.e. plot purposes). However, if you'd like to have your character invent something for temporary use (build that freeze ray, Dr. Billy), that's acceptable.

What about powers?
Canon powers are allowed, but we ask that you nerf any game-breaking and/or planet-destroying powers where necessary.

Can my character be a super famous global celebrity?
Yes, but you will have to come up with a convincing reason as to why that character is living here and not in a major city, as well as coming up with ways for them to balance their schoolwork with the demands of their career as a busy model/idol/singer/actor. Creativity is highly encouraged, but it should come with an equal dose of common sense.

How much flexibility am I allowed to use in adapting my character to the AU setting? When is it acceptable, and when is it considered OOC?
There aren't any hard limits as to what you can do, but you should still keep the core of the character as in tact as is reasonably feasible. Lois Lane as part of the newspaper team is very IC. Making her part of the chess club as well isn't necessarily canon, but it wouldn't directly oppose her overall character, and so it would be allowed. Making her an alcoholic crackhead who skips school to smoke behind the pool is OOC.

I want to play a younger character/older character that falls outside the high school range. Can I make them a genius/held back?
One or two characters might be accepted if this would be a reasonable and IC circumstance, but in general, high schoolers are between the ages of 14-18. Teachers must be at least 25 years of age. You are free to write your own elementary/middle school circumstances and plots, but the game's setting focuses on the high school, which means almost all mod plots will affect those who go to the school in some fashion or another.

Can I app into the game with pre-established CR between characters?
If the owner of the other character is fine with it, and the character history doesn't contradict what's already been accepted in another player's application, it's allowed and encouraged. Cross-canon siblings are absolutely okay.

Does the school have any rivals? Are villain characters allowed?
The rival school to Battle Ground High is Thorn Ridge High, where supervision is far more lax. Students tend to run wild there and get into mischief. There are rumors that the teachers may secretly be encouraging this. Thorn Ridge exists for all your evil NPC needs. If you want to play a character who's villainous or bad, you may absolutely do so. You may also play characters from Thorn Ridge!

What does a typical school schedule look like?
There are seven basic one-hour periods throughout the day - four in the morning, lunch at noon, and three in the afternoon. There is also an early-bird class period that some students may elect to take prior to the first period if they want to eliminate one of the other periods (or just get more school in their day if they love education that much). Sports practice and extracurricular activities are generally held after school around 5 p.m., with occasional weekend events. School assemblies may take place in lieu of one of the seven main periods.

Can my character run a club, or be part of the student body?
Any enrolled high school student can be the president of a club, so long as another player character hasn't already assumed that role. But to be part of the student representative committee, they must be ICly voted upon. Sophomores are the secretary and treasurer, juniors can be vice president, and the class president must be a senior. Members of the student body are responsible for deciding on themes for dances, boosting school spirit, and budgeting for school events like the senior grad party. For the Class of 2021, these positions may be granted upon application on a first-come first-served basis, so long as it's reasonable to think that character would have been elected in the previous school year.

Is the principal crazy?
He's passionate. There's a difference.

What do we do during winter/spring/summer break and holidays?
Whatever the hell you want (within reason). Go to the beach. Visit another country, if you have the money and means to do so. Hang out at home and play video games.

What's the school mascot and colors?
The school sports team players are "The Warriors." Warrior Wally was once a Native American chief, but because that wasn't very politically correct, Wally became a big walrus with a styrofoam spear about ten years back. The school colors are red, black, and white.

What's the canon cap limit?
Because this is an AU, you can play as many characters as you like from the same canon, if that's what you're into.