Rules!

Admin Posts : 8 Join date : 2016-12-07 Age : 36

Most of these should be common sense but some how they are always needed. Please look these over and keep them in mind as you familiarize yourself with the world we have created. You will receive a Warning PM should you break the rules, unfortunately we cannot make everyone happy as much as we'd like to. Too many warnings will result in other consequences which potentially could include you being asked to leave. We doubt that will happen but just so everyone understands we need to say it somewhere. We are all adults, and I expect that every single one of us remembers that. If I have to get out the pacifiers because you're acting like an infant, someone will be getting an earful. We will not be dealing with your issues. Play nice or go somewhere else.

Respect Your Fellow Members!
Again, this should be common sense. We believe in the Golden Rule. Treat others how you would like to be treated. Take a moment and think about your actions before you do them. We understand that disagreements can happen, it's a fact of life everyone must accept. We are all here to tell a story, to have fun. This is a community and we are only as good as our unhappiest member...try not to be the Debbie Downer hmmmmmk?

No Godmodding!
Godmodding is when you move another player's character in your post without their permission. It will not be tolerated. We encourage interaction between our Players and you are more then welcome to give your permission to another Player for them to move your character in their post. We will not know if someone has moved your character without your permission unless you tell us. We aren't mind readers. This would also include negative impacts to your character you weren't expecting either physical, emotional or otherwise. They don't know your character like you do and they shouldn't be pretending that they do. Don't guess, if you aren't sure what would happen...ASK. As a courtesy, if you have moved another character with permission in your post, please make an OOC note at the end stating so.

Registering
You must register with your character's first and last name, this is not optional, and please make them original! We have taken a great deal of time in making an original world for you, we ask that you do the same with your characters. You can make use of a Personal Acct if you would like, though Forumotion does not offer a way to link them like Jcink and such does which can be annoying so we are not requiring it, though it you do make one we ask that you use it for all OOC things so we can better keep track of your in character post counts. Also, Forumotion requires that you use a different Email address for each account upon creation, however, the staff can change the email to be the same after the account has been created, just post in the help section or PM an admin.

Application Process
Once you believe you're ready to create your character, there is an Application for you to fill out. You MUST use the accompanying code to create your application. Once you post it, the staff will look it over, discuss it amongst ourselves and either approach you with possible changes or approve it. The App is fairly involved but this is your chance to make a first impression...so impress us! If you break the code don't worry, just post in the help section and someone should be able to fix it..and by someone...I mean me. You have 7 calendar days to finish your App before we assume that you have abandoned it...unless you've been active in the Cbox or we have noticed you working on the app. We don't mind if it takes longer but let us know what's going on.

Content
As we are using a Free Forum host, we must follow their ToS which state no nudity or sex of any kind. Basically, we ask that you refrain from Mature or overly graphic Violence on the board. Please take this somewhere else if you feel the need to write it, we aren't judging, we just don't want all our hard work to get deleted because Forumotion got angry with us. If, for some reason, someone would like to change this and purchase a Premium site for us, we will not say no but for the time being it's just not affordable.

Character Development
We encourage our members to take the time and really think out your characters, get to know them. What makes them act the way they do, where did they come from, why are they here. Everyone has room to change, to become more. There will be opportunities In Game for your character to grow, potentially learning new things, new spells, abilities, gaining new powers or weapons, getting married, having children, getting divorced...the list goes on. We also encourage our members to think up potential site wide plots, we love hearing knew ideas, don't hesitate to bring them to us. We created Our Solemn Hour to be an open book written by our players. This will require you to really think about what your character is doing, why is he doing it, what is her end game? We don't want any 'throw away' or 'Mary Sue' characters, we want you to laugh and cry right along with them. As you are thinking about your Charrie, please remember the setting we have created for you.

Wanteds
Wanteds are pre-thought out character concepts that have plots waiting for them. Reserving a Wanted simply requires you to put up an Application in the Works in Progress section. You then have one week to finish the App or someone else could potentially take the Wanted from you. Faceclaims used in Wanted ads are not reserved.

Face Claims
Here at OSH we use Face Claims. These are real actors we use to portray our characters. Anime or drawings will not be allowed, though they can be used in conjunction with real actors on certain basis. There is a list of Face Claims, please check them to make sure the one you want to use hasn't already been taken. A Face Claim you choose for a Wanted will not be considered Taken, should someone choose a Face Claim that was used for an Untaken Wanted, the Wanted maker will be notified and they will need to find a new Face for their Wanted. Reserving a face claim simply requires you posting an application in the Works in Progress section with the face claim written in. You then have one week to finish the app or someone can potentially steal the claim from you. Some characters really won't have a use for a face claim as they may look nothing close to human, in these instances we will accept artwork and drawings but they MUST be decent.

Dating
Dating a Thread isn't so necessary, however, when you finish a thread it will need to be added to the site timeline so keep that in mind. In game time is the current year with the first two numbers changed. IE
2017 AD becomes 317 AS. The month remains the same as the staff got lazy and didn't feel like making the date portion any more confusing.

Continuity
Now, everything you write on the board is considered Canon, meaning your character actually went through it. If they lose a hand in a thread then their hand will be lost for the rest of their life (barring certain species and magic of course!). Keep this in mind when starting threads, if it's a thread that could pose pivotal plot points like physical or emotional life changing harm, it's going to take time to heal or fix and any thread you have after should include the aftermath. The other side of this coin is that if it's not on the board, it didn't happen and will not be considered canon if an argument arises. Plotting things out in messengers is wonderful but we need it to be in writing somewhere on the board. (with the exception of Mature and Violent Scenes, we will take your word for it on these as they are not allowed on the board and encouraged to be taken elsewhere)

Timelines
For those of you who may be terrible at keeping track of all the threads your character has been in we encourage creating a Timeline for them. It is not required, it's just for you to keep a reference of what's going on. Please label them with your character's name IE "Jane Doe's Timeline". This will make sure everyone can find it if they need to. This also allows you to keep a running tally of exactly whats happened in case anyone needs to play catch up. We suggest writing down the date of the thread, the name of the thread with a corresponding link to the thread and brief exert to explain what happened in the thread.

Character Limits
There is a 2 character limit here at OSH. We ask that you log a total of 15 posts with your character before making another. We know it's a bit high but we want to make sure you're going to stick around and that you're giving each character the right amount of love. If we believe you're struggling we may ask you to shelve someone or not approve another. You are awarded a third bonus character if you are picking up someone else's Wanted. A bonus fourth character may be requested, though these will be handed out on a case by case basis and usually activity and need are taken into account on these decisions. If you chose a Wanted for someone who leaves, you are welcome to shelve it and make another without consequence.

Plotter
It is required for everyone to create a Relationship Map or Plotter. This allows for other members to connect with you in possible plots or relations in game.

Age Limit
We ask that our members all be over the age of 18 and act like it. However, characters can become playable at the age of 16. Children are a part of life, they can't be ignored or looked over. If your character has a child, they will be NPCed up until they turn 16 where you can then create a Wanted Ad for them. You may still NPC them until they get picked up. Face Claims must be over 18.

Retiring a Character
We understand that sometimes it can take a little bit for you to find the perfect cast to play when joining a new site, you are free to shelve a character (or kill them off...we all love a good story) so long as you have a good reason. "Cause I feel like it" isn't a reason. If the Wanted you picked ups' original creator shelves their character you will be free to shelve the Wanted and pick up another if you so choose without penalty. If you shelve too many characters we may ask you to pick one and stick with it. Other people will be trying to create plots with your characters and we don't want your inability to make up your mind ruining others experiences on the site. No one likes to rewrite.

Activity
Everyone has a life outside of the board and we encourage that. OSH is meant to be a place to unwind, it is not meant to become your whole life to the exclusion of all else. Some players will be more active then others, which is fine, just remember not to take on more then you can handle. Try not to leave anyone hanging for too long, posting every couple of days is encouraged. If you are going to be gone for an extended period of time please post a Leave Of Absence to let us know that you will be gone so we won't worry about you and can potentially skip you in more plot driven threads. You are welcome to ask another player that you trust to move you while you're gone for the sake of the story.

Activity Checks
On the 1st of every month, running through the 7th, there will be an Activity check. Posting requirements are two posts a month with each character. For newly created characters, your first AC is free. Each character is allowed 2 excusals a year and more can be purchased from the Shop with your Shards that you have earned. AC excusals can also be earned as prizes from the various events. Once you use an excusal, you will need to wait a full year before it is returned to you, the staff will keep track of this for you and alert you when they have been returned. If you cannot make an AC, and you have not posted an Away Message, the staff will PM you. If you have not responded stating that you would like to stay then your character will be archived. If you returned from an Absense and wish to reclaim an Archived Character, please post in the Help Section.

Graphics
The use of Graphics on OSH is required. Avatars must be no more then 200w x 300h. Signatures must be no more then 500w x 200h. You may make requests of other members should you wish, some of them are quite talented with graphics. Please, no nudity in the graphics, some of our Face Claims do enjoy the odd photo shoot, be sure you keep that in mind. We request that you not add signatures to your personal accounts, though awards and the like may be added.

CBox
We employ the use of a CBox under the extras tab on the right hand side of the screen, feel free to pop in and say hi! We suggest registering with the alias of your personal account. There is one rule of the CBox: Don't be a dick. Do not start drama in our PUBLIC CBox where potential members can see it. If you have a problem, take it to PM and try to deal with it like adults. You may ask the staff to intervene should the need arise but we are not your babysitters. Be respectful of each other!

Plotting Box
At the bottom of the main page is the plotting box where you may go to plot out ideas that may have formed in the Cbox without clogging it up. This box is for members only and you need to be logged in to use it. We have not used it for an IC box, though I don't see why that can't happen on occasion, we're just not sure how well it would work.