This was written by Loki and a few other players in 2005. If you were one of the authors and wish for the following to be removed from the website please contact dayrinni. It has been slightly modified/edited for today’s Game Play Experience.

Names

As the world of Eihydia is a fantasy setting, your character will have to have a suitable name that fits within the theme of the gameworld. Names that would not be ordinarily seen in the real world can be used, within reason. Names such as ‘CoolGuy’, ‘Mass Murderer’ or ‘Death101’ will not be tolerated as they do not fit the setting.

Your name will not just be a username, but that of your character, and as such some originality is expected. Popular names from existing fantasy worlds are prohibited. Please do not use names like Legolas,
Aragorn, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Rand, Frodo, etc. If your name is seen to be unsuitable you will be asked to change it. You may request the staff to change your name for you, or ask them for help in choosing a suitable name.

When it comes to surnames, compound names comprised of two or more common words (Swiftwing, Blackthorn) are allowed.

Descriptions

Descriptions are integral to your roleplaying experience here at A Tempest Season. A good description helps convey your character’s likeness to the other players you interact with and helps them get an idea of your character’s appearance. Descriptions should be restricted to what can be perceived or seen by another character or player; do not include actions or emotes in a description. Physical details, such as height, general build, hair color, eye color, complexion and distinguishing marks are all noted in a good description, as well as any tattoos or adornments and accessories that the character may have.

On ATS, you are required to have a description by the time you reach level 11. It should be no less than four lines but feel free to make it as long as you want. If a description is lengthy, spaces should be inserted between paragraphs for easier reading.

IC vs. OOC

IC, or ‘In Character,’ is a general term that refers to what takes place within your character’s experience instead of your own. It includes plotlines and events within the gameworld that advance the storyline, and your character’s interaction and relationships with other characters in Eihydia. OOC, or ‘Out of Character,’ refers to what takes place -outside- your character’s experience, and what you know and experience as a player rather than what your character does.

It’s important for players not to allow OOC knowledge to be used while in-character (IC), and not to allow what occurs while IC to influence OOC. During gameplay, you as the player will gain knowledge of certain things, or OOC information, that your character would have no way of knowing. It may be tempting to use OOC information in order to gain an advantage IC, but keeping IC separate from OOC is one of the basic requirements of good roleplay. The aim of roleplaying is not to win against everyone else, but to create a cohesive and engaging story that you and other players can enjoy.

Courtesy

Most of the players come online to enjoy themselves, away from the real world with all its problems. Please be courteous to your fellow players, as courtesy is also a key to better roleplay and developing better ooc relationships with the playerbase. Also, just because your character is evil does not mean you are as well. Please remain polite to the other players OOCly while you are on the game, as well as on the forums.

Forced Roleplay

Each player has control over his or her character. Therefore, please do not force an action onto a character that is not yours. This is considered godmoding, or playing god over someone for those who are not familiar with that term. This also falls under the most basic of courtesy rules.

An example of forced roleplay would be:

Dayrinni pushes at Actinate’s knees, causing him to fall on the ground even as he draws back his arm to punch Actinate.

Actinate here is not given the choice to react at all. An example of how to fix this:

Dayrinni drops to his knees and pushes all his weight at Actinate, trying to get him to fall on the ground, even as he draws back his arm for a punch aimed at Actinate’s face.

Actinate here has the option of dodging the blows, thus it is not forced roleplay. Of course it wouldn’t be good roleplay if you let your character dodge all blows this way. There should always be a sense of balance.

Actions and Consequences

One of the very basic rules of roleplay: In Character Actions have In Character Consequences. ICA=ICC. This basically means that anything your character does ICly will have repercussions that there is no wiggling out of. If you commit a crime and get slammed in jail, that is a consequence of your actions. The same applies if someone tries to kill you after you steal from him. Please keep this in mind before you start roleplaying.

Quitting During Roleplaying/PK

Please do not quit while you are roleplaying with others, or if you are about to get killed and wish to avoid getting PKed. While we all understand that issues may pop up without warning in the real world, please at least take the time to explain why you are leaving before actually doing so. In a PK situation it is not fair to the other players involved if you cannot ICly escape the situation and resort to quitting just in order to escape.

Mature Scenes

Including but not limited to scenes of a sexual nature. They are allowed but not encouraged on ATS. You are requested to do that type of roleplay in a non-public or closed-off area so as not to bother the other players. Also, please make sure your roleplay partner is comfortable with such a scene. If they state a dislike for it, do NOT force it on them. The same applies to relationships between two characters of the same gender.

Please report any misconduct to the staff.

Consent

If you are about to attempt a scene with heavy consequences to the character belonging to the other player, please ask them for their consent OOCly first. This includes but is not limited to a player death, torture, or any type of scene that would scar the other character physically or emotionally.

Playerkilling (PK)

Being an RP-intensive mud, ATS requires that you have a valid reason before attempting a playerkill. Reasons can include someone pickpocketing you, for example. However please stay IC as you consider this. Would your character normally go after a thief, or would they warn them first? Or would they ignore them and walk off?

As a last note, please remember that you’ll be playing with people from all over the globe, all with different opinions and views. Please respect that fact. Racism is NOT tolerated in any form OOCly.