Post by RandomWiktor on Dec 31, 2007 22:42:31 GMT -5
Most of these "rules" are more like guidelines. We're not a strict RP that will ban you for breaking the rules once or for challenging the authority of a moderator. Rather, we try to work with you to correct the problem to ensure you stay here. These rules are in place to make sure this site stays realistic, civil, and fun. Keep in mind that unlike many RPGs, the admin is not infallible here; I have no right to break any rules set down here, and no one is above law.
Permitted Species
[/li][li] Humans are strictly prohibited except for brief use as plot enhancers. While you may have humans that the animals encounter frequently, such as someone who leaves food out for them, a homeless man in an alleyway, a dog catcher, etc., they are not to be registered, or played for any extended period of time.
[/li][li] If you wish to play an animal owned by humans, such as a pet dog, an officer's horse, a lamb in a live market, or a rooster at a cockfighting ring, you must eventually leave your human owner. Please note that for some animals, such as livestock, leaving an owner in the city needs to involve something such as a sale and transport upstate, an escape that gets enough media attention for salvation and relocation, or interference from a caring individual who finds and rescues you.[/li][/ul]
Semi-Realistic means Semi-Realistic
Realism also includes behavior
Hunting and Scavening
Mating
Having Offspring
Other
Permitted Species
- Feral Civilization is intended to be an RPG for feral and stray domesticated animals, as well as urban/suburban/rural wildlife. Any northern North American species commonly found in these areas is permissible, and you may consult the species list for further ideas. PM myself of another moderator with questions you may have about joining.
- While all types of feral dogs and cats are permitted here, please use common sense. Some breeds would simply fair very poorly without man (ie. persians, pugs, extremely long haired or hairless breeds, etc.). If you register them, I expect you to be realistic and give them a shortened lifespan full of suffering.
- Wolf hybrids, coydogs, and hybrid felines are permissible, but should be kept to a minimum. I expect few or none of these in the city, a small number in the suburbs, and a reasonable low in the countryside.
- Feral exotic pets are also permissible, but should again be kept to a minimum. PM me if you want to join a feral exotic pet, as these will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. You may want to join such a character at Liberated!
[/li][li] Humans are strictly prohibited except for brief use as plot enhancers. While you may have humans that the animals encounter frequently, such as someone who leaves food out for them, a homeless man in an alleyway, a dog catcher, etc., they are not to be registered, or played for any extended period of time.
[/li][li] If you wish to play an animal owned by humans, such as a pet dog, an officer's horse, a lamb in a live market, or a rooster at a cockfighting ring, you must eventually leave your human owner. Please note that for some animals, such as livestock, leaving an owner in the city needs to involve something such as a sale and transport upstate, an escape that gets enough media attention for salvation and relocation, or interference from a caring individual who finds and rescues you.[/li][/ul]
Semi-Realistic means Semi-Realistic
- Appearences must be realistic! Naturally occuring color types are the only ones permitted; no red eyed cats or bright pink cattle. Animals are beautiful enough as nature made them; there is no need for silly, fictional variations.
- If you find a non-edited photograph of a rare color, feel free to challenge a "banned" coloration, but do not challenge this rule if you lack photo evidence. Examples might be an uncommon eye color, or rare color morph.
- Disabilities, deformities, injuries, and mental illness are permitted, but these can and will hinder your character's ability to survive, so exercise caution when joining.
- NO mythological, shape shifting, winged, or otherwise non-existant animals whatsoever.
- NO magical powers, mysticism, mind-reading, etc. under any circumstances. If you would like a character with exceptional abilities, allow him or her to be highly intelligent or astute, a skilled hunter, or a loving parent. Animals have all of the 'powers' they need for survival allready.
- The only human items you may have are a collar, harness, or chain - not jewlery, peircings, medallions, etc. We reccomend you lose any human items that you can since they can hinder survival.
- Do not register excessive albinos or color mutations; it becomes unrealistic at a certain point. Work on your character's persona, not his/her looks; a plain looking character with an exceptional personality will outshine the oddest looking character you could think up.
- Please no exaggerated characters. Don't look up the guiness record for size, length, weight, fang length, jaw pressure, and then add a bit to it and register. All of us have been guilty of this, myself included, because we all want the huge, macho, unbeatable characters. You may have a "large" or "slightly above average" character, but don't overdo it. Petite characters are OK. Submissive characters are OK. Gay characters are OK. Register them.
- No "evil" characters. It is fine to have an aggressive, mentally inbalanced, violent, or sadistic character, but if you join some murderous savage that roams the land killing everything in sight for no apparent reason, you will be forced to un-register it.
Realism also includes behavior
- Dogs are not all love and kisses. Pigeons aren't theives and cowards. Cats aren't social butterflies. Keep your behaviors as true to your species as possible, and always research before a species before playing it.
- We permit interspecies interaction, but keep reasonable and realistic (ie. predator prey interactions, social group interactions, competative interactions, etc). I am not going to enforce this much unless I see a cat who was orphaned and raised by rats and fights a war against feral kind to defend his small furry brothers.
- We also permit the "adoption" of orphans, but once again - do so sparingly, esp. if its an interspecies adoption. Have your own offspring; mating is fun.
- Solitary species must not live in social groups. Social species should live in groups. Yes, you can have wayward dogs or laid back bears, but please just use your head and stay within the conventions of normal behavior as much as possible..
- Greeting rituals, pack/clan/flock activities, posture/body language, and any other behavioral aspects should be recognized and carried out at least in part. If you plan on playing a species you know nothing about, look up the behaviors first.
Hunting and Scavening
- You create and play your own prey animals. I don't feel like RPing the mouse you kill and deciding if you actually catch me or not. People whose sites are run that way have control issues.
- You also obviously find your own scavenge, browse, or graze.
- A human can give you hand-outs, and you are also welcomed to raid crops, chicken coops, bird feeders, neglected pet bowls, and other food sources. This is survival.
- Hunting should be realistic. You may not prey on animals your species would never eat. Your prey must be proportional to your size, age, and hunting ability.
- No animal is sucessful on every hunt or scavenge. Most prey escapes. Sometimes, the dumpster is empty. Injuries may also occur. Consider this while RPing.
Mating
- Monogamous animals must be monogamous. The only exceptions are if your mate is frequently absent for a prolonged period of time (over a month without explaination), especially during mating season; you and the person who plays your character's mate no longer wish to be mates; the other player quits the RP; you have some serious qualm with your mate (PM me or Breeze). So please, choose your mates carefully as you'll probably be stuck with them for a while.
- Animals that do not practice monogamy must not be monogamous, though you can have a favored mate. If that is the case, you do not have to stay faithful to them only, and they can not leave you for infidelity.
- Because domesticated dogs may or may not be monagamous, this is your decision. Cats, as a rule, are not monagamous.
- Depending on how rigid you make your pack/clan structure, your dominant will decide if subordinates are allowed to mate. However, most dogs and cats do not control if their underlings mate or not. Note that in cats, the females fight for who will get to mate just as much as the males do.
- Realistic mating is encouraged. Does this mean a long, detailed sexcapade that lasts for hours and reads like a bad furry porno? No. Does it mean mating rituals, mounting, climax, and (if applicable) tie? Yes. Also, consider the pre and post mating behaviors; are you a species that builds a nest for your mate to impress her? Do you need to mate more than once to ensure conception? Do you find a place to hide and whelp?
- Do not mate frivolously if you are a monagamous species. We require that you know the future mate for at least one week (preferably longer) and build a relationship. You or you and another player may agree to join characters who are allready mates, however.
- Do not join a character just to be another character's mate (ie. someone regs a male monk parrot, so you reg a female and immediately go and try to become his mate). One exception would be if your plot line involves your character becoming another player's mate, but obviously the proper courtship rituals and duration must still apply.
Having Offspring
- Your # of offspring absolutely must be species appropriate. An bear or horse can have one or two offspring (we suggest alternating who gets a cub/fawn each breeding) A canine or feline can have anywhere from 3 to 12 depending on species and prey supply. Birds will vary on species, but clutches of most nesting birds seldom exceed 4. Rats will churn out babies like there is no tomorrow. Keep it realistic.
- Mortality rates should also be appropriate to the species. Species who have many offspring often do so because their young are likely to starve, be eaten, or succumb to disease. This is a good excuse to avoid gaining too many surplus characters, also.
- The gestation is minimum two weeks from mating - you may have it be longer if you wish, just not shorter. After birthing, the offspring can not be weaned in under two weeks (we suggest longer; this is the minumum). From this point on, you control aging, but be reasonable.
- If you don't want to play full sized litter, be creative. Have stillborns. Let a predator eat some of them. Have a parvo infection. Ditch them. Eat them. Let another character adopt them if you must.
Other
- We do not ask that you write a post of 25 paragraphs with perfect spelling and grammar, suitable for publication. We do ask that you apply your best writing skills, put thought into your post, and avoid posts under five sentences (this is the bare minimum you may post in a thread and is discouraged in general).
- Be origional. Register characters with interesting personalities and pasts. Think up exciting personalities. Develop interesting plot lines. Avoid the status quo.
- "Temps" need not be registered, but specify in your first post that the character is not permenant. You may later make it permenant by posting a join form if you change your mind.
- No "leading" other people's characters by posting their actions, thoughts, etc. in your post. This is basically power/god playing, and we don't like it.
- Don't reg. characters just for the purpose of killing other characters, unless you are killing your own as plot enhancement, in which case don't bother registering them.
- You may have as many characters as you want, but don't get so many that you can't stay active.
- You may not kill other characters without their permission (an occ note asking). Permission is prefered for rapes as well.
- You are NOT immortal. If the situation you are in is likely to result in severe and possibly fatal bodily harm, please leave it. You can not survive internal bleeding, multiple broken limbs, and deadly infections living wild with no veterinary care.
- If you want to use Feral Civilization's joint photobucket account, remember that your character's picture must be in jpeg/gif format, be no larger than 300 pixels at its greatest dimension, and should only be posted once in a thread. PM me to get the password and username for the account.
Above All: Be active, be respectful, and HAVE FUN!