Some general guidelines for roleplay:
We take this rule very seriously. No matter what it is, if somebody asks you out-of-character not to do something to their character, don't do it. This goes especially for sexual acts and violence, but you'd better believe it extends to basic roleplaying. If somebody asks you to stop teasing them, stop, even if the teasing's fully in-character and you consider it harmless. You're not the arbiter of what's right for them -- they are. If somebody asks you to leave them alone, leave them alone.
Don't try to find out who a certain player is, except by politely asking them; if they decline, don't bother them further, and don't post speculations about anyone's identity on any public web space. If you know who someone is, ask them before divulging their identity or any information that might reasonably give away that identity. Puzzlebox is a thousand centuries and fifty zillion light years away from 21st century Earth. Let's keep it that way.
"Powergaming" refers to using some presumed power of your character to force an action upon another character, usually by posing the victim's actions for them or by posing the result. For example, posing "SmartFox aims a disintegrator ray at you and fires" is fine, because it leaves the other player an opening to dodge. However, posing "TwinkFox nails you with a disintegrator ray and you crumble into dust" is powergaming, since it leaves the target no choice in getting zapped. This is considered quite rude, since it takes creative control away from other players and makes for boring roleplay for everyone except the powergamer. Similarly, while you have every right to tell somebody their action against you fails, if you never let anyone else's actions affect your character, that can get rather dull and frustrating, especially if you repeatedly negate the action without so much as an interesting explanation. Puzzlebox is not a competition, and nobody will be impressed if you show off how mighty your character is. Anybody can play at being powerful on a MUCK. Good roleplaying is all about negotiation, and on Puzzlebox true power comes from whose hearts and minds you win.
- [Here's] a somewhat dissenting view on powergaming. --Twin
- Fair nuff! The above was written before we could be confident 98% of our players would require approximately zero babysitting. :) You may all consider the above to be amended to "No Powergaming Without Mature and Considerate Regard to the Desires of Other Players."
It should go without saying, but we strongly disapprove of players deliberately setting out to annoy or upset other players. This includes in-character activity motivated by out-of-character malice. If the purpose of your roleplay is to annoy a character in a way that will entertain both you and that character's player, that's fine! (It might be a good idea to explain OOCly that there are no hard feelings, before or after you do it.) If your purpose is to annoy a player, don't expect a lot of sympathy from the Functions.
- Refrain from Public OOCness
Puzzlebox is primarily intended as a roleplaying MUCK. The whole purpose is to get away from reality. Chatting with your friends is just fine, but please refrain from dominating public areas with talk about console games, code geekery, television, jobs, and the like. This rule will be loosely enforced by the Functions -- but if somebody asks you to take your OOC conversation to whispers, pages, or shout channels, please respect their request!
Roleplaying is not a spectator sport, nor is it a game of solitaire. Don't be shy about starting or contributing to scenes. If everybody sits around quietly waiting to happen... then nothing will happen. Sometimes all it takes is one casual pose to start something interesting. (But see the next item!)
If you're joining in on an ongoing scene, it may be polite to ask for permission first via whisper or page. This goes double for intimate or intense scenes involving people you don't know. A good rule of thumb is whether you would do it in real life. Striking up a conversation with somebody waiting for a bus is perfectly polite -- asking a stranger a bunch of questions while they're trying to make out with their partner is rude! Also, if you're involved in somebody else's ongoing plotline, you should ask permission before you do anything that will change or resolve a major premise of their plot.
Be sensitive about other people's time. If they don't have time for you, don't take it personally. Don't hound people by constantly paging them or trying to monopolize their time when they're in public. Nobody likes a stalker.
Puzzlebox is science-fantasy, not hard sci-fi. Exact scientific principles aren't nearly as important as narrative and thematic potential here. In other words, it doesn't matter how things work as long as they look and sound cool. If somebody has a pair of wings, for example, there are dozens of possible explanations for how they might work: telekinesis, antigravity, faerie dust, VR simulation... Don't assume they depend on basic aerodynamics and start ranting about hollow bones and drag coefficients. They're wings. They're there because the player wants their character to fly, or because wings are pretty. Even if they're just made of tinsel and wishful thinking, they work because MUCKs are a literary reality, not a physical one, and the limitations of the real world don't necessarily apply here. (Getting clarifications on how things work for the sake of a scene is just fine, of course, as is in-character skepticism. If the other player wants to get into the technical details, it's not really a problem.)
If you must be morose and moody in public, at least be good-humored about it. Please try to whatever extent possible to keep your real-life problems to yourself and close confidants. If you absolutely must express your bad feelings, try to channel them into something in-character that will be interesting for other people. A melodramatic roleplaying can be very therapeutic, but only if other people want to participate, too.
Please be discreet about telling others about Puzzlebox. Word of mouth among friends is fine, but if you're going to mention our MUCK to a journalist, researcher, or person working for a similar large organization, please ask for permission from the Functions first.
If there's a conflict, try to give the other person the benefit of the doubt. Something which seemed friendly to you might have seemed offensive to them, and vice versa. Be tactful, and try to be the first to offer a compromise. If you're angry, walk away and resolve it when you're calmer.
No matter how much somebody annoys you, no matter how much you may dislike their interests, no matter how poor their social skills are, nobody on Puzzlebox is "fair game" for insults or abuse. Please show respect for everybody. If you don't like somebody's attitudes, lead by example. We will not put up with harassment, browbeating, or bullying of any kind. This goes double for subculture-bashing or making fun of people's sexual preferences.
Please at least make an effort to greet new arrivals in public places. We realize that sometimes it's hard to spare time for everybody in the middle of an intense scene. But it's rude to deliberately ignore somebody when you could spare the time to say hello, especially if nobody else has bothered to say hi, either. It's very frustrating for a new player to make multiple attempts to introduce themselves in a public area, only to be ignored by a clique. That's not the kind of atmosphere we want here.
Puzzlebox is devoted to the shiny, sexy, and surreal. We're interested in going a little bit beyond the ordinary and exploring things like identity, culture, consciousness and the nature of reality -- but we want to do it in a fun and romantic way. Please try to keep that in mind as you roleplay. Making witty references to 20th/21st century people and cultures is no problem, but try not to take the ideas of the modern world for granted. Almost anything is possible on Puzzlebox. Make the most of it!
Well, duh. You don't have to like everybody, but you do have to treat them with respect. Trust us, the time you would've spent arguing and sulking will be much better spent roleplaying and having fun.
Players are strongly encouraged to privilege the spirit of these rules before their actual letter. This is why they are "guidelines" and not "rules." If you are in a scene where you're comfortable with all the other players and vice-versa, it is your prerogative to bend or break the letter of any of these "rules" for the sake of good RP -- as long as you continue to observe the one hard and fast rule of "Be considerate to other people." In fact, a little pushing of boundaries now and then is to be considered ideal. However, you are also entirely responsible for the consequences. The more people demonstrate that they need rules -- or ask to have rules enforced upon others -- the more rules the Functioncore will make you contend with. So far, this has never been a serious issue. Do you really want to be remembered as the first to make it one? :)