In-Game/OOC Rules
The following are the rules of conduct that all players that play on Requiem are expected to follow in-game. By applying for an account on Requiem, you are signifying that not only have you read these rules, but that you understand and agree to play by them. These rules are subject to change when deemed necessary by the Requiem staff.
1. Role-Playing
Requiem is a role-playing shard, and as such you will be expected to role-play while in-game (IG). That being said, this “rule” is more common sense than anything else. We are not here to limit your role-play, just as long as it realistically fits within the world you are entering. Street slang, Internet speak, and Out Of Character (OOC) speech is not welcome IG. Character and pet names should be realistic and fitting with the shard atmosphere. Names that do not fit within our atmosphere will not be accepted.
If you need advisement on role-playing, please utilize the shard Discord room and talk to your fellow community members. Once you are in-game, ignorance of this rule is not an excuse. Any infraction of lack of role-playing will be dealt with accordingly. Repeated infractions will carry more severe consequences. You must role-play IG, but how you do that, for the most part, is up to you.
1.1 Adherence to Shard Lore
A plethora of lore is available concerning the shard and general plot. With that said, players are required to maintain their role-playing to realistic and sensible standards. Players whom choose to role-play character traits, backgrounds, concepts or other ideas that do not fit within the accepted general theme of the shard will see their character treated accordingly by fellow players and NPCs. For example, tolerance of magic and mages is not widely accepted amongst the general populace of the Republic; role-playing a character whom actively encourages “mage acceptance” through sheer ignorance of the lore rather than a compelling backstory or IC rationale may result in attention from particular NPC or Player elements.
Players whom role-play their characters somehow possessing traits simply not possible (IE, emoting that they have some sort of angelic or daemonic powers, that they have super-human vision, hearing or strength, etc.) will be given one out of character warning before their character’s Mortality points are to 100. Requiem is a semi-realistic, medium-fantasy atmosphere that incorporates more aspects of Lovecraftian horror than it does traditional fantasy elements – you cannot expect to role-play a dragon, elf or dwarf.
1.2 Power Role-Playing
Players are expected to role-play their character in a manner that allows for fair and practical responses from other player characters and NPCs. The use of “Power Role-Playing”, or in other terms, forcing actions or situations upon other characters via. the use of emotes or other role-playing elements is not allowed. You cannot force another player into a situation simply by using an emote, and you cannot force a situation upon another party without their consent. For example, emoting that your character *snaps John Doe’s neck* or *cuts John Doe’s finger off* is not an acceptable situation unless the other party has consented to such actions prior. An accepted alternative to these situations would be *attempts to snap John Doe’s neck*, or *brings a blade to John Doe’s finger, and attempts to cut it off*. Have respect for your fellow player and the importance their character represents to them. Blatant actions of power role-playing will receive a warning; if the scenario resulted in the loss to another player’s character, Mortality points may be incurred.
2. Staff Respect
Please respect both the Staff and your fellow players. The Staff have devoted a great deal of their free time (some of us years) to making this as good of a shard and community as it possibly can be. Requiem has been funded for the past ten years completely out of the pockets of the shard staff, and constitutes a labor of love for many, many people. With all of this considered, you are expected to respect the staff’s authority and decision making as it relates to lore, story, mechanics or the community.
Dissenting opinions are of course welcome from our community; as a player, you are welcome to disagree with the staff and offer constructive criticisms, but please do so in a rational and respectful manner through the appropriate channels. Using the Discord or Forums to incite a public frenzy because you are unhappy with something is not a respectful way of voicing grievances. Most all of our Staff members will accept private messages (PMs) via the forums. This is the best way to garner Staff attention if you have a problem with a Staff decisions, a Staff member or even another player.
Players whom demonstrate a repeated lack of respect to the staff will be removed from the offending platform (forms, Discord). Repeated abuses will result in expulsion from the game community and banning of the game account.
2.1 Player Respect
Other players, like yourself, are here to create stories, role-play and have fun. However, it is to be reminded that it is a privilege to play here, not a right. We don’t expect you to like or get along with every single player within the community, but we do expect and require you to show respect towards them. If you have a disagreement with another player, please see to it that it is settled quietly and privately between you and them. If you feel this is not an option, seek Staff intervention via the forums. If you prove that you cannot fit in to our community due to repeated clashes with fellow players or staff, you will be removed from the game and the community.
3. Explicit Content
Requiem is intended to be a realistic and perhaps even frightening role-playing experience. It is intended only for mature players capable of handling such situations. By applying for Requiem, you are signifying that you realize this and are prepared to role-play in such an environment. That being said, there are times when we draw the line; sexual role-play in Requiem is very taboo, and if you wish to role-play in such a way, please do so through means other than in-game (IE: DISCORD). Role-play involving rape is expressly forbidden and will be met with expulsion from the community. Explicitly violent, graphic or morbid role-playing designed simply to shock other players (EDGELORDISM) is not tolerated; the community does not wish to hear or read in graphic detail your character’s devious exploits of torture or maiming simply because you wish to “shock and awe”. Use some common sense and decency; there is a time and place for horror, and it doesn’t involve detailed depictions of torturous activity at every turn.
4. Children Characters
Characters under the age of 18 are prohibited from being applied for or role-played within Requiem. Players are not permitted to directly or indirectly allude to the fact they are interacting in any way with a character under the age of 18 in any in-game role-play or story posted to the forums. There are no exceptions to this rule, so please don’t bother asking.
5. Player vs Player Combat
Requiem is an open-PvP shard. This means that all instances of PvP combat are welcome, as long as they are part of rational role-play. If you engage in PvP, you will be expected to have a reasonable excuse for doing so, and you will most certainly be held accountable for any and all circumstances. Think ahead before you engage in PvP, and prepare to face any number of circumstances, including, but not limited to being jailed IG, being hunted IG, and depending on the circumstances, having your character subjected to perma-death. That being said, the Staff will not grant restitution to any party who is subjected to PvP carried out in a manner befitting the setting and atmosphere of Requiem; PvP is an encouraged and welcomed theme of our shard.
5.1 Looting & Property Conflict
When defeating another player in combat, for the sake of decency and respect for your fellow player, the act of “dry looting” an opponent is considered against shard rules. While the staff concedes that there may be VERY RARE times that such an action is required, we encourage players to loot and remove items that they only have a logical reason to do so; removing a downed opponent’s armor and clothing, for example, is not a logical or accepted choice, and ONLY will be tolerated in the most well-explained and rational cases. Items that are considered logical are:
- Weapons
- Spellbooks
- Concealing Items
- Explosives/Throw-able Items
Non-Present Conflict Rules of Engagement:
One of the draws of Requiem is that nothing is safe. There are stakes. That goes both ways – should a player choose to engage in non-PvP Conflict where your target is not present, then the victim will be presented options – mechanically and/or with staff help via [Rollmenu – to have the chance to progress the roleplay. Such encounters are including but not limited to: burglary, vandalism, planting evidence, raiding claims, or any other interaction with the intent to hurt your target in some way wherein they are not present.
Understand that prior to choosing to pursue this line of engagement, there is always a chance the player will be able to discover your actions via RP investigation and clues left behind regardless of your precautionary measures. As a counterpoint, if a property owner has made little to no effort to install proper locks, traps, and/or hired NPC guards, staff will have little to work with. Thus, the owner of a property needs to make a realistic attempt in securing their property in order to expect staff-overseen investigation regarding theft.
It is encouraged that you work with staff ahead of time – via in-game page, or Discord Ticket – to make your intentions clear and collaborate to make such clues as fair as possible to you and the victim to both have a shot at being able to advance the story presented from the conflict. Otherwise, if staff feels a real attempt wasn’t made to leave evidence mechanically by the player, it will be at staff’s discretion whether or not to include your insight in their next steps.
Burglary:
House, claim or property forced entry (the act of LOCKPICKING a door) is now trait-locked (GM-Approval) and will only be accessible through GM permission upon demonstrating the player is responsible enough to adhere to rules involving looting and the act of burglary. Players are still able to steal keys from potential victims and utilize said key to access a house, ie, the act of burglary.
The act of burglarizing a house (regardless of it was from lockpicking or a stolen key, i.e. if you’re trespassing) should be done to help further and perpetuate role-playing, not solely for personal gain. Players should leave behind evidence, clues, calling cards or other means to help perpetuate RP and allow the victimized party to further the story.
The looting of houses abides by similar rules, of which are as follows:
- Individuals or groups can only take what they can carry from a house or claim once every 24 hours.
- The looting of decoration items (chairs, tables, etc.) is considered poor taste and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
- Intentionally deleting items (pop-corning loot) is prohibited.
- Using pack-horses or other means (spells, leap-frogging, etc.) to help carry more items is prohibited.
- These rules apply to and includes player owned properties that are thought to be “abandoned”; a decay mechanic is in place that will result in the destruction of a house if it is truly abandoned.
5.2 Perma-Killing Fellow Player Characters
Players within Requiem have the opportunity to permanently kill another player when they have defeated them in combat. This freedom comes with a great deal of responsibility. Players are expected to have thoughtful, well-hashed reasons as to why they are ending another character’s life – not simply because they won a battle and decide they want to make a point. Furthermore, we encourage players to interact with victim players out of game when considering, planning or executing a perma-death in so that the situation is handled in a mature and respectable manner.
Perma-Killing another character is the literal final act of interaction anyone can ever have with a character on Requiem. Consider this when you’re still all amped up from the adrenaline rush of winning a battle.
5.3 Jailing Fellow Characters AKA Jail RP
The following stipulations are in place for all “jail” or “incarceration” based RP.
Rule 1: There is a real-life maximum of 48 hours any character may be incarcerated for at any time unless it is mutually agreed upon OOCly to continue the situation by both parties. Staff will facilitate an escape in the event a mutual agreement is not accepted.
Rule 2: Characters who are in Limbo mode that are taken prisoner can petition for an immediate release from being in captivity if they elect to do so. For example, if a player is placed into Limbo in PVP and then immediately taken prisoner, they will retain the right to spring a release anytime during their incarceration time.
Rule 3: When taking another character prisoner, the staff must be made aware and final intentions must be communicated via. a ticket.
Rule 4: The jailer of a character may elect to try and conduct a PD on the prisoner. If a character is placed into Limbo mode while being held prisoner as opposed to not being fully PDed, they are to be released from captivity; the jailer may not keep the prisoner in captivity for a longer period in an effort to facilitate getting around the Limbo time-period.
Rule 5: All parties are expected to act with respect and abide by normal server rules (IE: roleplaying). If time-zones do not line up and a prisoner needs to be released by staff, and otherwise if play-times lined up properly and a jailer would of attempted a PD against the prisoner, the staff will facilitate the attempt in lieu of the jailer as to not allow the prisoner to avoid the natural consequences of intended role-playing.
5.4 Server crashes and other mechanical issues
In the event of a server crash, parties engaged in role-play or conflict should receive confirmation from each other that they are logged back in and ready for role-play to resume. If combat was already taking place, every effort should be made to recreate the circumstances from just before combat initiated. During a GM-run event, players should wait for a broadcast message from a staff member indicating that they are ready to resume. Exploiting a crash to escape or “win” a conflict will result in a ban from the shard of up to 1 week. While hopefully never an option, purposefully inducing a server to crash in order to exploit escaping from an RP scenario will result in an immediate and permanent ban from the server and community.
6. Bugs, Exploits and Unattended Macroing
The scripters of Requiem work ceaselessly to make sure that the mechanics of the game are clean and fair. That being said, sometimes bugs or exploits may escape their notice. Do not exploit any bugs you may find in the system to benefit your character; you will be caught and you will be punished. If you notice a bug please notify any member of the Staff through private message here on the board or via IRC, even if you think it may have already been reported. If you are not sure whether a function of the game is a bug or an exploit, report it anyway. It is better to be safe and report it, than to be sorry and be subjected to disciplinary action. Ignorance, as always, is not an excuse.
Unattended macroing is not an acceptable means of progression on Requiem and will be dealt with on a case by case basis, to include skill zeroing.
7. Muling & Third-Party Programs
Muling is the act of benefiting your character with other characters you play. (For example: placing items, or gold in a certain spot with one character, so another character of yours can take the items.) This is considered cheating and will not be tolerated. Third-party programs are not allowed for use with Requiem (including such programs as UOLoop, etc.). Assistant programs, such as Razer and UOSteam are allowed and required. Account sharing is prohibited as well as multi-accounting (as evident from account creation) and is considered a violation of this rule.
8. Metagaming
Metagaming is strictly prohibited in any fashion. Metagaming is defined as the use of any knowledge garnered in an OOC fashion (via chat programs or any Requiem board post that is not explicitly listed as Common IG Knowledge) that directly affects the actions of your character. Use of knowledge garnered through these channels in order to plan your character’s actions is a sign of not only poor role-playing, but also of an immature player. If a player is found to be using this information they will be punished accordingly, to include jailing, perma-death and/or expulsion from the shard.
9. OOC In-Game, Other Languages
Unless in the event of an emergency, out of character messages should not be used in-game. The exception to this rule is when using party chat to organize and shot-call mobs in PvE. If players are found utilizing in-game services to chat about non-game related things, or organizing PvP tactics, they will be subjected to disciplinary action. This rule also extends to calling for help in Discord or private chat rooms. It is plainly obvious to people when someone is stalling or extending an RP interaction so that their friends can “happen upon” a situation so they can back them up. We’re all adults here – don’t ruin the fun for other people because you’re too afraid to take a loss from time to time.
Additionally, we require all players to use the English language while role-playing in game.
10. Have Fun
Above all things, Requiem was established to promote fun and role-playing enjoyment. The founding members and leaders of this community realized that above all other things, the reason people wanted to be here was to have fun. In all things Requiem does, having fun is and should be the root result of all our efforts. If you’re not having fun, then Requiem shouldn’t be your choice of shard!
11. Maturity
Having fun does not equate to being immature or disrespectful to your fellow community member. This is not a playground, but a community dedicated to having fun and enjoying the community in which all people can have a good time. To ensure people are having fun requires a certain level of maturity from its both players and staff alike.
Maturity is a wide-encompassing aspect of the OOC guidelines to Requiem. The world of Eden and the game world of Requiem were made with the adult gamer in mind; hence, players are expected to behave with the respect and demeanor of an adult. Discord comments, forum posts, and even OOC comments in the game world all rely upon maturity. Being mature implies a willingness to work with those that a person may disagree with or view things differently than, and either work towards a solution or agree to disagree and peaceably move forward over time.
12. Respect and Tolerance
Respect for both fellow players and the staff is essential in order for this community to thrive. It is an all too frequently forgotten fact that the staff of any player-ran shard assumes their roles without pay, compensation or even that much praise. Our talented staff works hard to assure that Requiem is a fun and entertaining experience, and while we work hard to take player suggestions into consideration, we ourselves have ideas and visions for the game world that we seek to realize and achieve. Do not demand or expect that the staff of Requiem is here to cater to your every desire or suggestion; we are volunteers whom do this out of a love for storytelling. Do not attribute to ruining our desire to be a part of this community.
Likewise, your fellow player also has dreams and aspirations for their characters. Respect for your fellow player and how they handle their character in the game world is essential, and reflecting such respect through OOC means such as the Discord channel and forums leads to a strong and thriving community. Players whom show blatant disrespect for other players through the forums, Discord or other means will be removed from the community. Players whom make intolerant or insensitive remarks about other players will be removed permanently from the game and the community.
13. Responsibility
Responsibility is a wide encompassing virtue which many people fail to perceive fully. Most understand and recognize that responsibility means doing the things you are supposed to (or those that you say you are going to do). Where most people overlook responsibility is in ensuring they don’t do the things they are not supposed to do. Be responsible for your actions and communications within the community and to those you interact. As a member of Requiem, you are no longer representing just yourself, but the community at large. Know that what you post or type on the forums or the IRC room reveals a lot to prospective players as to how our community is and how it operates. If you enjoy playing on our shard, then show it by conducting yourself in a responsible manner. If you are not enjoying your time here on Requiem, then take your leave; hanging around the IRC room or forums complaining and criticizing every aspect of the shard is a quick way to be removed permanently from the game and community.
14. Harassment of Other Players
We do not tolerate the harassment of other players via. means outside of the forums, Discord or in-game. If you are involved in an active effort in harassing another player via. social media or other outside means, you will be removed from the game community.
Discord and Forum Rules
Requiem is a product of many years of development and community support. To ensure continued success, the staff of Requiem is posting these guidelines so that all community members understand what is considered unacceptable behavior when using the forums and Discord channel, and how we as staff can and will react to it.
You can always incite an argument over two subjects: politics and religion. Both topics are not considered appropriate to discuss in the official Discord channel. If you wish to engage your fellow player in a debate, do it somewhere other than the main channel; making a new Discord server is free!
Show respect at all times. Help build Requiem community. The success of our game world depends upon the quality posts and Discord communications of our participants. Those who choose to be disrespectful towards other players or staff in Discord or on the forums will be banned from using those mediums, and in extreme cases, banned from the shard all-together.
Agree to disagree. Requiem is a global community, and we all share unique perspectives on various situations. Your perspective may not always be agreed upon, but do not let it deter you from having fun.
Posting racist or discriminating remarks, threats to cause physical or mental harm, pornography, or any material that breaks any local, state or federal law will result in an immediate ban from the shard and the community.
Demanding or abusing staff members through forum or chat room communications leads to staff frustration and burn out. Please take care in contacting staff for questions or concerns that could be answered by the community at large.
Trolling is prohibited. Trolling is whenever someone clearly and deliberately posts in a manner for the purpose of angering and/or insulting the other participants of the board. This specifically means any text/post that is blatantly attacking a person or persons on or off the forum, especially in a personal manner. This also includes flaming. Trolling and flaming will result in a ban from the medium the attack took place within, and more than likely, removal from the game as a whole.
If you are aware of any misuse, inappropriate posts, flames or any misbehavior within the community that threatens an individual or the staff, please contact the staff. They will research the issue and bring it to the attention of necessary personnel. You can also click on the “Report Post” button, and all staff will be e-mailed instantly with and alert to check the boards.