Post by P.hantasm « on Mar 18, 2012 15:02:49 GMT -5
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[classy=title]Rules and Guidelines[/classy]
By joining as a member of this forum, you are acknowledging that you are here to follow the rules and make Silent Noise a better and more fun place for both others and yourself. Breaking these rules will result in consequences.
[classy=title]Throughout the Forum[/classy]
Respect everyone. Everyone deserves respect, and everyone will receive it. Our members make up our site, so if our members are rude and disrespectful, it gives our site a bad name. No bullying or harassment of any sort will be tolerated here. Doing so will result in an automatic warning, and if the problem persists, you will be banned from the site. If you or another member are a victim of bullying or harassment on this site, PM a staff member immediately, and we will deal with the problem.
Keep it PG-13. Our site's rating is PG-13, and we'll keep it that way. Keep the cussing to a minimum, and no profane or inappropriate topics will be discussed, both In Character and Out of Character. Breaking this rule might result in the site being shut down by Proboards for breaking the ToS. That wouldn't be fun for anyone.
The staff's word is law. The staff's job is to maintain the wellbeing and happiness of the site and its members. They know what's best, and what they say, goes. This means that if a staff member is telling you to or not to do something, listen, or there could be consequences.
What happens In Character, stays In Character. If a conflict arises between your character and someone else's character, that does not mean they dislike you as a person. Same thing goes for Out of Character relationships as well. If you and someone else had a disagreement Out of Character, don't take anything out on them In Character. Perfectly good plot lines and character relationships could be ruined.
Spamming and double-posting are no-no's. You won't really be punished for doing this, but it's just annoying. Use good judgement, and you should be fine.
[classy=title]Managing your Accounts[/classy]
One character per account. This rule is pretty simple. For every character you create, you must have an account to post and role-play with. Example: I created my character Redtail. Now I want another character to role-play. So I create another account, then I post the biography for my next character, Bluetail. Ta-da, I'm done.
Profile information must match the character of that account. This means that you must change your profile so that the display name matches your character's name, your gender must match your character's gender, so on and so forth. Your display name may contain symbols, but it cannot have symbols before the name. Do not use the Location feature. Your character will not be accepted should you choose not adhere to this rule.
Avatars and signatures must follow these guidelines. Both must be feline or nature related, preferably a depiction of your character. Avatars are optional, but the size must be at most 100x100. Signatures must include your Out of Character name and the names of all of your characters. Signatures must not stretch or clash with the skin, and it must be readable. in both, nothing flashing or obnoxious. Animations will be allowed, but at a minimum.
You must have a character log. The first thing you should do when your character is accepted is create a character log. It doesn't have to be anything special, just a tracking thread with your Out of Character name and the names and clans of your characters. It is imperative that you have one of these.
[classy=title]Creating a Character[/classy]
Three character slots and one high rank per Out of Character username. When you join, you automatically get to create three characters and one high ranked character free of charge. However, you may not create another one of each without purchasing a Character Slot or a High Position from Le Virtual Shoppe.
Names must be realistic and unique. Names must be based on objects the clans know about. Dragontail or Unicornflight will not be accepted. Gems and metals other than silver and gold are not permitted either. Names are given right from birth, so kit names must not be personality based. There should be no Bravekits, Funnykits, or Strongkits. The name may change as an apprentice or warrior to a personality based name. Also, do not create a name with the same prefix as somebody else's character. If you absolutely must have that prefix, however, PM a staff member and we can work something out. Take a peek at the Name Claim for more information.
Disabilities can only be purchased from the shop. It's a harsh life in the clans, and disabled cats are highly unlikely to survive. Some cats are also prone to certain disabilities, just like blue-eyed white cats are almost always deaf. Disabilities should be very rare, and you may purchase them in Le Virtual Shoppe.
Mentors and Apprentices will be assigned by staff and clan leaders. If you create an apprentice, the staff members will begin looking for a suitable mentor based on personality traits and compatibility. Do not post a plot ad looking for a mentor. The staff and your clan's leader will determine your mentor as soon as possible.
Senior Warriors cannot be created. Our site is one of the very few who choose to use Senior Warriors. Senior Warriors are not old warriors; they are the leader's trusted inner circle. The leader will often come to them for advice, and they are usually the heads of the patrols. You may not create a Senior Warrior. Senior Warrior is a rank that must be achieved In Character by gaining the trust and awe of the leader. There must be threads involved, and then you must PM a staff member once you and the leader's player agree on it. Special cases of this is if you adopt a Senior Warrior that the leader approves of. Keep in mind that when leaders change, usually the Senior Warriors do as well.
There will be no Mary Sues or Gary Stus. Your character simply cannot be perfect. Every character must have its faults. It will not be approved otherwise.
[classy=title]Role-playing your Character[/classy]
No graphic breeding, birthing, or gory battles. This goes under our Keep it PG-13 Rule. We don't want to get shut down by Proboards. Also, we don't want to scare away any possible members.
No powerplaying or god-modding. You cannot control others' characters. This occurs most when you battle. Give the other character room to either get hit or avoid your attack. You will be warned for this.
All In Characterposts must be in third person, past tense. Its as simple as that.
Be literate and use appropriate language. Our post count here is 100 words. It's very easy to accomplish. Try to use proper spelling and grammar. Mr. Spell Checker is there for a reason, so use him! ;D No chat speak while posting In Character, and feel free to use clan terminology. However, don't use words the cats wouldn't know about. Instead of car, use monster. Instead of house, use twolegden. For a complete list of Clan terminology, check the Encyclopedia.
Role-playing tables are highly encouraged. Role-playing tables are a unique way to show off your creativity while role-playing your character. They're easy to make, and your text won't clash with the skin. There are some basic rules, however. Bold your speech and use quotes. Italicize your thoughts. Please avoid coloring your text unless it is inside a table, otherwise it may disappear or be hard to read against a different skin. If you do not know how to make a table, feel free to purchase one from Le Virtual Shoppe or request someone with a shop set up in the Arts and Crafts board to make you one.
You may only participate in three threads at a time per character. We do use a form of liquid time, but it just gets confusing if you're in more than three at once. You may purchase permission to role-play in four threads at once in Le Virtual Shoppe.
StarClan cats will not be role-played. Once your cat dies, it's dead. There is no StarClan board to role-play with, nor is there a Dark Forest board. Omens and prophecies cannot be received without the permission of a staff member, and keep in mind, only leaders and medicine cats receive these. It is highly unlikely for anyone else to receive an omen. If your character just receives an uneventful visit from a deceased family member, it is fine.
[classy=title]Activity[/classy]
To be active, you must login at least three times a week and post at least once a week. We understand that Real Life will get in the way, and if it does, don't feel bad. Your school and social life are much more important to you than role-playing. If you have gone inactive, either by not logging in for three weeks or not posting in an activity check, you will be PMed by a staff member. If you do not reply to the PM in two weeks, your account is marked inactive. If you do not login and contact a staff member in the next two weeks after that, your account will be deleted. All this can be avoided if you post in the farewell board letting us know you will be gone.
[classy=title]Le Virtual Shoppe[/classy]
Le Virtual Shoppe, or Le Shoppe for short, is Silent Noise's way of rewarding our members for posting. In Le Shoppe, you may purchase items for your character, yourself, and even purchase graphics! Our form of currency is Candy, just like our Marshamllow smileys! For every post you make, be it OOC or IC, you will receive 3 Candies. If you advertise our site, PM a staff member, because you can receive 5 Candies for every advertisement and 10 Candies for every affiliation. That's a lot of candy! Also, you may donate Candies to other members if you're feeling generous or would like to help them purchase something.
Yay! You read the rules! If you didn't find the password, make sure to read them again until you find it!