One Stop Roleplay Rules Shop

All the roleplay rules, guidelines, and information in one place.

Urth OSRPRS-1

Welcome to Urth!

Howdy! This thread will give you information and links to further resources that will help make your RP experience an amazing one.

Staff

Who are the moderators?

The roleplay staff performs community moderation to help develop and enforce rules that will make roleplay balanced, fair, and ethical with the assistance of a few forum administrators. @Dylan is our Roleplay Admin. @Kyrla @Socialist_Dylan @The_Oan_Isles are our Roleplay Moderators and @Tuva is our Cartographer Moderator and your points of contact should you have any issues.

Who are these administrators?

@Dylan as the Roleplay Administrator is the lead admin in charge of roleplay matters. @Emjay and @McStooley are the other main points of contact for roleplay matters on the Administrative Team. You can see a full list of forum staff by clicking here.

What is a Roleplay Moderator?

Generally speaking, they are the leader of roleplay and the roleplay staff, including the staff on our Discord server.

What is a Cartographer Moderator?

They’re the team leader of the cartographers and second-in-command to the Roleplay Moderators.

Who are Cartographers?

These are players who are responsible for managing the regional maps and data. @Cartographer

What do they do?

They are responsible for maintaining the regional roleplay map. They draw new nations and change their borders and cities. They also make other maps (like climatic and political maps) and various map projections.

Who are the roleplay staff members?

Coming SoonClick here to view who they are on the forum team page.

What other duties do they have?

They can help players develop their nations and conform to the rules.

How are they chosen?

They are usually chosen by the existing members of The East Pacific’s Roleplay Team.

Can a Cartographer change the map as they please?

Cartographers vote on all changes to the map. If a cartographer does do an alteration on their own, they are expected to inform the others. They can be removed from the position if they are found to work against these standards.


Rules

What are the roleplay rules based on?

They are based on the rules that govern NationStates forum roleplay. If you cannot do it on the NationStates site and forums, you cannot do it here, but the reverse is not always true.

Who sets them?

The Administrative Team and Roleplay Team of The East Pacific forum use the NationStates site as a base upon which to develop these policies.

What content is forbidden and which isn’t?

Keep it within our Community Standards but if you are unsure you can reach out to any member of the Administrative Team, Roleplay Team, or Discord Staff.

What about violence?

You can talk about violence, but you cannot be excessive.

What about erotic content?

Erotic content is kept to the content you’d find in a PG-13 movie in the United States. You may hint at sexual content, relationships, partial/full nudity without going into detail, etc but physical sexual content should never be directly shown to the reader.

As an example, you can start a roleplay post with two characters waking up after a night together - this implies they’re together/sleep together without actually showing it to the reader - You may not, however, directly show a sexual scene to a reader.

Can I impersonate a member of the forum or roleplay staff?

No.

Can I threaten another player with mod action?

No.

Can I be a rules lawyer?

No. If you have a problem, send it to the roleplay staff. Do not try to use previous incidents to argue a case for or against a situation. There are no precedents. The Administrative Team and Roleplay Team make decisions on a case-by-case basis and the power to decide on roleplay matters rests with them not you.

Can a player own a thread?

Yes and no. If they start the thread or are given control over it by another player, then they are in charge of it and you cannot post on that thread without their permission. However, private threads like these may not have overarching effects on the world stage which other players should have fair access to respond to.

Can a player own a thread that other people are allowed to participate in?

Yes and no. While they have ultimate direction over it, if they have opened the thread and the storyline is going a particular direction, they cannot ban players or dictate to them what to post. This is a tricky issue, so ask a mod for help.

Can I do whatever I want in a thread?

Yes and no. You cannot just cause a terrorist attack or start a war or start an epidemic or cause dramatic weather change or anything extreme in that vein. Most of all, you cannot just alter the storyline in a sharp way. You can add a side story, but you cannot take away from the main idea of the thread.

How big can my country’s population and military and economy be?

Ask a member of the Roleplay Team for help.

Can I invade another nation?

Not without that player’s permission.

Can I put my nation in isolation mode?

Yes. If you don’t want other nations to interact with yours, you can just say that you don’t want your nation to be interacted with.

Can I fire missiles at another nation or use WMDs in another nation?

You cannot do that without the owner’s permission and even then, you can only detonate or launch the device but you can’t dictate what happens to it (that means whether it hits or not and how badly).

Can I say I have relations with nations I haven’t actually asked to have relations with?

No. You must receive some sort of permission from the owner of the nation to say that y’all are friends or are doing stuff together. You can be friendly towards them, but not necessarily friends.

Can I be enemies with anyone I want?

Yes.

Can I change my country’s information whenever I please?

Yes and no. You can change your nation’s info, but you must find a way to reconcile that change with roleplay realities. Or you can ask other players in roleplay if it can just delete it or pretend it never happened. This will need to have the approval of the RP Admin or Mod.

How can I ensure my roleplaying is good?

Be realistic and courteous and communicate clearly.

Can I roleplay on other sites even if they are used by The East Pacific roleplay community?

Roleplay anywhere other than the forums is not recognized.

Can I use other sites to post information about my nation?

Yes. Outside the forums, you can only use NSWiki or TEPwiki. Even then, NSWiki and TEPwiki is seen as a reflection of the forum roleplay, not as actual roleplay. The forums take precedence. If it hasn’t happened on the forums, it hasn’t happened.

Can I post adverts?

You cannot post adverts that have nothing to do with Urth’s EMV here.

Can I incentivize other players with rewards?

No! You cannot bribe players to get your desired outcome.

Can I copy someone else’s work?

No. Please give them credit if you quote their work.

What external sites can be used for TEP Evolved discussion?

TEP Urth RP Discord server.

Can disciplinary action be taken against a player who has behaved badly on an external forum?

Yes. While we aren’t in charge of external sites, if we catch you behaving badly there, we can punish you on the forum.

What action does moderation take?

We can ban or suspend you, have your nation removed, or freeze your nation so you can’t use it for a while. It varies case-by-case.

How do you make decisions?

We look at the following:

  • How often have the violation happened?
  • What was the context of the violation?
  • What is the history of the player involved?

And so on. In short, we work on a case-by-case basis. The same action on different threads can elicit a different response. The same action by two different players can get a different response.

What happens if a player benefits monetarily from my idea?

That’s awful, but we have limited resources to run after people and enforce copyrights. Usually, your description on this site isn’t detailed enough to act as a blueprint for something complex like a tank. If someone makes a tank that looks like one of your designs, aren’t you a lucky fish! Try not to post stuff that people can use like a recipe for a secret sauce or something like that.

Can I use real-life people as characters on this site?

Generally, we have no way to tell unless the person is famous, known personally in the roleplay community or you make it plainly obvious. If you have issues with a friend, don’t write about their murder on this site, please. Sometimes we’ll notice, and if you make damaging accusations or reveal damaging secrets about them, we’ll punish you.

Can I gloat/boast about getting my intended outcome?

No.

Can I cuss at another player?

No. Cussing is annoying, please avoid it. You cannot say anything to a player with the intention of hurting their feelings like “you are stupid”. While this varies a lot, try to be nice, okay?

Can I make “yo mama jokes”?

No. The whole point we are making is: don’t hurt other people, treat people with dignity and respect.

What about my right to free speech?

You don’t have one. The right to free speech only applies to the irl federal government of the US. Roleplay gives a lot of freedom to talk about stuff. You can use your roleplays to express yourself and you may cuss in them. But when we talk out of character, we will come down on you hard for stuff like homophobia, xenophobia, racism, sexism and that sort of thing. Abilist elitism is especially brutally dealt with. Don’t make fun of people who have special illnesses or conditions that inhibit some aspects of normal functions. If you make fun of people with autism, don’t bother wasting time - just delete your account and never come back.

Can I appeal a decision that the Roleplay Team has made?

You can politely ask them to reconsider, but they have no obligation to even consider an appeal.

Can I run to the Administrative Team if I am not happy?

No. Your issue has to be extremely severe. You cannot run to the admins if the Roleplay Team deleted your nation. You can run to the admins if unjust offenses have been committed against you. But keep in mind that Roleplay Team usually gets the approval from the big guys.

Can I spam a thread?

Lol. No. But we do have games and spam thread in The Arcade.

Can I gravedig?

Please don’t. (By that we mean, please don’t post on a thread that has been dead for a long time).

Can I post in the Archives?

No.

Can I post in someone else’s News Broadcasts?

Not without their permission.

What technology level does Urth’s EMV use?

Modern-day tech and prior.

Can I make an Out-of-Character post in an In-Character thread?

No. Out-of-Character posts on an In-Character roleplay thread are not allowed. You can post minor comments but they must be clearly marked. If players wish to comment, complain, constructively criticize or commend, they must either start a new thread in the Out-of-Character discussion category or openly in TEP Urth RP Discord server.


Guidelines

These rules apply to Urth’s Evolved Multiverse. By joining our RPG and roleplaying with us, you automatically agree to these rules. Be aware that the rules may periodically change. All changes will be announced; however, it is ultimately your responsibility to remain abreast of any changes. Thank you for reading carefully![/left]

Essentials

  1. Roleplayers of Urth agree to respect their fellow roleplayers. Insulting, cursing, harassing, or otherwise attempting to or causing harm to another player will result in immediate and severe consequences.
  2. Roleplayers agree that roleplay — as defined and outlined in this Bad Roleplay Guide (coming soon) — including but not limited to powerplay, godmodding, and metagaming — may not occur within Urth
  3. Urth has a general rating of GET13+, a custom content rating, which means Generally Everyone is 13+.
  4. We do not have a word or paragraph minimum. Decent grammar and spelling are required.
  5. Make sure to be aware of The East Pacific’s Community Standards – these rules are found across all of The East Pacific’s official areas.

Joining

  1. Join TEP Urth RP Discord server, home of forum roleplay, and this roleplay universe.
  2. Please register your nation in Nation Registration Guide.
  3. A Citizenship or roleplay Multipass application is required to join. You can find the Citizenship application in the Newcomers Start Here section of The East Pacific Regional Forum. This is the most preferred way to join as a Multipass has more restrictions. A Multipass can only be obtained after speaking with the Roleplay Moderator [mention]Acronis[/mention]
  4. Urth considers itself a beginner/intermediate/advanced roleplaying universe; all are welcomed.
  5. Refusal to work with the regional government or forum administration to fix application errors may result in a user / roleplayer being unable to join.

Setting

  1. Urth is set in a current real lifetime on Planet Urth. Characters should be appropriate to this setting in application and once roleplaying in the game as a part of good roleplay realism.
  2. The time of our roleplay advances in a relatively normal real lifetime.
  3. Players may participate in as many threads and roleplay as they like.

Characters

  1. Characters are limited to the following species: Aurians, Cava, Dwarves, Elves, Felines, Humans, Nekomimi, Lupines, Lutrynes, Orcs, Symphs, Tieflings, Ursines, and Vulpines.
  2. Roleplayers are not limited to a set number of characters.

Roleplay Guidelines is a resource by Forum Roleplay; Modified for Urth’s Evolved Multiverse.


Bad Roleplay Guide

What is metagaming?

You may not give your character information that you know Out-of-Character that they did not logically discover in-character.

What is trolling?

Do not post disparaging remarks about other players. Constructive criticism is welcomed but chatting shit about them is not allowed.

What is flamebaiting?

This is taking action to deliberately cause another player to get upset. Do not do this.

What is godmodding?

This is giving your character unrealistic skills or an illogical and sudden fix to their problems. Likewise, you cannot make your country this über rich and powerful and perfect place.


The Cartographer’s Guidelines

What is the roleplay map?

It is the official map of the planet Urth. This is the planet on which roleplay in the Urth category takes place.

How do I get on the map?

You must follow the rules that the Cartographers develop for claiming space and post a claim after reading below

  • Have the Citizens or Multipass forum group
  • Joined TEP Urth RP Discord Server
  • Read the entire Cartogopher’s Guidelines section

Once you have met the requirements above see our Nation Registration Guide.

Can I use my NationStates nation’s stats for roleplay?

Short answer: No. Long answer: Your Urth nation must be realistic. It must have a probable population, GDP, and type of government. While you can take elements from your NationStates nation, you cannot simply transpose them to Urth.

Can I be a bit whimsical with my nation?

Yes and no. You can have some things that do not exist in real life, but they must be done in a realistic way.

Can I have more than one country?

Yes. The Cartographers will decide if you can have more than one based on your roleplay ability, maturity, and the length of time you have been roleplaying.

Can I be a Cartographer (or serve in another roleplay staff role)?

If you are interested just contact @Dylan or @Tuva. We are not power-hungry autocrats!

The Logistics of Your Claim and/or Current Nation

If you’re an existing roleplay nation looking to change national borders, annexation, colonization, and any other changes to the map that directly affect your nation and others around it, please post a reply in the Map Changes thread with the following:

  • Name of new / removed territory (or territories)
  • Location (post a description of the changes or an image, image preferred)
  • Relevant Roleplays (please post links to roleplay threads with brief explanations)
  • An In-Character reason for the expansion (Like resources, space, etc.)

Any changes that only affect your nation’s canon are not required to follow the guidelines of the same changes.

“The cartography team will discuss a new country with the owner to best interpret their ideas, and thus will work and decide features with the applicant on a one to one basis. Geological features such as rich continents, landlocked borders, extremely large population, extremely small population, equatorial, polar, among others can contribute to the foundations of your nation and how it will appear. These attributes are loosely written and so a conversation with an experienced cartographer will be your best bet. Think realistic, a new nation the size of Russia is not going to be accepted, nor is a new nation with a population of a few billion. Have fun and don’t be afraid to ask, we’re all here to help!” ~ @Dylan

Expansions

For any annexations or expansions, please refer to the following pages: Pre-Expansion Briefing Room - Step 1 and Expansion Registration Guide - Step 2

Any posts that request an increase in the size of a nation will be evaluated with the criteria below:

  • Size of the nation’s TEP GDP (Not NS GDP)
  • Size of land taken (You don’t need to post this, as we will calculate this)
  • Size of the nation’s TEP Military (Not NS Military)
  • Distance from the homeland (You don’t need to post this, as we will calculate this)

*Regarding expansion role-playing: Users undergoing expansion must create a new roleplay thread dedicated to the expansion. It must be more than a few posts. It cannot occur off-site or be referenced in another thread (unless it is part of a war or treaty arrangement) or referenced in national factbooks, TEPwiki, NSWiki, NationStates, etc. Put simply, if AN EXPANSION does not occur within the Urth forum, it is not canon.

Expansion threads must contain enough substantial material to warrant the country’s expansion. The wording is purposefully vague to allow for each user to create their own expansion thread as they desire, so long as it contains enough material (since it is a role-play, a semi-formed story is a minimum threshold). Users may also RP expansions with other users so that the requirements above are met.

Expansions will NOT be added to the map until either the conclusion of the expansion thread or at the request of the user, so long as the expansion has enough material. The process should be that the user role-plays their expansion thread, and then posts on the map claims thread their expansion request, but, if an expansion claim is submitted before this point, the request will be postponed until the threshold has been met.

Removal of Nations

Once you have a nation on the map, it is your responsibility to become active in the roleplay community to keep it on the map.

“Having a place on the map comes with the responsibility to be active with that nation. Being active on Urth just means posting in this category: Urth It can be something as simple as posting a news broadcast from your country, or establishing an embassy thread, or actually engaging in one of the many role-playing threads that are available. The point is, we want to see people who make land claims actually follow through, and use these nations to contribute to the entire role-playing experience…If you claim land and the cartographers give you a nation on Urth, the cartographers expect to see you post involving your nation within a reasonable amount of time (usually within the month of making a claim). Otherwise, you will not be contributing to TEP roleplay, and will no longer retain the nation on Urth.” ~ @Furnifold

For a nation to remain on the map, you must post at a minimum once every thirty days. Even if you post one message every month that simply says “I’m still here,” your nation will remain. If you want your nation re-added to the map, it can be done. But your lack of activity will be noted, and if you again fail to post anything for another month, your nation will be removed once more. If this process repeats, you may lose the ability to have space on the map.