Valence

We understand that some players are not interested in getting dragged into roleplay (RP). But this is, first and foremost, an RP/lore-driven server and as such it is up to the individual players whether to participate in RP situations by including their character to the situation. As to not ruin the RP and immersion for others, all players are required to follow these guidelines when applicable:

1. RP Rights of Players

   The comfort and safety of our players OOC is our priority. If you are in an RP situation that is not in-line with RP guidelines or server rules, and is making you uncomfortable, you can ALWAYS message the other parties and inform them of so, and remove your character from the situation. If you are uncomfortable with something, the fastest way to solve the issue is to log out of the game if another player is breaking our rules. We then recommend that you open a ticket under the Player Report category to receive assistance from our Support Team.

2. In-Character (IC)

   Being in-character means that you will roleplay how YOUR CHARACTER would react to a situation, not how you’d react in real life. Technology varies across the world from nation to nation, person to person. From medieval and tribal warfare to pre-industrial era line battles, it is expected that you should not mention anything that would not exist in the server while in-character. It is important you understand this distinction, as slights against your character are not insults to you. To speak in a local IC text chat on the server, type /l, hit enter, and continue messaging. To dictate an action that your character is currently performing, type /do [action]. For example: /do takes a long drink..

3. Out of Character (OOC)

   This is everything to do with you as a person and not your character. For example, in Hollywood an actor acts as his character, but after he finishes acting, he returns to his normal self. You behaving as yourself is out-of-character, hence the name. To speak in a global OOC text chat on the server, type /g, hit enter, and continue messaging. To speak in a local OOC text chat, type /ooc. Please do not mix IC and OOC chats in any manner.

4. Character Responsibility

   When your character takes an action in RP, your character is then part of the story. You cannot avoid the actions or consequences of your character's actions once you have performed them IC. Roleplay is collaborative and dynamic, and your character is one character among hundreds. In brief: IC actions have IC consequences and when faced with adversity, once you have started the motion of the RP, you cannot then leave it. This includes logging out of an IC situation without cause.

5. RP Outcomes

   Unfortunately, not all endings can be happy endings. The other people you meet on the server are not NPC’s; they are real people, with real feelings, and their own intentions of playing on the server. With that, some events that take place on the server may not be in the best interest of your character. We cannot guarantee your character will not die or reach a negative outcome. If the undesired actions taking place are within the RP guidelines and server rules, then it is required that those disagreements and outcomes be handled and abided by IN-CHARACTER. Losing your seat in parliament or being called out for wearing a funny hat at a funeral is not a reason to open a player report, and those types of interactions must be handled IC.

6. RP Voice Channels and Local Chat

   The RP voice channels are our designated channels for roleplaying. If you are in this voice chat, you must be roleplaying. All roleplay must be conducted within these channels and the Local chat within the game. To type in local chat on the server, type /l before your message. If you are talking in an RP channel and not RP’ing you will be kicked from the chat and warned. You reserve the right to not want to verbally RP, however there is the assumption that your actions in game are your character's actions. If you do not want to talk with someone in an RP channel, then simply message them and let them know.

7. Passive RP

   RP is not limited to pre-planned lore events. RP can be a spur-of-the-moment thing and can be completely improvised on the spot. Passive RP is more of passive actions like walking down the road and greeting bystanders. Active RP is actions taken in event situations like Parliament meetings, or in interactions with other players' characters. It should be assumed that any actions you perform in game (such as farming or fishing) are considered In-Character, even if you are not actively RP’ing at the time.

8. NPCs and Staff Characters

   There are characters and NPCs who exist solely to control server activity in-character as opposed to out-of-character. Valence SMP’s goal is to handle IC disagreements in-character to a reasonable extent, as opposed to resorting to OOC means (moderation) to resolve problems. Such characters will usually not do the same things players do such as mining, farming, and crafting. Characters like these include those played by our event team, along with NPCs like Clyde.

9. Portraying Characters as Minors

   Roleplaying as a minor is not permitted on Valence SMP. Childlike traits such as naivety can be applied to Adult characters, but having a character that is a minor is strictly forbidden. A minor is defined as someone who is under the age of 18 years old.

10. Metagaming (Meta)

    Metagaming is using out-of-character knowledge for RP reasons. Applying OOC knowledge to IC situations is not allowed. This includes the usage of nametags to see players through walls, and the usage of any server-side command to gain information (i.e. /near). When messaging players in-game or in Discord, this is an OOC action, and the information can not be used IC. You can let people know they have mail for example, but the contents of the message should be in character. Alternatively, you could send someone else as a courier - there are lots of possibilities. The messaging system is useful for finding people to have simple interactions with, but shouldn’t be used as meta information to locate a character for a lore point, for example.

11. Power Gaming

    Power gaming is taking an action that completely removes any possible reaction that another player might have. This includes attacking a player when they are AFK, sniping a player from outside local chat range, and any other attempt to make a player feel powerless without any verifiable RP reason. Any person attempting to power game is in violation of these RP guidelines and any events that take place as a result are null and void.
    Particle effects, potions, and footsteps are visible, regardless of if your character is invisible.
    Offline raiding is also prohibited.

12. One Character Rule

    You are only permitted to act as a single character. If you desire to change your identity IC, you will be required to retire your current character and apply for a name change. New characters must be entirely fresh - meaning new homes, new connections, and a new inventory - with the exception of non-transferable items (i.e., Silk Touch tools). Non-transferable items do not include NPC items or items gained at an event (i.e., Goblin Weapons). Characters must be played for two months minimum, barring certain exceptions. If you don’t want to play your new character, and it’s been less than two months, open a General Support ticket to discuss your reasons for changing with a Support Member. Furthermore, killing off your character to circumvent this rule is prohibited.

13. Opting Out of Channels

    If you'd like to opt out of any text channels in game, the following commands can be used to leave or join any channels:
    /leave [channel name] will leave the specified channel.
    /join [channel name] will join the specified channel.