Rules - Main

Administration
Global Rules	Rules - Main	Silicon Policy	Antagonist Policy	Space Law	Standard Operating Procedures	Staff Policy	Policy Configuration

Important

These rules are enforced in addition to Global Community Rules. Read both.

• COMMAND: Read the SoP/Space Law linked at the top in particular. You are not required to adhere 100% to it, but you should know it and follow it where reasonable, outside of gimmicks/having a good reason not to.
• SECURITY: Read rules 4, 7, and the SoP/Space Law linked at the top in particular. You are not required to adhere 100% to it, but you should know it and follow it where reasonable, outside of gimmicks/having a good reason not to.
• ANTAGONISTS: Read antagonist policy, also linked at the top. Ignorance is not an excuse.
• SILICONS/CYBORGS/AIs/DRONES: Read silicon policy, also linked at the top.

0. Elastic Clause

Citadel Main is aimed towards a balance between gameplay and roleplay. While we lean towards organic gameplay, a moderate level of roleplaying is expected for the server’s environment. Staffmembers will intervene as they see fit if you are ruining this.

• The spirit of these rules are more important than their exact wording, don’t ruin the server for others.

1. Griefing

• Do not go out of your way to ruin another player’s day. IC conflict is IC but if it is clear you are only playing to make others miserable you will be dealt with.
• There are levels to this; We do not police hurt feelings, but if it’s clear you’re making someone upset, do not double down to make it worse for them.
• Causing trouble IC is not griefing. Randomly killing people or destroying things is.
• Don’t kill, strip, or inconvenience AFK players without a very good reason.
• Don’t throw people into unescapable prisons without any interaction available to them (“Gay Baby Jailing”) other than temporarily in emergencies.
• Reading copypasta/offensive material like WGW over radio to get others lynched via voice changer is not allowed, even for antagonists
  • Copypasta like WGW being pasted into IC chat rapidly/enough to start filling the screen is considered spamming and can result in anywhere from you being deleted to a ban.
• Causing trouble and suiciding/cryoing/disconnecting out consistently or maliciously is considered griefing. If you are going to cause conflict, stick around to play it out, instead of being a simple headache and attempting to dodge consequences.

2. IC/OOC separation, Immersion

• Don’t share IC/round information OOC whether literally OOC or discord or other outside-of-round communications, especially in a place where other people playing on the server can see.
  • If you need to teach a new player through these “metacommunications”, adminhelp first, please.
  • This includes livestreaming.
• Deadchat is a special case. IC information is allowed in it, but it should not be used as in-character knowledge or shared OOC during the round for that reason.
• Don’t use round knowledge not current to your character - if you’re in a different mind/brain, you probably don’t have your old memories from another character.
• Don’t netspeak - talking like you’re texting someone rather than normal speech, whether abbreviations like “wtf” or emoticons like “:)”
  • In game text channels (PDA, IRC, etc) are exempt from this.
• Follow Clone Memory Disorder text prompts on revival.
• Keep OOC concepts like lag, ping, game code, fourth-wall breaking content out of IC. If you want to talk about it, talk about it in an IC way (“time dilation” vs “SERVER LAGGING”)

3. Staying in character

• Keep characters marginally realistic for the setting. Gimmick characters are allowed, keep it tasteful and don’t make your only character trait be memey/wholly unrealistic behavior.
• Characters must be obviously over 18, no exceptions.
• “My character is CRAZY” is not an excuse to break the rules.
• Abrasive/hostile characters are allowed, but you will be told to stop if you consistently make everyone miserable.
• Suiciding is not allowed without good IC reason. If you need to leave, cryo.
• Popular culture - Characters may not be named after a character in popular culture. Having mildly similar names is allowed and having a character behave similar to said character is allowed.
• Naming Policy - Character names may contain titles or middle names, but may not contain nicknames. They must make sense for the character’s species.
• Theatrical roles, one-off gimmicks and antagonists are exempt from the naming policy. Fun gimmicks like “The Fuzz”, moth security are allowed. Keep it in good taste.
  • Theatrical roles may be harassed if they behave improperly, including but not limited to talking mimes. Killing them on the spot/attempting to end their round prematurely for it however is prohibited and is considered griefing.
• Escalate conflicts reasonably, don’t go from a punch to killing someone, don’t round-remove player characters without great reason. Talk first before attacking where reasonable.
• Make a good faith effort to act in-character and you won’t do much wrong.
• Characters are allowed links to hostile factions as long as said links do not impact their actions in-round towards said faction. No self-antagging/refusing to help with this as an excuse.
• Characters with links to Central Command that may benefit them in game are not allowed.
• Metafriending/Metagrudging - Keep character relationships in good taste, don’t give your friends too many advantages and don’t overly harass people who slighted you in the past.
  • Getting into fights for friends all the time is a prime example of awful behavior.

4. Interactions with Conflict and Antagonists

• SECURITY: You are required to follow space laws as not an absolute, but a guideline. Do not deal with people based on if they are an antagonist or not, deal with them as described by space law, and security’s section in Standard Operating Procedures.
• React to individuals creating conflict based on what they did (and in some cases i.e. bombs, what contraband they had), not if they are or are not an antagonist. Obviously for rampage antagonists like Nuclear Operatives you don’t have to wait to retaliate.
• If you jump into a brawl, you should probably have a reason when asked.
• Have IC reason to assist someone with deeds that go against the station if you are not an antagonist. Getting bribed to give someone something is fine, but something like killing a crewmmate/assisting in murder/major sabotage should require an extreme IC reason for your assistance.
• Crew are not required to stop and/or validhunt antagonists if it is not their job to. However, they are still required to do their job and assist the crew in the context of said occupation when necessary.
• Antagonist knowledge:
  • Antagonists may know full details of any item, ability, or power they have access to.
  • Crew are allowed all knowledge regarding antagonists except for the exceptions listed here:
  • Traitors and Syndicate equipment: Crew may know when an item is contraband - most items in the uplink that aren’t available on the station are illegal and non-standard. Crew may know how said items work. Crew may not know where said items come from/what jobs can purchase said items from the Syndicate unless informed in-round. People with contraband are to be dealt with according to security procedures if possible.
• Searching for antagonists:
  • These are void in an extreme emergency, i.e. nuclear operatives, uncontrollable cult, murderboning, AI attempting to plasma flood, etc.
  • Random mindshield implantation is acceptable in revolutions and during gang activity
  • Changeling tests may not be randomly administered without need. This is looser in wording on purpose.
  • Syndicate Agents - The following cannot be searched for without prior suspicion of them possessing it:
    • Items that are disguised as mundane items (e.g. sleepypens, radioactive microlasers, EMP flashlights, etc)
    • Martial arts
    • Any implant (implant removal on surgery menu) as well as hidden (not on health analyzer) cybernetics. For clarity, implants and cybernetic implants are different kinds of objects in-game.
    • Pre-emptively running items under the Deconstructive Analyzer just in case.
  • Syndicate uplinks may not be searched for or pre-emptively confiscated without knowledge that it is there gathered in-round.
  • Any other antagonist/contraband/abilities - Security policy applies for security, otherwise follow common sense.
• Validhunting rules (Rule 7) still apply. Knowing something doesn’t always mean you can freely hunt someone down.

5. Fulfill your role

• If you sign up for a role, make a best faith effort to do it. Play assistant if you want no responsibilities.
• Regardless, you aren’t expected to be on the beat and proactive all round. However, if a crisis happens, do your job and help out within reason.
• A certain level of competence is required in job roles. If you are inexperienced with a required mechanic, do your best to learn. Ask for help if needed, most players are willing to assist someone new.
• You are not required to be optimal, but being consistently and utterly incompetent is unacceptable.
• Heads of Staff must take responsibility for their department and the station at large. Your job comes first at all times if you play as one - not slice of life RP, ERP, screwing around, etc.
  • Heads of staff must know how their department’s mechanics work, but are not required to have perfect knowledge in all areas of a department.
• Be a good example and leader as a head of staff, power comes with responsibility, don’t act abusive, dickish, or otherwise purposefully turn people’s rounds into a shitfest.
  • Acting captains inherit the captain’s responsibilities, not their rank or equipment. Do not abuse this to harass other players. You are not entitled to the captain’s apparel - take only the gear that is directly useful to you.
• In the event you need to vacate the round as a head, whether permanently via cryo or AFKing for more than a few minutes, adminhelp and inform the crew/your underlings.
• Stay in your lane - Do not entirely take over another player’s job unless it is not being done at all, the players doing it are too incompetent to do it, or there is simply too much of an emergency for said players to handle.

6. Powergaming

• Do not go out of your way to ensure that you win every fight or neutralize every threat possible. Avoid the same, boring methods to bring conflicts to a close as quickly (and likely lethally) as possible.
• The crux of this rule is that the same person always eliminating the capacity for conflict by forcing a win through running power mechanics to the round or through unnecessarily preparing for conflict ruins it for everyone - If you always force conflict to be centered on yourself you are doing it wrong.
• Unnecessarily preparing can mean preparing weapons, equipment, gear, abilities, or even rooms (see: armory reinforcement) without a tangible, in-round need.
• Everyone is allowed to have some fun items here and there, do not become the problem for everyone else and run this to the ground. Do not always make yourself the center of the round.
• Understand that losing (dying, not having things your way, list goes on) is part of the game. If you are attempting to never lose whatsoever, you are likely trying too hard.
• Avoid handing out powerful gear/abilities willy-nilly - have a reason to hand things out. No one will care about a toolbelt or similar, but err on getting a reason before handing out guns or turning people into hulks.
• Do not steal head of staff gear without a good reason to need it, even if the head of staff is not here. Sign up for that head if you want their gear.
  • This includes head of staff apparel.

7. Validhunting

• Do not go out of your way to hunt down someone causing trouble if it is not your job to do so. Be a good sport. If someone is an immediate threat to you or the station as a whole, this is not applicable.
  • This doesn’t just apply to antagonists. Hunting down someone tiding security/breaking into places, for example, when they aren’t a station-wide threat or otherwise a dangerous issue towards you specifically is still validhunting, regardless of antagonist status.
  • Conversion antagonists are considered a station-wide threat. Still, see if security can handle it before doing it yourself. Doing your job can be more of a contribution than immediately, say, abandoning chemistry as a chemist to morphine the cultists with a syringegun.
  • Any antagonists like wizards, nuclear operatives, demons, etc, that are generally assumed to only exist to destroy the station and kill its crewmembers are considered a station-wide threat.
• You should have in-character reasoning to be chasing someone down, unless they are an immediate and severe threat to the station as outlined above.
  • It is not considered validhunting if you have a legitimate in-character reason to be aggressing against someone, regardless of their antagonist status. This rule is specifically covering cases where “standard escalation” does not apply, even though in many cases ssomeone fitting the requirements here for you to be allowed to hunt them usually will have given you more than enough IC reason to be attacking them anyways.
  • What they are (antagonist status, etc) should not matter as much as what they did and what they are potentially capable of doing/probably going to do. Hunting someone down with a lethal weapon because they were called out as an agent is not alright. Mobbing a heretic that’s about to ascend or a rampaging wizard is to be expected.
• If no one is around to stop a hostile threat, it is not validhunting to do it yourself.
  • Security being severely understaffed (especially in lowpop) counts. Security not being efficient enough to catch someone in a “timely” manner where said someone is not an immediate threat to the entire station or yourself does not.
  • Use best faith and look at what someone did if you decide to chase someone while security/anyone specifically tasked to detain/handle a threat exists. Someone hacking into medbay storage with an emag or doing light to moderate sabotage is not an excuse to chase them across the map while security exists.
  • Disagreeing with how something is handled (e.g. security arrests but paroles someone) is not a reason to do it yourself unless it is egregious (e.g. in the same situation, securiy keeps releasing someone continuously causing grief).
• If an immediate threat is within your vicinity or your workplace, doing something about them isn’t usually considered validhunting. E.g. someone killing someone in the bar getting dogpiled, someone emagging into a department gets beat up by the inhabitants, chancing on someone sabotaging atmospherics/power in maintenance, etc.

8. Greytiding / IC crimes / Antagonistic Actions

• Players are allowed and encouraged to spark reasonable in-character conflict.
• Do not always make yourself the center of attention - dealing with the exact same person is not fun for anyone. You are in the wrong if you are being manhunted every round.
• Do not run a gimmick into the ground - do not constantly harass one player/department, break in for one thing, be annoying in one way, etc. This is more obnoxious than fun.
• Try to have an IC reason to cause trouble - or at the very least, cause trouble in a creative, non-repetitive way. Breaking in for gear just for the sake of having it is powergaming, and smashing all the windows for fun isn’t fun for anyone else.
• Do not go out of your way to push conflict as a way of goading others into escalating. Do not bait other players with the goal of getting to lethally retaliate.
• As a guideline, start small, and work your way up depending on how it goes. Small-time trouble can escalate into big-time conflicts given the right pushes, but you should not be starting off with major acts of antagonism towards the crew. Do not infinitely escalate as a non antagonist if the round is already chaotic - instigating during calm rounds is far easier to justify than during an existing station-wide emergency.

9. Authority and Mutiny

• Give the minimum time of day to IC authority figures, eg. security/command, within reason. Do not go out of your way to make their lives hell with no in-character reason to - and especially don’t make it a pattern.
• Regardless, you are not required to be overly compliant with authority. No one signed up to follow orders from other players all round, even command staff - give considerations to what they’re telling you, but ultimately it would be a boring game if you were required to listen to anything they said.
• Mutinies - Mutinies are defined as the forceful removal of someone in a position of power by someone without the formal authority to. Valid arrests of a head of staff is not mutiny.
• A good, IC reason is required for a mutiny. Adminhelp if you aren’t sure. You not liking someone isn’t a reason, but them running the station into the ground, putting large amounts of the crew in needless danger, or going out of their way to ruin your day is. Consider how many people would agree with you in the former cases, too.
• Adminhelp bad players in authority positions regardless of if there is a mutiny. This is less of a “rule” and more of a “you are solving your own headache by notifying us someone is awful”.
• Mutinies should be properly escalated. Be nonlethal or even verbal where possible, but when the chips are down, respond to force in kind where necessary.
• Adminhelp if you think you were mutiny’d against without just cause. That said, if the majority of the crew are against you in a mutiny, you probably deserved it.

10. Sexual Content

• If it’s too indecent to do in public in an urban place in the United States, it’s probably covered under this rule. Vore is also considered sexual content.
• This is an adult server with adult content. Understand that you’ll be exposed to this sooner or later - however, it is not the whole point of the server, and it is not to be shoved down players’ throats.
• Mechanics related to sexual content are never to be used in mechanical gameplay/conflict.
  • This includes vore.
• Never harass players with unwanted ERP, whether verbatim or sexual-related mechanics. No means no. We take these things very seriously - stop when asked in LOOC, no matter what.
  • Do not involve unwilling players with situations around adult content. This includes calling security after consenting to non-consensual play.
  • Ordering silicons to ERP against their will is obviously part of this.
  • Forcefeeding people aphrodisiacs/ERP-related chemicals, fluids, materia, etc, is part of this.
• Someone not explicitly granting consent does not imply consent. Someone playing along IC in a gradual process can, however, be assumed to be consenting unless they tell someone they are not.
• OOC notes should be respected - assume it is accurate unless the person LOOC’s otherwise.
• Do not unnecessarily interrupt ERP - Have a good IC reason before doing this, including but not limited to someone being your target, someone being needed in an absolute emergency, security needing to search/arrest an individual participating, etc.
• Do not abuse ERP protection - If you instigate conflict with someone don’t immediately go to initiate a scene for the purposes of hiding from them. If you do this, you will not be granted admin protection. Taunting someone over the radio is considered instigating conflict.
• The protections on ERP set by this rule are there to protect scenes from griefing, not to metashield entire areas of the playable map. The dorms are just another area on the station - while you are expected (obviously) to not grief people engaging in sexual activity inside, you are also not required to stay away from it for shenanigans. Antagonists are allowed to use them as bases, nonantagonists are allowed to search dorms given valid cause, etc.
• Public ERP - Public scenes are defined as scenes easily visible to the public whether from sprite-nudity or from non-subtle emotes in a public location. You must comply if someone asks you to take your scene elsewhere in LOOC, whether by using subtle or finding a semi-private or private location. Players should not be forced to read your erotic scene while walking through the halls or their own department. If a majority of a non-important semi-public room (like bar clubroom or library game room) is in on a scene, find somewhere else instead of attempting to break it up - even if you do not like their scene.

11. Adminhelps

• Adminhelp if you think someone is breaking the rules or ruining the enjoyment of the server as a whole.
• Do not wait to adminhelp - It causes both you and us a headache. It’s far easier for us to investigate early than to investigate later
• If you unnecessarily wait until the end of round to adminhelp, there is a chance your ticket may be ignored. - It is simply unfair for us to hold up the rest of the server for one incident if you could have reasonably ahelped earlier but chose not to, to instead wait until the end.
• If no administrators respond and say they are taking your ticket, ping Main Staff on Discord to assist.
• If no administrators resolve your ticket, regardless of if there are any on, file a Discord support ticket.