Rules of Engagement

[WarderDragon]

Thread created to develop our Rules of Engagement.

I plan to promote increased RPvP and Roleplayed War within the confines of the OOC Alliance while avoiding the drama that sometimes emerges.

These are the rules I am proposing. Discuss.

1. Defeat in Battle. [Death Robe Rule.]

When defeated by another player you are considered 'Gravely Injured' and removed from Active Combat.

Ressurect. Collect your gear. Keep the Death Robe on for the Duration of 20 Minutes to indicate that you are 'KO'ed.'

You may return to the field at the end of this duration though I recommend this be done realistically based on injuries sustained.

Large Scale Battles might require longer durations if the Leaders of Both Parties agree to such measures before Engagements.​

2. Roleplaying Comes First.

You should indicate your characters hostility before engaging another RPC. This will give said RPC the chance to Surrender or Diffuse the Situation.

This also prevents characters from being engaged who might be AFK.​

3. Help Return Items.

You are responsible OOC for those characters you engage IC.​

4. Drama.

If there is Out of Character Drama that arises outside the confines of RP - i.e. a misunderstanding between players - you should not be attacking said character or engaging in RPvP. Contact your respective RPGM and AGM WarderDragon.

Do not try to settle disputes by Griefing. I have a strict Zero Tolerance Policy on OOC Drama and Grief Kills.​

5. PRC Township Barriers.

When two townships are engaged in RPvP War it is advantageous for said townships to create fortifications and defenses in such an event.

But these fortifications are useless if the enemy can just recall in behind them.

Townships are considered to have an Enchanted Barrier of Defense. In the event of a RPvP War members of said township are the only ones allowed to Recall or Gate directly into that Township. PRC Townships are responsible for the IC Mechanics and Explanation for their Barrier.

All others are required to recall in no closer than two screens from the designated border of that township.​

6. No Power Emotes. No Metagaming. No Godmoding.

Enough said.​

7. In Character Death.

Death in Ultima Online is cheap and without consequence when a character can be ressurected with a wave of the hand.

Thus all 'Deaths' are to be considered Grave Injuries and IC Unconciousness.​

 

[WarderDragon]

This is a post I made months ago regarding Death in Ultima Online.

Our shard confronts death in a unique manner.

We tend to interpret the death of a character (with some minor exceptions) as being 'knocked out' or 'near death.' You've experienced such a threshold of pain that the characters soul is severed from the flesh and is allowed to escape from what is otherwise a living human form. If the soul is rescued (ressurected) before the body dies (decays) it can return to reinhabit the body and live to fight another day. We tend to interpret those wearing death robes as souls (non-combatants) in RPvP Situations. Corpses are seen as comatose. The act of looting the corpse (body disappears) is interpreted as the character awakening.

If the characters form is killed (i.e. Casca or a killed RPC) it would take much more power to bring back that soul and clothe it in new flesh. Difficult but not impossible.

This interpretation allowed for us to have real death be possible in our fiction without death as a game mechanic becoming trivial or ignored. I remember being assassinated IC and being a witness at my own murder trial a month later. So I thought up this solution and have been using it since.

 

[WarderDragon]

This is the PGoH Rules of Engagement. Standard compared to most Shards.

The following is PGoH standard RoE for any roleplayed conflict that our members engage in. If any member of any guild feels that agreed upon RoE for a guild has not been followed, they should contact their guild leader so the situation can be resolved. Members of PGoH are expected to leave the area of a conflict they feel is not following standard RoE and inform the appropriate person. Do not take the conflict into out-of-character communication methods, whether through chat channels, party chat, or private messages.

• Respect others.
• A warning must be given before attacking. This should include a way to opt out of combat.
• No looting.
• Guild title and abbreviation must be on at all times.
• Legion members must be in uniform at all times.
• Know the guilds we highlight and our stance with them.
• There is a 30 minute death robe rule. If you are slain in battle:
  • The death robe should be worn for the entire 30 minutes.
  • Talking and roleplaying is permitted, but you should consider yourself wounded.
  • Do not interfere in the battle.
  • Do not switch characters and rejoin the battle.

Europa possesses the most famous - or rather infamous - Rules of Engagement in Ultima Online. Complete with GM Gear Requirements and Skill Restrictions.

You can find the ERPA / CoRE RoE for comparison here.

 

[WarderDragon]

We will be borrowing heavily from Europa in Theme (Medieval Romanticism / Realism) and Atlantic in terms of Event Mechanics.

This is something we might adopt on a small scale. Trammel Map of Atlantic Land Claims.

 

[Shovel(DWN)]

I like the pgoh rules. However I do think 30 minutes is a bit long.

 

[War Wizard]

Not a fan of skill restrictions..... this game was once based purely on skill and not item..... I'm too old.... restricting skills in ANY manner is opposed by me.

I agree with Shovel on the "death time" 30 minutes too long.... even the 20 too long.... I suggest 10-15 minutes after returning to your body and collecting any items left there. So once items are gathered, the "death Time" clock begins.

I also do not like limiting ones abilities.... puting limits on what abilities are allowed, never.

Those are my thoughts, so far.

 

[WarderDragon]

Before people get the wrong impression.

We will never have Armor and Special Move / Skill / Tactic Restrictions. Ever.

I do however suggest some sort of timer or rule be placed on the use of ressurection to return to battle.

You might remember someone had a tendency to loose their temper and return to exact revenge. If the Red Cap or Pirate can run to the nearest healer and return two minutes later did the Town Guard or Rose Knight Succeed? Or Fail? This became an issue during the Red Cap Invasion of Britain. We will face this again when we begin to promote RPvP Storylines.

Ten minutes seems fair. The Opposing Leaders in Larger Scale / Planned Battles might opt for a larger time (e.g. 'No Return') to ensure that there is a decided winner to a confrontation.

 

[WildStar]

I think 10 minutes is a realistic amount of time.

WildStar

 

[WarderDragon]

Thoughts on the Atlantic Land Claim and War Chart? Is that something people would be interested in?

 

[Bryelle Vaughn]

Alright, if I may offer an outside opinion. My home shard is Atlantic.

Topic 1). For us, you must always rp first. Fel or tram (as long as you are in a guild that participates in rp). Just walking up and smacking someone is not acceptable.

Topic 2). Death robes. For us, once you are out of a battle, you are out perma. There is no going back in. You can get your items only after the battle has moved from where your corpse is. Once you have gotten your items, you put the death robe on and either stand off to the side or leave the area completely.

Topic 3). Res Killing and Looting. These are both big time No Go's. Either of them is seen a jerk move and cause for no further communication between two guilds. Always get this straight up front, becuase if you don't (And we have examples of it happening on Atlantic) it is a mess to deal with and causes OOC drama.

Topc 4). Metagaming, godmoding. Let's be honest folks.. this is also a no go. You can't have an all powerful character, so playing a vamp for example and saying "Bites through steel gorget"... You're going to get laughed at. (And that example actually comes from a one time friend of mine). But, you get the picture.

Topc 5). We don't limit use of skills etc. As far as we are concerned you use what you have, armor, skills, special moves. No point in having them if you can't use them. The only time we ever limit this is when we are having an event like a joust or a battle royale. Then it is preset and announced if you enter.. this is what you are dealing with.

And finally Perma death for us only happens when we have given consent to another player to kill them and list it as a death. In other words, we got sick of playing that character or the rp has just run its course and its over. For example, I had a character recently (temp drow) That I let the Humanist group Kill.