InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "buddy is a skeez"

Daingerfield Moderators (daingerfieldmod) wrote,
@ 2009-04-26 17:50:00

Entry tags:

faq, player's guide, rules

RULES

Rules

1. Respect your fellow players. If you have any issues with a player that you feel you cannot settle privately, please report it to the mods. Do not let player drama effect the game. We're all adults, and it is just a game, after all.

2. Check your spelling and your grammar. The occasional typo is all right, but it is important you check your writing before posting. Certain characters may use improper speech, but it is to be limited to dialogue.

3. No one line replies. Please flesh out your threads with thorough descriptions, character thoughts, etc,.

4. Players are expected to remain active. If you know you will not be able to play for whatever reasons please let the mods know. A hiatus is fine, but we don't like to be left guessing where our players are.

These rules are subject to change.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding these rules please contact the mods either by commenting here or e-mailing them at daingerfield.rpg@gmail.com

FAQ

Where exactly are we?
The year is 1863, in the frontier town of Daingerfield. Most folk will tell you Daingerfield is in Southern California. Could be the surface of the moon, though, for all anyone there knows.

Is Daingerfield a real place?
Yes. Daingerfield is a small town in Texas, and likely an interesting one. Our Daingerfield is not located there however.

What is Steampunk?
This is a hard question to answer. Steampunk, is at its most basic is a theoretical look at the world if the knowledge and technological advances of today were available in the 1800's, powered through steam, clockwork etc.. The potential is theoretically limitless, though our steampunk world is still at its roots.

We encourage further research into the subject to get a full grasp of what steampunk really means and, of course, never neglect your imagination. Here is a place to start.

So everything runs on steam and clockwork?
Not everything, but yes, that is the general idea- to create things with the materials of the age and the know how of centuries to follow. This is the age of the steam engine, a great feat of engineering, and much of the technology can be based around this innovation.

How about Magic?
No; no magic. There has been a rash of strange occurrences in Daingerfield which some might call magical, spiritual, or perhaps demonic forces, but no person has reign over any sort of power like this in our game. It is a theme in this universe and characters may be aware of it, but it's not a creature any characters might be able to control.

What do you mean no one is born here?
We mean just that. No one is born in Daingerfield, and no one comes to reside there by choice. The residences of Daingerfield are a collection of misplaced people, and it is your job to come up with how they came to find themselves here. Most people cannot leave Daingerfield, and those that can, if they understand how, don't share what enables them to do this.

Should a woman find herself pregnant it is likely to end in miscarriage, still birth, or any like fatal complication.

Can I pick any occupation I like?
Within reason, yes. As stated below, Daingerfield has no need for specialty shops or occupations at the moment. Other then that, there are many vitally important jobs your character could have. For a list of what has occured to us, check the wanted page. If you're unsure, contacting the mods is always welcome.

My character wants to open a candy shop (or other specialty store), is that allowed?
At the moment, no. It's not that we don't like candy stores, we are quite fond of them actually, but you must keep in mind that Daingerfield is a small, out of the way town and extremely isolated. They simply don't have the need for specialty stores at the moment, though you are welcome to try and convince us. It is entirely possible that as the game grows we may have need for such shops and professions, so be sure to promote the game.

I want to be a Sand Pirate! What do I need to know?
Sand Pirates are a democracy, and work together to make ends meet. They have a code of conduct which all members must sign. Sand Pirate characters cannot enter town if they wish to return to their ships, so you'll have to be prepared to interact only with other pirates, and the residents of Daingerfield who occupy the outskirts of town.
Currently there is one band of sand pirates in the area of Daingerfield: the crew of the Sandship Rapparee. It is recommended that you join this crew for the sake of interactivity. If you really want to captain your own ship, you better have a solid argument ready-- or be helping the game grow so that it is big enough to support two crews.

I want to play a girl. Are the only options available to her being a housewife or a whore?
No, your girl can have any occupation you like so long as you can convince us that it is a good idea. That said, we will need some housewives and whores, they are fun too. Check the wanted page for some ideas for careers if you're having trouble.

That Sheriff guy sounds like a real jerk, can I over throw him?
He is a jerk. But no, not yet. Who knows, it may become a plot point in the future, so feel free to make it your character's dream.

Given the time period, can my character be openly gay?
Given the time period, it probably wouldn't be recommended. But a little secluded frontier town will have its very own culture, and can develop in some surprising ways. They have yet to hold a town meeting on that one. Perhaps its about time.
As a game, we're gay friendly. Your character's sexuality is not a huge concern to us as mods, as long as it is played realistically.

You're racist!
Not really, but thanks for noticing. Racism, sexism and other such prejudices are an unfortunate reality of the time period. What our characters do or say does not necissarily reflect our personal opinions-- players and moderating team alike. We do attempt to keep it to a minimum in Daingerfield, but for the sake of historical accuracy it cannot outright be ignored. If something is making you uncomfortable, feel free to explain it to the moderators and have some suggestions at ready. If the problem persists, the moderators do hope you understand their position and urge you with the kindest intent possible to find a different game where you will not be so troubled.
This only applies to In Character interactions and the game setting. If you have been made uncomfortable by another player for such reasons Out of Character, we request that you express your concerns privately to the moderators to be handled as required. Abuse of our players will not be tolerated.

How close to actual American history will this game stick?
Only vague references, when the mood strikes. Since Daingerfield is a little difficult to access, they don't seem subject to the whims of their fellow Americans. As evidenced by the transformation of technology and fantastical elements of the game, Daingerfield does not exist in this universe, so history cannot completely run parallel to what is in our text books. Of course, players are encouraged to help the mod team make this universe as believable, diverse and, most importantly, fun as possible.

Do I need to know about America, the time period, or life on the frontier to understand this game?
While not mandatory, any knowledge you have of these things will only enhance your writing. In general, so long as you don't introduce any monstrous inaccuracies you should be able to get by on common sense. That said, we encourage all players to do some personal research, if only for a better understanding of their characters.

Why was I asked to re-write my application?
Sometimes the occasion will arise in which the mods will ask for an application to be re-written. This is not a personal attack. Generally, we are interested in the character, but feel we did not get a good look at them and simply want more. If we weren't interested we wouldn't waste your time, or ours, asking you to re-submit. Additionally, the occasion might arise where while we like an applicants style, we don't feel the character is right for Daingerfield. We may ask for the character to be altered, or for the applicant to consider creating another.

Is there a limit to how many characters I can play?
As long as it doesn't obviously affect your game play, you can have as many characters as you like. The only place this gets tricky is if you have a character with an important role/occupation in the town and they're not getting as much activity as your six-year-old character who is adorable but bedridden with polio or something. We might need to have a sit-down about that.

Player's Guide

Day Change
Daingerfield will be following a real-time day change. Each real day will represent one game day. Should the mods introduce a time jump, freeze, or any like alteration, the players will be notified in advance.

Noticeboard
As necessary, we will run a noticeboard thread. The sheriff's office will post notices, and characters may do so as well through comments. Generally, the board will be a good hint as to the state of the town, recent major occurences, ongoing (or oncoming) plotlines, or maybe just the weather. Read carefully, there might be an important survival tip! The noticeboard thread is also a practical public forum; litter of kittens to give away? Piano lesson service? Missing pet--or child? Put up a note in the comments and hope nobody rips it down.

Heightened Probability
Daingerfield is governed by strange forces, which no one can truely understand. No one is born in Daingerfield, and people rarely intend to find themselves there. It is a gathering of lost souls, brought to the town for reasons unknown. You will also find, should you be foolish enough to try, that no one can willingly leave the town until they've found the secret to how it works.

Other strange occurrences take place in Daingerfield, things which can't be explained, but the residents have begun to accept as normal. Whether Daingerfield is a safe haven, or a death trap is unknown. Your safety can not be assured.

Players should also note: characters who have died have a habit of coming back in another form. There are strange things in these sands, and the sweet wind blowing up from the canyons is rarely a good omen.

We're not calling it magic; that suggests wizards, spells and some sort of directed purpose. No, what Daingerfield experiences is a Heightened Probability; it's chaotic, sometimes divine, sometimes brutal, but always really, really strange.

Posting Guide
Every log should start with the same format, so we know what we're getting into:
Who: A list of the characters involved. Keep in mind, unless expressly noted, all threads should be considered OPEN TO ALL. It's a small town, anyone could be listening.
What: A quick summary of what goes down.
Where: The location of the major action.
When: The date (and time, if necessary) of the occurence.
Warnings: Necessary if the post contains violence, sexuality, or anything else you feel not everyone would want to read. This is particularly important if you've started a thread with the intention of facing the characters involved with some form of threat and need the game moderators to inflict Daingerfield's whims upon them-- we need to be told, you know.

Tags
Every post needs to be tagged with the names of the characters involved.
Other tags are the !complete tag to be used when a thread has successfully ended, and the !closed tag when the thread has simply been abandoned.

Non-Player Characters
The major NPCs are controlled by the mods through

daingerfieldnpc
If a player requires the presence of any of them, they may PM the mods at

daingerfieldmod with a link to the thread and their needs, or just find them online on any of the used messenger services. (Need the Contact page?)
If a player finds themselves in need of an NPC type not officially in use, it's probably safe to say they can play them themselves, or ask the mods to accomodate their needs. Don't be afraid to ask!

Activity and Hiatus/Drop
Do try your best to make a presence in the game once a week, either as a journal entry or in a log. If it is Friday night and you know you won't be getting to it, remember to leave one of the mods a note in any way you choose just so they know not to worry about you.
Of course, this will only fly for about a month. Then the mods will worry less about you and more about the space you're taking up in their game.
If you know you're going to be leaving the game, either temporarily or permanently, let us know with a note on

daingerfieldooc
If you would rather, telling the mods in private is fine. E-mail, PM or messenger are all available to you.

Character Journals
Every character has an individual journal with no set use in gameplay. They can be used as actual physical journals your characters can pour their hearts out in, or for threads that don't fit in to the game's timeline, or for whatever silly thing you want to do, really. Use it to develop your character and show your creativity.