In order to make sure everyone in Matope enjoys a great RP experience and is comfortable in our guild, we are instituting a series of formal guidelines for RP. For the most part this is common-sense information that won't come as a surprise to anyone, but some aspects of what is and is not acceptable content were not clear enough from the basic information on the front page.

Terminology
[*]PRP - Private RP; this means RPs that are exclusive to people invited to join in.
[*]ORP - Open RP; these are RPs that anyone is welcome to hop in on.
[*]BRP - Blessing RP; these are blessings to get an extra baby from breedings.
[*]SOLO - Solo RP; these are prose writing pieces done by one person alone.

Sex
In PRPs and Character Development

• Rape plots are never acceptable in Matope. Period, full-stop, no arguments.
• Seriously, we mean it. We also mean plots in which the breeding is technically consensual but unwanted ("mushroom" plots) or would otherwise be rejected. This is glorified date rape and we will not make exceptions for it. It will result in deletion of your thread and possible greylisting. Using the mushrooms as a plot point to grease the wheels as it were is fine. Using the mushrooms to strike up flirtations where they might otherwise fail to spark is also fine. Using them to simulate date rape is not OK and will not be tolerated.
• Fade to black. Know where to stop the RP: flirtation is fine, but explicit descriptions of behaviors is not.

In ORPs

• Avoid crude language and sexual content in ORPs. Flirtations and implied hooking up are fine, but do not employ obscenities or blatant sexual content.

Violence
In PRPs and Character Development
Violence is a part of life and can be an interesting aspect to explore in your characters and RP. For the comfort of everyone involved, please remember the following:

• Ask consent. Always arrange with your RP partner/s beforehand what will take place and what is permitted. In the event of an RP fight or battle, agree before the RP begins on what the outcomes will be, through whatever means necessary. If you cannot agree, cancel the RP.
• Keep it PG-13. Especially disturbing content and explicit gore isn't acceptable for Matope. Implied and off-screen violence is fine, as are small scenes involving blood or corpses. Leave the rest to the imagination.

In ORPs

• Mind the intentions of the ORP creator. In ORPs with a fatal slant (the Flood ORP for example), acknowledgment of the carnage is fine and expected, even if actual contribution probably isn't. In general or lighthearted ORPs, please do not disrupt the setting with excessive or intense violence or actions that would otherwise completely derail the surrounding action. Remain respectful of the creator and your fellow players.
• Tread with caution. If we encourage a PG-13 at most standard in PRPs, we are even more serious about it in ORPs. ORPs attract many players, and we want everyone to feel comfortable posting in them.

Other

• Please respect fellow players. Get their permission when you begin an RP and remember the line between OOC and IC interactions. Do not use profanity without permission from your fellow players and remember that there is a real, living person with feelings behind the screen. Having respect and compassion for your fellow players leads to a better and more engaging RP experience for everyone involved.

Thanks!