Roleplayer Guild is an online forum* for roleplayers*. Many different games* are conducted on the forum, with each game* existing in its own separate continuity to all the others. There is no over-arching universe that connects them all, and so what happens in one RP's story* does not affect the story of any other RP in any way.
Each of these different games takes place in its own thread* within the forum, with those threads divided into IC* and OoC* sections so that the content* of the RP can be get separate from players' out of character discussions. The thread is considered, for creative purposes, the property of the thread-owner*, who is typically also the GM*. As such, they are the highest authority in the RP, and their word is final. A player* does not have a universal right to dispute a GM's decision or to ignore their rules - they may discuss, negotiate or attempt to persuade the GM, but any decisions are made at the GM's discretion. Forum moderators* do not participate in the creative running of an RP, and their only role within an RP is to ensure that its content and the behaviour of the players are in keeping with the forum's wider rules.
In the first post in the OoC section, a GM will typically outline his or her rules for the game. As each game is uniquely run by a different GM with different purposes and content, rules vary from game to game. They may be anything from setting standards for the posts themselves (such as length or accuracy of English) to rules concerning creative content (
I have no idea for anything vague enough to put here). Players are expected to abide by these rules, whatever they may be. There are no forum-wide sanctions for breaking these rules but forum moderators will support a GM's decision to remove an uncooperative player from their game.
Some of these rules are widely used and universally accepted as basic game etiquette. In particular, unless stated otherwise, it is taken for granted that players should not begin contributions to an RP's IC section without the GM's permission, should not godmode, and should write according to the standard of the subforum* (if applicable).
Threads are placed into subforums by their GM. General RPs are placed in subforums divided according to the writing standards expected from players (Free, Casual, and Advanced), but there are also separate subforums for specialised* game-types. Members* of the Guild may participate in RPs in any subforum. Here is a brief description of the subforums:
General Games:
Free: RPs typically comprise short (less than a paragraph), fast posts. There is no minimum writing standard expected in this section.
Casual: RPs typically comprise one-to-two paragraphs with an expectation that writing is generally grammatically accurate.
Advanced: RPs comprise posts that are generally at least six paragraphs in length, with an expectation that writing should be highly grammatically accurate and that players should be committed to long, developing stories.
Specialised Games:
Arena: RPs are a context for two or more players to battle one another.
One-on-One: games involving just two players.
Nation-based: I have nary a clue how to describe this.
Tabletop-based: See above
Note that Specialised games have no default writing expectations and so a GM may specify a standard in the OoC.
In addition to the basic game thread*, RPs may have other threads relevant to them. They may have a separate Character Sheet thread in a separate part of the forum, as a tidy reference for the cast* of the game, and they may also have an Interest Check thread, a sort of proto-OoC to see if forum members may be interested in their game before they continue to develop it. Each subforum has a separate section for Interest Checks, and there is also a General Interest Check subforum for those games whose section has not yet been determined.
To start a new game, all a member of the board has to do is to start a thread in the relevant section (though they may wish to start an Interest Check first). Prior approval is not needed to do this. Joining a game as a player may be simple or more complex according to the GM. Some games (typically in the Free subforum) have a 'walk right in' policy where a player may immediately post in the IC section as they please, while most GM's request a character sheet first. More advanced games may require a prospective player to offer a sample post.
