Difference between revisions of "Category:Policy"

While these policies are to be followed, in exceptional cases special requests can be made to to the mods and will then be discussed and decided on a case by case basis. In such cases, the mods will inform the player base of their decision and the reasons for it, as far as possible while maintaining the player's personal privacy.

X-Project's Basic Rules

Voted upon and adopted as official policy August 21, 2007.

Respect other players

Edited October 6, 2009.

Treat other players as you yourself would expect to be treated. If you have an issue with another player's behavior, their in-character choices, or anything else that may cause conflict, we expect you to try and resolve it in a civil manner - or go to the moderators only if this is not possible. OOC personal abuse, bullying, threats and bigoted remarks are not welcome on any of the game boards, chat room or the mailing list and unresolved issues between players may be brought to the mods and earn a player a warning or possible disciplinary action if such behavior is habitual and disruptive to the game at large. Personal journals and email will not be policed by the mods - it is the responsibility of individuals to try and resolve such issues themselves, or seek mediation through a third party or the mods. In extreme cases where a player has felt the need to cut contact completely with someone in-game and no longer play with them, it's best to let the mods know to avoid future issues.

However, harassment of other players through personal e-mail or through continued deliberate public misrepresentation is not acceptable and such emails may be used by the mods to determine an official complaint. If it is deemed that a player has mounted a directed, personal campaign to poison or make hostile the game environment, making it impossible to play for another player deliberately, the mods may censure that player. Harassment involves a directed, systemic, ongoing attack on another player, and does not constitute general disagreements, isolated incidents or simple personality conflicts. It also does not include exclusionary practices, such as not logging with a player, unless advocating such measures is done through misrepresenting another player's actions.

As in all cases of infractions of the rules, the mods are available to voice concerns to prior to submitting an actual complaint. This includes situations where a player is concerned about another player and how they're being treated. However, it is not the role of the mods to act as an investigative body. We will approach players, but ultimately, it is the final responsibility of the players involved to bring their concerns to the mods, and not expect preventative measures. Information does not always reach the mods or the list, and without player support, our casual knowledge of a situation may be incomplete or represent only one perspective.

Activity

Voted on and adopted as official policy on April 6, 2011

Minimum activity requirements require one of any of the following per character per month:

• Log

• Comm post (x_communication, xp_team, xp_staff, etc.)

• Journal Entry

• Reply to a journal or comm entry by another character

Continual refusal to respond to requests to log with no explanation may result in a quiet inquiring (but not necessarily disciplinary) word from the mods, in cases where player to player communication has failed. Checks on activity are done once every three months. The consequences of failing to meet the minimum activity requirements are outlined in the Activity Policy.

Follow the policies

All players are expected to abide by the policies agreed upon by the players and executed by the moderators. If you find yourself in disagreement with a specific game policy, or see something you feel should be changed for the good of the game, bring it up for discussion with the mods or on the xproj_players community.

Moderator Role

Voted upon and adopted as official policy August 21, 2007. Edited following player vote, September 13, 2014, adopted January 1, 2015

The role of the moderators is the following:

• Serving as the final judge for disputes. The final judge in cases where both direct and third party intervention has given no results, and one or both parties are continuing a systemic ignorance or dismissal of the rules of the game.

• Serving as the final judge for game details such as policy, world building and game process. The mods are required to weigh new material versus the health and stability of the game as a whole. They put the final stamp on policy, after due process with the players, and the same with modifications to the method of play, including new channels, new teams, etc.

• Acting as a third party in situations of conflict. In cases where two people can't resolve differences and there is no disinterested third party available, the mods serve as that third party between both parties. However, their job is to facilitate communication, not to impose a solution until the situation breaks down.

• Providing final rulings on new and second character applications. See the section on Character Applications.

• Providing full and thorough reviews to plots and providing rulings on specific new or conflicting elements. The same as world building, the mods are there to shepherd the plot process, arrange the schedule, and try to accommodate as well as possible the various elements in plotting. They do not review plots based on personal preference, but for logical flaws, plot holes, overuse of particular themes, unanticipated consequences, continuity issues, and any other potential problems. Their role is to review and judge what requirements a submission must meet before it can be approved. See the section on Plots for clarification.

• Providing final say on logs involving Mod directed NPCs. See the section on NPCs for clarification.

• Providing final rulings for canon on wiki updates. The wiki was accepted as a repository for game canon. In places where the wiki conflicts with an existing log, the reason is that the log was retconned or modified by the current or previous mod teams. That doesn't mean mistakes do not happen, and placing something up on the wiki doesn't automatically make it so. However, the mods regularly review material on the site and make corrections to make the material consistent with canon.

To clarify how the mods do their jobs the mods put together A Day in the Life of the Modteam to explain how they work together and how submissions, complaints etc. get handled once they get to the modlist.

Moderator Communications

voted upon and accepted as official policy as of September 13, 2014, adopted January 1, 2015.

Players are expected to acknowledge communications from the modlist where appropriate, and respond to direct questions. This includes but is not limited to queries about activity, discipline policies, requests to edit or modify logs/posts, and any other mod communications regarding formal game business. Failure to do so would be considered a breach of the "respect other players" policy. Players are, of course, able to request specific types of communication from the modlist - one on one emails, only emails from the individual mod accounts, not the mod email, informal tone, etc - but bringing in non-mod third parties for communications is not possible.

The modlist will endeavour to acknowledge emails to the modlist within 24 hours of receipt, or provide an explanation for delay.

Moderator Elections

voted upon and accepted as official policy as of September 13, 2014, adopted January 1, 2015.

Every 2 years, at a designated date, the consecutively longest-serving mod will stand down to allow for mod elections. The length of tenure does not include multiple terms where the mod has stood down in the past and then been re-elected, only the latest term. The longest-serving mod is not required to stand down if a) another mod wants to stand down instead; or b) there are no nominations from the player base for the position.

In the case of multiple mods having been elected on the same day, all of those mods will stand down when their "turn" comes up; except in the case where this would require the whole mod team to stand down. In this case, if there are no mods who will voluntarily stand down, the 50% of the mod team will stand down, in alphabetical order of their RL first names.

Any player is eligible to run for a mod position, including those who have stood down as mods. Candidates are required to provide a short blurb about what they believe the position entails and why they feel they can do it, for posting on XPP. Votes will be carried out as per X-Project’s usual format, on XPP with “blind” voting. A successful vote is 75% of the game’s active players, not just those who vote, in order to reflect a true majority vote.

Character Applications

Voted upon and adopted as official policy October 22, 2007. Edited following player vote September 13, 2014, adopted January 1, 2015.

Applying For A Character

This is the Application format. Simply fill in the applicable information and email it to the mods, with the subject line character name | your name | application. The mods will be in touch, usually within a few days of receiving the application. Applications will be discussed by the moderators and the applicant, and once approved, steps will be made to introduce the character to the game.

X-Project will not accept applications for original characters under any circumstances.

As X-Project is an X-Men movieverse based game, it is assumed that player characters will be mutants, either attending the school or involved in some way with one of the various teams (X-Men, X-Force, X-Factor, X-Corps). Players are encouraged to adapt canon non-mutant characters into mutants with similar powers and/or abilities. The mods will consider applications for non-mutant characters so long as the application is exceptional and there has been an effort made to explain realistically why the non-mutant character is part of the mansion.

In cases where the proposed character has no special abilities or powers, we would ask that the applicant consider the difficulties of playing such a character in the mutant-centric setting and address those in the application.

Please remember when drawing up your application that X-Project is a movieverse game. As such, certain concepts should be used extremely sparingly in creating character origins and backstory:

alternate dimensions – only rare occurrences, no duplicates of existing living PCs;

clones – would have to be explained within the existing technology, be non-replicable, and not exact duplicates of existing living PCs;

aliens – similar to alternate dimensions, with the character’s origins explained in a “realistic” manner that takes into account that aliens are virtually unheard-of in the X-Project world.

time travel – only to be used as a plot device, and never as part of a character’s background, due to the complexity of time paradoxes and the potential for god-modding other characters’ pasts and/or futures.

Exceptions can be made and the mods will consider applications using these concepts on a on a case-by-case basis.

Also, be aware that the rule of thumb in XP has been that the existence of mutants has only really been at a significant rate for the past four generations, and has only been common public knowledge since the 1980s to fit the movieverse setting. The existence of mutants prior to this time and the rarity of mutation should be considered as a factor in any applications or plots that involve mutants or mutant-related elements from before 80 years ago.

For applicants who are picking up a previously-played character, they are expected to completely familiarize themselves with the character's previous in-game experience. Matters of continuity and established game facts are expected to be known by the player and continued - if the character was hostile to another character, and then suddenly becomes their best friend, there will need to be significant on-screen development to explain this, for example. Research on the Wiki and discussions with players whose characters had relationships with the character are strongly encouraged.

Second Characters and Third Characters

Players who have been in the game for at least three months actively (not counting any time on hiatus or not posting) can apply for a second character.

In order to qualify for a third character, the player must have been actively part of X-Project for one year, and have been playing their second character for at least six months. Players who have missed regular activity checks without reasonable cause will not be able to apply for a third character until they pass two consecutive activity checks with both characters (a period of six months).

The application process for second and third characters is the same as for the first character, although the mods may do without the test log.

Specific rules that apply to alts:

• There should be an absolute bare minimum of on-camera interaction between a player's characters. Any interaction you find to be vitally necessary should be cleared through the mods.

• PCs run by the same player should never be the only participants in a logged scene.

• There should be no emails between one player's PCs, and minimal responding to each other's journal posts.

• References to off-camera interaction are acceptable if appropriate to the characters involved, but should not generally be used to further one PC's plot/character development.

Due to the rules about interaction between one player’s characters and the tendency of RPGs to “burn through” characters available and acquire a large collection of dropped “socks”, a third character will only be considered if the activity criteria are met.

Preference will be given to third character applications that “pick up” a dropped sock already introduced to the game, or fill a “gap” where characters of a particular sort are needed.

Character Development

Voted upon and adopted as policy October 22, 2007, Edited following player vote September 13, 2014, adopted January 1, 2015.

One of the most enjoyable facets of X-Project is watching characters change and grow over time. Here are some applicable policies and guidelines regarding development:

Villains: We do not allow applications for PC villains nor development of PCs into outright villains, as it stretches credibility to have someone actively working against the X-Men living side-by-side with them in the mansion. Players who might wish to explore the darker aspects of a character should consult with the mods on finding a middle ground - there are after all gray areas, especially given the darker tone of the universe, and a number of ways via which 'temporary evil' can be achieved.

Powers: Players are encouraged to explore their character's powers, but any changes in the nature or level of a PC's powers should be cleared through the mods, as should any developments in the 'theory' behind a specific type of mutation. This is especially important for common mutations (such as psionics) where newly established canon would affect a number of PCs. The same rule applies for this type of development in an NPC context.

Plots and Scheduling

Voted upon and adopted as official policy January 21, 2008.

Plots

Plots are an important part of the X-Project experience for many players. There are certain basic guidelines that should be followed when submitting plot proposals to ensure that they are approved and scheduled as smoothly as possible.

Though there is no standard plot proposal form for X-Project (although players are encouraged to use the Wiki format as a template), the proposal should always include:

• A cast list. For secondary roles, this can be tentative, but all core participants should be established.

• Bios for any new NPCs/villains. Players are encouraged to submit these in Wiki format if the characters will warrant their own page after the plot has run. Bios for minor NPCs can be short blurbs.

• Duration. We no longer require you to give us a specific posting date(s) when you submit your plot, if you prefer not to. If preferable, you can log the plot then ping the modlist once you're ready to start posting to let us know the intended dates.

• A summary - not log-by-log, but a reasonably comprehensive snapshot of events. The level to which a plot is publicized to the game at large prior to its running is up to the plotrunner (although players whose PCs will be affected by the plot should always be consulted in advance), but the mods should never be surprised by major plot points.

• Impact and consequences. In most cases these will be tentative, and the mods do not expect comprehensive consequences (given that many emerge in the process of logging). The mods do however expect some indication that the plotrunner has given thought as to how the events of the plot will be resolved. Plotrunners are encouraged to consult players participating in their plot for major consequences they may have in mind for their characters, and include them as well.

There are certain subjects the mods are particularly interested in when reviewing plot proposals, so your proposal should also include detailed explanations of:

• Any major detail of the gameworld (government actions, organizations, past events, etc.) the plot establishes.

• Any significant change (their physical or mental state, what they can do with their powers, etc.) it provokes for a character.

• Any significant consequences on the gameworld as a whole, especially those that may elicit reactions from the majority of characters.

• Any involvement of the teams.

• Any involvement of Gods, demons, or other Things Beyond Mortal Ken.

• Any involvement of NPCs not specific to your character (not parents, relatives, etc).

• Any new science or technology.

• Any use of 'unrealistic' concepts (cloning, alternate dimensions, time travel, etc).

Please submit all plots to the mod email. The mods will review the plot and respond as soon as possible with either an approval email or further questions about the plot. Players should be open to discussing with the mods any concerns or need for further information they may have. The mods will be checking for logical flaws, plot holes, overuse of particular themes, unanticipated consequences, continuity issues, and any other potential problems, but the final responsibility for the quality of a plot lies with the plotrunner, not the mods.

Players are encouraged to run plot outlines through fellow players or a mod (in an unofficial capacity) as beta readers in order to pick up any potential plot holes prior to submission. They are also expected to have run the plot past those players whose characters appear in the cast list prior to (not at the time of) submission.

Scheduling

As X-Project is a very active game, scheduling plots can be challenging, and needs in many cases to be a consultative process between the mods, a prospective plotrunner, and sometimes the plotrunners of other plots during the desired month. Plots submitted first will have first priority.

The mods will:

• schedule plots to overlap only if doing so would not cause a problem and all plotrunners are in agreement (although overlapping plots should be avoided whenever possible).

• ensure that scheduling is managed so that the consequences of one plot do not hinder a subsequent plot. The mods cannot, however, foresee 'spontaneous' consequences that may come up in the course of logging the plot, so players should keep in mind any commitments made to other plots when logging character injuries, etc.

• prevent any other continuity problems by monitoring the content and consequences of plots as they come in.

The plotrunner should:

• consult the plot calendar when choosing dates for a plot. Is the desired month already crowded? Have your participants committed to other plots during that month already? If the answer to either of those questions is yes, choosing later dates may be advisable. Plotrunners should consult with their participants when selecting dates, and be aware that shoehorning a plot into a month that already has several others may weaken its impact. The same goes with scheduling close to high-impact plots - players are encouraged to use their discretion when choosing dates close to large plots, in order to avoid their plot being overlooked in the aftermath.

• be aware of how much he or she can or cannot handle when running plots and volunteering to participate in other plots. The player is responsible for his/her own personal schedule.

• be willing to negotiate dates if told by the mods that their plot may conflict with another, that another plotrunner has not agreed to overlapping dates, or if any other scheduling-related issues arise.

Plots may be submitted and approved at any time, but will not be officially scheduled more than two months in advance. Plot arcs (longer storylines including several plots) can have their basics approved, but individual episodes should be submitted for approval as the arc progresses.

Dates, once assigned, may only be changed with mod approval and only if all other players involved in the plot agree. Players should be aware that this may involve consultation with those running plots in the calendar vicinity of yours. If a date change is not possible, backdating logs is the other option. This is not desirable in many cases due to the need for IC reaction, but may sometimes be the only solution.

Logs

Voted upon and adopted as official policy as of June 9, 2008

Format

Logs should be spell-checked and formatted correctly (for example, removing hard returns and >s at the end of lines if the log was originally done in email) in order to ensure your logs are readable by other players and readers as a whole.

Backdating

To post a backdated scene or log players should change the date on the log to when it should be when posting, as well as noting in the log header that the log is backdated to a particular date. This way, while the post may appear "out of order" on people's friendslists, when looking at the x_logs community through the Archive function it will be on the proper day. Dreamwidth allows for changing dates at the time of posting, or through the "Edit" function. Mistakes will happen sometimes, but players are encouraged to keep the date change in mind when backdating and to let fellow players know if there's been a slip up. Posts and emails should be posted in as close to real-time as possible; in cases where time zones make that difficult, players should try to date their posts to the appropriate time EST.

Warnings

In cases of logs containing sexual content, extreme or graphic violence and adult themes such as references to abuse, rape and the like, those posting the logs are requested to provide warnings in the summary in order to warn their fellow players and our readers of potentially distressing or not safe for work material they may prefer to avoid. If a log posted without a warning is felt to need one, players are encouraged to contact the poster and request the same, or the mods should the player be unavailable or unable to add such a warning.

Dreamwidth also provides for labelling of posts with adult content. An explanation of the system can be found here. It is up to the individual player to decide whether to use the system, however in the cases of logs that are posted without warning and not edited on request, the mods may exercise the right to label them as containing adult content.

(See the page on Disturbing Content Warnings for a sample warning, an explanation of why we warn and a chart of existing topics requiring warnings and the degree of warning needed.)

Moderator Intervention

Voted upon and adopted as official policy July 16, 2007.

Players are encouraged to attempt to work out issues player-to-player, but when this is not feasible or has failed to resolve things, they may ask the mods to intervene/mediate. Some of the causes of problems that have required moderator intervention in the past include:

Godmodding

• writing someone else's character without their express permission, or attributing actions, emotions, thoughts, or details about a character without that player's consent.

• writing someone else's character into a situation without their prior agreement. This usually covers situations such as fights and/or sexual encounters, but can be interpreted more widely.

• portraying your character as invincible within the confines of a scene. Often this includes a refusal to acknowledge other characters' actions or presence.

• revising past continuity, even at the personal level, without consent from all parties it may involve. Unilateral plot retcons are an obvious 'no', but revising the personal history of a character can also cause just as many problems. Other characters have built on personal history as it stands, and the potential ripple effects of a unilateral change could be very disruptive.

Problems with other players

The mods would strongly encourage you to notify the modlist if you're having a serious personal issue with another player that seems unsolvable after attempts to do so. Mediation, via the mods or another third party, may be the solution to the problem.

Misrepresentation of IC details

Should not be confused with IC misinterpretation of facts, which can of course constitute a significant element of RP. What we mean by this, primarily, are factual and continuity errors. Logs or posts with these problems will be screened until discussion can be had, and official requests to screen or temporarily delete other posts will be sent to players.

Perceived out-of-character behavior

The player is ultimately responsible for the characterization of their PC. If issues concerning perceived OOC behavior of a PC should arise, player/player dialogue is encouraged, as there can often be logical explanations. Should this dialogue not be satisfactory, the mods can be called upon to mediate.

Problems with continuity

Problems with contradicting continuity can usually be solved by editing a log or post. If the problem is continual, however, with a player refusing to acknowledge past continuity or events, mediation may be necessary.

Official Complaints

Edited October 6/09.

Players are requested to try and resolve disputes between themselves, or with the assistance of a third party; either a non-involved player or the mods in a unofficial role. However, if it is impossible to resolve the dispute, or it escalates, the aggrieved player may lodge a formal complaint to the mods as a last resort. Official complaints cannot be lodged on behalf of a player by a third party, unless they have direct evidence (for example, the offending player emailed them about the targeted player in such a manner they found personally abusive), but if a player has concerns about a fellow player being bullied or abused, they can bring this information to the mods and the mods will make enquiries, and in the situation it appears a complaint ought to be lodged, encourage that person to do so. Breaking of the rules, as outlined in the policies, is the only grounds for official complaint.

A formal complaint should contain the following information:

• That the email is an official complaint and against whom the complaint is lodged. Preferably in the subject line - "Player A - Official Complaint" would be adequate.

• What the complaint is about - should include listings/links of particular incidents and/or copies of any emails encompassing the issue. Only emails directly between the two parties (the complaining player and the player being complained about) will be considered - emails to third parties will only be considered in the case that those parties have complaints also and will be dealt with as a seperate matter.

• Has the person complained against been approached? What has been done to try and resolve things? If not, why? If so, what was the response? Again, provide documentation to support what's being said.

• What are you requesting the mods do? Is it something serious enough for you to ask for disciplinary action, or is it a head's up that you're not going to interact with the person or their characters for the interim/forever? Or something else?

The mods will respond to each official complaint with a note acknowledging receipt, follow up and take action as deemed appropriate.

Complaints Against Mods

Voted on and accepted as policy October 19, 2012.

Individuals

A complaint against an individual mod is laid the same way as a complaint against an individual player is laid, with the exception that if the player is more comfortable, they can email their complaint directly to the other mods rather than to the modlist. The modteam will notify the mod receiving the complaint that there is a complaint in progress, and discuss the complaint offlist, before coming to a decision. Complaints against mods are subject to all the usual requirements and punishments as complaints against players; mods can also be suspended from the modlist, should the modteam determine that is required. For a mod to be removed from the modlist, the modteam must bring the matter to player vote, in the same manner as removing a player. An offending mod has the option of standing down from the modlist prior to the removal process taking place, or at any point in the complaint process.

Once a complaint has been dealt with, the off-list discussion will be reposted to the modlist, for continuity and future reference.

Entire Modteam

In the event a player or players has lost confidence in the modteam as a whole, they may post the specifics of their complaint for player discussion on XPP. The post should take the form of an official complaint and cover all the usual requirements as appear here. The post should also include a poll for players to decide if the modteam should resign and elections be held.

In the event that the players decide the modteam should stand down, the mods will do so immediately and all mod business will remain on hold until a new modteam is in place.

Disciplinary Action

There is a sliding scale of potential disciplinary action should a player be considered guilty of an infraction of the rules, increasing with the frequency or severity of the rule breaches.

• Initial complaint: Depending on the circumstances, a first complaint will warrant either an informal word of caution from the mods, or a formal note requesting the behavior to cease.

• Subsequent complaints: If a player continues to act in the same manner as previously warned about, or commits a more serious breach of the rules, they will receive a formal mod email telling them to cease the behavior, or they will face official disciplinary action. In some cases they may be requested to apologize, privately or publicly.

• Recurring complaints of a serious nature: Where a player has had a number of complaints and has been formally warned by the mods and still continues to be disruptive, they will be asked to take a hiatus from the game. Before implementing an enforced break, the mods will take into account the player's commitments to ongoing plots and work to minimize any disruption. In the first instance, such a break would be no more than two weeks and the game at large would be informed. If the player causes further disruption, they will be asked to take a break for a month. At the end of this time, they will be required to lobby the game as a whole in order to return, apologizing to those subjected to the behavior constituting the rule breaches and outlining intentions and plans to address such behavior in future.

• Final instance. In the case where a player proves incapable of abiding by the game rules, has been suspended twice and thus is too disruptive for play to continue, the player base will be approached regarding a vote to expel said player from the game. A post will be made by the mods to XPP, outlining the player's history of transgressions, with examples cited and linked. The player subject to the vote will be given the opportunity to state their case, and a vote taken. If a majority of players votes for the person to be expelled, they will be asked for their character journals to be handed back over to the mods and they will be removed from the game.

Any and all disciplinary action is subject to discussion with the problem player, and in all instances, evidence of the problem behavior will be provided.

NPCs

Voted upon and adopted as official policy March 25, 2008.

An NPC (non-player character) is a character in X-Project without a journal. NPCs can have a specific relationship to a PC (player character) as well as play roles in plots and serve other in-game purposes. X-Project NPCs are the 'supporting cast' of the game, and can add a great deal to gameplay. As such, players have a relatively free hand in creating/using them, but there are several things that should be kept in mind.

• Logs where a player is the only participant (ie, conversations between a PC and an NPC the player socks) should be avoided as much as possible. If you are planning to introduce an NPC who could be expected to have frequent one-on-one conversations with your PC, it's best to seek out a socker for him/her, to avoid the situation where you are frequently logging with yourself. Spreading socking duties around, in general, is always encouraged.

• Plots and logs, in most cases, should be PC-centred. While there are always valid exceptions to this (and varying levels of interpretation as to what constitutes 'PC-centred'), these exceptions are generally more effective if they are not habitual. Players may also find that other players are less interested in taking part in plots/logs focused on NPCs and their development.

• Submitting NPCs (specifically, their bios) should always be done if the NPC is a major part of a plot, is designed to be recurring, or is/ is based on a canon character. Using a modified version of the Wiki format for this is encouraged, for ease of adding them to the Wiki later. Briefer summaries of minor NPCs required for the plot (with the exception of cannon-fodder or unnamed NPCs) are also encouraged.

• Players should remember that all canon mutant characters are technically open to applications; while this does not prevent you from using them as an NPC, the possibility of an app somewhere down the line should be kept in mind. Should the mods receive an application for a previously established NPC, the applicant would be expected to take all previous history into account, and speak to any players whose PCs were closely involved with the NPC.

• Use of NPCs. The player who introduced the NPC is generally the one who dictates the course of his/her participation in-game. If another player has an idea that would make use of an NPC they did not introduce, they should consult the player responsible for the NPC's presence in the game. Players running non-"personal" (ie, not family members) NPCs are encouraged to be open to their use in other plots/ interactions, within the bounds of their existing plans for the character.

• Amelia Voght is a utility sock, who exists to provide an easy way of filling the more mundane aspects of the 'doctor role' when needed. Her sockers are the mods, for the purposes of logs, but she can also be referred to freely by any player (within the bounds of preexisting characterization).

Modsocks

Modsock section varied without vote by player agreement, January 29, 2010

This is a special category of NPCs in X-Project, comprised of those NPCs who are major canon characters (usually villains), or those with high-level powers or government roles.

There are two types of modsocks. The first group, called "dedicated modsocks" have specific sockers, either mods or mod-approved players, who must be used whenever the NPC is needed. All logs involving these characters must be cleared by the modlist before posting. For sockers, see each individual character page.

Charles Xavier, Nathaniel Essex, Moira MacTaggart.

The second group are "non-dedicated modsocks". These characters do not have a specific socker, meaning you can arrange a socker as you need the character, but all logs using them must be cleared by the modlist before posting, due to the influence they can have on the game world or the need for consistent characterisation.

Mystique, Amelia Voght, The Avengers, Magneto, Mystique, Peter Parker, Nick Fury, Phil Coulson.

Modsock logs are cleared through the mod team to ensure consistency, and to provide a balanced portrayal in plots. When specific reactions are required from a major villain, consultation is the key; the socker exists to provide an additional perspective, but should a disagreement arise, the mods can mediate. The mods will also point out any potential difficulties with the desired reactions in the plot approval process.

Plans for the use of these characters must be cleared by the mods, and logs involving them must be sent to the modlist at least three days prior to the date of posting, for approval. The mods also require three days of notice for any posts/email conversations required. Any failure to observe the three-day rule will result in delays in your plot, as the mods will not rush a log through approval, or rush the writing of a post/email.

Hiatus

voted upon and accepted as official policy as of June 9, 2008. Edited following player vote September 13, 2014, adopted January 1, 2015.

Everyone needs a break sometime, and players are encouraged to do so when they're feeling the need. In all cases, players are encouraged to let their fellow-players know they're on break with a post to the mailing list to that effect, including the duration of their break. When you go on hiatus, a note is put next to your character(s) name(s) on the character roster, and during this time you will not be required to meet the minimum activity levels of the game.

Your character(s) may be moved off-screen if you need to take more than a month off from the game (in consultation with you) so that your absence does not potentially negatively impact your character(s) and his/her/their relationships to other PCs in the game when your character(s) do not respond to things to which they would typically respond. Moving characters off screen also helps other players know how to have their own character(s) react to the absence of yours without having to force them to simply not comment on your character(s) lack of on screen presence. For short breaks, characters can remain 'in-game', but players ought to let people know what the status of their character is during this quiet time, to avoid situations where OOC behaviour (for example, a lack of response to an email) might occur.

If an unannounced absence at the time of activity check lasts over a month, the mods will contact the player to touch base and see about instituting an official hiatus. Characters on hiatus should not be involved in logs or post to the journals. Their actions can be referred to by other characters, with appropriate consultation and agreement by the player, but they should not directly appear in a scene.

Unless otherwise requested, the mods will check in with you on a pre-determined regular basis to re-evaluate your status and offer whatever help is needed by you to re-enter the game. How frequently the mods check in with you (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc) is something which the mods will discuss with you and they will abide by the terms you decide will be best for you. You will not be forced to leave the game because you are on a hiatus, no matter the reason for it. Allowing a character to remain on hiatus for more than six months, however, can prove problematic and the IC reasons for the absence may need to be revisited, if nothing else. While hiatus may be necessary for varying periods of time depending on the situation, should your hiatus extend beyond six months the mods will need to have a discussion with you about the continuance of your hiatus and whether or not it may be more practical to release your character. You will not, however, ever be forced to leave the game and every accommodation will be made given your individual situation.

In the event a player is having a particularly rough patch, they will be offered a position similar to the Player Emeritus position - their character would be written out of the game, but the player be able to remain on the mailing list and OOC player discussion journal, xproj_players. In the event they are able to return to playing, they would be able to forego the usual application process and need only provide an update for the character’s doings during their time of absence. This position would only be offered to players who have a good activity record and/or who have responded to mod emails on a regular basis, rather than simply disappeared.

A semi-hiatus is also available under special circumstances for those who are able to play but at a reduced activity level and is explained on the Activity Policy page.

Leaving The Game

voted upon and accepted as official policy as of June 9/08. Edited following player vote September 13, 2014, adopted January 1, 2015. Edited July 24/15 by player agreement.

There comes a time when players feel it's best to leave the game, for whatever reasons. In these cases, their character journals are turned over to the mods, and become open for new applicants. As of 2015, the option to permanently “retire” a character has been removed and will not be offered, regardless of circumstances.

In all cases of a character becoming unplayed, the player is requested to do the following:

1) discuss the matter with those players whose characters will be significantly impacted;

2) write out or at least provide suggestions for writing the character out of the game;

3) post to the mailing list about their planned departure, or request that the mods do so on their behalf; and

4) they must provide the mods with the journal password.

After turning in a character, there will be the three-month break between the retirement and introduction of a new character for that player. This is to discourage people from shuffling characters in and out of the game faster than they appear and disappear from the comics. The three-month rule may be negotiable if circumstances warrant, but those cases will be exceptions, not the rule.

The journals are property of the game, and will be re-acquired following a player's departure from the game. Those who have bought paid time on their journals using the automatic payment function should be aware that some personal information may still be accessible on the journal, although it will be wiped by the mods when the journal is reacquired. The mods may attempt to reimburse departing players for remaining paid time on their journals, but are under no specific obligation to. Please consider that prior to purchasing time and/or other Dreamwidth services for your game journal.

Depending on the situation, leaving players may suggest a “cooling off” period for their character before that character is available for applications again, in order to facilitate the changeover. The mods may do the same, at their discretion and depending on the circumstances in which the character was written out.

If you do not return the game journal without prior discussion with the mods and without Unusual Circumstances, this will factor in on mod decisions regarding future applications by you on a case-by-case basis. Failure to abide by the game rules without explanation will impact on your eligibility to re-apply to X-Project.

Player Emeritus

voted upon and accepted as official policy as of September 13, 2014, adopted January 1, 2015.

Players who have played for at least two years and/or made a significant contribution to the game in terms of gameplay, plots, wiki contributions, socking, discussions and so on have the option of requesting the mods to make them “Players Emeritus”. This position involves remaining on the mailing list and having access to xproj_players, the OOC locked players community, and offering their services in the areas of plotting and socking, but without having a character or having to fulfill activity requirements. In all cases of Player Emeritus, the player is expected to abide by the rules, and contribute to the game (on a reduced basis as outlined) and will not be granted voting rights in game polls.

The mods maintain the right to refuse granting this position to players who have proven to be disruptive and/or damaging to the game and its players.

Returning Players

voted upon and accepted as official policy as of September 13, 2014, adopted January 1, 2015.

Like the mansion, X-Project has a habit of luring back players who have previously left. In the case of players who may have had previous issues with individuals still involved in the game, the mods will email those current players with a “head’s up” about a potential application, and request the returning player address any problems which may still remain. In cases where the mods don’t know specifics, they maintain the right to email the mailing list with a general, neutrally-toned notice letting the current players know about a potential application and requesting players contact the modlist with questions should they have any.