Rules

By continuing, you affirm that you will sim in a proper and adequate manner.

In addition, in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA), we do not accept players under the age of 13. Any players found to be under the age of 13 will be immediately removed without question. By agreeing to these terms, you are also saying that you are above the age of 13.

1. General rules:

1.1
The USS Athena is intended to be a place for fun and enjoyment first and foremost.

1.2
The Athena is part of Obsidian Fleet and therefore the full rules of the fleet are to be followed.

1.3
The Athena is a 13+ rated RPG.

1.4
The sim does not tolerate any kind of discrimination, bullying, or verbal insults.

1.5
Writers are expected to post once every two weeks (please see below for post length expectations). Exceptions are made when multiple players are engaged in large joint posts with three or more players. If you are working on a large Joint Post (JP), let the CO or XO know. A reply to a JP needs to be made within 5 days. It is considered good manners to inform fellow players if there are likely to be delays in response time.

1.6
If you will not be able to post or reply to a post within the next week, you should put in for a Leave of Absence according to the guidelines below:
-Leave of Absence (LOA) - If you will be away for 7 days or more (also if you have a JP going and will not be able to reply within 4 days)

-Extended Leave of Absence (ELOA) - For any absence in excess of one full calender month. If away for more than 1 full calender month may be required to step down from post and return to any available/applicable position upon return.

1.7
After someone has missed the posting deadline they will receive a personal message from the CO/XO reminding them they haven't posted for more than 2 weeks and asking for a reason and/or remedial action. After a total of 1 month of inactivity, combined with not responding to emails and PMs, the character will become an inactive character and his/her position will become free for new writers.

1.8
The Athena does not allow any player to write someone else's Player Character (PC) or Non-Playing Character (NPC) without the permission of the writer. Only the CO or XO may take this action if there are extenuating circumstances.

1.9
If you disagree with another writer you first need to attempt to solve the issue yourself. If you feel someone has made a negative comment, contact the person and explain the problem to the person. Most of the time the person isn't aware of it. If the situation is more severe you can contact both Commanding and the Executive Officer, and we'll assist in finding a solution.


2. Posting Rules:

2.1 Novel style writing.
We use a Novel style for our posts. That entails that the story should read like a book. Dialogue should be put in "quotation" marks, punctuation should be used correctly. And use proper spelling and grammar. We suggest you use a spell check program before you post a story. Simple errors can be made easily.

2.2 Post introduction.
Pay close attention that you give the correct data in the field before your post. This will be the intro to your post.

Select who is participating in the post--they will be notified and able to respond when your save the draft; you can also notify them by PM.

Select the correct mission.
Give your post a title.
Location: It is advisable to use a clearly defined location on all posts.

Time: Please try to keep to the current mission day (MD) or thereabouts.


2.3 Length of posts.
Posts are expected to be at least two paragraphs, containing of a minimum of 10 sentences. If you have a very long post, post it in two parts. And give the title the addition of Part 1, or Part 2.

Following fleet rule changes, a single 'post' is considered to be 500 words (excluding OOC notes). While not every post is required to meet this minimum length, players are expected to contribute a minimum of 1000 words of content each month. This can be split over multiple entries, though it is recommended that a substantial portion comes from one or two entries rather than several; we prefer quality over quantity in this regard.


3. Editing Rules:

To make sure our posts share a professional and uniform layout the Command Staff reserves the right to edit any posts for spelling and grammar.


4. OOC Expectations:
What do we expect from certain positions, and what can you as a writer expect from the leaders of this RPG.

4.1 Commanding Officer:
The CO will be expected to do his/her best to keep all the characters engaged in the stories, create new missions and keep them moving along, provide a good working website and keep it up to date. He/She will also keep on the lookout for new writers that might join our wonderful community.

4.2 Executive Officer:
The XO will take over for the CO when he/she is absent. He/She will assist in the things above and advise the CO with things that need improvement. Another key aspect of the XO is to help handle disputes, and assess new applications.

4.3 Second/Third Officer:
These positions are a backup for the command team. Most of their activities will be related to their function as department head.

4.4 Department Heads:
Department heads are expected to help new members in their department getting started, to help members of their department with a story, if necessary, to know about the different areas of the ship belonging to your department (Example: The CMO needs to know how many nurseries are on board.)
The DHs also need to know what to do when a red alert is sounded, and make sure the officers/enlisted in your crew know as well. (Example: The CS/TO needs to know where the Secondary Firing Control is, and that with a Red Alert there needs to be at least a security guard and tactical officer present at that location.)


4.5 Assistant Department Head:
The assistant is to take over the position of the Chief in case of an LOA, and the responsibilities that are part of it.