Here are some guidelines for posting that I think you might find important should you decide to join Starbase 10.  I do not have many requests or requirements.  However, I want the Starbase to be a refuge of fun and enjoyment for all ages and value backgrounds.  In that case I would ask that you as a role player on Starbase 10 follow these few guidelines.

Ratings

Most simulations in the Internet environment have begun to make use of MPAA theatrical ratings; such as PG-13 and NC-17, to indicate their accepted level of explicit content.  I feel that this association between acceptable content and the effort to label it, is perhaps deficient in the area of necessary control.   In many cases, MPAA ratings tend to allow a balance of explicit content, rather than following a listed criteria or classification of what is acceptable.

So, instead of rating this simulation, I will merely list my criteria of what is acceptable, and what is not.  And I will try to spell it completely out for you and not to use the word, "excessive," as this could have several different meanings to many different people.

Acceptable:

Violence and Gore.  In most cases, I have no problem with cinematic detail involving violence and gore, though I prefer that gore involving genital areas and related areas on women, remain to the imagination of the readers.  

Language.  I have no problems with the words, damn or hell.  Any other word, especially beginning with f and b, are strictly forbidden.  The only exception I make is for parodies on sh*t.  These alterations can be anything but the true spelling of the s-word, and this goes for any similar words in other languages. 

Not Acceptable:

Gore.  I do not want to read about the detailed harm received to genitals or other related body parts on women.  You may mention receiving damage, but details are out.

Explicit Language.  As I said before, the f-word and b-word are strictly forbidden, as well as a word with a similar meaning in other languages.  We are multi-lingual here.  And please don't pretend you misunderstand what I'm talking about here.  I don't take kindly to faux ignorance.  

Nudity.  I don't want to know what you look like beyond that wonderful veil of clothing you wear.  I don't want to know that you run around your quarters in the buff.  And I don't want to know what you do in the buff either.

Sex and Innuendo.  Honestly, I don't want to know about your escapades.  I believe that these are sacred acts between the partners, and I don't want to know.  Detail about your sexual acts, solo or partnered, will drop you in boiling water, no questions asked and almost no bargains.  

Illegal Sexual Offenses.  Sexually offensive or abusive characters will get you fired, no questions asked and no second chances.  I consider role players that write characters in sexual situations without the other writer's permission as acting in a sexually abusive manner.  You will be fired.  I am not forgiving in this area.

My Criteria

I apologize if you find my criteria extremely suffocating, but I must remind you that we cater to a wide variety of ages and mindsets.  Whether or not you are seventeen, and eligible to watch NC-17 movies, there may be people within this simulation that are twenty years your senior, and find the general content of NC-17 movies offensive.  Then there are the children that are younger than you, and though it maybe frustrating, if we want their participation, we must create an environment in which their parents will not find offense.  It is not our job to corrupt young minds, but rather to have fun and interact on a socially viable level.

Violations

In most cases, I am forgiving.  The extent of violation will determine the level of administrative reaction you receive.  In most cases, you will receive a warning and perhaps discuss with me what is acceptable on this simulation.  In all situations, you will be forced to re-write your post, excluding the violation from your writing, and the original post will be deleted from the archive.

Should you commit subsequent offenses, I will respond to these offenses in this order:
-A second warning.
-Deleting your post from the archive, without the chance to re-write it.
-Placing you on moderated posting, in which your posts will have to be approved by me before they are mailed to the group.  In this case, I am free to edit your post as I feel is necessary before it is sent.
-Fired.

There are only two cases in which you will receive a higher form of administrative punishment for breaking guidelines.  These are, sexually explicit content, including innuendo; and illegal sexual acts, such as assault or writing sexual situations without another writer's approval.

Sexually Explicit Content. I will respond to Sexually Explicit Content in this manner, and this is not a list of order as every step here listed will be taken upon the first offense:
-A warning and discussion about what is acceptable.
-Deleting your post from the archive, without the chance to re-write it.
-And placing you on moderated posting, meaning that your posts must first be approved by me before they    may be placed in the archive and mailed.

I will respond to subsequent offenses, even while on moderated posting, in this manner:
-You will be fired.

Sexually Abusive Content.  I will respond to characters that commit illegal sexual acts, and/or write other characters in sexual situations without permission in the following manner:
-Fired.

Miscellaneous Guidelines

Characters

As a role-player in a group simulation, it is important to remember that we are a collection of creators.  Most role-players are extremely protective of their most valuable contribution to the simulation; their main character.  This is the character by which they are known to the Starbase, their life force within our story.

With this in mind, it is important to consider the possibility that while you might find some situation or personality quirk or development interesting, another role-player might not.  It is a good idea to take caution when using other role-player's characters.  Be mindful of what you are placing their character in, and what you are writing into that other role-player's character.  Try to write that character as close to the provided profile as you can, and try not to write something that would demarcate (define) another character outside of that role-player's idea.

Remember however, that not everything written in this simulation is permanent, and characters cannot necessarily be damaged.  In many cases, I will attempt, with the other role player's help, to explain the situation that occurred in which a character acted "out-of-character."  If that cannot be done, our last option is to re-write the post with that role-player's help, so that the character will not be written outside of guidelines.

Miswriting a character is not the end of the world, as fiction is flexible.  This should be a medium of creativity, dynamics, growth, and especially fun.

Premeditated Plotlines

Some of our stories are not always up to fate.  Sometimes, we enjoy the challenge of a pre-planned story, in which one author is the hand of fate.  In these situations, the author will be encouraged to create an outline for the crew to follow, or instructed to guide the crew along.  Should a post be written that does not fall within the pre-planned plot, I will attempt to realign the plot to fit it.  I have yet to find an incident where a post did not find someway to fit into a premeditated plotline, and will not outline a method of action until we encounter such a situation.

However, should an author premeditate a plotline and not inform the crew, or even myself, I cannot hold other writers responsible for writing outside the predetermined plot.  No action will be taken to void or re-write these posts.

Realism and Conflicting Details

In some cases, there have been instances in which bounds of fiction are stretched so tightly that they snap.  Writers that stretch the realism afforded by fiction to taut angles tend to sap the motivation and creativity of the rest of the crew.  With this in mind I ask that you keep your characters and plotlines within reason.  Things that stand without reason, as defined within this simulation, includes the following:

-Characters that consistently act in a heroic manner without help or consequence.  (I would prefer that our characters work as a team.)
-Characters that do not suffer the moral, ethical, or legal consequences of their actions, both good or bad.
-Characters that are god-like, genetically enhanced, former Borg, Q, Section 31 agents.
-Characters that are excessively intelligent.  Wesley is the limit, and I would prefer that we not been inundated with Wesley Crusher "act-alikes."
-Characters that are excessively young.  I ask that most characters be a least the age of nineteen upon acceptance as Starfleet Officers on a tour of duty on the Starbase.  (Meaning that I ask you be nineteen to be a Starfleet Officer.  This does not apply to civilians.)  In addition, your character must be at least 25 to become a Lieutenant Senior Grade (you can be 19 as an Ensign or Lieutenant Junior Grade).  And that your character be at least 27 upon the promotion to Lieutenant Commander and Commander.  This being upon your acceptance to the Starbase (promotions thereafter will not necessarily be held to age restrictions).

In some cases, I am willing to negotiate this, but I will not make exceptions for everything.

There also has been cases of conflicting details through a series of posts.  Should you send a post that does not agree with previous posts and the details set therein, I will ask that you re-write your post to fit with the pre-established facts.  This does not necessarily mean that you must completely forget about the facts that you set up within your own post.  If there is a way in which we can explain how your details are now the correct set, then I will encourage you to do so.  However, if the conflicting details cannot be explained into the plot, you will have to completely re-write your post.  

If that previous paragraph did not make sense, then I will attempt to better explain with an example:

Example 1: Post 101, states that Commander Bill Braxton is on board Starbase 10.  However, Post 105, being your post, states that Commander Bill Braxton is on Planet Cety IV speaking with ambassadors.  Your post does not mention how the commander got to the planet, and none of the posts before yours mentioned that he was going to travel to that planet.

In this case, I would ask you to re-write your post, adding in details about how the commander got to Cety IV.

Example 2: Post 106, states that the USS Patton is undergoing a warp core breach.  However, Post 107, being your post, states that the Patton is destroyed by a faulty magnetic field in an antimatter pod, and that the pod exploded, having no relation to the warp core breach stated before.

In this case, I would ask you to completely re-write your post, taking into account that the Patton should have been destroyed by a warp core breach and not a faulty antimatter pod.

Confusing Posts

There has been only one case in my entire five-six years of simulations in which a post was utterly confusing.  The post was not necessarily confusing because of conflicting details.  In fact, it was confusing because of an utter lack of detail.  I ask that you please keep in mind that detail is necessary for a good, solid story.  Detail will keep the plot from becoming confused.  If your character has a dream, please write that he's having a dream.  Detail is essential!

Simultaneous Posts

There have been in the past, situations in which two posts have arrived at the group at nearly the same moment.  In many cases, the posts have not conflicted, and it is just a matter of renumbering the post that came in second.

However, in cases in which the posts will conflict in detail, I will ask the writer whose post arrived at the group second, to re-write their post, taking into account the first simultaneous post.

Posting Limit

There is a regulation within the Independence Fleet, which states that one writer may not post more than once within twenty-four hours.  While I do not agree with the reason for which this regulation was instilled, I ask that you please follow it.

If you do post again within twenty-four hours, the procedure is simple.  You will have to number your second post the same as your first for that day, and add an extension to it.  For example, if your first post was Post #100, and you posted again within twenty-four hours, you would have to number your next post as Post #100a.

However!  This regulation does not apply if one or more persons have posted between your first and second post!  In this case, if you posted Post #100, and Jane Doe posted Post #101, you could then post #102.

Now there is one thing I would like to cover on this topic, that was not related to the reason for which IDF instilled the twenty-four hour regulation.  I ask, that if you post frequently, and commonly within twenty-four hours, that you be careful not to control the plotline.  It is important that everyone have a chance to contribute.  I encourage you to forward the story, but to also leave it open for the other writers, so that we can all have fun and work as a good team.

Conclusion

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact me.  My 'door' is always open, and I am happy to hear to your suggestions, discuss things with you, and even hear your complaints.  My email is: caviiyaaubrey@yahoo.com.  I can also be found online on AIM and Yahoo Instant Messengers.  AIM: MockClyt.  Yahoo: clayton_mock.

In the rare cases that you cannot get a hold of me, please contact: jeremy_griffith@sbcglobal.net.

Thank you!

Captain Shanti Harold