Welcome to Mass Effect: Eradication, which will hopefully begin a new saga of epic roleplaying and storytelling for years to come.
Rules & Guidelines
1) Keep all OOC chatter to a minimum. Only use OOC notes if accompanied by an IC post, and only if it is on-topic to the game. For OOC discussion, use the Mass Effect: Eradication chat on Messenger. If demand calls for it, eventually a Discord will be made.
2) No godmoding. Godmoding encompasses a wide range of unacceptable role-playing behaviors, including creating an invincible or overpowered character, taking control of and writing the overall plot or environment oneself (which is the GM's job), taking control of another player's character without their permission (referred to as godmodding), or otherwise playing the RPG as if one has activated "Cheat mode" or "Godmode" in a video game, exerting excessive power or influence beyond one's own character.
While most forms of godmoding are explicit, there can be more implicit but no less offensive forms, such as describing another player character as weak and cringing when they are actually standing tall and proud, or hurrying through the game at an excessive pace, such as navigating an entire tomb to successfully retrieve an objective in a single post, entirely bypassing the GM's ability to gradually unveil the environment you will be exploring, and its associated puzzles, traps, and enemies.
3) No autohitting. Autohitting is a form of godmoding wherein a player hits an enemy, whether it be a GM-controlled NPC or another player character, without permission from either the GM or the player. Instead, all attacks against an enemy must be described as attempted attacks, rather than successful attacks. The stats system, associated dice system, GM verdicts, and the interplay of writing combat (such as attempting to trap an enemy into being unable to plausibly escape an attack without =godmoding) will determine success, not you.
4) No metagaming. Metagaming comprises a player character possessing knowledge he or she realistically should not. This includes 'meta' knowledge (out-of-universe knowledge) that the player would know but the character would not, such as knowledge of the role-playing mechanics and their implications for combat, knowledge of obscure Mass Effect lore, or game-related secrets that the character would not plausibly know (for example, the existence of the Reapers as a race of machine gods hellbent on eradicating all advanced sentient life), or knowledge of what another character is thinking, feeling or planning simply because another role-player described it in their post. While most examples are explicit, there can be more implicit forms; a player character who seems to conveniently know things, guess things, deduce things, or escape things using what is clearly out-of-universe knowledge will not be long tolerated.
5) No powergaming. Also known as munchkinry, powergaming is a form of metagaming wherein one uses one's out-of-universe knowledge of the role-playing system to play with the sole intent to acquire power or equipment for purposes other than storytelling, exploit or attempt to break the rules of the game or the metaphysics of the Mass Effect universe to acquire greater power than is realistic or immersive, or create a character that is solely designed to be the most powerful build possible using one's analysis of the stats system and dice system (called min-maxing). This can also include killing new, less powerful players in ways that do not seem plausible within the story, for the sole purpose of trolling or griefing them, stealing their loot or equipment, increasing one's power, etc.
More subtle but frequent forms of powergaming include the creation of unrealistically excessive equipment inventories designed to give one's character an unfair advantage; such Character Sheets will be rejected during Character Sheet submission. While some degree of in-universe munchkinry, in the form of a genre-savvy or postmodern character liable to deconstruct fictional tropes or cliches, or simply an exceptionally intelligent one liable to pursue the most realistic or rational option, may be tolerated, this type of character must emerge from plausible in-universe origins, and a character who seems to have such traits tacked on purely to powergame may be rejected at Character creation.
6) The GM is the ultimate and sole authority in this RPG. The GM is yours truly, the game creator; there may, or may not, be sub-GMs created at a later point. The GM has the final say in everything. That means there is absolutely no arguing with the GM, whether it be over a verdict in combat or other GM call, creative control of the overall story and environment, an element of the game mechanics not to your preference, the level assigned to you at game start, or friendly reminders to post in a timely manner.
It also means you enter this game, and potentially depart this game, at the sole discretion of the GM. If I, and I alone, deem you to be a negative influence on the game, it will be my decision to remove you, and there will be no arguing with or appealing that decision.
7) All Character Sheets must be sent to me via PM (preferably via Facebook Messenger) for approval. PM me to apply to join the game (alongside a writing sample if you are new to roleplaying and/or have not already received pre-approval to join), to receive your level if approved to join the game, and to receive approval for your Character Sheet upon completing it. Do not post a Character Sheet in this thread without GM approval. When you are approved to post your Character Sheet, post it both within this thread.
Orientation for New Players
Gameplay takes the form of text-based role-playing, specifically called T1 role-playing, with each player advancing the story by posting updates within this thread, describing the thoughts, actions, and feelings of their characters as if writing a chapter of a collaborative novel from their character's perspective. Other players contribute their own characters' actions and perspectives with their own posts, and the Gamemaster, or GM, provides the overall environment, direction, and moderation of the game, including non-player characters, like the level design and artificial intelligence of a video game. This game can be best described as being akin to a roleplaying video game such as Knights of the Old Republic (more so than Mass Effect, in that our victories are determined by dice rolls and/or logic, rather than how well you aim, take cover, or how many Paragon/Renegade points you acquire), or tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons.
This will be considerably more formal than most role-playing games. Updates are expected to be at least two paragraphs in length, with a preference for detail and quality; many players write posts of considerable length, totaling thousands of words. Role-playing, accordingly, tends to be at a slower pace; an update is required every week, responding to both your fellow players and the GM's weekly updates, which are typically posted at the start of the week (though this may vary).
Separating in-character (IC) gameplay from out-of-character (OOC) interaction is absolutely necessary to play this game. From a logistical standpoint, we do so by using different notations. At the top of every post, before the main body of your writing, you should write the following:
IC: Your character's name
Your character's location
All of your writing beneath this header should be entirely in-character; no OOC commentary or explanations, even in parentheses, should be embedded within the text.
You should finish your post by tagging the other players in your tagset (not all players within the entire game; look to the tags within the GM's own update to see which players are in your tagset), as well as the GM, beneath the main body of your post. You do this by typing the @ sign, and the username of the player you wish to tag; their username will appear in a drop-down menu, allowing you to click on the player. This will mean they will receive a notification when you tag them (and vice versa). Use the following format when writing your tags:
TAGS: @Another Player, @Another Player, etc
You may write OOC commentary outside the main body of your post, either after the TAGs or before the IC header. OOC commentary may include a list of abilities used during combat, a note of clarification, or simply a relevant comment. If you do write OOC commentary, use the format of the following example:
OOC: (Skills/Powers used: Charge, Shotguns) Goddamnit, Torv! You just had to get in the way, lol.
More importantly, however, in-character and out-of-character interactions must be wholly separated in terms of mindset. Aside from the aforementioned rule barring metagaming, it is important to remember this is just a game, and that all in-character interactions are purely and strictly for storytelling purposes. In-character immersion is absolute; players should play their characters entirely realistically and true-to-character, no matter where that takes them.
In-game death has no out-of-character meaning. A character might die because they got unlucky with a trap, took the risk of fighting a player character of higher or approximately equal level, treated a higher-level player character with disrespect (which is not against the rules, merely suicidal) and that player chose to respond realistically and initiate combat, or simply because they encountered a particularly lethal non-player character or situation and did not flee.
Permanent death is one of the many realistic consequences within this game; the stakes are real, and if your character dies, you will have to reroll with a new character. That said, death is uncommon overall; particularly foolish or risky gameplay tends to be required to incur a lethal outcome, although any kind of combat, whether it be with a player character or a non-player character, does carry the risk of injury and death.
The plot will not be tweaked to save you from death. The story is not prioritized above realism. Every action you take has a consequence; the GM will not metagame to spare you from the most utterly realistic consequences of your actions, no matter how much they like you out-of-character. Again, the separation between in-character and out-of-character is absolute.
At the same time, the GM will not metagame in favor of being excessively sadistic, either; gameplay is not intrinsically set against you. Rather, the game strives to be as realistic as possible, as if the Mass Effect galaxy were a real place, as if you had been whisked from our Earth and left on one that has Asari, Turians, and Salarians walking around like annoying tourists.
The rating of the game is equivalent to a film rating of R (Restricted), or a video game rating of M (Mature). Mature, dark, and/or heavy themes and content, including but not limited to graphic violence, narcotic usage, profanity, sex, and disturbing encounters and backstories, are permitted within the writing, without the use of content warnings or the like. That said, the use of mature themes should be tasteful and literary in nature; X-rated smut is not the goal, nor is pointlessly offensive writing with the sole goal of being "edgy."
The Campaign Guide
Every other piece of information you will need to participate in this game rests inside the Campaign Guide, which is linked down below. It describes our setting, the process of creating your character, gameplay mechanics, and much more. A copy/paste-able version of the character sheet will be listed below the link, to make your lives much easier.
Mass Effect: Eradication - Official Campaign Guide
Character Sheet Template
Every other piece of information you will need to participate in this game rests inside the Campaign Guide, which is linked down below. It describes our setting, the process of creating your character, gameplay mechanics, and much more. A copy/paste-able version of the character sheet will be listed below the link, to make your lives much easier.
Mass Effect: Eradication - Official Campaign Guide
Character Sheet Template
Character Illustration (optional)
Theme Music (optional)
Audio Sample of Character Voice (optional)
Name:
Nicknames/Aliases:
Age:
Sex:
Species:
Orientation (optional):
Homeworld:
Occupation:
Height:
Weight:
Physical Description:
Clothing:
Weapons:
Equipment:
Vehicles:
Pets (if applicable):
Languages:
Combat Skills:
Other Strengths:
Flaws:
Alignment:
Personality:
Fears:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Habits:
Relationships/Love Interests:
Friendships:
Reputation:
Biography:
Level:
Class:
Skills:
Powers:
Theme Music (optional)
Audio Sample of Character Voice (optional)
Name:
Nicknames/Aliases:
Age:
Sex:
Species:
Orientation (optional):
Homeworld:
Occupation:
Height:
Weight:
Physical Description:
Clothing:
Weapons:
Equipment:
Vehicles:
Pets (if applicable):
Languages:
Combat Skills:
Other Strengths:
Flaws:
Alignment:
Personality:
Fears:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Habits:
Relationships/Love Interests:
Friendships:
Reputation:
Biography:
Level:
Class:
Skills:
Powers: