Rules overhaul (IMPORTANT)

**Faustie**

To everyone in the Fearless community,

The staff team have been acutely aware of the problems our current (until 23/05/15) rules had, both in terms of rules that restricted roleplay too heavily and grey areas, which often led to people getting banned on uncertain issues. Some things we simply didn't have: although we always said that it was never allowed to roleplay a hitman, this was never in the rules. We've spent some time recently updating and overhauling our rules.

There are several notable updates, my favourite of which is probably how we've allowed much greater freedom in roleplay, especially in criminal roleplay. You no longer have to spend 30 minutes thinking of a good reason to mug somebody or steal a car; these situations will now be dealt with in-character for the most part (obviously if you're just stealing cars randomly all the time we'll still have a chat with you). Muggings, taking hostages, robberies, raids etc. can all be done more freely, and all the consequences will be IC rather than OOC. We have tightened down on the rules of presidential raids somewhat, but that's because we want to encourage proper president RP rather than everyone going dictator after 20 minutes (we've changed the rules there too - you don't have to wait 20 minutes, but need an admin's permission). Racism, sexism, etc. is all allowed IC, but not OOC.

One change you should be particularly wary of is NLR: it's now a 10 minute timer. This may change in the future if we find it to be too long, but as we're allowing people to perform criminal actions much more freely, we don't want constant raids across the server, so an increase in NLR makes sense. It's at least worth a try to see how it turns out.

You'll need to read through the entire set of rules - it only takes 5 minutes maximum. Also recommended, but not required, is to read the explanation notes that we'll put in its own tab on the server soon. These rules concern everybody on the server, so don't neglect them and not read them simply because you've read the old ones. Many things have changed.

As these rules are brand new, there'll be a short grace period in which we'll explain things to you rather than ban you outright - the admins also have to get used to the new rules, and as such may make mistakes, so a short transition period of a few days in which there's are many warnings rather than bans is to be expected.

Rules

Quote:[Disclaimer]

The following rules define clearly what is what is not allowed; this is required to maintain a semi-serious and realistic roleplay environment. We expect you to read all of the rules before playing. It may take a few minutes to read all of the rules, but the average ban is a lot longer than that. It's impossible to cover every single detail within the rules, so we expect you to use your common sense and not do questionable things or search for loopholes. If you aren’t sure whether something is allowed or not, ask a staff member to clarify (@ command). All members of administrative staff are referred to throughout as simply ‘admin’.

Remember, our roleplay (RP) is about recreating a lifelike civilization - your character is by default a functional member of society, so make your character behave realistically.

[General rules]
1.1 Using cheats, hacks or abusing glitches is not allowed.
1.2 Double-accounting is a violation of our Terms of Service and will likely result in a permanent suspension.
1.3 Do not reconnect, suicide, change job or do anything else to avoid a roleplay situation.
1.4 Do not insult players or staff in Out-Of-Character chats.
1.5 Listen to admin decisions; they aren't negotiable.
1.6 Scamming is not allowed. Also, do not steal items which other players have dropped to carry out a transaction.
1.7 When requesting an admin (@) you must provide relevant information. Non-informative, aggressive or caps-locked messages will result in a kick.
1.7a Do not make an @ request just because you are unhappy with the RP or because the RP has you at a disadvantage; unless someone is clearly breaking the rules or you think they are, making an illegitimate @ request just to complain or to try and get someone else in trouble will likely result in you being warned or punished.
1.8 Advertising products/servers is not permitted in any form, whether on OOC chat or on a steam name.
1.9 If you see someone breaking the rules, try to warn them or contact an admin. Do not take the situation into your own hands.
1.10 Do not reveal the presence of undercover admins to others on the server in the event that you notice them. Doing so will likely result in a kick.
1.11 You are not required to provide a reason for your RP actions to other players in OOC, even if they request it; you are only required to provide a reason for your RP actions to admins when they ask.
1.12 Purposefully attempting to find loopholes in the rules will likely result in punishment.

[Basic roleplay rules]
2.1 You must follow FearRP – Your character must act afraid of life-threatening situations or of any weapons pointed at you.
2.1a You cannot attack a person who has a gun (or stun gun) pointed at you.
2.1b You cannot draw a weapon when someone has you at gunpoint.
2.1c You cannot run away from someone when they have you at gunpoint.
2.1d FearRP applies to melee weapons, so long as they are within striking distance.
2.1e If someone switches from a gun to handcuffs/rope in order to detain you, FearRP still applies.
2.1f Do not run into or loiter around extremely dangerous or life-threatening situations, such as a fire or raid, as a citizen or someone without the appropriate job.
2.2 Extremist roleplays are only allowed when they do not reference real-life extremist groups/leaders.
2.2a These include, but are not limited to: “Adolf Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, ISIS, etc.”
2.2b Do not use real-life extremist symbols such as the swastika or hammer and sickle.
2.2c If you are unsure whether a real-life political group/figure is allowed, ask an admin. They have the final say.
2.3 Do not Metagame. This means you cannot talk OOC (Out Of Character) while IC (In Character). You can't use OOC-obtained information IC either.
2.4 It is not allowed to roleplay rape or any other form of sexual abuse.
2.5 Do not do unrealistic things out of context (FailRP). This includes things such as anti-gravity bathtubs, unrealistic car colours, watermelon fights, etc. when there is no specific roleplay in which they would make sense (i.e. game shows or science roleplays).
2.6 Powergaming is not allowed (i.e. do not do “/me snaps the man’s neck, killing him” or similar).

[New Life Rule]
3.1 Follow NLR (New Life Rule). If you die, you forget how you died.
3.2 Even if you’re told about the situation over the radio in your new life, NLR still applies and must be followed for the duration of the NLR timer.
3.3 Do not go back to the area in which you died for at least 10 minutes.
3.3a If you spawn in the area in which you died, you must leave it immediately and stay a good distance away.

[Combat rules]
4.1 Do not kill people randomly (RDM); only kill with a valid roleplay reason.
4.1a Do not kill players solely because of their clan or their job.
4.1b Do not kill players because they broke a rule.
4.1c Even with an underground job, you still cannot kill a person without a valid roleplay reason.
4.1d If you make a bounty/hitman contract, you must have a valid reason to make this contract. Do not use it as an excuse for RDM. Failure to have a valid reason will lead to both the employer and hitman being punished.
4.2 Do not shoot your gun or flare gun without a valid roleplay reason.
4.3 Do not throw molotovs without a roleplay reason.

[OOC and IC chat rules]
5.1 No advertisements in chat or Steam names that are not FL related/game related (such as personal websites, other communities or businesses).
5.2 In OOC chats, adverts, requests, job radios (not private radios), and broadcasts you may only speak in English; all other chats are international.
5.3 Do not have private conversations in OOC chat; use the /pm command.
5.4 Do not spam /advert; you must wait at least 1 minute before sending the same advertisement again.
5.5 Do not use OOC to call a staff member; use the @ command.
5.6 Do not swear excessively, argue or insult in OOC chat, and do not write caps-locked messages.
5.7 While you may be racist, sexist, and discriminatory IC, do not do this to excess or if it doesn’t fit your character’s roleplay. These actions must under no circumstances carry over to OOC.

[Tools and prop rules]
6.1 Do not prop-kill/prop-push/prop-surf yourself or others.
6.2 Do not prop-block anything. All items and areas in your base should be accessible via keypads or buttons.
6.3 Do not use a prop or entity to climb on to builds or over walls. The only exceptions are stairs inside your own properties.
6.3a You may climb on top of a vehicle and use that to scale walls.
6.4 Do not build in areas you do not own unless an admin gives you permission.
6.5 Do not build in the Nexus unless the President gives you permission.
6.6 Do not build traps and constructions that kill people.
6.7 Do not try to get on to rooftops; do not build on them either.
6.7a Exception: You may place a new billboard/sign on top of the existing billboards.
6.8 Do not abuse your physgun, toolgun, props or any of the tools.
6.8a Do not use your physgun as a laser pointer.
6.8b Exception: You may use your physgun to prop-push a stuck car if no admins are available. Do this carefully.
6.9 All of your constructions must be realistically supported. This means no floating constructions (cameras included).
6.10 Do not use vehicle seats to reach places (i.e. Nexus bridge jump).
6.11 Do not spawn props during a combat situation, i.e. barricades for defence or offence, or new structures.
6.12 Do not spam props.
6.13 Remove your unused props. Also, when leaving a government job (disconnecting, switching jobs, etc.), remove any builds within the Nexus.

[Door rules]
7.1 Do not build more than 2 lockable custom doors leading to a single location. Your friends’ doors are also counted.
7.2 When you build custom doors using the fading door tool, place keypads and/or buttons on both sides.
7.2a You do not need to place keypads or buttons for custom doors made using the doors tool, so long as they can be breached with explosives or a shotgun.
7.3 Keypads and buttons must be visible and easily accessible, and their function must be clear.
7.4 Custom doors must be open for a minimum of 5 seconds.
7.6 Between 2 doors, there must be a space of at least 2 metres (2 PHX units).
7.7 Do not build custom doors directly behind an unownable door.

[Hostage rules]
8.1 Do not hostage players without a valid roleplay reason.
8.2 Do not hostage a fireman when they are in your base to extinguish a fire.
8.3 The maximum you can ask for the release of a single hostage is $2000.
8.3a If you have multiple hostages, you may demand $2000 per hostage.
8.4 Once the hostage has submitted to and given you your demands, you must release him/her.
8.5 Once you have taken a hostage, you must look after them until they have submitted to your demands.

[Job rules]
9.1 Custom job titles must accurately state what character you intend to roleplay.
9.2 Custom jobs that conflict with the rules are not allowed.
9.3 Do not change your job title in an attempt to circumvent or avoid roleplay.
9.4 Do not set your job title as "classified", or similar.
9.5 When you go AFK for more than 5 minutes, you must switch to Citizen.
9.6 You must roleplay your job accurately (i.e. do not pretend that you’re a special ops soldier as a citizen or chef).
9.7 Do not change jobs just to buy something from the market (this is powergaming).
9.8 Do not raid as a Doctor, Chef, Gun Dealer, BMD, Taxi Driver or Security Guard. For all of these jobs, you cannot base with Rebels, Corleones or any other criminal or mercenary group.
9.8a Do not make a contra-base as any of the jobs in rule 9.8. The purpose of these jobs is to provide a service for the city, not lock themselves in a room to refill their contraband.
9.9 Custom groups may work with the government, but do not necessarily have to follow government restrictions and rules.
9.9a An admin can force a custom group to abide by the government rules, if they feel that it is necessary for proper roleplay.
9.10 If you accept a bounty/hitman contract, you must ensure that the employer has a valid RP reason to have someone killed. Killing (or attempting to) without verifying a valid reason is RDM, and will lead to both the employer and hitman being punished.

[Search warrant rules]
10.1 Do not randomly search a property; you must have probable cause. Some examples include:
10.1a Gunfire heard coming from within the property;
10.1b Criminal activity visible on the property;
10.1c A suspect on the property;
10.1d Contraband heard or visible on the property.
10.2 You must have a search warrant from the President to search the property, unless the lives of officers or hostages are at immediate risk.

[President rules]
11.1 As President, you must follow the server rules. You cannot make any laws that conflict with them.
11.2 The President must answer warrants; you can either accept or deny them.
11.3 Do not warrant players without a roleplay reason.
11.4 Do not initiate a lockdown without a roleplay reason.
11.5 Do not abuse your Presidential spawn protection to bypass actions that would lead to injury/death (i.e. jumping to the bottom of the Nexus).
11.6 Do not ban jobs from the city without a proper roleplay reason; something must have happened first to warrant a ban.
11.7 President’s may only become a dictator with admin approval.

[Government forces rules]
12.1 Do not steal cars when you are working for the government. You may impound a car when appropriate to be later given back in return for a fine or warning.
12.2 Do not abuse the keypad cracker when you are working with the government. Follow the search warrant rules.
12.3 You may build a roadblock while playing as a government member, with permission from the President. You may use frozen props, but players must be able to break through the barricade with a vehicle.
12.4 When you spot contraband as a Fireman or Paramedic, inform the police force; do not destroy it yourself.
12.5 You cannot ally with with the underground jobs.
12.6 Only use the stun gun with a valid roleplay reason.
12.6a Do not abuse or spam the stun and wakeup functions of the stun gun.
12.7 Police/SWAT may be corrupt, but only if it does not directly endanger the lives of officers or civilians.
12.8 Do not kill or injure any other government member.
12.8a Exception: If an officer or SWAT officer is attempting to take your life or that of innocent people, you may use force to stop them.
12.9 The Police Sergeant commands Police forces, and the SWAT Sergeant commands SWAT, unless the President states otherwise.

[Paramedic and Fireman rules]
13.1 You are not permitted to be within dangerous proximity to a raid in progress.
13.2 You work for the Government, and may not work with any underground organizations.
13.3 Do not abuse the tools you are given.
13.3a Do not hit people with the fire axe.
13.3b Do not use the fire axe to break into homes or open doors without a reason.
13.3c Do not misuse the fire extinguisher.
13.3d Do not misuse the medical kit, and do not run up to players and heal them if they didn’t request medical attention.

[Raid rules]
14.1 Do not raid as a Citizen without changing your job name using the /job command.
14.2 You need a valid reason to raid the President.
14.2a You cannot raid the President solely to earn money.
14.2b You cannot raid the President solely because of high taxes.
14.2c You cannot raid the President because you do not like certain laws, unless they drastically impact your character.
14.2d You cannot raid the President solely as retaliation for being arrested or warned by police due to your own actions, i.e. you cannot raid just because you were arrested for speeding or mugging someone.
14.3 Do not switch jobs with the sole intention of joining a raid (powergaming). This also applies to custom jobs.
14.4 You must have a valid reason to raid players, i.e. contraband, burglary, and needing to take hostages are all valid reasons.

[Rebels/Mafia rules]
15.1 Do not kill or steal from your team members.
15.1a Exception: As the leader, you may take the life of a member with a valid roleplay reason.
15.2 Different teams are created for a reason, so do not ally with other teams. For example, Rebels do not ally with Corleones.
15.3 Being in an underground team does not give you the right to break the rules.
15.4 Being in an underground team does not give you the right to raid without a reason.
15.5 You must roleplay as your defined group in a realistic manner, however, you have lots of creative freedom. For example, rebels are not inherently poor.

[Crime rules]
16.1 Do not steal, rob, extort, etc. without a valid roleplay reason.
16.2 When demanding sums of money from robberies and muggings, demand realistic amounts ($500 maximum).
16.3 You may not mug the same person twice within 15 minutes.
16.4 You may steal vehicles to sell them back to the owners or other parties, but only with valid roleplay reasons.
16.5 When selling a stolen car, you must ensure that your buyer is aware that it’s stolen. Make sure the person understands that this vehicle won't be theirs to unlock or store in their inventory.
16.6 Do not FailRP. Car thieves need chop-shops, and burglars need places to store their stolen goods. Proper background RP draws the line between crime and rule-breaking.
16.7 You need an admin’s permission to do BombRP.

[Vehicle rules]
17.1 Do not run people over on purpose (CDM), and always try to brake/avoid people on the roads.
17.2 When your vehicle is stuck, call an admin. You can gently try to move it with a prop if required. When your vehicle is upside down you should use /flip to flip it.
17.3 Do not modify vehicles with props or tools without prior admin approval.
17.3a Admins may modify vehicles for a specific roleplay or event.
17.4 Do not make extra seats to transport people, i.e. seats in the back of a truck.
17.5 Do not build your own vehicle.
17.6 Do not spam the horn or siren.
17.8 Do not randomly crash into other vehicles.
17.9 Do not steal someone’s car when it's getting unlocked.
17.10 You may only modify vehicles using the context menu if the vehicle’s owner allows you to.
17.10a Do not modify vehicles unrealistically, i.e. with colours you wouldn’t see on a normal vehicle or that don’t suit the RP.

[Base rules]
18.1 All buildings in the main city street and all obvious shops are reserved for passive roleplay; do not base here.
18.2 Walls used to surround a base can't be more than 4 metres tall (4 PHX units).
18.3 Bases must fit the roleplay of the situation. For example, poor characters cannot afford high-tech bases.
18.4 Barricades must be made so that the attacker has a reasonable chance of victory.
18.5 Do not use the fading door tool to fade a prop away in order to shoot.
18.6 Props with one-sided textures are only allowed to be used as a window. Using these props as part of a doomfort or to make it easier for you to shoot attackers is not allowed.
18.7 Doomforts are not allowed.

[Misc. rules]
19.1 Do not jump or walk on anyone when they are in ragdoll mode.
19.2 Do not promote anything conflicting with the rules in adverts, broadcasts, laws or by other means.
19.3 Do not mic-spam. If you want to play music through your microphone, have an appropriate building set up and make sure that the volume is not loud.

[Copyright]
Copyright 2008-2015: Fearless Community

Explanations

Quote:--Doomforting--

Doomforts are overpowered defences that are almost impossible for a raiding party to overcome, even if they are realistic. For the most part, it should be pretty clear what comprises a doomfort, however, if you are unsure, ask a staff member; they always have the final say on what is and what isn’t doomforting. In this section we’ll run through the most common features that comprise a doomfort.

You cannot build complex mazes, tiny firing holes, toggled cover using the fading door tool, you cannot force people to crouch, and you cannot use materials that dazzle, blind or visually confuse the raiding party.

Tight corridors are generally allowed, even if they are staggered or force you to change angle and direction frequently, similar to a WW1 trench. However, you cannot combine this with firing holes and similar. You also cannot use these corridors as a sneaky maze from which you look down upon from a raised platform.

Chest-high cover is generally allowed, but there are limits. Do not spam chest-high cover or use them constantly in combination with features such as tight corridors; this also often looks unrealistic. If you’re unsure, ask an admin.

Combining one prop as cover on the ground and one on the ceiling is allowed, the gap shouldn’t be smaller than the size of that in the bunker prop. If combined with other measures, the gap may have to be larger to be fair. The ceiling prop should be above the top of your head. If in doubt, ask an admin.

One-way windows/props are ok, even in a defensive structure (i.e. as part of a security checkpoint), but you cannot use them as part of, or directly adjacent to, a firing position to give you an immediate advantage in combat.

Walkways and sniper/guard towers are allowed, both with and without defensive walls to guard you from bullets. However, be cautious, because it’s tempting to combine this with features such as fading firing positions, or over-powered use of one-way glass in a guard tower. If you use one-way glass in one of these structures, you must not be able to fire from such a position or near it.

If in doubt, ask an admin. They always have the final say on what is or isn’t a doomfort. Just because one admin says it’s OK doesn’t mean that another will agree; often these issues are contextual, so the admin currently online is always the one most suited to make that decision. Super-admin decisions to not overrule the decisions of the admin on the server, so don’t ignore what the admins say just because another admin or a super-admin gave you permission earlier.

--Powergaming—

Powergaming is when you misuse roleplay actions in an attempt to force a RP to take a certain direction, or when you attempt to force another action on a player or dictate their actions. This is banned because it’s detrimental to RP, and makes the server a lot less fun for people who have to suffer the actions of a powergamer. Some examples over powergaming are below:

“/me punches the cop in his throat, killing him.”
This is powergaming because you’re forcing the officer into situation where he dies, without his input. It would be better to say:
“/me tries to punch the cop in the throat.”
This lets the cop play along, and he can decide whether or not the punch lands and what effect is has on him. Obviously, he can’t powergame himself here.

“/me breaks the handcuffs and escapes.”
This is powergaming because it forces the RP to take a different direction as to what is obviously happening, and it is also impossible for a normal human to break handcuffs he’s restrained with. If you really want to RP this, say something like:
“/me struggles in his handcuffs, attempting to break free.”
This gives the cop a chance to RP with you. Chances are you’ll just be struggling in vain (and improving the RP), but the cop may decide to play along and the RP could take a different direction depending on what he does.

--Metagaming—

Metagaming is when you use Out-Of-Character (OOC) information In-Character (IC). What happens IC should stay IC, and anything OOC is not relevant to IC roleplay. You also cannot use IC information obtained from OOC sources, such as the scoreboard, which displays IC information such as jobs and character names.

For example, if you’re playing as a cop and someone is trying to enter the Nexus, but his job title on the scoreboard is “Undercover spy”, you can’t immediately know that he is undercover. You should act as if you have no idea he could potentially be an undercover spy. Whether or not you deduce that IC depends on how the RP progresses, but your character currently has no knowledge that he could be a spy.

You cannot use the OOC chat for IC advertisements or RP. For example, don’t attempt to ask for a lift in the OOC chat; you should instead try and call for a taxi or lift using /advert or other IC chat methods. Don’t try and sell or buy items on OOC chats either, though we do have a sub-forum specifically for this purpose. PM is generally considered to be both OOC and IC, but keep it in context, and don’t start PMing people you wouldn’t know IC to ask for lifts, etc.

If you believe that something is against the rules, you should still RP along, and just call an admin using @. Don’t try and stop the RP by saying that this is breaking the rules. You can inform them using local OOC, but unless the rule-breaking is blatant (i.e. someone is running around killing everybody or prop-pushing) you should continue to RP; you may be in the wrong, and then you would’ve stopped a valid RP for no reason.

The same applies to clan matters. Clans are strictly IC, and should stay that way. Don’t attempt to mix OOC and IC with clan matters. Just because a clan broke an IC law doesn’t mean that they’re breaking the rules. If a clan breaks a real-world (OOC) law, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re breaking an IC law, so keep things IC. This has actually been an issue a few times in the past.

--New Life Rule—

Some players, both new and old, have difficulty with this rule. After you have died, you may not return to the place where you died for 10 minutes. There are no exceptions to this rule. For example, if you’re called back to a raid over radio before your 10 minutes are up, you may not go. In this case, it’s generally best to write in the radio “.// NLR” or something, just to inform people why you’re not turning up. Once the 10 minutes have expired, you may return to the place of death.

After death, you also forget everything from your past life, such as current situations, the person who killed you, people you’ve killed, passwords, and so on. However, it’s OK to remember long-term details of the character you play, such as your job, clan, long-term RP friends, and so on.

--Reasons for raid/criminal activity—

The rules go over in some detail what you’re not allowed to raid the President for. However, there are still many reasons that you may raid, such as: the President is a dictator, he banned your underground group from the city, the police harassed you or arrested you multiple times unfairly, his laws are very restrictive, or if the current RP has certain special conditions that would allow you to raid (i.e. the current government RP is highly political or they’re introducing anti-terror laws, in which case you could do a terrorism, or assassination RP, so long as you RP it properly. You can also do a bombRP, but only with admin permission). Generally, so long as you aren’t raiding solely for reasons explicitly banned in the rules, and you attempt to RP rather than just gun everyone down, you’ll be ok and are allowed to raid.

The restrictions for raiding the President are fairly heavy, as constant raids disrupts the entire server’s RP. However, you can raid/mug/commit crimes against others much more freely, so long as you RP and don’t simply gun people down. You can burgle shops for money, mug people in the streets, steal cars, raid rival businesses or criminal groups, break into a household to take hostages to make demands, and so on. Just make sure you follow all of the crime rules (section 16).

Rivalries between criminal organizations are expected, especially when it comes to contraband. Raiding to try and steal/destroy contraband is a perfectly acceptable reason. Likewise, the police may raid you to try and confiscate/destroy your contraband and arrest you. They do, however, need a search warrant for this.

--Government affiliate groups—

Custom jobs, groups or clans that are not using the official government jobs may team up with and work with the government.

As you’re not officially government, you can choose whether or not you follow the government rules. You should decide this based on what your custom job/group is. If you’re a shady PMC, it’s expected that you wouldn’t follow the government’s rules, and the consequences of this (raiding without warrants) would be dealt with IC; in fact, this is a great reason for others to raid the government, because they’re working with potentially illegal forces. However, if you’re RPing as the DEA, or a job/group that is supposed to be legal or similar, you should follow the government rules to the letter, and raid only with a search warrant. An admin can force you to abide by the government rules if he feels that you’re not RPing properly (FailRP); his/her decision is final.

--Advertisement—

The blatant advertisement of products, websites or other servers, whether in chat, mic or on your steam name, is forbidden. However, you can wear the tags of other clans or servers in your steam name. You can also feel free to talk about games, movies, products and so on; just don’t blatantly try and advertise them. Generally this isn’t a problem, and if you’re treading the line an admin will normally warn you to stop.