Section I - General Posting Rules

A. Reading Posts - This is a problem on the ship right now. Some people who are pressed for time don't spend the time they should to actually READ other people's posts. They skim them instead. This results in story inconsistencies, like people being put in the wrong place, or events being altered unintentionally. Players should take extra care to make sure they read other people's posts and absorb what they've read. There is a tendency toward resentment of those who continually make mistakes, because people get the impression their posts don't matter to such a person.

B. Using Other Characters - The use of other characters in your posts is encouraged, even required if you want to fit in well. Character Interaction is one of the best ways to show and develop your writing abilities, and also one of the best ways to make friends with the other players. But you can't have character interaction without the other characters. To that end, there are a few simple things to keep in mind when using another player's main character or one of their NPCs.

1. Try to keep them in character. People won't be happy if their normally shy and reserved character is written as getting drunk in the lounge and dancing on the tabletops. Most players understand that it's not always easy to write characters other than your own, and they'll understand when you make little mistakes - IF you don't cross the line, that is.

2. Read bios, and update your own occasionally! This is one of the most important things that can be said about using other people's characters. READ their bios! The bios are intended to be a way for you to learn about other characters, and hopefully come to understand them a bit. Such being the case, ALL players should occasionally send a bio update to the captain to keep the information current.

3. The Golden Rule applies to the RPG just as it does in everyday life. Don't abuse other people's characters. This goes beyond just keeping them in character. Don't seriously injure a player's character without their permission, and don't run around writing the deaths of NPCs in a crisis situation either, unless they're your own NPCs. Some people invest a lot of time creating less prominent characters that turn up from time to time. They are an important part of RPGing, and they help make the stories and the main characters seem more real.

C. Advancing the Plot and Mission - Be careful with your posting. It's everyone's job to contribute to the story and keep the mission moving, but MAJOR plot points should be discussed with the CO first, to make sure you don't cause a story problem. Be creative, but leave things for other players to do as well. And watch the senior officers for clues. Department Heads and especially the Captain and Executive Officer probably are much more well-informed about the story than you are and will probably tend to move it along more than the rest of the players, so read their posts for clues as to where the storyline is headed, and try to work within that general framework.

D. Game Rating - If the Dragonstar were a movie, it would be rated either PG-13 or possibly R (on the scale used in the United States). Keep your posts within that level please. Mild language is allowed, just don't get excessive with it. If your character is in a romantic relationship, keep it tasteful. We don't need any graphic detail here. Remember, there is a possibility that one or more of the other players may be young, such as the early teen years. We don't discriminate by age, as long as the players are capable of writing at an appropriate level without resorting to Superhero Syndrome.

Section II - Posting Requirements

A. Minimums - Every player is required to post a minimum amount. This changes according to rank. Posts don't have to be huge to meet the requirements, but please note that a one paragraph post may get disregarded when it comes to meeting the requirements, if the player has a history of barely posting.

1. Players whose primary character is ranked Lieutenant Junior Grade or lower must post a minimum of once every two weeks (14 days).

2. Players whose primary character is ranked Lieutenant Senior Grade or above must post a minimum of once every week (7 days).

3. Players whose primary character is a Senior Officer (a Department head or a Commander or higher in rank) should make an effort (but are not required) to post two or more times per week.

B. Leaves of Absence - If a player cannot meet their posting requirements, they need to contact the CO privately BY EMAIL and inform him of this and of the reasons. They will be granted a one month Leave of Absence starting on the day they notify the CO, during which they are excused from their posting requirements. At the end of this one month period, they must either post or contact the CO again to extend the absence. Excessive LOAs may result in the removal of the player from the ship to make way for someone who can contribute more effectively.

1. If someone has been granted a LOA, and they post at any time DURING that LOA, it will be cancelled and they will again be subject to the regular posting requirements. If someone on a leave finds time to post but will still need to be on a LOA, they will need to contact the CO privately and inform him of that.

C. Failure to Meet the Posting Requirements - If a player fails to meet their posting requirements and has not contacted the CO to request a LOA, they will be given a warning via email. They will have two weeks from the date of the warning in which to post or contact the CO and request a LOA. The time at which you become overdue is based on the day and time your last post was received. You can receive a post warning at any time once you are even a minute overdue, though in most cases you will not receive a warning for several days after becoming overdue.

1. If the player doesn't post or contact the CO by the deadline, a second warning will be sent, along with details about what the consequences of failing to heed the warning will be. The second warning's terms will vary according to the situation.

2. If the player still doesn't post or contact the CO, a final warning will be sent one day before the end of the second warning's deadline, along with a reminder of what the consequences will be.

3. If after this final warning, the player still hasn't posted or contacted the CO, punitive action will be taken.

D. Punitive Action - The consequences of failing to meet the requirements or contact the CO will vary, depending on a number of things. When deciding on a course of action, the CO will consider among other things: the importance of the character to the ship (what position they're in, what rank they are, etc); the performance of that particular player over the past six months (posting frequency and quality, attempts to get involved, contributions to the storyline, etc); and last known status outside the RPG (whether they were ill, on a trip, etc).

1. The action taken will range, depending upon the above factors. At the low end of the scale, the player may simply be put on probation and watched closely for the next few weeks to see if there's any change in status. If they start posting again, then the probation may be lifted. At the severe end of the scale, a player may be demoted by one rank, or in worst case scenarios, possibly even removed from the ship to open their spot to new players.

2. If the lack of response to the warnings is for a legitamete reason, such as a computer failure, extreme sickness, extended trip, or some other major reason, the player can contact the CO upon their return. In these cases, the punitive actions will be reversed and the player can go about their normal business.

Section III - Miscellaneous

A. Other Punitive Actions - Action may be taken against players if they are behaving in an improper manner. This can include but is not limited to: being abusive either in or out of game toward other players, posting any material deemed inappropriate for a PG-13 or R rated setting (to be determined at the CO's discretion), using racially offensive or excessively vulgar language, or defying a decision of the ship's CO or XO regarding something in-game. The action taken against such a player can vary from mild (a warning, for example) to severe (a demotion or something similar) to extreme (permanent banning from the ship). The latter has only been done once on this ship, but it HAS been done.

B. Appeals - If a player feels that he or she has been unfairly punished for something in the game, or has in any other way been treated unfairly, they should contact the Dragonstar's CO and lodge an appeal. The ship's crew will then be informed of the circumstances and allowed to vote on the appeal. The results of the crew vote will be final.