Game Rules

Rule B1: Roleplay a believable character

You must roleplay a character separate from yourself, the player. Try to keep your character's feelings, emotions and actions separate from your own as the player.

• Try to act in-character and do as your character would in that situation.
• Let people do their own jobs, only help if requested or explicitly allowed. Remember that they queued up for that role to play it, if you're doing their job for them you're likely only taking that away from them.
• Being an antagonist does not allow you to stop playing a character. Determine how your character would react to being given these objectives, and work through it appropriately.
• Do not annoy other players without any roleplay or IC reason, and even then be careful not to just come across as an asshole.

Rule B1.1: Follow the naming convention rules

• In-character names must not make obvious references nor be too over the top of a play on words, and must not be obscene. Cheesy names are okay, but don't be surprised if you're told to change your name from "Greyson Tidus". Use the Ahelp (F1) chat if you're not sure about a character name!
• Theatrical roles such as the clown, boxer, mime and others (within reason) are allowed much more freedom in their names.

Rule B1.2: Communicate in character

• Do not use the Emote channel to bypass an inability to speak, such as when playing a Zombie.
• Do not use Netspeak in character (lol, brb, wtf, etc) unless if in an in-character text form (Nanochat, letters, drawings or anything of the sort).
• Do not discuss Out Of Character (OOC) matters In Character (IC).
• Do not engage in meta-communications (i.e. using discord to exchange in-round information with another person also present in that round).

Rule B1.3: If you die and return to life, follow the new life rules

If a player dies, they forget the specific details of their death. Please report players who break this rule. A cyborg being removed from its chassis is not a death, and may decide for itself whether or not it experiences memory loss.

• If revived through any means, they can only recall vague information such as "Someone shot me" or "I was set ablaze", and generally only clearly remember events up to around 5 minutes before their death.
• A character entering critical state can still remember any events leading up to it, unlike as if they died. You're still encouraged to roleplay it out to some capacity instead of preparing a very elaborate paragraph to send as soon as you're back from crit.
• If you have any questions about this, please ask an admin through the Ahelp (F1) chat. As a rule of thumb though, just keep other people's fun in mind whenever deciding what information to share when your character is back up.

Rule B2: Respect the Metashield

• Something that is "shielded" cannot be known by your character during a round until the "revealing condition" happens. This also means that your character cannot do things based on "shielded" information. Knowing or acting on something that is shielded before the revealing condition is met is referred to as metagaming.
• Revealing conditions reveal the shielded information for the round and that round only. This means that once a revealing condition is met in a round, the shield no longer applies in any case for the remainder of the round, but returns in any following round.
• Keep in mind that the Metashield is very different from the meta etiquette. The former are strict rules about what information you're supposed to have, whereas the etiquette are more broad and lenient (although still expected to be followed).

Never Revealed In Character

Some shields are never revealed IC. This means that your character can never act as if they know about that shielded thing.

The following are shielded:

• Current game mode and possible antags during the current game mode.
• All information related to the player of a character rather than the character itself. (See "Metafriending and Metagrudging" below.)
• All information gained while dead or a ghost.

This does not prevent knowing that a shift will end however.

Previous Rounds

Events from previous rounds are not shielded, but they should not hold any bearing on the current round. (i.e. you cannot be arrested for crimes in a past round)

Understanding of Station and Sabotage

For entities lacking crew-level intellect (e.g. a tarantula), the understanding of station functions and how they may be sabotaged is shielded, meaning that intelligent sabotaging or interacting with station components is forbidden.

The revealing condition for this shield is any of the following:

• being a Mouse Operative, Syndicat, or Ancestor Reinforcement
• being Pun Pun, the monkey bartender
• being uplifted by the power of Cognizine (i.e. "awakened")

High-Risk Items

The idea that certain High-Risk Items are desired specifically by the Syndicate is shielded. Crew should protect High-Risk items due to their status as valuable items, not because they are potential steal objectives.

The revealing condition for this shield is any of the following:

• being a syndicate-aligned antagonist or a thief
• being told of an item's status by a syndicate-aligned antagonist or a thief

Nuclear Operatives

While they are not Metashielded you are only ever to refer to them as Nuclear Operatives or Redshells, never Nukies.

Chameleon Items

Being suspicious of an item being fake or stolen is not shielded, but testing items or calling them chameleon without reason is covered by this shield. Testing clothing for chameleon status through right clicking for a chameleon option is always prohibited; items that are clearly chameleon can, however, be confiscated by Security.

The revealing condition for this shield is any of the following:

• seeing someone else cause any chameleon item to change
• finding holographic nanomachine fibers
• experiencing a situation where absolutely no other explanation is possible
• discovering an unlocked uplink

Stealth Items

The fact that an item can be something other than what its visual appearance and examine description indicate is shielded.

This shield protects stealth items such as the appraisal tool gun or banana bombs, including protecting them from being tested. Note that this also applies to trick bombs, and a security officer would not be penalized for using lethals in retaliation to a trick grenade being thrown at them.

The revealing condition for this shield is any of the following:

• seeing the item behave differently than the expected behavior for the item
• seeing the item used for its hidden purpose
• experiencing a situation where absolutely no other explanation is possible
• discovering an unlocked uplink

Bad Actor Objectives

Specific Syndicate, Ninja or Thief objectives and their details are shielded.

The revealing condition for this shield is any of the following:

• being a Traitor, Space Ninja, Thief, or another bad actor with goals.
• being told of an antagonist's goals. Note that this only applies to the goals that have been revealed to you.

Uplinks

The existence of Syndicate Uplinks supplied to sleeper agents is not shielded. However you have no way of confirming an Uplink exists within a PDA unless you see it yourself.

Cosmic Cultists

The existence of Cosmic Cultists and The Unknown is not shielded. However the way that their monument, powers, ascension tiers, conversions and so on work are shielded.

The revealing condition for this shield is any of the following:

• being a Captain
• being a Mystagogue, Psionic Mantis, or Chaplain
• being a Head of Security
• being a Cosmic Cultist

The presence of Malign Rifts, Λ-CDM Anomalies, or manifestations of energy in crewmember eyes that could possibly indicate a Cosmic Cult's presence aboard the station.

The revealing condition for this shield is any of the following:

• being a Captain
• being a Mystagogue, Psionic Mantis, or Chaplain
• being a Head of Security
• being a Cosmic Cultist

Explicitly Not Shielded

The following is a list of things that are explicitly not shielded. If something is not on this list, it doesn't mean that it is shielded, but if something is on it then it definitely is not shielded.

• The fact that the shift will end. For example, acting upon the knowledge that a crew transfer shuttle is typically sent around the two hour mark of a shift.
• The fact that the nuke disk must be protected and could be used by a bad actor to try to destroy the station.
• The fact that the Syndicate are enemies of Nanotrasen, and that they regularly attempt to send covert agents to spy on, sabotage, or attack Nanotrasen.
• The presence of Malign Rifts, Λ-CDM Anomalies, or manifestations of energy in crewmember eyes is strange, and they should be reported to Epistemics.
• The fact that the Station AI and Cyborgs are suceptible to ion storms and may go rogue. Ion storm laws are also not shielded, but follow the meta etiquette

Metafriending and Metagrudging

Treating somebody based on your, the player's relation with another player ignoring your in-character relations is against the rules. Giving someone special treatment over OOC relations is called Metafriending, whereas begrudging someone over OOC relations is considered Metagrudging.

Metafriending Examples

These are all examples of things that are prohibited by at least one metashield item that is never revealed IC.

• Giving a character additional access or a job because you are friends with the player who is playing that character.
• Trusting a character because you are friends with the player who is playing that character.
• Not fighting a character because you are friends with the player who is playing that character.

Metagrudging Examples

These are all examples of things that are prohibited by at least one metashield item that is never revealed IC.

• Refusing to give a character additional access or a job only because you are upset at or don't like the player who is playing that character.
• Not trusting a character only because you are upset at or don't like the player who is playing that character.
• Starting a fight with a character because they killed you while you were playing a different character.
• Targeting or harassing a character based on anything which the character's player did while not playing the character.

Rule B3: Follow the meta etiquette

• Just because something isn't Metashielded doesn't mean you should feel compelled to use that edge against somebody. Remember that your priority should be roleplaying, not winning.
• Think about Metashielded information as "earned". Just because you're allowed to figure something out by technicality in that moment doesn't necessarily mean you should. Your fun should come from playing it out as your character in that situaton, not as yourself strictly kiting around the rules.
• These aren't as hard-set rules so leeway is granted, but repeated warnings will result in escalating punishments. This rule is to keep people from playing around the rules and not the roleplay, afterall.

Rule B4: Powergaming Guidelines

"Powergaming" is considered to be the act of prioritizing "winning" rather than sensible roleplaying. We are here to play characters, not to look for a "you win" screen. Being vulnerable and accepting the loss of your character for the sake of everybody's fun is important.

• Try to engage with players if they are attempting to roleplay an antagonistic scene. Example: if there is a hostage situation, do not immediately shoot them mid sentence.
  • Leeway is given depending on the context. Nuclear Operatives trying to hold a negotiation without proper de-escalation, and an antagonist trying to negotiate with you after already screwing you over gives you, specifically, the right to do the same back to them.
• Do not, under any circumstances, hide the nuclear fission explosive, or other sensitive items in an impossible to see/access location. This is excessively lame.
• Non-security personnel should not seek to kill or detain threats on most situations. You should generally attempt to flee from combat or dangerous situations. Remember that your character likely fears injury or death. However, if fleeing is not an option and/or all of security is dead you may choose to engage against major antagonists.
  • Remember that trying to fight antagonists while security is still around and actively working can sometimes only make things worse. This can be considered self-antagging regardless of your intentions.
• If there is sufficient roleplay, reason, and rationale, you may be exempt from this rule. Always ask an administrator in round before conducting such an action and follow the rules on escalation.

Rule B5: Follow proper in-character escalation

• As a crew member on the space station, you are allied with Nanotrasen and the station as a whole from the start of the round.
• Do not act like an antagonist if you are not an antagonist.
• Willfully assisting known antagonists is self-antagonism.
  • Leeway is given in the case of bribes, coercion, or other forms of duress.
• Actively seeking conversion or transformation into an antagonist is considered self-antag.
• Clowns, Mimes, and theater roles are expected to "entertain" the crew, and should not be committing regular felonies to do so.
• End-of-round grief (EORG) is not allowed. This means attacking, destroying, polluting, and severely injuring without reason after the shuttle has docked at Central Command. Remember that you are playing a character throughout the round, and our roleplay rules do not evaporate at Central Command.

As crew you can still commit some degree of self-antagging if you parse it through very believable roleplay. Have an In Character reason for attacking other players, whether they are in a ghost role or not. The required reason depends on the situation and while the rule of thumb is to follow rule 0, please use the Ahelp (F1) menu to ask an admin if you're ever unsure.

• Escalation should move up slowly or at the same pace as the other character you're interacting with. A disagreement may lead to insults, then possibly to non-lethal aggression and so on. This means no jumping from insults to gunshots without VERY GOOD REASON.
• Killing is also allowed to crew-aligned jobs and roles provided very good and believable roleplay, and so long as you do not prevent their rescue and are both escalating naturally it should be fine.
• In the extreme cases of wanting to cause round-removal as a crew-aligned character, please either make sure the other player is okay with it before you do it and discuss it with an admin through Ahelp (F1) first.
• Antagonists do not have to obide by these rules (but are still encouraged to try), but in either case non-antagonists must still respect escalation rules against antagonists.

Rule B6: Leaving the Game

• If you wish to leave the game, please use the cryosleep chambers located in/near the dorms when possible. This will free up your character's job to be filled by a new player.
• AFK (a.k.a. SSD) and catatonic players are considered to have the same rights as any other crewmate.
  • If a player is dead and catatonic (not SSD), they are not required to be revived and should be stored in the morgue. You should not biomass and/or grind dead and catatonic crew unless in an emergency.
  • If a player is alive and catatonic, they may be brought to cryostorage as necessary, after confirming they have not been present for 20 minutes.
  • If you are readied up for a role with only one slot you are still allowed to leave the round early, but repeatedly taking up those roles and leaving the game early may result in a temporary if not permanent role ban.
  • Before cryoing or taking somebody else to cryo, make sure you return any irreplaceable or unique items when appropriate, such as any item unique to your loadout/locker, a pin-pointer, antagonist steal objectives, or anything of the sort.
  • Readying up and cryoing immediately upon not receiving an antagonist role is explicitly against the rules and can get you banned.