Theta Fleet Character (Player) Rules

Guidelines for Playing a Character in Theta Fleet

1. Be Respectful of Other Players
We don't expect you to be perfect. We just expect you to be nice about it.

2. Disagreements
Occasionally, characters have disagreements. These should be kept IN CHARACTER. If you have problems, the CO or XO will be happy to help mediate. Please don't bring real life problems into the sim. Real life and sim life should be kept separate.

3. Language/Content
NO explicit/vulgar language or descriptions. Regardless of the rating of the sim, no pornography. Period. (Mild profanity is acceptable.) If in doubt, consider what is used in the Star Trek movies and TV series. Starfleet officers are well-educated people who do not usually suffer from a shortage of vocabulary, so they don't need to use vulgar language. (And you can always make up a word.)

4. Spelling and Grammar
Use proper spelling and grammar. It doesn't matter if it's British, American, Canadian or Australian, but please make sure your English is as correct as you can make it. Use a spell checker. Word programs have them. So do some browsers like Firefox. Typos happen to all of us. All we ask is that you do your best.

5. Regional Variations in Spelling
It is acceptable for one player to use American English and another to use British English (or any other regional variant) in the same post as long as you are consistent in your usage.

6. Writing Tense
Please write in third person, limited omniscient and past tense. For example: Mark walked down the corridor and turned into sickbay. While he walked, he thought about the recent mission and the problems it would cause with the new strain of grubs he was testing. If he was successful, they would be a viable source of protein for the colonists.

7. Character Ownership
Don't play (write for) someone else's character without their permission. The same goes for player-specific NPCs (the ones with player names after theirs) and Linked NPCS (Nova).
By the same token, don't rewrite another player's addition to a post.
You can refer to another character in your post or have them walk by, etc. You just can't have them talk or act without the player's permission.

8. No Superhero Characters
A superhero character is one who goes above and beyond Star Trek characters. They can do anything and everything, have superhuman abilities, or have been augmented in some way. Vulcans and Betazoids are not superhero characters. However, a character who cannot only read the thoughts of everyone in the room at will, he/she can force his/her will on another through telepathy is. Similarly, a character that can adapt to any atmosphere and drop 30 feet with no damage because he/she has been augmented is a superhero. That being said, there can be exceptions. These would be taken on a case-by-case basis and must include equally compelling weaknesses.

9. Player Characters in Theta Fleet
Although Theta Fleet does not mandate the number of player characters a player can have in the fleet, we strongly recommend that you keep it to 5 or so characters.
We recognize that there are people in the fleet who are able to handle multiple sims.
Basically, if you're struggling to write two posts a month on EACH of your sims, you should consider cutting back.

10. Avoid Canon Character Affiliations
Do not tie your character to a Star Trek canon character. No children of T'pol and Trip, no working on Romulus with Spock, etc. You can be on a ship with them, but you can't be their friend/mentor. An Ensign on the Enterprise might see Picard, but he's not likely to do more than greet him in a corridor in passing. That is fine. Having your character be friends with Geordi LaForge isn't. This can make you or others want to bring in the canon characters into posts. It is better to not refer to them at all in relation to your character.

11. No Godmoding
Godmoding is where you try and control the story or another character through what you write in a post. This can be done through having a superhero character who hijacks the story (and not letting other players help determine the outcome) to posting a huge JP and leaving tags for others where they have limited or no options to write more than a token comment. (There ARE times when it is okay to leave two or three tags in a post for someone. Most often when the reply is a simple "Come in,")

12. Complete Bios
Fill out your bio . Have weaknesses as well as strengths. This makes your character more believable and more fun to play. Pictures are helpful for you and other players to have a good idea of what your character looks like. Histories are important, don't leave them out. If you MUST have something classified in your bio, it must be approved by the CO. It is generally better to put it in your bio with a disclaimer that it is classified so that other players have an idea OOC of what happened.
This goes for PNPCs and Linked NPCs as well. Pancake characters (those who have name/race/gender and little else) are discouraged and may be deleted by your CO.

13. Player Characters Per Sim
Only one PC (player character) per player per ship. You are, however, encouraged to have PNPCs and NPCs. PNPCs are player-specific NPCs. They are secondary characters that a player plays quite often. In Nova they can be linked to your user so you can post with your PNPC as well as your PC. Don't create an NPC if you don't plan to use it fairly often.

14. Specialized Characters
Characters like the Medusa, Borg, most Delta Quadrant species, modified Angosian (Angosian super soldier), Vorta, Organian, etc. are not allowed.
Certain creatures such as Centaurs, serpents, fish, etc. are also discouraged as it makes it very hard to get through the ship and interact with other characters.
However, there are exceptions. If you can justify the reason for the character and make it plausible, the CO may make an exception.

15. Section 31
Section 31 was never sanctioned by Starfleet. There is no Section 31 in Theta Fleet. There can be Special Forces and covert ops, but they don't have extra-legal authority.

16. Ownership of PCs and PNPCs
When a player leaves a ship, their PC is to be moved to departed crew/inactive crew. The PNPCs (linked NPCs) should be sent to inactive crew if they've been in JPs. Otherwise they can be deleted. They do not belong to the sim.

17. Children Under the Age of 16
The child of two player characters belongs jointly to both players. If the two characters separate, they share joint custody as long as they are in the same fleet. If the players end up in different fleets, then the child belongs to both players and can be played as an NPC in both fleets.
Special circumstances may require a child of two player characters to become a player character himself and be played by one of the two parents. If the child has previously been played by both players as an NPC, it remains in joint custody as listed above. If, however, the child is created and played FROM THE BEGINNING by one player only, then and only then does the child belong to one person.

18. Same Character on Multiple Sims
Players cannot play the same character on more than one ship in Theta Fleet. Specifically, you are not allowed to have a character on a sim in Theta Fleet and then apply for another Theta Fleet sim with the same character.
However, we don't care if you have the same character on another sim OUTSIDE Theta Fleet. We also don't mind if a player brings a character from another sim outside the fleet onto a sim in Theta Fleet.
EXCEPTION: As we recognize that players occasionally play the same character/s on multiple sims in multiple fleets, it is remotely possible for that other sim to join Theta Fleet. So, if you have the same character established on two different sims and they both end up in Theta Fleet, you can keep both characters and justify the duality. This has been done in canon with parallel universe characters, mirror universe characters and transporter malfunctions.

19. Hate Speech
Hate Speech and character assassination of ANY flavor are not permitted in ANY degree in Theta Fleet. This includes but is not limited to: Racism, Religious Persecution (Either against established religion OR ATHEISM), Derogatory comments concerning gender or sexual preference, questioning someone's loyalty or patriotism, or just plain BAD-MOUTHING another individual.
Respect, patience, professionalism, and courtesy are the watchwords of social and fictional interaction in this fleet.
Remember Bambi and Thumper? "If you can't say somethin' nice, don't say nothin' at all!"
Simply, treat others as you WISH to be treated. Be nice and be fair.
This extends to other fleets and/or players in other fleets. The sim community is small and we all know people in other fleets or sim in other fleets ourselves. Please be mindful of your words and their potential impact.

20. Player/Character Disputes
If two characters have a dispute IC (in character), it should go up the chain of command (department head >> XO >> CO). For example: If two lieutenants in Engineering have an issue with each other and start a dispute, they should address their issue to the Chief Engineer first. If their department head cannot resolve their issue to their mutual satisfaction, THEN they go to the XO. If the XO is not able to resolve their issue, THEN they go to the captain. On the rare occasion where the captain's resolution is not satisfactory, they have the right to bring their case to the TGCO (Task Group CO), then their TFCO (Task Force CO), then the DCTF (Deputy Commander, Theta Fleet) and at last, the CTF (Commander, Theta Fleet).
This is to keep the CO from dealing with all in character grievances and give the players more to post about.
However, out of character grievances SHOULD go to the CO.
Most of the time, problems will be resolved on a sim level. If the problem persists, feel free to take it up the chain of command. There is also a JAG for formal complaints if needs be.

21. Who's The Boss?
Military vessels in real life and Theta Fleet vessels in character are NOT democracies. They are Military Dictatorships. The Federation is a Constitutional republican form of government. In Star Fleet, you take orders from your superior officers. Your character does not have a "Vote" when deciding whether or not to follow the course of action prescribed by a senior officer.
Most COs leave missions open enough to allow each player a part in shaping the mission. Players are welcome to PM or email their COs with questions and ideas. Participation in missions and mission development is encouraged.
Disrespect of superior officers in character will have consequences, just like in the real military. If someone feels like being insubordinate, their superiors have the right to bring them up on charges to the CO. Watch a few episodes of Classic Trek like "The Corbomite Maneuver", or "Balance of Terror" to see how a commander deals with disrespect.
Although it isn't recommended that you do this on a regular basis, a little insubordination can make a mission more interesting. So can a stay in the brig.