Starbound server

Started by Feolthenos, 12-06-2014

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Feolthenos

Alright, I have a Starbound server running that I am paying for out of my own pocket to run 24/7.
And I feel as if it's going a bit to waste, would anyone here be interested in using it?

I wanted it to be an RP server honestly, but only myself and people who come with me when I play are doing so, and then I thought about you guys.

It's a pretty basic server, I'll upgrade it if it needs to be upgraded and what not.

For now I need a place to write down the bare bones stuff, and give me some feedback on that too please <3.


========================= Rules & Regulations =========================

Meridian

Initially, most RP's I've had the pleasure of participating in have been about preservation, and although this is a solid ideal to follow, with the advent of Starbound it's no longer 100% needed,  Starbound has essentially a near limitless amount of worlds, more resources than any one player could possibly hold, but I'll elaborate on why this is so important momentarilly, firstly lets begin with:

IC and OOC separation.

IC chat will be green text, this is also known as world text and is by default turned off, one can turn it on by clicking the button to the left of the chatbox.

OOC chat will be yellow text, also known as Galactic text and is by default turned on.

Currently there is no Emote function, starting with a *name will allow other players to discern this as an Emote.

When emoting, please break speech with quotation marks.

In character there will be two kinds of worlds, a "settler" world and an "event" world. ICly there will also only be one ship between the campaign, and although a specific character may "Own" this ship ICly, it will always be GM's ship OOCly.

Out of character there will also include one other type of world, a "Free" world

A settler world is going to be where most time in the campaign will be spent, this is where characters build, explore, form bonds, start fights, seek information and generally all the other things one would do while roleplaying. It is requested and encouraged, but not mandatory that you set the settler world as your home and write down any co-ords to a private world down in notepad for your own use. This makes sure that RP is readily accessible to everyone by simply teleporting "Home"

An event world is a world that has been tailored expressly for a climatic event signaling a pinnacle point in the campaign. Characters will be sent there as a group for a reason that has been built up upon on the settler world, be them hints, raids, kidnappings or other such things.

A Free world is a world that is being used by no one for any reason and may be used for whatever reason one might desire, a world that has a flag where you spawn is no longer a free world, it might be a future settler or event world or may even have been claimed privately by another player, regardless of the answer it is fundamental that it's left alone.






1. Creative Freedom

Currently there will be no limits set on character, race, subrace or history, what they are or did as long as they are not canonly mentioned in person in any lore books available within the game.

Please use common sense.

1.1 Player direction campaigning.

Your character won't be limited ICly in what they can do, if that character destroys a major plot device then so be it, the GMs will nod, take note, and begin a new plot or see if the current one can be repaired somehow, GMs more often then not bait a player character into taking such a drastic action, but that's up to the GMs involved.

Do not be afraid of doing something, more or less we anticipated it would be done.

But every action has a consequence, GMs won't stop you massacring an NPC village on the settler world, you may do so, but one must be expecting IC consequence and in turn repercussion for such a crime from the rest of the campaign members.

And, you'll have to be willing to fight each and every one of those NPC's in an RP fight at the GMs discretion.

Just for fairness.

1.2 Campaign ejection

This campaign will be somewhat of a majority rules type, if a character is left on a planet by the rest of their disgruntled party then that character is considered ejected and has no business with the party from here on out.

"Oh hey, I'm gonna be an original pain in the ass and steal the only space ship the party has" Do so, GMs will not stop you, this will simply create another plot device, one of how the party is going to escape from that planet if and when their task is complete.

1.3 Antagonists.

Some characters we will love to hate, there's no doubts that some players make some incredible antagonists but there is one problem with them: Characters generally won't like them.

We do not wish to discourage the creation of Antagonists in any way shape or form, so for GM approved Antagonists they will be immune to the Campaign Ejection ruling of being left on a planet and forgotten about, players will be asked to make these antagonists reappear as part of future events to make for recurring villains and anti-hero's.

In order to be eligible for the Antagonist approval the player needs to be okay with the idea that the character may be killed at some point.


2. Character abilities

Tech will currently be banned for use OOCly, and must be uninstalled before stepping foot inside a settler or event world. This is to help GMs create dungeons and events by hand without having HOURS of work railroaded by tech.

Other roleplay abilities such as martial arts, enhanced strength, stamina, speed, etc. must be verified by an appropriate back story and come with an equally powerful fallback. We realize not everyone is an average Joe, But balance is the key to victory and to not annoying any other parties involved.

Common sense is to be applied with all abilities, and if it isn't then you're liable to be pulled up by a GM, consult one if you feel you're on the mirrors edge.

2.1 Pets and Creature capture pods

We can't have EVERYONE having a pet, for one they clog up the screen, they are easy to aggravate, they might attack NPCs. But in essence they will not be banned.

To start off with one, another long and extensive creative writing description will be required as to why you have this beast beside you, why they follow you and what they do, they will have almost no presence in a confrontation (Think Jack Russel between two armed individuals), will have about the same level of intelligence as a small dog and MUST be captured on a tier 1 world.

You can get one through roleplay as well, one can be awarded to you after showing decent roleplay with a particular species/individual. Ask a GM for help on this one, it will be up to that GM in the end if you get it or not and is dependent on a few things; The temperament of the monster, your role play abilities and your characters behavior.

2.2 Supernatural abilities

A decent amount of lore mentions extraneous abilities by certain individuals, at the moment during character creation there will be a Yes/No box to show interest in your character having a specified Gene which may or may not be activated to give supernatural powers akin to those that monsters use.

It is of course subject to GM discretion if and when it's activated, but consulting one about an ability you have in mind for your character can help speed up the process.

There will be a sidestory revolving around the character in question and them progressing in power over time, those who do have the gene are subject to metal hypersensitivity when their gene becomes active, but may also suffer some beforehand.

Those with the gene may also conflict with unique weaponry.

2.3 Dress code and Armour

Currently we are requesting all participants have higher tiered armour than 5, it's not a requirement but more of a comfort.
This will enable Characters to interact at length outside of buildings without obnoxious monsters breaking up roleplay, even have players RP fight with these monsters, it's entirely up to them.

Starbound features a cosmetics layer that goes over the armour, it is required that this be used AT LEAST with a basic villager uniform of your race, your characters will find other outfits to use during the course of the campaign, or you can join the campaign and have your clothing as apart of your characters vocation.

2.4 Backpack slots

These also have some functions but in general are aesthetic, it's okay to equip a scroll or a lamp or a giant flower, but try to put some thought into it, why is your character wearing it, where did they find it... Weave it into the character rather then it just being another aesthetic. (For LoL fans: Ryze and his scroll is a great example)

2.4.1 Wings

No. Demon wings and Cupids wings are no.


2.5 Weapons

Your weapons are required to be first tier, stuff you can buy, make, or find laying around on the very first world or any other allocated settler world.

This reason is also partially cosmetic, later weapons have drastic variations in looks, any strange looking weaponry will generally only be featured as an event item or be given to a character in very special circumstances by a GM.

If you want your character to be able to equip one of these weapons (And if you find one in a chest or dropped from a world boss) then consult a GM and we may be able to organise a side story for that character on finding or otherwise learning how to use the weapon and its abilities.

Those with the Gene (2.2 Supernatural abilities) will not be able to equip weapons with extraneous functions.

2.6 Matter Manipulator

This does not exist ICly, do not mention it.
When it's being used it is simply a character using their limbs to manipulate the world around them, breaking a tree, digging a hole, placing furniture are all done by hand ICly, OOCly one cannot exist without it, you can't get first tier tools.

2.7 Vocation

Some characters will undoubtedly have skill and knowledge in areas other characters do not, so as apart of the character creation process, players will be able to select from a series of functionable jobs, weapons and armour smithing, artificers (People who can help identify magical weapons), Farming and (with the addition of capture pods) husbandry, piloting, cooking etc.

The list will be extensive but not all encompassing, you'll be able to create your own specialization based on your backstory and specialize in anything that will add to roleplay, it doesn't have to be linked with a game feature.

3. Combat!

Combat will be entirely roleplayed out, no IC outcomes will be deferred to PVP under any circumstances. Players are welcome to engage in the act in their own time away from any Settler or Event worlds.

3.1 Turns

Combatically speaking, things will be brought down into a maximum of 2 actions per turn, that's two things you can do, moving once and shooting once would be considered two actions, throwing two punches would be considered two actions, dodging or blocking two punches would be considered two actions, firing an automatic weapon would release six bullets in the space of two turns, moving out from cover and shooting is considered two actions, Picking up a weapon from the ground and throwing it is considered two actions. Etc.

3.2 Damage

Damage received is entirely up to the player, the amount of damage and/or severity they take from any attack is up to the player playing the character to decide, it will be respected by all parties involved.

HOWEVER, don't push on this, be reasonable, it is role play not PVP, there are no winners or losers in an RP, there is no ladder to climb or points to gain, combat is done to create or disperse turmoil or remove danger.

3.2.1 Powergaming

Powergaming is an umbrella term for power your character should not possess

Players caught powergaming (And what is considered powergaming is up to the GM involved) will firstly lose respect from all other parties involved, secondly runs the risk of having the character ejected from the campaign and in some cases the player from the server.

3.2.2 Metagaming

Metagaming is an umbrella term for information your character should not know.

Metagaming, knowing another characters weakness without it being insanely obvious or being told by another character is going to tick everyone off. Don't use OOC knowledge you picked up on the forum for IC brawls. Please and Thank you.

3.3 Death

Character death, much like damage is entirely up to the player playing that character, no player, GM, demon or angel can inflict death upon a character without player consent.

This may be bent in an extreme circumstance that requires a player to be removed from the server, it is only under that level of extreme that a GM will step in and handle a character death.


4 Character housing

Here's another common sense article.
Wood, packed dirt, stone, brick and similar articles are great things to make your house out of.

There are some items that are situational.
Ice, Sandstone, Obsidian, rainbow wood are all to be used on worlds that they are native to.

Some items are okay in small amounts.
Bone (I'm looking at you Floran), Crystal, liquids, Glass, leaf blocks and their kin.

Some items are okay once we have reached a decent way through the campaign.
Precious metals, iron/steel panels, any kind of tech block or wiring compatible, electric lighting.

Some items are not okay
Flesh, mud, poo, sand and gravel, anything that requires "Cellmateria" or its kin.

Decorating your house by your race is encouraged but not mandatory and can be supported by GMs if you don't have something in your Printers library.

4.1 Resource gathering.

The starbound server and its staff do not bar or prevent anyone from exploring other worlds in their own time, there is an infinite number of stars in the Starbound galaxy so in order to prevent settler worlds from becoming ugly Swiss cheese we are asking expressly for those participating in the Starbound Campaign to gather the resources for their IC home or house in their own time, OOCly, Off world.

That is to say, do not destroy the settler world(s), do not mine or gather resources from it, do not take furniture from it (Furniture subject to GM discretion, you can steal a couch from a dead NPC if you have a friend with you and are willing to RP it out)

Break blocks within reason, flatten out a plot of land to place a house upon if you have to, I personally integrate the land into the design of the house but this is not required.

Size isn't too big a deal, just don't go stupid with it, if you make it look immaculate then size probably won't matter to anyone.

Go off world, do your dirty destructive business, then come back to the settler world and decorate your home according to your characters abilities and resources that would be available to them.


4.2 Free world homes.

I. don't. care.

Seriously, do what you like on worlds that no one else is going to see, there's millions upon millions more of them, but if you want to claim a world as your own, put down a flag to let others know to move on.

Want safety? The random button on your ships control is your friend, use it.

5. Roleplay content

We are essentially all consenting adults here, so I hope that we can all get through this section with maturity and tact.

5.1 Erotic roleplay

Personally I am an advocate for freedom in roleplay content, and sex in an integral part of all life, I always saw it as kind of a spice on a dish.
Too much and the dish is ruined, too little and the dish is bland and boring.

My own personal views aside, I realize that not everyone shares an open mind the way I do, and for whatever reason would very much like not to have erotic content divulged in their view, so it is with a heavy heart that I say that all intimate encounters are to take place in a private setting where no other players (Excluding those invited) can read what is going on or fade to black.

Such mediums include: Steam chat, world chat on a personal ship, world chat on a free planet, and other unsupported textual clients.

5.2 Cussing

This one I believe is less of a problem, we're all probably too familiar with these words, as long as they are not spammed OOCly then there won't be a problem. Some people swear, it's what they do, some do it a lot, and locking these characters out of a role play would be robbing everyone of a childish smile.

Taste and Tact is key, do it well and be revered, overdo it and risk repercussion.

Feolthenos

#1
James has just informed me I can buy a server from Silver for cheaper, I think I may do that instead.

Though, I still need a show of interest to make sure it's all worthwhile.

jaik

Quote from: Feolthenos on 12-06-2014
James has just informed me I can buy a server from Silver for cheaper, I think I may do that instead.

Though, I still need a show of interest to make sure it's all worthwhile.

Best Support Staff 2014....


<---


On a more serious note, I'm sure you'll be left satisfied.
Blake.H: And im also working on whipping him into shape
Blake.H: He's nice
Blake.H: He doesn't moan
Blake.H: The sheer obedience is enough to fuel my erection anyway

srgghostkilla

As a show of interest, I would play on a Starbound RP, so much potential for good RP so long as people stick together.

Syndraell

You've got my support on this one.

I'm just waiting to mess up your day. Honest.

KazMartell

I am on board, naturally.

Ragolution

As much as I'd like to play a story on rails.. I don't.

KazMartell

Ultimately only the way the story begins is 'on rails.' After that, if you (your character) does not want to participate, you are free to do as you will.

Even from the start you're free to go do something entirely different if you want, it just won't have the moderation that the main story will.

And even with that said, your characters' actions will have an effect on what direction the story goes, which puts it about as far away from railroading that you can get.

Basically you'll be dumped into a sandbox with a bunch of sticks and iron, and you get to make your own railroad. Through space!

Feolthenos

Quote from: Ragolution on 16-06-2014
As much as I'd like to play a story on rails.. I don't.

I'm not following how this is a story on rails.
Please explain your grievances in further detail

Ragolution

Quote from: Feolthenos on 17-06-2014
Quote from: Ragolution on 16-06-2014
As much as I'd like to play a story on rails.. I don't.

I'm not following how this is a story on rails.
Please explain your grievances in further detail

If you're going to have a server that has a storyline, at least make it so everyone can participate. (Multiple storytellers, unilateral events that happen over a long period of time, forum posts that can effect ingame happenings, etc.) The way this is advertised is that it's going to be run like a hackneyed D&D session where everyone has to participate or fall along the wayside of being inconsequential.

Don't try to tell people they can "just ignore the main plot" because then you've basically told yourself that your plot isn't good enough for everyone to like it. It's definitely one thing to have a driving plot but it's another thing entirely when that plot doesn't take everything into regard and progresses regardless of what's happening in the non-main sessions.

Miscellaneous Grievances:

It bothers me that you don't see this as railroady because you've very blatantly set down restrictions for the players and told them they have "freedom" on their own planets except that their own planets don't matter and they will never be visited as part of the storyline. The fact that you're not letting GMs decide when players are dead bothers me too, but for entirely different reasons that are based on my own experiences. Also the "Character Ejection Rule" bothers me a lot because the will of the consensus is a cruel fucking mistress. Just because enough people dislike someone doesn't give grounds to remove them. People can learn.

All-in-all it smells like a heavyhanded D&D 2e game where you threaten people into behaving or kick them out of the game. I really hate the impression those types of games leave on maturing gamers because it often turns them off from RP entirely or makes them jaded and spiteful towards other players. After RPing for most of my life and playing D&D for the last 4 years I can say that jaded/spiteful players make for a shitty game.

KazMartell

I appreciate the feedback and see what you are getting at with the railroading. I don't see it as railroading perse, because people who are taking part in the main story can pretty freely direct where it goes.

With that said, most non-sandbox video games that have any real story ultimately force the players to operate within certain bounds if they want to maintain said story.

In this case, where in Starbound there are very literally near infinite worlds to choose from and play on, it makes successful moderation of the entire playing field nearly impossible. You certainly can't monitor it all at once, and people will move to escape retribution on one of the myriad worlds you can find by putting in a random series of numbers.

So in a sense the players are being railroaded, by the active moderators/storytellers, if they wish to follow along the first path laid out before them. If a player does not want to play in said 'main storyline' then there are plenty of other options. That player can essentially become their own game master, and other players who wish to follow that story can do so.

There is a storyline over which multiple things could be presiding at once, but this particular post was for the basic rules of the primary story that the host and game master want to pitch. Also do note that there are going to be multiple game-masters, myself included, so the 'main' storyline, while being the original focus of what is desired, is not all that is possible.

The freedoms stated for people to partake of on their own planets, i.e mining and base building, are just to get around some of the game mechanics. A new player will need a place to mine, store their things, and generally just be when they don't want to roleplay. It also means they can acquire all the necessary resources without having to destroy whatever world the roleplay itself is taking place on.

As for character ejection, rule 1.2 and 1.3 are sort of the same in that respect; the character staying behind, stealing the ship, etc. are all the machinations of the character/player themselves. If said player has a motive for such an action, they might become an antagonist. While that is not explicitly stated, it is a possibility. I admit the possibility of being "voted off the ship" exists, but it's going to be an in-character affair that will have some moderation over.

GMs not being able to kill characters is more saying that the GM cannot kill someone just because they say so. If my understanding is correct, by the following rule, the GM can step in if a character should logically no longer exist, but they will not be abusing the power.

As a final note, such an open ended game world like this makes it difficult to please everyone. You will always get people who don't want to play the story the specific way that it begins, and so they might join that particular story at a later date- and carry on their own, with others or alone, until then.

Our goal is not to force people to play to our tune; far from it. If they want to start as part of the 'main plot' then they will need to observe certain rules, but after that point it's all fair game. They can take the starting points and go become space pirates, or follow bread crumbs to part of a mystery, or just stay on the planet and build their own base.

So, unless I've missed your point entirely, I hope that helps settle some of your reservations regarding this project. If you have any concerns that haven't been touched on, I'd be more than happy to help resolve them.