SERVER RULES

The following page details the rules and guidelines of Lavinia State | Roleplay.

All players are required to familiarize themselves with the writings of the following page; the utilization of ignorance and/or loopholes of any type will not be tolerated during the handling of tickets or reports.

1.0 COMMUNITY ETIQUETTE

Players are expected to treat one another, as well as staff, with basic respect and decency, both in-game and within all Community Discord servers.

Lavinia State | Roleplay was created with the ideal of a safe-space of all backgrounds and identities to explore historical themes without the risk of out-of-character drama, harassment, spamming, stalking, discrimination, toxicity, ic-ooc bleed, or any other form of hatred or mockery. Direct mockery of other roleplay communities also falls under this rule. Out-of-character behaviour of this sort is prohibited in this community, and may result in Community Bans.

Staff Members, likewise, are to be treated with respect and kindness. If you experience mishandling by a member of staff, submit a Staff Report.

Examples of breaking this rule include:

Commenting in the main Discord Server on a character’s outfit, rather than submitting a RPQM Report.
Utilizing /b or /pm to insult another player.
Directly disregarding a staff ruling.
DMing a player via Discord to insult their roleplay, character, or out-of-character identity.

Staff retains the final say in all matters of rulebreaks, disputes, and misconduct.

1.1 | EXTERNAL DISCORDS

Staff reserves the right to police all Official Discords under ownership of Lavinia State | Roleplay.

Toxicity or breaks of community etiquette within external, player-owned Discord Servers, or displayed within direct-messages, may be investigable and punishable by LS|RP staff if in direct relation to the server or player-base.

1.2 | ANTI-BAITING

Staff reserves the right to remove or punish cases of direct baiting, fire-starting, trolling, or otherwise speaking in inflammatory ways with the attempt to start arguments.

2.0 METAGAMING

Metagaming is defined as the spread and/or utilization of In-Character (IC) information by Out-of-Character (OOC) means, or vice versa.

It can additionally describe the transfer of information or goods between your own characters.

Examples of breaking this rule include:

Telling your friend to come to your exact location as you believe you are about to be robbed.
Your alt purchases goods from your main character’s owned shop.
You use voice chat to coordinate during a criminal pursuit.
You identify a bandit by their name-tag or language setting.
From the hall, you ‘hear’ a conversation taking place within a closed room.

You may only have one law/outlaw character per jurisdiction to avoid any crossover, or one federal character (i.e. Marshal, Pinkerton, or Judge).

3.0 POWERGAMING

Powergaming is defined as utilizing unrealistic or far-fetched roleplay, refusing consequences, failing to roleplay realistic fear, forcing actions upon another player, or otherwise playing with a mentality to ‘win’ or be the best.

Examples of breaking this rule include:

Being shot down and immediately standing up to fight again after bandaging your wounds.
Roleplaying as lifting an entire horse or a house.
You down somebody and emote that you “shot them in the head three times to ensure they are dead.”
You emote what someone else’s character is doing.
Joining an active fight between two large men as a young, unarmed female character.
Leaping from a high mountain, knowing you will not mechanically die or be injured.
While downstairs or outside, you overhear an upstairs or inside conversation and utilize the information IC.
When asked if you recognize a character, you use a realistically common trait (blue eyes, deep voice, etc.) as a method of recognition.

Beginning Limited or Banned themes in a public location may also be considered a form of powergaming, and be condensed into larger punishments.

GENERAL RULES

4.0 DEATHMATCHING

Deathmatching is defined as killing another player-character without any reasoning or with unrealistic reasoning and/or escalation through roleplay.

Examples of breaking this rule include:

You shoot a character you have never spoken to simply because he is African-American and your character is racist.
During a robbery, you simply open fire rather than offering them a chance to fight, flee, or comply with your demands.
While on a wagon or horse, you choose to run someone over rather than waiting.
When you see a law officer, you shoot him because you think he might recognize you for a crime you committed some time ago.

5.0 THIRD-PARTY SOFTWARE

The utilization of any third-party modifications, software, or programs which may offer an in-game advantage are prohibited. This includes the creation of keybinds and hot-keys.

Client-side modding for graphical pursuited (e.x. Reshade files) are permitted.

AI writing tools may not be utilized in roleplay or within Community Discords.

6.0 BUGS & EXPLOITS

Bugs and exploits are to be reported to the appropriate channels within the Community Discord server.

Abusing or exploiting any script that is suspected to be a bug will be considered a breach of this rule. Failing to report, or logging/ respawning mid-scene with intent to avoid consequences, is, additionally, a breach of the rule.

How do bans work?

Rulebreaks on Lavinia State | Roleplay go through a standardized process; without the addition of the typical Ban Appeal system.
WARNINGS

Warnings are just as they sound - a written warning from a member of staff. Warnings may be documents (referred to as an official warning) or simply a courtesy (referred to as an unofficial warning).

BANS

Bans are the first 'official' stage of punishment. When you receive a ban, you will be kicked from the community Discord until a date listed in your associated ticket - typically one month.

BLACKLISTS

Blacklists or 'permanent bans' are permanent or near-permanent ban, effectively removing any access from the server and community.

Players may not, at any time, direct-message staff regarding server matters, nor share share screenshots of private, ticket-based conversations outside of staff.

7.0 STAFF COMMUNICATION

8.0 ACCURATE PORTRAYAL

The roleplay, presentation, and portrayal of all characters must remain believable and respectful to historical facts and common sense surrounding such.

The server employs a team of Roleplay-Quality Management (RPQM) members who reserve the right to request changes to character presentation if unrealistic or disrespectful.

Examples of breaking this rule include:

You choose to create a very modern outfit via the tailor for your character.
You choose to portray a minority in a stereotypical caricature fashion.
You choose to go into the snow shirtless and pantless, with no regard for realism.
You choose to unrealistically wear a mask into a town.

All players will be expected to provide real-world resources (articles, etc.) if questioned on exceptional themes. Refusing to act within reasonable boundaries or refusing to comply with RPQM team members will be a breaking of this rule.

8.1 | CHARACTER NAME

All characters must be named original, period-accurate names, surnames, and nicknames.

Names pulled from media or celebrities (i.e. Doc Holliday or John Marston), troll or joke names (i.e. Anita Bath or Seymour Butts), or exceptionally modern names (i.e. Jayden or Sayge) will not be allowed on-server.

8.2 | CHARACTER AGE

No character may be under the age of 21 years old on server; this may be considered the legal age of maturity within the State.

The introduction of player-controlled underage NPCs is not allowed.

8.3 | SECOND CHANCE

All players may utilize the second-chance store within any Barbershop to change their character's appearance, such as adding scars, makeup, or tweaking features.

Utilizing the second-chance store to unrealistically change features (i.e. switching race, applying a beard when clean-shaven the day before, etc.) is not allowed.

8.4 | CONTINUITY

Players may not create or change lore and history to fit their narratives without admin approval. Creation of personal lore (i.e. a cult, faction, or ranch) is allowed.

Examples of breaking this rule include:

Creating an original Indigenous "tribe" without guidance.
Referring to Lemoyne as a State rather than a County.
Speaking of an event from 1903, when the year is 1885.

Please note: real-world history is to be followed when speaking of events or locations outside of the State. History, culture, and world events are to be considered 1:1.

9.0 VALUE OF LIFE

Players must value the lives of their character and of others' characters at all times. Life or reputation-threatening situations must be treated with realism and respect - the game mechanics of a 'death' or 'respawn' should always be treated as some form of injury.

Examples of breaking this rule include:

Your character, a saloon girl, decides to fistfight a man twice her size.
Your character, an outlaw, enters a civilized area with no attempt to disguise.
You ride your horse off of a tall cliff, knowing you can simply respawn it later.
You decide to fight rather than flee or comply when surrounded by eight robbers.

Players repeatedly putting their characters into unrealistic situations with no fear for repercussions is not allowed.

10.0 NPC ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

NPCs (non-player characters) including riders, wagons, townspeople, horses, and wildlife are to be considered in-roleplay, and must be taken into account when considering the realism of an action.

Examples of breaking this rule include:

You enter a NPC-guarded plantation and hold someone at gunpoint.
You kill an NPC that keeps walking into you and say it is 'just OOC'.
You enter a populated town and rob someone in front of an NPC policeman.
You rope an NPC and drag them around for fun.

ROLEPLAY RULES

All players are entitled to a minimum of five character slots. Alternate characters may be used to extend your character's family, faction, or for general roleplay.

Within this rule, you may:

Roleplay as a sibling, cousin, parent, child, or extended relative of another character.
Share backstory elements or pre-server knowledge with another character.
Join the faction on another character to fill a different role within the group.
Transfer goods within a faction between alternate characters.

Within this rule, you may not:

Create an outlaw while actively playing a lawman, or vice versa.
Create more than one outlaw or lawman at a time.
Transfer money or horses between alternate characters, with exception to faction.
Play identical or near-identical characters.
Utilize an alt to affect the story or narrative of another character.
Utilize an alt to get revenge for another character.

11.0 ALTERNATE CHARACTERS

Restricted Themes encompass elements of roleplay that should be handled with caution on-server; these themes require consent from all present parties.

Players may roleplay or mention, within secluded areas and with consent;

Cannibalism
Child Abuse*
Child Death*
Graphic Injury/Gore
Incest*
Lynching*
Miscarriage
Mutilation / Dismemberment
Self-Harm
Sexual Themes
Suicide
Torture

Items with a * are mentionable, but not roleplayable.

Players may not under any circumstance roleplay or mention;

Bestiality
Necrophilia
Hate Groups (e.x. the KKK)
Pedophilia
Sexual Assault (including allegations, rumors, or hints towards the theme)
Sexual Torture (i.e. torture involving sexual organs)

To engage in Restricted Themes, you must meet the following requirements:

All players present have OOCly consented to the roleplay, and all non-consenting parties must have left the scene.
The roleplay is to be actively conducted or spoken on in a secluded or private area, where an non-associated player is unlikely to stumble upon the scene.
Players knowingly entering an area where the roleplay is ongoing (such as entering a brothel) are considered to be consenting until they choose to leave the scene.

Please note: the release of screenshots, scenes, or other media containing Restricted Themes will fall under this rule - be mindful with the exposure of the above themes.

12.0 LIMITED THEMES

An Addendum on Prejudice RP

The world of 1885 is a harsh one - with a great deal of hate and unrest towards people who do not fall into the 'norm'. This includes people of color, LGBT people, and other minorities.

While Lavinia State | Roleplay caters to a realistic take of history, we do not condone the racism, sexism, antisemitism, religious prejudice, transphobia or homophobia. The usage of certain terms, slurs, and triggering words are, for the sake of the community, banned within the game and within roleplay:

The "N-Word"/Buck/Coon/Pickaninny for African-American characters
Beaner/Greaser/Wetback/Spick for Mexican and Latino characters
Squaw/Buck/Eskimo for Indigenous characters.
F-ggot/F-g/Dyke for LGBT characters
Ch-nk/K-ke for Asian character
Any harsh slurs associated with other minority groups.

The use of lighter slurs such as "redskin", "negro", or "darkie", as found in the base-game RDR2 Campaign are welcomed as substitutes in-character.

The pursuit of historical accuracy is never worth harming the player behind the screen. It is considered common courtesy to discuss OOC before engaging in any form of high-prejudice scene or conflict.

13.0 HORSE TRAINING

Horse Trainers must roleplay the training of horses for a span of at least five days before sale or return to owner. Horse Brokers and Natives must roleplay all horses for a span of ten days.

MISC. RULES

Players may tame no more than five horses per 24hr period. Additional horses may be captured and sold to the Horse Registry. Horses kept from missions count towards this number.

14.0 HORSE TAMING