Bad Idea RP Server Rules

Welcome to the Server!

We're all here to have fun and create awesome stories together. These rules are designed to keep things smooth, fair, and enjoyable for everyone. Mostly, common sense applies! Don't try to find loopholes, and if you're ever unsure about something, just ask an Administrator – they're here to help.

Not every possible scenario is covered here, but we'll update these rules as new situations pop up. Remember, our staff has the final say. If they tell you to stop or not do something, listen up!

We highly recommend recording your gameplay to protect yourself. Staff can't act on alleged rule breaks without solid evidence, so having recordings can save you a lot of hassle. Harassing staff won't change this requirement.

And just so you know, our rules are enforced 24/7. There's no "downtime" or "low player hours" where rules don't count. We have players from all over the world, and everyone deserves a consistent experience.

Quick Definitions

To keep things simple, here are a few common terms you'll see:

RP: Roleplay – acting as your character.
IC: In-Character – what your character knows, says, or does.
OOC: Out-of-Character – what you know, say, or do as a player, outside of your character.
PK: Permanent Kill/Character Ban – your character dies for good and you can't play them again.
Minge: Someone not playing along with the roleplay.
Metagame: Using OOC info in an IC situation (a big no-no!).
RDM: Random Deathmatch – killing someone without a good RP reason.
NLR: New Life Rule – what happens to your memory after your character dies (but isn't PK'd).
FearRP: Realistically valuing your character's life.
VDM: Vehicle Deathmatch – killing someone with a vehicle without a good RP reason.
Powergaming: Forcing unfair actions on another player using OOC tricks.
FailRP: Anything that just doesn't make sense in a roleplay world (like using game exploits to escape).
LTAP/LTARP: Leaving the server to avoid punishment or roleplay.

General RP Guidelines

These are the core principles for a good roleplay experience.

Take your roleplay seriously. This means having a decent character description, using the right chat channels, and putting effort into your actions. Everything you say or do in-game (unless it's OOC chat) is considered IC.
Don't kill without a good reason. Randomly killing players (RDM/VDM) or being a "minge," "metagamer," or "failRP" is not allowed.
Have a valid reason to kill. If someone attacks you with a weapon or vehicle, you can defend yourself. You can't kill someone just because of their looks, faction, or a simple insult.
Give warnings before escalating. If you're going to escalate a situation that could lead to violence, give a clear verbal or text warning and wait about 10 seconds for them to respond. If they pull a weapon after your warning, you can engage. Don't try to bait people into shooting you.
NLR Kills are for active fights. If you kill someone in an active gunfight that started fairly, or to remove them as a witness during a PK, that's an NLR kill. It's not RDM if it's justified. You can't PK someone just to NLR them.
NLR means forgetting. If your character is killed (but not PK'd), you forget everything that happened and everyone you met in the 15 minutes leading up to your death. You can go back to the area you died, but don't engage with the person who killed you or their friends for 15 minutes. This doesn't apply if you were RDM'd.
Don't roleplay as a mindless killer. Characters like psychopaths, hitmen, or serial killers whose sole purpose is to kill others are not allowed. Any killings from this type of roleplay will be considered RDM.
Value your life (FearRP). Your character should act like they don't want to die. Ignoring this can lead to a PK.
No spamming. This includes chat, props, or voice spam.
Be respectful OOC. You can be frustrated with someone, but harassing or bullying them OOC is against the rules.
Don't avoid roleplay. This includes stalling, character switching, or disconnecting to escape an RP situation or punishment.
Your character description should be about appearance. No personality traits (like "Schizophrenic") or made-up ranks ("King of Holland").
Don't abuse your faction. Don't use your faction status to ruin other people's roleplay, like arresting someone and leaving them in a cell for hours without interaction.
Don't disrupt RP or events. Don't intentionally interrupt other players' roleplay or staff-approved events. Doing so can get you blacklisted from future events or even banned.
Use proper grammar in RP chat. Bad grammar in RP chat might be considered FailRP.
Realistic character names. Your name should fit the time period and your character's origin. No famous/historical names (like Kanye West or Joseph Goebbels).
If you mug someone and they comply, don't kill them.
No contact between your own characters. Don't transfer items or money between your own characters. This can lead to PKs for all involved characters and a ban.
No building or moving props during combat. Props should be realistic for the location and placed naturally.
No unfair bases. Bases designed to give huge combat advantages (like death funnels or crouch bases) are not allowed.
PK requests have guidelines. If you want to permanently kill another player's character, make sure it follows the PK guidelines (you'll find more info on that if needed).
Situations aren't "voided" without staff approval.
Don't disconnect after an IC consequence. If you take an action that will clearly have IC consequences, stay on for at least 30 minutes.
Characters must be 18+ years old.
No power-hungry assassinations. You can't just assassinate your commanding officer to gain power. You need a very detailed, RP-driven reason that follows PK guidelines.
Don't mug or kidnap General Ranking Officers. These individuals would realistically have guards and command respect, making such actions unrealistic.
Use /looc for OOC chat over mic. All Discord voice channels and third-party voice programs are OOC. Don't use them to coordinate IC actions.
No prop vehicles. Creating movable vehicles out of props is not allowed.
No forgery. Forging documents is powergaming.
Don't use alternate characters to avoid consequences.
No ERP. Erotic Roleplay of any kind is forbidden.
Don't ruin the RP atmosphere. Bunny hopping, driving ridiculously modified vehicles, or building silly things are considered FailRP.
Raids on government buildings need admin approval. If you're a criminal organization raiding a government building, a staff member (Upper Admin or higher) must approve and oversee it. Without approval, it's FailRP and RDM.
Detained individuals must be interacted with. If someone is detained or tied up without continuous RP (trial, interrogation, etc.) for 15 minutes, they must be released.
Staff word is final. If you disagree with a staff decision, take it up with a higher staff member via Discord or forums. Don't interfere in a staff situation.
Voice modifiers and soundboards are limited. Only use them if they fit the RP (e.g., radio static, marching music). Otherwise, it's FailRP.
Don't run people over unless your life is in danger. VDM is only allowed if they are actively shooting at you or an immediate threat. If players run into the road carelessly and get hit, that's on them.
No invisible entrances. Don't use one-way materials or no-collide features to make secret entrances for an unfair advantage.
No unrealistic prop usage for movement. Prop surfing, stacking props, or pushing players with props to get to unreachable locations is FailRP. Build realistic ladders or bridges instead.
No conflicting investigative roles on different characters. Don't have one character in the NSB and another in the MGD at the same time.
Family names are okay, but limited. Dynasties/families can only have 3 members at a time, who can know each other. The actions of one family member can affect others. Only one member can be a general at a time.
One title/rank in your name. For example, "Major John Smith" is fine, not "Major Dr. John Smith." You can put extra titles in your description.
Don't LTAP/LTARP. If you start an RP situation or are in an admin sit, don't leave the game or switch characters to avoid it. If you crash, tell the admin or message in Discord and try to reconnect quickly.
Protests/riots need admin approval. Unapproved events cause issues and are considered minging.
Don't abuse game glitches. If you find an exploit, report it, don't abuse it. Abusing glitches will lead to serious punishment.

Character Specifics

These rules help keep your characters consistent and prevent metagaming.

Realistic RP names. First and last name are required; nickname/middle name is optional. No slurs, non-name words, single first names, or famous character/person names. Staff can change inappropriate names.
Serious character descriptions. Your description is IC and can be used against you. No personality descriptions or made-up ranks.
No IC info in OOC, and vice versa (Metagaming).
Stay in character. Don't break character to avoid an RP situation.
No remaking PK'd characters or their relatives. Your characters should have zero relation to each other.
No prominent criminal and government characters at the same time. You can't have one character high up in a criminal org and another high up in a government org.
Don't use a second character to re-assume a PK'd role. If your character is PK'd from a high-ranking position, don't just use another character to fill that same role. This will lead to severe bans.
Don't remake characters to avoid identification. Changing your name/description after being identified is metagaming and powergaming.
No "throwaway" or "minge" characters. Don't create characters just to mess around or get PK'd. Repeated instances will lead to severe punishment.
No conflicting orgs for corrupt government characters. If you have a corrupt government character working with a crime org, don't have another character in that same crime org. This leads to metagame.

Life & Death Rules

These govern how your character experiences life, death, and memory.

Value your character's life (FearRP). You should act like you don't want your character to die. Breaking this can result in a PK.
Follow NLR after every death. Forget everything from the last 15 minutes before your death. You're not truly dead unless it's a PK. You'll respawn without memory of that 15-minute period. You can return to a location for a standing order (like a warrant or meeting place) if you've waited the NLR time.
NLR radius means staying away. Don't return to the exact building or area where you died. Don't loiter nearby or immediately seek out the same players. Don't try to loophole the NLR.
NLR exemptions: You're exempt from NLR if there's a public announcement about the situation, or if you're directly called into RP (like a trial or arrest) for past actions.
Witnesses can refresh memories. If you're a surviving witness, you can tell NLR-killed players what happened, refreshing their memory after they respawn.

FearRP: Valuing Your Life

This is all about how you react when your life is on the line.

Obey your captor's commands. If you're under FearRP, follow orders. Trying to escape or fight back and getting killed means you disregarded your life, which can result in a PK. This is a risk you choose to take.
Disregarding your life = PK risk. Acting recklessly when your life is in danger can result in a PK at staff's discretion.
Captors should give adequate warnings. If you're holding someone under FearRP, give them enough time to react to your commands. One quick warning isn't enough, nor are multiple warnings in a very short time.
Be aware of your surroundings. Don't use OOC excuses like "my headset was off" or "I was AFK" to avoid FearRP or a PK.
Have a valid reason for FearRP. Don't just hold someone at gunpoint to bait a PK. You need a good reason (detain, question, kidnap, mug).
FearRP ends when the threat is gone. If the person with the weapon puts it away or completely turns away from you (more than 90 degrees), FearRP is off. You can retaliate then with less risk. This doesn't apply if you're being mugged by multiple people; you can only retaliate if they retreat.
Don't "PK hunt" or be "PK hungry." Continuously putting yourself into FearRP scenarios just to get PKs (mass mugging, baiting, shootouts on alt characters) is not allowed. Staff can deny your PK requests or punish you if you do this without genuine RP intent.
Knife FearRP: Within stabbing distance. For FearRP to apply with a knife, the attacker must be close enough to stab you.
Escape from a distance. If you're attacked from a distance (like a block away or out of voice range), you can escape without risk.
FearRP for vehicles: To FearRP a driver or passenger, you must be within 5 feet of the vehicle, have your weapon pointed at them, and the car must be stopped. FearRP doesn't apply to fast-moving vehicles.

Mugging Do's and Don'ts

Mugging should be realistic and not disruptive.

Mug in secluded areas. Don't mug in public places. Take them to an alley, dark corner, or abandoned building where no one else is around.
If they comply, leave them unharmed. Only kill a victim if they don't comply. Your demands must be realistic; don't ask for something they can't give just to kill them.
Don't make characters solely for mugging. If you get PK'd for mugging and immediately make a new character to do the same thing, it shows you're not interested in genuine roleplay.
Don't kill witnesses to a mugging. You should mug in secluded locations to avoid being seen.
You can tie up and rob victims.
Once mugging is over, flee. After a compliant victim gives you their items, you must leave the scene. Don't kill or unnecessarily cripple them (shooting once isn't crippling, but leaving them to bleed out is). Don't take them hostage unless you have a separate, valid RP reason beyond just mugging.
No repeated muggings. Don't mug the same person within 30 minutes.
Be cautious! Getting killed while mugging can lead to a PK.

Killing Rules

When is it okay to kill?

No RDM (Random Deathmatch). Don't kill without a proper RP reason.
Words aren't usually a death sentence. Don't kill or escalate to murder just for verbal disrespect or an argument. If someone keeps disrespecting you, you can physically intimidate or hit them (fists/melee) to start a fight. They can then choose to flee (in which case you can't kill them) or retaliate.
Revenge is a dish best served later (sometimes). If you're attacked and flee, you can return later to get revenge, as long as it aligns with Killing Rule 3 (below).
Active threats vs. Idle threats.
- Active Threat: Someone pointing a weapon at you and threatening to kill you. You can react in that moment, but breaking FearRP to kill them and dying can still result in a PK.
- Idle Threat: Someone verbally threatening you without a weapon. You cannot kill them for this.
Harassment can lead to violence. If someone is consistently following, loitering, or harassing you after several warnings, you can attack/kill them. One warning isn't enough, and multiple warnings too quickly aren't either; give them time to react.
Self-defense is allowed. You can kill in self-defense or to protect your partners, faction, or property if it's appropriate.
Don't bait for kills. Don't start arguments, punch, or shoot someone just to force a confrontation so you can kill them. This is baiting.
Protecting your property. You can kill someone in self-defense if they refuse multiple commands to leave your private/faction property while at gunpoint.
Witnesses to crime. Don't kill people for simply witnessing a crime you committed, unless they witnessed a PK you executed (see General Rule 3). You can threaten them to keep quiet, but you need 100% certainty they've reported you before taking violent action (and you'd need a "Dirt PK" approved for that). Don't kill innocent bystanders or people who just look like your target. Be absolutely sure.
Confronting authorities. Initiating a shootout or violent confrontation with authorities can lead to a PK if you lose. Generally, don't immediately go for a gun with authorities. If they fire first or escalate, that's different. Deliberately baiting or RDMing with zero RP intent will be punished.
No killing based on inventory sounds. You can't tell what an inventory sound means IC (gun, fishing rod, etc.). Using this is metagaming.
Don't kill authorities without reason. You can't kill authorities for pulling you over, questioning you, or giving lawful orders (like "leave the area").
Retaliating for close connections. You can retaliate against anyone (including Government Personnel) who is directly acting against you or people you have strong IC connections to (family, criminal organization members being detained/kidnapped). If you're outnumbered or out-armed, you must still follow FearRP rules.
What defines a "group member" (mostly for civilians):
- They are part of your faction.
- You know them well IC.
- You cannot attack authorities or interfere if they are detaining someone you don't know.
- This doesn't apply if your group member is detained inside a Government building, as that requires an approved raid.

Metagaming: Keep IC and OOC Separate

Metagaming ruins the fun and is a serious offense.

Don't talk about in-game matters OOC.
No OOC terms in IC chat/voice.
Discord and unapproved platforms are OOC. Unless a Prometheus Networks channel is clearly labeled IC (like "IC-Announcements"), assume it's OOC. Using DMs, OOC channels, or unapproved Discord servers for IC coordination is metagame, and there's zero tolerance.
No unapproved Discord servers to bypass official Guilds. This will be punished.
Don't tamper with video evidence.
Discord messages for IC issues are Metagame. This includes giving/confirming IC orders.
PK assignments must be handled IC. If a PK is approved, the person who ordered it must be in-game to pass down the assignment. No Discord or OOC messages for this. The person who ordered the PK must also be in-game while it's executed and for 30 minutes after.
All Discord Voice Channels are OOC.
All 3rd party voice/VOIP programs are OOC. Use in-game chat or voice (like radios!) for IC communication. Coordinating anything IC via third-party voice programs is metagaming and will lead to bans/voided RP.
Don't call for OOC help while under FearRP/mugged. Realistically, you couldn't contact anyone then.
No OOC reasons to PK someone.
Don't use OOC terms to escape RP. Everything said over mic (not in /ooc or /looc) is IC.
Use /looc or /ooc for OOC chat. Don't say things like "I'm going to speak OOCly" or "You're breaking NLR" IC. That's FailRP.
Anything said in-game (not /ooc or /looc) is IC.
Don't use IC info from one character on another. That's metagame.
Admin sits are OOC. Don't use info from an admin sit in RP.
No camping illegal NPCs as authorities. Government personnel don't magically know which NPCs sell drugs. Detaining or arresting players just for approaching an NPC is metagaming.
How to identify someone IC:
- You have their F3 (in-game identification).
- They verbally tell you their full name/unique nickname.
- Someone with their F3 identifies them to you.
- You've seen their ID card or searched them.
- If they committed violence or mugged you, you can recognize them by voice and clothing for up to 20 minutes afterward. They can change clothes or lay low to avoid this.
No inter-character crossover for investigations. Members of intelligence or criminal factions cannot investigate or participate in RP situations they were involved in, witnessed, or reported on a second character.

Powergaming: Keep it Fair

Powergaming is about using OOC means to force unfair actions.

Don't force RP on others. This means no forcing players to kill their own character, commit crimes, do specific RP actions, or give you their F3.
If removed from an RP situation... (The original rule was cut off here, but generally it means you shouldn't try to re-enter or continue to affect the situation OOCly).