RULES AND GUIDELINES


As Stormpoint is a creative outlet, we really don't have many hard and fast rules, but we do have a few guidelines which we find help make things run smoother. These are discussed below under the headings: Story Etiquette, Free Form Role Playing, Character Portraits, and Copyright.



STORY ETIQUETTE


(1) Please keep in mind Stormpoint's character.

Rogue Jedi Knights and gin-smuggling gangsters from Chicago may indeed be interesting figures, but they'd be somewhat out of place on the cobblestone streets of Stormpoint.

(2) Please check with the other writers before you enter an ongoing storyline.

This guideline is primarily for courtesy and in recognition of the fact that some writers have a specific idea of the direction they want their story to go. An unexpected character engaging in unexpected actions may seriously disrupt their plans.

(3) Please don't write for anyone else's character without receiving their prior permission.

This includes how your character's actions affect other characters. For example: Eowyn, in an uncharacteristic fit of pique, may decide to test the soundness of a newly acquired mace by smashing it against her good friend Calo's head. While I can write that Eowyn swings at Calo, it's up to Calo's writer to determine whether she actually hits him. Calo might duck and be missed entirely, or might step back so that he receives only a glancing blow. Thus, before I can describe the outcome of the swing, I need to check with Calo's writer.

This also applies to areas of control. For example, Eowyn, sick to the teeth of the thieves' guild, might decide that she's going to disguise herself, walk into the guild, talk with everyone therein and get their names, and then report them to the authorities. While I can write that Eowyn wants to do this, or even plans to do it, I can't write that she actually does it successfully without checking with the writer in charge of the thieves' guild.

(4) Remember that Stormpoint is essentially a PG-13 site.

(5) Have Fun

FUN
Function: noun
Etymology: English dialect fun to hoax, perhaps alteration of Middle English fonnen, from fonne dupe

Date: 1727
1 : what provides amusement or enjoyment; specifically : playful often boisterous action or speech
2 : a mood for finding or making amusement

synonyms FUN, JEST, SPORT, GAME, PLAY mean action or speech that provides amusement or arouses laughter. FUN usually implies laughter or gaiety but may imply merely a lack of serious or ulterior purpose. © 2001 by Merriam-Webster



FREE FORM ROLE PLAYING


What is it? Free Form Role Playing (FFRP) is a concept well-described by America Online's Red Dragon Inn staff as follows:

Roleplaying itself is when an individual sets aside their own personality or identity and plays out the actions, thoughts, and dialogue of a fictional (or semi-fictional) character. There are many games available on the market which make use of this concept, but all of these make use of assorted rules on how a character may act, what a character may use or know, and so forth. Most of these games also rely heavily on dice and other elements of random chance, if not the whim of a game master. Free form roleplaying differs from the above in a marked fashion.

In free-form role-playing (FFRP), each character is completely controlled by his or her (its?!) player. There are no dice, there is no game master and there are no elements of chance; nothing can happen to your character that you do not wish to happen.

"Sounds like a bunch of would-be gods and goddesses insisting on who's most supreme," you might say ... but you'd be wrong. The axis that this form of play revolves around is called respect. To fully enjoy FFRP, you must respect your peers and their characters if you expect them to afford you the same luxury. If you do not make this step, you'll find that you spend most of your time playing by yourself rather than with a group of players.
- LDRS RDI Boards
RDIF Closed Storylines Manager
AOL Community Leader Volunteer

For more examples of how FFRP functions within our writing group, please check out some of the stories in our writings section.



CHARACTER PORTRAITS


Many writers choose to use a portrait to depict their character on our city webpage. In selecting a portrait, please keep in mind that Stormpoint strives to be a "family friendly" site. Because of this fact, and, following the maxim that a picture is worth a thousand words, we will not display a picture containing nudity however artistic or tasteful. Because Stormpoint also respects artist copyright, if you wish to submit a picture created by someone other than yourself, you must obtain the artist's permission. In most cases, this is simply a matter of visiting the artist's site and reviewing and complying with the stated "use policy." If no "use policy" is provided, however, you will need to contact the artist to request specific permission. Most artists are extremely generous in this regard and request only a link back to their galleries, which we happily provide.



COPYRIGHT


Pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 401 (2004), all written material contained within this site is protected by copyright. As such, it may not be reproduced, distributed, or used to create derivative works without the prior written consent of the copyright holder--Stormpoint Writers Guild. 17 U.S.C. § 106 (2004). Should you wish to contact an author, please note that each character description has been provided by the author responsible for that character, and that location descriptions and narrative content have been credited to the author responsible for each. Where no name is given, the content has been provided by one or both of the editors. Inquiries regarding use of copyrighted material should be directed to the editors who will forward requests to the appropriate author.

Copyright in all images is maintained by the individual credited artists. These works may not be copied or used in any way without following terms and constraints of the copyright holder. If you are interested in using any of these images, follow the link to the credited artist's website and contact the artist for permission. None of the images may be reproduced for commercial use without the explicit agreement of the artist.






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