Elyasia RPG Rules & Information

[SalyaDarken]

Greetings and welcome to the Elyasia Forums! These are also referred to as the Elyasia RP boards. On this page, we’re going to share everything you need to know to get the hang of our forums. We’ll walk you through the rules and what we expect from everyone so that all our members can chill out and enjoy a drama-free experience here!

Quick Start Guide:

• Newbie Packet - an all-in-one informational walk-through for those just starting out at Elyasia Forums! (WIP)
• Posting Help! - Here’s a simple guide to help you post here. We'll start with the basics, like making text bold or italic, and then we’ll move on to some cooler stuff like quoting, multi-quoting, tables, and even hosting images (still a work in progress).

Things-to-Know Click on each heading below to guide you to where you want to go.

1. Forum Rules
2. Code of Conduct
3. Avatar and Signature Rules and Guidelines
4. Roleplaying Section Information, Rules, and Guidelines

More Information

• Forum Staff and Rank Explanation
• Guild Information - Artists and Graphics Guild, Writing and Role-Playing Guild

[SalyaDarken]

General Rules of the Elyasia Forums

1. Be Respectful.
   Treat everyone fairly, and just be pleasant.
2. No religious or political discussions.
   a) These topics typically involve drama, so please refrain from posting them.
   b) We've all got our own beliefs and things we care about, so it's super important to stay open-minded while we’re working on stuff for Elyasia. That said, this goes for all our members and everyone involved because not everyone sees things the same way. As long as everyone is following our rules and keeping things respectful—like no offensive pictures, rude slang, or name-calling—I just ask that if anyone feels uncomfortable in the thread, they can choose to sit it out. No pressure!
3. Spam and Triple Posting Rules.
   We kindly request that all participants adhere to standard forum etiquette by refraining from spamming and triple posting across the Elyasia Forums. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and engaging community.
   a) Triple Posting: Members may Triple post in a thread if 12 hours or more have elapsed since their last post. But if you keep doing this, like being the only one posting in a thread for days straight and just filling it up with your own messages, the Admin or Moderators might see it as spam or think you're posting way too much. If they do, they'll probably ask you to chill out and cut it back a bit.
   b) Stay on topic: Adhere to the topic of a thread. If you want to chat about something different or something kinda related but not exactly on topic, just start a new thread to talk it out! Likewise, threads should be made in the appropriate sections of the forum which match their topics.
4. Only one account per user. Staff may have up to 3 accounts.
   This measure aims to eliminate drama, prevent number inflation, and discourage dishonesty. If you create more than one account, a ban may be given. Please refer to the Code of Conduct for more details.
   a. Temporary or single-use e-mail addresses may be banned in an effort to combat spam bots. IP addresses and VPNs associated with these accounts may also become blocked. If you believe you have been blocked in error, please e-mail us at elyasia@proton.me.
5. Excessive Images must be placed in a Spoiler.
   Explanation (Click Me):

   So, apart from the Graphics section, the Galleria of Sakura, and the Arts and Graphics Guild, if you've got a bunch of photos to share in one post, you need to put them behind a spoiler. Large amounts generally mean more than 3 or 4 images in a single post. Please be considerate to those with slower connections or are on mobile devices! In the Graphics section and the Arts and Graphics Guild, the person who started the post can choose to put their images behind spoilers if they want to, or just leave them out in the open. This will be enforced by the moderators of each section.
   
   How to use a Spoiler Code:

   Code: Select all

   [spoiler]Your stuff goes here[/spoiler] OR [spoiler=title]Your stuff goes here[/spoiler]

   If you’re in the "preview" post editing mode, just highlight the part you want to hide in a spoiler. Then, click on the little notebook paper icon with a caution sign in front of it.
6. Username Rules.
   Names may not contain any canon names from any characters in Elyasia's main Story. such as Lyne, Sesshomaru, Mira, etc. Unless you plan to play that character for all rps.
   -Post in the Name Change Request Thread if you want your username changed.
   
   After the name change, members need to show "Formerly [Prior Name]" in their personal text or make sure it's easy to see in their signature for 90 days.
   A username may be changed twice, but a 6-month waiting period will be required between name changes
7. Avatar and Signature Requirements.
   see this thread for details on our Avatar and Signature guidelines.
8. Point Prizes!
   Elyasia introduces a point system to encourage active participation throughout the boards. You earn points by posting around the board. Also the more you type the more points you can get. You can use your points in the shops area to buy 100x100 bumpers, 50x50 stamp packs and more.
9. Chatroom
   Please ensure that the Chatbox remains appropriate for all audiences.

Any questions about these Rules can be sent via PM to SalyaDarken.

[SalyaDarken]

This is a Code of Conduct ("CoC"). The Code of Conduct is designed to enhance, not to substitute for, the rules of Elyasia. If something pops up that isn't covered in the Code of Conduct, the admins will take care of it as best as they can, always thinking about what's best for the site. They'll also chat with the right staff and other admins before making a decision.

Section I. Post Content

1. 18+ - Elyasia is a strictly 18+ site, unless otherwise stated in rules or addendums.
2. Bigotry – Elyasia is strongly against discrimination in any form. Anyone found posting sexist, racist, homophobic or religious hate messages will be dealt with quickly and severely.
3. Swearing - Is allowed but don't swear a LOT. If a character swears a lot, use $#&*&@ like how Barret swears in FF7.
   [
4. Illegality - If there’s any talk about illegal stuff, like comments on violence, abuse (either emotional or physical), or drug use, that can lead to disciplinary action.

Section II. Member Conduct

1. Privacy is sacred. Basically, no one from Elyasia should share any private chats or personal stuff without getting the okay from everyone who was part of the conversation. This includes public threads, PMs, E-mails, and instant messages. This encompasses disciplinary actions for members. The staff isn’t really keen on pointing out others' mistakes, so we won’t bring those things up with anyone who’s not directly involved. That being said, Neo Queen Serenity's e-mail and PM boxes are always open.
2. Bullying
   -Bullying takes many forms and can be far more destructive than many people will realize. Some people will laugh off the most vicious comments while others may be driven nearly to suicide. Elyasia's team can take down any posts, avatars, or signature pictures that they think don't fit the rules.
   -This also includes being "elitist." There will be members with various amount of knowledge and various interests, so please be respectful to everyone. We are all Sailor Moon fans and we ARE all equal.
3. Personal Attacks
   Personal attacks on other members are not tolerated, including on public boards and in the chatbox. Do not talk behind someone else's back. Administration and the staff are expected and obligated to deter any personal attacks.
   (a) Vague ranting/complaining posts that could be about another member on site will not be tolerated. If it's obvious to the team and others that you're talking about someone else, even if you don't name them directly in your post, we'll have to take some action as explained in the Punishment Procedure below.
4. Account Information
   The individual who registered for an account will be held responsible for all actions taken by the account. To avoid being accused of something you did not do, never give your account information to anyone.
5. Instructions by staff
   (a) Ignoring instructions given by staff or these rules are grounds for discipline.
   (b) If you think the staff missed the mark with an instruction they gave you, just send them a private message to talk it over. It’s better to keep it off the public threads. If you’ve tried talking about the issue with the staff member and feel like they’re not really listening to you, don’t hesitate to bring in their supervisor for help (check out Section VI for more info). In the interim, follow the staff’s instructions, even if you disagree with them.

Section III. Conflict Resolution
This is an online forum, and it is inevitable that drama will ensue. If internet drama happens to you, please follow the following procedures.

1. Notify Staff of any Issues
   If you’ve got a problem with another member or even with someone from the Elyasia staff, just shoot a private message to the staff supervisor and let them know.
2. Keep Disputes Private
   Elyasia really thinks that any problems among members or between members and staff are better sorted out in private, like through a PM or email. When people keep their issues to themselves, it gives everyone a chance to think things through and figure out possible fixes without making a big scene or stressing about looking bad. This helps keep public arguments at bay, making it easier to find a solution that works for everyone.
3. Speak Your Mind
   Elyasia will never discipline any member for telling staff something the staff does not want to hear. That doesn’t mean that members have license to be rude to staff, but it does mean that if you see a problem, you need to tell us about it.
4. Remember that Reasonable People Can Disagree
   There are certain things that are black and white. Most disputes don’t fall within these realms of incontrovertible truth; more often, there are shades of gray. It's natural for decent folks, who genuinely want to do the right thing, to have different opinions even when they're looking at the same facts.
5. Keep in mind that not all of our members may speak English as their native language.
   This can cause misinterpretations to occur. If you have a question as to what someone meant, please ask them respectfully to clarify, before assuming the worst.

Section IV. Three Strike Policy
Admins can give out Cautions for stuff they think is kind of inappropriate or falls into a "gray area" when it comes to the Elyasia Rules.

1. The Three Strike Policy is here to help folks figure out what kind of content might be seen as inappropriate. It gives some guidance without jumping straight into official rules and penalties right away. We all mess up now and then, but if someone keeps making the same mistakes, it kinda looks like they don’t really get the rules of the forum or don’t care about them. So, basically, if you get three cautions, it’s like one rule violation. That means there will be some disciplinary action, just like it says in Section V of the Code of Conduct.

Section V. Consequence Procedures
This is a description of the general procedure for handling violations. Please be aware this general procedure may be altered in order to accommodate for specific situations.

1. First Offense The member will be contacted via PM by a staff member regarding the violation. This PM will serve as a cautionary notice.
2. If the same issue keeps happening or if a different problem pops up, a staff member will reach out to you through a private message. At this stage, the member will be placed on a temporary one week probation. Probation - meaning the member will be able to access Elyasia, but not post on the forums.
3. Third Offense If the same rule is broken again or if there's a different violation, someone from the staff will reach out to the member through a private message. At this stage, the member will be placed on a temporary two week ban. Ban - meaning the member will be unable to access or post on Elyasia.
4. Final Offense: At this point, the member might get a temporary or permanent ban from Elyasia, or they may receive some additional instructions from the staff.
5. Just a quick note: The team here tries to stick to this punishment plan, but we still keep the option to take action if something unexpected comes up.

Section VI. Infraction Rollback Policy

1. Every six months is set as the general rollover date for infractions that have earned warnings. So, if it's been over six months since someone got a warning for something not too serious, the next time they get warned, it'll count as a "first" warning, even if it’s actually their fifth one. But for bigger issues—like those that get a warning the first time they happen—and for cases where someone keeps breaking the same rule, the admins can decide to take it to the next level depending on the situation.
2. Regardless, warnings and offenses do not get ignored after a certain point; they are all part of a member's history and can be taken into consideration when major offenses are made.

Section VII. Miscellaneous

1. Any and all sites and forums may not be "planned" on Elyasia.
   ---1 thread is allowed in the proper forum section advertising your site.
   ---Discussion, deciding details, dividing up duties, etc. are not allowed. These actions must be done on the site or with your own e-mail.
   ---Messages to Elyasia members asking to join your site are not allowed.
   ---Advertising your site in the chat box, welcome threads, help threads, etc., are not allowed.
2. We kindly request that you refrain from criticizing other sites and forums on Elyasia.
   ---We are here to provide a friendly drama free place.
   ---Whatever drama happens at another forum/website/tumblr/etc. stays there. It has no place in Elyasia.