Message 1/24 of "Klingon Imperial Affairs OOC " (10)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: jubjup

Stardate: 75477.253661 <Sun Jan 13 22:16:17 2002>

Subject: Rules Basics

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This Magazine, 10, Klingon Imperial Affairs, is likely to be the first one

read by new players. I am going to place some non-expiring posts here, which

will eventually move to the top position on the mag and stay there, with basic

information that I've tried to share with all the players, but which, not

being recorded, or being wiped by an expire pass over the @magazines, need to

be repeated to new players.

These are rules, regulations, opinions, begging and pleading from your admin,

who is subject to change. They are quite likely to be changed by a successor

admin. The rules that are constant are the Rules of Engagement and the IC

Rules published by the wizards. Do not fly until you understand the Rules of

Engagement. You can only get those on the web, www.trekmush.org. The roe.txt

file will be updated before the HTML version. These rules basically tell you

when and what you can interact with that is not owned by you or the Empire.

Do not get into space combat, attack any person or place, until you know these

rules.

You should also look at the "rules" command and its topics. Some are a bit

out of date, ask if you are not sure from looking, but especially attend to IC

Rules. The IC rules are an early version of ROE that remind you not to launch

a ship without enough crew, spell out that you cannot make yourself a spy or

secret agent without wizard approval (you might get by on approval from your

own admin and the admin of the factions you are spying on), and remind you

that certain actions, namely space combat or hand-to-hand combat, may result

in your character actually dying (becoming non-playable permanently).

You are responsible for reading these materials and understanding them. If

you violate the rules, you want to have a much better reason than "nobody told

me". Violating the rules can also cause character death, and in some cases,

the banning of a player from obtaining further characters.

Every game has rules, or it isn't a game. ATS has only a few, but I do have

to enforce them, and I do not want to have to detach players ever again for

deciding they can make themselves into secret agents with super powers. So

please learn your limits, and when to ask about them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Message 2/24 of "Klingon Imperial Affairs OOC " (10)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: jubjup

Stardate: 75481.509244 <Tue Jan 15 11:34:33 2002>

Subject: Player Instructions

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These are instructions to you, the player, not your character. We'll try to

cover the general expectations in the Klingon Empire faction for

out-of-character behavior.

ATS is a roleplaying game. Many people used to first-person shooters played

over the network, where killing the other players off is the goal, have a

problem with this idea, and they keep asking whether player killing is

allowed. The answer is that it is allowed, but frowned on, meaning you had

better have a good in-character motivation for it. It is not the idea of the

game to kill all the opponents. People brought up on Dungeons and Dragons

seem to have no problem with this idea, they are used to playing cooperative

campaigns in a sustainable world. Just as in D&D, characters on ATS are an

investment, not to be tossed away or killed lightly.

Players who do toss away their character, who make the character do things

just to please the player, are called twinks. This is not a label you ever

want to get for yourself. If you find yourself thinking about how to steal

ships, turn traitor, or just make trouble, and there is nothing in your

character's background to account for this sudden antisocial streak, look out.

You are expected to help maintain what science fiction critics call the

willing suspension of disbelief. That means don't throw things into your play

that will shatter the illusion of the Star Trek world of the future. Most of

this amounts to not exercising poor judgement. If you must discuss sex and

excretion with other adolescents, for example, the subspace radio is not the

place to do it. If you are on an IC radio, sound like a Klingon, not a twerp.

You are expected to know the difference between IC and OOC. Your Klingon

character, in its IC play, can be a vicious killer, a racist who thinks

Klingons are the only worthwhile lifeform, a sexist who thinks men are

overrated or women are only necessary for procreation. But OOC, you are part

of a cooperative, shared hallucination. You are expected to exhibit Honor not

only IC but OOC. That means you will treat other players with the respect and

civility owed to people who are sharing your hobby here in virtual reality.

We expect good sportsmanship, not win at all costs. We expect you to help the

opponents as well as the Klingon players to become better at playing the game.

We expect you to remember there are human beings behind all the characters

here. If you want to be enemies with someone, be the best of enemies.

If you have nothing nice to say OOC to someone, shut up. If you have a bone

to pick with someone's idea or behavior, take it to the debate mag (78) and

remember to argue with the idea or the behavior, and not the person(s)

involved. You can discuss proper battle tactics without discussing someone's

mother.

Anyone who spends their time on channels ripping into other players, swearing

at them, or trying to ramp up OOC hostilities will find heavy objects landing

on their heads. Repeat offenders will be asked to leave.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Message 3/24 of "Klingon Imperial Affairs OOC " (10)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: jubjup

Stardate: 75481.664262 <Tue Jan 15 12:56:05 2002>

Subject: Playing a Klingon

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These are a few notes on being a Klingon. You probably already have an idea

of how to be a Klingon, that's why you chose this faction. But try and

remember, knowing the norms for a society says little about what an individual

will do. You play your character, let other people play their character.

The most interesting Klingons, like any fictional character, are the ones with

exceptional difficulties in their lives, not the ones with no problems. Worf,

the favorite Star Trek character, is a fish out of water. His Klingon nature

is most interesting because it is almost always outside of the Empire that we

find him interacting. MartoQ, the General who Worf makes Qang after Gowron,

starts life in the lower classes, in a minor house, and has to work his way up

via the military in society. So think twice before you give yourself a

background where you were always important, or joining the most powerful

family you can find.

Try to understand Honor as a concept. Klingon Honor is perhaps closest to the

Japanese feudal period's Bushido code. It is not what a Westerner thinks of

as Honor. The Klingons are more of a shame culture than a guilt culture.

Other players may challenge your Honor, but remember, you don't need to pay

attention to anyone with less Honor than yourself in those cases. Acknowlege

those who have attained great Honor, by accomplishment, and strive to become

such a person.

It is at best difficult, and at worst impossible, for a Klingon born to the

Empire to actually decide to dishonor himself, or his family, or the Empire.

It is like renouncing your citizenship, giving away all your worldly goods, or

stabbing your best friend in the back. Such things do happen, but not easily,

not for no reason. There is honor in victory. There is dishonor in defeat.

But there is no honor in a pyrrhic victory, and no dishonor in a strategic

retreat. You do not need to be chivalrous, but there is more honor in a

chivalrous victory than in a mere victory.

Many people will argue what a Klingon does or does not do, what the "canon" is

for a Klingon. Try not to be a canon lawyer. There is no absolute answer to

most of the canon questions, because Star Trek has passed through many hands,

and the continuity and consistency of Klingons was not always maintained. Try

to go along with the canon as we have selected it, always remembering nothing

here is absolute, there are exceptional circumstances and exceptional people,

if you can just play it right. Arguing canon can be fun, insisting we all do

things the same way is not.

Whatever your motives and personal goals as a Klingon, remember you have no

secrets from the admin and wizards. They are the referees here, and to keep

things fair and working, they need to know when you're about to push the

envelope or test the bounds. When in doubt, ask first. Discussing what kind of

roleplay makes for a good Klingon is a primary use of tlhIngan-OOC. Indulge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Message 4/24 of "Klingon Imperial Affairs OOC " (10)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From: jubjup

Stardate: 75481.794532 <Tue Jan 15 14:04:36 2002>

Subject: Suggestions to Klingons

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These are things I suggest you do to make the game more enjoyable for

non-Klingons as well as for yourself and the Klingon players.

-- Communicate what happens. You will often be the only one who knows what is

going on. Post your story to the appropriate mag, be it patrol reports (85)

or newsnet (63). Let other players know when something significant to the

plot, or even mildly amusing, has developed. Share the game. Use an

appropriate style. Edit! Get someone else to edit!

-- Be a compulsive storyteller. Klingon relaxation is known to include telling

exaggerated tales of Honor and Glory gained via battle and adventure. Don't

just tell stories about yourself, tell stories about other Klingons, about

allies, about exceptional enemies. Do not just talk to Klingons. Try and

spend half your time (yes, that is a lot) visiting the UFP and other

friendly factions, and mix with their players. A Klingon is most

interesting next to non-Klingons, not when he's in a crowd of only Klingons.

This is a good contrast to our usual laconic style (Klingons are of few

words). A Klingon telling a story about a Starfleet Officer puts a glow

around that officer for days. It makes you powerful and your target elated.

-- Treat your allies as honored comrades. IC and OOC.

-- Treat your opponents as worthy opponents. IC and OOC. Remember, a Klingon

finds no battle-joy in combat with unworthy opponents. A Klingon is free to

decline combat with unworthy or dishonorable opponents. On the Day of

Honor, we receive enemies with hospitality.

-- In combat, hand-to-hand, prefer your blades. Learn to use them well, and

when you can stand against energy weapons and when not.

-- In combat, in space, prefer to approach under cloak. Klingons do not like

others to know their numbers or positions. The Klingons' most famous roles

in combat are to suddenly appear as reinforcements to their allies. Don't

be in a hurry to declare war, after all, what has anyone else out there got

that you want? Wait to fight the good fight, when Honor and survival are at

stake. If you like fighting skirmishes and enforcing space regulations, by

all means do, but don't beat up others if they are less than interested.

The best combat comes as a result of good roleplay, and good roleplay can

come as the result of combat. There should be no preference for one over

the other. The best battle produces a song and/or a story, not the most

blood.

-- Klingons actually are emotional about battle. Don't be afraid to let others

see when your blood is warming, when it is hot.

-- Invite outsiders to observe Klingon ceremony and ritual. Especially your IC

comrades in arms. Try to always remember those that side with you in

battle, and those that stand against you. Prepare the rites in advance, put

on a proper show. It may help you get deeper into character, too.

If other players accept your invitations, and invite you to join them, you are

doing something right. Think of this as a way to measure your Honor.

Remember that you not only want to have a personal reputation, you want your

family to be known and respected (for something), and you want the Empire to

be respected (in general, not just as a military power).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~