Server Rules
| These rules are now out of date. Please view the official rules page on the website https://ranchroleplay.com/rules |
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"Please note that the management team here at Ranch Roleplay reserves the right to modify and/or change any rules as needed to ensure the best possible gaming experience for all of our players. While we strive to communicate updates effectively, we advise our community to regularly check our rules for any amendments to stay informed. test"'
| Table of Contents |
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| Server Rules: General |
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| The Golden Rule |
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We are all here to try to create a healthy roleplaying environment, and we will not allow attempting to circumvent the rules or find loopholes in them for your advantage. Staff have the right to remove any players who are attempting to undermine these rules. Staff may use discretion with the intention of calming down or removing toxic and harmful behavior and you should understand that playing on Ranch is a privilege that can be revoked should it be deemed necessary for the community.
Engagement that undermines the enjoyment or experience of others, even if not explicitly mentioned in the rules, may be viewed as against the spirit of the server. Common courtesy, roleplay integrity, and overall respect for the game and our players are the bedrock principles that this rule is founded upon.
Staff are the only people to enforce the rules. You must not attempt to enforce the rules yourself and public witch hunts will not be accepted. You must report players using the ticketing system and continue to play out the scene to the best of your ability, remaining in-character at all times.
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| Common Courtesy |
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It is important to remember that there are real people behind each character and the words we type or say have the potential to hurt. Players should be kind to others and think before they speak on an out-of-character level. There is no need to be hurtful or abusive, regardless of a player’s position in the community. Everyone should be treated equally.
In addition, players need to keep in-character actions in-character. There should be no bleed onto the forums or Discord; you are not your character when using these platforms. It is important to remain respectful and polite when interacting with other members of the community, regardless of any differences in opinion.
You must roleplay at all times. You may not disrupt, stall or void roleplay through OOC means unless an administrator tells you to, which is in very rare circumstances. You may not break rules because you believe someone else did to you.
Culling
Due to limitations out of our control, you are limited to only ever seeing 32 players at a time. In some cases, there may be more than 32 players inside a zone, at which point it is out of our control as to who you can see and who you cannot see. While we have tried to limit this, it is still expected to happen.
These areas are often also places that are targeted for large scale crimes such as bank robberies. When culling occurs, you may be asked to leave the area. You are expected to do so unless you are directly involved in the scene. If you are not directly involved in the scene and you are asked to leave by a lawman or someone taking lead on the scene, then you are expected to do so and not hang around. Take initiative and be courteous to the people involved who are likely having a difficult time caused by the culling. This is to allow the scene to play out without issues. Failure to do so may result in a temporary or permanent ban depending on the severity.
Inclusivity within Ranch
Within our community, we strictly advocate respectful treatment and fair interaction with all characters, irrespective of gender. Harassment, unwelcome advances, or generating situations of discomfort focused towards any character based on their gender is strictly forbidden and against the spirit of this roleplay.
While there can be naturally developing relationship arcs, they should be considerate of the comfort levels of all parties. We do not discourage romantic story arcs but any forced narrative or undue involvement is strictly forbidden.
While our server aims to provide an authentic 1899 experience, we prioritize creating a respectful and inclusive community for all players. As such, any form of misogyny, stereotyping, or discrimination based on gender, race, sexuality, or any other personal characteristic is strictly prohibited.
We understand that historical accuracy can often include outdated and offensive views. However, we firmly believe in separating certain historical accuracies from our gameplay to ensure that every player feels safe, respected, and free to enjoy their time on the server.
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| Restrictions on Playing |
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Whilst we wish to be inclusive for all players, there are some restrictions in play:
All players must be 18 or older.
The medium of communication is English, you may speak other languages in small sentences to enhance roleplay. However the primary communication must always be English first.
The use of a microphone is necessary for interaction, those with a legitimate disability may apply for mute character permission using #open-a-ticket on the Discord.
The roleplay should be consistent with the Wild West, circa 1899.
Your character and their name need to be distinctive. Impersonating known fictional or real personalities is not acceptable, pun names are also excluded from the allow-list.
Importing characters from other servers is allowed, however any history is forfeit. Your character is a fresh start in Monroe, so any history will be null and void.
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| Voice Changers |
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Voice Changers are allowed to be utilised on Ranch Roleplay, with the following restrictions:
The voice changer must not completely recreate your voice, such as an AI-Generated software, these more often than not mispronounce words, or miss them out entirely, resulting in an immersion-breaking sound or word being stated.
Voice changers that change pitch is allowed, however, they must not be overtly high or low-pitched to the point they're immersion-breaking or not befitting of your character. The voice changer must sound natural in order to fit within the world you're roleplaying in.
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| Unfair Advantages & Third Party Modifications |
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Modifications
• Don't use software, mods, apps or macros that give you an unfair advantage or allow harmful actions.
• Keep away from cheats or overlays that provide extra server information or aim help.
• Our server doesn't allow crosshairs. Using third-party tools to add them is against the rules.
• Ideally, only use the basic version of the game. Avoid altering the game files.
• Customize your game look (skins, texture packs) if you want, but ensure it doesn't affect gameplay. Be aware there's risk involved and we can't help if issues appear.
• It's forbidden to use third-party software that messes with our servers' setup, network, or security. Legal actions will be taken if this rule is broken.
• Using a controller is allowed but not recommended as we've turned off the aim advantage and don't offer specific support for controller players.
Asset Transferring:
Prohibition of Asset Transfers: Players are strictly prohibited from transferring assets to friends or other players as a means of circumventing progression systems within the server. This includes but is not limited to giving away assets when deleting characters, leaving the server, or engaging in real-world trading.
Character Deletion and Asset Distribution: In the event that a player decides to delete their character and wishes to distribute their assets, they must create an in-character last will and testament outlining their desired asset distribution.
Will Requirements and Moderation: Any will must comply with server lore and roleplay continuity. It must be submitted to and approved by the staff team prior to any distribution of assets taking place.
Staff Discretion on Wills: The staff team reserves the right to deny approval of any will that is suspected of facilitating unfair asset transfer, disrupting the economic balance, or being excessively generous in a way that feels incongruent with the server's standards of roleplay.
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| Player Account Rules |
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Avoidance of Punishment: Don't try to dodge your punishment. If you're temporarily blocked from our services, creating new accounts or using other methods to get around this is not allowed. Breaking this rule could lead to more severe punishment or make your current punishment permanent.
Account Ownership: Keep your account to yourself. Don't share or transfer your account to anyone, even staff members. You're responsible for everything that happens on your account, so don't let anyone else use it and make sure your password is kept safe. Also, don't log into another person's account, no matter what. If this rule is violated, both accounts will be frozen.
VPN Usage: Don't use a VPN on our servers, unless you absolutely need to and have our permission. You're not allowed to hide or forge your IP address or hardware ID.
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| Server Rules: Roleplay Expectations |
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| Era-Based Roleplay |
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Our roleplay is set in the late 1800s, specifically 1899. Please make sure your in-game character accurately portrays the time period in their fashion, language, and behavior. Knowledge of the historical context is required to craft a believable character.
Sensitive Topics: The game takes place in a time when sensitive issues like slavery, racism, and sexism were prevalent. While these could be part of your character's discussions, doing so in an offensive, inflammatory, or bigoted way is forbidden. Any inappropriate comments or roleplays may result in immediate removal from the server. Always respect each other as players when dealing with these topics.
Realism: No referencing future events, technologies, modern movies etc. You should be completely immersed in the game's timeline.
Language: Use era-appropriate language, avoid contemporary slang or expressions.
No Supernatural Elements: Ghosts, witches, and other supernatural beings are not acceptable characters in our roleplay. However, roleplaying "witch-like" tendencies such as herbal academia and witchy culture is acceptable.
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| Roleplay Takes Priority |
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At Ranch Roleplay, we put storytelling above all else. We want players to create narratives and interact rather than resorting to immediate violence. If disputes arise, roleplay should come before conflict. Our aim is to give depth to our characters, not to turn the server into a shoot-em-up.
Aim for meaningful exchanges with others to create engaging stories within our community.
In case of disputes with other players or Factions, don't jump to gunplay. There should always be roleplay interaction before resorting to any form of violence.
If you find the need to shoot someone, make sure there's a solid roleplay reason backing your action.
In some cases, if the minor rules are broken but it helps advance a storyline, and both parties are in agreement, we may make an exception. Remember, the goal is meaningful interactions and comprehensive storytelling.
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| Powergaming |
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A brief overview of Powergaming
Powergaming can be defined into 3 categories:
• Forcing the roleplay that other players do.
• Performing roleplay that would realistically not be possible.
• Abusing scripts to create an unfair and/or unrealistic advantage.
| Powergaming: Forcing the roleplay upon other players. |
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This is the act of dictating the effects or roleplay that another player's character does or receives. This may be attempting to decide the exact wounds that someone sustains via roleplay or roleplay commands, or saying via roleplay commands that another person smells a certain way. Your roleplay must always be open to the person on the other end, allowing them to decide their injuries or outcomes to their character from other roleplay. This may also be considered if you tell other characters that you "shot James in the head" or suggest that you killed a player who never actually killed their character.
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| Powergaming: Performing roleplay that would realistically not be possible. |
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This is doing roleplay or roleplay commands of things that would not be realistically possible. Breaking out of ropes during an active scene is considered powergaming due to the fact this would be visible and could be realistically stopped.
Escaping Sisika requires prior approval from the Staff Team and must not be attempted otherwise.
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| Powergaming: Abusing scripts to create an unfair and/or unrealistic advantage |
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You should always be considerate of other roleplayers and ensure that they always have adequate chances to respond to any roleplay thrown their way. Creating an unfair advantage for yourself, such as waiting at Guarma boat teleport locations is considered powergaming. This includes using the game mechanics such as lassoing unexpecting people without giving them a chance to roleplay.
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Committing any of the following crimes after 30 minutes prior to a restart, or 30 minutes after a restart.
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| Metagaming |
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Metagaming is the act of using information that you learnt through out-of-character (OOC) means, in-character (IC). Any information that is learnt OOC should not be used IC or influence any calls your character makes. You should always try to avoid stumbling across OOC information that may involve your character where possible to avoid this.
A newly made character cannot have knowledge of an existing character's history within the server. Having a shared backstory is fine, but anything that happened in the server itself cannot be shared across multiple of your own characters and is considered metagaming.
Inciting Metagame: Inciting metagame is sharing information to other people in order to incite them to metagame it. This can be telling people who is around at the time, or details to what has happened during a scene that they were not involved in.
Bleeding: Allowing any OOC feelings you have to change your character's behaviour is considered bleeding. In-character judgements and feelings must be founded on in-character events that your character has witnessed and been involved in. Any bleeding is considered metagaming.
Roleplay Checking: Roleplay checking is attempting to test the roleplay knowledge or skills or another player unnecessarily. This includes fixating on someone when they say something that you don't believe is time period accurate instead of brushing it off or improvising your roleplay around it. it is not appropriate to attempt to bring IC attention to this or to test people on it. This must be dealt with OOC instead of IC and is considered metagaming.
Voice Identification: Voice ID should be a piece of the puzzle. Not the definitive outcome. If you are identifying a player by voice, you must have credible evidence that you know this person, from prior interactions or other close encounters.
When utilizing a criminals voice as Law. This cannot be a finite way to determine someone, sounds like and other statements must be back up with much more credible evidence to conclude whom the person is. Voice ID alone is not enough to convict someone.
Family Members Players are not permitted to create characters that are directly related to or are family members of any of their previous characters. This rule helps maintain the integrity of the roleplay and prevents conscious or subconscious metagaming from arising.
Carbon Copy Characters Players are required to ensure that each character they create is distinct and separate from any previously created characters. This includes distinct goals, attitudes, emotions, and flaws. In addition, characters must not possess knowledge or skills that would not be reasonably attributed to them based on their current backstory and experiences. For instance, a newly appointed Assistant Deputy cannot exhibit advanced knowledge of law enforcement procedures if they have not acquired this knowledge through in-game experiences and progression.
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| Server Rules: Natural Progression & Conflict |
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| Conflict & Player versus Player |
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Before you initiate player vs player engagement, a scene must be played out. The scene must have escalated and have played out for long enough for every party of the scene to be aware that a shootout is about to occur. You are encouraged to allow all parties to react and get to cover to allow the scene to be enjoyable for all parties. This means, when initiating engagement your main goal should not be to down the other players as quickly as possible.
During player vs player engagement, we encourage players to extend shootouts and make them more impactful. For example, purposely missing shots and utilizing cover. You are expected to preserve your character's life first. You should not recklessly run toward a shooter. Bandaging during a shootout should be done but you must roleplay doing so such as using /me commands, and you must continue to roleplay the injury afterwards. Ideally, using bandages is to extend the shootout and thus roleplay. After any shootout, all injuries sustained are expected to be roleplayed fully even if you did not go down.
If you go down in a player vs player engagement and then respawn or "take the local", you do not have to roleplay injuries from the shootout. You must not initiate any further conflict or return to the area where you previously died for at least an hour. Your character must not remember any of the events leading up to your death or the death itself, even if someone attempts to remind you. After respawning, you must not retaliate against any of the other parties in the engagement or attempt to initiate further conflict with those parties unless they give you a new reason to do so. This is considered revenge killing.
| C/PVPE.1 Random Death Match (RDM) |
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You should not randomly attack another player or any NPCs for no reason. Attacking NPCs should be done with good reasoning, to provide dramatic effect to a scene where it is believable to fight the NPC. You will be treated the same way as if you attacked a player, both in-character & out. |
| C/PVPE.2 Poor Reason To Kill |
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It is unacceptable to kill another player or attempt to provoke them into a conflict for no reason. The player must give you an acceptable reason to attempt to engage with them in PVP. Once you have already shot down another player, you cannot shoot them down using the same reasoning as the previous time. They must give you a new reason or initiate the engagement before you have a reason to attempt to kill them. It is unacceptable to provoke the person you have downed in an attempt to get a new reason to kill them again. |
| C/PVPE.3 Preservation Of Life |
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All players engaged in gunfights are required to take cover effectively, whenever cover is available. This serves to enhance realism and ensures that players exhibit a commitment to preserving their character’s life. Our rule emphasizes the need to value one's life, just as one would do instinctively outside a gaming environment. When your character is exposed to danger, it is expected that you will seek safety and act in a manner that preserves life. Examples of Prohibited Actions: |
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Player 1 is under fire, immediately presses "Q" to take cover behind a nearby crate, and strategically returns fire only when opportune or outmaneuvering Player 2. Player 2, in turn, advances cautiously, going from cover to cover, demonstrating a clear effort to protect their life while engaging in the firefight. |
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Player 1 is under fire and rather than using "Q" to utilize a nearby crate for cover, they stand out in the open returning fire. Meanwhile, Player 2 decides to ignore several opportunities for cover, sprinting across the field and firing indiscriminately from the hip. |
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| Roleplay Progression / Quality |
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In roleplay, it's crucial to understand and respect the importance of character development and pacing. This rule states that all characters should start from humble beginnings to ensure a realistic and engaging story progression. Characters should also exhibit a sense of fear or concern towards crime and other significant events, instead of diving headfirst into dangerous situations without any hesitation.
For instance, if a player assumes the role of a deputy, they should not start their storyline as the town's hero who can solve every case with ease. Instead, they should begin as a rookie officer, learning the ropes, making mistakes, and gradually gaining experience and respect. As they navigate through their roleplay journey, they will encounter crimes that will instill fear, doubt, and stress in them, just like any new Deputy or Law Enforcement would feel in real life.
Similarly, if a player chooses to play a criminal character, they shouldn't start as a notorious crime lord with an extensive criminal empire, or robbing banks within the first 4 days of character creation. They should begin their journey in small petty crimes, experiencing fear of being caught, making wrong decisions, and slowly working their way up the criminal ladder. Their character's growth should reflect the trials, tribulations, and lessons learned from their actions.
Instant action may provide immediate thrill, but it robs the character of the chance to develop naturally and meaningfully. By starting from humble beginnings and allowing characters to experience fear and other emotions, we ensure a more in-depth, credible character development. It also makes the roleplay more rewarding as players witness their characters grow, adapt, and evolve over time.
This rule enhances the overall roleplay experience by creating a sense of realism and relatability. For instance, the deputy's fear and uncertainty in the face of crime can lead to a more profound character arc as they overcome their fears and become a more competent officer and stray away from the "robo-cop" mentality that many fall in to. Similarly, the criminal's initial fear of getting caught can lead to a compelling narrative of survival and cunning, and ultimately end in criminals that deserve to be remembered in the servers history/lore.
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On his first day of stepping into the world of crime, a character gets embroiled in a saloon shootout with rival outlaws. He exhibits no fear or concern about the repercussions of engaging in such a dangerous act and doesn't show any fear of getting caught by the lawmen or retaliation from the rival gang.
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| Sub-Par Roleplay |
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You are expected to put effort into your roleplay at all times. You should be constantly playing a character and trying to provide and facilitate roleplay. You should be building and furthering your own character's story and allowing other players to do the same with theirs. You should elevate scenes using roleplay commands where-ever possible, such as /me and /do. These roleplay commands should be serious and have effort put into it. Your roleplay should remain believable, and all roleplay actions taken should be properly motivated and slowly built up. Trolling or breaking character is unacceptable and will immediately be judged as sub-par.
Immersion Breaking
Each player is expected to contribute to the immersive 1899 environment of the community by avoiding immersion-breaking roleplay. This involves maintaining period-appropriate language, behaviors, and technology in character portrayal. While the outfit creator allows you great freedom, your outfits should always remain believable and appropriate to the setting.
Immersion Breaking Speech also falls under this rule, you must remain as close to 1899 as possible, comments like "bruh, yolo, yeet, rizz" are not tolerated, alongside referring to commands, locals and other terminology in-character, such as "check out that local over there", NPCs are classed as human (as possible) in-character.
Law Baiting
Engaging in activities explicitly intended to mislead or provoke law enforcement, such as making false reports or discharging firearms into the air, for the sole purpose of inciting robbery, combat, or other violent actions, is strictly prohibited.
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| Server Rules: All Things Medical |
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| Death & You |
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In a roleplay environment, deaths can be confusing so we've condensed a list of actions into what you should roleplay to help understand it further.
Respawning
When the player respawns after dying, they must forget all events leading to their death. This could be for example, falling to your death, dying to an animal, or being shot by another player. If you were downed during conflict, you must not return to the area for at least one hour. You must not rejoin the conflict.
Revived By Another Player
If the player is revived by another player, they retain memories of the events leading to their downed state. They must roleplay their injuries fully. Witnesses can remind them of any missing details during their unconscious state.
Character Kills
A Character Kill (CK) is permanently removing your character from the server. You can tell other players that you are killing your character by using roleplay commands, such as "/me has no pulse" or "/me He is laying lifeless, dead". Please note that this act is irreversible. You may be asked to facilitate an autopsy of your character's body should it be found, so you are not required to immediately delete the character but otherwise playing the character or transferring assets from it may result in a permanent ban.
Killing your character is always the choice of the person playing the character, however if you decide to repeat offenses of heinous crimes such as roleplaying as a serial killer, we encourage that you eventually accept a death penalty so that the story does not become stale. Staff may step in and force this should it become necessary.
You should not "double tap" or repeatedly shoot a downed player in an attempt to force them to Character Kill. If the player is going to kill their character, they will make that clear via the use of roleplay commands and it is their choice to make.
Should you engage in any duels, the player who loses the duel is force character killed.
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| Injuries & Expecations |
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All players are required to roleplay their character's injuries to their full and realistic extent. If your character suffers a significant injury such as a gunshot wound, you must accurately portray the implications of the injury, including pain, reduced mobility, and a believable timeline for recovery. Additionally, interaction with medical professionals and adherence to their guidance is crucial.
Any medical procedures, ongoing treatments, or follow-up appointments prescribed by in-game medical staff must be followed intensively. This means that your character should attend all scheduled appointments and roleplay out any prescribed treatments or recovery processes. This adds depth to your character's story and ensures a consistent and realistic world for all players.
Ignoring medical advice, skipping prescribed treatments, or not showing up for follow-up visits can disrupt the immersive experience and may result in staff intervention to maintain the quality of the server's roleplay.
Alongside these requirements, our server maintains a strict standard regarding the portrayal of injuries and medical conditions. Any roleplay involving "disgusting wounds," such as fecal incidents, overly graphic or sexualized injuries like being shot in the genitals, or inappropriate conditions like unwarranted arousal are strictly prohibited.
If a player's character stays untreated for 30 minutes while being downed, they should roleplay more excessive injuries as a result from blood loss that will have sustained during this time. Lingering in a downed state for longer than this time to gain an advantage is prohibited and you should respawn as it clear that nobody is coming.
Lastly, taking advantage of server restarts to log off and return during peak hours when medical services are more available is considered power-gaming and is prohibited.| Examples |
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| Pregnancy Roleplay |
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Pregnancy is a significant event and should be roleplayed with appropriate seriousness, especially considering the inherent challenges and dangers during the period in which our server, Ranch, is set.
Pregnancy roleplay must be pre-approved via an out-of-character written agreement by all involved parties before initiation. This roleplay, once started, must last for a period of six real-life weeks signifying the term of pregnancy.
Roleplayers wishing to depict their character's child must wait for three real-life months post-birth within the game for the character to be playable. Child characters introduced call for appropriate aging of the parent character(s) to match the child's age realistically.
Strictly abstain from incorporating actions of child murder or harm into the roleplay. In situations of potential danger, children should be kept away, abortion or loss of child roleplay is strictly prohibited. Keeping this in mind, unrealistic pregnancies with multiples need to be carefully gone over. We suggest reaching out to Staff first to explain the extensity on pregnancies with multiples.
A character roleplaying pregnancy must exhibit an increased level of self-preservation, along with prioritizing their unborn child's safety, refraining from initiating violent interactions whilst being able to defend within reason.
As the pregnancy progresses, characters should realistically limit their physical capabilities; eight-month pregnant characters won't be solo horse-riding or carrying heavy items.
The No Value for Life (NVL) rule applies doubly to pregnant characters, as they carry an additional life.
Those committed to pregnancy roleplay must be prepared to act out related medical scenarios, unless everyone involved agrees on a different plan out-of-character beforehand.
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Due to the lengthy expectations of this rule, you can follow this link for further clarification. The above ruling serves as a basic guideline: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZOHNH9Vn0NZKxukK8f206LbrLnxP1igxc8z9Uki5DXQ/edit#heading=h.nj23sjpj5u97 Credits to the listed members for assisting us in this rule. |
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| Younger Characters & NPC Children |
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Character Restrictions
1. Your character must be aged 16 or older with no exceptions allowed.
2. Your character must also act your age.
3. All characters are considered an adult at this point.
NPC Children
In addition to the guidelines provided in Younger Characters Rule there are specific rules regarding non-playable character (NPC) children:
1. NPC children must primarily be kept in player homes to portray a secure environment.
2. If an NPC child is taken outside the house, they are absolutely not to be included in violent or volatile situations.
3. NPC children cannot be utilized as "shields" under any circumstances, if players are involved in violent altercations, they may disregard any NPC related family members. You cannot force someone to roleplay or acknowledge that you have a child.
4. Remember that describing your character as carrying a baby, or "/desc baby", does not absolve you from consequences or repercussions that may be a part of your character's narrative. All actions still carry their respective outcomes, regardless of the situation.
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| No Value for Life |
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In roleplay, you will encounter scenarios where your character enters into a dangerous situation. During these times, you should be aware of the threat against your character's life and roleplay accordingly. While this does not mean that you have to amend how your character normally acts, it does mean that you should prioritize following the scene to where it leads, and not take an action that would directly escalate the threat to your life.
The scene integrity should always be prioritized. Despite the ability to be treated for any injury, your character should feel as if their life is always on the line. Remember that it is not you, the player, taking the risk, but it is your character and they would likely be uncomfortable taking such risks with their life.
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| Loop-Hole / Rule-Evading |
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The exploitation of loopholes in an attempt to evade the established rules of this server is strictly forbidden. All members are expected to adhere to the spirit and the letter of the rules. Anyone found purposely exploiting loopholes to circumvent rules will be held accountable, and appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken, up to and including sanction related to the specific rule they were attempting to evade.
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A player consistently puts their character in dangerous and unreasonable situations, knowing that other players are restricted by NVL rules from killing them. Player could consistently engage in hostile actions against others, but stops just short of killing them to technically evade RDM rules. They might harm other players' characters drastically, affecting their gameplay and enjoyment, without formally violating RDM rules. |
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| Adult-Themed Roleplay |
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At Ranch Roleplay, we are committed to fostering a respectful and inclusive environment. We understand that roleplay can sometimes delve into mature themes; however, there is a firm line that must not be crossed regarding decency and the comfort of our players.
Disgusting Roleplay: Any roleplay that involves overly graphic, disturbing, or disgusting content, including but not limited to bodily harm, fecal activities, or explicit descriptions of such acts, is strictly prohibited. Roleplay should never make other players feel uncomfortable or distressed due to its graphic nature, this includes using the /pee emote in any trolling format.
Sexual Content: Explicit sexual roleplay is not allowed in any public spaces within the game, this must take place inside a teleport interior, where your /me & /do's cannot be witnessed. This includes unwarranted sexual advances towards other players, open sexual acts, or any behavior that can be interpreted as sexually aggressive or non-consensual. Sexual roleplay should be kept private and always be consensual between all parties involved.
You may not roleplay suicide in any form.
Torture Roleplay
On an Out-of-Character level, Torture Roleplay has the ability to trigger the player as they may be sensitive to such subjects.
On an In-Character level, it's understood that Torture Roleplay can provide great character arcs and additions to the stories of characters.
To balance this, it is a requirement that Torture Roleplay is consensual. Torture Roleplay is to be entered into mindfully and respectfully and all parties involved within a scene must display consent for each individual Torture Method.
You may not kill someone after torturing them.
| Example of Good Torture Roleplay Etiquette |
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The Eye for an Eye Rule The character that tortures an individual automatically grants an equal level of Torture Consent to the opposing party for the remainder of the initial Torturers life. Aside from this specific rule, Torture Consent can be withdrawn at any time. An example is provided below; If Player A removes Player B's finger after receiving Torture Consent, Player B can invoke Revenge Torture on Player A should they ever cross paths again. However, Player B may only remove Player A's finger as a repercussion of Player A removing theirs. Player B is not required to request Torture Consent in this instance, Player A has already given their Consent by engaging in the initial act of Torture Roleplay to begin with. Any further acts of torture (i.e Forcing Player A to swallow their finger after its removal) would require Torture Consent, as they do not directly match the level at which the initial party (Player A) tortured the initial victim (Player B). Example of good torture roleplay etiquette
To provide consent of torture roleplay, you must provide a /do or /me stating, this is so admins can track down in the logs should any disputes arise. An example could be: /do I consent to torture roleplay. /do I do not consent to torture roleplay. A player may withdraw their consent at any time should they feel uncomfortable, this can be communicated by /do "I no longer consent to torture." |
| Examples of Bad Adult-Themed Roleplay |
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| Punishments |
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| Server Rules: Reports (Read before submitting a report.) |
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- All player reports must be accompanied by unedited screenshot or video evidence. This evidence must clearly show the rule violation in question and must include audio to provide full context of the incident.
- Reports must be submitted within one week (7 days) of the alleged rule-breaking incident. Reports filed after this period will be considered void and not actionable. This is a guideline, not a finality, please use your best judgement when reporting something, if you hold on to evidence for weeks, questions will be asked and your report possibly thrown out.
- Reports submitted with the intent of retaliation against another player for any reason are strictly prohibited. Such actions are deemed as 'revenge reporting' and will be subject to review, potentially leading to consequences for the reporting party.
- Before filing a report, ensure that there is a clear rule violation. Instances of confusion regarding server rules do not necessarily constitute a rule-break. Players are encouraged to seek clarification from the admin team or consult the server's ruleset if uncertain.
- We uphold a standard of community interaction that values respect, sportsmanship, and fairness. Reports pivotal on minor disagreements or interpersonal conflict without rule-breaking will generally not necessitate administrative action.
- Whenever possible, we encourage players to settle disagreements and conflicts in-game through roleplay or other in-game mechanisms. Resorting immediately to out-of-character reporting without attempting in-game resolution is discouraged and does not align with the spirit of our roleplay environment. Additionally, reports of players who are perceived as being rude or hostile in-character without breaching the server's rules will not be considered valid complaints, as such behavior can often be a part of the roleplay experience. It is important to differentiate in-character actions from out-of-character intent. Please reserve reporting for serious breaches of rules and behavior that disrupts the gaming experience rather than in-character interactions.
- Reports should be reserved for serious infractions that disrupt the server's integrity or a player's experience. Petty complaints about minor issues that do not substantially impact gameplay, or reports based on misunderstandings of in-game dynamics or roleplay situations, will not be entertained. The administrative team will not act as mediators for trivial disputes that can be resolved between players without admin intervention. Remember, our focus is on maintaining a high-quality roleplay experience for everyone on the server, not moderating every small grievance.
| Criminal & Faction Rules |
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| Table of Contents |
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| Criminal & Faction Rules: General |
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| Criminal Roleplay Expectations |
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Criminal roleplay should reflect a character's slow and realistic evolution into criminality. We discourage sudden escalations into high-tier crimes without appropriate character development.
Crimes such as robberies should not be hastily initiated with inadequate planning or character interaction. Quick-to-kill behaviors and lack of details in crime scenarios are also strongly discouraged.
Using "/me" commands to illustrate your character's actions and intentions in crime scenarios is essential. It enriches the roleplay experience, making interactions more immersive and character narratives more coherent.
We value depth, realism, and gradual progress in criminal roleplay.| Examples |
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| "Take a penny, leave a penny." |
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When taking items from someone indirectly such as stealing items from a storage or property, or stealing items from around a grave you should leave indications that roleplay has taken place. For example, if robbing a gravesite of sentimental items from it, you should leave indications that something has happened. Is could be as small as a detail that says "The camera would be missing, a small piece of clothing is snagged on the broken window" or "There would be tracks leading North." or "Footprints are unevenly spaced, as if the person has a limp." It is HEAVILY encouraged to leave clues and a breadcrumb trail back to yourself if you are taking something to allow the story to continue instead of reaching a dead end. |
| Examples |
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| Punishments |
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| Common Robbery Rules |
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Robbery roleplay should primarily be conducted for enhancing the storyline and not for acquiring immediate assets. It's important to remember that the essence of roleplay is to create immersive and engaging stories. Therefore, any robbery activities should be driven by a well-thought-out plot and strong roleplay.
Participants must utilize commands like /me and /do to enrich the narrative and provide a detailed description of their actions and surroundings. This contributes to a more realistic and fair environment.
The goal should not be to gain an unfair advantage over other players, but to create exciting and engaging narratives that contribute to the overall enjoyment of the game for all participants and drive a storyline as a whole.
On the opposite side, those whom are being robbed, must show some form of fear during the ordeal, and provide strong and capable victim roleplay to those who are robbing them.
| Basic Robbery Rules |
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1. Players must conduct robberies realistically, implying proper motivation, fair play, risk-assessment, and restricted use of high-end weapons for trivial robberies. 2. Avoid robberies in crowded regions minimizing potential witnesses and high-risk, low-reward situations, such as using a Carcano for stealing something trivial like a Cattleman. 3. Robberies should emphasize on quality roleplay, ensuring an enjoyable and detailed experience for all parties rather than a quick theft. Minimal actions or "hands-up-rob" strategy which adds nothing to roleplay are not tolerated. 4. Victims should not be harmed post-robbery unless they pose a genuine threat to the robber's freedom or life. Open provocations by victims are grounds for harm. 5. You should not rob someone you've just revived or camp near and rob a previously downed person. 6. Planning a robbery should be thoughtful, not just "let's rob a store". Unrealistic tropes such as mask-clad, high-end weapons are heavily discouraged. 7. Robbing spree in any towns is considered low standard of robbery roleplay. Consider well-planned, immersive scenarios over impromptu hogtieing hold-ups. 8. Do not repeatedly target the same individual for robbery in a given storm cycle. Repeated targeting should only occur if the victim continues to provide valid in-game reasons. 9. After committing robberies, avoid changing your character's clothing in the same town for a 45-minute timespan. This encourages realistic roleplay keeping in-line with characters being on edge post-robbery, rather than exploiting game mechanics like mask ID-ing. 10. You must wait 1 hour between player robberies, this is to emulate the off-chance they've ran to Law and you're on the run. 11. You must not use an NPC in the place of a robbery. 12. Robbing players while they are on a menu is not allowed whatsoever. (Avoiding a robbing by staying on a menu is considered Powergaming and is liable to punishment) 13. You may not force another player to take items/money out of their bank. 14. Chain-robbing is discouraged, you must conform to the below cool-down periods. 15. You may not commit crime 15 minutes before & after the server restart times. |
| Robbery Limits |
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"We should recognize that everyone is here to have fun as a community." As such, storage wiping will not be tolerated and judged on a case-by-case basis. Player Robberies: Player Wagons: Player Businesses: Player Boxes: Player Limits (Detailed above) + 5 Item/Stacks This rule does not apply to public unattended boxes. Crime Related Items are exempt from the "Rule of Three", these are all fair game. motajoint, cocaine, grave robbery items, moonshine, handcuffs, black market goods, gold bars, dirty money etc. |
| Punishments |
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| Large Scale Robberies |
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Given the historic setting of 1899, all store and bank robberies must be thoroughly thought out and meticulously planned, reflecting the period's reality. Impromptu or hastily executed crimes are discouraged.
Bank and store robberies are significant crimes that should involve in-depth and elaborate planning. This may include understanding the target's layout, gauging law enforcement response, and preparing an escape plan.
Players should ensure their characters are prepared to face the realistic consequences of these high-stakes crimes, which could include being wanted by law enforcement, bounty hunters, and other characters.
| Player Business Robberies |
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To maintain balance and to ensure that all players have a fair and enjoyable experience, a player may only rob ranches or businesses every 4 IRL days. This rule is designed to prevent excessive robbery scenarios and to allow all players ample opportunities for their own roleplay, story development and reflecting of realistic after-robbery roleplay. A gang would not be hitting stores over and over in the span of 4 days, regardless of what you try and tell us. |
| Examples |
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If Player A robs a ranch on Monday, the player and the group involved cannot rob that same Ranch or a new business until Friday. This grace period allows for roleplay development and narrative progression, and slows down the constant robberies. It is prohibited to use a new player who was not involved in the first robbery to circumvent this rule. For example, Player A cannot recruit Player B to rob the same ranch the next day to bypass the four-day rule. This action would be considered a breach of the rule and will result in the full group being handled as one, there is no exception to this. |
| Store Robberies |
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Hostage Rule: Utilizing a friend as a hostage during a robbery is strictly prohibited. A hostage situation should always involve non-affiliated characters. Law Disclosure: The number of robbers involved in any given crime must be disclosed to law enforcement. However, their location should not be specified. This allows for a level-playing field and realistic investigative roleplay. Cool-Down Period: There must be an interval of 1 OOC day between script-wise store robberies, player robberies are detailed above. NPC Usage: The use of NPCs in robberies is not allowed. Menu Immunity: It is forbidden to rob players who are on a menu. Conversely, avoiding a robbery by staying on a menu is considered powergaming and is subject to punishment. Player Coercion: '=Forcing another player to extract items or money from their bank during the act of a robbery is strictly prohibited. Unrealistic Behavior: Actions such as robbing a store in St. Denis, escaping through the alleys, changing clothes in a local store or at Faction HQ, and then casually walking around. |
| Bank Robberies |
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Haven't we done this before?: All the above rules are applicable to Bank Robberies. |
| Body-Dumping |
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Generally, you are discouraged from moving anyone's body after you down them. This is because your character would usually not want to risk being found with someone who you have possibly killed. Allowing them to be treated also allows the storyline between the characters to continue on.
There are some niche circumstances where you may want to move a body. This must be performed under the following restrictions:
1. No Sea Disposal: Placing a body in the sea is strictly prohibited. The sea, in this context, is defined as the water edges of the game map.
2. Accessible Dumping Allowed: Bodies can be placed in lakes, wells, or off cliffs, as long as these locations remain accessible to others for potential discovery or retrieval. Avoid depositing bodies in deep water that can be difficult to access.
3. No Lingering: Once a body has been placed, players should vacate the area in a sensible amount of time. Lingering may raise suspicion and undermine the realism of the roleplay.
| Examples |
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Unless the intent is to get caught, then you're exempt from this. |
| Punishments |
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| Criminal & Faction Rules: Faction & Group Specific |
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| Faction Limits & Posse Sizes |
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Recruiting Members into your Illegal Faction: All recruitment to a faction must be done In-Character. Characters must meet naturally to encourage story driven roleplay.
Any member of Law Command (Ld. Deputy & Above) must be pre-approved by the Legal Faction Management Team to have a criminal alt.
How to qualify as a Faction: In order to qualify as a Faction, a group must maintain 3 active members at a minimum.
Acquiring a Faction Menu: Factions can request access to a Faction Menu by applying for it through this Application Form.
| Faction & Posse Membership and Activity Limits |
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To maintain an environment of fairness, the following limits are set for factions and posses:
Core Criminal Activities Definition: This includes involvement in wars, bank and store robberies, and any major criminal enterprising.
Selling Moonshine &/or Mota
Form an alliance with the faction they originated from, however they contribute towards the maximum of 2 ally limit. Upon forming such an alliance, they will be counted as one of the splintering faction's "Half Allied Factions" and will be considered as one entity under CRM/REO restrictions to prevent loopholing through multiple allied factions.
They will not be bound by REO/CRM restrictions pertaining to alliances. They must not form an alliance with the main faction subsequently as a workaround. Any previous character kill (CK) agreements towards hangarounds are rendered null and void to prevent one-sided conflicts. Both sides are free from such obligations, thus allowing for fair and balanced interactions.
Decide if they wish to maintain existing CK agreements with the main faction.
2. When riding around the world or engaging in combat related activities, a posse must not exceed 6 active members. This is to prevent any one group from overwhelming others and to keep encounters balanced and manageable. Leaving a Faction or new Faction Leadership:
Unless defined in the CK clause set by Leadership of said Faction |
| Allied Faction Limits |
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| Punishments |
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| Faction Conflicts & Definitions
Thank you Sheep & 50p for their contributions to some of the rules defined below. |
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| Faction Attack Rules: |
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| Attacks & Cooldowns |
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To prevent continuous and unrealistic conflict escalation, any violent engagement between factions that has the potential to lead to a character's death or result in a player entering a wounded state is classified as an 'attack.' This includes but is not limited to the use of firearms, bladed weapons, or any other form of melee weapon beyond bare-handed combat. After such an attack has occurred, the involved faction must observe a mandatory 24-hour cooldown period before initiating another attack. This rule is designed to allow a realistic window for character recovery and roleplay development. Non-lethal fist-fights or brawls without the intent to seriously harm or kill are exempt from this rule. Players who are player killed in these scenarios must adhere to the server related player kill rules unless defined otherwise in future war terms. |
| Examples |
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Example A: Faction 1 attacks Faction 2 over a land dispute. Faction 2 retaliates by ambushing a posse whilst they pass through said land. For any further conflict, both factions need fresh reasons unrelated to the initial land dispute or ambush. It doesn't matter how many people are downed in the attack/retaliations, alongside any PK's that come from the attacks, a new reason must be gathered. In the event that a member of a faction CK's during one of these disputes, the exception is given that the Faction with the CK'd member may attack/retaliate oncemore to avenge their death, however anything further MUST succumb to war terms. Example B: Faction A’s attack on Faction B is motivated by a stolen horse. Faction B retaliates by raiding Faction A’s camp. Any subsequent attacks between these factions must stem from new grievances beyond the horse theft or camp raid. |
| War Terms Registration: |
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If factions wish to escalate their conflict beyond isolated attacks and retaliations, they must agree on "War Terms," a set of conditions that govern the ongoing conflict. These terms include the reasons for the war, objectives each faction aims to achieve, and any additional rules they agree to follow. These terms must then be submitted to the Criminal Faction Management for review and approval before the war can officially commence. This ensures all conflicts remain fair, structured, and not an overall RDMfest. |
| Example of War Terms Process: |
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After a series of escalating attacks and retaliations between Faction 3 and Faction 4: War Terms Example: Faction 3 and Faction 4 decide to escalate their ongoing feud into a war over control of a mining area. They agree that the war will end when one factions members have all been shot down into the brutally wounded state. Both factions agree not to target each other's noncombatant members. They submit these terms to the Criminal Faction Management, outlining their reasons for the war and the objectives each faction aims to achieve. Once reviewed and approved, the war can officially begin under the agreedupon terms. A sidenote, players must be fully developed before entering any wars on their factions sides, those who are found to have been in a faction for 3 days as an example before entering into a war will be forcibly removed from the roster by Criminal Faction Management. Development is crucial, and minimum development will not be tolerated. |
| Brief Overview |
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Faction Wars Whether it be a faction suffering from conflict burnout or for those who solely wants to enhance the story that two warring factions have with one another - a Player-Kill War can be utilized to put an end to the hostilities whilst simultaneously allowing everybody involved to evolve their storylines in a fair manner that does not require the loss of a character. Entering into a Player-Kill War Due to the nature of a Player-Kill War, any faction looking to impose a Player-Kill War or another faction must do so through the usage of the Criminal Roleplay Management team. Criminal Roleplay Management tickets can be raised on the Ranch Discord. Upon request from either party in a conflict, each faction leader will be added to a ticket in order to present the following: War Roster |
| War Roster |
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The War Roster is a list of active faction members who are to be involved in the Player-Kill War. This list is to be presented by each party to the Criminal Roleplay Management team upon request.
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| War Terms |
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The aim of having War Terms involved in a Player-Kill War is to ensure that any conflict as a result of the Player-Kill War is balanced, paced and enjoyable for both sides of the conflict. War Terms must be reasonable. Prior to the commencement of a Player-Kill War, the Criminal Roleplay Management Team will coordinate with both factions to establish that the War Terms are within a fair scope. |
| Example One |
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A Faction intends to enter into a Player-Kill war against another Faction. The Faction is aware that they have dynamite and, in an effort to make the dynamic fair, demands that neither side may use dynamite during PVP. |
| Example Two |
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Two warring factions are attacking eachother's businesses however there's little roleplay being had given that neither faction is present during the hours of attack. A faction can negotiate with the opposition to request that attacks may only happen within a certain time-frame to encourage roleplay between the groups. |
| War Stakes |
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The most fundamental part about a Player-Kill War is that there are genuine repercussions as a result of a factions actions. Upon request, factions are required to provide 3 things that they are willing to part ways with should they lose the Player-Kill War. What clarifies as a War Stake?
In an effort to limit any metagame concern, factions should privately provide their assigned Faction Handler with a list of everything that they are willing to lose. The handler will serve as a confidential middle-man, communicating only within the CRM team to offer a range of perspectives in order to ensure that that this is a fair and balanced agreement. The Criminal Roleplay Management team is required to uphold balance by filtering out the War Stake submissions that are either significantly more or significantly less value than the oppositions War Stake submission, ensuring that the war is fair and balanced. Any Faction Handler with involvement in the conflict will not be included in the discussion. Should any business or house that has been assigned ownership by the Real Estate Office be submitted as a War Stake, ownership will not be transferred to the victorious party. Ownership of the property will however be stripped from the losing party. Faction-assigned properties do not fall under this rule and are subject to takeover. Should players be indecisive and/or unfair in their War Stake submissions, the Criminal Roleplay Management team reserves the right to submit and finalize War Stake submissions on behalf of a faction. |
| Player Kill Wars |
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After all War Submissions have been finalized and accepted, the Criminal Roleplay Management team will oversee the war as it progresses to ensure all rules are being followed throughout the period of conflict.
Remember in Ranch that PK means once you're downed in an attack you're out, this doesn't mean you're perma-killed like other servers may use the abbreviation of PK for. Ending a Player-Kill War
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| Faction Attacks Defined |
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A Faction Attack is when one faction engages in hostilities against another factions members or its assets. What constitutes as a Faction Asset
What does not constitute as a Faction Asset:
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| Faction Turf Defined |
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Regardless of conflict, factions on Ranch Roleplay naturally lose, gain or trade turf over time. These are determined in-character, NOT by CRM, we have no influence, nor will we ever unless in war-terms. What constitutes as Turf
What does not constitute as Turf
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| Moonshine Still Etiquette |
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As part of our commitment to maintaining a high standard of realism and immersion within our server, the following guidelines have been established regarding the placement of moonshine stills:
1. Realistic Environment: Moonshine stills must be placed in realistic locations that make sense for the operation and crafting of moonshine. This means choosing environments where a still could feasibly be hidden or set up for use in the time period, such as in remote cabins, hidden woodland areas, or discreet locations away from the public eye. 2. Prohibited Areas: Stills are not to be placed in illogical or nonsensical areas. This includes (but is not limited to) international territories such as Mexico, embedded within walls, on top of buildings, or inside completely enclosed spaces with no legitimate access or ventilation. 3. Safety and Access: Stills should be placed in a manner that respects the safety and accessibility concerns of that time. Consider the need for water sources, ventilation, and the risks associated with hiding illegal operations.
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