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01.01


A while back, a user on Gaia by the name of Tanasha posted the original Anti-Munch Project, a guide to avoid unfairness when role-playing. Since then, the Anti-Munch Project (referred to as the AMP from here on out) has been widely accepted throughout the role-playing community as the 'common sense' of role-playing. To put it differently, the AMP are the rules and restrictions that keep role-playing fun and fair for everyone. It has been updated and adopted by many different role-players, all adding their own knowledge into the mix. I recently found a modified version posted in the Barton OOC form, have adopted it, and made a few changes of my own. This is my revision of the Anti-Munch Project.

01.02
The Anti-Munch Project, or AMP, is one of many guides that exists for role-players. It helps to identify various types of unfairness, or “Munching”, that exists in role-playing. Munching is a critical issue in role-playing, and this guide will help you avoid the players who Munch while avoiding the mistakes yourself. This guide, hopefully, will help you in your role-playing endeavors in the future, to keep your material clean, fair, and fun for everyone.
01.03
"Munching" is the term used when someone acts unfairly or unrealistically when role-playing. Munching has been broken down into over thirty different forms, and those can be separated further into three different groups. Someone can munch in three different ways; with their character actions, with their character profiles, and with OOC. In this guide, you will be introduced to the three categories of munching and all the forms that apply to them.

03



Before we delve into the main purpose of this guide, let’s have a quick crash course on Role-play's, Role-playing, and Role-Players. Afterward, I'll go over some common terms of role-playing to brush up your lingo.

03.01
Role-plays, or RP's, are like written games, made to the desires of the RP's maker, known as the Creator, to create a desired story. RP's usually consist of a setting where the story takes place, a plot that will turn into the story, a back story to give it history, characters to live out the story, and they usually follow an interest genre or a combination of genres. Characters in the RP act out the plot to create the story, which is the purpose of an RP.

03.02
Role-playing, or RPing, is when a player puts themselves in the shoes of a pre-made character or one of their own design, and interact as their character with other player controlled characters to create a story in an RP.

03.03
Role-Players, or RPer's, are the people in control of the characters. They are responsible for their characters and how they contribute to the story in an RP. There are many different player types, all ranging in different skill and literacy level, and each one is unique in their own ways (usually). For a better look at player types, click this link here [link it].

05

Forms of Munching : An Organized Collection

05.01
Up to this point, you've learned why the AMP was made and what it is for, and you've also learned what Munching is and the three different types of Munch. Now it's time to learn about the thirty three forms of Munching. First, I'll provide an alphabetical list of all the forms of Munching, talk briefly about the Munching scale, and then I'll get into more detail on each form of Munching after dividing them into the three different types of Munch.

05.02

1. Aimbotter
   
2. Augustine
   
3. Baghdad Bobbit
   
4. Batman
   
5. Boa Constrictor
   
6. Bella/Cullen
   
7. Cyberer
   
8. Daydreamer
   
9. Gaseous Snake
   
10. Godmodder
    
11. Goku
    
12. Guardian
    
13. Ironclad Sentinel
    
14. IDKFA
    
15. Mary Sue/ Gary Stu
    
16. McFly
    
17. Min-maxer
    
18. Miss Cleo
    
19. Oblivious Oaf
    
20. One-liner
    
21. Overcompensation Stroker
    
22. Oxymoron
    
23. Powercell
    
24. Prosecutor
    
25. Puppetmaster
    
26. Quaker
    
27. Revisionist
    
28. Romeo’s Tragedy
    
29. Shoe Elf
    
30. Speedhacker
    
31. Trinity
    
32. Twink

05.03
A rating of 1-10 is applied to each form of Munch to help the user's of this guide better understand the severity of each form. Anything rated 4 and below should be called on if they happen repeatedly. Anything 5 and above should be called out and fixed immediately.

And now, what you've been waiting for. In the examples, A is a fair role-player, and B is the Muncher.
Note: The examples are not in proper role-playing form.

05-2


Mini Nav Table:
[05-2.01]- Boa Constrictor
[05-2.02]- Daydreamer
[05-2.03]- Gaseous Snake
[05-2.04]- Ironclad Sentinel
[05-2.05]- Mary Sue/Gary Stu
[05-2.06]- Mcfly
[05-2.07]- Min-maxer
[05-2.08]- Oblivious Oaf
[05-2.09]- Puppetmaster
[05-2.10]- Quaker
[05-2.11]- Twink

05-2.01
Boa Constrictor
Munch rate: 4-7
People who put so many rules into their role-play that it becomes impossible for more than a few people to role-play and have fun. The list of rules is often long, and covers every minuscule detail imaginable. Now, role-plays DO need rules, but too many or to detailed rules make it hard to enjoy yourself in the game. They often ban certain forms of magic, weapons, technology and powers. The reason its Munchiness is so low is that most people who see the huge list of rules say “screw this” and hit the Back button.
EXAMPLE
No example is provided, because it would imply that there are certain rules that shouldn’t be used when developing a role-play. Just summarize, summarize, summarize. –looks at guide- sweatdrop

05-2.02
Daydreamer
Munch rate: 3
Players who at first appear to be posting literate material, but then go off on a mad ramble about something entirely unrelated. Now, putting some outside detail or back story into a post is fine, but it shouldn’t be more than a few sentences, unless you’re intentionally doing a flashback for present story purposes. However, Daydreamers simply get sidetracked on something else.
EXAMPLE
A: In the middle of the intense shootout, I dash across the narrow alley, ducking and weaving in hopes to avoid getting hit. I'm unsuccessful; two bullets peg me in the shoulder, throwing me back into a Dumpster.
B: The bullets make me think back to my days as a youth, when I had to melt down tin soldiers to use as musket balls against the Redcoats... or was it redskins? I can't remember. Anyway, I had to walk uphill all three ways to school and back, running from glaciers all the while. It was torture, lemme tell ya. And then there's the story of how I met my first wife...

05-2.03
Gaseous Snake
Munch rate: 6
A Gaseous Snake a player who will attempt to alter the RP after the fair player has done something, usually stating they prepared for the situation before hand without any prior knowledge to what the situation called for.
EXAMPLE
A: Now safe, I walk to the cellar door and open it.
B: Being a fellow with a bit of foresight, I hooked that doorknob to a car battery an hour ago, even though I started chasing you fifteen minutes ago and have no idea where you live. You're thrown across the yard.

05-2.04
Ironclad Sentinel
Munch rate: 7
Ironclad Sentinels are a bit like Guardians with minions and a base, and are a fast-growing problem. It refers to when an organization/corporation/military has too many defenses, or ridiculously powerful ones.
EXAMPLE
A: I am attacking with a battalion of thirty tanks, air support of twenty gun-ships, and three submarines off the coast with Tomahawk cruise missiles.
B: Defenses - Force-field that blocks everything but lets our weapons out, invisibility shield around the base, 100 SAM turrets, 100 machine gun turrets, 1000 guards with machine guns, 200 space fighters, 200 tanks.

05-2.05
Mary Sue/ Gary Stu
Munch rate: 0-10
Not truly a form of Munching, and not always annoying. Mary Sues/ Gary Stus are characters who have over-idealized mannerisms and no apparent flaws. They represent the perfect character for their creator. Everyone wants to be a Mary Sue or Gary Stu, but no one can, because characters NEED flaws. It also refers to characters with certain clichés (strange eye colors, mysterious past, etc). I Mary Sues and Gary Stus are actually more common in literature than they are in role-playing, but they ARE there, and you probably know or are one.
EXAMPLE
No role-play example is provide, but examples of Mary Sue/ Gary Stu characters from other media include Edward Cullen and Bella Swann from Twilight, Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation, and almost every good Disney character to date.

05-2.06
McFly
Munch rate: 7
Characters who attempt to alter situations (and often past posts) drastically to give them an advantage. They’re a far worse version of Gaseous Snakes, but are declining in numbers.
EXAMPLE
A: Ha! Now that the force field is down, I run inside your evil lair!
B: Um... um... there's also a super-secret second force field which causes you to die instantly! I just didn't say anything about it because... um... I had to do my laundry! Not because I just thought of it now! Honestly!
-OR-
(edits a previous post) You forgot about the second force field, which I mentioned # posts ago!

05-2.07
Min-maxer
Munch rate: 8
Not very common, they’re more of a problem in D&D-style games. Their strength:weakness ratio is ridiculously off-balance.
EXAMPLE
A: I've successfully broken into the facility which gave you your incredibly 1337 power armor. Now I pull up the file on it. What does it say about weak points?
B: The metal of my armor is... um... allergic to praying mantis urine.

05-2.08
Oblivious Oaf
Munch rate: 2-5
Characters who don’t explain how what they’re using works. Not always bad, as not everyone knows how particle shielding or a gravity-spewing rail-gun works, but an attempt should be made to at least give a vague idea.
EXAMPLE
B: Hahahahahaha my ultra shield deflects any projectile weapon
A: ((Dude, how does that work? I need some info))
B: ((Ahhhhh uhhhhhh.......it....uses......some.......weird substance......that like...........does.....something......and then it like.....deflects all projectiles! Thats how it works, its not like I never explain my gear its just that I just came up with that explanation now, I mean I just had trouble explaining it.))

05-2.09
Puppetmaster
Munch rate: 4-9
Another overly common occurrence. Puppetmasters take control of another player’s RPC, often without their permission, often to their advantage, and often to extremes. Now, very minor, general, expected Puppetmastering is okay; for example, if you throw a fireball at a tree and then say that everyone turns to look at the burning tree, that’s usually acceptable, because it’s a fair bet people WOULD turn to see a tree set on fire by a fireball. However, if you say that a person’s character runs away screaming and trampling others, that’s unacceptable.
EXAMPLE
A: I step carefully into the room, peering around for occupants.
B: Suddenly a dragon pokes you in the eye. You run screaming from the room, thereafter you go home, make a pickle sandwich, and call your mother to cry about how she ruined your life.

05-2.10
Quaker
Munch rate: 9
Characters who can spawn anything magically, or pull objects out of nowhere. They often have “Hammerspaces”- pocket dimensions used for storage, named after a cartoon gag where a character pulls a giant hammer out of nowhere-, which is still not an excuse, unless said Hammerspace has a previously listed inventory. Even then, most people see Quakers as Munchers. Possibly named after the Quake video games.
EXAMPLE
A: My character is wearing a form of armor only vulnerable to a drop of water from a holy well in South Dakota.
B: *He pulls out the vial of water from a holy well in South Dakota* I don't know why I always carried this, but I knew it would come in handy one day.

05-2.11
Twink
Munch rate: 10
If a character has strengths that aren’t balanced with equivalent weaknesses, or has phenomenal cosmic powers but doesn’t go into detail to explain how they work, you have a Twink. However, these characters are occasionally allowed, particularly in role-plays with omnipotent god-like beings or Gods, or generally when the role-play isn’t specific about invincible deities.
EXAMPLE
A: A punch coming, eh? Well, seeing as you're a seven-year-old child and I'm riding in a twenty-meter mecha, I won't bother dodging.
B: Fooled you! I have the power to DESTROY EVERYTHING when I punch it! I'm just like an X-Man, and therefore require you to suspend all logic when RPing with me! Oh, and I have the power to steal your girlfriend, too.

06


There's so much information the AMP covers it's staggering to think someone would have to keep it all in mind with every word they role-play. But you don't have to necessarily memorize everything the AMP encompasses, and I think I can somewhat summarize its teaches after having gone through the information so extensively.

The AMP teaches us what Munching is, when a Player is unfair to other Players. It teaches us how a Player can Munch, by acting, creating, or by being. By providing us with that, we then know how to identify Munching and correct it, avoid it if it can't be corrected, and how to avoid Munching ourselves. The easiest way to do this, is to ask ourselves 'Is this fair to everyone else?' whenever or however we act in any role-playing environment, and ask ourselves 'Is that fair to everyone?' when someone else acts in any role-playing environment.

Avoid Munching by being logical and creative in your role-playing and with your characters. When you make things like spells, weapons, armor and equipment, always explain how your character got it, it's strengths, and be fair in it's weaknesses and draw-backs. When you're in a RP fight, never automatically hit, and take quick short turns with your opponent. Never try to do to much before someone could react, unless you're allowed to.

I loved doing this guide. It was a learning experience for me, in more then a few ways. I personally want to thank any one who took the time to read at least most of it, enough to be interested in reading this particular part.

The AMP exists to limit those who can't find a way besides doing something, or having something, illogically. If you're logical by it, its acceptable. Always have an explainable reason for everything in-character, and you can do anything imaginable. We're limited by reason, but in a world we create, we control what that reason is.