Please do not post anything in this thread. Any questions can be PMed to either myself or asked at the help desk.

Welcome to RPing 101. Here you will learn the standard RP procedureswe require all members to follow. Please carefuly review these tips, hints, and protocols. While you may think, "But I know this already! Why am I here?" the answer is simple. This is to ensure that everyone is on the same level of skill as the next person. Why? Because this guild is, first and foremost, an RP-based guild. (Please note that anyone who fails to obey these guidelines can, and most likely will, be subject to firing.)

Lesson 1: Entering an RP

When entering an RP, there are 3 things you must always do:

The first thing to do, if the RP is a mission, is go into the Mission thread and read the related post. It will contain the basic information and location of the meeting.

Read every post that was there or added since the last time you were there. A lot of times, any questions you have and key information are located in these posts.

When entering into an RP, don't just thrust yourself in the middle of the action; for all you know they're 50,000 feet in the air. Which means read every post in that mission so you know what's going on.
Also, when you enter an RP, try to time your entrance with an event that would allow for it to make things smoother. When entering a new RP, it is also important to know where everyone is. You can't just randomly join someone who was flown to Costa Del Sol if you weren't there to be flown with them. As well, some RPs will have a limit as to how many people may join it. If this number has already been reached, chances are you will either be ignored or asked to leave.

Lesson 2: Obeying the laws of the natural universe and common sense.

Now, we've all seen some form of movie, cartoon, or comic where the people have really cool super powers, like the ability to fly. Guess what? You're not one of them. You can't just walk in and out of flying crafts, you can't teleport anywhere around the world, and by all things holy, if you are suicidal enough to walk out of or off of something in they sky, you're almost guaranteed to go splat and die. You must, at all times, obey the laws of the natural universe. I repeat, ALL TIMES!

As well, use common sense when RPing. For example, if you're a pilot, and you're heading somewhere, your map is only a reference. You are flying in a straight-line form point A to point B so there are no such things as shortcuts. If you find yourself in combat, you don't automatically win and can't pull off superhuman feats. If you get hit, it's going to hurt a lot! Since this is the case, please react appropriately. If you're a male character and get canned, don?t expect us to believe that you're fine and continue fighting. If you get stabbed in your gun arm, chances are you won't be using it for the rest of the fight and you're bleeding.

Please also note that you are not GOD, so god-moding is strictly forbidden, as are supernatural abilities, inhuman abilities, and some sort of new spell from materia.

There is one other law that you must obey. This one is crucial to your employment. Rufus hired you: he owns you, he tells you what to do, and if you do it well enough, he pays you. He has every right to tell you to leave, do something not so pleasant on a mission, and so on. Arguing with him is a good way to get fired. Rufus is the person you want to impress the most, and the more competent you prove yourself, the more you'll benefit. Not to mention his shotgun is a lot nicer when he likes you.

Lesson 3: A proper RP post.

A proper RP post is crucial to everyone's enjoyment of an RP. Posts should contain a MINIMUM of one paragraph(Five sentences minimum), NOT including speech. That way we don't end up with a post that goes like this: Nods. (Trust me, this is a good way to get your a** kicked.) Another crucial factor is your punctuation. Posts should be typed up without asterisks, little ~'s, or other symbols to indicate action. Instead, you are to distinguish your speech with the quotation marks, " ", and any character thoughts you want to express in ~'s (Tildes) or //'s.

When posting, be sure that you have read everything the others have posted before you so you don't end up doing something stupid, like talking to a now-vacant seat, or attempting to do something someone else is already doing. This will save everyone a lot of confusion and time.
Also, be courteous to the other RPers. This means don't insult them, aggravate them, antagonize them, or be rude to them in side comments. Also, try to keep the side comments (contained in brackets) to the bare minimum. Meaning; don't hold a conversation in them. Instead, use them to tell others when you're leaving or rejoining, or if you have an important question about the RP that hasn't already been answered.

When you make a mistake, or something happens, please don't make up an excuse as to why you did it. We really don't care. Also, do NOT use ((OoC)) pity for yourself or others. This takes away form the experience and irritates people.

Lesson 4: Interaction with the NPCs

First off, let me remind you all that you are representatives of Shin-Ra Corp., and everything you do in public will be held against the company.
If you are assigned to crowd control, you may NOT use lethal force. You are simply there to keep the crowds from getting hurt by anything going on while keeping them from distracting the teams. If you do use lethal force, expect, at the minimum, a long suspension from duty. If the crowd attacks you, you are allowed to use force, but not excessive or lethal, after all, the crowd are unarmed citizens.
Also, there is no such thing as a non-lethal bullet. If you're using guns on a crowd you should be hung. This will be seen as an act of terrorism by most of the public, and depending on where they get shot, they will be killed. You're shooting them for god's sake! Everyone has been issued a standard issue Rod, which can be used as a weapon and is the ONLY weapon you are permitted to use on them if necessary!
Also, you will note that the NPCs are usually played by either Rufus or one of the admins who isn't participating in the mission, which means we'll know if you break these rules.

Lesson 5: Battles

Battles are very simple and easily done wrong. To begin with, either you or the person you're fighting will start things off. This will probably be a thrown punch, shot from a gun, etc. Just like everything else in life, the laws of the natural universe bind you. You do NOT have the power to dodge bullets, survive a shot to anything vital, and you aren't immortal -- you can't just act like nothing happened. If you get hit with a punch, kick, bullet, sword, stick, etc., you must act appropriately and acknowledge the blow, as your opponent must.

Ex: Reno winced as the shotgun shell grazed his arm. Pissing Rufus off this early was a BAD idea. Panting, he once again flung himself aside in an attempt to avoid another shot.

As well, when you attack someone don't automatically think it went through. Give them time to react to your post.

Bad post: Reno Swung his fist hard at the Soldier who'd insulted him and smiled as his fist connected with a sickening thud, knocking the Soldier out. ((Do anything of this sort and you will be mauled.))

Good post: Reno swung his fist hard, aiming for the Soldier's mouth. How dare this maggot talk about Reno's mother like that! ((This is a good post as it allows said Soldier time to react.))

Which brings me to our next point. You are not some uber cool, leet, Neo-type person and can't block absolutely everything that comes at you. You have to act within moderation, allowing your opponent time to react to your attack, and allowing your character to get hurt. ((If you have any doubts about what's fair to you when it comes to injury, ask yourself this: In real life, would I be able to avoid that attack? If the answer is no, chances are you should take some damage, even if it's only minor.))

Lesson 6: Your family and Co-workers.

You must treat your co-workers with proper respect. You don't have to like them, but you do have to behave around them, attempt to get along with them, and be civil towards them. If a superior gives you an order, it is expected that you will reply with, "Yes, sir," and do the task you've been assigned. Disobedience and back-talk are very good ways to get fired, especially if Rufus is the one giving you the order.

Also, don't expect anyone to know or care who your family members are. This isn't something that influences your power or "coolness factor." So don't go flaunting it around the office. If anything it just makes you look stupid.