Playing the game

Time-in and the IC area

• Time-in begins at 10 am and ends at 1 am each day
• You are always in-character (IC) in the IC area during time-in
• The Imperial Senate chamber is time-in throughout the game
• You must not roleplay your character outside the IC area

Normal roleplaying begins at time-in, which is 6 pm on Friday and 10 am every morning thereafter. Normal roleplaying ends at time-out, which is 1 am each morning and at 3 pm on the last day of the event. The IC area is the section of the campsite reserved for the game where all roleplaying must take place. Each event guide will clearly delineate the boundary of the IC area.

The exception to this rule is the Senate Chamber. The meeting place of the Imperial Senate is the political hub of the Empire and the building remains time-in from the start of the event until time-out at the end of the event. Players who choose to remain in the Senate building after time-out each night do so because they wish to continue roleplaying. Please avoid this area after time-out if you are no longer IC.

Everyone who is in the IC area during time-in is considered to be IC. You should avoid the IC area during this time unless you are playing your character. If you are in the IC area and you wish to stop roleplaying then out of courtesy to other players you must leave the IC area first unless there is a genuine emergency.

You may continue to roleplay with other characters anywhere in the IC area after time-out so long as you do not take any confrontational actions. You can talk and trade but you must not attack another character, steal from them, or use any ability.

For example, you are in a casino so you may continue to roleplay after time-out but you may not steal items or money from other patrons and you may not attack anyone.

You must not roleplay once you leave the IC site boundaries.

Behaviour while In-character

• Avoid inappropriate references while at events

The themes that exist within Empire include mind-influencing magic, drugs and addiction, human sacrifice, racism and prejudice, prostitution, violence, robbery, torture and murder. They do not include non-consensual sex or sex with minors. It is not possible to know what real life experiences other players have suffered, so you must avoid IC references to either of these two subjects in play to ensure that you do not upset any of your fellow players.

Behaviour while OOC

• You must not use any secret IC information which was gained while OOC

You should do everything reasonably possible to ignore any secret information that your character has not gained IC. You should only act on the things your character could legitimately know.

It is usually inappropriate to tell another player something that their character might desperately want to know. If your character has been murdered for instance, you should avoid telling your friends who murdered your character, for they are likely to want to take revenge. If another player actively tells you something that you did not want to know while OOC and you believe that doing this has affected your ability to discern the information IC then speak to the head referee. The head referee will assess the situation and may give you permission to act on the knowledge your character has if they believe it is appropriate.

Stealing Items

• You may steal any obviously IC item such as money, a map, IC scroll or document
• You must return IC phys-reps to GOD within thirty minutes

If you steal IC money or resources from another character then you should keep it; but if you steal any other item then it is important to make sure that the player gets their phys-rep back.

We recommend that you bring stolen item phys-reps to GOD rather than returning them directly so that the victim does not know who has stolen their item OOC. You must ensure that the owner has the opportunity to regain their phys-rep within thirty minutes of stealing it, either by returning it to the player, or by handing it in at GOD. Prompt return of stolen items will ensure that you are not embarrassed by a referee coming to find you and the stolen item.

Disguises

• If you wear a disguise it is only as good as the phys-rep you use
• You must answer truthfully if you are OOC challenged about your disguise
• You must not disguise yourself as a member of a different lineage or species

It is perfectly acceptable for you to wear a disguise whilst in character (IC). Your ability to change your character’s appearance is only ever as effective as the phys-rep that you use; so if someone recognizes you then they may choose to recognize your character, regardless of the method used to change your appearance.

If you believe you recognize a character that you have met previously who appears to be in disguise then you may check out of character (OOC) by asking the player. You can ask if they are playing a character by name or by reference to a meeting you have had but you cannot simply ask if they are in disguise. You may ask a referee to check a character’s identity to avoid asking them directly. If another player asks you if you are playing a specific character in disguise then you must answer truthfully.

For example, you are playing a Freeborn merrow called Iago but you have disguised yourself as one of the merrow of the Kallavesi. If anyone asks OOC if you are playing Iago or ‘your merrow’ or ‘the merrow I met last night’ then you must answer truthfully.

It is much easier for a player to obtain prosthetics for a lineage or species phys-rep than it would be for a character to adopt that disguise. Because of this, you must not disguise yourself as a member of another lineage or species. You may disguise your character, but must actively avoid any make-up or prosthetics that could conceivably be confused with the phys-rep requirements of another lineage of species. This restriction does not apply if you are using magical means to disguise your appearance.

For example, your human character could glue foam horns to their forehead but this would not be sufficient for any sane character to think you were a cambion. Therefore, you must avoid putting horns on your forehead as part of a normal disguise.

Forgery

• You can forge letters and other in-character documents
• You cannot forge game items in Empire

In-character forgery is not a theme of Empire. The divinations of day and night magic ought to make it trivial for the authorities to identify characters who were forging coins or similar items, but in practice this isn't possible. You may forge IC documents if you wish to do so - but you cannot forge coins, herbs, potions, mana crystals, resources, liao or any other similar game items.

Cheating

• You should report anyone you suspect is cheating to a referee
• Get a referee before attacking another character

Profound Decisions make all reasonable effort to ensure that players are not cheating at events. Please do not make public accusations of cheating. OOC complaints during time-in ruin the atmosphere of the game and only exacerbate the problems caused by cheating.

If you think that another player is cheating then please report the matter to one of the referees as soon as possible and leave it for Profound Decisions to deal with. If referees find players cheating then they will deal with the issue as appropriate. It is advisable to get a referee to accompany you before attacking another character to ensure that all the game rules are followed. Please note that if you do not get a referee when you were able to do so then the benefit of the doubt will be given to the other party if there is any dispute.

Between Events

Keeping the game live

• We want the important IC discussions and decisions to happen live at the events

Profound Decisions are very keen for the key IC activity of the Empire world to take place at events. We believe your game will be busier and better if everything that can happen in the field, does happen in the field. Trade negotiations, religious debates, military planning, magical discourse and political discussions and appointments are all examples of activities that should happen at events.

While it would be logical to expect some decisions and interactions to take place between Imperial summits, Empire is a live-roleplaying game not a real-time simulation. Every IC communication you have between events is one you cannot have face to face.

Forums and IC roleplaying

• No IC forums for nations or Imperial political bodies
• Emails and group forums are fine

Our core goal is to ensure that important game decisions are taken at events, rather than between events. For this reason we are asking players not to create IC forums for one of the ten nations or for any of the core Imperial political bodies - the Senate, Synod, Bourse, Military Council and the Conclave.

Although it is fine to send IC communications by email or use forums for groups, we would ask that you don't engage in important IC discussions of the kinds listed above unless you are at an event. It is ok to advertise IC services on the Empire Facebook group, provided you don't then get drawn into IC negotiations with other players for those services. Please save this for when everyone is in-character at the event.

Communication with NPCs

• We ask our NPCs not to send IC communications between events

You are welcome to send IC communications to egregores and other NPCs between events but all our staff have been asked not to respond until the next event. They may choose to bring such IC communications with them to the next event and act on them there.

Please also appreciate that our crew are all volunteers. While they may choose to respond to questions, Profound Decisions do not expect crew to handle any OOC communications between events. If you need a response, please email Profound Decisions instead.