Welcome to RPGNet! (Net 774).                          Player Guide
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Created: Aug. 14, 1997                               Update: 00
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This is the player guide to RPGNet. To allow you to understand the what
and how of the net, I have prepared the following guidelines to assist
you, the gamer. These guideline will be updated as new needs arise:

BASIC OVERVIEW
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THIS NET WAS CREATED TO ALLOW USERS WHO ALSO PLAY TSR(tm) GAMES,
AND OTHER ROLE-PLAYING GAMES. THIS NET DEALS WITH NOTHING ELSE
TO THAT END. IT WAS CREATED FOR GAMERS BY GAMERS. 


GAMES
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1.) GAMES CAN BE FROM ANY ROLE-PLAYING GAME MODULE (IE AD&D ETC.) OR CAN
    BE THE GAMES THAT YOU CREATE. BEAR IN MIND, THIS IS AN ALL MESSAGE
    BASE NETWORK. THEREFORE, DOOR TYPE OR GRAPHICAL GAMES CANNOT BE PLAYED.
    THE EXCEPTION TO IT WOULD BE IF YOU MADE A MAP USING ANSI OR ASCII
    AND UPLOADED TO THE MESSAGE AREA FOR YOUR FELLOW GAMERS TO SEE.  
    HOWEVER, THIS TYPE OF ACTIVITY TENDS TO COST SYSOPS MONEY IN POSSIBLE
    LONG DISTANCE CHARGES IN SENDING THESE TYPE OF MESSAGES. SO, TO THAT
    END, IT IS UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL SYSOPS TO DETERMINE IF THEY ALLOW THAT
    ON THEIR BBS'S. RPGNET WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LONG DISTANCE
    BILLS OTHER THAN THOSE INCURRED BY THEIR OWN RESPECTIVE SYSTEMS.

2.) GAMES MAY BE OF ANY TYPE, WITH EXCEPTION TO GAMES THAT TEND TO CREATE
    "CULTS" OR FANATIC GROUPS SUCH AS VAMPIRES AND WEREWOLVES. THOSE 
    CHARACTERS WILL BE LIMITED TO NPC (NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS) IF EVEN USED.
    
3.) WHILE IT IS OUR POLICY TO PROVIDE THE BEST SERVICE, WE ALSO ARE A CLEAN
    CUT NETWORK AND WE MUST PLACE SOME LIMITS ON PLAYER CHARACTER TYPES.
    TOO MUCH RECENT PUBLICITY WAS A DETERMINING FACTOR IN THIS DECISION.
    ALSO, DEMONIC CHARACTERS THAT COULD BE OF CULT ORIGIN OR CULT USEAGE
    IS ALSO PROHIBITED. BY THIS I MEAN THE TRUE EVIL CHARACTERS. THERE 
    ARE VARYING DEGREES OF DEMONS THAT DON'T FIT THIS CATEGORY. YOU MAY 
    USE THOSE. CULT ACTIVITY OF ANY TYPE IS PROHIBITED ON THIS NET.

4.) PROFANITY IS PROHIBITED THROUGHOUT THE NETWORK. YOU MAY USE DAMN, HELL
    AND OTHER WORDS THAT HAVE ACTUAL MEANINGS. DAMN DENOTES AN ACTION OF
    CONDEMNATION AND HELL IS A PLACE OF SATAN AND HIS FOLLOWERS. SLANG
    VARIATIONS OF THOSE WORDS MEANT AS CURSING IN CONTEXT IS NOT ALLOWED.

5.) THERE COULD BE FROM TIME TO TIME OCCASIONAL ADULT-THEMED (MATURE)
    MESSAGES ON THE NETWORK. BY THAT I DON'T MEAN PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIALS,
    BUT VIOLENCE AND SOME MATURE WORDINGS, THEREFORE, PARENTS ARE URGED
    TO MONITOR CHILDREN UNDER 18 WHEN THEY USE THIS NET. I CANNOT TOTALLY
    CONTROL WHO GETS ON THIS NET AS IT IS ALSO RAN ON REMOTE SYSTEMS 
    ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND/OR THE GLOBE. 


GAME REQUESTS
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YOU MAY REQUEST THAT GAME ECHOES BE ADDED TO THE NETWORK. TO DO THAT,
YOU MUST:

1.) SUBMIT A MESSAGE TO THE NETMASTER VIA THE GAME REQUEST ECHO (WHICH 
    IS BY THE WAY MANDATORY FOR ALL SYSOPS CARRYING THIS NET TO HAVE
    IN THEIR MESSAGE BASES FOR THIS NET). IN THIS MESSAGE, STATE THE
    GAME NAME, BASIC OVERVIEW OF GAME (DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A LONG 
    DESCRIPTION) AND WHOM BESIDES YOURSELF THAT YOU KNOW OF HAS REQUESTED
    THIS GAME ECHO. IF YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE, THE REQUEST WILL BE HELD
    AND NOT INSTALLED UNTIL ANOTHER PERSON REQUESTS THE SAME GAME. 
    YOU WILL SEE ALL GAME REQUESTS SUBMITTED BY READING THE GAME REQUEST
    ECHO. IF YOUR REQUEST IS LISTED SOMEWHERE IN THE MESSAGES PRIOR TO
    YOURS, IT WILL BE ADDED WITHIN 24 HOURS. THIS LENGTH OF TIME IS TO
    GIVE OTHER SYSOPS OPPORTUNITY TO DETERMINE IF THEY WANT TO INSTALL
    THAT CONFERENCE ON THEIR BBS AS WELL. ALL THOSE REQUESTING GAMES 
    THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED/DISAPPROVED WILL BE NOTIFIED IN THE
    CONFERENCE "WORDS FROM THE NETMASTER". 

2.) ALONGSIDE OF RULE #1 ABOVE, IF GAME REQUESTS COME IN FROM TWO OR MORE
    PEOPLE AND NO ONE IS DESIGNATED AS THE GAME MASTER (GM) / DUNGEON
    MASTER (DM) THEN THE GAME WILL NOT BE INSTALLED UNTIL MANAGEMENT
    HAS A LIST OF PLAYERS INCLUDING THE GM/DM. IN A GAME THERE MUST BE ONE
    WHO DELIVERS THE SCENARIOS FOR THE PLAYERS TO MAKE DECISIONS ON.


3.) ALL REQUESTS FOR NEW GAME CONFERENCES MUST AT LEAST HAVE 2 PERSONS
    REQUESTING THE SAME ECHO FOR THE GAME ECHO TO BE ADDED. 

INACTIVE CONFERENCES
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1.) ALL GAMES THAT HAVE SEEN NO ACTIVITY IN 30 DAYS, WILL BE DELETED WITHOUT
    ADVANCE NOTIFICATION. THIS IS TO MINIMIZE DEAD CONFERENCES (GAMES). IF
    YOU FINISH THE GAME OR DO NOT WISH TO CONTINUE IT FOR ANY REASON, NOTIFY
    THE NETMASTER VIA THE GAME REQUEST CONFERENCE. IT WILL ONLY BE DELETED
    IF ALL PARTIES INVOLVED WITH THE GAME DO NOT WISH TO CONTINUE PLAY AS
    WELL. ONCE REMOVED, ANY FUTURE REQUESTS FOR THAT SAME GAME WILL BE 
    DELAYED FOR 7 DAYS AFTER REQUEST IS SUBMITTED. THIS WILL HELP IN
    DETERMINING IF OTHER SYSOPS WISH TO CARRY THIS CONFERENCE AGAIN. 


ABOUT ON AND OFF-TOPIC MESSAGE POSTING
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1.) THE GAME CONFERENCE ARE FOR THE RUNNING GAMES ONLY. NO IDLE CHATTER
    IS ALLOWED UNLESS IT IS DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH THE GAME IN PROGRESS.
    THAT IS, CHARACTERS MAY CONVERSE TO OTHER CHARACTERS WHEN ENGAGED
    IN ACTUAL GAME PLAY. NOTHING ELSE! IF YOU POST OFF-TOPIC/GENERAL
    CHATTER IN ANY GAME CONFERENCE, YOU WILL RECEIVE A WARNING LETTER FROM
    NETMASTER VIA THE "WORDS FROM THE NETMASTER" CONFERENCE. AND IT IS 
    PUBLIC. EVERYONE WILL SEE IT. 2ND OFFENSE - YOU WILL BE LOCKED OUT OF THE
    NET FOR A PERIOD OF 7 DAYS. THAT IS THE ENTIRE NET. 3RD OFFENSE -
    15 DAYS. 4TH AND FINAL OFFENSE - PERMANENT LOCKOUT OF THE NET TO YOU.
    
6.) ANY NON-GAME CHATTER MUST GO INTO THE GENERAL CHATTER CONFERENCE. PLEASE
    MAKE THE MESSAGES SHORT AND TO THE POINT. 

7.) ANY POST-GAME CHATTER WILL GO INTO THE RPG CHATTER, AND WILL ONLY BE
    ABOUT YOUR GAMES ONLY.


USE OF OFF-LINE MAIL READERS
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1.) USE OF OFFLINE MAIL READER PROGRAMS, SUCH AS BLUEWAVE(TM) OR OTHER
    MAIL READERS THAT USE QWK FORMAT FOR MESSAGES IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
    THIS REDUCES 


DISCLAIMER
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RPGNET, ITS STAFF, AND NODE SYSOPS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY 
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING FROM THE USE OR THE INABILITY
TO USE THIS NETWORK. RPGNET WILL NOT BE INVOLVED IN ANY
PRIVATE DISPUTE THAT RESULTS IN LEGAL ACTION/DEFAMATION SUITS.

YOU OWN YOUR OWN WORDS. BE PREPARED TO BE CHALLENGED BY OTHERS
SHOULD YOU BE CHALLENGED. THAT IS, IF YOU CHOOSE TO "FLAME"
OTHERS, BE READY TO ANSWER TO THE RECEIPENT AS WELL AS THE
NETMASTER. ANY RECEIPENTS OF "FLAME" MESSAGES WILL BE GIVEN
EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO PROPERLY DEFEND THEMSELVES. IF YOU 
DECLINE TO, THE NETMASTER WILL INTERVENE. SHOULD A HEATED 
DISCUSSION ARISE, IT IS PREFERRED THAT YOU TAKE YOUR FIGHTS
ELSEWHERE. DO NOT USE THIS NET TO SETTLE SCORES. AS STATED,
RPGNET, ITS STAFF AND NODE SYSOPS WILL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR
WORDS USED BY ITS USERS THAT DEFAME OR MAY CAUSE LIBEL CHARGES
TO BROUGHT AGAINST OTHER USERS. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE TO YOURSELVES
AND SHOULD CONDUCT YOURSELVES IN A CIVILIZED MANNER. EVERY
EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO ALLOW THIS NETWORK TO REMAIN THAT WAY.
SHOULD THE NETMASTER INTERVENE, YOU WILL BE LOCKED OUT TO
PROTECT OTHERS. 



