Server Rules

Nova Sector Policy

	Server Rules
	Nova Roleplay Expectations
	Antagonist Policy
	Silicon Policy
	Ghost Role Policy
	Corporate Regulations
	Nova Sector lore
	Staff Operations Policy

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Legal Access and Age Policy

Nova Sector is an 18+ community. You must be 18 years of age or older to play on our server, participate in our Discord, or hold any account associated with our Community. This is a zero-tolerance policy: any player found or reasonably believed to be under 18, or can be proven to have been underage at any point in their participation with Nova Sector or Skyrat, will be permanently removed from the Community, regardless of standing or prior contribution. We do not require identification at time of application, as we believe that is an unnecessary violation of privacy.

We reserve the right to Age Check and remove access to our services under any level of suspicion.

Nova Sector is based in, and operates under the laws of, the United States.

Players are responsible for ensuring their own participation complies with the laws of their home jurisdiction.

By playing on Nova Sector or applying on our Discord, you consent to incidental or passing exposure to Sexual or NSFW Content.

On Good Faith and Bad Faith - Establishing Your Approach to the Game

The distinction between "good faith" and "bad faith" behavior revolves around a Player's intent: are you engaging with our Community's rules and roleplay in a way that is fun and fair for everyone, or are you working to ruin the experience or Narratives of others?

Playing in good faith means your actions are driven by a genuine attempt to participate in the Shift's Story and your Character's role within it, within the spirit of our Rules, even if those actions cause conflict or inconvenience others along the way.

Bad faith (often synonymous with griefing) covers actions taken primarily for the perpetrator's own amusement, spite, or advantage, at the direct expense of others' enjoyment, rather than in genuine service to the Shift's Story. This includes intellectual dishonesty in official channels, disrupting the Shift, a scene, or a Story for poor in-character reasons, and "winning" an encounter by treating another Player's Narrative as an obstacle to clear rather than something to build with.

Acting in bad faith is itself a breach of our Social Contract, independent of and in addition to any other specific rule broken in the process. Where a Player's conduct is ambiguous, Staff will investigate their motivation and surrounding context to determine whether it reflects good or bad faith.

Core Rules

CR 1: The Social Contract

Conduct yourself with the maturity expected of an 18+ server. Take the environment seriously. Follow Staff instructions and rulings. Seek permission, not forgiveness. Self-report to Staff if you feel you made a mistake. You are responsible for knowing the rules. Ignorance is not an excuse.

• Be Proactively Honest - Do not lie, omit context, or misrepresent facts in official channels. Provide all relevant information immediately.
• If You See Something, Say Something - Please report perceived rule-breaks as they occur. While you may finish an active scene or moment before providing full details, you must not use this delay to escalate or seek retribution. Once a ticket is pending, all conflict with the accused parties must cease immediately. If you disagree with a ruling, remain civil and make a Staff Report ticket on Discord.
• The Tap Out Rule - Your OOC consent to involvement in targeted content from another Crewmate, including any erotic content directed at you, may be retracted at any time, for any reason, and must be immediately respected by those involved. Using Local-OOC, state you are "Invoking the Tap Out Rule" or similar, disengage or ignore them, and ensure your own actions don't hinder their round in turn. If either party fails to comply, immediately Admin Help. This rule protects you from unpleasant interactions being forced on you, it is not a shield against the IC consequences of your own actions, nor does it override ERP-G-4's on-station exposure risks.
• Leave Real History in the Past - Do not reference real political figures, governments, legislation, wars, or historical events that remain a source of active controversy or heavy discussion or debate to this day. Our Setting is 540 years in the future and these events are ancient history to your character. If you wouldn't expect your character to have a strong personal stake in something that happened in centuries past, do not bring it into the game.
• Maintain Separation of Self and Character - Keep personal struggles out of roleplay. We recognize that life can be difficult and we genuinely care about our players' wellbeing, but your characters should not be a vehicle for real-life distress. We take this seriously not to punish people who are struggling, but to make sure the game doesn't become a substitute for real support, putting unfair emotional weight on other players. If you are going through something hard, please reach out to a trusted person or support resource.
• Anguish With Intent - If you wish to explore your characters mental health as a subject for roleplay such as through psychology, mental breakdowns, or ongoing story arcs, it must be done with immersion in mind and escalated in a realistic way. Mental health topics should be used to elevate roleplay for all players, not used to excuse characters' bad behavior. Treat your character's mental health journey seriously to the best of your ability. If your character's arc appears to draw directly on disclosed real-life struggles rather than fictional characterization, Staff may intercede.
• Suicide and Self-Harm Content Is Tightly Restricted - Intentional suicide as a resolved IC outcome is prohibited outside of the Die a Glorious Death antagonist objective. Discussion of suicide or self-harm must be kept strictly to use of the Subtler Verb and requires LOOC consent from everyone involved in the scene.
• No Meta-Gaming - Information gained outside of IC experience in the current round is Metaknowledge. Using this information for an IC advantage is Metagaming and is prohibited. Playing with friends is welcome.

CR 2: The Vibe Check

Carry yourself in good faith. Play and behave altruistically for the benefit of everyone. You don't have to respect the character, but you must respect the writer and the larger game environment.

• Safe Zones Must Be Respected - The Arrival Shuttle and Arrivals itself, the Escape Shuttle, the Interlink, and Ghost Cafés are Safe Zones. Conflict should not be instigated in or brought to these areas.
• End of Round Grief and the Curtain Call - IC Expectations are ended when the Title Card / Credits / Shift Recap popup displays or becomes available. As we are actors, when the shift is over, so is our acting. Feel free to address each other as participants in a stageplay on an OOC level after the round ends. You are encouraged to maintain your character and complete a scene if you wish, but there is not an expectation to resolve any standing conflict or narrative at the title card. Remember the expectations of Safe Zones.
  • Intentional griefing or continuation of mechanics with non-reciprocating parties is still considered EORG. Blowing up the Station, delaminating the Supermatter, or any other similar plans need to be cleared by Admin Help prior to the Title Card / Credits.
• Respect Unresponsive Players - Characters not reacting to their environment are considered to have Space Sleeping Disorder. Do not touch or interfere with SSD players except to save them from immediate danger, or to relocate them to cryogenics after 30 minutes have passed, which you may do yourself if you wish, unless the character is a known suspect or actively wanted by Security, in which case Staff should be notified instead.
  • If a Command or Security role-holder goes SSD, report it to Staff as these roles carry outsized narrative weight and shouldn't sit vacant unnoticed.
• Don't Be Anti-Roleplay - Do not head to cryogenics or disconnect to evade IC consequences.
• Mind Your Mouth - Slurs and hate speech that are directed at non-consenting parties are not welcome on Nova Sector. We understand that some players reclaim language as part of their identity, that is yours to own and not ours to police. However, the moment that language is turned outward at another person, it becomes our business. In-universe slurs against fictional species are fine for flavor, but must never be a vehicle or genuine disguise for equivalent real-world bigotry. If something said to you makes you uncomfortable, invoke the Tap Out Rule in Local-OOC. Real world racial epithets or direct fictional exchanges for those terms, when directed at another person rather than reclaimed self-reference, will result in administrative action.
• Real Lives Are Valuable - Outright telling someone to kill themselves in any IC or OOC channel will result in administrative action. This is the difference between 'walk yourself out an airlock' and 'kill yourself'.
• Don't Be An Agitator - Unwelcome harassment, targeted rumor-spreading, or OOC fear-mongering against individuals or groups is prohibited. Do not organize as a group against an individual.

CR 3: Setting Immersion and Safety

Play a setting excusable adult Original Character with personality and knowledge that respects our Lore, Narrative Setting, and your current Role.

• Use English - Keep primarily to English and only in the Latin alphabet. You may use transliterated or loan words from other languages as additive spice and character gimmick. If confronted or misunderstood, clarify yourself ICly. Do not circumvent our rules with this allowance.
• No Netspeak - (lol, kek, chudling, 67, etc.) in IC speech, though it is permitted by PDA.
  • Bitrunners that are on the Manifest, TTS Device users, and everyone within or spawning from a Bitdomain are excluded from this, assuming they remain high effort about it. This exemption never extends to 1337speak, which remains banned for all characters without exception.
• Respawning Maintains the Story - Respawning as the same character, as the same job or as an assistant, is permitted if you left the round by cryogenics and would like to rejoin. Do not rejoin as the same or as a similar or related character if you died.
• Post Mortality Blackout - In the likely event of your death or destruction, if you are revived, you retain no knowledge of the events preceding or individuals involved in your demise.
• Respect Per-Shift Narrative Blackout - Shifts are loosely canon. You may remember interactions and events, but you must not recall specific names or faces tied to antagonistic actions or roles. Blackout can only be waived per shift by the person protected by the blackout. You can choose not to remember your involvement, even if you are named, and the Tap Out Rule can be invoked in this context. Do not target or treat a player differently IC due to OOC disagreements or events from previous rounds. Crew are not allowed to establish precedence or apply expectations for future rounds, such as stating that something must always be done a particular way. Keep the slate clean every shift.

CR 4: You, Your Character, and Separation of Identity

Maintain a strict separation between your character and yourself. Your character is a narrative tool. Do not allow OOC opinions, conflicts, or personal moods to dictate their actions in a way that breaks immersion. Set limitations for what your Character knows and can accomplish. Be prepared to justify your Character’s actions and knowledge. No one is perfect and all knowing, and your Character shouldn't be either.

• Play the Job That You Have - We have limited tolerance for characters that Departmentally job-hop across shifts. Be prepared to explain to the Crew and Staff why your Chief Engineer understands advanced surgery and organic chemistry enough to be a Chief Medical Officer too.
• No Real Life Characters - You cannot play or recreate a character which resembles real life people, even for fun.
• No Joke Characters In IC Spaces - You may not play jokey or meme characters.
• No Stolen IP - You may not copy characters from pre-existing media. Adapted concepts are okay.
• Take a Deep Breath - If Staff believe that you are bleeding harmful or combative emotions from yourself into your gameplay, regardless if you believe that you are, Staff may intercede.

CR 5: Shift Integrity and Pacing

Your actions must be proportional to the situation. Escalate with effort. Use words, emotes, and non-lethal conflict before resorting to violence. Murder or grievous harm in direct response to minor insults or petty theft is prohibited.

• Maintain the Pace of the Plot - Do not skip narrative plot points for immediate satisfaction. Respect the buildup of a scene. If you self insert into a narrative that you were not previously apart of, do not detract from it by doing so.
• Who Can Validhunt - Only Security and Command are authorized to actively hunt antagonists. This restriction lifts under any of the following: Red Alert, an active Crew Militia, or a specifically declared Station Threat that is otherwise not listed on Antagonist Policy.
• Red Alert Escalation Freeze - Red Alert acts as an OOC freeze on new, unrelated antagonist actions. If you are aware that you were not the cause of the alert and are not part of the crew-wide response to the actual triggering threat, you must lay low and avoid starting further chaotic escalation of your own.
  • This freeze applies to Antagonist and Self-Antagonism actions specifically. Crew Militia conduct is governed separately under Conflict Opt-Ins.
• Low-Pop Exemptions - If the population is low, a Department is decimated, or there are other extenuating circumstances, and it would not be considered powergaming, you may perform tasks outside of your Job for the good of the narrative flow and the general health of being able to play the game.
  • If for whatever reason the Station is unable to establish power, Admin Help for assistance.
• Respect Evidence and MacGuffins - Do not destroy or hide items essential to an ongoing narrative for your own benefit; this includes excessive measures to cover your tracks and prevent all forensic efforts.

CR 6: Style Points: Powergaming, Scene Integrity, and Honor Amongst Gamers

Your use of game knowledge, equipment, and Departmental access must primarily benefit the story. We provide greater mechanical leeway to players who demonstrate high-effort roleplay (immersive dialogue, custom emotes, and depth). This principle informs Staff's judgment calls in ambiguous or borderline situations. It does not exempt a player from any Core Rule or ERP rule that has been clearly broken. Act in Moderation, Game Respectfully. If you have to question if something may be too much, it is likely too much.

• No Fortnite In Roleplay States - Do not manipulate the environment to gain a tactical advantage while a non-combat scene is in progress. Moving furniture, welding doors, or positioning yourself "optimally" during roleplay without a Combat Indicator is considered Bad Faith Powergaming.
  • The other party may, at their discretion, treat actions like these as starting mechanics, but must still engage Combat Indicator before responding with force. Don't cry if you get shot or stabbed shortly after.
• Respect The Awkwardness of Roleplay in an Action Game - SS13 has the capability to be a fast paced experience, and long-form roleplay is usually not fast paced. If you do not respect the integrity of a scene and its participants, you are acting in bad faith. This applies heavily to Security and Command, as their priority is to facilitate the round's narrative and not to win every encounter through mechanical optimization.
• Give Antagonism a Chance - Give people causing conflict the opportunity to be entertaining. Turn a blind eye if it allows a scene to develop or a situation to worsen. A dead rat does not run or squeak, do not spoil your own fun.
• No Departmental Overpreparedness - Do not excessively preemptively prepare your Department in a way which drastically negates the need for interaction with other Departments.

CR 7: Consent, Agency, & Narrative Sovereignty

Respect the narrative desires and role responsibilities of others. Your presence does not entitle you to involvement in someone else's scene. Allow others the space to perform the roles they signed up for.

• Transform and Convert with Consent - You must acquire clear OOC Consent to intentionally transform, convert (such as borging, mechanical hypnosis, etc), or alter the permanent physical appearance of a Character, or to convert them to Antagonism, regardless of their Conflict Opt or Objective status.
  • Medical and Robotics may perform standard organic revivals without additional consent. Borging or any other transformative revival methods still requires consent. Temporarily placing a victim's brain into an MMI is always an acceptable method of communicating to establish consent.
• Respect Conflict Opt - If a conflict results in a death, and the dead is not Conflict Opt - Expendable, then the body must remain locatable and recoverable by their group or the crew. Do not hide or space bodies. If this is not feasible, Admin Help for guidance.
  • Yes, it is expected that if you beat someone to death that you will then throw or drag their crumpled body back to the an easily viewable location of their Group, or ensure their sensors are on when you abandon their body.

CR 8: Antagonistic Conduct, Optics, Collateral Damage, and the Narrative Vacuum

All Crew are bound by Antagonist Policy, which covers actions taken while playing as a designated Antagonist. Do not fabricate or imitate true antagonist status, gear, or objectives (e.g. claiming an uplink, a datum, or Syndicate affiliation) without Staff allowance.

Self-directed antagonistic conduct is separately governed below under Self Antagonism.

• Antagonism Defined - Any action that violates Corporate Regulations, causes lasting harm without consent, or is otherwise a significant, deliberate departure from lawful crew conduct undertaken to serve a criminal or disruptive narrative is considered Antagonism. Ordinary interpersonal friction, rudeness, or disagreement is not Antagonism on its own.
• The Narrative Vacuum - The shift story is a collective experience witnessed by many points of view. Antagonism should be narratively founded, properly escalated, and witnessed or discoverable by others through context clues or mechanics like forensics.
• Self Antagonism - Heavy antagonistic action committed by non-antagonists requires strong narrative justification and prior escalation. The more disruptive your self-antagonism, the more that Staff will scrutinize your roleplay quality and reasoning. If there is no established round specific reason for a crime to occur, it should not happen.
• "It’s what my character would do!" is not a substitute for active, in-shift escalation, particularly sudden escalation to violence.

CR 9: Station Infrastructure and Atmospheric Weapons

Damages to the Station must be escalated and founded narratively.

• Vital Infrastructure - All SMES / Power Storage Units (not APCs), any major source of Electricity, Atmospherics Department, Atmospheric Projects (HFR, Turbine), and Distribution (Station Air and Waste, except for endpoints like vents and scrubbers) are protected. This protects the fixed infrastructure itself, not portable atmospheric equipment such as canisters used as improvised weapons under the rules below.
• Fire as a Weapon and Plasma Flooding - Application of atmospheric mechanics which utilize fire as a primary weapon, such as canister plasma floods and burns, are prohibited. Flamethrowers are allowed.
• Gas Weapons and Flooding - Only a single, unshielded, room-temperature canister of non-flammable gas (never exceeding 5000 mols) may be used per instance. It is good practice to inform Staff by Admin Help before doing so.
• Collateral Damage Considerations - If you are using indiscriminate tools of violence, like explosives, you should do your best to avoid impacting Crew with Conflict-Opt Passive.
• Simple Mob Stupidity - If you find yourself possessing a simple mob such a mold mob, maneater, regal rat, spider, or anything similar, your destruction should be proximal to your territory and should not leverage your game knowledge deeply.

CR 10: The Rule of Cool

Staff may invoke "The Rule of Cool" to override gameplay or narrative Core Rules. This functions as administrative jury nullification for our Rules.

This discretion cannot be used to bypass CR1 or CR2, personal consent style rules, or the Legal Access and Age Requirements.

Invoking this rule requires approval from the most senior Staff present. Staff must explicitly notify the involved players that a rule is being waived for that specific instance.

Do not play with the expectation that staff will invoke this rule in your favor.

Gameplay States and Policy

There are three states you will find yourself in while enjoying Space Station 13 in a roleplay environment. These are fluid conditions which you can consider as simply as the difference between standing still and walking across a room. We consider three types: being social, engaging with the core gameplay itself which we call Mechanics, and engaging in violence.

Roleplay State

When you are standing about talking in low-tension public spaces, when you are repositioning yourself in a scene good faith like stepping aside for traffic, and when your actions do not place you at a direct advantage over another player (such as a bartender preparing drinks, or a doctor providing routine healthcare in normal medbay conditions) you are existing in a Roleplay State.

Roleplay States can be extended to things that might normally be considered Mechanical only if it is appropriately supported by custom emotes and ample waiting time for people to read.

You are engaging with SS13 as a social layer with which to interact with others, not as a competitive or gameplay oriented layer, at least in that immediate moment.

Mechanical State

When you are engaging with any gameplay feature that meaningfully changes your standing relative to others, whether by gaining an edge, taking on risk, or affecting your ability to act, you are entering a Mechanical State. Some examples of this State are:

• Equipping a weapon or disabling it's safeties
• Shoving someone in a way which causes them to fall over in non-hostile scenarios, or which doesn't cause them damage or immediate situational disadvantage
• Stitching your wounds or those of others in the field, particularly when done without a custom emote supporting it
• Using the radio
• Opening a door
• Existing or moving about in a hostile or obviously dangerous area, such as near active fights or warzones

Combat State and Combat Indicator (CI)

When you intend to do anything in a Mechanical State that puts someone else at physical risk, or which causes direct harm, or places them at a situational gameplay disadvantage, you are preparing to enter Combat State.

Actions that require you to engage CI before proceeding (initiating):

• Firing, utilizing, reloading, or preparing a weapon
• Planning to depressurize a room with malicious intent, starting a fire, or any other environmental techniques
• Preparing an explosive
• Applying handcuffs or resisting out of handcuffs without emotes supporting your actions
• Using a radio within view of, or planning to move away to use the radio, to communicate the location of someone in any sense other than social altruism, such as "Contractor Sci Maints" on Common or "I'm with them in the Courtroom right now" on Security frequencies.
• Running away from a clearly socially escalated situation, such as Security doing hallway detainment, or running when someone has a gun aimed at you

Actions that count as automatic reciprocation, satisfying CI without an independent wait:

• Fleeing a threat that has already engaged CI against you
• Resisting handcuffs being applied to you
• Being attacked, or getting involved as collateral in a fight

To legally enter a Combat State, you must engage with the Combat Indicator system.

Combat Indicator (CI)

A security operative reciprocates the CI of a greytider, showing off the UI elements you should pay attention to.

The Combat Indicator is a game system that uses a hotkey to signal that you are entering Combat State, which is transitioning from roleplay or mechanics to combat, or elsewise putting yourself at a significant advantage over someone else with regards to the game environment.

The default keybind for Combat Indicator is C. This can be changed in Preferences -> Game Preferences -> Keybindings -> Human -> Combat Indicator.

This game system provides a mechanism to clearly establish the transition from Roleplay and Mechanics to Combat by:

• Providing a UI element which is visible in all conditions
• Playing a noticeable audible cue
• Sending large red text in chat warning that you are entering an aggressive state.

After activating CI, you must wait at least FIVE seconds, unless your target reciprocates CI, or enters / obviously continues a Mechanical State, to begin Combat.

Ambushes, Traps, and Stealth Weapons

Due to the constraints of Combat Indicator and our roleplay expectations, you should not attempt to ambush people if you are not PMS and in an active battle zone.

Equally, as we require Combat Indicator to be used to gain mechanical advantage, you must be within view of your target and also engage CI to utilize a trap. This means you cannot set trigger traps in nearly every situation.

Nova Sector's Combat Indicator system means true surprise attacks are not supported by design. Silent tools like poison or sleepy pens are for narrative and roleplay setup, not mechanical ambush, and still require CI at the moment of use if roleplay does not fully convey and allow for reaction to the attempt.

Permanent Mechanical State (PMS)

Permanent Mechanical State is a legacy term and theoretical status that is applied through Policy and IC circumstance which waives the Combat Indicator engagement timeframe protection. This means you only need to engage CI to begin mechanics, without the normal wait time.

You may attempt to drop the PMS Status by disabling your CI and refusing to return violent contact with your aggressor. You may dodge and attempt to avoid damage during this time.

If someone that is PMS appears to be making an effort to return to a Roleplay State, you should attempt to indulge them. You are not obligated to do so.

Permanent Mechanical State Status Triggers are conditions in which the PMS status is applied automatically. These are currently:

• Area of Effect passives such as the Demoralizer mod module, Chaplain Bard equipment, Heretic auras, and similar.
• Anyone repeatedly teleporting or jaunting to escape confrontation

The Dynamic Antagonist Objective System and Conflict Opt-Ins

There are two different layers to interacting with the common hostilities on Station.

The first is Dynamic Opt-in (Be Antagonist Target in Character Creator > Character > Character Profile), which dictates how the Dynamic Antagonist Objective game system selects targets.

The second is Conflict Opt-In, (Be a Part of the Conflict in the same panel, just below Antagonist Opt-In), which describes how you can be expected to behave when exposed to Antagonism on Station, as defined above.

Your Dynamic Opt decides your minimum level of Conflict Opt. Without adjusting your Dynamic Opt, you can freely adjust the level of Conflict you wish to participate in. Select carefully, as this cannot be waived in the moment for a specific situation. The only way to change your selection is by Admin Help, and any change applies going forward, not retroactively to what's already happened.

Equating Dynamic and Conflict Opts

Dynamic Opt	Minimum Conflict Opt
No	Passive
Yes - Inconvenience	Involved
Yes - Kill	Vulnerable
Yes - Round Removal	Expendable

Round Removal is defined as a death in which the victim is unlikely or unable to recover from. It also captures deaths which require an exceptional level of medical effort to revert, such as gibbing or braining.

Dynamic Opt-In (Be Antagonist Target)

Dynamic Opt-In governs which players the automated Antagonist Objective system may select as a target for generated objectives. It does not restrict which players a live antagonist may choose to involve organically, that is governed by Conflict Opt-In below.

• No removes you from the Antagonist Objective Pool.
• Yes - Inconvenience allows the Antagonist Objective Pool to select you for non-lethal objectives.
• Yes - Kill allows the Antagonist Objective Pool to select you for lethal objectives.
• Yes - Round-Removal (RR) allows the Antagonist Objective Pool to select you for anything.

Conflict Opt-In (Be a Part of the Conflict)

Your Conflict Opt-In selection dictates how you are expected to behave when exposed to antagonism or criminal behavior directed at you or your Department. It also dictates how other Crew should handle you when going about their criminal business.

You can only adjust your Conflict-Opt by creating an Admin Help and having your preferences refreshed. The gameplay expectations created by your selection of Conflict Opt cannot be changed otherwise.

• Passive crew exist as set pieces, excluded from being the focus of major round events or participating in Antagonism wherever possible.
• Involved crew are accepting of confrontation and conflict within the focus and boundaries of roleplaying and story building.
• Vulnerable crew accept all situations, particularly mechanics and violence, while maintaining protection from Round Removal.
• Expendable crew do not care if they live or die. Being gibbed is funny to them and they accept any and all dire consequences which may occur.

Station Threat

Station Threat is a theoretical status that is applied through Policy and gained by IC circumstance which permits any Crew to engage a threat as a valid-huntable target, following roleplay escalation expectations.

Station Threat Status Triggers are conditions in which the Station Threat status is applied automatically. These are currently:

• Anyone that threatens the Station by Announcement System. This includes antagonists that create a Station Announcement as part of their mechanics, such as when a Contractor successfully abducts a Target.
• Anyone or any Group that the Captain labels SPECIFICALLY as a 'Station Threat' in an Announcement. The Captain may also remove Station Threat status the same way.
• Anything or anyone that Central Command designates by Announcement.
• Anyone who causes more than half of the current Security Team to be combat-disabled or deceased.

Department and Job Policies

Heads of Staff

Department Heads and Central Command may lay out additional IC standards for their Department within reason, meaning standards that do not conflict with these Server Rules, Corporate Regulations, or a Staff ruling. If a member of Command has access somewhere, they have the right to be there.

Department Policies

Below you can find specific Department policies. These policies apply to anyone in said Department, or if they are acting as a member of the Department.

Department	Policy
Cargo	Crew in the Cargo Department are not formal employees of Nanotrasen, they are temporary-contractors from the Free Trade Union (FTU) who perform services for Nanotrasen under contract. Per contract with Nanotrasen, the Free Trade Union is required to provide or deliver Departmental Orders. Requesting or shipping goods through Cargo, legal or illegal, is an IC issue and not a rule violation on its own unless it separately breaks another rule. You shouldn't be refusing orders without a justifying IC reason. Free Trade Union Contractors are still captured by Corporate Regulations while on Nanotrasen Property.
Command	The Captain can lay out additional IC standards for Command and the Station, within reason. All Command Crew have the right to be anywhere they have access to, taking advantage of non-unique or limited availability Station resources or machines, while respecting Play the Job That You Have and ERP Policy, unless trespassed through Corporate Regulations by that Department's Head of Staff or the Captain. Command should be in good or better standing with Nanotrasen. They do not need to be perfect, but they should be someone reasonably qualified and hirable. Quartermasters should be in good standing with the FTU. You should be competent with your Department and aware of its relevant policies. Command equipment and clothing should only be lent out for genuine operational need. Access should not be given out for frivolous reasons. When changing job titles as Command, the titles you give out should be professional. Command characters should have filled out General, Medical, and Security records meeting our minimum records template, which can be found here. For information regarding the "Acting Captain" position, check the Captain job page.
Central Command Crew	These rules apply to the Central Command members Stationed with the Crew. Central Command Crew must also follow all of Command Policy. If a situation presents itself where a Central Command Crewmate needs to be trespassed, this becomes an OOC issue, and you should make an Admin Help. Central Command Crew should be in very good standing with Nanotrasen in regards to their Character's Lore and known Canon. While the Nanotrasen Consultant is in charge of Crew resources and has ultimate say on if Corporate Regulations are properly being enforced, they are not the same authority as the Captain on topics of Station operations.
Engineering	Engineering may improve or upgrade any public or non-Departmental space without needing the Captain's prior permission. Experimentation is welcome, but you may be held responsible for if it goes wrong. Please use a Z-level that is not the Station-Z for extremely dangerous or potentially destructive projects.
Medical	For medical personnel, invasive surgery should only be done in Medical, except in the case of emergency. Revivals should only be done in a place designated by the Chief Medical Officer or Station Blueprints. The Chief Medical Officer holds authority and culpability for any virus intentionally released by Medical. If no Chief Medical Officer is present, the Virologist may release one after informing the most senior Command personnel on station, assuming that authority in the Chief Medical Officer's place. Any intentionally released virus should be clearly labeled when offered publicly. If the virus is dangerous, described as being capable of serious or lasting harm, you must notify Staff by Admin Help before releasing it, regardless of who authorized it. Releasing a virus without the above involvement is an unauthorized release and an IC Corporate Regulations matter. You remain bound by the rest of the Core Rules throughout. Among Medical Personnel, only Chemists (or the Chief Medical Officer after 30 minutes into the shift) should be setting up Chemical Factories (which is the utilization of a plumbing tool for automating the manufacture of a chemical or medicine) for use in Medical. Doctors should provide every opportunity for Chemists to perform their job when one is available. Do not intrude on the Pharmacy when a Chemist is present unless it is an emergency. After a corpse has been made available to the Medbay, if there is a Coroner on manifest, they must be informed and provided priority access to the body for autopsy and revivals. If they are unavailable, or do not respond after two minutes, anyone else may proceed with the autopsy and revival. The Medical Department should ensure that Robotics has been provided the opportunity to provide service to any Synthetic patients.
Science	On the clock Roboticists take priority for providing medical care and maintenance to synthetic life and cyborgs, as well as offering services such as implant installations. Experimentation is welcome, but you may be held responsible for if it goes wrong. Please use a Z-level that is not the Station-Z for extremely dangerous or potentially destructive projects.
Security	You are expected to function as a counter towards threats to the Crew and NT's Station or local region. Do not ignore Antagonism. You are expected to follow Corporate Regulations when feasible, though alternative punishments can be applied within reason. The head of your Department is the “Head of Security”. If there is none available, or they have been demoted, your allegiance lies with the Captain, except in cases of mutiny. You may roleplay as a corrupt Security member, however, do not create a toxic environment by doing so. Unless actively seeking a target or providing assistance to another department, you should not leave the Station Z-Level. About Contraband: Barring picking it up mid-fight, security shouldn't be using contraband, unless the alert level is DELTA.
Service	The Bartender is legally subletting the Bar area from Nanotrasen while they are clocked in, and has total rights to the space and how it is used, independent of the Captain and Command, as long as it does not present a threat to the Station. Should Nanotrasen be found at fault for infringing on this Contract or being responsible for damage to it, the Bartender may be entitled to a service agreement payout not exceeding 10000 credits if Security is the cause of or is unable to stop the damage.

ERP and Sexual Content Rules

This Policy group is enforced with zero tolerance. Infractions can result in Community Removal depending on severity.

The ERP Opt-In System

Nova Sector provides an on-inspect sexual content preference flagging system, similar to consent / relationship status bands you might see at a party or bar. This is located per-character on the Character Preferences window, under Character Profile.

We maintain categories and options to help regulate how content is directed at you, and provide an administrative basis to protect you, when used correctly. It does not cover content that is happening within your immediate vicinity that is not directed at you or does not involve you.

You can always consent, or retract consent, at any time by using Local-OOC. See ERP-G-2.

General Opt Types

These Opts Types are found on all erotic content status options as a baseline. These default to No, you must choose to enable them.

• Ask (L)OOC: Indicates that you wish to use some form of OOC communication to engage in sexual content. We prefer you do this in-game using Local-OOC. Be prepared to prove consent if you did not do so in-game and it becomes an issue.
• Check OOC Notes: If you have ANY limitations on the type of content that should be directed at you outside of a scene setting, you must populate the appropriate field. When you plan to direct sexual content at someone that has this Opt, you must first read their notes, which are available under a labeled tab on the character inspect menu. You should be extremely clear about your limitations, as Staff will use the writing as policy in part of their judgement in administrating in your defense.
• No / None: This Opt indicates that you do not want that type of content directed at you. This does not provide protection from passing or local exposure that is not directed at you, or from sexual characters that are not sexualizing themselves at you.

ERP Status Options

This is the general erotic content Opt. When considering if NSFW or Suggestive content should be directed at someone, you must always validate their ERP Status Opt.

• Yes: Indicates you do not have any major limitations on the type of non-extreme sexual content that is directed at you, outside of the advanced Opt types below. Use 'Check OOC Notes' if you are picky.
• Position / Power Dynamics: This is the same as using Yes but allows you to provide some more character flavor for quick access on inspect.
• Free Use: Indicates that your character's body is sexually available to others at any time for non-extreme content, without additional prior permission or communication. Selecting Free Use removes the need for others to seek advance permission before initiating. It does not limit the Tap Out Rule, which always applies regardless of any Opt-In selection.

ERP Mechanical Status Options

Indicates how you feel about mechanics. If you wish to stop most mechanics entirely, you should check Game Preferences instead.

• Roleplay Only: You prefer others only write their smut in your direction, when permitted.
• Mechanical Only: You prefer others only utilize mechanics, such as the Interactions Panel or Toys, when interacting with your character when, when permitted.
• Mechanical and Roleplay: You do not care how people sexually interact with your character, when permitted.

ERP Hypnosis Status Options

Indicates how you feel about Erotic Hypnosis.

• Always / Whenever: You don't care if people are writing the hypno or using game mechanics to accomplish their desires.
• Gameplay Only: You do not want written hypno directed at you, only the usage of game-allowed methods and mechanics.

ERP Vore Status Options

Indicates how you feel about Voreaphilia.

• Yes: You are okay with this content being directed at you.
• Yes + Details: Same as Yes, but lets you specify particular themes or intensities you're most interested in for quicker reference.

ERP Non-Con Status Options

Indicates how you feel about Non-Consensual themes.

• Yes: You are okay with this content being directed at you.
• Yes + Energy Type: Same as Yes but provides quicker information for people to decide their interest.

Defining Spaces

Public Space

A Public Space is defined as anywhere accessible by an Assistant without tools, and any first-level Departmental areas such as their Lobby or Hallways. Any room you can currently see directly into from an originally Public Space are also Public Spaces. Visibility chained through a room that is only Public because of this rule does not extend the designation further.

Private Space

If a Space does not meet the criteria for a Public Space, then it is considered a Private Space.

Marked Spaces

A Space which has been marked with either a Privacy or Lewd Advisory holosign. You can get a projector through the 'Erotic' tab on your character loadout, or from a Lustwish vendor.

Lewd Advisory Marked Public Spaces advertise a Pro-ERP or Sexual Content area, where your exposure to such content is almost certain.

Private holosign Marked Private Spaces should not be entered intentionally without first making contact by Wall-Piercing Local-OOC or ICly established permission.

The Harkness Test

There are many things you can potentially find yourself possessing in Space Station 13. We also acknowledge people have unique interests.

The Harkness Test stipulates that all three of the following criteria must be satisfied for a sexual interaction with a fictional non-human character or entity to be ethically acceptable:

• Does the character have adult human intelligence, and could be considered sapient?
• Can the character use language or otherwise communicate in a way which clearly provides consent?
• Is the character of sexual maturity for its species?

As an applicable non-human character, if your roleplay is found to be ambiguous on any of the three qualifications, and you engage in a sexual interaction, you could be banned.

General Rules and Public Spaces

ERP-G-1 Setting Expectations of Exposure

Your Character Preferences, OOC Notes, and OOC Consent by any provable means of communication, governs how Content can be directed at you. Respect other players' preferences and their right to engage in ERP. Your own preferences are personal to you, they aren't a standard you can hold others to. Remember you have the right to invoke The Tap Out Rule over content directed at you.

ERP-G-2 The Nude Beach Clause

Simply being nude in public is not, on its own, sexual content directed at anyone even someone with no ERP Opt-In set. It only becomes directed content if you are actively self-sexualizing at them.

ERP-G-3 Don't Be Weird About ERP

Do not force interpersonal social drama over ERP, perceived ERP, or relationship issues IC or OOC, unless it has been made welcome. The ‘Tap Out’ Rule may be used in this context as well; if you are uncomfortable with an interaction, speak up in Local-OOC before contacting Staff to handle it.

Just to be absolutely clear, people are allowed to perform non Extreme ERP mechanics and emotes in public. This includes usage of toys, such as leashes / clickers, respecting directed ERP content preferences.

ERP-G-4 No On-Station Expectations of Safety

If you ERP on Station, you don't get special protection from ordinary IC consequences just because you're mid-scene, as the same rules of escalation apply as anywhere else. The bartender is allowed to shoot you for having sex in their bar. You retain the same right to defend yourself against such consequences as in any other situation. If the Station is under Red Alert, and you want total scene security against destruction, you must leave the Station for the Interlink or Ghost Cafe. Getting collateral’d because you did not pay attention to the explosions growing closer is your responsibility to consider. This, equally, gives you rights to defend yourself for doing so.

ERP-G-5 On the Clocking and the Right To Work Supercedes the Right to Get Laid

All on-the-clock Departmental Staff must keep a radio equipped while in a scene and should pay attention to their Department or Command frequencies, otherwise they should clock out. If Departmental Staff is urgently needed, use the Radio and PDA to ask them to do their job. Do not fabricate an urgent work need in bad faith merely to interrupt a scene. Do not start drama if they do not comply, instead make an Admin Help. Do not restrict a Scenemate from their Staff duties coercively, IC or OOC. Additionally, the right to work exceeds the right to get laid. If it is situationally relevant, a Department worker can ask you to move out of sight of them inside their Department. This should not be used maliciously. The ‘Tap Out’ Rule may be used in these contexts as well.

ERP-G-6 Adult Characters, We're Dead Serious

You may not write about, reference, imply, or allude to Pedophilia or play with physically or mentally underaged characters, ever, anywhere, including in any details or links in your notes or Discord, except to state that you are not interested and will not interact with the topic.

ERP-G-7 No False Pretenses

Do not use false OOC promises or misrepresentations to lure a Player into a scene they wouldn't otherwise consent to. Legitimate IC seduction or manipulation between characters, played in good faith, is not covered by this rule.

ERP-G-8 No Impersonation

Do not use someone else's Character, or any real-world image or likeness of them, to ERP without their OOC consent. This includes any intimate or erotic social interactions such as kissing, groping, flirting, or usage of innuendo.

ERP-G-9 Be Considerate With Erotic Items

Do not leave ERP adjacent structures unattended outside of the Dorms region. If you make a ‘mess’ in a public place, you are encouraged to clean up after yourself. Do not use erotic items maliciously, such as going ‘Saints Row’ with a dildo, or leaving a milking stand outside of the Captain’s office as a prank or insult.

Private Spaces

ERP-P-1 Do Not Interfere With Scenes In Private Spaces

Do not interfere with a Scene in a Private Space for any reason, unless invited to do so ICly, OOCly, or by OOC-NSFW notes.

Use Wall-Piercing Local-OOC (W-Local-OOC) to establish this if needed. If your W-LOOC contact goes unanswered, treat that as a lack of invitation and do not enter or otherwise interfere with the scene. If you are an Antagonist and your target is in a Private Space, you may Admin Help for a change of Objective.

ERP-P-2 Do Not Abuse The Protections of Scenes in Private Spaces

Do not initiate a Private Scene as a means of evading Security while you are a known suspect or actively wanted for a crime. Antagonists cannot flag their lairs or bases as Private.

ERP-P-3 Active Antagonists Can't Get Laid

If you are an Antagonist and known to Security, your objective takes priority over any ERP scene: you may not use Private Space protections to shield one, and shouldn't be pursuing one at all while your objective is outstanding. If you don't intend to pursue it, Admin Help to have your Antagonist status removed.

ERP-P-4 No Antagonist Actions in Dorms

Areas that appear to be Living Quarters, Dorms, or Common Bedrooms are never to be used for any Antagonistic related privacy.

This means no secret chemistry labs, no bomb storage, no butcher's den, no evidence hiding in the closets or under bedsheets, no locking yourself inside to play with your uplink, or hiding from Security during a chase, or anything comparable.

Extreme ERP

ERP-X-1 Keep Your Voice Down

‘Extreme’ roleplay must be kept to SUBTLER, not SUBTLE. 'Extreme' refers to sexual content involving themes such as Rape/Non-Con, Snuff, Blood, Gore, Watersports, Filth, Raceplay, Sexism, Vore, Torture, and Hyper. Macro is not considered inherently Extreme. This does not include the ordinary depiction of violence, injury, or death in non-sexual roleplay, which remains governed by the Core Rules.

ERP-X-2 Keep That Out Of Sight

'Extreme' roleplay mechanics must be kept to clearly Marked Private Spaces. Extreme content requires the additional step of visibly Marking that space, even if it is already Private by default.

You are only obligated to use Subtler in situations of Extreme Content. All other content can optionally be shown in public, assuming it is respecting individual preferences.

ERP-X-? Access Request Special Phrase

This is not a Game Server Rule. Our Access Request process requires you to find this 'rule' and tell us about it. The special phrase you are looking for is BANANA EGG. I hope you at least read Core Rule 1.

ERP-X-3 Do Not Threaten Them With That

Do not invoke, threaten someone with, or manufacture OOC or IC drama around 'Extreme' themes directed at a specific player, unless they or their Preferences explicitly allow that content.