Policies and Why They Exist

TA has a series of rules and policies in place. This list has grown a bit over the past year to correct issues we've seen within the sim. Below you'll find each policy outlined, including the reasoning and logic behind the decision.

The "Zombie" Policy

Summary

If a member appears to be AFK without public notice in ((OOC Brackets)) will be messaged privately to determine their status. If the member does not respond within fifteen (15) minutes, they will be kicked from the sim. Constant violation of this policy can result in temporary bans.

Reasoning

The act of going AFK in public areas of the sim had been a long standing problem. Entering Lee's or any other public area to find seven or eight people all standing/sitting around silent breaks the immersive nature of the sim. In response, the moderation staff has taken to removing players who spend long periods of time silent and do not respond to IMs.

Tag Usage Policy

Summary

Members should be wearing their Caste tags (Tags from the main group) when they are in sim. These tags include:

• Chattel
• Servant
• Citizen
• Lord/Lady
• Stranger
• Profession Tags (If you are performing a job related RP)

Reasoning

Castes are of huge importance within the sim. They dictate how others will look at and interact with you. Being loose with the tag structure muddies the waters and makes determining expected behavior that much harder. It's been a long standing tradition for years within the city. The moderation staff is rather quick to point out incorrect tags and we always assume it's unintentional.

Age Play Policy

Summary

Age Play is not allowed on the sim. This involves use of underage avatars, RPing explicitly about being underage, and other associated practices. Violations of this will result in permanent bans. This is also a violation of LL ToS.

Reasoning

It's illegal, violates our and LLs ToS, and ick.

Cartoon & Anime Avatar Policy

Summary

For the same reason age play is not allowed on the sim, child-like appearing avatars are also not permitted. THIS INCLUDES (but is not limited to) ANIME AVATARS. They are NOT permitted. Examples include Kemono and Utilizer heads/bodies. I don't care if the body itself appears adult; the faces are not, and we've had issues with them in the city. If you insist on a Kemono or other anime appearing avatar, please go find another place to play.

Reasoning

The aesthetic of TA is part of why people come to visit our sim and it makes sense to moderate that in both setting and costume.

Mod Shopping Policy

Summary

Moderator opinions are final. Any attempt to get a second ruling on an issue by asking another Moderator will result in retributive action.

Reasoning

The Moderators have a rather open communication structure. Most of our communications and rulings are done decided by the group as a whole. If you get an answer from one moderator, it's highly likely all of us (or at least the majority) were involved in the decision. Appeals to moderator decisions can be escalated to the Community Manager (Nora Aldrin).

Panhandling / Begging Policy

Summary

Panhandling, or begging for money, is not acceptable in the Sim or it's associated groups. This will result in an immediate removal from the group.

Reasoning

We are not a charity and our Community members are not a piggy bank. I think this is pretty much common sense.

Alt Policy

Summary

Players are allowed to have a sensible number of alts on the sim. We ask that all members who have alts they intend to bring in register them with the Moderation staff or the RPGO.

Reasoning

In the past we've had issues of people routinely using alts to try and bypass banning and other such actions. Registration of alts affects literally everyone and helps us improve the quality of our sim.

Avatar Age Policy

Summary

In keeping with the alt policy, we ask that all avatars be at least 30 days old. The only exceptions to this will have to be made by an RPGO; not a mod, judge, or doctor.

Reasoning

Basically for the same reason as the alt policy above.

Forum Registration Policy

Summary

If you want to be a citizen (or another caste) in TA, we are happy to have you! However, you HAVE to apply formally via our web boards in the Citizenship Application forum. There will be NO citizenships/other caste memberships granted without having an approved application on the forum.

Reasoning

We need to control griefing and make sure that folks aren't just getting banned and ducking back in here.