News Welcome

Welcome, from the Goddess of Teatime 2!
 
What follows is a list of information about this game that gives an idea of
what play here is like. If you play here, it is assumed you have read this
file, as well as all other indicated newsfiles, and understand these 
conditions.
 
1) This is a moderated site whose staff cares a great deal about quality
control, with a highly particular theme. This is not Dark Metal; this is not
Generic Changeling MUX by Night. This is Teatime 2. Anyone who plays here does
so with the understanding that staff holds the final say over the boundaries
of this world, and how it works. This is not about being arbitrary, or unfair
to you and your choices; this is about maintaining an often-complex setting
and theme. If you cannot deal with having parts of your character's life
dictated by circumstances beyond your control, do not play here.
 
2) This is a setting that is seeking to evoke a particular mood and style of
play. This style is discussed in detail in the newsfiles, but in short it is a
Changeling game where the very rules of the game itself may be changed by PC
action. If this setting does not appeal to you, please, please, please do not
play here. There are plenty of other places to game where you will enjoy the
storylines and the other characters around you. If you're unsure about whether
you want to try it or not, talk to a staffer.
 
3) If you do want to play here, you have to understand that all characters and
types are not welcome here. There are plenty of games that allow a great
variety of Changeling characters; our focus is much more specific, and
characters who do not seem to fit the game may find this a frustrating place
to play. This is not a judgement on the players, or different styles of play,
but this game's tone is very specific and very intentional, and we will not be
bending theme to the whims of our players. If you cannot deal with this,
please do not play here.
 
4) Abuses that my staff does not stop, I will. I am not interested in seeing
characters that do not respect the rules of the game world, their staffers,
and other players, especially in manners such as ignoring the actions of
others in the room, acting with out of character knowledge or just playing OOC
gossip, politics, and paranoia games. We're here to have fun, and selfishness
and abuse is pretty much the definition of 'not fun'. I also like to think
that the quality of RP here will be high, and that holding everyone to high
standards will encourage everyone to meet them. Given the trust we are trying
to extend to one another, as player or staffer, real and verifiable harm will
be nipped in the bud.
 
5) Teatime is for reasonably mature adults. The plotlines played here can
involve some nasty elements, and also some pretty sophisticated ones. I am
assuming that if you are playing here, you're an adult. This is an R-rated
site, and at times, an NC-17. Violence and sex will happen. The descriptions
can get graphic; body parts might be named, swear words might be heard,
concepts may turn your stomach. While the public grid rooms will likely never
delve too far into controversial subjects, and while not all RP here is likely
to be unrepentantly dark, we will not flinch from adult situations in general,
though such situations which are patently illegal to portray by current U.S.
laws will be frowned on.
 
6) Bad things can, and probably will, happen to your characters. The Escheat
is alive and well here - at least at first, but the outcome of the stories
here may not be determined by who seems to be wearing the white or black hats
at any given time. Sometimes good characters here will fail: they will lose
their lands, their love, their life, or worse. Not all the time, and not
without good cause, and hopefully, only when it will make for a good story.
But this game was made to explore dark themes as well as light, and tragedy is
as valid an outcome as heroic melodrama. If you don't think you want to play
out scenes where things are muddied, where good doesn't necessarily triumph
and evil a matter of perspective, not an absolute..... you probably won't
fully enjoy Teatime, and you might even find it uncomfortable. You've been
warned.
 
7) No matter how bad things get between characters, the point is for the
players to enjoy themselves. This setting requires more faith and trust in
other players than a lot of other games. Not everyone is able to separate
themself from their character emotionally. While it is my hope that the scenes
you play here will move you and excite you, thrill and sadden you, you also
should be able to step back at the end and say 'Thank you, that was wonderful'
to the other player. It can be a lot of fun to play, when you do not know if
or when betrayal will strike, watching the other characters from an objective
distance, simultaneously experiencing the life-and-death emotional connection
to your character, and the knowledge that no matter how bad it gets, it's a
game, and that part of the fun is appreciating the fine portrayal of wrenching
subjects, even loss. If you are going to get mad OOC, when you discover that
the lovely lady you were going to offer Truehearts to has been setting you up
as a patsy for the death of her jealous paramour, don't play here. If ,
however, you can look at the loss with distance enough to laugh and start
plotting your revenge, or how you're going to bounce back and make her jealous
with her sister, we are the game for you.
 
8) Keeping up the lines of communication is essential. If you're planning to
wage war with another character, talk to the player, as well as to staff.
While there exists the potential here to screw each other over, fall in and
out of love, and generally bring the conflicts to the boiling point, not
everyone is up for every plotline. The player may not realize that their
actions are heading the characters for this conflict, and you should give them
a chance to work things out a different way. Or if you're feeling down and
really don't want to rp getting stepped on for a while, talk with the other
characters you're encountering and see if you can negotiate RP that's fun and
not stressful. As long as no one is a total wimp about the consequences of
their actions, we can all play nice and ruthlessly at the same time. And if
there are any problems with other players that you don't think you can talk to
them about, talk to staff and we'll help you get things worked out.