Consent

Consent: To give assent, as to the proposal of another; to agree.

Crossroads MUSH operates under a limited consent policy: In Character Action = In Character Consequences. This means that you should expect any action you character takes to be met with reasonable consequences.

In situations in which IC conflict must be resolved, whatever individual players decide between themselves is fine. You can always figure things out amongst yourselves without choosing to involve a member of the staff. This section intends to outline the game's general policy concerning the resolution of conflict, which staff will adhere to when dealing with issues that come up.

The following points apply to consent at Crossroads:

• Communication between players is extremely important. Staff cannot stress this enough. If something does not make sense to you or you think your character would understand something that you do not, ask the people you are playing with, or the staff. It's perfectly acceptable to ask for clarification.

• By making a character at Crossroads you are agreeing to allow other players and staff to alter your character's storyline. Consequently, things may not happen to your character exactly as you would otherwise plan them. Players do not need to get the permission of other players to initiate or react to conflict. In many cases it may be the respectful thing to do and players may want to work details out between themselves, but it is not necessary.

• Certain positions inherit a heightened expectation of risk by dint of their very title. All faction heads, nobles (lord, baron, duke, Imperial) and certain political positions (chamberlain, chancellor, specific families, etc.) consent to the possibility of other players seeking to harm them, their families, lands, positions, etc. These storylines will not always be under your control (see the section on Intrigue) and it is also possible that noble positions can be stripped through IC play. If you are not comfortable with this possibility then these positions may not be the right fit for you.

• Should you find yourself in a situation that will affect the long term playability of your character (death, exile, dismemberment, etc.), staff will consult with you in an effort to find an agreeable outcome to the situation. However, the circumstances that got your character into that situation will be taken into consideration when determining the consequences and there may be some situations where this consultation will not change the end result. For example: getting caught attempting to assassinate the Emperor or other characters of significant power (political or illegal in nature) will likely result in your character's death.

• Each player's level of tolerance and interest varies. If you find yourself in a situation that offends you it is your responsibility to remove yourself from it. It is always acceptable to ask to Fade to Black (FTB) for scenes that you do not want to play out. This does not mean the scene does not happen. Example: you're suspected of treason and a knight is going to torture you, but you feel uncomfortable with playing out the details of a violent or bloody scene. You can assume the scene happened without having to role-play the actual torture. Conversely, please respect other players who wish to FTB.

• Respect for the theme and other players are the keys to enjoying the game. There will be a low tolerance and a dim view taken of those players that attempt to use consent as an excuse to avoid the consequences of their RP/IC decisions. No-consenting a situation just because you do not OOCly like the outcome is unacceptable. We understand that some consequences may be unpleasant for your character, but just as in life, overcoming difficulties is usually what gives us personal growth and character. The same is true for your PC.

• Bad things may happen to your character, but that does not mean the players involved dislike you, the player. If you feel like someone is acting against your character because they have an OOC issue with you, you should contact staff. Staff may not be able to tell you what that player is plotting but they will generally be able to verify the reasoning behind the action.

• It is important that everyone remembers we are all here to have a good time! When players want everyone around them to enjoy their playtime as much as we all want to enjoy our own, there is typically no situation in which some compromise and rewarding path of RP can't be found for everyone involved.

• If you are having problems resolving issues of consent, please do not hesitate to contact staff and we will help you work things out. Please submit a ticket if you have questions about your options concerning consent for a storyline, a specific scene, or just in general.

See Also: Power posing