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Should we create a policy of minimum age for PCs?

Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2018 8:37 pm
by Nymphetamine
Per the discussion in the OOC channel today, I'd like to ask the channel on whether or not we should create a policy of minimum age for PCs. This is different from the other poll in viewtopic.php?f=59&t=1318 as this affects the OOC minimum age for any PCs, not the IC age of majority.

Naturally, certain construct characters (that require op approval anyway) and other special cases could be reviewed for acceptability on strictly a case by case basis. This would be covered in the actual policy itself.

Re: Should we create a policy of minimum age for PCs?

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 10:33 am
by Azalea
So while I agree that nobody wants little kid chars running around by themselves being brats and/or being sexy (ew), this will effectively ban any appearances of second generation chars that arn't doing that. Soo.. No Suzzi, No Justin's Kid. No Isabelle's weird monster baby. No Vara's kid. Possibly no Tlan (Nicholas's adopted snake baby). If we make a grandfathered exception for 2nd generation chars, this rule would work better.

PS. If Suzzi & Isabelle's baby are getting an exception from the ops, I want one too for Justin's kid.

The other option is that 2nd gen chars all get magically aged up, which.. is kinda super cheesy, especially if they jump from infant to 16 or whatever the playable age turns out to be.

Re: Should we create a policy of minimum age for PCs?

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 11:34 am
by Jarrod
Not sure if this is correct, or not, as I haven't really seen many of those "characters" you mentioned played. However, I don't believe this rule would prevent their existence, or even their appearing in the inn. They seem more like NPCs, or background characters to me, rather than characters in their own right - and wouldn't really fall under the rule. Again, I could be wrong about some or all of this.

Re: Should we create a policy of minimum age for PCs?

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 12:03 pm
by metalslime
That is incorrect. Creating an exemption for 'NPCs' would make the policy irrelevant. The only case I could imagine that it wouldn't apply would be to an non-reactive object-style character.

Re: Should we create a policy of minimum age for PCs?

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 12:09 pm
by Nymphetamine
I had no intention of creating any special provision for playing any of my characters' children. Having an infant NPC around isn't the same thing as treating it as a PC.

I don't know why this is so confusing.

Re: Should we create a policy of minimum age for PCs?

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 12:14 pm
by Gudrun
I have no qualms about keeping baby characters out of the ic channels if it means more serious issues are addressed. Thank you.

Re: Should we create a policy of minimum age for PCs?

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 12:37 pm
by TheOneWhoKnows
Gudrun wrote: Tue Jul 03, 2018 12:14 pm I have no qualms about keeping baby characters out of the ic channels if it means more serious issues are addressed. Thank you.
This. Also, I assumed that this poll, very specifically, refers to PCs and not periphery background NPCs, as evident by the title and literally 100% of its content. The difference between PCs and NPCs is pretty cut and dry.

Re: Should we create a policy of minimum age for PCs?

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 3:09 pm
by Ayanula
I just don't see what the value or substance would be of playing an incredibly young baby or child as a stand-alone PC. I mean, how much would they really contribute or be able to interact with the setting? Seems like being in the company of an adult character as a NPC is more appropriate (which is what is being proposed). Plus, a toddler running around a public establishment alone or "hanging out" with others creates more problems in both the IC and OOC perspectives.

Getting a little higher up in age, but still under the balance of 16-18, I think carries too much connotation from the real world that we live in (yeah, I know that this is a fictional setting where that might be OK). But having what are essentially teens and unrelated/unaffiliated adults mingling together stirs up discomfort in many from an ethical standpoint that we approach the channel with inherently. I can only see very limited situations in which that can't really be construed as suggestive by others (like a 12 year old buying goods from a merchant), but that would totally limit the flexibility of that character as a whole. And trying to harness a suspension of that concept for the sake of creativity might just be asking too much of quite a few people.
Nymphetamine wrote: Tue Jul 03, 2018 12:09 pm I don't know why this is so confusing.
Because if I play a collie within the setting, does the rule apply in dog-years or human-years?

Re: Should we create a policy of minimum age for PCs?

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 4:35 pm
by Nymphetamine
Ayanula wrote: Tue Jul 03, 2018 3:09 pm Because if I play a collie within the setting, does the rule apply in dog-years or human-years?
Though it's not covered in the original post, this was discussed briefly in the OOC: The age limit would be strictly in terms of human-equivalent years. IE: an elf would have to be the equivalent age of a human 16/18 year old rather than their own probably toddler age of 16 years old, for example. Or goblins, etc.

For other characters, such as Uzzo, for example, a two year old in human and OOC years, but has the maturity of an adult. Or a construct that was created with adult intelligence but is only a year old, etc. Again, the actual policy would cover such discrepancies.

Re: Should we create a policy of minimum age for PCs?

Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2018 8:41 pm
by Azalea
I'm not talking entirely standalone, but I don't play Justin's kid, Jayne does. I would like to be able to have the occasional main chan cameo of Justin and the kid together, like maybe going to the beach or hanging out at the smithy or something when the kid is a bit older, this rule would forbid that entirely. I think its going to block rp that there isn't any issues with and force people to keep scenes in side channels.

Also Iyben is 17, is this such a huge issue that people feel this char is improper for the channel?
Yes, I realize I can just say he's had a birthday and voila he's 18, but I don't think a 17 year old char should be forbidden.

Also we allow players younger than the minimum char age that many people are voting on. Are they going to be banned from playing a char that is their actual age? Is the channel also going to become adult players only?