The following rules apply to the community's Black Mesa Roleplay server. Server staff have the right to intervene on their own discretion on matters not addressed directly in the rules below, depending on the severity of the action.
1. Contribute to a Friendly Environment
Refrain from performing any actions that create an hostile or toxic environment from an out-of-character perspective, including but not limited to:
- 1.1 Bullying, harassing, shaming or flaming other members in out-of-character channels.
- 1.2 Posting any form of political, religious or radical content in out-of-character channels.
- 1.3 Making a player excessively uncomfortable (including through in-character channels).
2. Always Remain In-Character
You must remain in-character at all times while playing on the server. Actions which damage yours and other players' ability to remain in-character are disallowed, including but not limited to:
- 2.1 Refusing to react to valid roleplay scenarios.
- 2.2 Excessively using Local Out-of-Character chat after being asked to stop.
- 2.3 Misusing in-game items (such as weapons) outside of roleplay.
- 2.4 Abusing game mechanics to perform unrealistic actions (e.g. propclimbing).
- 2.5 Performing unrealistic or un-serious actions.
- 2.6 Not roleplaying while the server population is low.
- 2.7 Metagaming (using information gained through OOC mediums in-character).
- 2.8 Metabaiting (providing in-character information on OOC mediums).
- 2.9 Powergaming (forcing an action on another player without allowing them to react realistically).
- 2.10 Disconnecting or swapping characters during a roleplay scenario to avoid roleplay.
3. Play to Lose
The default system used within the server is a Play-to-Lose (P2L) system, which implies that your must react according to the most realistic outcome of a scenario.
For example, if your character is getting shot at from a short distance away, the most realistic outcome of the situation is you getting consequently hit by the shot, thus, the reaction should be to getting shot.
Players are allowed to roll instead of P2L only if all of the participants agree to do so, or if it is approved by a member of the staff team.
4. Mitigate Adult Content
The players on the server are not necessarily adults, nor do all adults playing on the server necessarily wish to be presented with adult content. Examples of disallowed adult content include but are not limited to:
- 4.1 Erotic or Sexual Roleplay of any capacity. Such roleplay has to be skipped or performed privately outside of the server.
- 4.2 Adult PAC3 modifications of models or materials.
- 4.3 Adult content being posted within the out-of-character chat types (OOC, LOOC, ROOC, et cetera).
- 4.4 Any roleplay or actions that imply intimate acts.
5. Create Realistic Characters
Your characters must fit the setting of the Black Mesa universe and our server's lore. Certain characters are not allowed to be made at all, including but not limited to:
- 5.1 Characters using the names of real famous (or infamous) people.
- 5.2 Characters using the names or backstories of characters from the Half-Life or Black Mesa games.
- 5.3 Characters which have knowledge of events or fields which only exist in the future in the universe (the in-game year is 1999).
6. Cheating or Exploiting
You are not allowed to use any form of cheats or exploits while playing on the server. Exploits must be reported via acceptable channels to the staff team (see HERE thread for more information).
7. Character Deaths
When a character dies, the following rules apply:
- 7.1 By default, a character that dies due to out-of-character circumstances will not suffer any consequences.
- 7.2 Characters dying to proper roleplay scenarios, with prior permission from a staff member, will be permanently killed.
- 7.3 Characters dying under unapproved scenarios will either be permanently killed or be required to abide by NLR, to staff's discretion. If no staff member is available, they will need to abide by NLR.
- 7.4 NLR or New Life Rule dictates that characters must forget all the circumstances that led to their death including their death itself, cannot get involved in the situation they've died in and must not be mentioned by name as having died. They should also refrain from returning to the area in which they have died for some minutes after their death.
8. Miscellaneous Rules
This category contains additional rules which don't fit under any other category.
- 8.1 Any crime committed against the Black Mesa guidelines must be done while there are over two trained (Junior Officer+) guards online.
- 8.1.1 Any violent crime committed must be done while there are over four trained (Junior Officer+) guards online.
- 8.1.2 Any crimes involving firearms must be done while there are over four trained (Junior Officer+) guards online, at least one of whom must be armed with a firearm.
- 8.2 You are prohibited from sharing faction specific items to other characters which are not part of your faction, including medical or security supplies (such as handcuffs).
