RPG Rules and History

Classic Rules

These rules specify basic standards for interaction within the RPG. This is a modified list from the previous RPG.

  1. Everything stays casual. Do not change things you did not create without permission.
  2. No swearing, profanity, or foul language of any kind. This will not, under most circumstances, be tolerated.
  3. Play Fair and be respectful towards others, especially your leaders and the GM (Game Moderator).
  4. Be willing to accept defeat in a fair fight. If things get destroyed, you cannot bring them back.
  5. The GM has the final word: he will decide if something is OP or unfair.
  6. The GM should be fair and unbiased. If he's not, it is your right as the RPG community to protest.
  7. Keep the RPG clean. Do not add pages or content except where doing so is permitted.
  8. Keep the RPG within its own area of the site (with the exception of unlisted pages).
  9. Make it fun for everyone! Play with military dignity.
Also note, all rules in the Site Policy apply to the RPG. Our community is pretty forgiving, but we reserve the right to punish users who regularly break our rules. As long as you're not a jerk, you'll be just fine!


Basic Instructions

Now that you have read our rules, you may be asking yourself: How is this game even played? Where is the download? What am I supposed to do?

All good questions. The MMWRPG does not have a download; it is played right here on this site. The MMWRPG is completely text-based, played on the pages and threads under the Mars Mission RPG page. When you want to do something, you write a post explaining what you are doing and... voila! You're doing it.

However, there are rules about what you can and cannot do. For instance, you cannot simply say: "I walk into the enemy's base and set of a nuke, killing everyone, but not before I escape in my Ford Prefect."

Here is everything wrong with that post.
  1. One does not simply walk into the enemy's base! You'd probably be shot beforehand. Thus, this action is unrealistic.
  2. You cannot simply say something exists to make it exist. You need to build a nuke to have a nuke, and there are ways to do that in our RPG, but that process was obviously avoided, making this action unjustified.
  3. "Killing everyone" is a pretty broad stroke. Our RPG runs on statistics, which prevents people from blowing up intergalactic starships by shooting them with a pistol. "Killing everyone" is unscientific.
  4. There is no way you could escape a nuclear blast in a Ford Prefect. You would be blown away in the explosion, so your apparent surviving is unfair.
You'll notice that a lot of those "un-" words could be interchangeable between each other. That's what constitutes a bad action: unrealistic, unjustified, unscientific, and unfair. Posts like that will be ignored, deleted, or worse, lead to some sort of disciplinary action for the person that posts it! That's no fun for anybody.

A much better post would look like this: "I drive up in my clawtank and fire a shot (40 DP) at the enemy cruiser. It's a direct hit."

Now, we will assume that whoever posted this actually did have a clawtank at his disposal and that he was actually near that enemy cruiser. With that being the case, the above post is realistic, its justified, it is scientific (a note on that in a moment), and it is fair. Where the previous post was ridiculous, this one is reasonable.

Note: this post is scientific because it includes a reference to (what would be) a real stat in the game. To be fair, "a direct hit" does sound rather unscientific, but that was added for interpretation. The person who was "hit" can be the one to decide just how direct it was, and assess what the damage to his HP is.

Which brings us to the final point. This RPG is supposed to be open-ended. When a battle is raging, have fun with it! Don't be the guy who always goes for the kill and complains if things don't go his way. Take your turn, wait for a response, and then react. Be willing to compromise. This doesn't mean you have to always lay down in defeat. This doesn't mean you ever have to lay down in defeat. Just don't forget that the point of playing the game is to enjoy it!


Getting Started

Alright, now that you know the rules and the basic philosophy of playing the game, you are ready to go!

Which side will you choose? The Astros or the Aliens? It's up to you, and when you decide, head over to their respective enlistment threads (links coming soon) and follow what instructions you are given there. Good luck!


History of the RPG

A short history of the RPG will go here.