Roleplaying Game and Sandbox Policy

This policy is governed by the Intelligence Office, and any questions should be directed to the Bravo Fleet Intelligence Officer.

1.0 - Introduction

1. Defining Writing RPGs and Sandboxes: Roleplaying Games (RPGs) and Sandboxes are both opportunities for members to engage in our shared canon universe together through the use of a registry item (such as a starship or station) and some formal structure for their collaboration. There are three types of Bravo Fleet RPGs/Sandboxes:
   1. Expeditionary Group RPGs: Starship-based written RPGs with three or more members based on the Expeditionary Group BFMS Command. These are temporary games lasting no more than one mission.
   2. Writing Sandboxes: Open settings for members to write together on the BFMS in low-stakes, informal collaborative ways, where pick-up and ad-hoc joint writing is the central focus area. Members are able to join sandboxes with minimal prerequisites that vary from sandbox to sandbox.
   3. RPG Commands: Groups of three or more members on a member’s personal secondary BFMS command.

2.0 Expeditionary Group RPGs

1. The Expeditionary Group (EG) is the writing sandbox for one-off missions written by a group of three or more members based out of a Starfleet starship.
   1. Each Expeditionary Group mission is directed by a Game Manager (GM) who proposes the mission, assembles the players, and regulates the plot’s focus and development to conclusion.
   2. Players create characters they write for and interact with other players’ characters within missions.
2. Players write a single mission together. At the conclusion of this mission, the group of players is dispersed.
   1. In Character, characters aboard the EG ship are assumed to have been transferred or moved on.
   2. Players who wish to continue writing together may submit a new mission proposal, with or without the same GM. This proposal will be assessed on its own terms as a new mission.
3. Platform for Expeditionary Group RPGs: Only the Expeditionary Group BFMS Command may be used for Expeditionary Group RPGs.
   1. The Expeditionary Group BFMS Command is managed by the Intelligence Officer, who oversees the player roster and missions.
   2. A BFMS Mission will be created by the Intelligence Office upon the acceptance of a proposal. Players must only post within the BFMS Mission to which they have been recruited.
   3. Game Masters must notify the Intelligence Office when players are recruited to or removed from a mission so rosters remain accurate.
4. Expeditionary Group RPG Discord Communication: Channels on the Bravo Fleet Discord server will be available for players to discuss their mission and tag post updates.
   1. Expeditionary Group RPGs may not create their own Discord servers.
5. Activity Plans: Each Expeditionary Group RPG has a set activity plan formally explaining its operation. The activity plan will define:
   1. The expected duration of the mission, which must not exceed 6 months.
   2. How many stories each player is expected to create and share on BFMS per month:
   3. How many players it hopes to maintain;
   4. And what additional expectations (if required) players must abide by (e.g. certain species allowed, how a plot and/or subplot can be developed).
      1. See the Expeditionary Group Guide for an example of an Activity Plan.
6. Group Management Plans: Each Expeditionary Group RPG proposal includes a group management plan addressing how a game will be organised and led. The plan will include:
   1. The content rating of the mission.
   2. The Game Manager’s recruitment standards and expectations.
   3. Any additional expectations (if required) players must abide by (e.g. certain species allowed, how a plot and/or subplot can be developed).

2.1 Expeditionary Group RPG Game Managers

1. Every EG RPG is led by a game manager (GM)
2. GMs are responsible for the following:
   1. The development of the RPG’s mission.
   2. The recruitment and dismissal of players.
   3. Providing all members that join as players a respectful space for them to enjoy, which includes moderating out-of-character discussions and seeking appropriate interventions from fleet staff when necessary.
3. Due to their limited duration, Expeditionary Group RPGs have no formal Assistant Game Managers or AGMs.

2.1.1 Expeditionary Group RPG Game Manager Eligibility

1. EG Game Managers must hold the fleet rank of Lieutenant Commander or higher and must have earned at least 20 Service Ribbons.
   1. The Bravo Fleet Intelligence Officer may grant an exception to this rule for a member of a game who has volunteered to conclude that mission upon the resignation or removal of the previous GM.
2. Game Managers must be active members of the fleet, i.e. not in the Reserves.
3. Game Managers agree to follow this policy, all other Bravo Fleet policies, the Bravo Fleet Charter, and the Bravo Fleet Judicial Code as a condition of their appointment, which includes acknowledging:
   1. All decisions about player recruitment, retention, and removal must be in compliance with the Bravo Fleet Charter and Bravo Fleet Judicial Code.

2.1.2 Expeditionary Group RPG Game Manager Appointment

1. EG Game Managers are appointed by the Bravo Fleet Intelligence Officer following the approval of an appropriate proposal or application as detailed in section 2.2 of this policy.
2. In the event of a game manager’s resignation or removal, the Bravo Fleet Intelligence Officer may allow a member of a game to take over as Game Manager, but this is not an automatic process and that appointment may be contingent on meeting other criteria.

2.1.3 Expeditionary Group RPG Game Manager Removal

1. The Bravo Fleet Intelligence Officer may remove a GM in the following circumstances:
   1. Failure to participate in one’s own RPG for 60 days or more when not on LOA, by not replying to an in-progress joint post or publishing a post within that window;
   2. Failure to respond to communications from the Intelligence Office related to the GM’s RPG within 72 hours when not on LOA;
   3. Failure to comply with the Bravo Fleet Canon Policy, with their original proposal and/or activity plan (e.g. changing the mission plot without permission) and/or guide and/or rules or;
   4. Failure to comply with other sections of this policy.
2. Failure to maintain active Bravo Fleet membership and being sent to the Reserves either voluntarily or through the AWOL system will result in automatic removal.
3. At the successful conclusion of a mission, the GM and all members will be removed from the command.

2.1.4 Expeditionary Group RPG Game Manager Cooling Off Period

1. GMs who have successfully completed an EG RPG mission may immediately propose another. This proposal may only be submitted upon the mission’s conclusion; not before.
2. GMs who resign will not be eligible to submit another EG RPG proposal or be appointed as GM to an ongoing EG RPG for 30 days following their resignation.
3. GMs who are removed will not be eligible to submit another EG RPG proposal or be appointed as GM to an ongoing EG RPG for 60 days following their removal.

2.1.5 Expeditionary Group RPG Game Manager Leaves of Absence

1. GMs will follow a similar model of declaring a Leave of Absence (LOA) to the Leave of Absence Policy.
2. GMs will declare their LOA in the GM Lounge and within the general channel for their RPG.
3. The GM can appoint a designated player to manage the RPG in the GM’s absence; the GM will inform the Intelligence Office of who this is.
4. LOAs longer than 30 days are not permitted; GMs needing breaks of this long should instead resign.

2.2 Expeditionary Group RPG Proposals

1. Any member eligible to run an Expeditionary Group RPG (as described in 2.1.1 of this policy) may propose a mission.
2. Expeditionary Group RPG proposals should be submitted through the BFMS proposal form. Members are encouraged to read the Expeditionary Group Guide to assist them in their creation. This will be used/referred to as part of the Intelligence Office’s response to the proposal.
3. Proposals should clearly articulate the mission concept and explain which Expeditionary Group starship is being requested and why.
4. All missions should be set within the current Bravo Fleet time period and setting. No proposals for alternate reality or historical period missions will be accepted.
5. Any behaviour that pre-empts the approval process, such as by starting to write the mission ahead of time, is grounds for immediate rejection.
   1. Prospective GMs discuss a proposal with potential players in private, but may not publicly recruit, directly or by implication, for a mission proposal that has not yet been accepted.

2.3 Expeditionary Group RPG Activity Plans

1. Each GM must set an activity plan in consultation with the Intelligence Office, which should state the expected mission duration, how many posts a game is planning on writing per month, how many players are already recruited and how many more the GM intends to recruit, and how soon a GM intends to start the mission after the proposal is accepted. For example:
   1. “I have four other members already interested in writing this mission and will not need to recruit more. We can begin writing in 1 week, to give us time to discuss characters and prepare character bios. We expect to complete the mission in 4 months, with every member expected to post - or be part of a joint post - every week.”
2. Expeditionary Group RPGs that do not fulfill their activity plans are subject to closure.
   1. GMs of ongoing missions may alter the activity plan in consultation with the Intelligence Office. This is essential if an in-progress mission is expected to last longer than 6 months.

2.4 Expeditionary Group RPG Group Management Plans

1. Each proposal must include a Group Management Plan. This addresses how a GM will organise and lead their members and stories. At a minimum, it must specify the mission’s intended content rating, following the guidelines in the Content Policy.
   1. GMs may not admit players younger than 16 for a mission with a two in any rating category.
   2. If a game breaks any restrictions outlined by its content rating, the Bravo Fleet Intelligence Officer reserves the right to remove the GM and will have the content which caused the violation deleted from the BFMS.
2. The Group Management Plan should also address a GM’s intended recruitment standards for prospective players, whether they will or won’t recruit specific roster positions (for instance, a certain mission concept may not require a Chief of Security PC), or any other variations on the ‘traditional’ RPG setup.

3.0 RPG Commands

1. Definition of an RPG Command: A group of three or more members writing on the personal secondary command of a single member.
   1. As per the Command Policy, a member’s primary command’s roster may only include one additional permanent member and guest writers. To write on a personal command with three or more permanent other players, a member must own and use an additional command.
2. RPG Commands are not a formal designation. Members do not need to notify the Intelligence Office, submit a request or proposal, or receive permission in any way to recruit and write with additional members on their secondary command.
   1. Writing with multiple members on a command nevertheless has certain restrictions and holds its captain to certain standards. As such, the term ‘RPG Command’ is used to distinguish a command where multiple members permanently write together from a personal command with only one writer.
3. Platform for RPG Commands: Only the specific BFMS Command may be used for publishing the writing of an RPG Command.
4. RPG Command Communication: RPG Commands may not have their own stand-alone Discord server. Players should communicate privately (e.g. Discord DMs) to plan their game activity.
5. RPG Commands are not listed separately anywhere on the BFMS.
6. RPG Commands are ideal for groups of friends who want to write together casually. Players seeking games with a clear commitment to steady and reliable activity may prefer a sandbox or Expeditionary Group RPG.

3.1 RPG Command Leadership

1. The member who owns the command is the RPG Command’s captain. They are responsible for the management of the RPG, including recruitment, mission and story planning, and group leadership.
   1. The IC commanding officer must be played by the command’s OOC captain.
   2. This policy expects that the captain is responsible for the RPG and the group. Allowing another member to run an RPG on your command is a violation of this policy, the Logistics Office Policy, and the Command Policy, and may be grounds for the captain to be stripped of the command. Any member who wishes to run an RPG Command is expected to earn that secondary command, in accordance with the Logistics Office Policy.

3.2 RPG Command Recruitment, Management, and Removal

1. All decisions about player recruitment, retention, and removal must be in compliance with the Bravo Fleet Charter and Bravo Fleet Judicial Code.
2. Captains may advertise for additional members using the #rpg-recruitment channel on the Bravo Fleet Discord, and may mention their command’s recruitment status if a Discord user enquires about commands seeking players.
   1. Captains must not directly approach members with unsolicited invitations to their commands.
3. Recruitment of additional players is at the sole discretion of the command’s captain. No member has the right to join a captain’s command. Applications or requests to join a command may be refused for any reason, and captains are not required to give reason or feedback.
4. Player management is the responsibility of the captain. This includes resolving in-group disputes.
5. Captains may remove a member from their command for any reason (within the bounds of the Charter and Judicial Code).
6. While captains may discuss character biographies with prospective members and request changes prior to accepting a player, the captain may not use character promotions or demotions to reward or punish players.
7. Any command with a content rating higher than 1-1-1 (as per the Content Policy) must display its rating on the main BFMS command page.
   1. Captains may not admit players younger than 16 for a command with a two in any rating category.

3.3 RPG Command Activity

1. RPG Commands have no activity requirements enforced by the Intelligence Office. Players may write together at whatever pace the group desires.
2. The captain may set activity requirements, and recruit or remove players on this basis.
3. The Intelligence Office encourages the captain and players of an RPG Command to communicate openly about their activity expectations. This can avoid frustration, misunderstandings, or a captain’s personal command becoming a ‘dead’ game with a full roster but no activity.

4.0 Other Writing Sandboxes

1. Definition of a Writing Sandbox: A Writing Sandbox is an open setting for members to write together on the BFMS in low-stakes, informal collaborative ways, where pick-up and ad-hoc joint writing is the central focus area. Members are able to join sandboxes with minimal prerequisites that vary from sandbox to sandbox. Sandboxes are assigned to either Operations or another department. Writing Sandboxes use a registry item.
   1. Writing Sandboxes are managed and developed by a Bravo Fleet Department, with its head having overall oversight and responsibility for mission creation and guidance, and managing recruitment and player activity.
2. Each sandbox has a set guide and rules that formally explain its operation.
   1. Guides must include how players can join and what and how to write in the sandbox.
   2. Rules must include Citizenship Guidelines, Content Guidelines (including content rating), Player Retention and Removal

4.1 Writing Sandbox Management

1. Unlike other RPGs, Writing Sandboxes are managed by a specific department. As such, it will become an addition to that department’s responsibilities in overseeing it. The Department Head will take the lead on this or delegate that task to a staff member.
   1. The Department Head may appoint staff members to aid in the management of the Sandbox at their discretion
2. With the Intelligence Office, the department with oversight of the sandbox will review the maintenance and canon development for that specific sandbox if and when it is required.

4.2 Writing Sandbox Content Ratings

1. All writing sandboxes must abide by a 111 rating.

4.3 Writing Sandbox Creation

1. Writing Sandboxes are created as necessary to meet the needs of the organization.

5.0 Tabletop Roleplaying Games

1. Definition of a Tabletop RPG: A Tabletop RPG (TTRPG) is a standing group of two or more members playing a tabletop roleplaying game (such as Star Trek: Adventures) set on a registry item. They engage regularly over a specific communication platform.
   1. TTPRGs are overseen by a Game Manager who directs the players through their mission.
   2. Players determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a set formal system of rules and guidelines. Within the rules, players have the freedom to improvise; their choices shape the direction and outcome of the game.

Each TTRPG will have an agreed-upon set of rules either from published materials or from a custom system, which must be clearly identified on that TTRPG's BFMS page.

1. Each TTRPG will display on BFMS how members can join and how they can engage with the RPG.
2. Each TTRPG should set a schedule convenient for the GM and the players.

5.1 TTRPG Game Managers

5.1.2 TTRPG Game Manager Eligibility

1. Game Managers must hold the fleet rank of Lieutenant Commander or higher, and must have a primary command.
   1. The Bravo Fleet Intelligence Officer may grant an exception to this rule for a member of a game who has volunteered to run that game upon the resignation or removal of the previous GM.
2. Game Managers must be active members of the fleet, i.e. not in the Reserves.
3. Game Managers agree to follow this policy, all other Bravo Fleet policies, the Bravo Fleet Charter, and the Bravo Fleet Judicial Code as a condition of their appointment, which includes acknowledging:
   1. An RPG may be passed to another member following a GM’s resignation or removal, including its name, registry number, history, past or present missions, and any other assets; and,
   2. All decisions about player recruitment, retention, and removal must be in compliance with the Bravo Fleet Charter and Bravo Fleet Judicial Code.

5.1.3 TTRPG Game Manager Appointment & Removal

1. The appointment, removal, and LOA policies for TTRPG GMs are the same as those for Writing RPG GMs listed in sections 2.1.2, 2.1.3, 2.1.4, and 2.1.5 of this policy.

5.2 TTRPG Proposals

1. TTPRGs are proposed through the BFMS and the proposal should state what materials will be used to set the rules and setting, how often players will meet to play the game and what platform of communication players will use to interact with one another. Otherwise, the process for proposing a TTRPG is the same as the process for proposing a custom Writing RPG, as outlined in section 2.2 of this policy.

5.3 TTRPG Activity Standards

1. TTRPGs are expected to have at least one session every two months, and more frequent meetings are encouraged.

5.4 TTRPG Content Ratings

1. TTRPGs must select a rating under the Content Policy to set the expectations for the type of content members may expect during a play session, and they must stick to these ratings even for verbal and other non-written content.
2. Ahead of play, GMs must engage with members on the game's content rating, as outlined in the Content Policy. This includes not only agreement on the TTRPG's rating level but also discussion and consensus on the depiction of restricted topics or other topics that members or the GM may wish to exclude. This engagement should be a reciprocal opportunity for members, including the GM, to establish boundaries and thus engage in the game without fear of experiencing or causing discomfort. TTRPGs are held to this standard due to the immediate nature of the format, where a topic may arise mid-play, giving a member less opportunity to discuss any discomfort.

6.0 Players

1. Players are those members who engage in an RPG or a Sandbox.
2. Only active members may apply to join an RPG or a Sandbox.
3. Members who enter the Reserves voluntarily or through the automated AWOL system will immediately lose their positions on any Expeditionary Group RPG or Sandbox they are part of. Upon resuming active status, they may re-apply to the games they were on, but acceptance is not guaranteed.
   1. Removal from RPG Commands of members who enter the Reserves is at the discretion of the command’s captain, as is their reappointment.

6.1 Player Applications

1. Members may apply to join Sandboxes through the BFMS.
2. Members should contact the GM of an Expeditionary Group RPG or the captain of an RPG Command directly to discuss joining their mission/command.
3. Members should consult the prospective GM before applying to understand how players engage and interact with the RPG for the best chance of success. Members should also read the RPG's activity plan or Sandbox's guide and rules.
4. Some RPGs and Sandboxes may have narrower requirements, including restrictions on specific species, abilities, or backgrounds for characters, but may not allow things that the Intelligence Policy’s canon definitions would otherwise forbid. That is to say, a game may be more restrictive than the Intelligence Policy’s canon definitions but not less restrictive.
   1. Any restrictions based on criteria other than the content of the application, such as rank, having a certain quantity of activity ribbons, or earning a particular set of Bravo Fleet Academy Badges, must be approved by the Operations Officer.

6.2 Player Removal

1. GMs and captains may remove any player at any time for any reason that does not violate Article II, Section 1 of the Bravo Fleet Charter.
   1. Reasons for removal could include the lack of involvement, quality of writing/engagement, and/or out-of-character interactions.
   2. Expeditionary Group RPGs and Sandboxes may include in their rules or expectations within their activity plans (but not limited to) what may warrant a player being removed from their specific RPG or Sandbox.
2. If a player is removed from a Sandbox or Expeditionary Group RPG, the matter should be raised to the Intelligence Office via the GM-Lounge on the main Bravo Fleet Discord Server so the fleet can be aware of any potential problems.