Question about PG-13 rule

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ethys
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Question about PG-13 rule

Unread post by ethys »

The Server, Forum and all interactions are to be rated Teen. Sexual encounters, graphic or extended nudity, gratuitous violence and torture, ERP (Erotic Role Play), and especially rape are strictly prohibited. Any caught violating this rule are subject to being permanently banned. All Player Characters (PCs) must be created and Role-played with the minimum age of 18, for Human, and the equivalent for all other races.
The part with "gratuitous violence" doesn´t make any sense to me.
Killing any sentient being just for the sake of it (for XP) is in fact a gratuitous violence.

Soo... If you are killing stuff just to kill stuff and lvl up - you are technically breaking this rule, are you not ?

And if someone is going to argue that it only applies to player/player interactions and therefore it doesn´t apply to NPCs - using that logic it would actually mean that raping NPCs is ok.

So please - explain to me the meaning of "gratuitous violence" in this rule.
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Re: Question about PG-13 rule

Unread post by DM_Xzar »

I suppose "gratuitous violence" here refers to "very descriptive" violence brought forth by RP. Like the elaborate torture, dismembering or disemboweling of an NPC or PC.

One could simply write: *John lobs the bandit's head off* - instead of: NOTE: !THIS IS AS AN EXAMPLE! *John laughs and takes the oiled edge of this sword to the neck of the bandit and begin's to saw through the sinews with the blade's jagged edge, blood splattering several feet before hitting bone and proceeding to...*

You get the idea.

To word it differently: Descriptive sadistic RP isn't allowed.
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Re: Question about PG-13 rule

Unread post by DM Novus »

[Well, Xzar beat me to it and has explained it, yet I will add still.]


Gratuitous definition: Unwarranted; unjustified, unnecessary.
Soo... If you are killing stuff just to kill stuff and lvl up - you are technically breaking this rule, are you not ?
No. One PC could be a Ranger that has had their village attacked for years upon years from Lizardmen, would have taken an oath to rid the forest of their existence. Therein lies a justified reason to perform an action.

This is why a good PC has a strong background. Backgrounds often provide justification for many of the violent acts that PCs perform in this adventure setting.

Gratuitous violence that goes against the Teen rating of this Server is such violent acts/speech/interaction that is unnecessary to describe the scenario. A PC can say and believe they "Slaughtered Lizardmen without remorse." There are extreme and inappropriate ways to describe and act-out this slaughter in action/conversation with others, to which I imagine you can imagine. So leave the extreme to your imagination.
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Re: Question about PG-13 rule

Unread post by Hitman Hard »

DM_Xzar wrote: One could simply write: *John lobs the bandit's head off* - instead of: NOTE: !THIS IS AS AN EXAMPLE! *John laughs and takes the oiled edge of this sword to the neck of the bandit and begin's to saw through the sinews with the blade's jagged edge, blood splattering several feet before hitting bone and proceeding to...*
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Re: Question about PG-13 rule

Unread post by Luna »

ethys.. you seen braveheart?
When John wallace is getting tortured the camera eventually pans away.
That is PG-13.

So IG you don't need to go into graphic emoting detail there if that makes sense.


Bre, i don't know?
Maybe because they used American standards which are PG-13 or R.
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Wolfrayne
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Re: Question about PG-13 rule

Unread post by Wolfrayne »

You can get away with a rather large amount of violence etc in PG-13. I think the general idea is just dont take things too far. While i would assume a majority of the server is older than 13. it is more about having respect and dignity for others. Not everyone wants to know how you tortured/murdered some creature in great detail.

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Re: Question about PG-13 rule

Unread post by Rasael »

I would imagine it is PG 13 because the platform we use, NWN2.

This is NWN2's EULA:
EDITOR AND END-USER VARIATIONS If the Software includes a feature that allows you to modify the Software or to construct new variations (an "Editor"), you may use such Editor to create modifications or enhancements to the Software, including the construction of new levels (collectively the "Variations"), subject to the following restrictions. Your Variations: (i) must only work with the full, registered copy of the Software; (ii) must not contain modifications to any executable file; (iii) must not contain any libelous, defamatory or other illegal material, material that is scandalous or invades the rights of privacy or publicity of any third party; (iv) must not contain any trademarks, copyright-protected work or other property of third parties; and (v) may not be commercially exploited by you, including but not limited to making such Variations available for sale or as part of a pay-per-play or timesharing service.
Under point 3 you can see that you cannot infringe the right of privacy or publicity of another party. And point 4 protects third party copy right.

I would guess that the D&D Forgotten Realms licence NWN2 came with is PG-13. That seems to be the standard Wizards of the Coast policy with novels and games. So while NWN2 itself doesn't appear to require PG-13 content restrictions, the setting we use is likely to require it.

So its important to distinguish that there are multiple licences we are dealing with here. One for NWN2 itself, and one for the D&D setting we use.

Now technically it might be possible to argue that BGTSCC does not use a 3.5 or 4.0 D&D setting licence because our server is set in the perior prior to AD&D second edition. So that we wouldn't be restricted by the default licence the game came with. And you could also argue that we aren't infringing the licence since BGTSCC is not a commercial gaming product.

But you still run the risk of making negative publicity for the company that owns the D&D franchise, and causing them damage. So while its certainly not clear if we are using a licence, its simple human decency to avoid harming their product.

Imagine for example that a new player breaks this rule and proceeds to do erotic roleplay of some sort with a minor. If that sort of thing somehow ends up in the public domain and this server did not have rules against it it would look very bad. You would not want that associated with your products if you own the D&D franchise. Because that's probably what the headlines would be. (which I will refrain from illustrating with an example)

So the best thing for all our sakes and peace of mind is to keep the setting PG 13.
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Re: Question about PG-13 rule

Unread post by Servin »

Hitman Hard wrote:
DM_Xzar wrote: One could simply write: *John lobs the bandit's head off* - instead of: NOTE: !THIS IS AS AN EXAMPLE! *John laughs and takes the oiled edge of this sword to the neck of the bandit and begin's to saw through the sinews with the blade's jagged edge, blood splattering several feet before hitting bone and proceeding to...*
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