Rating

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"I had the X rating on my films. Now they do as much on The Simpsons as I got an X rating for on Fritz the Cat."

--Ralph Bakshi

A MUSH's letter rating is a form of shorthand; it's something players can use to judge quickly how they should treat issues of sex, violence, substance abuse, profanity, impudence or other types of mature content. In that vein, Dream Chasers MUSH is broadly classified as having a PG-13 rating. While some serious issues can and will arise, the game's tone is primarily one of lighthearted exploration and adventure.

But we recognize people will have widely divergent views on what they think PG-13 means. Ratings are subjective, and vary based on personal background, culture, or even language. As English curse words go, "Jesus Christ!" is comparatively mild next to "shit" or "fuck." In French, however, religious curses are considered far more harsh than sexually-derived words, which are often used like punctuation.

While the admin are the final arbiters on what is and is not considered acceptable, the following file will help ensure players have a thorough understanding of where we're coming from. Repeated violations of the game's rating will be treated like any other rule violation, regardless of whether they are in IC or OOC situations.

Language

Mild religious profanity (damn, Jesus, hell) is broadly acceptable in roleplay. Expletives like "shit" or "fuck" should be used sparingly, if at all, and reserved for significant dramatic moments (think this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWoPdZ986oo). Extremely explicit or graphic sexual language is also forbidden (if you've seen it in Cards Against Humanity, it probably shouldn't be said here).

Racial slurs, sexist language, and queerphobic words are entirely unacceptable. Directing them at players is grounds for immediate dismissal. Real-world slurs based on gender, ethnicity or sexual preference have no place in roleplay either. While prejudice as a theme is examined in some of the settings that make up Dream Chasers, it is restricted to that which is class-based (think Solarians and Lambs) or fantastical (think prejudice against Beastfolk).

Sex

Sex exists in the universe of Dream Chasers MUSH. Adult characters in a relationship can be understood to have had sex, and can discuss it amongst themselves or with other characters. However, sex cannot be portrayed on Dream Chasers MUSH. In short: kissing, hugging, or cuddling are fine. Anything involving what one would describe as bathing suit areas are not, and should be handled by a fade to black.

Please note that the rules against the portrayal of sex apply equally to public channels, private scenes, and pages. There are plenty of ways to find porn on the Internet. You don't need to look here.

Substance Abuse

The use of alcohol and tobacco is generally permitted (we have space cowboys, after all). Hard drugs exist within the universe of Dream Chasers, but are generally restricted to combat drugs like Drive produced by advanced civilizations like Solaris for military purposes. These drugs are extremely serious and have negative consequences, even in their original canon. They should be treated as such on the MUSH.

That said, the occasional experiment with cactus juice is fine, so long as it is treated tastefully. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjQHpD2WQL4)

Violence

Violence is a fact of life in the world of Dream Chasers. Drifters wandering the wastes need to protect themselves from brigands, monsters, or other craziness that inhabits the world in which they live. They also occasionally come into conflict with each other.

Swords are sharp, and can hurt people. Guns are exceptionally deadly. Giant robots are both deadly and terrifying. Treating any of them as cartoon violence would cheapen their effect.

Broadly speaking, violence is acceptable on Dream Chasers, but gore is not. Blood and bleeding and broken bones are fine. Getting into specifics about organs or the insides of a body are not.

See also...