Role Playing Rules for all players
Rule #1.
Tagging
Non clan role players no longer need to use a [RP] tag infront of thier name.
All players are considered RP players on TFL. Hovever, if they wish to
advertise they belong to a certain faction, tagging as outlined below will be
needed. (Do not attack a player Lvl 40 or lower, unless agreed by both sides.)
Some examples below:
- [Merc]Raven
- [Trader]Raven
- [Police]Raven
- [Pirate]Raven
- [BH]Raven
Rule #2.
One clan rule
Top freelancers allows you a maximum of five characters. However, you may only hold
a membership in one clan at a time. If you are caught with more than one clan tag on
your account, you will be suspended without warning. Allowances during clan transitions
can be given, and exceptions can be made with approval from the Admins. A 24 hour
grace period is allowable for this type of occurrence, so players may have assistance
with their transfers. The 5 characters you have may be tagged for any faction i.e.
- [Merc]Raven
- [Trader]Raven
- [GLF]Raven (Player Clan character)
- [Pirate]Raven
- [BH]Raven
This gives players the ability to try out any occupation they wish, and it also allows
players to trade, to make credits when their funds are low. But as stated above, only
One clan tagged character at any one time. Only Player clan tagged characters will be
able to receive admin payouts for trading.
For players who are sharing the same computer, it is suggested that you create separate
windows accounts to keep the characters on different accounts.
When smuggling or trading you are reminded to adhere to the reputation/faction rules,
IE a Pirate does not land on a Navy/Police base and vice versa. If you are caught doing
this, a sanction will be imposed of no less than 50% of your combined character wealth, from
all 5 character slots.
When participating in Events please note, during Unknown Alien Events, you may use your
Clan/RP Tagged character. For any other events we recommend creating an [Event] character.
Rule #3.
Clans and Reputations
Clans must show on the main website, which of the 6 types they are: e.g., Police, Pirate,
Navy, Bounty Hunter, Mercenary or Trader.
Role players must become enemies with the natural enemy AI of their clan type, so that
the enemy AI pilots and bases are Red to them (e.g., Police, navy and bounty hunter clans
must become enemies with all the AI pirate clans; Pirates must become enemies with the house
police, navy, BH and any other AI that is normally Red to them.)
Mercenary and Traders, only, can remain WHITE or NEUTRAL as between law and order and lawless
AI factions and may work for either lawless or law and order clans.
Unofficial or waiting Clans cannot be based in systems that are RED to them.
Players who are found NOT to have the proper Reputation with their enemy AI - for example, if
a bounty hunter player is seen able to land on Crete, OR a Pirate player is seen able to land
on Planet Cambridge, that player shall be suspended for anywhere between 1 to 14 days and as
above, lose 50% of their 5 characters combined wealth, they will also have their reputations
corrected by the Admin.
Clans are limited to 10 members per clan. This includes recruits and leadership.
The ONE exception to this rule are the [TFL]Police clan, who are permitted up to 15 members.
Rule #4.
Clan Factions and "Official Status
There are now 17 'Official Factions' you may choose from on TFL. Each faction
coming with its own private system only accessible by the clan recognised as
the official clan of that faction.
If another clan has already claimed the faction you wish to role play, you may
claim to be that faction, although you will not be recognised as official and
you will not have access to the Faction only system.
Unofficial clans will still be able to access the Clan Leaders forum and they
will still be entitled to a Private forum as long as you meet the separate
requirements for Private Forums found
here and a Ventrilo Private channel also.
Rule #5.
Taxes, Tolls, Fees and Fines
Legally, only Navy clans may order other role playing pilots (clan or non clan)
to:
1. Report for inspection
2. Report for payment of Taxes or Tolls
3. Leave their system under threat of attack.
Only Navy Clans can impose taxes or tolls to all Role Players, traveling through or otherwise
using the 4 House Systems. This can be charged as a one time payment covering a period of time,
such as one week or one day. Navy clans will not abuse their authority by imposing unreasonable
taxes or tolls, and must post their rates on the Forum, for all players to see. A Navy's taxes
or tolls cannot be applied outside their House System. Any other group which attempts to charge a
tax or toll is in violation of the law.
Pirates are free to Tax, Toll or seek protection money from whoever they wish, as long as they
are in their own system(s). Although this must be kept to a reasonable amount, and in line
with the Level 40 rule.
Rule #6.
Trade Agreements and Fee's
Traders may seek payment of fees, as a percentage of profits realized on sale of commodities.
This is left to the discretion of the Trader. Whether the profit split is in favour of the
Trader or second party, is left to those negotiating the deal.
Rules around shipping Commodities in Sirius.
You may only hire a Trader or Trade clan to ship commodities, if you own the system or station
they are either being bought in or sold in.
Official House Navy Clans
Either the point of purchase or point of sale must be within the House Navy's space. However,
the point of purchase or sale can not be a Pirate Base.
Pirates
Either the point of purchase or point of sale must be within the Pirate Clans own system(s).
The exception to this is Pirate bases of their faction within a House System. The Pirate clan
may hire a trader to buy or sell from their bases in Liberty for example.
TFL Police
The TFL Police may order goods purchased and sold at any base (excluding Pirate bases) within the
4 major house systems.
Other factions and Affiliations
Factions other than listed above may order the purchase of goods bought and sold at any of their bases
throughout Sirius Space
Rule #7.
Docking Clearance/Scanning for Cargo
All players must request for clearance, to dock on any base, in the presence of a naval or police
officer, who has jurisdiction in that area. Anyone who violates this, may be declared an "enemy"
of the state, at the Navy or Police officer's discretion.
Likewise, any player who refuses to submit to a cargo scan, may be declared an "enemy" of the state,
at the navy or police officer's discretion. A Naval officer must be in the same system, to request
a player to stop for a scan.
Rule #8.
Known inherent Freelancer Glitches/Bugs
No "Warping"
"Warping" is the use of multiple characters to gain a tactical advantage and is not allowed.
An example of this would be if a trader escapes from a pirate, and the pirate logs on with another
character in the system ahead of the trader.
No "Leapfrogging"
For those of you who know the bug, you may not use this to travel between systems
No using multiple computers to spawn new characters and steal their money.
Do not use Game bugs and glitches, that give you advantage over other Players. This is a modded and
competitive server, so people will get upset if you use these, and you will get banned. Also these
bugs really screw the server up and cause lag as well.
Rule #9.
Combat Rules
If a player dies in a system, through any means (suicide, NPC death, killed by another player) during
combat with another player or running from another player, then the defeated player must exit the system
they were fighting in, without delay. The defeated player must then not re-enter that system for 30 minutes,
or until the player who killed them, has been destroyed, left system or changed characters (this does not
mean re choosing the same character after a fight, IE pressing F1 and re selecting the same character.)
While fighting, you may be reloaded by traders and dock to reload. If you are killed in any of your 5
characters, you may not re-enter that system in ANY of your characters, until the rules as stated above have
occurred.
IE if [Merc]Raven dies in the fight. He may not re-enter that system with [GLF]Raven or any of his other characters,
unless the following has occurred:
a) the player who killed you invites you back.
b) The player who killed you dies, as a result of player combat, suicide or npc death.
c) the player who killed you leaves the system.
d) the player switches to a different character.
e) 30 minutes has passed after you were killed.
The definition of a PVP should read as such.
A friendly competition between both parties, which is agreed upon before the combat starts. These kills
cannot be used to claim bounties, hits or trader take downs, as they are practice matches only.
Combat
Is when players from different factions, in the course of RPing their faction, attack others.
Rule #10.
Bounties, Hits and Trader Take downs
Rules for the above can change, depending upon the role play, on the server at the present time. Current rules
and regulations, can be found in the corresponding forum. Any issues, problems or questions should be directed
to tflspirit@topfreelancers.net or via pm.
Rule #11.
Bad form
There are a number of issues that are considered "bad form" on TFL as there are with any Freelancer Server out there.
A new player is not going to learn these overnight, however if done once the players have the opurtunity to explain
that this is not against any rule, but is considered bad form in game or RP play.
ADMIN reserves the right to (once reported to an admin by a player) warn the said player and explain to the offender
that it is considered bad form and please do not do this again. If this player constantly ignores players and admin
on this issue a post in the cheaters and disrupters forum will be made and the player subject to a penalty at the
admin's discretion
This rule is here as I am not going to write every rule and send it to my legal council for approval. This is a
game and we play here because we like it, players that intentionally break rules/ exploit loopholes/rules will be
held accountable by their peers and ultimately ADMIN. Play the game be nice and enjoy the server.
Additional Notes:
An example of 1 type of bad form would be as such:
A lone Bounty hunter is in New Tokyo and a group of 3-4 Pirates are on the way to New Tokyo from Gamma and have announced
their intension to attack. The Bounty Hunter knowing his/her chances of survival are slim swaps into an [RP]Character
he has in New York to avoid dieing in his BH Clan tagged character.
The generally accepted definition of "warping" is switching characters to gain an advantage in combat. There is
almost no way to define it any better, or to set any more rules about it to discourage it. The only way to prevent
Warping, would be to allow only one character per player; that's right, you can only create one character on this
server. That way you can't switch. However, we can agree that it's an option that would cause more problems than
anything else. It would disallow tournament or special event characters, and it would make it very hard for ADMIN
or Moderators to function unless they do so from their "role playing" characters.
But still, there are players out there who are warping, some who try to deceive it, and some who blatantly do it.
These are the same types of players who scour the rules and bend them as far as they can. They expect a rule for
every conceivable situation, and if it's not mentioned they will do it. They will then go and report everyone else
who MIGHT be breaking it. I will not write an entire rule set involving every situation for warping, because I believe
for the most part we only have a few players with this bad attitude. But I will give a few examples:
(1) Planting a character in multiple systems.
In the past there was alot of clans notorious for doing this this. They would camp in the navy systems, and
switch characters whenever a navy player logged on. It doesn't happen so much anymore, although there are still
a few players who do this (although they'll log off for 5 minutes, and then come back on with their "other" character
who happens to be where a trade run is ending). These are obviously not role playing people, as all they want to do
is get into a position to kill someone a lot quicker. This kind of thing ultimately kills RP because anyone who wants
to play a Navy clan gets overwhelmed, and make it totally not fun.
(2) Switching characters or logging off to prevent death.
In the past, most of the traders were notorious for this, where when a pirate got close they would F1 while in
space and either switch characters or leave the game. It does not happen so much anymore, but there are still a few who
blatantly do this. This kinda of behavior should be frowned upon; anyone who exits the game in space with an enemy in the
same system is acting in very bad form. Of course, if you're docked you can do what you want, although you should not
switch characters if you're being chased. This kind of thing ultimately kills RP because piracy becomes impossible,
and instead of pirate clans we end up with pirate "navies" who just go for the kill, and not for the loot.
As you can see, it's impossible to write rules for this, because players can always claim "oh, I didn't even
see you there" after switching characters. And sometimes it might be true. Maybe a trader finished his run
and wanted to play with his other character. But then again, the trader could be lying. We all know there are
dishonest players out there, probably the same ones that demand rules be made for everything.
The bottom line is use your discretion. We can hope that everyone plays the game fairly and not ruin it for other players.
These rules are subject to change without notice by the role playing Admin Team Please check the Server Rules and
the RP Rules on a regular basis and visit the TFL Forums for additional updates and information.
Email comments and Suggestions to tflraven@TopFreelancers.net or PM the TFL Admin Team in the TFL Forums.