Spirit of the Rule
This document is meant to clarify positions on things which are core to the work of the tech team at ALFA. In all cases, it is assumed that the discussion presented are merely examples. They are not complete or inclusive; they do not portray a complete policy. In all instances where there is ambiguity, tech supports the charter, first and foremost. All instances where the exact language of the charter does not apply, the charter's preamble ("ALFA’s mission is to provide an immersive persistent world for the purpose of high-quality online role-play using the D&D™ game system within the Forgotten Realms™ setting.") is taken as the central goal of development.
Third Party Software
In the interest of keeping ALFA accessible to players, there are only three pieces of software which may be required for players to play in ALFA on Neverwinter Nights 2:
-- Neverwinter Nights 2
-- Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer
-- Neverwinter Nigths 2: Storm of Zehir
However, it is acceptable to take advantage of features provided by third party software, so long as the same functionality is available (not necessarily as conveniently) to all players. For example, the ACR requires that users of just the base client press end after a cross-server tell to correctly enter the text, but those using the Client Extension may simply click to gain access to the same functionality. Both are still capable of sending cross-server tells, but those whose clients enable greater convenience in doing so may take advantage.
Builders may be required to use third party software, at the discretion of any of the TA staff heads or the TA.
Game server hosts may be required to use third party software, at the discretion of any of the TA staff heads or the TA.
The tech admin holds no sway over the servers hosting the forums, chat, or database and developers seeking integration with any should seek the approval and coordination of the Infrastructure Admin.
Setting
As ALFA is written in the Forgotten Realms, references to other campaign settings should be avoided in new content, and removed from old when opportunity presents. Contributors need not be rigorous with this, but a basic web search should be done on names included in the core content to be sure that the name isn't obviously of a different setting, and corrections based on respect to setting should be taken seriously.
Specifically, this means we should not reference:
-- Bigby
-- Heward (of the Handy Haversack)
-- Leomund (tiny hut, secret chest, magnificent mansion)
-- Melf
-- Mordenkainen
-- Tenser
-- Vecna
Technology
In times after 1358 DR (that is the year of the Time of Troubles), the technology present in the majority of Faerûn reflects the development of the Age of Discovery. Firearms exist, as does artillery, but the use of both is crude and difficult enough that fortifications have not yet become squat and star-shaped. Navigation is improved to the point of the reliable production of seaworthy ships, and the knowledge / technology to determine longitude exists, but timekeeping is not yet accurate enough to calculate latitude. A distant "new world" is commonly known and colonized, but travel to and from it remains difficult and expensive. Medicine has advanced to the notion of chemical properties bearing healing use, and surgery is a practiced and sophisticated art, but is still performed without anesthetic. New cities are planned; advanced nations are capable of enforcing detailed legal systems.
As such, for core content to be added to the ALFA core content, it must pass one of two requirements. Either it must:
-- Be specifically referenced in a Forgotten Realms sourcebook (such as Lantanese technology).
or
-- Not be mentioned in the negative in any Forgotten Realms sourcebook, and have existed in Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East by 1550.
This, specifically, disallows (based on prior requests):
-- High heels (developed largely during the 20th century)
Content Rating
The Player Admin and Dungeon Master Admin have requested that ALFA's core content maintain a "PG-13" content rating. However, as ALFA is not a film, I again defer to the "spirit of the rule" philosophy of our development here and interpret this as a "teen" rating, which is applicable to electronic games. The distinction is important, given that films have greater control over timing of content (for example, nudity can be brief or non-sexual in a film, [and a film can maintain a PG-13 rating while showing breasts briefly] but the nature of a gaming-- and persistent world-- medium gives the developer less control over timing or context.
Similarly, this is not to be construed as a requirement for the specific build of servers. If one server wishes to build a dungeon of constant sodomy, that server is beholden to the DMA, and if players seek to act out more-mature content, they are beholden to the PA.
To maintain a teen rating, our core content may include:
-- Violence
-- Alcohol references
-- Drug references
-- Tobacco references
-- Implied or non-explicit nudity (this means that we don't display anyone's genitals and we don't show female nipples-- Barbie dolls are about as far as you can push a teen rating)
And our core content may not inculde:
-- Gore, dismemberment, or extreme violence
-- Explicit use of drugs, tobacco, or alcohol (distinct from reference by the level of abstraction; we don't teach anyone how to cook smack, and most of our in-game chemicals are renamed near copies of real-world sorts)
-- Explicit nudity
-- Sexual content
-- Strong Language (however, in the interest of keeping our core content professional, we should avoid mild profanity as well)
