RULES & FAQ'S
RULES MUST BE READ BEFORE DOING ANYTHING! THANKS!
GENERAL RP RULES
1a. The trend that I've noticed in many RPG's lately, and ends up being the downfall of the community, is IC issues being taken OOC. If you have an IC problem with another character, you must TALK to that character about it, or talk to a mod to talk to that person. If you cannot follow this rule, then maybe this isn't the place for you. EVERY person (mods included), whether it be IC or OOC, deserves to be treated with respect, and this rule will be enforced.
1b. There will be absolutely NO harrassment, IC or OOC, about the way a person chooses to portray their character. If it is found that there is any harrassment going on, you will be given two warnings first, and then removed from the community if it happens again. Three strikes and you're out. Nobody likes to be told how to play their character, so please respect how someone chooses to portray their character. Absolutely NO godmodding.
1c. This is an ADULT RP, meaning you must be an adult to RP here. Strong language, and sexual situations will be portrayed here.
1d. If any of these rules are violated, you will be given three warnings, depending on the severity of the rule broken. After your third warning, you will be removed from the community without so much as a word.
STORYLINES
2a. All storylines MUST be realistic. That means no male pregnancies, no alien abductions, that sort of thing. Use your judgment about this.
2b. Issues such as rape, drug abuse, cutting, suicide, kidnapping, being held hostage, terminal illness/disease/major surgery (ask if you're unsure about what kinds of surgery are considered major), and abortion, are sensitive issues at this community. Unless the person that you are playing is experiencing one of those nine in RL, there will be absolutely NO portrayals of such storylines.
2c. Eating disorder storylines must be approved by a mod, and must be well-researched before playing it out.
2d. Under NO circumstances, are there to be any romantic SL's between judges and contestants, while each season is underway (for example, during season eight, Danny Gokey cannot date Kara DioGuardi). It's just too much of a scandal, and brings too much drama that we don't want to have to deal with.
2e. There cannot be any marriages among characters until they're at least 18. Anything younger than 18 is unrealistic.
PREGNANCIES
3a. Unless your character is pregnant in RL, all pregnancy SL's/adoption SL's MUST be approved by a mod. We don't want a lot of babies running around here that nobody does anything with. Also, pregnancy SL's are limited to two at a time (unless your character is pregnant in RL and you would like to play that, in which case we will allow more than two). If you'd like to have a pregnancy SL and haven't had one with any of your other characters (should you play more than one character), talk to a mod, and you'll be informed if and when you can have one.
3b. All pregnancies must last a full nine months (36 weeks at the VERY least).
RULES FOR ADMITTANCE
4a. All characters MUST be approved by a mod before joining. You will need to have set up a journal first (NOT a journal that is used for any other community, and a mod will check that out before approving you), with a recent first entry already written in it (and a friends only entry doesn't count as a first entry, neither does copying something from wikipedia - a personal touch MUST be added), before applying (YOU must apply with the journal that you intend to use for your character here, and a friend can't apply for you). Once you have done that, you will need to fill out the form that will be found inside of the journal. Also, you MUST friend the community journal (![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif) idolexposed). This way, you know what's going on in the community, and also who is here. In the spot on the application where it says, “Where’s The Beef?”, you must put, ”Under the pickle” to be added, therefore showing us that you read these rules.
4b. You also need an AOL or AIM name, pertaining to your character. This is a MUST. This game requires that you be AIM active. Being AIM active, means that you can create a storyline with other characters, thus being able to have something to update about. Please keep this in mind.
4c. You may play as many characters as you wish, as long as they all have their own journal and AIM name. Your characters must be active, though (see FAQ's for definition of "active"). We also ask that you play no more than three people per each season (see FAQ's for details on this). Adds are usually done daily at 11pm.
4d. You may ask a mod to put a character on hold for you before joining. However, all holds will only be held for 72 HOURS from the date requested. Within that 72 hour's time, you must have a journal ready, fill out the application, and have a first entry written. If you don't have that done within the allotted time period time, the character is made available again. Also, when asking for a hold, you must ask for the hold, under the applications section, WITH the journal that you intend to use for that particular character. By doing this, a journal has to be made if you want to have that character held, and also, the community can ensure that a person is serious about coming back to claim their holds.
4e. All characters in this community MUST be former or present Idol contestants. They can be semi-finalists (top 24/30/36, depending on which season each character is from) contenders from any season. We also need judges, and a Ryan.
4f. All journals MUST be linked back to this journal, via the website space in your user info, and must have THIS disclaimer on the INFO page of their journal, as per the InsaneJournal policy on impersonation. If you do not have this up on your page, as well as a link to the main comm, your application will be rejected. The disclaimer should be as follows:
DISCLAIMER: THIS JOURNAL IS IN NO WAY AFFILIATED WITH AMERICAN IDOL, 19 ENTERTAINMENT, OR THE PERSON PORTRAYED. THIS JOURNAL IS NOT THAT OF THE REAL AMERICAN IDOL CONTESTANT. FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY.
UPDATE GUIDELINES
5a. All journals MUST be updated within a specific time period of once a month. Activity checks will be at midnight at the end of every month (in reality, you could have up to seven weeks to write an entry, if you update one month at the beginning of the month and then update the next month near the end of the month). If you cannot come up with a decent journal entry once a month, then your journal will be removed from the community, and your character will be again up for grabs. By entries, we mean MEANINGFUL entries over two paragraphs, not just memes, one-liners, and song lyrics. Also, if you're going to wait until the last minute to update, that's fine, but at least make it a decent update that we'll want to read. All journals friends list MUST be kept up-to-date, to encourage interaction amongst everyone.
5b. All entries to be counted for the month, NEED TO BE either public, or friends locked. No screen posts or private posts will be counted for your monthly update.
5c. If you need a hiatus (a break, time-off, vacation, whatever you want to call it), you MUST put in a formal request for one in the OOC community, as well as a tentative return-by date. If you cannot return by that date that you chose, please leave another note in the OOC comm, requesting an extension of the hiatus, otherwise, your character will be up for grabs again. Also, if you are coming off of a hiatus, you MUST update your journal when you come back, so that it is shown that you have updated within the five week time period. When your character is on hiatus, you cannot be seen on AIM, or else that would mean your hiatus is considered over.
5d. If your character is removed and you'd like to rejoin as that same character that was removed, you must fill out the application once again, and also make an entry in the character's journal (as long as the character was removed for inactivity and not for another reason, and as long as there is not another person playing the character). If you have been removed for inactivity, though, the limit is three removals per character, before you are not allowed to re-join as that character. Also there is NOT a guaranteed hold on your character once you're removed for inactivity. If your character is removed for inactivity and you want to rejoin, your character is considered up for grabs until YOU meet the requirements to rejoin, or until someone else applies for that character.
5e. All photos, graphics and youtube videos (with the exception of a friends only post), MUST be put behind a cut, or a link be posted to the video or photo. Some of our members are dial-up users, and, as a courtesy to them so that it doesn't take all night for their friends page to load, we just ask that everyone take this into consideration when posting.
Thank you, and enjoy your stay!
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ'S)
1. Does my character have to do what the person is doing in real-life, and if my character is married in real life, do they have to be married in the RP game? Professionally, the character should be touring when the real person is touring and whatnot, but as far as personal things, then no. They don't have to be married, unless you want them to be. This allows for Idol romances, if you so desire (barring all contestant & judge pairings during each particular season, as per rule number 10.)
2. If my character is heterosexual in real-life, but I'd like to play them as a homosexual, can I do that, and vice versa? Yes, that's really up to you as to how you want to play your character.
3. What constitutes as "real life storylines?" Well, it's simple. Just go by what happens in real life. That means no alien abductions, no male pregnancies, stuff like that. Use common sense. If you have any questions about a storyline you'd like to try but aren't sure if it's considered "realistic", feel free to ask administration.
4. Are any storylines, considered taboo? There are a few storylines that are considered "taboo", unless it's happening to your character for real, as it is considered bad karma. Those storylines include rape, alcoholism, drug abuse, cutting, suicide, kidnapping, being held hostage, eating disorders, terminal illness/disease/major surgery (ask if you're unsure about what kinds of surgery are considered major), and abortion.
5. Do pregnancy storylines/adoption storylines have to be approved by a mod before being able to play them? If my character is pregnant in real-life do they have to be pregnant in the game? Yes, they do. Unfortunately, we have found that too many babies are being born into the game, and nothing is done with them after they are born. We've also limited pregnancy SL's, to two at a time. If you'd like to have a chance at having a pregnancy SL, and one of your other characters, should you have more than one character here, hasn't had a baby in a while, you will be approved, and will be told when you can have one. If your character is pregnant in real life, that is up to you whether or not you'd like them to be pregnant in the game.
6. What happens if I don't update within the five week time period allotted, and don't request a hiatus? Your character has five weeks to update from the time period that they last updated (check your user info, if you're unsure about when you last updated, as that's what is checked by administration when determining when a character has updated), and if you do not request a hiatus, then you are considered an "inactive character". As an "active character", you need to update, otherwise your character will be considered up for grabs, and you will be removed from the community. 7. What is considered as "active"? "Being active" is defined as the following:- Being on AIM a few times a week, and actually TALKING to people outside of your season (don't hide behind an away message, or be on invisible!).
- Updating your journals once a month, with entries of SUBSTANCE.
- Keeping your journal's friend list up-to-date.
8. What happens if I am stuck for what to write about? If you are stuck about what to write about, don't hesitate to make a post in the OOC comm, asking for help with topics. By doing this, members can give you helpful prompts about things to write about.
9. What happens if I'm not active? If you are not active after you first apply, your character could be considered for an override, if someone else would like to play that particular character, and your character would be removed.
10. How do I go about requesting a hiatus, and how long can I be on hiatus for? If you need to put your character on hiatus, you can do so by posting in the Idol Exposed OOC journal. As far as how long, you may take as long as you need to, but you must supply a tentative return-by date when you request a hiatus. If you get to the tentative return-by date and you find that you need more time off, then just request another hiatus in the OOC journal, followed by another tentative return-by date. Also, when you return from hiatus, you MUST update your journal, so that it is shown that you have updated within the five week time period and can avoid removal for not doing so.
11. What happens if I need to change my AIM screen name? If you need to change your AIM name, then you must post the screen name change in a post in the main comm. That way, we can verify that the character is yours, as well as keep track of all the screen names.
12. If I am removed from the community, can I re-apply to come back? If I want to rejoin after being removed for inactivity, do I get first choice for my character if someone else applies before I get a chance to rejoin? It depends on what you were removed for. If you were removed for lack of updates or inactivity (unless you were removed three times for inactivity, as per the three times removal rule), or for breaking a minor rule, such as not putting up a disclaimer, then yes, you may re-apply in the application section to come back. If you were removed due to breaking a major rule, such as doing a taboo storyline or for OOC harassment, then you will not be eligible to re-apply. If you re-apply and have broken a major rule, your application will be denied.
There is NOT a guaranteed hold on your character once you're removed for inactivity. If your character is removed for inactivity and you want to rejoin, your character is considered up for grabs until YOU meet the requirements to rejoin. If someone else applies before you get a chance to meet those requirements to rejoin, the other person will get the role, since you chose to keep that character, inactive, and you will not get the role back unless the person who takes over the role, leaves or becomes inactive themselves.
13. Can my character be a past contestant who didn't make the semi-finals? How about someone from another Idol show? Unfortunately, the answer is no to both questions. A lot of the time, people who didn't make the semi-finals are quickly forgotten by others as the different seasons go on, so we ask that all characters are semi-final contestants, and from American Idol only (since it is an American Idol community). Season one had a top 30, season two had a top 36, season three had a top 32, seasons four through seven had a top 24, and season eight had a top 36. See the directory for the contestants that are available to be played here.
14. Can I play more than one character? Yes, but there is a three person per season limit. The number of characters that one person can play is unlimited, but keep in mind that you can only play 3 from each season, so choose your roles wisely!
15. I know that some communities have restrictions as to what the character's journal name is, and that there are no underscores in the journal names. Do you have that same restriction here? How about AIM names? No, you can have underscores if you'd like. However, we DO ask that you PLEASE keep the character journal name, related to your character's name. For example, if you played Jason Castro, we'd ask you to name your journal, jcastro, or something close to that. Something like, dreadlocksboy, wouldn't be accepted, because we want to be able to identify the journals with the character's name somehow. The same can be said about AIM names. We want your character's name, first or last, in the AIM name somewhere.
16. How often are adds done to the community? Adds are usually done daily, at 10pm EST, except in the case of a mod vacation, in which case, it happens when the mod gets back.
17. What happens if, unfortunately, something happens to my character, and they pass away in real life? If the person you are portraying happens to unexpectedly (or expectedly) pass away, then it's only natural that nobody is able to portray that person. You can, however, find a new character to play, if you so desire.
18. Can I challenge a role, if a role that I want, is taken? Unfortunately, we don't accept challenges here. This community is a first-come, first-serve basis, which means that if you want a character that's not taken, you should be fairly quick in applying, to make sure that you get the character that you want.
19. What can be posted in the actual Idol Exposed community journal? You may post your character introductions there after you are added, to let people know that you are here. You may also post things like character wedding/party invitations, and news that you want the entire community to know so that they don't have to nose through your journal to find it.
20. Seeing as all entries in the main community & sub-communities have to be friends-locked, does my journal entries have to be friends-locked too? Not if you don't want them to. As long as all postings that you make to the main community, as well as to the sub-communities are friends-locked, then it doesn't matter if your personal journal posts are friends-locked or not. It's really up to you.
21. What are the sub-communities used for? The sub-communities are around for different purposes. Idol Exposed Studio is for you to post any song lyrics that are on your mind, or that you just feel like posting. Idol Exposed OOC is where you post anything that you want to say, out of character. Idol Random is where you can post memes, quizzes, random questions, and the like. Idol Exposed Threading is the community where event threading takes place, such as parties or weddings, or if you just want thread instead of using AIM at times.
22. Can I advertise this community in ad communities? By all means, feel free to do so. Anyone can advertise this community in any advertising communities, and I encourage you to do it, if you feel that you want to.
23. Where can I find the mods for the community? You can reach a mod on AIM, at IdolExposedMod, or by leaving a message in the dropbox. Feel free to bring any questions or concerns to them, and they'll be happy to help.
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