Role Play

    Role Play, to put it simply, is the playing of another character in a situation. While Imperia will teach new people, the learning process for someone who is entirely new to the concept of Role Play and starting at Imperia can be too difficult for some people. So Imperia would like for a person coming here to of had some previous experience or an understanding of Role Play be it if this experience was on tabletop sessions, other IRC Channels, Play by Post groups or some other form of an interactive medium. Imperia is an advanced game, and while we would be willing to teach new people, we would place several restrictions on them such as making them play in only one channel (#Arennonmist_Inn), only one race (Human) till they have reached a level sufficient to us. This may be too much for some, so if you are new to Role Play, then I implore you to seek out a starter channel where you can easily get the hang of it.

    However if you know what Role Play is, and have done it before, then understanding Imperia shouldn't be all that hard. Let me touch on a few things that makes Imperia different from all others.

• Free Form - By saying we are Free Form, I mean that we do not require stat sheets nor depend heavily on dice rolls. Some players choose to use dice to decide critical events, but it's not a requirement.
• Character Approval - Other channels may allow you to just waltz on in, but we require character approval. This is done as a method of Quality Control, and it has worked surprisingly well to keep out several undesirable characters.
• Small Numbers - We are not a huge group with 100+ people crammed into a channel and Role Play constantly erupting. The Quality channels such as Imperia always tend to draw a small crowd, and we aren't in this for numbers. However you will find a sense of community, and players committed to excellence.
• AD&D - This isn't AD&D, nor do we require any books. However a few of our advanced players depend on the information from this format for the stuff such as how much that Potion of Healing costs. Again, we are not AD&D, and no books are required.
• Free - Imperia is entirely free of charge.
• Audience - An "Audience" person is really a person who cruises RP Channels just to watch. No intent of actually joining or ever role playing, they just like to watch. You find this alot where you see a channel with 60 people yet only 5 are actively role playing. Everyone else just seems quiet. We ask that any and all people in Imperia be proactive, helping to spur and motivate role play. We welcome people who watch, provided they will soon be actually joining IN on the Role Play or are undecided. But if you are here just to watch and don't ever plan on role playing, then the door is to your left.
• Structure - Imperia has a detailed and structured setting. While in most FFRP Channels, they don't even have the backyard detailed, we have the entire planet detailed and then some. Also we run Plots, managed by Ops or Plotmasters (PMs). Some Ops run background events, such as NPCs (Local Town Guards), Monsters (Hobgoblins) and other background events like a storm or a fire.
• Acknowledge the Environment - If you ignore the background, say there was a 70 foot tall Xixecal stomping over the Inn, plunging the entire city into -20 Farenheit, then expect us to have a talking with you. If an event is happening in the background, such as a fire, or some huge fight, then have the character acknowledge and react to it. If you don't, then you are not the type of player Imperia wants and we will ask you to leave.
• Combat - We don't do speed fighting. We do Turn-Based with the players deciding, based on common sense, if an attack succeeds or not. No Powergaming, period.
• IC/OOC Separation - IC means In Character, and OOC means Out of Character. We expect people to keep this separate. If someone's character hates your character, then it does not mean the player hates you. If you, the player, know the door your character is about to open is a trap which will kill the character, then don't have the character suddenly become aware of or amazingly dodge, this trap. When you enter the Inn at noontime, and see only one player Role Playing, it doesn't mean the Inn is empty. There are NPCs, background elements. At noon the Inn would have a sizeable lunch crowd of around 20-30. Try and think in IC/Character terms instead of OOC/Player terms. You can get a job anywhere in the city, you are not restricted to finding work in JUST the Inn. Also a character has to eat, drink, sleep and earn a living. Also politics and religion DO matter.
• Character Creation - We have a section dedicated to making characters. To find it, click on the Char. Creation button located back at the Academy entrance.
• Technology - Imperia isn't Earth, it doesn't follow the same technological progression or cultural progression like Earth has. Women have equality in Damocles for example, while the Women's Movement didn't reach success till the 1900s of Earth. However women equality occurred in 0 AD (Imperia calendar) in Damocles. At the same time, 0 AD on Imperia, it was 488 AD on Earth. Women Equality occurred on Imperia 1,400 years before Earth. Also Imperia is in the starting phases of Magic-based Technology, however this will be explained in more detail in the following segments.
• Different Layers of Plots - There is more than one style of Plots operating on different layers. First you have the Personal Layer Plots, Regional Layer Plots, National Layer Plots and then Global Layer Plots.

	Personal Layer - These are Plots that test what people are made of, that affect them on a personal level. Situations be it the intricacies of relationships, hardships endured or new friends made. Love interests, friendships, personal rivalries, marriages and matters of a character's history usually fall into this level. Anyone can make a Personal Layer Plot and AMI (#Arennonmist_Inn) is best tailored for such social interaction Role Play. However it is not restricted to just that channel.
	Regional Layer - Events in and of the town/city itself you are in. Troubles that plague it be it droughts or a new menace on the horizon. These are more dangerous Plots, usually needing teamwork. Monster attacks, dungeon explorations, fires, disasters and anything that affects the town/city as a whole falls into this layer. Sometimes experienced players and usually ops run Plots of this level.
	National Layer - Matters of state, political shifts, relations between the various nations of Imperia are a few examples of National Layer Plots. Other examples include diplomatic negotiations, trade agreements, alliances and war. Plotmasters always run this type of Plot, and sometimes interactions between nation managers qualify as National Layer Plots.
	Global Layer - This is the most epic, the largest scale of events. Be it invasions from Shadow Knight controlled worlds, or messages from the Primals themselves. These are events that affect everyone and everything be it a comet passing close to Imperia, a Demonic Invasion, or a global catastrophe.

    What happens at a higher layer, has a way of trickling down towards people in the other layers. Let me provide an example of an Imperia Plot, and how it affects people on all layers. 

	Damocles's source of Quartz is slowly exhausting. This crystal mineral is essential for Damocles airship production and their military supremacy so Damocles starts to send scouts out to locate the nearest deposit to their borders.
	Scouts of Damocles have located a deposit near the Axius capital of Tantallon. After heavy Senate deliberation, Damocles deploys the Airship Fleet to attack Tantallon. Damocles forces push over Axius border defenses, and speed towards Tantallon.
	Axius is aware of Damocles's approach, and issues a call to arms in Tantallon. Several people answer the call to arms, however city defense is hardly enough to withstand the force of Damocles Imperial Airships. But people prepare regardless.
	Sinare's love, Gareth, has been selected to fight in defense of Tantallon. However Sinare, afraid for Gareth's life, pleads with him to flee with her to a nearby Axius town of Cylion. Gareth however feels that if Damocles is not stopped, they could continue on the rest of Axius. But Sinare fears it is a hopeless battle and that Gareth shall surely perish.

    This is just one Plot, one event. What started with a Global Layer Plot of Damocles exhausting a natural resource, has trickled down to affect other players and other plots and other storylines. Sinare and Gareth may of had their own Personal Layer Plot of a forthcoming marriage, but the events of the upper levels have placed a new spin, a new surprise, drama on their ordinarily happy lives.