Trenchport Rules

Application and Entry

The membership application is available to all visitors through the self-help terminal in the Landing Zone. The terminal opens Town Control in your browser.

• Fill out only the first page when applying.
• Provide detailed and well-thought-out responses to every question.
• Approval generally takes approximately 72 hours.
• After approval, return to the Landing Zone or visit the DMV to complete the remaining tabs.
• Leaving the OOC Landing Zone and entering the ground-level sim places you in character.

Basics for Surviving Trenchport

• Keep real life, OOC matters, and character actions separate.
• Create strong stories that reach beyond your own character.
• Involve and include other players rather than treating roleplay as a solo performance.
• Respect another player's time, limits, story, and right to control their own character.

IC, OOC, Emoting, and Post Order

Limits and Scene Participation

• Your limits are your responsibility to know and communicate. A profile pick is usually sufficient, but direct IM communication should be used when needed.
• Repeated attempts to ignore communicated limits may require moderator help.
• A death limit does not allow a character to repeatedly provoke lethal danger while expecting immunity from consequences.
• Public scenes may be joined without prior consent. Private scenes require OOC consent from everyone involved.
• Do not white knight or hijack an ongoing scene simply to make it about your character or abruptly end a story others are enjoying.

Common Roleplay Mistakes

Surveillance, Tracking, Tailing, and NPCs

Combat in Trenchport

Trenchport supports freeform turn-based combat and an optional HUD combat tool. Players should agree on the method being used before a planned scene. Do not mix the two rulesets during the same encounter.

Freeform Combat

• No dice or combat system is required. Players decide injuries fairly based on size, experience, environment, and the actions written by everyone involved.
• No godmodding or powergaming. Combat exists for storytelling, not to guarantee a win.
• Take reasonable hits and react fairly. A loss can create new story rather than end it.
• Read every post carefully. Write all actions for your turn together, then wait for the next player.
• Freeform combat permits two actions per post, such as run, attack, dodge, or block. Every offensive and defensive action is an attempt.
• Weapons take two posts to use: Draw plus Aim or Fire, or Draw and Aim followed by Fire.
• Calling for backup takes two posts, even when the phone is already available.
• A player joining an existing fight must wait one full post round before arriving, and the first eligible post represents arrival rather than an immediate attack.
• Public fights may be joined without permission, but an IM is recommended when the situation is unclear.

Optional HUD Combat

The Trenchport HUD combat mode uses rolls, meter damage, healing, buffs, defeat records, and a separate one-HUD-action-per-post rule. Everyone should agree to use it before the fight begins.

Firearms Rules

In-Character Carry Laws

• Open carry is legal only for government employees and Trenchport Police Department personnel.
• Everyone else requires a Concealed Carry Permit to legally carry. Criminal characters may still break the law, but should expect IC consequences when caught.
• Civilians and criminals may carry only handguns or revolvers within the city. Rifles are permitted in the Bayou and swamp areas for hunting, wildlife defense, and wilderness roleplay.
• TPD may use rifles or automatic weapons only during approved events, raids, or major IC combat.
• Admins and moderators may revoke firearm privileges OOCly after repeated or extreme violations of roleplay conduct.

Gunplay Roleplay

• Using a firearm requires three actions across two posts: Draw, then Aim and Fire, or Draw and Aim, then Fire.
• A maximum of two shots may be fired per post.
• Unloading a full magazine into a victim requires the victim's OOC permission.
• Track ammunition. Reloading requires a post after ammunition runs out.
• Getting shot creates consequences. Characters who fire weapons should expect return fire and fair injury roleplay.
• Do not provoke armed characters while relying on a death limit as protection.
• Guns are storytelling tools, not a method for forcing victory.

Life in Trenchport

• Trenchport is an adult-only sim. Underage players and child avatars are not allowed.
• Child characters may exist only as NPCs kept out of sight and earshot, in accordance with Second Life requirements.
• Trenchport is a human-only setting. Supernatural and imaginary creatures are not part of the roleplay world. Furry avatars are treated as humans wearing costumes.
• Players portraying realistic domestic animals may not have death limits.
• Small domestic mesh pets and farm animals are allowed during low-lag periods, but staff may request removal during heavy traffic.

Rentals and Vehicles

A residential rental includes the home and the right to rez and use one personal vehicle, such as a bike or car, in areas where vehicles are allowed.

• Residents do not need a separate vehicle permit or fee.
• Rental availability is limited. A player may generally hold one residence and one business rental when applicable.
• Do not rent a second residence merely to obtain more prims. Request an increased prim allowance through rental support.
• Pick up personal vehicles when finished. Do not leave vehicles parked on the sim, including on rental property.

Major Scenes, Businesses, Damage, and Emergency Services

Roleplay is a live story written by real players. Larger scenes require coordination when they affect sim structures or municipal services.

• Total destruction of a sim building requires admin approval.
• Business owners and managers cannot approve or deny robberies, shootings, or other criminal roleplay on the property simply because they operate the location.
• Targeted businesses should play the scene and use Trenchport's insurance, police investigation, restitution, and legal systems for the aftermath.
• Request police coordination when a scene requires TPD presence.
• Fires larger than a campfire, or any fire that may damage sim structures, require both admin approval and Fire Department coordination.
• Mass-casualty scenes should be coordinated with the hospital.
• Spontaneous group fights do not require special accommodation, but an OOC conference between participants usually improves post order and communication.

Factions and Gangs

Forming a Crew

• Read and understand all sim rules before creating a new gang.
• Unofficial crews may form with a maximum of two members so they can develop organically through IC roleplay.
• A crew must apply for official faction status before growing to three or more players.
• Staff review experience, conduct, report history, and the role the group can fill within the current sim.
• New groups should aim to add something the city does not already have.

Official Faction Perks

• Website and OOC-area feature placement.
• Discord feature, custom role, emoji or gang tag, and custom tagging support.
• One public hangout and one private hideout, provided through approved rentals.
• Territory and hideout locations rarely change and require builder and admin approval through the official faction ticket process.

Prerequisites

• At least two founding members must have roleplayed on the sim consistently for three consecutive weeks.
• A lead and IC/OOC second are required, and both must be available through Discord.
• The group must have no serious OOC conduct or report issues.
• OOC recruiting is prohibited. Faction growth should happen organically through IC roleplay.
• Faction leadership decides whether alternate characters may join, but alts may never be used for metagaming or powergaming.
• The faction must work with staff, storytellers, other factions, police, fire, and municipal services on a sim-wide story arc. A single event by itself is not enough.
• The group must honor cross-faction storytelling agreements and provide regular updates or RP lures for wider sim involvement.

After Approval

• Every new faction begins with a 60-day probationary period.
• Leaders are responsible for member conduct.
• Failure to control member behavior may return the group to probation.
• Serious issues during probation may cause demotion or dissolution.
• Official factions must maintain regular sim and Discord presence, respond to other leads, remain open for roleplay, and interact with other factions and municipal departments.
• Each faction must help create or initiate a sim-wide story every quarter.

Questions and Support

Rules and guidelines may change. Ask before assuming when a scene, faction plan, rental request, or major event is unclear.