[[The Game Master]]

Assuming that all of the requirements for roleplaying have been fulfilled and you are a full-fledged member of Utopia on Hold, we are happy that you have gotten this far. That said, in order to maintain fluidity and equity in our roleplaying, we wish to creating a fair and entertaining environment. Naturally, that means we need to have some rules and limitations so not to encroach upon the rights and privileges of others.

Thread Creation

1. Utopia on Hold does not restrict how many threads that you can make. However, it is courteously asked that you do not make more threads than you can keep up with. If we ever see that you are unable to respond to all of your threads in a timely manner, we may impose a temporary limitation.
   
   This is especially important for us because of the abundance of plot characters. We need our plot to flow seamlessly and constantly, and this means that each and every individual must be in sync. We can't have people dropping out of critical threads simply because they have too many other threads to respond to. As a community that prides itself on its interactive and highly involved plot, we need people to readily contribute to meet the demand.
2. As a general rule, try to warn people regarding the contents of the thread, should it be inappropriate. We will not have a separate section for NC-17 threads, so it would be a good idea to give people the warning should they not want to see threads with mature content.
3. Please be reasonable with your thread titles. We absolutely encourage you to create creative and interesting titles. In fact, we hope you do. It would also be nice for your thread to somehow relate to your thread and its content.
   
   Furthermore, we ask that your thread title be comprised of realistic characters. I certainly do not care for any threads that have "^&&[H]e||{o}**v^" for its title. This is an advanced play-by-post RPG, not a place for you to adorn your thread with the most glitter as possible. You can find plenty of other locations where that activity is the norm.
4. As a thread creator, you should be producing threads intros that are informative and sufficient. You should ensure that you provide the necessary amount of detail and imagery for any readers to adequately respond without too much effort on their end. I absolutely despise threads where the joining party needs to come up with everything from the surrounding scenery, the weather, and the time of day.
5. Prior to making the thread, please thoroughly check if there are open threads similar to yours in mind. I can't stand open threads with no one joining, especially if someone else makes a similar open thread. Make sure to include your peers. Likewise, try to refrain from all-exclusive threads. We are a roleplaying community, not a collection of cliques.

The Roleplaying

1. Utopia on Hold does not have strict length requirements. We despise them. If have some ethereal level of brevity that permits you to express more in two sentences than what some can in a novel, then by all means, post 2 sentences. That said, as most people are not Hemingway on steroids (and minus the suicidal tendencies), we expect you to post a decent amount of substance for each post.
   
   How much is "decent"? The short answer is that it varies. We have no barometer such as "3 paragraphs" or "500 words" or any such garbage. Leave that to the college professors to restrict how much you can (or can't) write. Again, it varies per person. Each individual has their own writing style and expressiveness. The general benchmark, however, is that your post should express all the necessary elements of a good story in an above-average fashion. In fact, you'll note that this limitation is even more restrictive and difficult than any arbitrary post limit. That's why this is an advanced RPG; not because we slap a numerical value on how much we want you to write.
   
   We all expect you to know what a good post looks like. And we feel confident in asking for one from you each time you click the post button. That's our limit.
2. Ensure that your post falls within the laws of realism and continuity. Refer to Guide to Continuous Roleplaying to help you out. Keep in mind that this guide not only applies to time, but also space (or if you're a relativitist, space and time are essentially the same thing. ). In short, please keep your posts congruous.
3. Roleplaying is a form of collective expression and storytelling. Make sure that you communicate with your threadmates to let them know what you are intending, and what they want to do with the thread. This is why we have private messages and instant messenger. Use them to create the best thread possible. A lack of effort/communication is not an excuse for a poor thread.
4. As with all good stories, you should try your best to create a decent plot line. This means that you bring it to conclusion. Stick with the thread all the way through. If it is discovered that you have engaged in too many threads for you to complete, then you may be mandated to finish certain threads before you can create/enter another one.