REALISM ETIQUETTE
PROJECT GENESIS
This section elaborates on what our idea of realism is like. We strongly recommend new players to read it, as it might not be what you expect coming from other realism servers.
HOW TO READ INTO PROFILES
You are expected to read the entirety of the profile and fully understand it before playing.
Sometimes a profile is not expected to be understood in the first read. If you are looking for a profile that is more of a "pick up and play" option, steer towards an EASY one.
Adjust your expectations accordingly, so that you don't jump into a profile that you are not currently prepared to tackle.
Get the "vibe" of the animal before making any assumptions.
Profiles are made as a "mix-match" of different animals when the palaeontological evidence is not enough. And so, you cannot fully commit to portraying an extant animal you know well. The profiles are written in a way that the sections should complement, and not exclude, each other.
By this, it means that, for example, in a typically aggressive animal that is standoff-ish, you are less likely to be skittish in an encounter, and viceversa for a smaller animal that is a prey animal.
Discern the rest of the behaviour from what you're reading.
If an animal fits into a certain behaviour over another, for example, fishing, they may have the tools for hunting small slippery prey; they will not, however, be as fit to climb a vertical wall. The same goes for heavy and very wide animals; they are going to avoid getting in tight spaces when possible as to not get stuck.
These aren't exactly "hard rules" (unless the profile is pretty explicit on something), but suggestions to help you better portray the animal in question.
Weave your dinosaur's personality into the profile.
This is where your creative liberty can only go so far, but there is still so much that you can do with profiles! Let's give an example.
If you are playing an animal that lives in the fields, is both predator and prey, can run pretty well and has a feathered covering, you can do the following things. You could struggle navigating if you find a forest OR dislike them greatly (lives in fields). You could be particularly skittish of new encounters and not sure how to interact OR it could be bolder and bluff (both predator and prey). You could avoid climbing steep slopes OR be decent enough at swimming (they can run pretty well). You could avoid the sun during midday OR groom yourself often (it has a feathered covering and should avoid overheating). And so on and so forth. From what you understand that this animal does, you can sprinkle behaviours that make sense for it.
You can and should ask questions if something is unclear.
However, do make sure that they are not simply answered by contextual clues of the profile,
as this is part of your exercise as the player. If you make a honest mistake, we are not to judge you for it.
FAIRNESS and REALISM
Nature is cruel, but we are humans and as such we shouldn't be cruel to each other.
Let's look at a few examples of what is fair to do to others.
Keep these in mind, as you are able to be punished for not taking these into consideration.
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You should give players a chance to defend themselves.
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Don't abuse calls that cannot be cancelled to attack them. Wait for them to finish before engaging.
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Be mindful of your own buffs, especially during bullfights. If you are in a group which gives you an advantage over the other player, leave the group first.
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Don't stalk a group after just failing a hunt, this is considered harrassment. Disengage first by fully leaving the area and try later after a 20-40 minute interval if you find them again.
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You should keep the game mechanics in mind when acting in a realistic way.
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Don't use calls which look unrealistic (like a Berserker ability) or which give you a "supernatural" buff (like a rat-out ability).
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Death scars imply that the animal is in grave danger. If you are hunting and you reach this point, reconsider and make sure that the risk you are taking is worthwhile. This is contextual, e.g. starvation.
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Give a player the benefit of the doubt if they use an unrealistic call. If you can, ask them if they are aware in local or in group chat.
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Don't neglect the profile's guidelines in specific interactions.
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Be particularly careful during bullfights and follow their directions closely. If it is a ritualised combat, try to exchange blows somewhat evenly.
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Keep bachelor interactions in mind. If the lead male from the bachelor group has courting rights, all submissive males in the group leave the area as a consequence.
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Don't play as a "sneaky male" if the profile does not mention such behaviour. This just causes confusion.
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Alright, but when do we portray the raw essence of nature?
You might have noticed that a few points above aren't exactly all that "realistic" in terms of fitness and for the advantage of the self. This is acknowledged and we understand that drawing the line can be difficult at times. However, here's a few pointers to keep in mind.
These actions should not be punished unless further evidence is presented.
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You should not hesitate to commit filicide or siblingcide if the profile states it.
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Players who take the eggs of your nest are expected to know the risk they are taking. You don't need to worry about this.
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If the profile states that the infants of the species have a low survival rate, represent it by engaging in competition with your siblings.
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Do not, however, do things that do not make sense for the profile. Keep in mind that a constant bickering with your sibling would leave you exhausted and unable to defend yourself, so try to not overdo it.
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You can and should abandon herd members in times of need.
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Try and separate your human feelings from the character that your friend is playing. If it benefits your animal, abandon the weakened individual to help your own survival.
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Unless it is explicit in the profile, animals don't usually mourn members of their own species. They also aren't likely to turn away from cannibalism if they are carnivores.
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Mothers can abandon their offspring if the situation is dire enough. Keep the profile in mind, however, as some do not allow you to do so.
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Hunting is part of the game and you should have a less pessimistic view on it if it makes you upset.
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As long as a predator is following the hunting rules, they are allowed to hunt you or your group if they are hungry.
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Give predators a chance when in a group by giving them an opening. This doesn't have to be against your own benefit; you could leave a herd member to the side to let them become the target.
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Endurance hunting can and should be stressful, and if the predator is taking a moderate pace and keeping themselves out of harms' way, if you are a prey animal you should follow suit. Act exhausted. Collapse and bleed out. Not every fight is won.
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We do not approve of mating role-play under any circumstances and will heavily punish those who attempt to coax others into doing it or try to discuss it in our Discord, through DMs, or in our in-game chats.
ENDING THOUGHTS
Not every scenario or profile is going to be fully covered by these tips. Part of the roleplaying experience is to confront a new challenge and to innovate. Some profiles are more difficult to play than others, and as such you should seek out help from experienced players if you want to tackle something that is out of your comfort zone.
BE OPEN TO LEARN,
AND READ THE PROFILE
CAREFULLY
Try and listen from other experienced players how to portray the profile. And if you are explaining something to someone else, don't expect them to realise an aspect that you deem "obvious".
Both parts need to collaborate and work together to create the correct scenario where learning and teaching can succeed.
You aren't expected to have all of the answers, and we are constantly working and improving the profiles as issues come up.
PRIORITISE YOUR CHARACTER, BUT NOT NECESSARILY YOURSELF
Being kind to others and roleplaying your own benefit aren't always opposites of one another.
You can give players an opportunity to hunt you without fully compromising your health.
You can give a prey item an interesting interaction that doesn't necessarily end in violence.
Try and follow the rules, as they help everyone have a good time when playing the game. And remember exactly this: that it is, indeed, a game.
SEEK OUT REFERENCES THAT YOU CAN FIND IN THE WILD,
BUT FOLLOW PROFILE
Documentaries can be a great source of inspiration, but like we stated before, the profiles aren't exactly based on one single animal.
Besides this point, the truth is that every animal is unique, and a particular individual may exhibit traits that are out of the "normality" of others of the same species.
If you wish to portray this "uniqueness", be sure to keep it within profile, as you could cause confusion.