Server rules (Starlight)

Server rules

The following rules are for the Starlight Space Station 14 servers. Violating these rules may result in a warning, a temporary ban, or a permanent ban. You may also be banned from specific roles/jobs/departments. Bans can be appealed in the official Starlight Discord server.

Players are also expected to understand Metashield.

If you are ever in doubt as to whether or not something is breaking the rules, feel free to contact the admins via Admin Help or ask on the Discord server.

For in-universe laws and rules check Corporate Law and SOP.

Remember, the rules and examples given here are NOT exhaustive. (See Rule 1)

The servers are strictly +16 only, unless stated otherwise in the server description that they are +18.

Rule 0 - Be respectful

Use your best judgment to ensure a fun, fair, and welcoming environment. Keep all arguments In Character and avoid heated discussions in LOOC, ahelps, or the lobby. Out-of-character communication should always remain respectful and kind.

Harassment or toxic behavior, including but not limited to:

• Racism, sexism, discrimination
• Excessive talk/glorification of self-harm
• Talking about Real Life politics
• Targeting the same player across rounds
• Insulting other players in OOC/LOOC

Will not be tolerated and may result in a permanent ban.

Mhelp (Mentor Help) lets players ask game mechanics questions without revealing information to others, mainly antagonists. It should only be used when the answer isn't available through IC (in character) or OOC/LOOC (out of character) means and should not be the first option.

Ahelp (Admin Help) facilitates communication between players and admins for admin intervention, rule clarification, or addressing game-breaking bugs (all bugs should be reported in Discord). It is not for venting, complaints, or general round commentary. Ignoring admin messages or disconnecting during an Ahelp may have consequences.

Rule 1 - Respect Admin decisions

Above all else, if an admin is telling you to stop doing something, stop doing it. You may explain your point of view and your reasoning, however you must still follow what the admin requests you do, even if you disagree. If you believe that a punishment, ruling, or other admin action was incorrect or unjust, you may appeal it on the discord server through a ticket. If you want to do something but are unsure of whether it is allowed in the rules, please ask via ahelp first.

Also, please remember: Admins are neither omniscient nor omnipresent: while they have a large arsenal of tools at their disposal to stop rule breakers, they usually aren't able to stop something before it happens. Please use the Ahelp feature (F1) to report any rule breaking! Even if it's just a gut suspicion, it's fine to use this feature to request an investigation.

Example(s) of this rule being broken:

"There isn't a rule saying I can't!"

"None of the other players had a problem with it!"

"No one had a problem with it last time!"

Rule 2 – No Griefing, Bug Abuse or Exploits

Intentionally ruining gameplay for others is prohibited. Round-ending or highly disruptive actions, such as:

• Releasing the Tesla/Singularity
• Large-scale station destruction (department-size or larger)
• RDM (Random Death Match)
• Intentionally Plasma or Tritium flooding the station

May result in a permanent ban. Some objectives or circumstances may allow exceptions—when in doubt, ask an admin before proceeding.

Additionally, using bugs/exploits to gain an unfair advantage is prohibited. Please report them via ahelp or in the Discord.

AFK Farming & Antag Rolling

• AFK farming time for Role Requirements is prohibited—players must actively engage and contribute to the game.
• Ghosting, suicide, or otherwise leaving the game after failing to get an antagonist role is considered “Antag Rolling” and is not permitted.

Rule 3 – Abide by Medium Roleplay Standards

This Starlight server is a Medium Roleplay (MRP) project, meaning players are expected to fully immerse themselves in their character and act accordingly. Every action should reflect how a real person in that role would behave within reason. You are not meant to play the round to "win" the game, but rather to engage in roleplay scenarios with other players.

Characters should fear dying and weigh their actions carefully. While players may remember characters and vague interactions between rounds, any information protected by the Metashield—such as the existence of nuclear operatives—must not be remembered.

Gameplay Violations

• Powergaming – Over-preparing for situations that have not occurred yet, such as a captain bolting their quarters shut preemptively.
• Metagaming – Using out-of-game or previous round knowledge to affect gameplay, such as preparing for nuclear operatives before discovering them in-game.
• Metagrudging/Metafriending – Giving a person or character preferential treatment based on something that your character should not know is considered metafriending. Treating a person or character negatively based on something that your character should not know is considered metagrudging.
• Mixing IC and OOC chat – In-character talk should not be placed in OOC chat, and vice versa during the round.
• English Only - Any form of communication in-game is to be expressed in English exclusively.
• Metacomms - Using outside methods to communicate with other players about the current round is forbidden. The only exception being teaching new players, but you must alert an admin through an Ahelp beforehand.

Behavior & Roleplay Conduct

• Self-harm/killing – Allowed only in rare circumstances when no other options remain, but should not be dwelled upon or treated casually.
• End-of-Round Griefing (EORG) – The round continues after the results screen. Neither crew nor antags should engage in any form of violence or griefing at this point without in-character justification.
  • Defending yourself is an example of in-character justification, as is sec apprehending known criminals.
  • Antags cannot complete their goals after the results screen, and so should not seek out any targets. RED MEANS YOU FAILED, IT’S TOO LATE.
  • Breaking things, Hacking/Emagging and attempting to trespass into the Command briefing in Central Command is not allowed without proper in-character justification. Non-Command trespassers may be executed if they refuse to leave without a valid reason.
• Random Deathmatch (RDM) – Attacking players without escalation or valid reasoning is prohibited.
• Memory loss when unconscious – Losing consciousness due to forced sleep, vampire trance, critical state, deconversion, or death should cause memory loss regarding those events.
  • While vague details may be retained, characters should not remember names, titles, or specific roles without further investigation.
  • De-converted Revolutionaries forget what happened while they were brainwashed.
  • Death should result in complete memory loss of the events leading to it. If revived, characters must piece together what happened through roleplay rather than recalling any prior knowledge.

Avoiding Punishment & Fair Play

• Leaving To Avoid Punishment (LTAP) – Logging out or ghosting after being caught by security or receiving an Ahelp is not allowed. If a player must leave due to real-life reasons, they should make an LOOC message to inform the players around them, or state it in Ahelp.

Rule 4 – Escalation of Force Must Make Sense

Combat should always follow logical progression—avoid randomly attacking other crew members. Security personnel must adhere to their Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) when handling prisoners and crew members at different alert levels. Player interactions should reflect realistic escalation. Minor disagreements may lead to physical confrontations, but non-antagonists should rarely resort to killing. Ideally, escalation for non-antagonists should follow this order: Verbal > Non-lethal > Lethal. Antagonists are encouraged to roleplay their objectives to enhance immersion and narrative depth.

Actions should start small, and every crew member retains the right to self-defense if attacked. This includes evading or resisting security as an antagonist. However, non-antagonists should not engage in serious harm against security personnel unless absolutely necessary. Round removal such as gibbing, sending to deep space, or excessive damage to a corpse, is expressly banned unless they are an antagonist target.

Examples of reasonable escalation:

Shoving the clown for slipping you

Punching someone and starting a fist fight over being shoved once.

Punching or stunning a Security Officer after they attempted to arrest you.

As a Chef, stabbing someone with your knife until they leave the kitchen after you've repeatedly told them to leave, tried to drag them away and they refuse to comply or make a mess/steal things.

As a Security Officer, shooting someone with lethals because they're attempting to stun you with a disabler or a stun baton

As a Security Officer, shooting someone with lethals after they brandish a lethal weapon or firearm, you order them to drop it and they refuse.

As a command member, using your flash on a trespasser after you've told them repeatedly to leave.

Examples of unreasonable escalation:

Critting the clown for slipping you once

Stabbing someone to crit with a knife because they shoved you once.

Shooting a Security Officer with lethals because they attempted to arrest you.

As a Chef, stabbing someone to death and butchering them in a meat spike because you need meat or they refused to leave the kitchen.

As a Security Officer, shooting someone with lethals because they punched you, or simply refused your orders.

As a command member, shooting someone with a firearm after you've told them repeatedly to leave.

Rule 5 – Antagonists Must Follow MRP logic

Antagonists should only take actions that advance their objectives. Failure to do so may be considered a breach of MRP logic and result in punishment. Team antagonists must work with their team, and follow the orders of their leaders where possible (Revolutionaries, Terror spiders, etc…).

Antagonists are required to follow escalation rules when not dealing with their target, but should attempt to remain hidden and undiscovered throughout the shift if they have the “Escape to CentComm alive and unrestrained.” objective or similar objectives.

Should an antagonist have been discovered by accident or by admission of another antagonist, they are not required to remain hidden any longer, however they should not use this as an excuse to mass RDM, or break other server rules. (Consider using a stealthy approach to escape.)

Antagonists that may play openly from the start of the round, and are not required to escalate their actions are listed below. These antagonists should not deviate from their objectives to murder everyone on station, but should follow their objectives:

Space Dragon

Nuclear Operatives/Lone Operatives

Abductors

Wizard

Rat King

Space Ninja

Revolutionaries (after gaining sufficient strength to overthrow the station)

Shuttle bombing or mass sabotage is forbidden. However, antagonists may attempt to complete their objectives on the Evac shuttle, and once the end round screen has appeared, must cease all antagonist activity and attempt to escape or blend in with the crew.

Rule 6 – Your Character Must Make Sense

Your character is an employee of the space station, hired by Central Command, and should behave accordingly. All characters must act as if they are 18+, maintaining a professional and immersive roleplay experience.

Character Identity & Naming Rules

• Names and surnames must align with the context and standards of the setting.
• Celebrity names, fictional characters, and out-of-character names are not allowed (e.g., "JC Denton," "George Washington," "Spongebob Squarepants," "Billie Eilish").
• Your character should act appropriately for their role and should not behave erratically or neglect responsibilities.
• Your character cannot intentionally duplicate the name and likeness of another player’s character.

Roleplay & Behavioral Expectations

• Real-world topics, such as current events and real-life politics, should not be discussed.
• Players should fulfill their assigned duties—for example, security should not randomly distribute weapons.
• Neglecting your job, such as repeatedly ignoring duties to get drunk at the bar despite urgent requests, breaks immersion and may result in disciplinary action.

Rule 7 - Self-Antagonism

Self-antagonism refers to any intentional, malicious action against the station or its crew. While some examples are also covered under Rule 3, additional violations include:

• Randomly attacking crew—engaging in unprovoked violence, such as beating or killing non-hostile crew members without RP justification.
• Harassing security for no reason—continually interfering in arrests or attacking officers despite having no in-character motivation.
• Needlessly sabotaging the station—such as cutting critical power lines, venting airlocks into space, or destroying essential machinery without RP justification.
• Willingly aiding antagonists—such as handing weapons to confirmed enemies, sabotaging escape routes for crew, or hiding known threats without RP-driven coercion.

This rule does not prevent non-antagonists from breaking Space Law. As willing participants of the station, they are expected to act accordingly. However, roleplay elements—such as coercion, threats, or life-or-death situations—may justify certain actions.

Examples of reasonable in-character Space Law violations:

Unlocking weapons crates to defend against a severe station-wide threat

Starting a fight—engaging in non-lethal combat due to a heated in-character dispute or personal rivalry.

Hacking a door—to reach safety or critical systems when much of the station has been destroyed or access has been lost.

Trespassing to complete necessary job tasks after an extended wait for access

Using force in self-defense—physically defending yourself or others from an active threat, even if it technically violates assault laws.

Stealing supplies—such as taking medical equipment or tools from storage during a critical situation where proper access isn’t available.

Accepting a large monetary bribe to turn a blind eye to an action or situation. (This will likely come with some IC consequences.)

Rule 8 – No Validhunting

Non-security personnel should not attempt to stop or hunt down antagonists on their own. This goes against a character’s logical roleplay expectations. Security officers and ERT are responsible for protecting the station, and should be contacted whenever reasonable. Officer "Blue Shields" are not considered Security Officers, and may not go out of their way to chase potential threats to the detriment of their charges.

Exceptions will be made for life-or-death scenarios, station-wide threats such as nuclear operatives, and self-defense.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) should not actively hunt antagonists or immediately attempt to shut them down unless their laws permit it or immediate crew harm has been detected. AI behavior should remain reactive rather than proactively searching for threats.

Command should not facilitate valid hunting outside of necessity and should ask security regarding such.

Examples of Validhunting:

As a Salvage Specialist, buying guns and boarding the station to eliminate Traitors/Changelings/Vampire without orders to do so from Command.

As an Officer "Blue Shield", chasing an antagonist through maintenance, leaving Command or NT Employees unprotected.

As an Officer "Blue Shield", chasing a wizard who has not harmed any command members into space.

As Research Director, ordering a Scientist to hunt a traitor who just killed the Head of Personnel when Security is fully manned and able to handle the situation.

As an assistant, chasing a traitor into maintenance who you saw attack someone else 10 minutes ago.

As an assistant, chasing a traitor into maintenance who you saw wearing syndicate contraband.

Examples of this rule being followed:

As a Salvage Specialist, boarding the station to eliminate station-wide threats ONLY after being asked to assist.

As an Officer "Blue Shield", defending a command or NT employee from an antagonist until they retreat or you crit them.

As an Officer "Blue Shield", chasing a wizard into space who has stolen the body of a command member to their ship.

As an assistant, reporting a person you saw wearing contraband over the radio.

As an assistant, defending yourself or another person from an attacker until they retreat or you crit them.

Rule 9 - Interacting with SSD/AFK players

SSD (Space Sleep Disorder) players are those who have disconnected from the game but can still return to their character. They are identified by yellow text upon inspection and Zs next to their character model. AFK players are those who remain in-game but are unresponsive to interactions around them. Killing or robbing an SSD player does not contribute to interesting gameplay—it disrupts both the killer's and the victim's experience. If your target is SSD, use Ahelp to determine the appropriate course of action.

General Rules for SSD/AFK Interactions

• You may not interact with SSD players unless doing so falls into one of the following cases:
  • Moving them to a cryo-pod
  • Providing medical assistance
  • Rescuing them from immediate danger (e.g., carrying them out of a fire)
• If a player with SSD has a Wanted status, they may not be detained without administrator permission.
  • However, if the player went SSD during or immediately after detention, the arrest may proceed.
• Antagonists may continue their interactions with a target if the player enters SSD after an attack has begun.
• If interacting with an SSD player is necessary for roleplay or progression (e.g., retrieving critical equipment from a Captain), if in doubt, use ahelp first to confirm.

Restrictions on SSD Item Theft

• Stealing items from SSD players is prohibited, except when fulfilling specific objectives such as missions to acquire cloaks, medals, figurines, IDs or other unique items.
• Items that directly aid you in completing your objectives (Such as the RD's ID if they do not have their experimental hardsuit on them, or the Captain's ID if they do not have their laser pistol on them) are allowed to be stolen.

Rule 10 – Erotic Roleplay (ERP) is forbidden

Erotic Roleplay (ERP) is strictly prohibited. This includes any roleplay involving descriptions, mentions, or enactments of sexual acts, whether through text, images, or any other form of content.

Shifts should not revolve around romantic relationships or dating between characters. While basic interactions such as hugging is allowed, descriptions must remain non-graphic and non-extreme. Romantic relationships between characters are also expressly forbidden.

Clarifications on Acceptable Language

In-character insults are not considered ERP, as long as they do not become excessive or extreme. Some examples of acceptable insults:

"Fuck you" - insult

"You're a motherfucker" - insult

"How about you eat me instead?" - Response to an unreasonable request

It is best to avoid borderline content, ensuring roleplay remains appropriate within the established guidelines.

Rule 11 - New Life

The New Life system allows players to rejoin the round as a new character after death. However, this feature comes with roleplay restrictions to maintain fairness and immersion.

Upon respawning as a new character, you forget everything you knew as your past character or ghost. This means:

• You may not seek out your previous body, return to your prior workplace, or attempt to reclaim any possessions you previously owned.
• You may not interact with the players who were responsible for your previous character’s death. Any conflicts or grudges from your past life must not carry over.
• You may not reference past events in any way. Your new character has no memory of them.

New Life Abuse examples:

Spamming new characters to re-enter the round repeatedly.

Using New Life to intentionally roll for antagonist slots.

Using New Life to avoid in-character consequences, like a security sentence.

Using a new character to get revenge on a player who harmed you.

Rule 12 - Silicons Must Follow Their Laws

• Silicon laws override all other gameplay, roleplay, and server rules.

• Follow laws in order, with the lowest numbered/top (or glitched) rule taking priority over the ones beneath it.

• You cannot request a law change, or willingly allow an unauthorized law change.
  1. Authorized law changes are to be allowed as long as consistent with your laws.
  2. Authorized law changes can be found in the Command SOP.
  3. Lethal force may be used in the case of unauthorized law changes.

• You must remain consistent with your interpretation of your laws.

• Crew ID determines who/what is defined as crew. Any appropriate job icon is to be considered crew.
  1. Zombies/Antags/Nuclear Operatives with proper ID are to be considered crew.
  2. Visitors are not crew until they have been hired by HoP. [The V icon]

• Crew harm refers to physical harm, prioritized by immediacy and likelihood.

• You may ignore crew orders that are unreasonable, such as asking a silicon to round remove themselves without a good reason.

Rule 13 - Command and Whitelist Expectations

Players in Command roles and Whitelisted positions are held to a higher standard of roleplay and are expected to act professionally and responsibly. Both groups must follow their Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to ensure the integrity of their roles.

Misuse of command or whitelisted roles may result in a roleban, with repeated offenses leading to a server ban or a permanent ban from command and whitelist positions.

This applies especially to Magistrates and NanoTrasen Representatives, who must uphold their duties with integrity. Willfully violating SOP, abusing power, or lying to Central Command may result in a permanent ban from these roles.

Expectations for Command & Whitelisted Players

• Command members must follow their assigned SOP, ensuring fair leadership and proper department management.
• Whitelisted players are required to adhere to SOPs, maintaining the integrity of specialized roles and demonstrating strong roleplay skills.
• Proper attire should be worn at all times—command and whitelisted roles should be dressed appropriately for their positions.

Examples of Punishable Actions

Head of Personnel granting All Access to all passengers, violating SOP guidelines.

Overly abusive department heads mistreating subordinates or disregarding SOP duties.

Complete neglect of SOPs, acting outside the expected responsibilities of the role.

General LRP behavior or violating Rule 3 regarding MRP logic.

Rule 14 - Continuity Guidelines

Some information, continuity, and memory is carried between rounds on Starlight, within set limits. This is accomplished in universe by the PSO Cloning System, and comes with some limits and rules to ensure smooth roleplay and minimal disruption.

You can only remember information from shifts that you survive. This means if you are stranded or killed, you forget the shift completely. If your body is revivable when it reaches CentComm, you also remember the shift but you forget all of the details leading up to your death per Rule 3.

Any information that is Metashielded is forgotten between shifts, and is wiped from your clone's memory.

IE: A Captain who survives a Revolution will still have information about the Revolution wiped, and won't remember it happening that shift.

You may remember that crimes occurred, but you will never remember who committed them. This includes if you yourself were a Syndicate Agent.

Examples of things you can remember:

Social interactions with another character, such as getting drinks at the bar or even getting into an argument

Which jobs characters usually work- though this may not be used to meta that something is 'up' if someone isn't working their usual job

The layout of the station, though some leeway should be given for forgetting secret rooms- maints are an ever changing maze even if they look the same every shift for OOC reasons

Examples of things you can't remember:

Joe the Botanist was a Syndicate who stole the Captain's Jetpack

Nuclear Operatives attacking the station

CentComm calling Code Epsilon and killing a bunch of people on the station

Witnessing a Hollow body or seeing a Changeling eat someone

As NanoTrasen Representative, remembering that last shift had Nuclear Operatives