Path of the Vampire forum

So, my question is. Do we want to do it this year?

What are your guys thoughts, and before we get rolling and while we have time to sort out any issues, suggestions for change for this year?

The rules of the event, I haven't had a look through them, just cutting and pasting from the old thread. I know we made changes to who got the money, and how it was distributed out. When I get a bit of time, I'll sort through it all.

This is my last year of University, so it's likely (all going well) that the earlier timimg won't clash with midterms (fingers crossed), which is what impacted my participation with Pi last year.

But on the upside, it will be the last year since I only have about 8 months left of Uni.

That said, rules (unless changed due to suggestions) are as follows.

Expected outcome:

• Roleplay threads!
  • We expect every auction card to result in a roleplay thread being played out/posted on a public forum. Please make sure that what is posted to the site adheres to the forum rules.
  • Should a bidder win multiple auctions; the outcome of events need not take part in separate threads. However, participants have the right to demand an individual thread should they wish to.
  • If either the participant or bidder refuses to honour their roleplay commitments, they will be excluded from all future auctions.
  • Any complaints regarding the auction’s participants, bidders, roleplays etc. should be sent to Pi dArtois, so that they might be settled.

Information for Participants:

• Things to know before creating an auction card
• Spaces are limited. Only 30 participants may enter and it's first come first served.
• You may only enter your character once. So that's one auction card per character and they are sold to the winning bidder for the duration specified therein.
• After the deadline for unique players to sign up has passed, you may enter with one of your alts.

• Auction Cards - Pre-Auction
• Auction cards can be posted as of 11:59pm EST on 18 September 2015.
• Auction cards for one alt as of 11:59pm EST on 25 September 2015.
• Auction cards must be up on site by 11:59pm EST on 30 September 2015.
• Auction cards should be titled "[Auction Card] - CHARACTER NAME".
• Your auction card should include the following information:
  
  IC
  • Name:
    Duration of Contract:
    Background:
    Talents:
    Open to:
  OOC: RP Restrictions
  • Character Death: Yes/No
    Character Wounding up to death: Yes/No
    Discipline: Yes/No
    Torture: Yes/No
    Sex: Yes/No
    Grid Options: Yes/No (If yes, explain what your character has to offer i.e. mechanics, rituals, metalworking, etc.)
    The following people will have their bids ignored: (You may put the names of up to 3 individuals on your “No bids will be accepted by” list. You may not exclude an entire bloodline, sub-bloodline, faction, etc.
    Please note: NIA’s are to be observed at all times, so while you may wish to add the name of someone you have an NIA with, they will not count towards the 3 name limit.)
• Your auction card may NOT include the following:
  • More than 2 visible images.
  • Images larger than 500 x 500 pixels. Smaller images are preferable.
  • Images larger than 200kb in size.
  • Moving or animated images.
  • Images that do not conform to the forum’s rules. i.e. No images that are not PG13 appropriate.
  • Any text other than the character’s name.
• You may look to the example auction card for inspiration.

• Throughout the auction
• If a bidder asks for further clarification as to what you will or will not do as part of your services, you must answer them truthfully or risk being expelled from this and all future auctions.

• After the auction
• If you have been paid by the bidder and do not roleplay with them as expected, you will be have to return all of the in-game coin given to you, else you will be excluded from all future auctions.
• Unless your auction card specifically states that you are happy to perform tasks on grid, you are only contracted to roleplay with the bidder.
• You may request the bidder rewrites their post should they say or do something that falls outside of the pre-set boundaries listed on your auction card.

Information for Bidders:

• Things to know before bidding
• ICly bidding takes place on a single night. (Please see IC information for exact the date). OOCly, bidding runs over the space of about a week so as to ensure that everyone gets a chance to bid regardless of the time zone they live in.
• You may not “gift” the participant without the express permission of the player themselves. Should you wish to do this, it would be wise to check with the player before bidding on them. Players always have the right to refuse to RP with any other player.
• Bidding does not begin until a card has been approved by Pi dArtois. At which point a post will be made by Pi stating that bidding may commence.
• Auctions will be 'numbered' - in an IC sense this means the order in which your character is in line. If your Auction thread is [2] - this means, your character is up for Auction 2nd! etc
• Bidding is for in-game coin only.

• Throughout the auction
• Give others a chance to bid/win! Other people want to part in the auction process too, so please do not bid on more people than you are capable of roleplaying with. It’s no fun for the rest of the bidders if one person is monopolising the pool of participants.
• You may ask the participants for clarification as to what they will and will not do. Contestants are required to answer honestly. Should you wish to have any recourse if the participant lies, make sure to ask your questions either in PM either on the forum or in OOC chats.

• After the auction
• If you do not pay both the participant and Poetic Puppy, you will not be able to roleplay out your scene with your participant, and you will be excluded from future auctions.
• Unless their auction card specifically states that they are happy to perform tasks on grid, the participant is only contracted to roleplay you.
• The participant may request you rewrite your post, before they reply, should you say or do something that falls outside of the pre-set boundaries listed on their auction card.
• You are expected to start the thread for the participant within 48 hours of your payment being made, unless other arrangements for the roleplay have been made.

Distribution of In-Game Coin:

• Once the auction has ended and the participant has been announced as being sold by sold Pi dArtois, bidders should immediately transfer...
  • 50% of the winning bid total direct to the participant
  • 50% to PoeticPuppy.
  Please PM Pi dArtois once BOTH payments have been made.
• Of the 50% given to PoeticPuppy
  • 15% will be taken by 'The House' - which means the admins will remove these coins from the game
  • 35% will be split between auction related contests; At the moment those contests are: Best Auction Card (Poll), Best Auction Photograph (Poll) and Best Event (Randomly selected roleplay).
    
    To be entered into the random draw for Best Event, your thread will need to be up on a public board by the deadline. It doesn't have to finish or end at the time of judging, but it must at least be started and replied to by owner & contestant (at least once).
    Deadline for RPs to have at least minimum entry requirements (one post each by owner/contestant) is 5 November 2015, 11:59pm EST

• Requesting refunds
• In order to receive full refund requests must be made before prize coin is distributed on 5 November 2015
  • Full refunds are dependent on whether the character won's player willingly refunds the portion sent to them.
• If requests for refund are made after the deadline only the 15% House take portion is guaranteed and the 35% distributed for prizes is forfeit. The remaining 50% must be refunded by the player of the character won.
• We are not responsible for 'making' the other player pay. But a minimum two year auction ban will be enforced prohibiting them, or any of their characters from participating.

Roleplay:

• Auction Card Threads
• Please note that while this event does take place at Lancaster`s there will NOT be a live chat on grid in Lancaster`s on the date of auction.
• Collectively, the auction card threads represent the night’s proceedings. Remember that your character is in the pub, bidding on the contests as the come on stage.
• Individually, each thread represents the time in which each contestant is on stage. Since contestants will only be on stage one at a time, conversations should not be carried on across multiple threads.
• You may speak as your character or emote them as you see fit, but it is important to remember that those conversations will be overheard by everyone in Lancaster`s.

• Descriptive RP Threads (Written after the auction)
• We expect to see at least a portion of the events that occur as a result of the auction in one of the public forums.
• Threads should be titled "[Auction 2015] - RP TITLE".
• Should a bidder win multiple auctions; the outcome of events need not take part in separate threads. However, participants have the right to demand an individual thread should they wish to.
• If either participant or bidder refuses to honour their roleplay commitments, they will be excluded from future auctions for a minimum of two years.
• You will be expected to manage your threads yourselves. If for any reason your replies are to be delayed, please let the other person know.
• Complaints regarding the auction’s participants, bidders, roleplays etc. should be sent to Pi dArtois, so that they might be settled.

Deadlines:

• Auction cards can be posted as of 11:59pm EST, 18 September 2015.
• You may submit a second character as of 11:59pm EST, 25 September 2015.
• ALL Auction cards need to be up by 11:59pm EST, 30 September 2015. (all cards posted after this will be deleted)
• The Auction will be open to bidding only until at 11:59pm EST, 10 October 2015.
• ALL Monies should be transferred from owner to contestant & PoeticPuppy, by 31 October 2015.
• Winners of Spot prizes will be announced/drawn on 5 November 2015.

Please note:
Disregarding the rules of the auction could result in exclusion from any further auctions. Exclusion from further auctions will be player based and not account based, so if you are excluded, you will be unable to enter any future auctions with ANY of your characters.

Finally. Be careful when bidding and keep in mind which of your characters has ties to which participant. If the character you wish to bid on has recently been aided by one of your characters, do not bid on them with any of your other characters.

~ Enjoy

Pi's Player

(kudos to Natasha who rewrote the rules >.> I bow to her amazing-ness)

It is pretty awesome.

The first year we did it, we had about 50 auctions going, on the second year, we had five. So, I'd be super happy with the middle road, 20 people.

To be fair for last year, the timing was right in the middle of my mid-terms so I'm going to do this a bit earlier/later so it's out of danger range.

So I'm thinking August-ish.

I'd say hold them. Had some RP come out of it last year.

I'd be interested!

I'm not usually interested in the slave auction type thing, but I could see tossing one of my boys in for the fun of it.

Besides, more RP based events is always good!

AUGUST?!

Wow, talk about forward planning.

I would consider getting involved this year. As a matter of fact, I considered getting involved last year and then just failed to do so out of a lack of viable candidates to "purchase". Any RP opportunity is good RP opportunity, so I say go ahead and I hope it's more successful this time around.

I'll add my Enzo flav ;)

mordechai will go up for bid again.....

This sounds interesting. Could I be put down as a maybe on participating? Never been a part of one, but it sounds like a really fun way to RP with new people. :)
I'm just not really sure how my situation will be come August.