Last updated December 6th, 2025
A comprehensive document on Doppler Shift’s expectations for players and the characters they create. Many of the points brushed upon this piece are core values held here, and as such, should be kept in mind.
We all want to have fun when we’re writing out stories and interacting with each other here- it’s important to be respectful of the balance there is when it comes to choices that impact others. Specifics to keep in mind might be;
What else is happening on station, what departments are available, how broad your idea is, and how does it add to roleplay?
If there’s a gripe you may have, a question on your mind because you’re confused, or you are searching for a scenario- talking to other members is your golden ticket.
Utilize LOOC and Discord to work through issues or plan ideas with others. Try not to assume things, especially without the full picture. So long as you are respectful and polite, it’s alright to approach someone. That’s the best course of action- there’s many situations that don’t need staff involvement.
Sometimes, it’s hard to get yourself out there- it’s true, there will be groups of characters that know each other, sometimes people will be busy, maybe it’s a greenshift.
There’s two sides of the same coin when it comes to this; trying to allow others to join in when possible and finding ways to initiate oneself. Some examples;
Chatting with your coworkers outside your department. This could be medical sitting in the lobby, or perhaps security patrolling around the halls, maybe hanging out at the bar. People will gravitate towards a situation that looks ‘inviting’, and therefore the setting should be as well- most often that’s a public setting.
Using your environment to start a scene. It doesn’t have to be huge or extravagant, maybe you’re selling bouquets of flowers, taking a poll, commenting on something that has happened in your life recently (ICly, of course.) There are dozens of ways to hook characters into roleplay that don’t involve ‘small talk’ or pointless tasks.
How does your character fit in here? Are they well-adjusted, experienced, and mature- or are they new to their field, an amateur? This comes into play when deciding how much your character might know about certain things- most people know how to cook a meal, but not everyone knows how to perform neurosurgery.
There’s nuance allowed in scenarios, such as when someone able to perform a task isn’t around, but it’s still encouraged to roleplay this lack of knowledge out.
Remembering the overall experience is important here.
A crucial point of any character- what they are here for in the first place. It could be that they’re a volunteer working for the safety of the crew aboard the NLP or maybe they are a parolee learning a trade such as robotics in science. How does this influence their decision making?
Just like any other career, poor choices can lead to consequences. It depends on the severity, but keeping in mind that doing bad things might get you in trouble is pretty important. The same goes for dangerous situations; if you choose to linger around a hostile area, you might get hurt. Furthermore, you may get in trouble if you are asked by an officer to step back and you choose not to- that’s not to say it will happen but it’s fair game if it does.
We try to solve IC issues ICly before we do OOCly, provided there are no misunderstandings.
The choices a character makes can and often will be remembered later down the line, with the exception of agreed upon 'non-canon' circumstances (which usually requires everyone involved to agree. It's situational.)
This goes for consequences, rewards, complicated relations, and anything else a continued plotline may bring.
This ties into the earlier point about finding roleplay- it is easier to fall into the feel of a character and more ‘organic’ situations when your character gives people something to react to.
Just like we see in the real world, people react and respond in different manners to situations or problems. If someone thinks to fix an issue with the ‘easiest’ mechanical means of doing so, it might cancel out roleplay- again, this is dependent on the situation and requires nuance and good faith.
If there’s a snail on the kitchen counter, that’s an opportunity to write and interact.
There’s a coffee machine in your department, or the bartender is available. Would your character grab drinks for everyone?
Someone just hit their head into an airlock, oops. How is your character expressed here?
It’s like throwing bait into the water- and you have nothing to lose.
Workshopping.