Is there an age minimum?

[ChibiTama]

I was looking at the rules and noticed it does not have an age minimum for play. Is there one? Should it be added to the rules?

[Pale Horse]

I was looking at the rules and noticed it does not have an age minimum for play. Is there one? Should it be added to the rules?

Minimum age for players or minimum age for characters?  I assume you mean players.

[ChibiTama]

I was looking at the rules and noticed it does not have an age minimum for play. Is there one? Should it be added to the rules?

Minimum age for players or minimum age for characters?  I assume you mean players.

Yes, I mean for players.

[Lizzie]

There's nothing published at the moment, however, some things to acknowledge:

The "age of consent" varies from state to state, country to country. If you are legally a minor child where you happen to reside, then you are not authorized to enter into situations that involve consent. Armageddon has such situations, which are clearly spelled out in the website documentation and help files under "consent."

So considering that, I'd say the minimum age is whatever age is the legal minimum age of consent in whichever part of the world you reside.

Barring that, I'd suggest it's the minimum age of consent in the location of the game's server, which is probably 18 or 21, or maybe as young as 16, if some of the steamier scenes fell under the category of "erotica" rather than "text porn," since "Erotica" is considered literary works and kids can read it.

(consent being: consent to experience graphic, detailed, text-based sexual and/or violent scenes).

Basically it'd be a sort of hold-harmless for the game's producers, because if you ARE of legal age, then you are consenting to play it "as is". If you are NOT of legal age, then you weren't authorized to play it in the first place.

[ChibiTama]

What would you do if you feel someone playing might not be of age of consent?

[RogueGunslinger]

What would you do if you feel someone playing might not be of age of consent?

Ignore it. Try not to see past their character. Avoid them if you have to, and let staff know so they can make sure nothing bad is going on.

[manipura]

What would you do if you feel someone playing might not be of age of consent?

If you have concerns over whether another person you're RPing with is of an age that's uncomfortable for you, you can always quickly ask them OOC.
I've had people do a quick OOC "Before anything too graphic/'grown-up' possibly happens, I want to ensure we both are indeed grown-ups.  Confirm?

[valeria]

In America, chances are the most trouble you could get in is whatever your state variety of disseminating sexually explicit material to a minor is (in my state it's a misdemeanor).  The scienter requirements for that are usually that you know, should have known, or are told that someone is a minor, and disseminate explicit material to them anyway.  Because Armageddon is a roleplaying game, basically a textualized novel, it would not be classified as pornography (which is explicit material lacking any social or literary value) so you'd have a very good chance of making a valid SLAPS defense under the First Amendment even if you engage in sexual RP with a minor.  But you probably don't want to pay for a laywer to make that argument or risk criminal sanctions, so...

Basically, if you aren't sure whether you're playing with a minor and you want to protect yourself legally, don't engage in sexually explicit roleplay.  Chances are that you're fine if you ask for consent under the game rules to explicit RP and they give it, unless they say something like 'well I'm only 13 but that adult RP stuff sounds really cool,' in which case don't do it regardless of the in-game consent rules.  But the specifics of criminal laws vary from state to state.  If you're seriously concerned, you should consult a local lawyer.

There isn't a minimum age to play Arm and I don't think there should be because explicit RP isn't necessarily a part of the game.  It's something people can choose to engage in or not.

[Pale Horse]

I know this topic has come up before, and the argument (IIRC) usually comes down to a question of verification and enforcement without anyone being able to come up with a concrete method to do either that was welcome by all.

[Lizzie]

I know this topic has come up before, and the argument (IIRC) usually comes down to a question of verification and enforcement without anyone being able to come up with a concrete method to do either that was welcome by all.

It doesn't need to be verified or enforced. It's so when Mom looks at sonny's computer and sees he's been having mudsex, she can't go whining to the game admin and accuse them of "letting" her darling minor boy engage in illicit sexual whatever they want to whine about. Because the game admin can say "See the TOS. Sonny-boy had to click on "I AGREE" in order to play this. Next time watch your kid more closely, it's not our problem."

[Pale Horse]

I know this topic has come up before, and the argument (IIRC) usually comes down to a question of verification and enforcement without anyone being able to come up with a concrete method to do either that was welcome by all.

It doesn't need to be verified or enforced. It's so when Mom looks at sonny's computer and sees he's been having mudsex, she can't go whining to the game admin and accuse them of "letting" her darling minor boy engage in illicit sexual whatever they want to whine about. Because the game admin can say "See the TOS. Sonny-boy had to click on "I AGREE" in order to play this. Next time watch your kid more closely, it's not our problem."

I should have been more clear and said that the argument in favor of age verification comes down to yadda, yadda.  At least, verification beyond the "I agree" button, which I think is just fine.  Nothing about this game has ever pointed to anything other than the fact that it is a form of entertainment that strays often into the "mature" realm.

[Inks]

To be honest a heap of folk dont erp. I have mudsexed 4 times in 6 years of arm. You can fade or outright refuse if unsure. Or just play horrible ppl, hideous mutants and dwarves and unless you really try it works like a lead raincoat of friendzone +5