1a. Glossary:These are some terms that will be useful to know whether on the forums or on the TnB servers:

TnB - Taco 'n Banana Serious Half-Life 2, Terminator, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. RolePlaying server
HL2RP - Half-Life 2 Roleplay
TRP - Terminator Roleplay
CPRP - Tekka (Cyberpunk) Roleplay
RP - Roleplay
DM - DeathMatching
SWEP - Garry's Mod Weapon
Physgun - Garry’s Mod Physics Gun
TT - Garry’s Mod Tool Gun (Tool Trust)
IC - In Character Chat
OOC - Out of Character Chat
TK - Temporarily Killed
PK - Permanently Killed
PI - Permanently Injured
TI - Temporarily Injured
IRL - In Real Life
RCT - Combine Recruit Temporary Unit
CP - Combine Civil Protection Unit
OWR - Combine Overwatch Recruit
OWS - Combine OverWatch Unit
EOW - Combine Elite OverWatch Unit
CID - Combine ID number - Set this by typing /cid #####
CCA - Combine Civil Authority (collective term for the Civil-Protection)
UU - Universal Union (aka Combine)
CCH - Combine Civil Housing (a building organized by the Combine for free housing)
ACA - Anti Civil Activity (criminal activity)
BM - Black Market (abbreviation)
CA - City Administrator
SeC - Sectoral Command
DeL - Division Leader
SqL - Squad Leader
AdJ - Secondary Leader
JW - Judgement Waiver
SEA - Senior Executive Administrator
SA - Super Administrator
BA - Basic Administrator
TA - Trial Administrator
CC - Combine Control, the current gamemode we run.

1b. Administration
- The TnB community is managed by a team of various administrations working to ensure the stability of the game servers and the players alike. Please be sure to remain respectful to all administrators and all players as well. Administrators are selected by other administrators to undergo a trial process in which a player will be reviewed to determine whether or not he/she is ready to do his/her duty as an administrator to TnB.
- Senior Executive Admin - SEA - DaveBrown is the current SEA, he manages the forums and the servers along with donations to the community..
- Basic Admin - BA - Basic Admins make up the majority of our admin team. They are in charge of kicking and banning users and general server maintenance.
- Trial Admin - TA - Trial Admins are merely Basic Admins undergoing their trial period. They are highly trusted regular users, who will be accepted or denied as Basic Admins at the end of their trial, depending on their behavior.
- Current list of all administrators: http://taconbanana.com/index.php?/topic/9-admin-roster/

1c. Server Information
- The TnB Community currently operates on 4 Garry's mod servers, these servers include the following:


Half-Life 2​

Server 1 - Main CityRP Server. This server is TnB's most used server. It is generally on a city map, and is used for City Roleplay.
Server 2 - CanalsRP Server. This is the server that serves as the treacherous passage between the city and the outlands. RP here is taken seriously and you may find yourself at the wrong end of an Mp7 if you make a mistake.
Server 3 - Outlands RP Server. Far outside the walls of City 17, life is not as safe as it first appears.

- Current list of all servers: http://taconbanana.com/index.php?/topic/22-server-information/

1e. Server Commands-
Chat Commands

/a – Admin only chat. Also used for requests by normal players.
/me – Character’s actions
/y – Yell
/w – Whispering
/r – Radio (only works if you have one)
[[ or .// - Local OOC
// - Global OOC
/pm - Personal Message someone with their name after, example: /pm James
/cr – Send a Combine Request, only works if you have a CR Device
/it – Speak in the third person or the perspective of a foreign object
/cid ##### - This sets your Combine id number used for receiving rations and other distributed items.
/rus - Speaks Russian if you have the required trait.
/chi - Speaks Chinese if you have the required trait.
/jap - Speaks Japanese if you have the required trait.
/spa - Speaks Spanish if you have the required trait.
/fre - Speaks French if you have the required trait.
/ger - Speaks German if you have the required trait.
/ita - Speaks Italian if you have the required trait.

-Keyboard Commands-

F1 – Help Guide Menu
F2 - Character Select Screen
F3 – Character Settings, has the loans and items tabs.


1f. Ban Requests
- This forum is used to report a malignant player who has broken one of TnB's rules, whether it is on the forums or on one of the server, if you provide sufficient proof, an admin will review your request and punish the player as he/she sees fit.
- Ban Request Forum (Please remember to review the guidelines for making a ban request):http://taconbanana.com/index.php?/forum/42-ban-requests/

1g. Unban Requests
- So let us assume you made a dumb decision or you really just want to have a second chance, well you're one lucky fellow because TnB often offers a second chance as long as you didn't do any severe damage. If you wish to be unbanned from either the TnB forums or servers you must make an unban request whereupon an admin will review and decide whether you're ready to be part of the community again.
- Unban Request Forum (Please remember to review the guidelines for making an unban request):

2. Rules
​
While these rules make up the main reasons an admin might kick or ban you, please remember that admins have the final say.​
​

2a. Improper use of IC Chat or OOC Chat
- Recall that IC stands for In Character Chat meaning that anything you type in IC is what your roleplay character says in the world. Think of IC Chat as being a real life discussion with friends or anyone for that matter, you are not permitted to use OOC within the context of IC, this is a strongly enforced rule on the server so be careful what you type and just try to remember that IC Chat is similar to real life situations. Recall that OOC stands for Out Of Character Chat meaning that anything you type doesn't relate to your roleplay character in the world. OOC Chat is simply you typing on the computer, like I am when I wrote this guide, it hold no value towards roleplay.

2b. Respect towards Admins and Players
- This rule is pretty straightforward so I won't go into much depth. Basically as the title states, you are expected to act in a respectful manner to both admins and players alike, this includes not getting into any heated arguments and acting kindly to each other despite and dislikes or grudges you may hold. The community holds an optimistic outlook in that you should have a high opinion of each other. I believe this rule covers the use of racism with intentions of hurting another player or belittling another player for his views or his manners.

2c. Deathmatch
- DeathMatching (DM or RDM) is a strongly enforced rule on all of TnB's servers. Basically as the name dictates, DMing is where you kill a player with no IC intentions or cause of the action. This can include killing the player with a prop (aka Prop DMing) or shooting the player with a SWEP. The best way to describe DMing is to provide an example so here is one: let's assume you dislike a player OOCly so you decide to kill him. DMing will certainly result in a ban or removal of the Physgun if it was a Prop DM.

2d. Prop Surfing
- Prop Surfing occurs when a player uses a prop and Physgun to boost themselves to an elevated position without any IC purpose. An example of Prop Surfing would be using a box to float up into the air. Prop Surfing will either result in a ban or removal of ToolTrust.

2e. Metagaming
- Metagaming is the use of OOC information and using it for IC purposes. A prime example of this is being told OOC that "There's a gun under the couch" and you go with your character and search under the couch and grab the weapon even though you've never been told ICly it was their. This rule is extensively enforced and breaking this rule will lead to punishment and or ban.

2f. Disobeying New Life Rule
- The New Life Rule is a common rule to be broken, it basically implies that if you're killed ICly, your character forgets the current action he/she was doing. For example, if you were heading over to see your friend but along the way you are killed based on IC purposes, you would respawn and forget you were suppose to meet your friend meaning that your friend would have to retell you what you are suppose to be doing. If you go do your previous action you'd be breaking the rule.

2g. Improper use of Gravity Gun or Physics Gun
- Both the Gravity Gun and Physgun can be used improperly, an exmaple of this being prop DMing as explained earlier. Another example would be running around with either of these tools out or using the physgun just to shoot blue beams about OOCly, and IC purpose of the blue beam the physgun creates would be you pointing to a position or another player. Remember to put away either your Gravity Gun or Physgun when roleplaying to not look like a newbie.

2h. Powergaming
- Powergaming heavily relates to roleplay and for the purpose of this guide will be explained further when the use of /me is introduced. To basically summarize Powergaming, it is where you create a character who is very strong in that it would not be possible to be that powerful in a real life situation. You have to remember, for example, in Half-Life 2 the citizens are very malnourished so it is hard to believe that one could be very energetic/powerful with these circumstances which prohibit such behavior.

2i. Stat Abuse
- Stat Abuse occurs when you attempt to boost your stats in a particular area with no IC purpose or an unjustified purpose. An example of Stat Abuse is a player punching a wall to gain a higher level in their strength stat, do note that you can't make excuses that your player is angry so he punches a wall to release his anger. Although this may be a viable roleplay action is certain does not justify punching the wall hundreds of times.

2j. Flaming
- Flaming has the possibility of occurring on both on the Forums as well as on the servers. Flaming is getting into a heated argument, OOC, which directly results in exchanging derogatory terms or insults. Flaming is dealt with severely so please act nicely to one another.

2k. Improper Character Name
- This rule relates to creating a roleplay character on one of the servers. Roleplay requires you to create a made-up character that does not exist in real life or is not a character in any movie or book. For example, you can't have the name Jack Bauer, Justin Bieber, George Washington, Jesus Christ, or Gordon Freeman. You are also not permitted to use the same name as another character on the server.

2l. Flag Abuse
- Flag abuse is where you take advantage over a flag using it wrongly and plays no part in ICly RP. An example of this would be to flag as a Combine, drop your weapon, go on a different character and pick it up. Other abuse would be to the extent of the TT, removing and spawning random stuff, just because you have TT doesn't mean you are permitted to play on the server as if it was a build server.

2m. General Minge Control (GMC)
- This rule is applied to many circumstance in RP and the purpose of it is to reduce the general newbie activity on the server. An example of this is if you lose a weapon due to server crash or DM, you will not receive your weapon back because TnB runs on the basis of not needing weapons to RP (in fact it is a question on the quiz when you first join the server).​

3. General Roleplay Information (What an average player should know)


3a. IC Chat
- As briefly explained in the "rules" portion of this guide, IC Chat stands for In Character Chat meaning anything you say/do on your character is what your character would be if he was in the real world. Regular chat, /w, and /y are all examples of IC Chat commands. Be logical when using IC Chat, do things that would be realistic in a real-life situation. Please refrain from using acronyms in IC Chat such as "lol".

3b. OOC Chat
- As visible in the Glossary portion of this guide, OOC stands for Out of Character meaning anything that is said/done holds no relation towards IC roleplay. There are two different commands which are directed towards OOC Chat, those being // and [[. The first is for Global OOC meaning that the entire server can read what you type in OOC (note that admins may remove this feature by putting a delay on Global OOC to reduce spam and to promote IC roleplay). The latter command is for Local OOC meaning that only players in your vicinity will read what you type. Please remember that OOC is not meant for IC purposes so anything said can not be applied to any roleplay purpose.

3c. Tool Trust
- Basic Tool Trust will be given to people who ask via /a. Advanced Tool Trust will only be given to trusted players.

3d. Weapons and You
- Remember that you do not require a weapon to have fun roleplaying, roleplay should revolve around character development (we will cover this later in the guide) and passive rp (also covered later). If you do receive a weapon remember that you must save it before quitting to ensure it will be saved in your inventory, any lost weapons will not be returned due to the GMC Rule (see rules section for further details).

3e. Supply License
- A supply license is used to purchase the various items found on the servers, such as: backpacks, bandages, or water. This should be primarily used to encourage business roleplay in the server so try to buy items from an IC story instead of buying your items directly from your license. Do note there is another license which allows you to buy weapons and other contraband, known as the Black Market. This license is usually reserved for trusted players and admins.

3f. Proper Grammar
- In Character roleplay requires you to use proper grammar, the TnB community is an English speaking community meaning that you will have to use correct English grammar, at least in IC Chat (obviously if you're roleplaying a character who is a foreigner, you're permitted to use a different language ICly). Roleplaying in this community requires the minimum usage of correct grammar in English. An example of proper grammar would be: "Today I wrote a guide for the TnB Community." notice I capitalized the first letter at the beginning of the sentence and ended the sentence with the correct punctuation mark. Do not use acronyms such as "lol" in IC Chat.

3g. Proper Name
- Recall that roleplay within the TnB community requires you to utilize a proper name for your character (review the rules section 2k. Improper Character Name). When you first join a TnB server, you will be prompted to create a character and name for your character. Later in the guide we will be discussing how to create an appropriate name.​

4. Advanced Roleplay Information (What an experienced player should know)


4a. Uses of /me
- The usage of /me may be difficult to utilize at first but do not underestimate this roleplaying tool, it can dramatically increase the roleplay of your character in the server.
- Rules: there are a couple of rules to take into consideration when you use /me.
Powergaming is common rule to break while using /me (review the rules section 2h. Powergaming). It occurs basically when you decide another players fate for them.
- The tool /me is used to create character reaction with the environment or other players.Example: : /me stares blankly out of the window looking sad.
Through this you can give other players hints to your emotion such as depression. It also lets other players know what you're doing. You may need to perform actions with /me that you wouldn't be able to do with the script or gmod itself. Example: : /me stumbles on the ground dazed and coughs.
-Lets say you wanted to mug someone but actually RP it and not just start punching them, well this can easily be done with /me. Let's assume there is a lone citizen in a concealed area, stealth is key, and you wish to mug him for his items or tokens be reminded of following the rules relating to Powergaming and also the placement of your character is key (i.e. if the player is facing you then obviously he'd be harder to mug). To use a /me you'd do an action similar to: "/me attempts to grab hold of the man acting in a stealthy manner." Now let's take a look at the example, does it follow the rules? Yes, because it is not Powergaming because you have not decided the player's fate for them. You have simply attempted to grab the other player. Now depending on placement, let's say the player was facing towards you, the player could decide to dodge/block your attack because he was facing towards you and your stealth was not sufficient. The player would have enough reaction time to see it coming. If the player were to face away from you, then there would be more chances of realistically grabbing him. Now don't expect to always be successful with mugging or any attack you're trying with /me. It pretty much depends on how well of an RPer the other person is, or how willing. Remember that winning isn’t everything, what’s more important is having fun RPing and character interaction.
- /me may also be used for describing a situation or the disposition of your character in the third person view. Take for example this statement: "/me steps through the doorway and into the cold-harsh weather outside. A gust of wind blows by, chilling to the bone. X quivers from the cold and quickly nuzzles his chin towards his breast." This example provides an interaction to the environment.
- As you experience the uses of /me you will be able to use it for many situation and discover how much of a useful tool it is in making RP better. /me truly adds a whole new depth to RP so don't be afraid to use it, nearly all the advanced RPers on the server use it to some extent.
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4b. Passive RP
- Passive RP relates to anything that entails daily life and living it. Passive RP occurs when there are no events or situations occurring on the server meaning that the bulk of your time on the server will be spent doing Passive RP. Although it may sound boring, Passive RP is a very good way to develop your character and come up with a background for your character. It also allows you to gain experience in RP. Passive RP ranged anywhere from: eating, sleeping, discussions, player interactions, etc.

4c. RP Wounds
- Pain relates to your IC character just as it relates to you in real-life. If you're injured in any way you'll be expected to act accordingly. For example, if you jump off of a bridge of significant height you'd be expected to break your leg(s), to RP this you would have to act as though the injuries were real (i.e. screaming or using /me to describe the pain seen in your face). The same goes for being shot, if you're shot while running away you would have to stop running and fall to the ground because in real-life you cannot continue to run full speed when you've been shot. Admins may also decide which injuries you receive and injuries may result in TK or PK (we will review this later in the guide).

4d. Character Background
- Making a character's name is one phase but another is making a character's background which is vital towards your overall development of that character. A character's background relates to anything your character did prior to your making him/her, this can date back years from the Seven Hour's War (explained later in this guide) up until you make the character. A sufficient background would be for example (note that this is only brief, you should try to create a more intensive background): X's background is that he was a college student studying vehicle mechanics and electrical wiring before the war. Do not make your character's background and ex-assassin or ex-special forces (this will be explained later).

4e. Character Title
- A character title is used to describe the physical condition of your character that would be evident from viewing your character in the world. The title can also express your current expression/feeling. Here is an example of a common title: GermanAccent|27|Scars as you can see the title shows the way you speak, age, and any physical marks. You can also display what items your character is currently carrying, such as: SlungMP5|WeldingMask|Scars. There is a difference between visible title and the Description. The visible title is currently the first few characters of each description. You can either describe your character in a lot of depth or just in a short simple sentence.

4f. TK TI & PK PI
- TK stands for Temporary Kill, these are applied by the admin team. Essentially it requires only a BA to apply a TK. Recall that in a normal death, you respawn with the NLR applied to your character but in a TK you're forced to spend a period of time not on your character (this can be up to a week sometimes). TI is Temporary Injury which means that your designated character will have an injury for a set amount of time. PK stands for Permanent Kill, these are applied by the admin team as well but require a RDA which is a higher-up admin. If you are PKed it means your character no longer exists meaning that you will not be permitted to play on that character unless you get your PK removed. PI is Permanent Injury meaning that if your character receives an injury and an admin applies that it is a PI, the injury will always be on your character unless you get authorization to have it removed.
- Visit this link to appeal a TK or PK (Please review the guidelines for this form):


5a. Deciding a Name
- Again, when you first join a server you're prompted to create a character, part of this character creation is making a fake name for your character. You may want to use names that apply to your certain ethnic group of your character, use this website group http://www.behindthename.com/(Be sure to review the rules section 2k. Improper Character Name to see the limitations on the name's your can choose for your character).

5b. Character Background
- A character's background is essential when trying to create another character. It permits you to decide a distinct aura or mood that your character will pertain to. You should generally focus on anywhere ranging from your character's childhood years (assuming he/she remembers) to the day you're create said character. A background will ultimately determine how your character reacts to things around him so be sure to take a minute or two coming up with a unique background. Do note that your character could not have been part of any armed forces prior to the Seven Hour's War, unless authorized by an administrator.

5c. Character Personality & Appearance
- From this point you will be constructing the character's mentality based from their overall personality. Don't be afraid to create some unique situations for your personality, for example if your character's background was that he was abused as a child you could expect his personality to be a little agitate or abusive himself. Your character's appearance will sometimes also be based upon the background, meaning any previous scars or injuries your character had would be evident on your character. Review 4e. Character Title for the use of the /title command.

5d. Character Abilities & Skills
- After developing your character’s name and realistic background, it is time to attribute certain skills and abilities to your character. Make sure you’re realistic about this part. It can be somewhat difficult deciding what talents your character will have but decide based upon your character’s background and your character's personality. Perhaps your character is somewhat skilled as an engineer. Maybe your character has musical talent. Be creative about this but make sure it remains in the boundaries of being realistic. Deciding your character’s talents will prove to be helpful in your RolePlay.​

6a. Dialogue
- Dialogue is what your character says ICly, the way your character presents his or herself through dialogue should be based upon his or her background and current mood. /me is a useful tool to signify your character's current mood (review 4a. Uses of /me for in depth guide on this tool). Example: "/me Gives a gesture in greeting, “Hello.” He speaks in a blissful tone." In this example we demonstrate the character's current mood and another player can immediately identify that the character is in a very content state. When using dialogue be weary of who is around you because you do not want to say the wrong thing around the wrong people (such as speaking of anti-civil behavior near a Civil-Protection unit). Use the various other chat commands available towards dialogue. Also, remember to use correct grammar and be sure to read your sentence you've typed to make sure it makes sense.

6b. Physical Action & Description
- Use of physical actions just before your dialogue can further implement RolePlay understanding. It will give the other player an insight on your character physical fitness as well as integrating more RolePlay opportunities. Simply with use of /me you can show physical actions. Remember not to powergame. Be realistic in your actions. Description can help players gain a mental image in things that are limited because of the script. Be very descriptive as it shows a key success to ones RolePlay.

6c. Mental Thoughts & Feelings
- Stating your character’s current expression or feeling is a good way to express your character without literally stating it (i.e. directly saying "I'm angry!"). It will leave other players to study you and get to know your character. Your character’s feelings can change based upon the current situation you’re in. Remember to also be realistic. This is another way to help improve description in your dialogue and /me’s.

6d. React
- When someone starts a conversation or action you’re expected to react to it whether you want to or not. If you do not simply respond you will be viewed upon as an undetermined RPer who does not know how to carry out reactions. Of course you can you do not respond to newbies who use OOC Chat in IC Chat, always be sure to try and help them or tell and admin as usually an admin is willing to help teach the player how to play (or you can get the player to read this guide, may be helpful in the long run).
- Let me draw to conclusion I see sometimes, one player would attempt to create some conversion with another player but the latter player ignores the player and continues to walk away. Just because a player wants to create some RP conversation doesn't mean you ignore them (I realize that this may be on Half-Life 2 where characters are oppressed and anti-social behavior is the norm but this destroys RP chances and the chance to develop your character), you never know when some interesting RP may occur and ignoring players certainly won't cause interesting RP situation to occur.​


7a. How do I become admin?
- There are no applications available for a position for an administrator. Simply you'll be chosen to be an admin when the other admins feel you're ready for the responsibility being an admin entails or whether or not you can be trusted with this responsibility. Also, begging for admin will not help you, it will only hurt you so do not do it.

7b. How do I view hidden forums?
- Hidden forums, such as the Outland's forum, are restricted to forum users who have gained membership in the said forum. Generally you will have access to the forum when you become part of the group or an admin gives you access to the forum.

7c. What do I do if I get a black screen when I join the server?
- When you get the black screen upon connecting to the server, you simply must type this code into console lua_run_cl CreateCharacterWindow() (to open up your console press the ~ button, if this does not work go to the options tab on the Garry's Mod main menu).

7d. What do if I get "Disconnected: Buffer overflow in net message"?
- If you rejoin the server this error should go away, if it continues you may need to rejoin multiple times or google the problem to see if their are any available fixes.

7e. Why do I have to download so many files?
-WILL UPDATE

7f. How do I get the toolgun?
- The Garry's Mod toolgun is obtained through TT (Tool Trust). You must apply on the forums for this where an admin will review your request and depending on whether or not the admin feels you can be trusted with the toolgun, you will be accepted or denied (review section 3c. Tool Trust for additional information).

7g. How do I become part of the CCA?
- In order to become part of the CCA you must make an extensive application where those in charge of the CCA will review your application to verify whether you're ready on not to take part in CCA RP. If you're only making an account on the forums to apply for the CCA or you're a newbie to the community (i.e. you've only been here for around a week or so) then don't bother applying as the bulk of these applications are denied immediately. The application is both reviewed on content and whether or not you're trusted enough community member. Applications usually open once every month. Don't feel disappointed if you're denied your first time applying, RP is all about learning so seek feedback and try to learn from your mistakes.
- Visit http://www.taconbanana.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?30-Combine-Civil-Authorityand search for the applications thread, all the guidelines for making an application will be presented.

7h. How do I become a rebel?
- Keep in mind that a rebel and an anti-citizen are considered two different movements. If you're wanting to become an anti-citizen you do not have to do anything, your character's background and personality can dictate you as an anti-citizen at the start. An anti-citizen isn't classified as anyone citizen who has a gun, they are simply those who oppose the CCA through their thoughts or actions (i.e. posting anti-propaganda material on walls). Keep in mind that we will go into much more depth about anti-citizens later in this guide. Rebels are usually classified as major resistance members, those with the flak vests. However, they should never be seen in Server 1 (unless some uprising event occurs), they mainly operate on the Outland's server. You don't just become a rebel, the rebel group are anti-citizens who have been trusted. Usually getting a vest signifies that you're a resistance member.

7i. How do I become a Vortigaunt?
- Vortigaunts are those green fella's that you may see from time to time, either enslaved by the CCA or hiding in the slums of the city but are most commonly seen in the canals or outlands. To become a Vortigaunt you must, once again, make an application where one the of Vortigaunt faction leaders will read your application to determine whether or not you're ready for the group. The Vortigaunt group is mainly a limited group, meaning there are hardly many members and very hard to get in. Vortigaunts require some pretty advanced RP techniques and abilities (trust me I was once a Vortigaunt and they are not easy to RP on).
- Visit http://taconbanana.com/vb/forumdisplay.php?32-Vortigauntsand review the applications thread and make sure you read the guidelines.

7j. How do I get weapons?
- Let's get once thing straight, weapons are not required to RP. You should not focus yourself on obtaining a weapon (i.e. asking anyone in the slums district in the city where to get guns). Weapons are obtained through the black market, a group of anti-citizens who distribute illegal merchandise for a price.

7k. How do I become part of the Overwatch/Synth?
- Unlike the CCA, the Overwatch group is not open to applications and are only considered side characters. This meaning that players with an Overwatch cannot flag at any given time, the situation must call for it and a higher-up CCA official or admin must call for them. As I was saying, you do not apply for either of these groups, based upon how you RP, Raygin will add you.​