Q: Who rates my site?

You do! We recommend that rpg admins use our form to create an RPG Rating for their site. Use your own best judgement to create a rating that most accurately reflects your content.

Q: How do I read a rating?

It's easy! Each rating has a value next to L for Language, S for Sexual Content, and V for Violence. A 0 indicates that there is none of the content in that area. Our highest number 3 indicates that there are little to no restrictions on that subject matter at all.

Q: This seems pretty subjective...

We totally agree. This tool isn't meant to judge what's acceptable and what's not, or come to some concensus about personal values and tolerances. This tool allows rpg admins to self-define to the best of their ability the content at their site according to some generalized defnitions that are part of the rating.

Q: Once I have my rating, how do you enforce people stick to it?

We don't. Rpg members should use the rating as a guide, not as a guarantee. It's in an admin's best interest to use a rating most closely representing their rpg so that expectations are more clear to all involved.

Q: This isn't very detailed. How do I know exactly what's allowed?

No matter how an rpg rates their site or what system they use, each rpg usually has an expanded and more detailed set of rules already that spell out exactly what's permitted. Very rarely does an rpg rely soley on a one or two letter rating to denote what material is welcome. So use the Rating as an initial guide, not as the complete rule book.

We encourage admins to use the rating as part of their rules page and then expand on each section with the specificity you and your members prefer. Make as many exceptions and explanations that you need to in order to communicate to your members the unique and snowflakey rpg environment you administer.

Q: Waitaminute! Who are you, the thought police?

We're not telling you what's appropriate and what's inappropriate. We're not making and judgements about what is good writing or bad writing or what belongs in the genre. This system is meant to be descriptive, not prescriptive. You make your own choices about what kind of content you want to participate in and then use a rating that best describes it.

Q: Your system is imperfect.

We know. :) We're doing our best to improve something and we think this is a step forward.

Q: What's wrong with the MPAA's rating system? (PG, PG-13, R, etc).

The Motion Picture Association of America is a body that rates movies based on their content. The MPAA does not reveal what criteria is used to rate a movie, but we are able to glean a general trend. However the ratings are often inconsistent and often flows with the prejudices of majority culture. The MPAA is a body that is attempting to describe what's clean and what isn't, and decide what age groups should be exposed to different things.

We don't like that. A movie is a static work of art, but an rpg is alive and ever-changing and admins are asked to moderate content daily at some level. A simple rating of PG-13 really describes nothing and is not useful to members or admins who are looking for a more accurate description of a site and its contents.

The RPG Rating system also makes no judgements about age and what content is appropriate for what age.

We feel like most rpgs use the MPAA system because it is familiar. But the giant downside is this system is deliberately vague, and makes value judgements about what's right and wrong. The RPG Rating system is more specific and creates a scale, not a judgement, about how intense the presence of harsh language, sexual content and violence is.

Q: Do I need to credit anyone to use this on my site?

Nope. This system is absolutely free to use for non-commercial purposes (as in, don't try to sell the idea or use it to make money). The images and code that are generated for you will contain a link back to this site, but you are not required to keep that code intact.

You are free to reproduce the information from this website at your own (again, for strictly non-commericial purposes).

If you wish to give credit to this system's creator, the content and system was designed by a role-player and rpg admin Sarah C.

Q: Where did the links on the front page go? Is this a link exchange?

We are not a link exchange, directory or an affiliate. You may place the rating anywhere you wish on your rpg, however, it probably doesn't belong with your affiliates. We're not asking for free advertising. Rather, just spread the word if you like the system and you'd recommend it to others!

We've recently stopped exchanging links with admins who use the system. It was becoming cumbersome, but worst of all it was sending the wrong signal about what the Rating was all about - a free resource and not a link exchange.

Q: I still have a question.

Cool! Send us an email. info@rpgrating.com