The Official Frequently Asked Questions List
For the League Of Non-Aligned Cybertronians
Compiled by Jeff "Bitstream" Tindall
Version 1.5
What is LONAC?
Sometimes called "The League", LONAC stands for "League Of Non Aligned Cybertronians". We're a role play groups consisting of neutral Transformers characters. Some are former Autobots or Decepticons, some never were aligned with either side. Hence the "non-aligned" part of our name. The emphasis of our RP is on the characters and plot, and we avoid the combat found in most Transformers RPs as much as possible.
What does LONAC do?
LONAC currently has two major 'activities'. Primarily we are a Role-Play club. During a role-play
session, members assume the identities of their characters and interact with other members in a
situation. While role-play is the primary activity of the League, we don’t limit ourselves to it.
Members are encouraged to write LONAC fiction, as well as any other creative endeavor involving
the League, though it is not a requirement to do so.
What are the rules regarding LONAC, the Role-Plays, Fanfics, etc.?
There are few rules, more like guidelines really.
Role-play sessions generally take place whenever a group of members feel like doing so. It is
free form role playing, and you are welcome to slip in or out of character at anytime. Doing this
will sometimes entice others to do so, and a role-play will have begun.
While in-character(IC), seriousness is the key. Do not take it as a joke. This doesn’t mean you
shouldn’t have fun. It just means that you shouldn’t do stupid, silly stuff like, say, randomly
blow up the ship. Silly fanfics are bound to be written, but don’t expect them to be considered
"cannon" to LONAC.
Fanfics have even fewer rules to them. The only real rule you need to adhere to is, if/when
writing a fanfic that will include another member's character somewhere in the story, make sure
that you ask the permission of the owner of the character. This is mainly because the owner is
the best person to give you tips on how a character would act. It is also the polite thing to
do. As a side note, if you submit fanfics, PLEASE check them carefully for spelling and
grammatical errors, as they will likely be placed on the LONAC webpage as-is.
Also, please remember that this is an English-speaking club. If you do not speak fluent or near-fluent
English, LONAC is probably not for you.
Finally, you should remember that judging by one's "appearence" is all we have on the 'Net. If you look bad,
we have to assume that you ARE bad. Therefore, people with poor typing skills need not apply.
What combat system does LONAC use?
LONAC does not emphasize combat in any way. Therefore, we do not have a set combat system. Instead, we play out any battles we may have in a freeform style.
Do I have to write or read fanfics?
You do not have to write, but reading is highly recommended. Plus, writing is part of the fun. :)
The fanfics are an important part of character and plot development. Also, they are often quite
enjoyable reading.
Where and when do role-play sessions take place?
Role-plays (RPs) always take place on the LONAC IRC channel, #LONAC.
Official RPs take place ever other weekend, starting at midnight on saturday nights, Central time.
This is technically Sunday morning, but that just tends to confuse people.
The channel is most active between 11pm and 4am, Central time.
There you will find a list of member characters currently in LONAC, complete with Tech Specs and
Pictures, LONAC-related fiction, and various other things.
Where does the group 'hang out'?
Members meet in the LONAC IRC (Internet Relay Chat) channel,
#LONAC, located on the SorceryNet IRC
network.
What is required to join up?
Three (yes 3) things are needed.
An original character.
Tech specs for the character, giving some info about the character’s personality, abilities and
weaknesses, a description of their weapons and alt-mode(s), and how they came to join LONAC
(some are ex-Autobots and Decepticons, others were built by LONAC, others were neutral, etc,
etc), as well as their stats (strength, intelligence, firepower, etc). You should also include a
function and quote for your character. LONAC-Web has all the currently admitted members, and you
can use their specs as examples.
At least ONE picture of your character. Robot mode is required. We understand not everyone
is an artist (heck, most of us aren't), if you feel you cannot do a picture yourself, you are
more than welcome to have a friend to draw the picture, or have one commissioned. Some LONAC
members may be willing do pictures, though each has his or her own rules regarding this and you
should not expect them to do one just because you asked them to.
Once you have met these requirements, you will need to submit your character. Admissions is
currently handled by Bitstream (AKA Waitstate) and your character and pictures should be sent to
him. Files should be sent via IRC if possible. E-mail should only be used as a last resort.
Please keep in mind that submitting a character that meets these requirements does not guarantee admission.
What format should my submissions be in?
Tech specs must be submitted as plain text ONLY.
Fanfics should also be in plain text format. MSWord 97(or higher)format is NOT acceptable.
Other formats may be considered if the fanfic contains special formatting such as bold or italics.
Pictures should be in GIF, JPG, or PNG format.
How often do I have to come to #LONAC?
As often as is possible, but you should try and attend at LEAST once a week. More is preferable.
Minimum attendance is REQUIRED.
You must be able to attend most, if not all, scheduled Role Play sessions. If this is a problem for you, then perhaps LONAC isn't right for you.
If you have problems attending, please give a reason if possible. We will try and keep you up to
date.
But why can’t I be Optimus Prime (or any other ‘official’ character)?
We have two very good reasons for this.
Using a pre-existing character is not anywhere NEAR as much fun as using one you created
yourself. With a character created by yourself, you are allowed much more flexibility in
role-play, not being limited by previous portrayals of that character in comic, TV shows,
or whatever.
The second reason can be summed up in a single word: Copyrights. We do not own Optimus Prime,
and, most likely, neither do you. He, and all the other Transformers we have seen portrayed in
TV, toys, and comics over the years belong to Hasbro, Marvel, and whoever else I don't have room
to mention here. We thank them for the enormous amount of use they have allowed us, and we should
try and be as creative as possible with it.
My character is Jetfire's twin brother, so can I use some of his boxart for my character?
That is a big NO. Those are copyrighted pictures, and using them like that would be out and out
PLAGIARISM, which will NOT be tolerated. If you want to draw a
Jetfire (or whatever) picture and use it, that is one thing. But you will not make any friends
in the League by taking someone else's work and claiming it as your own. Also, don't try to take
someone else's picture (or techspec, or anything else for that matter), alter it slightly, and
try and pass it off as yours. We will most likely find out, and you won't be in LONAC for much
longer after that happens.
To reiterate, you may use ORIGINAL pictures, techspecs, etc. ONLY. Plagiarism will NOT be
tolerated.
Ok, my character is 100% original. He has all "10"s and is a total bad a-
Wait, wait, wait! We DO have limits. Let me take a moment to go over the rules concerning
techspecs.
First off, the character's stats. Unlike most role-playing games, we don't use stats to gauge
how many hit points you have, or how many dice you have to roll, or anything like that. They are
just used to better quantify your character's abilities. They are fully defined by you, within
the following rules:
You have the following stats, on a 1-10 scale. All stats are for robot mode only:
STR (Strength) - How strong your character is.
INT (Intelligence) - How smart your character is.
SPD (Speed) - How fast your character is in robot mode. (consider this an agility rating)
END (Endurance) - The amount of physical or mental 'punishment' the character can take.
RNK (Rank) - How high your character is in the LONAC chain of command.
CRG (Courage) - How brave your character is.
FPR (Firepower) - How strong your character is in the way of guns, etc.
SKL (Skill) - How good your character is at what he or she does (especially their primary function).
Rank is determined by LONAC administration. However, the rest is up to you. You may fill the rest
with any number you want, 1-10. Decimals are acceptable. The total average (minus Rank) MUST NOT
exceed 7.9 however, so keep that in mind. That doesn't mean it MUST equal that though. Don't max
your character out just because you can. Be realistic.
All aspects of your techspec are subject to alteration by the admitting member (with your
approval).
Ok, so can you elaborate on the character rules?
Not a problem. Your character MUST be an original personality, and not a show/toy/comic character
with memory loss or reprogramming.
"Beast Wars" and "Beast Machines" type characters are not acceptable, period. This is mainly because they don't yet
exist yet during the current time period that LONAC exists in. The Beast Wars have not yet
started, and the Autobot/Decepticon War still rages strong. And we won't accept the "they came
back from the future..." line either, sorry.
Again... NO BEAST WARS OR BEAST MACHINES CHARACTERS ALLOWED!
Thank you.
You can not be an Autobot or Decepticon. Nor can you have dual affiliation with LONAC and either group.
This includes wearing those groups' insignia.
You don't have to restrict yourself to a military type, or science type, or whatever. Average,
everyday, civilian types are perfectly welcome.
We don't currently have a need for gestalt groups (like the Stunticons, Technobots, etc), or
baseformers (like Fortress Maximus, Omega Supreme, Scorponok, etc). Baseformers are too large for the location of
LONAC, and we currently have a gestalt group already. HOWEVER, as time goes by, and membership
increases, we will allow more gestalt teams. We DO accept Pretenders, HeadMasters, TargetMasters,
ActionMasters, PowerMasters, MicroMasters, etc. You are welcome to submit as many characters as
you like, but we must suggest you limit it to 5 or 6 max.
'Super powers' are frowned on.
As a final note on this subject, I have a general rule of thumb that you should adhere to when
creating a character: Don't make it more complex than you can handle.
Can I at least be a god-like character? (Yes, this WAS asked.)
No.
What can you tell me about the LONAC story universe?
LONAC was formed by a small group of Cybertronians that were tired of the seemingly endless
Autobot/Decepticon conflict. It was founded in the year 2235, Terran Standard Time. It is
governed by Waitstate, and is mostly democratic in nature.
The League is currently headquartered on its only property, a medium-large (by Cybertronian
scale) starship called the LSS Freedom. (LSS stands for League Space Ship). In late 2240, the
Freedom recieved a major overhaul and general redesign.
The LONAC universe (LONAC-verse) is slightly alternate to any that you may be familiar with, and
does not necessarily attempt to follow any one continuity.
Cybertron is currently in relative peacetime, with the Autobots in tenative control of the planet.
Optimus Prime leads the Autobots and Galvatron leads the Decepticons.
In the current time frame, Earth (Terra) is the major
computer developer/supplier in this sector of space and is considered something of a major power.
Do not drive or otherwise use your alt mode to get around the ship. The corridors simply are
not that wide, especially if you are an air vehicle. Besides, you'll ruin the carpet.
I'm not kidding.
Can we create our own LONAC webpage, and what are the guidelines?
Yes, you can. Guidelines: keep it LONAC. :)
Can I crossover characters in my personal continuity into LONAC's?
Possibly, but it is subject to approval by LONAC administration.
Can we take our characters outside of LONAC and put them in our own fanfics?
Most definitely, yes. Those characters you make are YOURS to do with as you wish, within the
framework of LONAC, of course.
Can I kill off characters?
Yes, but ONLY your own if you so choose.
What the heck is a "Primary Character"?
It is a LONAC member's primary character. Only the person that created it may RP a Primary
Character. You may have only ONE Represented Character.
Ok, what is a "secondary character" then?
Additional characters aside from the primary ones. If absolutely nescesary, another person may RP
someone else's secondary characters, but only the character's creator may make any major
changes with that character, and even minor use is discouraged.
Oh, how do I pronounce 'LONAC', by the way?
It's pronounced like 'low-nack', all one word, no accent.
For further information, you can contact the club founder, Bitstream (AKA Waitstate in LONAC) at
bitstream@digitalfrost.com
Special thanks to Chris Lilwall.
Due to the loose nature of LONAC, I now present the following Disclaimer(TM):
"The Author of the FAQ file retains the right to be a total hypocrite at any time, and may bend or break any of the above guidelines as he sees fit"
