My idea will sorely sound like something already in place and such, but after some contemplation this is where my head is at regarding this. First, my definition of a few terms I may or may not use alot:
RP Active - The state where a player is posting in a public location and is accessible to interaction with the general public. This does not mean that they are able to be attacked or anything, but it does mean that they are playing the word game. Activity in-game (PvP, Oro kills, forest events, etc.) is not taken into account. Must be engaged in a RP, be it either with self (training) or with others (group streaking at Osa's) in a public location, and the RP having a plot post (a post that advances the plot of the RP, not an OOC declaration) made within the last 30 days from one of the RPers involved.
Game Active - The state where a player logs into their SL account at least once every 3 days and performs at least one gamelog worthy event. This can range from killing Orochimaru to playing in the Kirigakure fountain, but it must be featured in "daily events" to count.
A RP inactive player, therefore, is one that does not fit into the guideline of the RP active category; if the RP you're in hasn't moved for a month's time, then someone needs to be booted or whatever issue wrapped up, as even in SL time that is a century's worth of time spent being in RP lock.
Canon Claims List - A detailed list that describes the location, owner, and abilities of at least one canon item or special jutsu. Although there is one located on narutoprofile wikia, by definition, it can also be located on the Forum, off-site, and in-game. For a Canon Claims List to be more than a personal reference and have the force of "ownership", it must be both in a public location and open to review by other Shinobilegend players. Canon lists that are closed off to the general public except in the case of debates are not counted, and canon items and jutsu cannot be different in any functional way than the canon counterpart. They are unique, and there can only be one owner at any time on any one list.
Custom and Filler Claims list - A detailed list that describes the owner(s), location(s), abilities, creator/originator, history, and inception of custom and filler items and jutsu as they apply to Shinobilegends Lore. In the case of Filler material, they are treated in a fashion similar to custom items in that they may be changed and modified at the discretion of the owners.
Items and jutsu may have variants that vary from owner to owner. A user has the ability to use the item and/or jutsu, but may not modify it on the List without the permission of an owner or, in the case of no RP active owners, claiming ownership of it for himself or herself. Multiple owners, unless the variant caveat is used, cannot modify the description of the Item or Jutsu on the list without the permission of the other owners.
An originator is the very first person to create and use the technique or item according to the agreed upon SL lore. The list must be public, but are not subject to review by the SL community. Multiple claimants are possible, and the matter of resolving disputes of ownership are handled on an individual, case-by-case basis.
Therefore, of the Canon List there is one and only one Item owner, but of the Filler and Custom lists, there may be multiple owners of multiple copies of an Item. Canon items have been the main debate issues, but rules governing the claims list should recognize the difference in treatment between the two. Custom material is, for all intents and purposes, protected material that the creator came up with and typically is handled at the RPer level anyways, while canon material is directly from the mind of Kishimoto, and thus requires more regulation at the Community level for various reasons.
Now then, for the actual rules themselves:
Rules Governing the Claimed Lists
- The Claimed List is broken into "Canon Claims" and "Custom and Filler Claims" lists. Any material that originates from the narutoverse manga (not the anime) is by default considered canon. Material revealed in the fillers (even the good ones) are put on the "Filler and Custom" list.
- As stated, there can only be one owner of items on the Canon Claims List. That owner is also the user. A history of the item is not required, but is greatly appreciated for in-verse lore reasons. The Custom and Filler Claims list, however, separates owner and user. A creator or originator is by default an owner, but a student or successor might only be considered a user, if the teacher or predecessor is RP active, and thus does not have permission to change any of the core characteristics of the primary material. In other words, a user can use the item or jutsu, but can only modify their own usage of it, and cannot adjust the nature of the original technique unless there is no RP active player.
- The owner of a Canon Claimed Item must be RP active. If they are not RP active, then the name of the owner is struck though (NOT deleted) and the item may be claimed by any other RP active individual. However, should a struck-through previous owner return as RP active, then they may challenge the current owner to a zone battle (OOC) in order to reclaim the item.
The zone battle must be judged by an individual that both parties can agree upon, and after both establish ground rules, the zone fight begins. The winner (or declared winner) receives the item or jutsu or keeps it. The loser loses the item or keeps it. In the case of jutsu that may have multiple users, then as long as the jutsu's own rules do not forbid it, then the loser may continue to use the jutsu.
- A miniature Canon Claimed List detailing the claimed items in a player's possession should be present in the in-game bio.
- Any disputes involving the Canon Claimed List must either be resolved to where there is only one owner by the disagreeing parties or brought to the forum for public discussion. This is where that history will come in handy, as the player with the most palpable claim as determined by a post-vote of participating community members will be considered the Owner. Once brought to the Public, the disagreeing parties CANNOT decide to self-resolve and ignore a decision made by the Public. This is to encourage disagreements with a chance of self-resolution to be worked out prior to making it a public issue.
- The Filler and Custom Claims List is further divided between users and owners. Owners may modify the parent Claim without consent, unless there are multiple Owners, in which case they must recieve consesnt from the other Owners or create a "Variant". Users can only become Owners if there are no other Owners on the list, or they are "promoted" to Owner by a current Owner.
- A Variant is an alternate version of the Original Custom Technique. It must change at least one major function of the item/jutsu; it cannot just be a differently colored or other aesthetic changed Claim, it must functionally be different.
- A Parent is a prerequisite technique or item from which all of its derived techniques or items originate from. Unlike a Variant, it is a different technique that must use the Parent characteristics in a different fashion (I.E, Gate of Shadows parent ---> Flying Shadow derived, or Chakra Poison Pill ---> Chakra Poison Pill Cloud) The owner(s) of a Parent technique or Item can add derivatives without consulting other owner(s), but cannot permit a User to use a derived technique without adding them to the list of users for the Parent.
- Although unlikely at this stage of the series, if a Custom and Filler Claim is almost or precisely an exact copy of a new introduced canon item in functionality, appearance, and strength, then said Claim is switched to the Canon Claims List, but all of its history, ownership, etc. is also transferred.
- To remain an owner, a player must be RP active. To remain a user, a player must only be Game Active. If a special jutsu on the Canon Claims list has rules of its own that govern its distribution (Edo Tensei or Hiraishin for example) then those rules supercede the Claims List rules in almost all cases where there is overlap.