News & Updates Regarding Omegaverse/ABO

If you are here, this means you have clicked on the alert to find out more about the rule update specifically for Omegaverse/ABO. We have officially forbidden this genre from RpNation;

The Omegaverse/ABO genre is sexually explicit. If you wish to use the non-sexual social dynamics you can use alternative terms to express that. Some options include social hierarchy, dominance hierarchy, and caste system.

This decision wasn't made hastily and we want to be clear that we are forbidding this genre because at its core and focus it is an erotic genre. We know there are those who are interested in the social dynamics of this genre, but the problem is that we cannot clearly determine between someone using the term sexually or non-sexually.

If you have any suggestions for what a non-sexual Omegaverse term could be let us know. Create your own new genre! We want to work with you to keep our users and site safe!

EDIT: You are more than welcome to continue using terms such as alpha, beta, omega as those are social/caste/dominance hierarchy terms and not exclusive to Omegaverse.

 

[nerdy tangents]

Dominance hierarchy is actually used to describe social structure in animal behavior; from humans to chickens and so on. :3 As someone not really into the ABO stuff and only what I can glean from research (and reading a some of a 101 master's in gender studies thesis just because it existed), Secondary sex or secondary gender comes across way more confusing.

Think of it like the term literate. Yeah it might have a specific definition within academia. But that isn't what most roleplayers are talking about when they use the term to indicate post lengths. They typically mean a totally distinct meaning that has been used throughout the forums their most familiar with.

Secondary gender within the (for lack of a better word) fandom of ABO is literally just Alpha, Beta, or Omega. It is used to distinguish your social status from your biological sex (i.e. whether you are a man or a woman). Now yeah individual fics might get a little more into the mechanics of things but if you aren't wanting to use pack dynamics that is the only other universal term that would indicate that specific fandom to people that are familiar with it.

Like ideally you would just put platonic abo in your search thread but barring that I see "pack dynamics with secondary genders" as an interest and I know that means a platonic ABO plot. I see caste system or dominance hierarchy I have absolutely no idea what the person is talking about. It doesn't really link back to the fandom at all. It is just meaningless words that put in a search that I would have to ask the person directly about.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Think of it like the term literate. Yeah it might have a specific definition within academia. But that isn't what most roleplayers are talking about when they use the term to indicate post lengths. They typically mean a totally distinct meaning that has been used throughout the forums their most familiar with.

Secondary gender within the (for lack of a better word) fandom of ABO is literally just Alpha, Beta, or Omega. It is used to distinguish your social status from your biological sex (i.e. whether you are a man or a woman). Now yeah individual fics might get a little more into the mechanics of things but if you aren't wanting to use pack dynamics that is the only other universal term that would indicate that specific fandom to people that are familiar with it.

Like ideally you would just put platonic abo in your search thread but barring that I see "pack dynamics with secondary genders" as an interest and I know that means a platonic ABO plot. I see caste system or dominance hierarchy I have absolutely no idea what the person is talking about. It doesn't really link back to the fandom at all. It is just meaningless words that put in a search that I would have to ask the person directly about.

I would be inclined to agree with you, but secondary genders doesn't make sense to me. When I hear secondary gender, I think of someone who identifies as another gender aside from their biological one outside of societal norms. To me, caste system or dominance hierarchy makes sense, even if they are really weird.

Honestly, I would also prefer pack dynamics. It makes more sense with what I'm used to, as I used to RP a lot of animals and animal-like creatures. I still consider a gaggle of geese a pack, even though they aren't called a pack, but a gaggle. Like a murder of crows, I consider that has pack dynamics, as well. With some obvious differences, of course.

As someone who RPs a lot of animal RPs and do a lot with canids, felines, vulpines, and birds, pack dynamics as a term for this make more sense.

 

[nerdy tangents]

I would be inclined to agree with you, but secondary genders doesn't make sense to me. When I hear secondary gender, I think of someone who identifies as another gender aside from their biological one outside of societal norms. To me, caste system or dominance hierarchy makes sense, even if they are really weird.

Honestly, I would also prefer pack dynamics. It makes more sense with what I'm used to, as I used to RP a lot of animals and animal-like creatures. I still consider a gaggle of geese a pack, even though they aren't called a pack, but a gaggle. Like a murder of crows, I consider that has pack dynamics, as well. With some obvious differences, of course.

As someone who RPs a lot of animal RPs and do a lot with canids, felines, vulpines, and birds, pack dynamics as a term for this make more sense.

I am mostly just talking from the fandom perspective. As chances are people unfamiliar with the concept are going to have questions regardless of the term used. I mean I am gonna have to tell you what the secondary genders of Alpha, Beta, and Omega are anyway if I put the request in my thread.

At least the term will make sense to people familiar with the fandom. Rather then terms unfamiliar to the fandom which are going to cause confusion to everyone.

 

[Merciless Medic]

I am mostly just talking from the fandom perspective. As chances are people unfamiliar with the concept are going to have questions regardless of the term used. I mean I am gonna have to tell you what the secondary genders of Alpha, Beta, and Omega are anyway if I put the request in my thread.

At least the term will make sense to people familiar with the fandom. Rather then terms unfamiliar to the fandom which are going to cause confusion to everyone.

We should have a poll for this. XD LOL

But yeah, I get what you are talking about. I guess I'm in one interesting niche of the fandom where I don't normally see that. XD Normally just see hierarchy or pack dynamics when people talk about that stuff.

 

[nerdy tangents]

We should have a poll for this. XD LOL

But yeah, I get what you are talking about. I guess I'm in one interesting niche of the fandom where I don't normally see that. XD Normally just see hierarchy or pack dynamics when people talk about that stuff.

Oh I absolutely agree pack dynamics is a better term. But if the Staff aren’t comfortable using that particular term then secondary genders is kinda the only other word for the world building that is used within the fandom, at least outside of Platonic Abo.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Oh I absolutely agree pack dynamics is a better term. But if the Staff aren’t comfortable using that particular term then secondary genders is kinda the only other word for the world building that is used within the fandom, at least outside of Platonic Abo.

After a quick google search, secondary gender is actually incredibly common. XD PFF Well, I guess I have been living under a rock. Even if it is confusing for people who aren't a part of the fandom, that's not what really matters as it is for people who are within the fandom or those interested in it.

I also saw someone use secondary genders in their character sheets, so now I'm sold that it's incredibly common within the platonic abo community.

 

[The Dark Wizard]

Fable my only issue with dominance hierarchy is that kind of reinforces the more well sexualized elements of the genre. The caste system is a little better it just doesn’t really fit the connotation most people have with the genre. As it seems more like well IRL caste systems which are not at all what ABO is about.

From my own experience the more platonic version of ABO isn’t really about social hierarchy or a caste system. It very much touched on secondary genders and familial dynamics (which tend to be called pack dynamics as a genre convention).

But if you would prefer to get away from a species marker then I would suggest “secondary gender” it is a bit similar to social hierarchy in that it isn’t a perfect compromise but it at least fits with what people who write the genre might be more familiar with

(or at least that is the trend I see in fics).

Dominance hierarchy is actually used to describe social structure in animal behavior; from humans to chickens and so on. :3 As someone not really into the ABO stuff and only what I can glean from research (and reading a some of a 101 master's in gender studies thesis just because it existed), Secondary sex or secondary gender comes across way more confusing.

We are always up to more changes based on feedback, but we should see for a few weeks if our new rule at-least helps us cut down on the ABO ERP attempts. Now that it is clear cut, we will be issuing warnings and such more appropriately and consistently.

 

[starstucker]

just googled omegaverse. i will now proceed to vomit

 

[Sigfried]

Don't wanna seem like a dick but was kinda obvious from the get go.

 

[Deredere]

Say, how much trouble would I they be in if I they made a mha roleplay and my their character's parents are two dads and someone happens to mention the other dad has the Ω quirk? It wouldn't go into full detail, but it would be mentioned.

Asking for a friend, of course. (more honestly out of curiosity, I wouldn't do it but I gotta know what would happen)

 

[The Dark Wizard]

Say, how much trouble would I they be in if I they made a mha roleplay and my their character's parents are two dads and someone happens to mention the other dad has the Ω quirk? It wouldn't go into full detail, but it would be mentioned.

Asking for a friend, of course. (more honestly out of curiosity, I wouldn't do it but I gotta know what would happen)

There is nothing wrong with males who get pregnant or gay RPs. Using magic or whatever ability, as provided by the setting (like science in scifi, or quirks in bnha) to allow people to get pregnant, is no different than multi-gendered aliens or creatures in other settings, to be honest.

 

[bitterblue]

i'm assuming this is because of the heats/ruts aspect of the au which is pretty much one of main components of omegaverse so yeah, makes sense

so then if we were writing in a fantasy world where humans and dragons had telepathic links, and the dragons had heats that mildly affected humans—in the overheating-and-feeling-more-tactile/hot-and-bothered way WITHOUT it crossing over to nsfw—would that be allowed? (in this scenario, the main characters would be the humans, not the dragons)

 

[nerdy tangents]

bitterblue my undesrstanding is it’s purely the erotic content that is why it’s banned. So if you wanna make an animal character that has a season for breeding that should be fine (as long as you do not write out the “breeding” of human level sapient creatures)

 

[Kaerri]

As was said in the first post:

we want to be clear that we are forbidding this genre because at its core and focus it is an erotic genre.

So if, for example, you wanted a link between man and dragon similar to those in Anne McCaffery's Pern series, that would be fine. If you go into explicit descriptions of the mating itself, that's not fine.

 

[Seabiscuit]

I never really take part in Omegaverse roleplays, but thanks for the heads up, though!

 

[Phantom Thief of Hearts]

What is Omegaverse?

Edit: Jesus Christ

I never understood why they called it Omegaverse

 

[rennuelaw]

Bypassing the sheer amount of kinks shaming i just saw, I disagree heavily with that since ABO does have other aespects to such as social standing and how it affects relationships but it's ya'll's site so ok.

 

[Kaerri]

As was explained in the initial post, we have no objection to the social dynamics side of things, but that can and does exist independently of the Omegaverse genre.

 

[The Dark Wizard]

Bypassing the sheer amount of kinks shaming i just saw, I disagree heavily with that since ABO does have other aespects to such as social standing and how it affects relationships but it's ya'll's site so ok.

As was explained in the initial post, we have no objection to the social dynamics side of things, but that can and does exist independently of the Omegaverse genre.

You are welcome to run RPs that explore social dynamics in relationships.

 

[nerdy tangents]

I think part of the issue is the assumption that “Omegaverse” and ABO default to “erotic content”.

It’s possible that’s how it was used in interest checks but by making a site announcement out of it you have mostly resulted in a lot of people (as the previous commenter stated) kink shaming.

Which is kinda the problem your getting with people saying “Er it’s not kink though? It’s a world building universe built around deconstructing gender politics”.

Yes there are kinky elements in it, but I mean there are kinky elements in all genres.

It would be stupid to assume that just cuz someone wants to do say “Kidnapper x Victim” they are gonna do some erotic BDSM scene.

Hence why I said just say you don’t allow erotic content period and let people explore social dynamics. As the core crux of this issue seems to have less to do with the ABO genre as a whole and more a reiteration that this site doesn’t allow erotic content.

Which given the people you are calling out should have known that from jump it seems weird to just kinda be like

“You can no longer do this one particular kink that it’s obvious most of you have never even heard of. But you can still write stories within the genre that kink is from just as long as it doesn’t contain erotic content.”

Wouldn’t it have been easier to just do another PSA where you just specified the limits?

“ex. Kissing is okay, fade to black is fine, but explicit mention of genitals or sexual acts is prohibited”. Or whatever the actual limits are it’s been awhile since I dug up that old PSA.

But in general I honestly think it would be more broadly helpful to just tell people where the limits are for erotic content as a collective then argue semantics with people on an individual basis

 

[rennuelaw]

I think part of the issue is the assumption that “Omegaverse” and ABO default to “erotic content”.

It’s possible that’s how it was used in interest checks but by making a site announcement out of it you have mostly resulted in a lot of people (as the previous commenter stated) kink shaming.

Which is kinda the problem your getting with people saying “Er it’s not kink though? It’s a world building universe built around deconstructing gender politics”.

Yes there are kinky elements in it, but I mean there are kinky elements in all genres.

It would be stupid to assume that just cuz someone wants to do say “Kidnapper x Victim” they are gonna do some erotic BDSM scene.

Hence why I said just say you don’t allow erotic content period and let people explore social dynamics. As the core crux of this issue seems to have less to do with the ABO genre as a whole and more a reiteration that this site doesn’t allow erotic content.

Which given the people you are calling out should have known that from jump it seems weird to just kinda be like

“You can no longer do this one particular kink that it’s obvious most of you have never even heard of. But you can still write stories within the genre that kink is from just as long as it doesn’t contain erotic content.”

Wouldn’t it have been easier to just do another PSA where you just specified the limits?

“ex. Kissing is okay, fade to black is fine, but explicit mention of genitals or sexual acts is prohibited”. Or whatever the actual limits are it’s been awhile since I dug up that old PSA.

But in general I honestly think it would be more broadly helpful to just tell people where the limits are for erotic content as a collective then argue semantics with people on an individual basis

This. Thank u for saying it.

 

[Jannah]

There's plenty of other sites to explore kinky stuff if that's your thing. Just throwing that out there...

 

[nerdy tangents]

There's plenty of other sites to explore kinky stuff if that's your thing. Just throwing that out there...

well yes but the problem is

1. ABO is not specifically a kink. Due to site rules I can’t explain it further then that. But it would be like if someone said “All historical roleplays are racist.” No they’re not, they might have racist themes or they might not. It’s up to the individual roleplayer.

2. The people who are writing kink aren’t going to stop doing it just cuz you make an acronym taboo. They will just use the alternative designation in public then continue to ask for erotic content in private.

It’s why I said it’s better to reiterate that erotic content in general is forbidden and then specify what constitutes as erotic content. That way people can report it properly without making a whole thread that is just making fun of people for liking a specific world building.

you wouldn’t like it if there was an entire site wide announcement where the comments were just “Ugh gross historical roleplays are racist and anyone who does them is a bigot.”

 

[Kaerri]

The difference is that if you google "History" the top results will not all include racism in their description.

I am sorry you view this "whole thread" as kink-shaming, as that was certainly not our intent and if you think it was, maybe you should go read the initial post again. Frankly, I don't recall any post in this thread that makes fun of anyone for "world building," specific or otherwise. It's the erotica inherent in the genre that is being objected to, both by staff and by those users in this thread who have voiced their objections. I get that you don't think it is inherent, but the staff respectfully disagree based on what we've seen both here and elsewhere in the internet, particularly those spaces that provide a definition of what Omegaverse is.

In an ideal world, simply reiterating the rules might be enough. Then again in an ideal world, reiterating wouldn't be necessary and everyone would have actually read the rules, including the box that has to be checked at account creation to confirm the user knows they aren't allowed to ERP here. As it happens, people either ignore or do not read that. Thus the specific announcement regarding this clarification to the rules, which we hoped would draw more attention. Which, obviously, it has, both from people who are pleased and those who apparently have taken offense. I am sorry for the latter, but as this thread is nearly two months old I really don't understand why it's apparently taken to be up for debate.

 

[Jannah]

well yes but the problem is

1. ABO is not specifically a kink. Due to site rules I can’t explain it further then that. But it would be like if someone said “All historical roleplays are racist.” No they’re not, they might have racist themes or they might not. It’s up to the individual roleplayer.

2. The people who are writing kink aren’t going to stop doing it just cuz you make an acronym taboo. They will just use the alternative designation in public then continue to ask for erotic content in private.

It’s why I said it’s better to reiterate that erotic content in general is forbidden and then specify what constitutes as erotic content. That way people can report it properly without making a whole thread that is just making fun of people for liking a specific world building.

you wouldn’t like it if there was an entire site wide announcement where the comments were just “Ugh gross historical roleplays are racist and anyone who does them is a bigot.”

I don't really think it's comparable since kinks by their very nature are sexual and this site forbids explicitly sexual content, hence my suggestion to use other sites if people are into that kind of thing in their stories.