Skip to main content

Server Rules and Strike System

Introduction​

All bans in this text are governed by these 3 axioms or basic assumptions.

—Ignorance of rules is not an excuse not to follow them. Judgement will be passed according to the rules, so make sure to understand them well.

—Rules are made of 2 things: 1-An intent, and 2-An expression. The intent is what the rule is meant to do (or what its purpose is), and its expression is how it's actually written down into words in this document.

Based on that, we clarify that all arguments about technicalities of how rules are written will be resolved according to the intent of the ban. Something not being explicitly written does not excuse non-compliance, as it's easy to understand what the rule is meant to do and why you shouldn't do it.

—Criteria which mention or include the need for a player's sense of civility or understanding of rules can be determined in 2 ways: 1—Does the player normally behave with decency? If yes, then they must have known they were breaking rules and therefore have a sense of morality they betrayed. Serves as a "yes" for criteria purposes. 2—Straightforwardly ask the player if they knew they were acting against basic rules of morality. Sometimes they may answer honestly and incriminate themselves.

"You've activated my trap card!"

0 — Strike guidelines​

0A — Strikes​

This server will run on a 5 strike system. Every player (staff included) is subject to follow certain rules, and if they're found to not be following them, the consequence is for a certain amount of strikes to be issued depending on the precise offense.

When a player reaches 5 strikes, there's differential treatment depending on status.

—Staff members are to be stripped from their role and receive a 1 month mute, after which they're subject to player rules and begin with 2 strikes on their record.

—Players are to be banned for 1 year, after which they will be allowed to re-enter with 2 strikes on their record.

0B—Appeals​

Players and staff alike are allowed to appeal bans and individual strikes by opening a ticket. If they're able to show any conclusive evidence of wrongdoing or non-blame, a staff member (moderator or higher), who cannot be the same one who issued the strike in the first place, is to decide if the strike is to stand or the appeal to be listened to, after which the strike is to be erased from record.

Additionally, players are allowed to eliminate their ban and start over with 0 strikes for the price of 20$, and to erase a single strike for 5$. A ticket communicating clearly this intention is to be opened, and the transaction may go through. Funds will be used to keep the server running.

1 — Rules for Players​

1A — Disruptive behaviour​

Disruptive behaviour is not allowed. It's classified as a low-tier offense, meaning it counts as 0.25 strikes. Additionally, staff are advised to serve mutes of varying durations.

There's 2 criteria for what constitutes disruptive behaviour:

  • a—Annoyance: would a normal, rational player find this behaviour annoying, and want it to stop? Yes or no?
  • b—Rebelliousness: was the behaviour performed while knowing it would break basic rules of good manners? Did the player know they were doing something bad, and did it anyway? Yes or no?

All 2 of this criteria must be met for something to qualify as disruptive behaviour.

Some examples include:

  • —Spamming messages too much (everyone knows not to spam)
  • —Advertising so often it's hard to talk (everyone knows advertising is annoying)

"Omg shut up"

1B — Bullying​

Bullying is not allowed. It's classified as a mid-tier offense, meaning it counts as 1 strike.

There's 3 criteria for what constitutes bullying:

  • a—Intent: was this interaction meant to hurt someone?
  • b—Content: was the message commonly understood as offensive? Meaning: would it be reasonable to interpret this as offensive?
  • c—Effect: Was the person actually hurt?

At least 2 of these criteria must be met for something to be classified as bullying. As soon as it meets the definition, it warrants punishment.

Some examples include:

  • —Spamming someone with "crying" gifs or jpegs (satisfies intent and effect)
  • —Slurring someone who has you muted/ignored (satisfies intent and content)
  • —Saying something bigoted without knowing someone present was affected (satisfies content and effect)

Note: slurs or other forms of bigotry are auto-classified as bullying, as no matter the context they always fulfill 2 of the 3 conditions.

"No n-word spamming allowed"

1C — Terrorism​

Terrorism is not allowed. It's classified as a high-tier offense, meaning it counts as 5 strikes; so a ban. A fully permanent ban may also be considered.

There's 4 criteria for what constitutes terrorism:

  • a—Harm: Did this hurt a player or staff member personally? As in: is this actively endangering anyone's well-being? Yes or no?
  • b—Suffering: Would this cause a significant amount of distress or mental/psychological damage to anyone? Yes or no?
  • c—Urgency: If this is not erased/punished immediately, would that harm players in any way? Yes or no?
  • d—Integrity: Does this endanger the integrity of the server or the community? Are people likely to lose [trust or faith] in [staff or the server] if this is allowed to exist? Yes or no?

At least 3 of these criteria must be met for something to be classified as terrorism. As soon as it meets the definition, it warrants punishment.

Some examples include:

  • —Nuking the server
  • —Sending nazi paraphernalia (gifs or jpegs)
  • —Sending IP grabber links
  • —Posting anyone's face in any context without their consent (tantamount to doxxing)

Any severe form of server disruption that causes significant server downtime (DDoS attacks) will be reported to our server provider as well as proper authorities.

"Blocked, blocked, blocked, blocked, all of you are blocked"

1D — Overstepping​

Overstepping is not allowed. It's classified as a mid-tier offense, meaning it counts as 1 strike. Staff is advised to physically remove items, builds or machines that are related to, and/or cause the offense.

There's 4 criteria for what constitutes overstepping:

  • a—Liability: Is the player responsible for something that harms other players, whether directly or indirectly? Yes or no?
  • b—Advantage: Has the player obtained, through any means whatsoever, something that gives them an advantage not otherwise accessible for other players? Yes or no?
  • c—Dishonesty: Did the player attempt to commit behaviour that would be punished under normal circumstances? Is there clear criminal intent, and the intention to cover it up or construct context so as to exempt the player? Yes or no?
  • d—Conspiracy: Are there clear actions taken [alone or in assembly] to commit an offense of any kind? Would a normal person interpret intentions of conspiracy in knowledge of all the relevant evidence? Yes or no?

Any one of these criteria is enough to classify something as overstepping. This rule is made to catch edge-cases, so discretion is advised when citing this rule. Overwhelming evidence is needed.

Examples of overstepping include:

  • —Intentionally making lag machines (Liability)
  • —Utilizing valuable items obtained from staff without explicit permission or knowledge (Advantage)
  • —Claiming to be black as an excuse to spam the n-word (Dishonesty)
  • —Assembling with a group of players to create a lag machine and being discovered before doing it (Conspiration)

"You thought we wouldn't notice?"

2 — Rules for Staff​

2A — Authority​

Most staff positions are subject to a simple power structure: helpers, mods and admins have a power relation between eachother, which means:

  • —Helpers are to stick to their basic functions unless requested otherwise.
  • —Mods have the authority to request assistance from helpers.
  • —Admins have the authority to request assistance from mods and helpers.

Failure to comply to commands in a timely manner is considered a low-tier offense, resulting in 0.25 strikes. Threat of a write-up should be used as a tool to compel staff members to help in specific cases or do their duties. Actual usage is advised to be the last option.

The party on the lower power position is explicitly allowed and encouraged to argue if they believe they're justified in their actions. Having less power does not justify being abused by this rule. If you believe you are being shut down unfairly, open a ticket and argue your case straight to an Admin, and if you're accusing an admin, another admin and/or the owner have the authority to remove them after considering your case.

2B — Structure​

Helpers​

Duties: You are to observe chat whenever you're present, and to make sure people are behaving in accordance to basic rules of good manners.

You're also expected to help players by answering simple questions like crafting recipes, warp availability and such.

Abilities: To achieve your duty, you have been given the authority to impart mutes (usually short in duration), and class 1A (Disruptive behaviour) and 1B (Bullying) punishments. You do NOT get access to special tools ingame, so if you find a crime that requires special access to be erased and/or punished, feel free to ask for help.

Moderators​

Duties: Your duty is to enforce the rules (same as helper), but you are to be given a bigger reach, along with a bigger responsibility as well. In addition to keeping civility in chat, you're expected to keep an eye on players within the actual server, specifically looking for cheaters or other types of rule-breaking.

Note: 1D is designed as a catch-all rule meant for edge-cases, although it's appropriate for simple cheating and lag machines as well. 2B is meant to compel staff to do their duty, so use accordingly.

Your responsibilities also include checking-in with helpers, to guide them and to encourage them to do their job. You also help players by answering questions and directing them to open tickets when appropiate.

Tickets: Once you reach Moderator role, you're also required to start dealing with any tickets you believe you're able to solve on your own. If you find you can't solve a ticket [because you physically lack the permissions necesary] you are to ping Admin role and leave.

Abilities: Your reach is extended to using /vanish, which you are to use to occasionally look at players [at random] in their every-day gameplay to make sure they're not cheating, using x-ray or in possession of lag machines or a large numbers of entities that could be causing lag (which is also punished under 1D: Overstepping). However, you do NOT have access to creative, worldedit or console commands; if you decide a punishment requires usage of any of these, you are to request help from an Admin. Otherwise, you are to collect screenshots and/or video if necessary (to tell Admins to delete the in-world content) and enforce punishment yourself via commands.

Administrators​

Duties: Your responsibilities and reach are further increased relative to Moderator role: you're head of enforcing, meaning you're expected to manage, teach and aid moderators and helpers alike.

Abilities: You're given a wide toolbox to help enforce the rules: you can impart all punishments to players (1A, 1B, 1C and 1D respectively); to staff (2A, 2B, 2C) and to third parties (3A, 3B). You also get access to /vanish (to keep an eye on all players, at random), to creative and to worldedit tools as well. However, you do NOT get full access to console as you don't need it to do your job.

Tickets: You're also expected to deal with any tickets you believe you might be able to solve, or get otherwise summoned to by a moderator.

Special duties: In addition to all this, you're also right hand of the Owner himself. You are expected and required to provide labour, knowledge and opinion if asked to directly, or if assigned to any other projects or tasks directly, or if you request to be assigned and get accepted. You then take onto the responsibility for the success of said project, for which your performance will be under constant review.

Developers​

Duties: Developers are required to use their programming skills to implement software, write code, fix bugs in the system, fix individual parts of plug-ins if they don't work, and aid the Owner directly to help shape the server into whatever it's defined as what it's supposed to be.

You are excempt from moderation, and natural power structure. You do NOT take orders from helpers, moderators or administrators. You listen to the Owner and nobody else. Basic decency dictates you may —occasionally— listen to admins if you choose to as well.

Abilites: You get full access to console because it's necesary to fulfill your duties. Despite being able in theory to impart all punishments because of your special access, you are to stay away from any moderation matters and leave them to the structure in place for that; do NOT moderate.

You will be under constant scrutiny. We hope you deliver, and implicitly thank you for your service.

Contractors​

Duties: Your tasks are to be outlined personally and privately by the Owner. Your presence implies you have a certain ability, skill or otherwise useful talent that justifies your position, so make sure to accomplish your goals under threat of being fired.

Failure to take onto the duties of your role constitutes a violation of the Structure rule. This is considered a mid-tier offense, resulting in 1 full strike and a written warning.

Abilities: You get full console access, along with creative and worldedit permission, as it's understood it's necessary to accomplish your duties. You also get access to all moderation perms, but you are NOT to use them because it's not your duty. Leave that to the structure in place.

You are exempt from listening to mods or helpers. You are, however, bound to listen to Admins and the Owner. You're expected to comply.

Failure to take onto the duties of your role constitutes a violation of the Structure rule. This is considered a mid-tier offense, resulting in 1 full strike and a written warning. Admins and mods may apply this rule, though they're advised to only use threat of action to compel staff members to comply.

2C — Abuse​

Higher amounts of power also imply a higher ability to abuse said power. Humans crave power, and enjoy wielding it without regards for what the power is actually for.

In the rule 2B we have outlined the duties and abilities of staff, and here we add that —excluding owner and developer— the purpose of power is to keep the server safe and to guarantee a friendly experience for all players. Understand the purpose for your power and you are sure to use it well.

Abuse, more commonly known as "staff abuse" is not allowed. It's a mid-tier offense, but in this case it counts as 3 strikes due to its severity.

There's 4 criteria for what constitutes abuse:

  • a—Duty: Is this outside the realm of normal, expected duties for the role? Yes or no?
  • b—Profit: Does this action benefit the offending player or anyone [close or related] to the player? Yes or no?
  • c—Malice: Does this action harm or punish any players without due process [or] more than recommended for the crime? Yes or no?
  • d—Ambiguity: Does the action warrant punishment despite not clearly benefitting or harming anyone? Yes or no?

To be considered abuse, at least 2 out of the 4 criteria must be met. Usually (a) plus either (b) or (c) to cover all instances of positive and negative abuse.

Criteria (d) exists to catch rare instances where actions ourside of normal duties were committed for unclear reasons. In those cases, the last relevant question is always «does this actually warrant punishment?».

3 — Rules for Third Parties​

3A — Publicity​

Advertising other servers, services or any websites or products whatsoever is not allowed. Doing so is considered a mid-tier offense, resulting in 3 strikes.

There's only 1 criteria for what constitutes publicity:

  • a—On Sight: I know it when I see it.

This rule DOES NOT APPLY to ingame services. It's meant for people attempting to use our server for marketing purposes.

Players are encouraged to open tickets showing screenshots if no staff are present at time of an offense to issue punishment automatically.

3B — Networking​

Declaring work intentions in public channels is not allowed. Doing so is considered a low-tier offense, resulting in 0.25 strikes and a 10-minute mute.

There's only 1 criteria for what constitutes networking:

  • a—On Sight: I know it when I see it.

✓ If you wish to work with or for the server, offer any services or products, open a ticket directly stating clearly your intentions and what you offer.