Rule Change in Private/Public Rooms
Hi,
We’ve recently updated the rules regarding private space and public space. I’m writing this semi-brief note to send the message along. Below will be a few points on why we made the change, what was actually changed, and finally, how it affects everyone going forward. You can find the rules in the FAQ.
Why
With the implementation of in-game reports, private v. public rooms were always a hot topic when looking at the reports. Tori-Agents look through game chat logs and replays to come to their verdict(s). “Was this a private room?” “What can we do about it?” were frequently asked questions among the team. The staff team discussed this and came to the conclusion to amend the rules. We felt that, through means of technicalities, “allowing” members to break rules because they’re in their own custom server, isn’t right. We’re not trying to shaft people from having fun, rather, keeping everything fun and friendly for everyone. If something is reported, in-game reports, or our traditional methods of sending a screenshot in, we deal with it.
What
For everyone, these guidelines should be common sense behavior, typical to everyday interactions with real people. Here’s the new rules paired by the old rules. Please take the time to read.
Originally Posted by New
- Harassment
Harassing (by insulting, name-calling, slurs, bandwagoning, flaming, trolling, and so on) other members of the game for any reason is not allowed. We wish to maintain a friendly environment, and any flaming or harassment may result in a ban. This includes any homophobic or racial slurs in any public space in the community
"Public space" is defined as:
Game - Any room that is not protected by a password.
Forum - The entire forum with the exception of Wibbles and clan PRIVATE boards.
If it's brought to moderator's attention and found that your language disrupts the integrity of the environment we're setting; warnings, infractions, or bans will take place. Try to solve issues yourself if you can. We can't possibly be there for every single instance. Asking to politely stop is a start.
Originally Posted by Old
Harassing (by insulting, name-calling, slurs, bandwagoning, flaming, trolling, and so on) other members of the game for any reason is not allowed. We wish to maintain a friendly environment, and any flaming or harassment may result in a ban. This includes any homophobic or racial slurs in any public space in the community - for more information read here.
And if you follow the link in the Old rules, this part, I'll put that in a spoiler
Any homophobic or racial slurs are not allowed in what the staff has defined as "public space" under any circumstances. "Public space" is currently defined as:
The entirety of the forums, excluding clan boards
IRC channels #toribash and #support
Ingame, official servers and any globally broadcast server (for as long as people are able to join that server based on the broadcast info - these servers will be considered private if you change the room name and notify the room)
Using slurs in any of those places allows a moderator to infract or ban you at his or her discretion. Staff justify this kind of policing of servers as they believe removing slurs from the vocabulary of officially endorsed Toribash Community mediums is a small price to pay for a more cohesive community experience. It is worth noting that any private channels (i.e: private IRC channels, clan boards, private servers in-game) are not actively policed and so you are generally free to do as you want there regarding the language you use, though be aware reports will be looked at on a case by case basis. For example, repeatedly insulting someone in your clan board will most likely result in staff intervention.
Users should try to handle these sorts of issues amongst themselves before escalating to staff intervention. We don't want to have to step in for every single case, so please ask people to stop (And document it!) before reporting to us.
Going Forward
This isn’t to get rid of private rooms, you’re free to have your fun. Just be mindful of the others joining in. We strive to keep all platforms of Toribash a fun and friendly environment to want to be in. If you see behavior that clearly breaks the rules, report it. After that, ignore them using the ignore feature ingame. If you have feedback, you’re free to post, we’d love to hear it with the intentions of trying to improve.
Last edited by ed; Jan 21, 2020 at 08:36 AM.
Reason: clarity