Server Admin Rules/Guide

[Ninwes]

• Always perform administration according to the rules, rather than your personal opinion and beliefs.
• Be mindful that you don't get angry or frustrated to the extend where you overreact.
• Always issue warnings for relatively minor offenses before taking action, giving the player a fair chance to improve the behavior.
• When appropriate, always help players to improve their gameplay - consider that prevention is better than reaction.
• Adhere to the policies/guidelines below
• Never share the admin password with others. If others ask you, provide them with a link to the password thread. This ensures they have access to get it, and that they are made aware of the terms.

[Ninwes]

Being an Admin
The role of an admin is similar to that of a police officer; your primary goal is to ensure that the rules are upheld, but you only truly succeed, when you are able to create an enviroment where players feel welcome and fairly treated.

To help you achieve this success, we've written down some policies to elaborate on certain areas of the admin role.


Duty Admin
To prevent issues that occur when more than one admin is performing actions (such as kicking an extra player, echoing warnings, etc.), only one admin is the duty admin, regardless of the number of admins on the server.

The Duty Admin is by default the highest ranking (Super)Admin, who has been in the server the longest in the current session.

If the Duty Admin is a SuperAdmin, he/she may instruct another Admin to be the Duty Admin. This could happen, for example, to monitor how other admins are doing, and help them learn.

Taking Action
If a player violates the Game Server Rules, as an Admin you are required to take action to stop the violations. When doing so, it's relevant to determine if you think the misconducting player did whatever he/she did on purpose, and whether it's a serious offense.

If the offense is serious (e.g. intentional teamkilling, intentionally failing mission, ramboing even after being told to stop, violating other rules after being given clear warnings), you should simply remove the player immediately.

With less serious offenses, as well as with repeated violations that could be accidental or due to lack of knowledge of the rules, you should always issue warnings before taking further actions. Warnings must always include the name(s) of the misbehaving players.


Warnings
The point of a warning is to tell the person to stop the violation of rule(s). Warnings are important, and it is important that they are issued correctly.

A warning must avoid escalating the situation unnecesarily. This happens, for example, when a player feels compelled to violate more rules out of spite. It is a typical reaction if the warning is condescending or too harsh. If the person feels stripped of their dignity, this reaction is almost certain.

On the other hand, warnings need to be sufficiently clear to serve their purpose; it must be clear to the player that further violations mean further actions. Otherwise, there is no point in the warning.

PlayerSomething is shooting a cuffed suspect repeatedly with a LTL shotgun (This is considered a minor offense)

|SOG|Nicoleise: PlayerSomething - Stop acting like a 5 year old. I'll kick you if you continue.
The warning is condescending because it suggests the player is immature. It is also unclear (doesn't mention the offense) and establishes in a very direct way "I have power over you".

|SOG|Nicoleise: PlayerSomething - Please stop shooting cuffed suspects, it's against the rules.
The warning is polite, but also doesn't tell the player what the consequences will be of not following the warning. The player is likely to think that you are not an admin, but rather just giving hints. For this reason, the player is likely to continue playing as they wish, thus requiring removal.

|SOG|Nicoleise: PlayerSomething - Stop shooting cuffed suspects, please. I ask that you follow the rules of the server. If not, you will be removed.
The warning is clear; it mentions both which player is being addressed, what the offense is and in a courteous way instructs that the person will be removed from the server, not only by repeat violations of the same rule, but also by violation of other rules. Also note the more indirect "you will be removed" as opposed to the more dominant "I will remove you".

If the player commits other violations, it would be up to your judgement if he should be given a new warning or removed from the server.

As a guideline; so long as people comply with your instructions and try their best to learn, or their violations are accidental, your responsibility is to help them improve. If people are not interested in improving or conforming however, your time is wasted on them.

Undercover
The term 'Undercover' refers to a member (especially so; an admin) who joins an |SOG| game server under a false name, and without the use of |SOG| tags.

It is not allowed for admins to be undercover without |SOG| tags when logged in as admin on the server. If an admin wishes to be undercover, they must do so without logging in. They can then login to admin the server when needed, and tags should then be used.

Admins are representatives of |SOG|. Therefore, actions taken on the server using admin powers are a reflection of our community, gaming culture, and our rules. As a result, the tag should be used with pride and matched to reflect the professional actions taken.

Super admins are excluded from this rule for purely admin monitoring purposes e.g. coaching new admins and checking admin compliance.

The method of not logging in as admin, can be useful in gathering evidence of repeated offenders, who follow the rules when members are around, but acts highly disruptive to others, when that is not the case.

The downside of the method is that it will create the impression that |SOG| members are not active, when it fact, there is a member on the server.

At |SOG| we generally prefer "visible policing", which is to say that server admins are present with tags. The admin role is so much more than kicking people; giving them helpful tips on their gameplay and ensuring that the average player will have an overall positive experience with SOGs admins is vital.

It also ensures that when action is taken, other players will recognise the actions as fair, because they have the experience that if you follow the rules, the admins are nice and friendly. If the admins "hide" to attain evidence, this part of the role is completely lost, and people may feel prosecuted, and may feel that admins are setting up traps for them.

For these reasons, it is generally advised against, that members go undercover, and if doing so, they must have a clear reason why - such as "I joined to monitor XYZ as he has been problematic." and the duration of being undercover should generally be kept as short as necessary to complete the intended goal, meaning that you should change your name back to the correct name within a few rounds if no violations occur or before you take action.

Gathering Evidence
As a admin, you hold a position of power over someone else. Therefore, it is important that your actions are fair, unbiased and proportionate.

If someone feels that this isn't the case, it's a fundamental right of theirs to challenge your actions.

For this reason, you are required to report bad players in the |SOG| Report Database. In your report, you must describe truthfully the circumstances of the violations, and include evidence of it.


Revoked Admin Rights
Your actions as an admin may be monitored and/or logged. These logs, etc. may be reviewed, both in the case of appeals as well as on occasional basis.

If you are found to have violated the rules or admin rules, or if you severely fail to follow the guidelines in this post, you may have your admin rights revoked, either to the particular service or in general.

[Matt]

The following has been amended above.

Undercover Admins - It is not allowed for admins to be undercover without SOG tags when logged in as admin on the server. If an admin wishes to be undercover, they must do so without logging in.

Super admins are excluded from this rule.

Reasoning?

Admins are representatives of |SOG|. Therefore, actions taken on the server using admin powers are a reflection of our community, and our rules. As a result, the tag should be used with pride and matched to reflect the actions taken.

Super admins are excluded from this rule for purely admin monitoring purposes e.g. coaching new admins and checking admin compliance.

NOTE - Jessica is checking compliance to this policy, and will change your name if you are logged in as an admin and not using your clan name & tags.

[C.A.B.A.L.]

I must be excluded from the nick rule, Jessica is going crazy trying to change my nick from CABAL to C.A.B.A.L. but games doesn't support dots so she can't change my name and looping it all the time :/

[Matt]

[quote=""C.A.B.A.L.""]I must be excluded from the nick rule, Jessica is going crazy trying to change my nick from CABAL to C.A.B.A.L. but games doesn't support dots so she can't change my name and looping it all the time :/[/quote]

Can you try again and let me know. I would be keen to test this when we are both online

I think I have fixed the issue

[Matt]

Moved to members only forum for guidance.

It is advisable to download the AMClient Mod from

http://www.gezmods.co.uk