Community Guidelines

NWO Discord

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Discord Rules

All members must remain compliant with Discord’s Terms of Service and Community Guidelines at all times. Violations will result in removal from the community and proper reporting of said violations to Discord.

Zero Tolerance & Harassment

This community has a zero-tolerance policy for the following, most of which already go against Discord’s community guidelines:

• Scamming: Claiming to create art, music, etc., of any kind for payment that is not as advertised. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
  • Attempting to pass AI creations as your own
  • Tracing
  • Plagiarism
• Harassment: Any form of bullying, sexual harassment, threats, or targeted harassment such as brigading, ban evasion, or server raiding.
• Doxxing: Sharing or facilitating the spread of another person’s identifiable information without their consent.
• Hate Speech: Racism, homophobia, transphobia, and other discriminatory behavior. This includes the use of hateful symbols or imagery.
• Inappropriate Content, including the following:
  • Sexually Explicit Content (Images, GIFs, or Erotic Writing)
  • Real-World Gore, Excessive Violence, or Animal Harm

Violating these rules–especially with the intent to harass, shock, or obtain money, favors, etc. from others—will result in an immediate ban and a report to Discord for violation of TOS or Community Guidelines.

No Out-of-Game Politics or Controversial Topics

“Controversial” is a vague descriptor that can often be difficult to define. Some examples of what we would consider “controversial” and typically not appropriate for our community are:

• Real-world politics
• Current sensitive events such as:
  • Ongoing or recent wars or conflicts
  • Recent deaths
  • Ongoing or recent natural disasters
• Religion
• Other divisive topics

This list is non-exhaustive and may be updated or changed. Staff reserve the right to rein in or request an end to conversations as needed, including for topics not listed here. Our general goal is to keep conversations focused on roleplay and community engagement. We strive to maintain the good health of the community and the atmosphere we wish to curate.

Respect the Community

This is an 18+ community - we are all here to roleplay and enjoy our free time.

• Be civil, be mature, and respect each other.
• When in doubt, reach out to staff or your fellow community members.
• Prioritize immersion and respect for other players’ experience.

If you see an issue, need assistance, or are unsure about something, you can always contact staff through #ticket-support. We encourage and welcome all tickets.

Prioritize immersion and respect for other players’ experiences.

Staff Shopping & DMing

Please know that everyone on the staff enjoys talking with our community. Feedback, back-and-forth, and banter are what keep us strong and so tightly connected. However, it is important to remember that tickets are essential for both record-keeping, player protection from staff abuse, and staff protection from false accusation or other misunderstandings.

Independent of these rules, all members of our community should expect fairness, courtesy, and general “good behavior” from our staff team. If you feel you have not been treated fairly by a staff member, whether that be an OOC interaction, an IC concern, or feeling as though a ruling is unfair, do not hesitate to open a concern ticket to speak with management. We take these concerns very seriously.

Do not DM staff regarding server-related issues or topics.

Always open a ticket, regardless of how minor the matter may seem; we're more than happy to help, and it keeps us organized. Additionally, both you and the Staff will be able to pull transcripts for future transparency if issues arise. Furthermore, staff found issuing ticket-related rulings in DMs or otherwise offering assistance within DMs may be at risk of losing staff status.

Do not “staff shop.”

If you are unhappy with a ruling on a ticket, going to other staff members is unlikely to change that ruling. Remember that verdicts are typically final. If you wish to contest a decision, you may open a concern ticket.

Staff has final say

Even if something a staff member tells you is not explicitly defined within these rules, staff have final say and are generally trusted to make decisions as individual entities. If you have issues with the ruling of a ticket, please do not hesitate to open a concern ticket.

These rules apply regardless of any personal relationships you may or may not have with a staff member.

RP & In-Game Etiquette

It is essential to remember that we are not our characters. Behavior that occurs in-game is expected to be handled in game and, vice versa, behavior out-of-game is expected to be handled out of game.

General Conduct & Common Sense

• If a situation is not explicitly covered by the rules, common sense applies. If you think something is against the rules, it probably is.
• No ruleset can cover every scenario. Attempting to exploit loopholes will be treated as a rule violation.
• Ignorance of the rules is not an excuse.
• Respect all players. While in-character (IC) themes may include violence, desperation, and conflict, out-of-character (OOC) harassment, derogatory language, slurs, homophobia, bigotry, or excessive toxicity will not be tolerated.
• Do not use OOC communication to manipulate IC situations.

Roleplay Standards & Courtesy

• Players must remain in character (IC) at all times unless in an admin sit or when a rule breach requires a pause. If a pause is necessary, a ticket must be submitted immediately.
• Voiding a roleplay scene is not allowed without explicit administrator approval.
• Logging off to avoid RP or consequences is forbidden unless due to an emergency. Upon return, the RP scene will resume from where it left off.

Metagaming

We define Metagaming as:

Utilizing information obtained out of character (OOC) to one’s advantage in character (IC).

Some examples of Metagaming include:

• PMing a friend or messaging a group OOCly for assistance during a situation they would not reasonably be aware of or have a reason to enter in-character
• Using pictures or videos that another player has posted to locate their base or assess their loot for raid potential
• Learning of an incoming raid OOCly and building defenses or relocating when you did not already have plans to do so
• Sharing information OOCly to the server during actively ongoing situations, including in our #media channels
  • Screenshots are cool! For this scenario, however, we ask that players wait until conflicts or events are “resolved” before talking about them or sharing screenies

Powergaming

We define Powergaming as:

Engaging in roleplay or behaviors that negate the agency of other players.

Some examples of Powergaming include:

• Imposing injuries, conditions, reactions, or death onto other players with no reasonable opportunity for counterplay. (ex. “I put my gun to his head and shoot him, killing him instantly.” or “I grab your arm and twist it, making you scream and yield to me.")
• Describing your character as engaging in feats that are unlikely or even physically impossible for a human to attempt reasonably. (ex. A self-described petite librarian character lifts a washing machine on their own.)
• Failure to respond to RP when prompted in scenarios that would call for it, such as being directly addressed, held at gunpoint, or threatened
  • Even if this is “what your character would do,” this is both Powergaming and FailRP due to reasons listed below (see: FailRP)

Exploiting

We define exploiting as:

Using bugs or game limitations to gain an advantage, be it mechanical, meta, or for any other purpose.

Examples include:

• Duplicating items
• Building into or breaking your way into areas that you are not supposed to access

Again—We acknowledge that Project Zomboid is a very special game with…interesting quirks. If these happen on one-off, accidental occasions, that’s fine! Please open a ticket so we can rectify things.

If you are found to be taking advantage of an exploit, or if you are repeatedly caught doing so, punitive measures, up to and including a ban, may be issued.

Griefing

We define griefing as:

Harming other players, their belongings, or the server experience without proper planning, reasoning, or justification.

Examples include:

• Duplicating items.
• Destroying bases or vehicles outside of raid tickets.
• Unauthorized raiding or other bad-faith actions.

Furthermore, to keep the server running smoothly and the world furnished, the following will also be considered griefing:

• Dismantling structures, containers, or furniture to level up skills
• Dismantling vehicles with engine quality above 20%
• Excessive litter (this includes leaving behind car parts, logs, pipes, etc.)

See In-Game Rules 2.3: Dismantling for more information.

Character Portrayal & Immersion

All characters must be 18 or older and portrayed in a realistic, immersive way appropriate to a post-apocalyptic setting. This includes:

• Clothing: Outfits should make sense for survival conditions, not mimic modern fashion trends or meme aesthetics. Staff won’t strictly police clothing, but anything excessively out of place may be addressed to preserve immersion.

• Names & References: Characters must have realistic names typical of the era they were born in. Avoid symbols, numbers, modern pop-culture references, or names directly taken from existing media franchises.

• Behavior & Speech: Characters should fit the tone and social norms of the setting. Avoid modern slang, unrealistic backstories, or behavior that breaks world immersion.

• Depth & Personality: A character’s personality shouldn’t center solely on a single trait or aspect of their identity.

• Intent & Development: Characters should be fully realized individuals; not self-inserts or personas created only for ERP, romance, or wish-fulfillment. Relationships can form naturally, but every character should have believable motivations, flaws, and goals beyond seeking intimacy or attention.

Sensitive & Explicit Roleplay Topics

NWO is strictly an 18+ server due to the mature and potentially distressing themes present in a post-apocalyptic setting. Players may encounter violence, trauma, death, and other dark themes. This section outlines sensitive topics and is required reading for all members.

While we aim for an immersive experience, the following roleplay may only occur in secluded & private settings with the permission of all involved:

• Torture
• Graphic or excessively gruesome depictions of injuries

Explicit sexual roleplay or erotic roleplay (ERP) is strictly forbidden in publicly accessible chats on our server under any conditions. Any use of a public chat to engage in this style of RP is subject to punitive action up to and including a ban from the server.

We largely hold no responsibility for interactions that occur in direct messages or on non-NWO-affiliated servers. Any engagement with players through means of communication outside of our officially moderated chats is a decision to be undertaken with the consent of each participant, and not subject to our typical moderation guidelines in most cases.

If an individual is attempting to coerce, pressure, threaten, or otherwise manipulate you into participating in ERP or any other roleplay-related activities, you should report this individual to Discord, block them, and open a concern ticket with us. They are in direct violation of Discord’s ToS and NWO Discord Rules 0.0 and 1.0, and can be banned or even face legal action.

The following topics are strictly prohibited in all forms, including active participation, explicit or detailed reference, or accusations within roleplay: Rape

• Pedophilia
• Beastiality
• Necrophilia