Draft:Community Guidelines

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.

If you have never read the Community Guidelines, you should.

1.0 The Rules

All community rules are written with enforcement intended in the spirit, not the letter. Not every situation and rule break can be explicitly defined, as such enforcement of the following rules are subject to staff interpretation.

• Extensive discussion of the rules, or rulings made by staff, should generally be avoided in community discussion channels, and should be pursued via general or management ticket in the No Way Out Discord.
• Any player can inquire on the reasoning behind any ban within a ticket and will be provided explanation and information, not including anything sensitive or personally identifiable.

2.0 Zero Tolerance & Harassment

No Way Out has a zero-tolerance policy for any of the following activity or content:

• Harassment: Any form of bullying, threats, sexual harassment, or targeted harassment of users or staff.
• Doxxing: Sharing or facilitating the spread of another person's personally identifiable information without their consent.
• Hate Speech: Racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, and any other discriminatory or bigoted behavior is not tolerated. This includes the use of hateful symbols or imagery. Slurs are strictly prohibited.
• Ban Evasion, server brigading and raiding.
• Any inappropriate content, including the following:
  • Sexually Explicit Content (Such as Images, GIFs, or Erotic Writing)
  • Real world gore, excessive violence, or Animal Harm
  • Any other content expressly banned by Discord ToS
• AI Usage: The usage of artificial intelligence and generative text programs is banned for any writing content including: applications, in-game roleplay, and ticket responses. The use of AI-generated character images and art is allowed.
• Scamming: Falsely claiming to create content including art, music, and video content in exchange for pay. This includes AI creations and plagiarism.

Violations of this Zero Tolerance policy will result in an immediate ban, and a report to Discord for violation of ToS or their Community guidelines if relevant.

3.0 The Community

You must be 18 or older to participate on No Way Out. Any user suspected of being under age will be removed until they are 18. No Way Out is a roleplaying community built on mutual respect, we are all here to tell a story and enjoy our free time.

• Be civil, mature, and respect each other.
• Do not be toxic or flame others, including those not on the server.
• Do not badmouth other Project Zomboid roleplay servers or banned users, and avoid extended discussion of other servers' drama.
• 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.

3.1 Server Communication

No Way Out is an English-based community; English must be your primary method of communication on Discord and within the game.

• For in-game interactions, utilize the in-game language system when speaking a different language, and avoid using non-English full sentences.
• For IC Discord Interactions, such as radio broadcasts, provide a English translation, spoilered or subtexted.

Messages not in English may be removed by staff. Repeated violations of this rule can lead to punitive action, including bans.

4.0 Politics and Controversial Topics

Discussion of real-world politics and other "controversial" topics is typically not appropriate for our community. Some examples of what would be considered controversial are the following:

• Real-world politics, including elections
• Current sensitive events such as:
  • Ongoing or recent wars or conflicts
  • Recent high-profile political deaths
  • Ongoing or recent natural disasters
• Religious arguments
• References to genocides or war crimes both historic and ongoing.

This list is non-exhaustive and will be updated or changed as needs arise. Defining "controversial" can be a challenge, and Staff reserve the right to rein in or end conversations as needed, including those not listed here. Controversial or sensitive topics that pertain to your character or their backstory should be treated with the appropriate sensitivity, dignity, and respect required. We strive to maintain the good health of our community, and the atmosphere we wish to curate.

5.0 Staff Interactions

Please know that everyone on the staff team 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, protecting players from staff abuse, and protecting staff from false accusation or other misunderstandings. All tickets provide full transcripts, providing transparency to all interactions with staff. Tickets benefit everyone involved.

Independent of these rules, all members of our community should expect fairness, courtesy, and respect 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 a ticket ruling, do not hesitate to open a management ticket to speak with management. We take these concerns very seriously.

With that being said, harassment of any staff member is not tolerated. Please strive to remain as civil and courteous during staff interactions as you can manage.

5.1 Staff Rulings Are Final

Even if something a staff member tells you is not explicitly defined within the rules, their verdict as to the intent of the rules is considered final. We trust our staff to make these decision and uphold the spirit of our community guidelines. If you disagree with the ruling of a ticket, you are encouraged open a management ticket to appeal the decision.

5.2 Do not directly message staff regarding server-related issues or tickets.

Official staff interactions must occur within tickets; no rulings or decisions will be made in direct messages (DMs). This allows us to keep activity organized and keep transcripts for future transparency if needed.

5.3 Staff Personal Relationships

If you and a staff member share a personal relationship, generally that staff member will not be able to rule on your tickets, including approving applications. This is to avoid appearances of staff bias or favoritism.

5.4 Do Not "Staff Shop"

Asking for another staff member or trying to sidestep a staff member's decision because you disagree with it is discouraged. If you are unhappy with a ruling on a ticket, you must make an appeal via management ticket.