91.5 Harassment
Harassment in Starmourn is not tolerated, including all forms of sexual harassment. The determination of harassment is based on our judgment alone, and may include (but is not limited to) cases of repeated unwanted communications of any kind, or even the mention of real-world information such as name, city, and the like.
The place where the harassment occurs is mostly, but not entirely confined to Starmourn. At our discretion, it may comprise other forms of communication, including (but not limited to) emails, forum posts, or instant messages.
Harassment Policies
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To help our players avoid harassing others, the following rules will be enforced by game staff. Please follow these rules, or face consequences!
- Players will be civil and respectful to each other out of character. In character, feel free to be a mean supervillain, so long as you are still capable of being kind to others OOC.
- There will be no trolling. Faction channels, and faction news boards are for IC content only, and should not be used as an avenue to attack or belittle other players, or stir up drama simply for the sake of drama. Even roleplay that incorporates conflict and PVP should be approached in a collaborative, respectful manner.
- Posting inflammatory things in OOC areas like Discord, the Forums and any OOC channels (including private clans etc) simply to get an exciting reaction from others is likewise against the rules.
- If the person who is getting to you hasn't actually broken the rules, we reccommend that you use the IGNORE function either temporarily or for as long as you need to. Anger doesn't do anything to change the personality of someone you simply don't get on with.
- If another player IGNORES you:
> Remember that it might not be anything to do with how you have acted. Maybe
your play style reminds them of something they find uncomfortable. Maybe
they just need to set a boundary. Maybe they just need to be alone for a
bit. Whatever the reason, they are acting for their own wellbeing, not to
offend you. Respect their boundaries.
> You are not to make any attempt to circumvent the ignore code by contacting
them in any other way.
> This includes PvP, even if they're in a PvP zone, pretend they're not
there, and if you have a character that has been shrubbed before for bad
behavior with another player, that means none of your future alts are to
contact that player either, for any reason, ic or ooc, pretend they don't
exist.
> This obviously goes both ways, someone cannot poke at YOU behind an ignore
and if they do, issue it
> DO NOT GOSSIP ABOUT THEM, talk about them on FT, anything. If they have you
on ignore it means they don't want to be involved in your RP at all, so
honor that by keeping their names out of your mouth and your keyboard
entirely both IC and OOC.
> We have no intention of adding an alert to those being ignored as this
throws up more problems than it solves and is a deterrent to people
protecting themselves or just needing some quiet time.
> People can ignore you for any or no reason and it isn't their job to inform
you of why, nor does it need to make sense to you, you just have to deal
with it and respect their boundaries.
- If you have someone on IGNORE:
> If they clearly don't know and you are in a situation where you are likely
to cross paths in-game or even in Discord, you can either:
- Let them know, if you feel you can do so without causing any further
conflict.
- Ask an admin to let them know
- Or just ignore them until they get the message.
- You do not owe anyone a response to any message or interaction.
> If someone doesn't know you have them on ignore then they may well mention
you. If you choose not to tell them, we can't expect people to somehow
absorb that knowledge without being told, so while we understand that it
might be distressing for you if it happens, if they don't know they don't
know. We'd rather it didn't get to the distressing stage.
- If you're going to run an antagonistic plot line that targets a player or dynasty it needs to either be publicly stated IC so the person can defend themselves, or consented to OOC by the party/parties involved in the roleplay.
> Basically... anything that would render you a baddie in a movie needs to
be either done entirely publicly/super obviously, or consented to by the
subject of your attack. Most players love this kind of roleplay as long as
they're consulted about it first!
> You're welcome to roleplay whatever you like. Conflict is the backbone of
story and we love a juicy plotline filled with treachery and subterfuge,
AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY RUIN SOMEONE ELSE'S GAME.
> Whether it's IC or OOC, dragging someone into your roleplay without them
being on board is only gonna make someone oocly upset. So be considerate.
> Examples of this include (but are not limited to): slandering a character,
dynasty or other group. Hate campaigns. Violent plotlines. Sexual
aggression and threats of sexual aggression are not tolerated at all in
public and everyone involved MUST be consenting and willing if this is
your thing in private (which goes for any sexual content of any kind).
- If you are asked to stop pursuing an avenue of roleplay that someone else finds upsetting (flirting, sexual advances, violence, politics, etc), STOP.
- When in doubt, ask yourself if someone could construe what you are about to say or post as hurtful. Don't be hurtful. Follow the golden rule.
What do I do if I'm being harassed?
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Harassment is something we take very seriously, and it is our expectation that you do too. If someone is harassing you, please first consider these guidelines:
- You are not obligated to stay in RP or PvP situations that make you uncomfortable. Know your boundaries, and make them clear in a firm, respectful manner.
- If someone is pursuing a scenario you do not want (flirtation, sexual, violence, politics, etc), clearly state that you want them to stop, and leave.
- If you no longer wish to interact with someone, put them on IGNORE. It does not matter if they are a friend, enemy, leader in your organization: Their standing does not entitle them to your time for any reason. If someone is annoying you, or you are having a bad day and they are deliberately pushing your buttons, that's what IGNORE is for. This may be all you need to do to solve your problem.
- If they circumvent your warnings or try to get around your IGNORE through other means, ISSUE them. Do not engage with or speak to someone who you have placed on IGNORE.
- Justice for OOC grievances should be pursued through OOC means, and NOT through IC gameplay. If you are OOC upset or uncomfortable about something that happened IC, try to come to a reasonable OOC resolution with your roleplay partners, or IGNORE them.
- If problems persist, use ISSUE. Issue the player you are having trouble with, or issue yourself and name them if you are uncomfortable. Provide documentation and logs if possible to help the administration.
- We want you to feel safe, but we will not tolerate frivolous issuing, or issuing with the intent of simply getting someone else in trouble because you do not like them. Recall the story of the boy who cried wolf, or look it up if you're not acquainted with Aesop's works.
- Do not abuse our willingness to help victims of harassment by trying to get out of situations you have put yourself into, especially when it comes to PK.
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After having read this, if you have a valid case for harassment, please open a support ticket via the ISSUE command. Please provide as much additional detail regarding the situation as possible, so our team can incorporate that information into their deliberations.
We may choose to take into account information outside of Starmourn, but please keep in mind that we are not a real world law enforcement agency. We are not in a position to protect you from real world threats, harassment, or harm. If the harassment you are experiencing is of this nature, please contact real world authorities immediately.
In our sole determination, if the offence is serious enough, we may alert your service provider (ISP), your workplace, your university, or other relevant institutions, giving them details of your use of their resources.