[BF3] Server Rules Discussion

[Ki!ler-Mk1]

We have decided to open up server rule discussion in advance of the games release.

As many of your know from being game server admins, in order to be popular with a healthy server environment and get repeat players, we need robust server rules.

Below are rules which i have thought of, some may be unpopular and it will be good to fix them in advance.

The rules fall into 3 categories:
Basic
These rules will be on the loading page and display to all players entering the server, and periodically displayed in chat every 10 minutes.

Expanded
Equally important as basic but not spammed at the players.

Ideas
These are ideas for expanded rules only.

Teamplay
These rules will not be advertised on the server and serve only to give admins permission to take action against players who do are not compatible with a healthy teamplay environment.


Proposed Rules:
Basic
No abusive language
Do not spawncamp
[strike]No Jets/Battle Tanks before 8v8[/strike]
Do not lock squads with only 2 players.
Expanded
[strike]No runway grieving[/strike]
[strike]Fast Vehicle C4 Ramming (Jihad Jeeping)[/strike]
Vehicle Queuing
Stealing Combat Aircraft from uncap
Ideas
[strike]No placing mobile spawn points in your own uncap. [vehicle queuing][/strike]
No Mining the opposing side's runway.[spawn camping]
[strike]Clan jumbling[/strike]
Teamplay
[strike]Vehicles leaving start empty[/strike]
Using a vehicle selfishly to reach a hard to reach space for sniping or other purposes at the expense of the vehicle.
Transport helicopter pilots bailing when their vehicle is doomed, leaving the passengers to die with no knowledge of the danger.



Note if action is not specified admins may escalate(From Global warning to perma ban) at their own discretion.

 

[Ki!ler-Mk1]

Basic server rules

No abusive language
Rule Enforcement:
If a player is abusive or otherwise deemed to be disruptive in text based communications, after 2 warnings they can be admin muted. Please note that if it is possible, the profanity filter will be OFF.

Do not spawn camp
Rule Enforcement:
Admins let players know they are on the server (in a rule breaking occurrence) and may kill/kick players seen to be breaking this rule without another warning.

To add to this, i think we can all agree the uncap is fair game when the opposing team has more than half the bases. That still does not justify vehicle stealing.

This rule also covers camping an enemy spawn beacon, if you find a person who is repeatedly killing people who are using one, but not destroying the beacon, please warn them directly with something like "<Name> stop camping that spawn beacon, please destroy it". This only applies if they have LOS on it (or are right near it), as there is no way to be sure they know its there.
[strike]
No Jets/Battle Tanks before 8v8
Rule Enforcement:
Use the !kill command if the player doesn't not exit the vehicle after at least 1 warning.
[/strike]
Do not lock squads with only 2 players.
Rule Enforcement:
When admins find time between playing, please move people who play in locked squads with only 1 or 2 players to any other squad, warnings are down to that admins prerogative. Locked 3 man squads are acceptable, it could be because someone disconnected for any reason, or to hold a space for a friend.



Expanded server rules

The expanded rules are to be enforced, but will not be loudly publicised.

[strike]No runway grieving
Rule Enforcement:
In the unlikely event that people are able to intentionally get players in vehicles to team kill them (like in BF2), they are to receive 1 warning, if they persist, they may be given a temp ban(0-20 minutes) at the admins discretion, this includes as i saw in the beta flying through a friendly parked jet with a jet and having the parked one die while flying away undamaged. Attacking the opposing sides runway with aircraft is pretty much unenforceable (There shouldn't be stuff parked there anyway) though.

Fast Vehicle C4 Ramming (Jihad Jeeping)
Rule Enforcement:
Warn players if you see/experience it, punish only if they cause the death(s) of team mates as in this example: Speeding towards enemy, friendly player(s) spawns on board, driver gets out, newly spawned player is killed by enemy.
[/strike]
Vehicle Queuing
Rule Enforcement:
When it is found that more players than a vehicle can hold are waiting for a vehicle to spawn a global admin warning should be put out about vehicle queuing 'No vehicle queues past vehicle capacity', at admins discretion (As to if any action is taken – but remember that a queuing player is not in the fight), however an example could be:
"Would whoever arrived at the spawn point for X Vehicle after there were players to fully crew it at the spawn please move along".
Of all the expanded rules, this one is the most important, as idle players can win/lose a game.

Do not take combat aircraft from the enemy uncap (Transport helicopters are exempt)
Rule Enforcement:
When observed or reported (by a trusted player) to an admin use !kill <playername>, no prior warning is necessary however if you do !kill please inform the player why before or afterwards.



Rule Ideas
[strike]
No placing mobile spawn points in your own uncap.
Rule Enforcement:
None. Just destroy them if you see them.
[/strike]
No Mining the opposing side's runway.
Rule Enforcement:
Two warnings naming the offender followed by temp ban. Given that players cannot enter the other sides uncap this will not happen much, but it is still possible.
[strike]
Clan jumbling
Rule Enforcement: When a clan is on the server with more than 12 members, admins have the right to move their members to the other team. This only applies when there is an imbalance, also applies to us. Asking them well in advance as common courtesy is a good idea.
[/strike]


Teamplay Rules

These teamplay rules mainly exist to enable admins to take action.
[strike]
Vehicles leaving start empty
Rule Enforcement:
Admins have justification at the start of games to take action against transport vehicle drivers/pilots who leave the uncap with passenger space while players are left behind. This rule is most easily enforced when you are a passenger and there are 2 or more spaces.

This does not apply to combat (2 seats) vehicles, because most likely they are to receive a gunner in squad.

Obviously this is most easily noticed when you are a passenger, but on the other hand sometimes no one wants to get in, so a hard one to enforce, as a transport chopper pilot how long do you wait?
[/strike]

Using a vehicle selfishly to reach a hard to reach space for sniping or other purposes at the expense of the vehicle.
Rule Enforcement:
Only applies to the pilot, if a pilot drops off a gunner/passenger it is fine. Action is at the admins discretion.

Transport helicopter pilots bailing when their vehicle is doomed, leaving the passengers to die with no knowledge of the danger.
Rule Enforcement:
Action is at the admins discretion. A polite warning is the advised course of action.


Things admins cannot do:

Kick players to make room for other players.

Kick/Ban without given reason

Kick/Ban without at least 1 prior warning on that day.

Ultimately as an admin you have the power to do on our server whatever you like as long as you follow these guidelines, the rules exist for the players.


As above, only the basic rules will be advertised to the players, the rest are common sense for a good game, if anyone has suggestions for new rules or for above rules to be moved into basic, please comment.

 

[Ki!ler-Mk1]

This post hold the results from the rules consultation/discussion.

The above strikes are from suggestions, fyi. Not final at this time.

Server Rules, taken from input so far.

1. Play nice, play polite.
2. Do not spawn camp, steal air assets or attack enemy uncap.
3. Do not lock 2 man squads. Players not in a squad 'may' be kicked.
4. Vehicle queuing is frowned upon by Admins, Jets are FCFS.
5. No jets/Battle tanks before 5v5
6.
END

Rules not shown in server:
Prohibited actions:
Transport helicopter pilots bailing when their vehicle is doomed, leaving the passengers to die with no knowledge of the danger.

Using a vehicle (air asset) selfishly to reach a hard to reach space for sniping or other purposes at the expense of the vehicle.

Clan stacking will be monitored by admins.

 

[Silk]

New role proposal:

Gief Silk instakill button!

 

[Ki!ler-Mk1]

New role proposal:

Gief Silk instakill button!

Er, no.

So i've been accused of putting too much thought into this, anyway they are significantly trimmed now, I hope we do have a good server environment in the end.