2
Community Philosophy
Welcome to the bots4 community! The primary goal here is to foster a positive, respectful, and constructive environment where all players feel welcome to discuss the game, share ideas, compete, and connect. For a long time, this community operated with very loose moderation. As the game and community evolve, it has become clear that more explicit guidelines are needed to ensure bots4 remains a healthy and fun experience for everyone, both veterans and newcomers.
This Code of Conduct outlines the standards expected from all members. By participating on the forums and other official communication channels, you agree to abide by these rules. A commitment to these principles is key to making bots4 an enjoyable experience for all.
Section 1: The Spirit of the Community
All community members are expected to uphold the following core principles in their interactions:
Respect each other: Treat all members of the community, including fellow players and game staff, with courtesy and respect, even when you disagree. Value diverse opinions and engage with them thoughtfully.
Assume good faith (to a point): Always start by assuming that other players are trying to be constructive, even if you disagree. This principle is the foundation of a healthy community, but it does not require you to ignore a clear and persistent pattern of disruptive or bad-faith behavior. When a user consistently demonstrates that they are not engaging in good faith, the community is not expected to continue giving them the benefit of the doubt.
Contribute constructively: Strive to make your interactions a net positive for the community. Offer feedback, share strategies, help new players, and participate in a way that builds up the community.
Section 2: Acceptable Conflict and Rivalry
Competition is at the heart of bots4. Rivalries and conflict are not only allowed but can be a fun part of the game. However, a clear line must be drawn between healthy competition and toxic behavior.
Game-focused trash talk is acceptable: This includes declaring rivalries, discussing in-game strategy, or issuing warnings about in-game consequences. Statements like "If you keep hitting my clanmate's bots, expect retaliation" are considered part of competitive gameplay.
Player-focused hostility is not acceptable: This line is crossed when the primary purpose of a post shifts from discussing the game to taunting or provoking another player. Goading others ("Are you going to do something or just cry about it?"), mocking their efforts to belittle them personally, or repeatedly targeting them with messages to annoy them is prohibited.
When in doubt, check your intent: Before posting, ask yourself: "Is my post about the game, or am I just trying to get a rise out of the other person?" Communication should foster competitive spirit, not create a hostile environment where players feel personally bullied.
Section 3: Providing Feedback and Interacting with Game Staff
Passionate, direct, and critical feedback about bots4 is welcome and essential for the game's health. The line between criticizing the game and attacking the people behind it is crucial. While feedback on the game can be blunt, communication directed at staff must remain civil. The following behaviors are not considered constructive feedback and will be moderated:
Do not make personal attacks: Insults, name-calling, or abusive language directed at game staff are prohibited. The discussion must be about the work, not the individual.
Do not make accusations of bad faith: Making baseless accusations of personal bias, favoritism, or malice is considered a serious personal attack and is damaging to the community.
Do not persistently derail threads: Repeatedly using unrelated threads to air the same non-constructive complaint (e.g. about development speed) after it has been addressed is disruptive.
Section 4: Prohibited Conduct
In addition to the points above, the following actions are clear violations of community standards and will be moderated. This list is not exhaustive, and the "Spirit of the Rules" (see below) will also be considered.
Do not harass other players: This includes hate speech, real-life threats, or engaging in a sustained campaign of unwelcome targeted communication after being asked to stop.
Do not make public accusations of cheating: Report all suspicions directly to Ender via bmail with evidence. Public accusations create a toxic "witch hunt" atmosphere.
Do not discuss moderation actions publicly: Do not use the forums to argue about or complain about a specific moderation decision. Appeals must be sent via private bmail to Ender. The final decision on any appeal is not subject to further debate.
Do not post spam or inappropriate content: This includes advertising, pornography, or other content unsuitable for a general gaming audience. Profanity must not be used to attack or harass others.
Section 5: Enforcement
The primary goal of moderation is to educate and correct behavior to maintain a healthy community environment. While misunderstandings can happen, action will be taken to address violations of this Code of Conduct. When assessing a situation, context, severity, frequency of offenses, and a user's history will all be considered.
Process: Actions typically follow a progressive path: (1) official warning -> (2) short-term mute -> (3) longer-term mute -> (4) permanent mute (and potentially even bot lock/reset).
Moderator discretion: The severity of the violation will be considered. Egregious offenses may result in skipping steps. This progression is a general guideline, and the final decision rests with the moderation team and Ender.
The Spirit of the Rules
This Code of Conduct is a guide and does not cover every possible situation. All players are expected to interact in good faith and uphold the spirit of these rules: to be respectful, constructive, and to contribute positively to the bots4 community. Behavior that consistently undermines a positive and welcoming environment, creates a nuisance for other players or staff, or is otherwise deemed detrimental to the community by the moderation team may be subject to action, even if not explicitly listed as a violation. The aim is to foster a community where everyone feels welcome.
Scope
This policy applies to all official game platforms, including public forums, clan forums, bmails (when reported), clan/bot names/profiles, and the game's IRC channel.