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Must-avoid policy
 
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==Overview==
==Overview==
In situations where players have a significant disagreement with each other, then Profound Decisions may impose a must-avoid ruling. This restriction applies equally to both parties regardless of which party raised the complaint and is designed to allow both parties to enjoy the event as far as possible. This page explains how the must avoid policy works, so that players know how to follow the rules.
A must-avoid is intended for situations where neither party has broken our rules, but one or both wish to avoid the other. A must-avoid is '''not''' a [[sanction]]. If you have reason to believe that someone has broken our conduct rules, we encourage you to [[reporting a conduct problem|report the problem to the conduct team]] and they'll discuss the options with you.  


==Impartiality==
A must-avoid does not prevent accidental contact but it aims to formally minimise social contact between two participants who do not wish to interact, so that they do not have to talk to each other or spend time in each other's company.
Disagreements between players may be based on disagreements that are exceptionally serious in nature - or relatively minor. The conflict may be caused by actions from both parties or the fault may lie solely with one side. Practical experience has shown that it is impossible for Profound Decisions to investigate these matters thoroughly, as they invariably involve incidents that took place outside events.  


The must avoid policy exists to allow players to attend an event with the best possible chance of avoiding another attendee whose presence would make them feel unsafe or deeply uncomfortable. Our goal in these circumstances is to protect participants and allow them to attend the event and enjoy themselves, not to identify perpetrators and assign blame. The much higher burden of proof required to conclusively identify a culpable party would make it impossible to protect players. By applying this policy equally to both parties we can impose the policy much more easily and thereby provide the best protection for all concerned.
All must-avoids apply equally to both people, regardless of which person requested it.


==Avoid Each Other==
==How Do I Request a Must-Avoid?==
The basic principle is that the affected players should make all reasonable efforts to avoid close social contact with the other player. They should not initiate contact or conversation and should actively avoid camps and tents if the other player is present, regardless of the IC situation. The only exceptions to this are discussed below. A camp should be understood to refer to the camp of a group of players, it does not mean an entire nation camp. Players under this prohibition are expected to avoid the other players personal camp, and their group's camp unless they are certain the player is not present, they are not required to avoid the entire nation camp where the other player is based.
* '''Contact the conduct team to request a must-avoid'''
* '''A must-avoid request is not the same as a report of a conduct problem, and does not involve any investigation'''
* '''You don't have to provide any reason for requesting one and you will not be asked for details'''
* '''Asking for a must-avoid does not prevent you also reporting a conduct problem'''


These rules always apply equally to both parties - in effect whoever is already present and roleplaying in a camp has the right to remain there, the player who has just arrived should make their excuses and avoid the area.
If you want a must-avoid then you must [[Reporting_a_conduct_problem#How_Do_I_Report.3F|contact the conduct team]]. A must-avoid is not part of our official conduct complaint system, but the administration is handled by the conduct team. You don't have to provide any reasoning for why you want to have a must-avoid. The team won't carry out any investigation or require any further details - they will simply check that you understand what a must-avoid entails, and then they will speak to the other party as quickly as possible to let them know the restrictions that both you and they are under.


==IC Interactions==
If you choose to share details about your reasoning with the conduct team, they may ask you if you wish to make a report about a conduct problem, depending on what you have told them. This is always optional. Asking for a must-avoid also does not prevent you from reporting a conduct problem at the same time, or in the future, if you want to.
Players who have been instructed to avoid each other should make all reasonable efforts to avoid coming into IC conflict with the other parties character. Such characters should not pretend they are friends, but it is not appropriate to seek to have the other party killed or to try to damage their political fortunes, even if the possibility exists to do so without physically encountering the other character.


The basic principle behind the must avoid policy is that both players should endeavour to ensure that the other player is not driven by IC factors to come into contact with the other.
==What Does it Entail?==
* '''Make all reasonable efforts to avoid close social contact with the other person'''
* '''Don't start or join a conversation with the other person at any time'''
* '''At Empire main events or player events, avoid the other person's group camps and tents'''
*'''You can share large communal areas such as GOD, the Hub, the Hall of Worlds or the Senate building, provided you remain apart'''
*'''You must not attempt to harm each other's characters in any way'''
*'''You must avoid interacting with each other online wherever possible'''
* '''These restrictions apply equally to both parties - whoever is in a group camp or tent first has the right to remain'''
* '''These restrictions apply at all times'''


==Imperial Game Areas==
Participants under a must-avoid should not approach any medium sized group (around 12 or fewer people) that includes the other person, regardless of the IC situation. Neither party is expected to avoid the entire nation camp where the other player is based, and both parties can still attend large communal gatherings like Conclave, the Senate, the Forge Tavern, or a nation muster, or out-of-character areas such as GOD. However, they must make all reasonable efforts to stay a significant distance away from each other - they should position themselves at the other side of the room/tent/clearing. They must avoid each others' group camps.  
The above rules cover interactions in the tents and camps at Anvil, less stringent rules apply to communal game areas like the Senate or the Hall of Worlds. It is not possible for two players to avoid the other player's location if they are both senators. Likewise magicians who are members of the Conclave cannot avoid being in the same tent during Conclave meetings. Some of these "Imperial" locations, such as the Hub, the Conclave, and the Synod are sufficiently large that players can use the area at the same time, provided they make every effort to avoid conversation and close proximity where that is reasonably possible.


For example, if two senators must avoid each other then they can stand at opposite sides of the Senate chamber. Even two magicians who are members of the same Conclave order can still make a reasonable effort to keep their distance from each other during a Conclave session.
Both parties should avoid IC factors that would cause them to come into contact with each other. They should avoid player-versus-player (PvP) activities with each other, and must make all reasonable efforts to avoid coming into IC conflict. It is not acceptable for one person's character to seek to have the other killed or to try to damage their political fortunes, even if the possibility exists to do so without physically encountering them. If either party holds an in-character title, neither person may attempt to have them revoked, replaced, or similar.


In these situations players are still expected to avoid close contact and direct conversation with each other. A magician in the Conclave may address the chamber, but they cannot go over to talk directly to another player that they have been instructed to avoid.
Participants under a must-avoid should avoid interacting with each other in any Profound Decisions official online communities. They must refrain from sending each other emails, private messages, or texts, unless there is a legitimate need to do so.


Encounters outside Anvil, such as audiences with eternals or quests are covered by the standard rules for IC interactions - players involved should make all practical efforts to avoid being on the same quest or in the same audience at the same time.
'''These rules always apply equally to both parties''' - in effect, whoever is already present and roleplaying in a camp has the right to remain there, and the player who has just arrived should make their excuses and leave the area. Accidental contact is possible - but we expect the party that has arrived to follow the spirit of this rule and depart the area quickly and with the minimum of fuss.


==Following the Rules==
==What If the Must-Avoid is Violated?==
If a player is encountering any difficult avoiding another player they have been asked to avoid, or if they wish guidance on how this applies in a specific circumstance then they should raise that matter with a member of Profound Decisions as soon as possible. If a player feels that the other party is not following the spirit of the rules and making all reasonable efforts to avoid the other party, then they should report this to Profound Decisions as quickly as possible. We regard any breech of these rules as very serious, a serious violation is likely to result in a player receiving a permanent ban from all events.
* '''If you think the other party has breached the must-avoid then you should report this to the conduct team'''
* '''If you need advice about how you can best follow a must-avoid, you can talk to the conduct team'''
* '''Any deliberate breaches of a must-avoid are a very serious conduct matter and will result in a formal warning or permanent ban'''


==Spirit of the Rules==
If you think you will have difficulty avoiding the other person, you should discuss that with the conduct team at the earliest opportunity. They can provide advice to help resolve any potential problems. If you feel the other person is not following the spirit of the rules and making all reasonable efforts to avoid you, you should report this to the conduct team.  
In theory it might be possible for an individual to attempt to keep to the letter of the rule and avoid the spirit of it, there are situations where people can feel threatened by an individual simply by their persistent close presence, even if they are not attempting to initiate conversation or make eye contact. In practice this is why we try to keep the wording of this rule fairly simple and not tie it down in knots - it's not meant to be a legal contract - we're simply ask both parties to make a reason effort to stay out of the other person's way. If we felt that a situation had developed where one party had attempted to follow the letter of the law rather than the spirit of it - then we treat that as breaking the ruling.


Likewise if we felt that a player was observing these rules at an event, but using Empire Facebook groups or other social media connected to the game to harass the other party then that would likewise be treated as a violation of the rules.
Deliberately breaching a must-avoid is very serious, and will result in a participant receiving a formal warning or permanent ban. If we feel that one party has attempted to follow the letter of the rules rather than the spirit of them, we will treat that as breaching the must-avoid.


==Anonymity==
==How Does it Affect Crew?==
Profound Decisions do not discuss any complaints raised with us with other players or LRP groups, nor do we confirm or deny any rulings that we have issued. Where a complaint is brought to us, we will inform the original player of the outcome of the complaint but we will not discuss the matter with any other party. We take this approach partly to protect the privacy of players - those making a complaint and those who are the subject of one and because we do not wish to have the additional burden of proof imposed by knowing that our rulings could be adopted by other LRP systems. We believe that both of these outcomes would damage our ability to provide the best possible protection to players attending our events.
* '''A must-avoid does not stop someone from crewing in an existing role'''
* '''We won't appoint someone to a crew position that would bring them into closer contact with a party they must avoid'''
We won't remove someone from an existing position on crew because of a must-avoid. However, where practical, we will look to avoid appointing anyone under a must avoid order to a crew position that would bring them into increased contact or visibility with any participants they have been instructed to avoid.
 
{{Conduct_Further_Reading}}

Latest revision as of 18:14, 20 August 2023

Overview

A must-avoid is intended for situations where neither party has broken our rules, but one or both wish to avoid the other. A must-avoid is not a sanction. If you have reason to believe that someone has broken our conduct rules, we encourage you to report the problem to the conduct team and they'll discuss the options with you.

A must-avoid does not prevent accidental contact but it aims to formally minimise social contact between two participants who do not wish to interact, so that they do not have to talk to each other or spend time in each other's company.

All must-avoids apply equally to both people, regardless of which person requested it.

How Do I Request a Must-Avoid?

  • Contact the conduct team to request a must-avoid
  • A must-avoid request is not the same as a report of a conduct problem, and does not involve any investigation
  • You don't have to provide any reason for requesting one and you will not be asked for details
  • Asking for a must-avoid does not prevent you also reporting a conduct problem

If you want a must-avoid then you must contact the conduct team. A must-avoid is not part of our official conduct complaint system, but the administration is handled by the conduct team. You don't have to provide any reasoning for why you want to have a must-avoid. The team won't carry out any investigation or require any further details - they will simply check that you understand what a must-avoid entails, and then they will speak to the other party as quickly as possible to let them know the restrictions that both you and they are under.

If you choose to share details about your reasoning with the conduct team, they may ask you if you wish to make a report about a conduct problem, depending on what you have told them. This is always optional. Asking for a must-avoid also does not prevent you from reporting a conduct problem at the same time, or in the future, if you want to.

What Does it Entail?

  • Make all reasonable efforts to avoid close social contact with the other person
  • Don't start or join a conversation with the other person at any time
  • At Empire main events or player events, avoid the other person's group camps and tents
  • You can share large communal areas such as GOD, the Hub, the Hall of Worlds or the Senate building, provided you remain apart
  • You must not attempt to harm each other's characters in any way
  • You must avoid interacting with each other online wherever possible
  • These restrictions apply equally to both parties - whoever is in a group camp or tent first has the right to remain
  • These restrictions apply at all times

Participants under a must-avoid should not approach any medium sized group (around 12 or fewer people) that includes the other person, regardless of the IC situation. Neither party is expected to avoid the entire nation camp where the other player is based, and both parties can still attend large communal gatherings like Conclave, the Senate, the Forge Tavern, or a nation muster, or out-of-character areas such as GOD. However, they must make all reasonable efforts to stay a significant distance away from each other - they should position themselves at the other side of the room/tent/clearing. They must avoid each others' group camps.

Both parties should avoid IC factors that would cause them to come into contact with each other. They should avoid player-versus-player (PvP) activities with each other, and must make all reasonable efforts to avoid coming into IC conflict. It is not acceptable for one person's character to seek to have the other killed or to try to damage their political fortunes, even if the possibility exists to do so without physically encountering them. If either party holds an in-character title, neither person may attempt to have them revoked, replaced, or similar.

Participants under a must-avoid should avoid interacting with each other in any Profound Decisions official online communities. They must refrain from sending each other emails, private messages, or texts, unless there is a legitimate need to do so.

These rules always apply equally to both parties - in effect, whoever is already present and roleplaying in a camp has the right to remain there, and the player who has just arrived should make their excuses and leave the area. Accidental contact is possible - but we expect the party that has arrived to follow the spirit of this rule and depart the area quickly and with the minimum of fuss.

What If the Must-Avoid is Violated?

  • If you think the other party has breached the must-avoid then you should report this to the conduct team
  • If you need advice about how you can best follow a must-avoid, you can talk to the conduct team
  • Any deliberate breaches of a must-avoid are a very serious conduct matter and will result in a formal warning or permanent ban

If you think you will have difficulty avoiding the other person, you should discuss that with the conduct team at the earliest opportunity. They can provide advice to help resolve any potential problems. If you feel the other person is not following the spirit of the rules and making all reasonable efforts to avoid you, you should report this to the conduct team.

Deliberately breaching a must-avoid is very serious, and will result in a participant receiving a formal warning or permanent ban. If we feel that one party has attempted to follow the letter of the rules rather than the spirit of them, we will treat that as breaching the must-avoid.

How Does it Affect Crew?

  • A must-avoid does not stop someone from crewing in an existing role
  • We won't appoint someone to a crew position that would bring them into closer contact with a party they must avoid

We won't remove someone from an existing position on crew because of a must-avoid. However, where practical, we will look to avoid appointing anyone under a must avoid order to a crew position that would bring them into increased contact or visibility with any participants they have been instructed to avoid.

Further Reading

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