Must-avoid policy

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.

Impartiality

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 involved.

Avoid Each Other

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.

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.

IC Interactions

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.

Imperial Game Areas

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.

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.

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.

Following the Rules

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 significant, a deliberate violation is likely to result in a player receiving a permanent ban from all events.

Spirit of the Rules

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.

Anonymity

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.