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Staff Code of Conduct

Purpose

Every staff member represents Barren Land whenever they are interacting with players, using administrative powers, or communicating as a member of the team.

This code of conduct establishes the professional standards expected of every staff member, regardless of rank.

Professionalism

Staff members are expected to:

  • Treat every player with respect.
  • Remain calm during stressful situations.
  • Avoid arguments and personal attacks.
  • Listen before acting.
  • Be willing to admit mistakes.
  • Ask for assistance when uncertain.

Professionalism builds trust within the community.

Fairness

Moderation must always be impartial.

Staff will:

  • Apply rules consistently.
  • Avoid favoritism.
  • Set personal opinions aside.
  • Base decisions on facts and evidence.
  • Treat friends and strangers equally.

Authority should never be influenced by personal relationships.

Fairness has two parts: actually being impartial, and being reasonably perceived as impartial by players. Both matter — see Appearance of Fairness.

Integrity

Staff members are trusted with significant authority.

That trust requires honesty.

Staff must never:

  • Abuse administrative commands.
  • Fabricate evidence.
  • Misrepresent investigations.
  • Conceal mistakes.
  • Misuse confidential information.

If a mistake is made, report it promptly so it can be corrected.

Respect

Treat players and fellow staff members with courtesy.

This includes:

  • Remaining respectful during disagreements.
  • Accepting constructive feedback.
  • Avoiding public arguments with staff.
  • Supporting teammates professionally.

Internal disagreements should be resolved privately through established staff channels.

Privileged Administrative Information

Staff have access to information ordinary players do not, including:

  • Player identities
  • Administrative tools
  • Investigative information
  • Hidden gameplay information

That access exists solely for moderation and administration. It must never be used to:

  • Gain a gameplay advantage.
  • Intentionally target a player.
  • Intentionally avoid a player for personal benefit.
  • Influence ordinary gameplay interactions outside legitimate moderation duties.

This is a core standard for every staff member, not a rule limited to command usage — knowing who someone is, or what they're doing, through administrative means carries the same responsibility whether or not a command was ever run.

Gameplay Neutrality

While participating as an ordinary player, staff should make reasonable efforts to base gameplay decisions only on information available to ordinary players.

Administrative knowledge should not influence who to attack, who to avoid, who to pursue, who to group with, or who to disengage from, unless the interaction is part of legitimate moderation.

Perfect separation isn't always possible during live gameplay — a staff member may recognize a name or situation without seeking to. The standard is intentional use of privileged knowledge, not incidental awareness.

Higher Standard for Staff

Players generally can't identify who they're playing against or alongside beyond what's visible in-game. Staff can. That asymmetry means staff are held to a higher standard than an ordinary player in the same situation.

When a staff member knows they're interacting with someone involved in an active investigation, an appeal, a conflict, a Mutual Interaction Restriction, or a close personal relationship, they should make reasonable efforts to avoid unnecessary gameplay interaction with that person whenever practical.

This exists to protect trust in staff decisions — not to restrict normal gameplay.

Administrative Powers

Administrative commands exist solely to support moderation.

They must never be used to:

  • Gain gameplay advantages.
  • Assist friends.
  • Harass players.
  • Win combat.
  • Bypass normal gameplay for personal benefit.

Every use of administrative powers should be defensible if reviewed later.

Conflicts of Interest

Staff should avoid participating in moderation decisions where a personal relationship could reasonably affect impartiality — spouses and partners, family members, household members, close personal associates, and players the staff member is themselves subject to a Mutual Interaction Restriction with.

When practical, disclose the conflict and hand the matter to another qualified staff member. If immediate action is required to stop active disruption, the involved staff member may still intervene, but any subsequent review should be handled by someone uninvolved.

See the Administrative Governance Framework for how this applies to staff selection and recruitment.

Confidentiality

Staff may have access to information not available to the public.

This may include:

  • Reports
  • Evidence
  • Investigation notes
  • Staff discussions
  • Internal procedures

Confidential information should never be shared outside authorized staff channels.

Accountability

Every staff member is accountable for their actions.

Questions about moderation decisions should be welcomed, not avoided.

Good documentation and clear communication protect both the player and the moderator.

Our Standard

We expect staff members to lead by example.

Professional conduct, fairness, honesty, and respect are the foundation of effective moderation.

When in doubt, choose the course of action that best serves the community.