Disciplinary Process¶
Purpose¶
The disciplinary process exists to promote fairness, consistency, and accountability while protecting the Barren Land community.
Discipline is not intended to punish players for the sake of punishment. Its purpose is to correct behavior, resolve issues, and maintain a healthy environment for everyone.
Every disciplinary action should be proportional, evidence-based, and consistent with previous decisions.
Guiding Principles¶
Staff should always strive to:
- Protect the community.
- Correct behavior whenever possible.
- Apply rules consistently.
- Base decisions on evidence.
- Consider context before determining consequences.
- Document significant disciplinary actions.
The objective is long-term community health—not maximizing punishments.
Standard Progression¶
While every situation is unique, the standard progression is:
- Education or clarification
- Verbal reminder
- Official warning
- Strike
- Temporary removal or temporary ban
- Extended temporary ban
- Permanent ban
Not every situation begins at the first step.
Serious violations may require immediate escalation.
Likewise, exceptional circumstances may justify a less severe response.
Staff should be prepared to explain any deviation from the standard progression.
Education¶
Education is appropriate when:
- A player appears unfamiliar with the rules.
- The violation is minor.
- No significant harm occurred.
- The player demonstrates a willingness to cooperate.
Whenever practical, education should be preferred over punishment for genuine first-time mistakes.
Verbal Reminder¶
A verbal reminder is appropriate when:
- Behavior needs immediate correction.
- Formal discipline is unnecessary.
- Staff believe the issue is unlikely to recur after clarification.
Verbal reminders generally do not require formal disciplinary records unless policy states otherwise.
Official Warning¶
Official warnings communicate that future violations may result in more significant disciplinary action.
Warnings should include:
- The applicable rule.
- A summary of the incident.
- Expected future behavior.
- Potential consequences of continued violations.
Warnings should be documented.
Strike¶
A strike represents formal disciplinary action recorded against the player.
Strikes are appropriate when:
- Previous education or warnings have failed.
- The violation is significant.
- Documentation is necessary for future reference.
Every strike should include sufficient documentation to allow another staff member to understand the decision without additional explanation.
Temporary Removal¶
Temporary removals or temporary bans provide players with an opportunity to reflect before returning to the community.
Consider:
- Severity of the incident.
- Previous disciplinary history.
- Cooperation during the investigation.
- Likelihood of repeated behavior.
Temporary actions should have clearly defined durations whenever possible.
Permanent Ban¶
Permanent bans should be reserved for situations where continued participation presents an unacceptable risk to the community.
Examples may include:
- Cheating
- Ban evasion
- Severe harassment
- Hate speech
- Repeated serious misconduct
- Malicious exploitation
- Threats toward the community or staff
Permanent bans should always include thorough documentation and require administrative review.
Immediate Escalation¶
Some situations require immediate administrative escalation regardless of disciplinary history.
Examples include:
- Active cheating
- Ban evasion
- Staff impersonation
- Severe harassment
- Credible threats
- Malicious exploitation
- Security incidents
Protecting the community always takes priority.
Consistency¶
Staff should strive to ensure similar situations receive similar outcomes.
Differences in disciplinary action should be based on objective factors such as:
- Severity
- Intent
- Previous history
- Available evidence
- Mitigating circumstances
Consistency strengthens trust in the moderation team.
Documentation¶
Every significant disciplinary action should be documented in accordance with the Documentation Standards chapter.
Documentation protects:
- Players
- Staff members
- Appeals
- Future investigations
- Institutional knowledge
If an action is important enough to issue, it is important enough to document.
Final Principle¶
Discipline should always serve the community.
Every action should leave the server healthier, fairer, and more welcoming than it was before the incident occurred.