Rules for competitive multiplayer games - Do we need to set up a "code of conduct" or "community mp guidelines" ?

[MarcusAureliu#s]

Hi, i have recently noticed that there is a growing mistrust/number of arguments/accusations between players in "competitive" multiplayer games.

This is due to several concerns

 

Those are:

1) The use of not commonly used mods ( unlike autociv, community mod etc.) that arguably give an advantage to players by for example perfect unit production ( means no idle time, the automated building of houses, other features that is not even known of, so its not easy to determine wether they actually exist)

2) Pausing in critical moments in a game, to allow a faster reaction/ better decision-making

3) Misconduct within multiplayer games ( disrespectfull behaviour)

 

I think there have been efforts to handle some of these issues by technical means, but i believe as a community we should be able to agree on something like a "code of conduct" to avoid spending an endless time in lobby arguing and fighting. Ofcourse these rules can be surpassed, detection or "punishment" might not always happen, but it is more of a violation of appropriate conduct, if there doesnt need to be another argument beforehands about what misconduct actually means.

 

I suggest these following (very general) rules as guidelines:

1. The use of not commonly used mods that impact gameplay need to be anounced by players before the game starts. If a mod was not permitted by the host it can not be used. 

2. You should not pause during critical moments in the game, like during a rush/critical attack etc. if there is no serious emergency or it is needed bc players have dropped etc. In most cases, pausing can be postponed for a few seconds. There can be no pausing just for the purpose of communicating with teammates.

3. Profanity or disrespectfull behaviour within the game is not permitted. This includes things you might personally consider "very funny", but it may not be considered funny by others, and could make playing 0 AD not the fun experience that it is supposed to be. Especially sexism, racism, antisemitism etc. is to be avoided.

4. Game hosts are asked and and to be considered entiteled to warn players in case of violation, kick or ban depending on what seems to be appropriate.

 

Feel free to make suggestions or add other issues that you have found. And help to think about how something like this could be introduced.

 

Edited February 10, 2024 by MarcusAureliu#s

[Lion.Kanzen]

26 minutes ago, MarcusAureliu#s said:

3. Profanity or disrespectfull behaviour within the game is not permitted. This includes things you might personally consider "very funny", but it may not be considered funny by others, and could make playing 0 AD not the fun experience that it is supposed to be. Especially sexism, racism, antisemitism etc. is to be avoided.

The entire player base would be gone.

The best thing is that using mute or disabling the chat is more effective.

 

Communicating with preset messages would be ideal in many cases.

 

You know that you are just censorship that make the mass media the only thing they create is that people look for space where to come to say things.

 

And culturally you are not going to be able to avoid that.

 

Edited February 10, 2024 by Lion.Kanzen

[Barcodes]

I disagree with 3, restricting/banning profanity, unless its extreme like child pornography, is what ruins a game in my opinion especially on an adult game, if you get offended about what someone says on the internet then you should stop using it.

[TheCJ]

On 21/02/2024 at 12:49 PM, Barcodes said:

especially on an adult game

0ad is not an adult game. I personally know atleast two children (in the legal sense) that play this game personally.

On 21/02/2024 at 12:49 PM, Barcodes said:

get offended about what someone says on the internet then you should stop using it.

getting offended when someone insults you is conpletely normal. When he insults you in public, there are even laws against that in many countries (laws against public defamation). That everybody can behave as terribly as they wish is not a desirable state.

[Barcodes]

12 hours ago, TheCJ said:

0ad is not an adult game. I personally know atleast two children (in the legal sense) that play this game personally.

of course you do

 

12 hours ago, TheCJ said:

getting offended when someone insults you is conpletely normal. When he insults you in public, there are even laws against that in many countries (laws against public defamation). That everybody can behave as terribly as they wish is not a desirable state.

fairy lol

[TheCJ]

5 minutes ago, Barcodes said:

of course you do

if you dont believe me, join the "0ad-enjoyers" discord server, they are in the voicechat regularly (Im talking about JagsusIndia for example)

https://discord.gg/gKZkyMx46K

Edited May 5, 2025 by TheCJ
added the invite link to the discord server

[Barcodes]

54 minutes ago, Emacz said:

there is a difference between trash talk and using profanity as adjectives to describe players abilities.  You can have some fun talk a little smack and still be respectful of others.

my friend @MarcusAureliu#sloves it really, there are some fairies that are a problem (chrstgtr being one of them) and a few others

[Seleucids]

As a frequent TG host, here are my limits:

General use of swear words - fine, but don't spam too much

Insults - if directed at a playing player, I will warn you to stop. If that player asks for ban and you still don't stop, then I will ban. 

Spam - I will kick if your messages prevent us from playing. Come again and I ban. 

Political chat: I will remind you to keep it in spec chat. I don't really care what you say in spec chat as long as it does not distract the players or jeopardise the server session. 

Cheating: I will pause and ask you to explain your cheat mechanism then ask you to turn it off. If you refuse then we will re withdraw the cheater. Although cheating is impossible in A27. 

So far I've only banned two people from my game, one for spamming, the other for insult + spam + impersonation. 

Edited May 5, 2025 by Seleucids

[TheCJ]

Be careful @Emacz, if you tell @Barcodes he cant spam 100 swear words per minute, you might hurt his fragile ego. 

[Barcodes]

6 hours ago, TheCJ said:

Be careful @Emacz, if you tell @Barcodes he cant spam 100 swear words per minute, you might hurt his fragile ego. 

fairy.

[TheCJ]

yeah, yeah, we all know I'm a fairy (although if you want to be exact, I'm more of a Sídhfir), you're repeating yourself.

What I would be much more interested in is why you even want to swear. I mean, I understand swearing in one of three situations;
1. When you're having an emotional moment (e.g. a frustrating loss or a close victory), you might swear to express your feelings ("the f is this" "f yeah").
2. Sparse, well-placed swear words can have great comedic effect.
3. Children that think swearing makes them look cool.

But what reason would a well-raised adult have to insist on swearing all the time? Please enlighten me!

[Barcodes]

1 hour ago, TheCJ said:

yeah, yeah, we all know I'm a fairy (although if you want to be exact, I'm more of a Sídhfir), you're repeating yourself.

What I would be much more interested in is why you even want to swear. I mean, I understand swearing in one of three situations;
1. When you're having an emotional moment (e.g. a frustrating loss or a close victory), you might swear to express your feelings ("the f is this" "f yeah").
2. Sparse, well-placed swear words can have great comedic effect.
3. Children that think swearing makes them look cool.

But what reason would a well-raised adult have to insist on swearing all the time? Please enlighten me!

swear words are more meaningful, emphasises a sentence better and cuz they're just funny sometimes or most applicable

[Barcodes]

36 minutes ago, Emacz said:

I have often found that people who swear or use derogatory language every other word do so because they lack the vocabulary to put together well thought sentences utilizing a variety of words.

i personally adapt my language depending who i'm speaking to 

since most of my time in the digital world i've been surrounded with a bunch of morons with the occasional person i find who i become friends with, but apart from that i mainly like to piss people off for my own entertainment, not cuz i necessarily hate them except in rare circumstances

basically my time online is spent for my own enjoyment, and quite frankly acting how you wouldn't on a day-to-day basis in real life is what makes it that much more entertaining 

[TheCJ]

7 hours ago, Barcodes said:

i mainly like to piss people off for my own entertainment

Ah so you're a troll. I do see the appeal in that, I won't lie. Still, you wouldn't catch me admitting that I can't even control my most animalistic urges. And especially not advocating for everyone to succumb to them aswell.

[Barcodes]

2 hours ago, TheCJ said:

Ah so you're a troll. I do see the appeal in that, I won't lie. Still, you wouldn't catch me admitting that I can't even control my most animalistic urges. And especially not advocating for everyone to succumb to them aswell.

im just saying, you don't need to take everything seriously online, take a chill pill and enjoy the ride

[TheCJ]

39 minutes ago, Barcodes said:

you don't need to take everything seriously online

I take nothing seriously. I also want to "enjoy the ride", but thats quite difficult when someone is toxic, uses swear words or derogatory language, making the lobby atmosphere uncomfortable and embarrassing themselves in the process.

Its like someone taking a crap in a public swimming pool. Its not serious, but it makes the entire experience, well, @#$%.

[Barcodes]

1 hour ago, TheCJ said:

I take nothing seriously. I also want to "enjoy the ride", but thats quite difficult when someone is toxic, uses swear words or derogatory language, making the lobby atmosphere uncomfortable and embarrassing themselves in the process.

Its like someone taking a crap in a public swimming pool. Its not serious, but it makes the entire experience, well, @#$%.

no that's a terrible example, swearing or any derogatory words is usually funny or sarcastic 

[TheCJ]

30 minutes ago, Barcodes said:

no that's a terrible example, swearing or any derogatory words is usually funny or sarcastic

except that people that think this way are a very small minority. Sure, some people think being racist is funny, but almost everyone disagrees. So you are plain wrong. It's not "usually funny", you usually think it's funny, even though no one else laughs.

[real_tabasco_sauce]

in my hosts I allow some curse words, when used in normal speaking, but not when used to offend or insult. Frankly, spamming swearwords and slurs is annoying on top of being unfunny.

i also disallow automation tools found in certain mods because they are not fair. I think more hosts should do this, especially for competitive games (see title) where a level playing field is important.

[Barcodes]

13 hours ago, Emacz said:

believe it or not, what one person may think is funny, the majority of people may not....

don't be a fairy!

15 hours ago, real_tabasco_sauce said:

in my hosts I allow some curse words, when used in normal speaking, but not when used to offend or insult. Frankly, spamming swearwords and slurs is annoying on top of being unfunny.

i also disallow automation tools found in certain mods because they are not fair. I think more hosts should do this, especially for competitive games (see title) where a level playing field is important.

i love you tabasco sauce, my [ edit by moderation ] 

Edited May 7, 2025 by MarcusAureliu#s

[TheCJ]

1 hour ago, Barcodes said:

don't be a fairy

better to be a fairy in your eyes, than a nuisance in everyone elses eyes!

(Also better to be a fairy than a human tbh)

[MarcusAureliu#s]

3 hours ago, TheCJ said:

better to be a fairy in your eyes, than a nuisance in everyone elses eyes!

(Also better to be a fairy than a human tbh)

A fairy can fly and has magic abilities, thats pretty OP indeed.

I think Barcodes understands very well that certain expressions are inappropriate, he just values his "entertainment" more than the well beeing of his fellow players. ( As i understand him) Fit young white straight men are rarely beeing referenced by such expressions and therefore lets assume in his defence, he does just not understand the possible impact.

[Barcodes]

8 minutes ago, MarcusAureliu#s said:

A fairy can fly and has magic abilities, thats pretty OP indeed.

I think Barcodes understands very well that certain expressions are inappropriate, he just values his "entertainment" more than the well beeing of his fellow players. ( As i understand him) Fit young white straight men are rarely beeing referenced by such expressions and therefore lets assume in his defence, he does just not understand the possible impact.

ich liebe dich

[Barcodes]

10 minutes ago, Emacz said:

how do we know he is fit? he spends so much time at his computer making fun of others

but yes, well said in general.  Healthy white straight men are rarely picked on, made fun of.  Sometimes I feel guilty to be in that category as all my friends are being attacked and I'm not just because i was born "lucky."

@MarcusAureliu#s I'm in support of a game mis conduct code.  And if people repeatedly break it, just don't allow them to play in your games, don't join their hosted games.

its why i host games a lot of the time, dog rules and everyone has fun!

[Dakara]

2 hours ago, Emacz said:

how do we know he is fit? he spends so much time at his computer making fun of others

but yes, well said in general.  Healthy white straight men are rarely picked on, made fun of.  Sometimes I feel guilty to be in that category as all my friends are being attacked and I'm not just because i was born "lucky."

@MarcusAureliu#s I'm in support of a game mis conduct code.  And if people repeatedly break it, just don't allow them to play in your games, don't join their hosted games.

 

 

Spoiler

It's quite pathetic to see you playing the victim. You don’t have any 'advantage' or 'luck' being a straight white man, you're simply in the norm, where you should be. Change countries and you might find your status could be different.
We are not smarter or stronger. We are just normal.

The straight white man has no privilege, that’s nonsense. It's just economic factors, influences, and power dynamics at play.
Let me remind you that the white man is a minority on Earth, even though it may seem surprising. We don’t count for much in terms of numbers at the scale of humanity. And in the end, the world is not just Western-centered. Look at Asia or the Middle East. Do you think the men of Singapore play the victim when talking about themselves? No, they are proud. They don't feel advantaged because of their skin color.

People come to a country and place themselves in a delicate situation for entirely legitimate reasons. Even with the best intentions, it is impossible to give everyone the same rights. Equality is a big scam; it doesn’t even exist between people of the same color, as you said.
Your genetics, your environment, and your family determine 80% of everything, 20% is in your hands, it’s your leverage.

The problem has nothing to do with color, sex, or gender; it’s simply about social hierarchies.

Everyone should be able to be proud of who they are, no matter their skin color – including white people. Constantly insisting on racial differences, as some so-called progressive discourses do, ends up perpetuating what they claim to fight against. True anti-racism is not about privileging one group to compensate for another; it’s about treating every individual with the same dignity. So-called 'positive discrimination' is still a form of discrimination and divides more than it repairs.

A person is not born racist, but they are born with predispositions to distrust what is different. Racism is learned. And education, in its broadest sense, can free us from it. I’ll leave you to conclude on which peoples have the most and least access to education.

The white man is the only one carrying the burden of historical repentance: colonization, slavery, etc. He apologizes sometimes sincerely, sometimes symbolically  but at least there is an effort at recognition. What I never see, however, are official apologies from Arab states or other historical powers for their role in the slave trade. Yet, the Eastern slave trade lasted longer than the transatlantic trade and affected millions of Africans.
The worst part is that many people don't even know of its existence, as if history only deserves to be examined when it concerns the West. This selective amnesia clearly shows that repentance is not universal: it is political, cultural, and often one-sided, and some even consider it self-destructive. If we really want to face history, we must do so in its entirety.

 

So: the host makes his own rules. If he's not fair, people will dodge him. There's also the option to mute with autociv. This solves 90% of problems.

Edited May 7, 2025 by Dakara