ANNOUNCEMENT: How to report a problematic player

[asch]

Thanks to Bommando for putting this together.

It seems a lot of people aren't clear on how they should be reporting problem players and rule breaches, so I thought I'd write a guide on how to deal with specific situations that may arise and help you potentially solve problems possibly without even needing to involve an admin.

There are hundreds of potential team players trying to join our full server every round, so there is no reason to tolerate smacktard behavior from existing players. The only way we will get the server running at an acceptable level is if we filter problem players to make room for players who are TG material.

Of you think I've left anything out, please PM me and I'll edit this post to clarify.

General Information:

Admins at TG follow a Warn / Kick / Ban policy for most rule breaches. Serious and obvious breaches can result in an instant kick or an instant ban. Knowing these policies will help you decide the best way to report an issue and what the admins consider to be serious breaches which require more attention.

TeamSpeak:

Ideally, you should be on TeamSpeak to report problem players, but we also watch in-game chat, so both methods are acceptable. Note that we now ask that you accompany a report with a message typed in global chat, so we can better find the player's name in the chat logs. You need not type it exactly, but the first few characters should be precise, so we can check the player list alphabetically.

This is how a typical report on TeamSpeak will play out:

TGPlayer: "Can I get an admin?"
Admin: "Roger That, what's up?"
TGPlayer: (types '=OMG=1337 ...' in global chat) "REPORTING: =OMG=1337 - not following SL orders - mau - 42:17"
Admin: "I got him, thanks." Sends 3 warning messages to chat.

In-Game Chat Only:

If for some reason you don't have TeamSpeak enabled, then you can also report players via in-game chat. Be aware that this is not as reliable and some messages may be missed. Try to include as much information as possible, so no verification is needed by the admin.

TGPlayer -> REPORTING: =OMG=1337 - Jihad Jeeps - mau - 42:17
Admin Bommando is WARNING!!! you for SUICIDE TACTICS ----- (=OMG=1337Skillz)

Note that no verification is required for warnings. If the player provides no argument for their cause and the evidence is backed up, it is assumed that the report is accurate. Avoid making false reports! If a report is found to be intentionally false or misleading, you will be kicked and repeat false accusations could even result in a ban. Crying wolf debases the system and is counterproductive for all.

Repeat Offenses:

If a warned player continues their behavior, it is imperative that you follow this up. Repeat the reporting process, making it clear that the player has already been warned and they are continuing. The action will result in a kick from the server.

Things To Avoid:

The following are actions you should avoid when reporting in order to help the admin do their jobs better:

• Don't tell an admin what action to take. They will decide this based on previous occurrences or the circumstances.
• Do not cry wolf. Make sure your report is accurate and you are not exaggerating the situation. Inaccurate and exaggerated reports will reduce the effectiveness of future actions and result in over-leniency from the admins for fear of being overzealous. It's up to you to make accurate reports.

Retrospective Reports:

We have the ability to query player info retrospectively and apply bans even after the player has left the server in the case of severe infractions. Please be extra careful when reporting retrospectively. Admins will require more evidence and a detailed explanation when querying such info.

Please provide as much of the following information as possible via PM:

• Exact date and time of the occurrence. Please use current Eastern US times (EST or EDT : GMT -5 or -4 respectively).
• Exact player name (screenshots will help you remember).
• Detailed explanation of the infraction taking place.
• Screenshots of player name(s), kill messages and / or chat examples.
• Map name that the offense occurred on.
• Round timer -- Time within the round that the offense occurred.

Note that we may not choose to take action when evidence is scarce, but we will always submit it for future reference, so don't hesitate to report problem players. We have a long memory and follow the actions of problem players closely. They don't last long on our servers.

Dealing With Specific Occurrences:

Following Orders:

If you are a CO and you have SLs who are not following orders, these are the steps to take:

1. Check whether they have voice. If they don't, ask them by voice to respond using Page Up or Page Down to requests. Give them a couple of chances to do this. If they don't comply, tell them by voice that it is a server requirement that SLs follow CO orders or be kicked.
2. If you still get no response, report them to an admin and state clearly that you have made every effort to get them into line.
3. After the admin warns them, give the player 1 minute to acknowledge and if they don't follow it up immediately to ensure a kick. We need to get rid of unresponsive SLs as a priority, so it's up to you to make it work.

Squad Leader or Commander Duties:

SLs and COs are expected to lead. If you are presented with an unresponsive Squad Leader or Commander, make sure to report them. They should preferably have VOIP enabled and if they do not, you should ask them to step down to allow someone with voice to lead the squad.

COs should not be in any vehicle unless absolutely necessary. In most cases, they should not be engaging the enemy, but rather watching the overhead view and leading their team. If you notice a CO using an asset out of line, do the following:

1. If you are a SL, tell them by voice and type it in team chat. If you are a Squad Member, tell your SL to do so.
2. An admin will warn them.
3. Follow up within 1 minute if the CO is still ignoring their duties and they will be kicked.

SLs should be setting waypoints, preserving the spawn and leading their squad.

1. As a Squad Member, you should ask for orders by voice and also by using the 'T' commo rose to request them. You should explain that they should have VOIP enabled or step down to allow someone with VOIP to lead.
2. An admin will warn them.
3. Follow up within 1 minute if the SL is still ignoring their duties and they will be kicked.

Lone Wolves and Lack of Teamwork:

Lack of teamwork can take many forms, many of which are obvious, some of which are not. The main factor affecting a team's performance is Lone Wolfing. It is expected that when asked, small squads merge into larger ones.

The most important time for squads to consolidate is at the beginning of the round. Make sure you use the load time constructively by typing in team chat for all small squads to merge. Squad Leaders without full squads should invite players from smaller squads to join. This is very effective and most players will comply to a join request from a well-named squad led by a TG player. It is especially important for you to name your squad when starting to something like "TEAMWORK", "VOIP" or "TACTICAL". Since players see the squad name in their invite request, they are much more likely to join a named squad than one simply called "CHARLIE".

1. Type in team chat asking everyone to merge small squads. If enough people do this, people will get the message. SLs use the time to invite loose players into your squads.
2. Apply for the CO position and start asking squads to merge by voice. Do so politely and most people will comply. Report players who refuse or are unresponsive after 3 requests.
3. You don't need to be a SL or CO to report loose squads. Unless it is obvious the squad is a helo, jet, arty or other specialist squad, report the Squad Leader to an admin and they will take care of it.

Intentional Teamkilling:

Intentional teamkilling is not tolerated at TG and results in an instant kick. You must be 100% sure the teamkill was intentional and report it as such. If you have been teamkilled for a vehicle, they will be instantly kicked. Anyone laying mines and / or C4 on friendly assets in the UCB will be instantly kicked, since their intention is clear. Note that instant kicks for teamkilling are only enacted if reported on TeamSpeak, otherwise we need proof in the form of actual teamkills registered by the server or voice verification.

Not Joining a Specialist Squad:

While not a rule, it is expected that if there is a specialist squad for helos, jets or artillery that players will join it to use those assets.

1. Make sure you name your squad clearly if you intend to use an asset. E.G: "GUNSHIP".
2. If someone not from your specialist squad enters an asset, invite them to your squad and type in team chat that they should join your squad to share the asset.
3. If they don't respond, tell an admin and we will follow standard W/K/B policy.

[asch]

Reminder!!! Read Me!!!