Server Rules

1. Respect Everyone

• Treat all players with respect.
• No harassment, bullying, hate speech, or discrimination.
• Keep chat friendly and appropriate.
• Listen to staff members and follow their instructions.

2. No Griefing

• Do not destroy, modify, or steal from another player's property without permission.
• Do not place unwanted blocks or traps on another player's land.
• Respect public builds and community projects.

3. Property Rules

• Build only within your claimed land.
• Do not build too close to another player's property without permission.
• Clearly mark unfinished builds if you plan to return.
• Inactive builds may be removed after extended inactivity.

4. City Building Standards

• Keep builds realistic and suitable for a modern city theme.
• Avoid giant pixel art, floating structures, or random block towers.
• Roads and sidewalks must connect to the city's road network.
• Follow district zoning rules (Residential, Commercial, Industrial, etc.).

5. No Cheating

• No hacked clients.
• No X-ray texture packs or mods.
• No duplication glitches.
• No exploiting bugs for unfair advantages.
• AFK farms must follow server performance rules.

6. Economy

• Do not scam other players.
• Prices should be fair and honest.
• Respect player-owned businesses.
• Counterfeit currency or exploit-based wealth is prohibited.

7. PvP

• PvP is only allowed in designated areas or by mutual agreement.
• Spawn killing is prohibited.
• Combat logging is not allowed.

8. Vehicles & Transport

• Use vehicles responsibly.
• Do not intentionally block roads or railways.
• Remove abandoned vehicles if requested by staff.

9. Redstone & Farms

• Keep redstone machines optimized.
• Large farms may require staff approval.
• Lag machines are strictly prohibited.

10. Chat Rules

• No spam or excessive caps.
• No advertising other servers.
• Keep political or controversial discussions respectful.
• Use the correct chat channels.

11. Roleplay

• Respect other players' roleplay.
• Do not force roleplay on others.

12. Staff

• Respect staff decisions.
• Do not impersonate staff.
• Report rule breakers instead of taking matters into your own hands.
• Appeals may be submitted if you believe a punishment was unfair.

13. Server Performance

• Avoid creating excessive entities.
• Do not intentionally cause lag.
• Remove unnecessary mobs and dropped items.

14. Community

• Help new players.
• Participate in community events.
• Report bugs to staff.
• Have fun and contribute positively to the server.

Punishment System

1st Offense: Warning

2nd Offense: Temporary mute or short suspension

3rd Offense: Longer suspension

Repeated or Severe Offenses: Permanent ban

Staff may skip punishment stages for serious violations such as hacking, hate speech, major griefing, or exploiting.

Golden Rule

Use common sense. If something gives you an unfair advantage or negatively affects another player's experience, don't do it.

Staff Rules

1. Be Professional

• Treat every player fairly and respectfully.
• Remain calm during difficult situations.
• Do not argue with players in public chat.
• Work within the staff structure when making decisions.
• Represent the server and staff team positively at all times.

2. Be Fair

• Enforce rules equally, regardless of rank or friendships.
• Never abuse your permissions.
• Always investigate before punishing a player.
• Give players an opportunity to explain when appropriate.

3. Staff Permissions

• Use creative mode only for moderation or server work.
• Do not spawn items for yourself or friends.
• Do not use staff commands for personal gain.
• Teleport only when necessary for moderation or approved events.

4. Punishments

• Follow the punishment guidelines.
• Provide a clear reason for every warning, mute, kick, or ban.
• Permanent bans should only be issued for severe or repeated offenses.
• Document major punishments when required.

5. Confidentiality

• Keep staff discussions private.
• Do not share player reports or sensitive information.
• Never leak server plans, updates, or staff conversations.

6. Activity

• Be active on the server and in the community.
• Notify senior staff if you will be inactive for an extended period.
• Participate in staff meetings when possible.

7. Communication

• Work together with other staff members.
• Report serious issues to higher-ranking staff.
• Keep communication respectful and constructive.

8. Conflict of Interest

• Do not moderate situations involving close friends if another staff member is available.
• Do not show favoritism.
• Avoid personal disputes while using staff authority.

9. Events

• Ensure events are fair for everyone.
• Do not give players unfair advantages.
• Supervise events professionally.

10. Building Responsibilities

• Protect public builds and city infrastructure.
• Obtain approval before making major changes to server builds.
• Keep staff-created builds consistent with the city's style.

11. Player Support

• Assist players politely.
• Answer questions when possible.
• Encourage a welcoming community.
• Direct players to the appropriate staff member if you cannot help.

12. Reporting Issues

• Report bugs, exploits, or security concerns immediately.
• Do not abuse or publicly demonstrate exploits.

13. Staff Conduct

• Do not troll players while using staff powers.
• Do not threaten players with punishments.
• Do not use vanish or spectator mode to gain personal advantages.
• Admit mistakes and correct them when necessary.

14. Resignation & Removal

• Inform management if you wish to resign.
• Abuse of staff permissions may result in immediate demotion or removal.
• Serious misconduct may also result in a server ban.

Staff Code of Conduct

Every staff member should:

• Be respectful.
• Be honest.
• Be active.
• Be impartial.
• Be accountable.
• Set a positive example for the community.

Disciplinary Actions

1. Verbal Reminder
2. Written Warning
3. Staff Strike
4. Temporary Suspension
5. Demotion
6. Removal from Staff
7. Permanent Ban (for severe abuse or malicious actions)

Remember: Staff are held to a higher standard than regular players. Your actions should always improve the server and its community.

Laws passed by the players, which govern gameplay on our city server can be found here on our forums:

https://www.spawnville.com/forum/view/20-congress/