Conduct Expectations

### General Expectations

This is not a video game. This is a game played with real people, and they must be treated like real people. Moreover, we are not some business that will tolerate bad players because they are paying customers. More than a game, Outside is membership to a community. Here's our bottom line rule:

**We will remove people from this community who make the experience bad for other players.**

Our expectation is not that you *just barely* avoid making the experience bad for other players, but that you actively try to make it a *good* experience for other players. If you try sincerely to make it a good experience, probably you will not make it a bad one. You may make some mistakes occasionally and that is understandable, but strive to stay far away from crossing the line.

There are three types of behaviors we expect of all players:

* **Be safe.** Anything you do that endangers other players is against the rules, even if it is not explicitly spelled out.
* **Be respectful.** The purpose of our game is to create positive feelings for our players. Players who bring down the experience of our game by disrespecting other players are in violation of our rules.
* **Be honest.** Don't cheat. If you see a violation of the rules, tell us.
* Note that **Fouls** are not *necessarily* a violation of the rules unless they are deliberate or consistent.

### Reporting Players

You should make both positive and negative reports about other players to thewatch@outside.games

While no single report submitted without any evidence or corroboration will guarantee disciplinary action, reports aren't just ignored, either. Every report is added to the player's permanent record, and every time a report is received, that player's record is reviewed. In order to be as fair as possible, we consider how severe the report is, how consistently reports about the player are received, and who the report was submitted by.

### Disciplinary Process

Outside is about learning and growing, so while we uphold high standards of conduct for our players, we believe in giving people chances before we permaban them forever. Severe cases will receive a more serious response and we aim to use good sense rather than arbitrarily follow a system, but in general you can expect:

1. **Courtesy Reminder:** We're not sure if you really did anything wrong yet, so just a friendly reminder for you to thoroughly review our conduct expectations.
2. **Warning**: You will be told to knock it off, or else.
3. **Short-term Suspension**: You done been warned, and you're in the doo-doo now. This usually results in a short-term suspension of 1 week to 1 month, but for the suspension to be lifted, you have to convince us that you understand what you did wrong, you're really sorry and it won't happen again.
4. **Long-term Suspension**: Just wait til your dad gets home. Now you're suspended for a month to a year, and you need to show us that you really understand what you did wrong and submit a plan to ensure that you will exceed expectations moving forward.
5. **Banned**: We're done here. We have given you numerous chances and are no longer willing to invest additional time in trying to help you thrive in our community.

Not everyone "gets" these principles so this page goes into increasingly granular detail about the expectations for those of you who need it spelled out a bit more clearly.

### Safety Violations: Be safe.

While hitting people is loads of fun, alas, there must be limits to just how vigorously you can wallop the booty 💥🍑 of a brand-new acquaintance. There are other apps for that sort of thing.

Outside™ is a contact sport with a low risk of injury when played normally.  Outside should be fun and safe for all players, and people choose to play with the understanding that other players will respect their safety.  A game that feels unsafe or unfair is not fun, so while it is fine to be competitive and try your hardest, it is totally unacceptable to do so at the expense of the safety and enjoyment of other players. Following these rules not only protects other players and ensures that everyone has a positive experience, but it protects you from being liable for someone’s medical bills due to negligence. Safety, integrity, friendship, and not getting sued are the foundations of playing Outside.

The following safety rules are the standard rules for all official matches and events, so it is strongly recommended that you make a practice of strictly adhering to them even when playing with friends in your own backyard (there are exceptions to some of these rules for Ruffians playing with other Ruffians).

**i.             Report all injuries:**  Reporting injuries is important in helping us understand how we can do better to ensure that our game is safe and enjoyable for everyone.  These reports have less to do with disciplining players for simple accidents and everything to do with reviewing how our game’s rules affect the well-being of our players.  Report all injuries to [[1]] www.outside.games/ouchies

**ii.            Unsafe situations:**  In the case of injury, risk of injury, unwary bystanders in Reality, fallen eyewear, or any emergency situation, players should call “Pause!” followed by the reason for the Pause.  Always echo the pause for nearby players. Whenever a Pause is called, all play stops immediately and players check the area for safety hazards. “Continue” (the call to resume battle) will be called only when the issue is resolved. Like the Pause, players should echo the Continue and are not considered in play until they do so.  If someone plays during a Pause, report them.

**iii.          Prohibited actions:**  Some fouls are also safety violations, so should be called Sloppy during the match and also reported after.  Except as permitted to Ruffians, targeting illegal hit areas, grappling, grabbing, shoving, pinning (equipment or players), charging, and checking, whether with your body or equipment, are expressly forbidden, as these actions significantly increase the risk of injury.

**iv.          Restraint:**  Avoid striking other players with excessive force or using a weapon recklessly. Before each match, players will conduct a series of practice hits against opponents to learn each player’s comfort level with physical force, and which players will be using sentinels.  Always strive to maintain total control over your equipment when in the vicinity of other players.  That said…

* **Don’t be a baby.**  The more often you call “Sloppy,” the softer opponents will swing at you.  If you abuse this fact to create a narrow definition of what constitutes a good hit, no one will want to play with you.  If you would call Sloppy on a hit for being too hard, then you should not be swinging that hard against others, either.  If you expect others to hit like a flower, you hit like a flower, too. Or we’ll ban you. ×‿×

**v.            Self-jeopardization:**  Equal to respecting the safety of others is respecting the safety of yourself.  Your well-being is not worth risking over a game. Do not engage in behaviors which put yourself at risk of injury, such as intentionally blocking strikes with a penalty area (this is a play violation).  These incidents should be reported.

**vi.          De-escalation:** Avoid escalating conflicts.  As with any social activity, accidents and conflicts will occur, and people will become upset or angry.  Another player could cause you pain or injury.  Another player’s mistake is never justification for escalating conflict. Instead of attributing to malice what might be an honest mistake and bringing negative emotion to a situation, it is your responsibility to remain in control of your emotions or to remove yourself from the game.

**vii.         Equipment safety:** Review the following section.

### Equipment Violations

Equally important as safe behaviors are the safety measures players take off the field when preparing the field and equipment, like weapons and armor.  **Every player** has a responsibility to ensure that all equipment strictly meets safety guidelines.  Equipment can become unsafe as it breaks down from use, so always have your equipment inspected by the team reps or another player who has completed the training for checking equipment before bringing it to the field.

**viii.        Unsafe Equipment:** It’s too obvious to say, “Don’t use equipment which doesn’t meet safety guidelines,” so look: Don’t even bring unsafe equipment with you—put it away so that no one else can accidentally use it. If you have a legitimate reason to have it with you, such as you will be working on the equipment, ensure that no one uses it.

**ix.          Observe equipment prerequisites:** With exception to the default equipment outlined below, you may not bring any equipment onto the field of combat without having first learned the required skills.  New items on the field are potential safety hazards.  That’s why any new equipment you bring to the field will have Equipment and Safety Standards which outline the physical requirements for the equipment, as well as required safety training before you may use it.  If you do not meet these requirements, then using the equipment is not allowed and can be reported as a safety violation, resulting in disciplinary action.

All players are permitted to wear/have the following on the field:

·        Normal clothing with no sharp metallic pieces.

·        Safety padding, non-metallic protective gear

·        Sentinels

·        **No** loose, dangly, or sharp jewelry or accessories are permitted.

·        Technology: Bring technology on the field at your own risk (remember, people may be swinging sticks at you).  Players are permitted to use basic technological devices that keep time, take photos/video, play music, send messages/calls, browse the web, or use GPS. Players may not use any remote-controlled devices without the proper skill.

·        Leave all other personal items in the rendezvous/base

·        Wear appropriate footwear.  Basic safety equipment such as gloves, knee and elbow pads are recommended.

Bringing any other equipment or accessories onto the field requires the player to learn a skill and follow its rules to the letter.  For most skills this just means “do what the skill says”, however, skills that allow you to bring new items onto the field are a little more complicated.

Standards will generally have two parts:

1)  Composition – This describes how the item should be made, and will describe things like the size, weight, or materials that are allowed to be used in choosing or creating the item.

2)  Use – How the item may be used in the game.  What are you allowed to do with the item, and what are you not allowed to do?

You are responsible for knowing the rules for any equipment you bring to the field, whether that is a weapon, armor, or decorative prop.  Failure to follow these rules will result in you losing the skill to use that equipment.

**Where can I get legal equipment?**

We sell approved equipment on our store and recommend approved products from partner vendors, but you can make your own equipment as long as it meets our standards and specifications here.

### Conduct Violations: Be respectful.

Players who violate the spirit of Outside™ ruin the game for others 😡, and we ruin them in return 😀  Failure to uphold these standards may result in loss of status or eligibility for status within the game’s records (i.e., banning).  Our glorious CrEatOr demands it.  *Defy at your own peril.* After all, when you agreed to our terms, you practically begged us to ban you for violating the rules. You read that before you signed it, right?  Don’t make us show you **The Way Out**.

**i.             Mature themes:** During official play, Outside™ is a PG-13, family friendly game.  Players are expected to use good judgment when playing in public facilities and while interacting with unfamiliar players.  Outside™ allows for the exploration of certain adult themes, such as violence, foul language, substance use, and sexuality **provided** they are not explicit.  Graphic violence or sexuality, nudity, sexual violence, and gore are not permitted.

**ii.            Respect:** Outside™ is an inclusive game that welcomes all players regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or age. Any type of discrimination or disrespect to your fellow players—or anyone else—is grounds for disciplinary action.  We will absolutely not tolerate players who represent our game poorly, ruin the fun for our responsible players, or diminish the high caliber of our community. We will ESPECIALLY not tolerate players who negligently or deliberately make the game uncomfortable or unfun for other players.  That includes being verbally abusive/bullying, to say the least.  The game is for everyone, and selfish play is simply not welcome.

**iii.          Criminal activity:**  Any criminal activity which violates local, state, or federal laws, even if unrelated directly to Outside™, is sufficient grounds for immediate loss of status, up to and including banning, to be judged by the Outside™ administrators on a case by case basis.

**iv.          Photography and video recording:** You may photograph and record audio and video during official events, but you may not post them publicly without consent of the players who appear unless you first conceal the identity of players.  (If you appear in a photo/video that WE post, we’re usually happy to remove/edit it if you’re not comfortable with that so just [[2]]).

**v.            Substance use:** During official play, field combatants are not permitted to be under the influence of any controlled substances. Substance use and hitting other people don’t mix. Otherwise, ensure that drinking/smoking is accepted at the play venue and only do it if you’re a support player.  In your Own Backyard, this rule doesn’t apply, but be safe!

**vi.          Perpetual play:**  You are not just a customer, you are one of our athletes, actors and members. At times, only a thin boundary separates playing Outside™ from reality. As such, the way you conduct yourself publicly reflects on Outside™. When you look bad, we look bad. Your conduct, even while not officially playing Outside™, may be considered relevant to your disciplinary file. “I wasn’t playing at the time,” does not excuse the rules in this manual.  We expect you to be respectful of others and do as few crimes as possible, even when not playing Outside™. Avoid being a hooligan who causes trouble within your community and online. Players who reflect on the game poorly may be disciplined without warning and without refund.

**vii.         Non-combatants:** Involving non-combatants in combat, even if they are players of Outside™, is a bannable offense.

**viii.        Implausible deniability:** Villains are welcome in Outside™, but jerks are not.  By all means, be as sinister as you like while playing as your character.  Pretending to be a villain is never a justification for out-of-character dickery, whether regarding safety, fair play, or basic respect for your fellow players.  That goes for online or offline.

**ix.          Abusing the reporting system:** Don’t.

**x.            Proselytizing and soliciting.**  People play Outside™ to play Outside™, not for you to sell them on your MLM or recruit them to your religion.  Show up to play the game, not with an agenda.

Report players who cross the line at [[3]] www.outside.games/thewatch, and our discipline team will use their best judgment to respond.

### Play Violations: Be honest.

Play violations include all cheating and safety violations. While the average player is trustworthy, we are prepared to deal with the ones who aren’t. Rest assured that individuals and teams that receive excessive complaints will be *dealt* *with*.

The best way to prevent cheating is 1) don’t be a cheater, 2) report cheaters, and 3) refuse to play with cheaters. If you have knowledge or suspicion of fraudulent record-keeping or fair play violations, please report them to the Neighborhood Watch at [[4]] www.outside.games/thewatch, providing evidence of the violation whenever possible.

**i.             Record-keeping:**  Maintaining game records is the premier function of www.outside.games, and the most vital way that we ensure fairness of play. When players are dishonest in reporting earned XP and other achievements, they cheat every other player of a fair game, and face a swift and permanent ban from officiated play. Requiring subscriptions for official play allows us to identify and ban cheaters.  We work very hard to ensure that players are honest in reporting their earned XP and intel, conducting regular audits to ensure that players and groups are reporting their activity honestly.

**ii.            Fair play:**  Play with only what is on your character sheet and count every attack against you as honestly as you can.  Take your hits fairly and be a gracious winner and loser. With all that goes on in any game, there will rarely be a referee who can see every play violation. Therefore, players are expected to act as their own referees and anonymously report suspected play violations.

**iii.          Disputes:**  There should be no disputes **during** matches. Players decide whether they were struck, whether they successfully used a special, and whether they were fouled, period.  Suspicions of misconduct should be reported after the match.  However, not every situation that arises on the field will have a clear resolution.  In the event of disputes during officiated matches, we will ask the players to propose a solution that seems fair to them after the match has concluded.  When deciding what is fair, players should consider what would be the likely impact on the match if the violation never occurred. For example, if the team was already being badly beaten, then the player may simply face disciplinary action.  If a foul interrupted a critical strategy that would have turned the tide of battle, then the players should be able to explain exactly how the violation interfered in their victory.  Of course we can discuss “what-ifs” until the end of time, but in the end the judges will make the best decision they can, administer the appropriate consequences, and everyone is expected to accept that decision and move on.  For players, it should be as though it never happened. We don’t need players to hold grudges—we’ll have a record of anything shady, and it will all be fair enough in the end.

If you discover a loophole or have questions about a rule interpretation, please share it with us on Discord the Questions forum of the website.  We will offer an official ruling, but this ruling is for future reference only.  See the Clarifications thread on the Questions forum for the most recent rule clarifications.