AssaultCube Reloaded Master-Server Rules

Preamble

In order to ensure a decent gaming experience for everyone, we have created some rules. These rules can and may change anytime. If you do not like these simple rules, find another master server. AssaultCube Reloaded, under the command of the AssaultCube Reloaded Task Force, enacts as follows:

Table of Contents

Preamble

Interpretation

Division 1 — Clients

Cheating Abusing Admin Auth Users

Division 2 — Servers

Modifications Pushing Maps/Unvarying Map Rotation Server Advertising Nickname Ban Restrictions Master-Server Functions

Division 3 — Administrative Penalties

Abuse of Admin by Server Operators Clients in Violation Servers in Violation Special Bans/Exceptions Evasion Level of Proof Appeals

Division 4 — Schedule

Schedule Expiry

Interpretation

In this document,
  1. The “master-server” refers to the official service, on which servers are registered, in operation by AssaultCube Reloaded.
  2. A “server” is software to which clients connect and is registered on the master-server.
  3. A “client” means AssaultCube Reloaded when it is run in an interactive mode and connected to a server, which is registered the master-server.
  4. An “auth user” is someone with the privilege on the master-server to gain special access to its servers.

Division 1 — Clients

Cheating

Every client that is connected to any server registered under the master-server shall not be modified in any way as to
  1. provide any advantage (cheat) to that client over another client
  2. otherwise interfere with other clients’ gameplay

unless

  1. that cheat is fully prevented by the server, or
  2. the cheating is for the purpose of testing anti-cheat, when
    1. the server is labelled with “development” or anything that refers to anti-cheat development,
    2. the cheating is immediately stopped at the request of an admin, and
    3. strictly never on a production server.

Abusing Admin

(1) Every player using a client, who has any elevated privilege, shall not abuse his privilege, in general.
(2) Administrators shall not veto votes that
  1. provide advantage to them, or
  2. change the map, unless a valid reason exists to do so.
(3) An administrator of a server shall only force an action on a user by
  1. forcing that user to the enemy team, only if
    1. balancing the teams by moving a user from a larger team to a smaller team when the larger team has at least two players more than the smaller team,
    2. another user is swapped subsequently to switch players on a team,
    3. the server is running a gema map by forcing the users to one team, and autoteam is disabled,
    4. the game-mode requires it, or
    5. that user requests it and it is reasonable to do so,
  2. subduing or kicking that user, only if that user
    1. does anything mentioned in section 3(3), (c) to (d), or
    2. uses excessive profanity and has been warned at least once within the last two minutes,
  3. banning that user, only if that user
    1. violates this document regarding client rules,
    2. does anything mentioned in section 3(3)(d),
    3. reconnects and continues to abuse the server with profanity, if the abuse is done within the same day, for a limit of 20 minutes,
    4. abuses the voting system, or
    5. requests it,
  4. blacklisting, whether temporary or permanently, the user from the server, only if that user
    1. uses cheats, and should optionally report that user to the master-server authority,
    2. does anything that is in violation of the law the master-server is in,
    3. does anything that is in violation of the law the server is in, or
    4. any other valid reason is present.

Auth Users

(1) No auth users shall abuse their privileges, as per the guidelines set out in section 3.
(2) Auth users shall not use their deban access to unban themselves from a ban, unless than ban is unreasonably given.

Division 2 — Servers

Modifications

(1) All code modifications shall be labelled in either the server description, extended info, or both.
(2) No modifications shall modify the gameplay, unless it
  1. provides no advantage, unless provided equally to everyone, and
  2. either
    1. runs with native code, or
    2. has instructions regarding its usage.

Pushing Maps/Unvarying Map Rotation

Servers are allowed to push maps in its map rotation. This might be changed in the future.

Server Advertising

(1) Servers shall not have
  1. a server description1, or
  2. a message of the day (MOTD),

that advertises any website or service.

(2) Notwithstanding section 6(1), a server may advertise a website for
  1. an AssaultCube Reloaded clan, or
  2. a public tournament for AssaultCube Reloaded, or
  3. anything approved by the AssaultCube Reloaded Task Force.
(3) No person shall run an unreasonable amount of servers2 exceeding ten servers for the purpose of advertising his name through the server description.

Nickname Ban Restrictions

A server’s nickname blacklist shall be used only to
  1. block profane names,
  2. block clan tags that cause repetitive harm, or
  3. restrict clan tags and reserve them for players with whom the server has agreements,

but shall not use it to

  1. block the use of generic clan tags pursuant to those listed at http://forum.acr.victorz.ca/thread-219.html, or
  2. prevent an unreasonably large scope of players from connecting.

Master-Server Functions

No server shall override the master-server API, including but not limited to the
  1. registration ping,
  2. connect checks, and
  3. auth requests and verifications.

Division 3 — Administrative Penalties

Abuse of Admin by Server Operators3

Any server with admin abuse as described in section 3, which can be proven to have been done by
  1. the server owner,
  2. a member of the clan that the server serves, or
  3. any player for whom the server owner has appointed a password,

is guilty of admin abuse by its operators, and

  1. the offence of the client or clients shall be
    1. completely waived and ignored for it/them, and
    2. transferred to the server and considered a server violation.

Clients in Violation

(1) Every client that violates sections 2 to 4 is guilty of an offence subject to these penalties for the
  1. third offence within two years:
    1. an immediate ban of at least nine months, but
    2. not exceeding three years, and that
    3. can be removed upon appeal, after six months has been served,
  2. second offence within one year:
    1. an immediate ban at least six months, but
    2. not exceeding ten months, and that
    3. can be removed upon appeal, after three months has been served,
  3. first offence:
    1. an immediate ban of two months that
    2. can be removed upon appeal, immediately,
  4. where all bans for violations described in sections 2-3
    1. affect every server connected to the master-server, by barring the client from it,
    2. prevents the client from registering a server on the master-server, and
    3. can be immediately removed if the offence is no longer possible to reproduce, and
  5. where all bans for violations described in section 4
    1. disable access for auth with the client’s identification and authorization information,
    2. restore the access when the penalty expires, and
    3. can be immediately removed if the offence is no longer possible to reproduce.
(2) In the case that multiple subsections apply regarding the penalty, the former subsection shall have effect.

Servers in Violation

(1) Every server that is in violation of sections 5-10 is punishable by these penalties for the
  1. for a third offence within five years:
    1. an immediate ban of two years, but
    2. can be removed upon appeal, after nine months has been served,
  2. for a second offence within two years:
    1. an immediate ban of one year, but
    2. can be removed upon appeal, after six months has been served,
  3. for the first offence:
    1. an immediate ban of two months that
    2. can be removed upon appeal, immediately,
  4. where all bans
    1. prevent the server from registering on the master-server, by barring it, but
    2. does not prevent the banned identifier from playing as a client on other servers.
(2) In the case that multiple subsections apply regarding the penalty, the former subsection shall have effect.

Special Bans/Exceptions

(1) If a large range ban affects an innocent player, AssaultCube Reloaded may assign deban auth passwords to that user for that purpose.
(2) AssaultCube Reloaded may, for any reason, ban any client or server, if
  1. they deem it is necessary to do so, or
  2. there is reasonable cause not defined here,

and

  1. at least 60% of them vote, or
  2. a public poll succeeds with at least 55%

in favor of that ban.

Evasion

If a barred player attempts to circumvent his ban by
  1. changing his IP address at least twice, or
  2. spoofing his GUID,
his ban shall be extended by 21 days.

Level of Proof

In order for a player to be guilty, it is not necessary to prove to mens rea of an offence. However, it must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the actus reus has occurred.

Appeals

(1) Upon an appeal, if the person is not qualified to make the appeal, the length of the ban shall be extended by 14 days.
(2) If an appeal can prove that a ban was assigned in error, the player on whom the ban had effect shall be unbanned forthwith.

Division 4 — Schedule

Schedule

(1) This document enters into force on June 1, 2012.
(2) The latest possible document covering the timespan required shall be used in rulings.

Expiry

For the purpose of allowing future review and revisions, this document expires
  1. on June 15, 2018, or
  2. when a newer version is available,
whichever is earlier.
1 This does not apply to extended server information.
2 Providing an excellent service for the community is good, but spamming 20+ servers is different. If some servers are popular, running more of them can be reasonable.
3 This regulation allows admin abuse servers to be punished, and still allow that admin to play on other servers.