At Apocalypse MUD, we value transparency. As such, the staff team as a whole has decided to be very public about what staff policies and guidelines govern our day-to-day activities on the MUD.
- OOC Player Interactions: The policy around out-of-character (OOC) interactions with players is focused on maintaining a neutral stance as a staff member. If a player goes OOC for something that should be addressed in character (IC), staff members should prompt them to return IC. If a player becomes abusive towards staff, senior staff members should be notified, and appropriate actions should be taken.
- Discord: The official communication channel for staff-to-player interactions is the Apocalypse MUD Discord server. Staff members should limit conversations with players to non-official topics, and all official game-related inquiries should be made on the official Discord. Staff members are prohibited from using their position to pressure players into OOCly uncomfortable situations, such as sexual acts or torture. Additionally, staff avatars, characters bound to staff accounts, are only allowed on the game under specific circumstances. They may only exist for testing purposes or if a staff member is taking a leave of absence from staff responsibilities.
- Animations: Animations are staff-led interactions with players that can be done through an NPC or the player’s environment. Staff members have discretion over when to animate and how to do so, but there are restrictions to protect the story and flow of the game. Only assigned staff members to the Templarate can animate Templars to enforce the law on players when no PC Templar is online, and animating a clanned NPC is only allowed if the staff member is assigned to that NPC’s clan. Animating a higher-than-average rank NPC should have Highlord oversight and approval.
- Building: The guidelines for building in Apocalypse MUD are relatively simple. Staff members should stick to their assigned areas/zones and not build into other zones unless authorized. They should also adhere to their assigned projects and not go beyond the scope of those projects without consulting a Highlord first.
- Karma: Apocalypse MUD operates a Karma system designed to measure staff members’ trust in a given player’s maturity and responsibility as a role-player, as evidenced by playing roles realistically and acting responsibly with the code. Players with higher Karma levels can access more complicated, powerful, and RP-challenging roles in the game.