Player Council Code of Conduct

The Player Council performs several tasks; it acts as a medium between the SWMud Admin and the SWMud Players, it implements and enforces non-Law rulings based upon Player Input, and it tries to help improve the quality of SWMud in general.

The Player Council (PC) consists of three entities:

• One Council Leader (CL).
• Three Team Leaders (TL), one for each Team.
• Council Members (CM).

Diplomats of level 15 and higher can apply for any of these three entities, but only in a hierarchical way. In other words, non-Council Members can apply for Council Membership, Council Members can apply to become a Team Leader, and Team Leaders can apply for the position of Council Leader. It is preferred that all Council Members occupying Leader positions rotate every three months and should not apply for the same position more than once a year. Lack of numbers might prevent this from happening.

All three Team Leaders and the Council Leader have vices. By absence of a Leader, the vice will perform the Leader's duties. Leaders are allowed to be absent for a maximum of three weeks, but ONLY IF they inform the Council before leaving. If a Leader fails to inform the Council about his absence, the vice will take over until a new Leader has been appointed. If the absence will be longer than three but shorter than six weeks, the vice will be installed as Leader, but upon return the first Leader will be re-installed as Leader. If the absence will be longer than six weeks, a new Leader must be assigned in accordance with the voting system, described below.

All personnel changes in the Player Council are made by vote. The voting system differs per situation.

• All Council Members vote on new Council Members. A strict majority (50% + 1) is needed for approval.
• All Team Members (including Team Council Members) vote on their new Team Leader. A strict majority is needed for approval.
• The Three Team Leaders plus the Council Leader vote on a new Council Leader. A 75% majority is needed for approval.

Being part of the Player Council provides you with certain extra powers to enforce Council Rulings. But, more importantly, it also provides you with extra responsibilities and duties. Council Members are role-models for other players, and should practice what the Council preaches. Council Member behaviour on this MUD will be monitored more strictly than the behaviour of non-Council Members.

This means that certain kinds of behaviour are not tolerated within the Player Council and will lead to removal from the Council.

Behaviour that is not accepted can be categorized into the following three groups; breaking MUD and Council rules, abusing Council powers, and lack of commitment and activity.

Any Council Member that is caught bouncing by Law will be removed from the Council for four weeks. If the Council Member is a Team Leader, his Team will decide whether or not that Council Member shall be reinstated as Team Leader. Second time offenders will be removed permanently from the Council.

Any Council Member that is shoutcursed is subject to further investigation by Law and the Council. Said investigation may conclude that the reason for shoutcursing should result in further punishment, in which case said Council Member will be removed from the Council for four weeks. If Council Member is a Team Leader, then upon Team Leader's return to the Council, his Team will decide whether they still want to be represented by Team Leader. Second time offenders will be removed permanently.

All other offenses will result in direct and permanent removal from the Council.

Of course, special circumstances can result in different consequences (verified with Law on a case-to-case basis).

Any Council Member abusing the powers granted to him by his position will be permanently removed from the Council. This means using Council skills for self-interest, to harass and/or endanger players, to act against the Council's policy of improving the Mud, as loopholes in the Mud's code, and all other actions against Mud and Council regulations.

Any Council Member that hasn't logged in for more than three weeks, without prior notice, will be removed. Any Council Member that continuously and without reason fails to commit to promised actions will be removed. Any Council Member lacking any input over longer periods of time will be removed.

Finally, Council Members can be removed from their positions by the same voting system used to acquire those positions.

General Decision Making

• Team Council Members with Team Members decide on team related affairs with a voting system, defined separately by each team.
• All Council Members decide on general affairs with a direct majority voting system. Decisions need a 75% Player majority, but only Players of level 10 and higher may vote.
• The Council Leader can veto all Council decisions when backed up by the SWMud Admin.