Code of Conduct

Introduction
All member corporations of the SGA are asked to sign up to the SGA Code of Conduct. We want to preserve the SGA as a haven for sensible Hades Star players.

There is plenty of room for persons with different playing styles to find a home in one of our many corporations. Eg some prefer full on whitestars, while others are redstar focussed. A few just want to amble along at their own pace.

All of these persons are welcome. Likely there is a corporation inside the wider SGA that is highly suitable for them.

What we don't have room for, anywhere in the SGA, is '''toxic players'''.

We do not need players who are abusive to other players. Nor do we value selfish, 'me first' attitudes, or destructive behavior.

What other behaviours are deemed toxic?
Examples of bad behaviour:

● Personal abuse in discord or hades chat

● Any behaviour that would bring the SGA into disrepute. This would include misbehaviour on a PRSS site or other public venue.

● inappropriate conversations. Nobody should be made uncomfortable by your posts. Nobody should want to leave the channel because you are on it.

● off topic conversations. Relatively trivial conversations are tolerated, but not to the point of distracting us from our day job in Hades Star.

● unwise activity in a red star that leads to casualties. Eg in corporate rs it is possible to get others killed by triggering an interceptor that you can't kill. This is a gross offence if deliberate, and still worthy of a reprimand and suspension if accidental.

● dereliction of orders. This would include someone who attacks the enemy during a friendly.

● being AWOL during a whitestar. If you are assigned for a whitestar scan but are not present when the scan finishes, you will not be able to play the whitestar. Your colleagues will have to fight shorthanded. This is AWOL Also, if you move to another corp while they are scanning for redstar, you may end up in their whitestar. Whatever the reason, if you are AWOL from a whitestar it is your problem.

● persistent selfish behaviour in Red star. Unless you are pursuing an Objective, redstar is about cooperation.

It is ok to run an objective in corporate redstar. Just type "O" and signal your own gate so colleagues know that you are busy.

We are here for hades star.

We are not here for spam, harassment, or heated disputes about emotionally charged topics.

If you have had a bad day, we are your comrades in arms. We may even one day become your friends. However we are never going to become your whipping boy. Don't take it out on us. Be professional and supportive of others

Who applies the Code?
Any officer in every SGA corporation is requested to uphold this code, and to apply it in a neutral and kindly manner.

At every step, remember that your role is to persuade someone to change their ways. You should never act out of anger. You should take care not to be arbitrary. Always show concern and empathy for even the worst offender.

However you must be firm and decisive. You are an officer in a mighty navy after all.

Every corporation is required to uphold this code. Your officers must apply it. If you do not apply it, that is a dereliction of your duty as an officer.

However, it is recognized that personal friendships and ties may make it difficult for you to discipline a close colleague.

You may always refer a matter to a Leader or Officer outside your corporation. They will act on the evidence provided, in confidence.

Remember that by applying for Alliance membership, you agree to recognize the authority of SGA leaders

- to have the final say as to what is good and what is bad behaviour in Hades star.

- to direct you to expel or otherwise discipline a player who is misbehaving in your own corporation.

This seems unlikely, but it is a contingency that you must consider.

Can anyone be punished? Or are some people immune?
No one is above the Code. It is true that some people, such as corporation owners can't be kicked from a corp, but they can still be ostracized or blocked from discord.

Suggested Sanctions
The range of sanctions available to officers include:

● private caution. This is done quietly in pm, and simply deleted after acknowledgment by the offending player (s) There is no need to investigate or assign blame.

● private warning. This is done quietly in pm, and left permanently on the pm of the offending player

● public warning. A warning addressed to the player in discord that others can see if they wish

For minor offences these warnings should suffice.

● suspension. A player is restricted on discord, and optionally, kicked from a corporation. This is for a short period. Suspension is for a minimum of 4 hours to a maximum of 3 days

Suspension is a neutral act. It may be carried out immediately by an officer without any fuss

The person being suspended is told privately why they have been suspended.

They are told that it is a neutral act, and that they can be reinstated after an investigation is held.

Investigation will be done by a tribunal who will meet privately in discord pm. They will ask for evidence and take a group decision. Their aim is always to rehabilitate the offender where possible. If someone is truly sorry for their actions then they should be shown clemency.

● banned. A player who has a record of insubordination, or who has committed a gross offence and who is unrepentant and brazen, can be banned indefinitely.

Brazen means that they are unrepentant of wrongdoing, and even boast about doing things their own way, trying to influence others.

Conclusion
While your corporate culture and values are valid and valuable to the wider Alliance, the mindset we hope you will eventually adopt is that of being a free citizen in a large empire, rather than a narrow view of just your original corporation.