High Command Group Rules
[Version 0209 2006]
The HIGH COMMAND Group Charter
Group Governing Body Rules
1: Creating a Board and Replacing a Board Member
A new Board consisting of three permanent group members will be formed. Two of the members will be voted on in a Group meeting. First a nomination must occur. Any Permanent group member may nominate any permanent group member other than himself, except current board members and the leader of the group cannot nominate at all. Any permanent group member that nominates another permanent group member cannot vote for him during the confirmation vote. Once a permanent group member is nominated a confirmation vote is called. If no permanent members nominate a candidate, then and only then, the current board members may nominate a permanent member if they have a unanimous board vote to nominate them.
A confirmation vote consists of all permanent members voting on the nominated candidate, with the exception of current board members the member that nominated the person being voted on and the leader of the group who are not allowed to vote in this process. All permanent members are required to vote either yes, no or abstain. Voting can be done via email or by MSN, if done by email everyone has 96 hours to respond from the delivery of the email. Votes will be sent to the board and the leader of the group email ( Board_hcgroup@hotmail.com and ronhovde@hotmail.com ).Votes are only valid if at least 50% of the current permanent members (allowed to vote) send in a vote. If less than 50% of the permanent members vote then the nomination is void and the process starts anew. If the candidate nominated gets a majority vote of yes he is now considered a Board Member. If the candidate gets less than a majority the nomination fails.
This process continues until there are2 board members are selected. Only one person is considered nominated at a time. After 2 board members have been confirmed, the group leader will appoint one member of the 3-person board from the permanent group members. All 3 board members have the same voting power, and responsibilities. The group leader is not allowed to be a member of the board, or to affect the board in any way.
1a: Board Vote Procedures
All board votes must include the participation of all current board members to be considered valid, with the sole exception being a vacationing board member. All board votes require a majority to be valid. Any board vote that is a tie is considered to be a minority result and the current vote fails, unless a board member is on vacation in which case it is considered a deadlock vote (one for yes one for no). See vacation rules below for the procedure on deadlock votes.
1b: Board Member Vacations
At any time a board member may desire a vacation from board duties in order to prevent burnout. The board member that desires the vacation sends an email to the other board members defining the time period for the vacation. This email should be sent a minimum of 1 week before the vacation starts. Only one board member can be on vacation at any time. The maximum length a board member can take for a vacation from board duties is 1 month. If a board member requires a vacation to be longer than one month both of the other board members must agree. After a board member vacation is scheduled a public email announcing who is vacationing and how long they will be vacationing must be sent to all permanent group members.
A board member cannot take an second vacation in a calendar year before the all other board members take a vacation in the same calendar year, unless all other board members agree to the request. No board member is allowed more than 3 months vacation during any calendar year.
During this period of time the board will make all decisions and run with the 2 remaining board members splitting the duties. If the board gets deadlocked (one for one against) on an issue then the vacationing board member is forced out of vacation temporarily, and must vote on the issue. If the vacationing board member cannot be contacted within a week, then the leader of the group is forced to substitute for the vacationing board member on the deadlocked issue only.
2: Game Rule Suggestion And Vote Procedures
All official suggestions for game rule changes from permanent members must be passed on to the board and the group leader via email ( Board_hcgroup@hotmail.com and ronhovde@hotmail.com ) to be taken seriously. The board will evaluate all player suggested rule changes, fine tune them and then decide via a board vote whether they will be passed on to a Group meeting vote. If the suggested rule gets a majority vote in favor of showing it to all the permanent group members it is then brought before a group meeting for a vote, or an email will be sent out to all permanent members for a vote. The voting will continue for one week from the day the email containing the rules is sent.
The board or leader of the group is responsible to email all permanent members a list of the rules to be voted on in the next group meeting.
If a rule receives a majority vote in a group meeting, it is then added to the game rules for future use.
2b: The Board has the right to change wordings of rules in order to clarify the rule or better define the situations around the rule, as long as the rewording stays to the spirit of the original rule.
2C.Board Protocols for voting and other actions.
2C1: All board members must be informed about all actions or issues before any vote is considered legitimate, or any punishment issued.
2C2: Votes on a new rule require a majority of the board to vote yes the new rule is then passed on the to group for a permanent member vote.
2C3: If a rule change is to be considered a revision instead of a new rule (and thus bypass a full vote of permanent members) all board members must agree it is a revision. If any board member doesn’t agree the rule is considered a new rule, and the usual protocols apply.
2C4: In game rule changes require a unanimous vote of all attending board members to take effect and are considered active only for as long as the current game lasts. In general this should never be done unless the rule is clearing creating problems in the game.
2C5: Adding new rules or revisions to rules in an ongoing game require a unanimous vote of both the board and the leader of the group. The whole group is then informed of the revision immediately. New rules go before the permanent members for a vote. The minimum voting time for any rule addition during an ongoing game is 48hours. If the minimum time isn’t available the rule cannot be added before the next session.
2C6: Disciplining Board members; In cases where a board member is the subject of an investigation the accused board member cannot take part of the investigation or the punishment phase if he is proved guilty. In circumstances where a board member could benefit directly in any way (in the game) from the results of an investigation he must recuse (remove) himself from the board for the investigation and punishment determination of the offence. In cases where the board has a tied vote on an investigation the group leader will act as the tie breaking vote unless he is involved in the offence or could possibly benefit directly (in game) from the results of the investigation.
2C7: Board rules creation decision making process; all rule decisions made bay all members of the board should be objective and focused on the long term balancing of the game in a way both sides will have a roughly equal chance to win and all players will have a fun experience playing with our group. If any board member is found to be promoting or trying to get passed rules that are just to benefit himself, friends, or his favorite side this must be reported to the group leader immediately.
2C8: Board investigation and punishment decision making process; all investigations should be made with objectivity and no personal motive. If a board member feels he cannot be objective and unbiased concerning an investigation they MUST recuse (remove) themselves from the investigation. Board members found to make decisions with bias or a personal motive or agenda must be reported to the group leader immediately.
3: Group Governing Body Rules Suggestion and Vote Procedures
Any official suggestions for changes to the group governing body rules are passed on to the group leader High command. If the group leader agrees to the group body rules suggestion it is passed on to the board for a vote. If the board vote results in a majority for a group governing body rules suggestion then that rule is a added.
4: Player Violation Investigation and Enforcement
The board is also responsible for issuing punishment upon individual group members for violations against group governing body rules or game rules.
The board is required to investigate any suspected violation objectively and make every effort to ensure that the violation was committed. The board will send a public email concerning the investigation and give the accused 72 hours to reply via email or msn. If the reply is in MSN it must have at least 2 board members to witness it or 1 board member and the leader of the group. If the reply is via email it must be sent to the leader of the group and the board. If the accused doesn’t reply in 72 hours then the board will make a decision based on its own investigation taking any mitigating or further incriminating circumstances into account.
A board vote will then called to determine if the accused is guilty. If the majority of the board votes yes then accused is considered guilty.
If the guilty party broke a group governing body he will be subject to at minimum one of three sentences: A warning, B suspension, C permanent banning of the guilty party. He may also be subject to other punishments based on the circumstances of the board’s decision.
If the guilty party broke a game rule he is subject to the same punishments as a group governing body rule, but may also be subject to in game penalties determined by the board. (example: would be to pay 5000 supplies to another player for the violation)
Once the penalty is suggested the board will vote on enacting the penalty. A majority is required to enact a penalty. A permanent ban requires a unanimous vote of the board in favor of permanently banning the guilty party, and the leader of the group must also agree.
Once the board determines that a player has committed a violation the board MUST issue a punishment. The punishment is to be made public via email, and all permanent group members will immediately be informed of the violation and the punishment of the guilty party.
5: Group Leader Board Participation
HC is the leader of the group and will not be allowed to be a board member. The Leader of the group is required at every board vote and must keep track of the votes and all issues discussed by the board during a vote meeting. The leader of the group is an observer at board meetings and is not allowed to interfere or intervene in board meeting discussions, or votes in any fashion, unless solicited by the board to get involved.
6: Board Member Removal Procedures
The leader of the group may at any time convene a group meeting and demand a vote of all permanent group members to remove a board member from the board. This should only be done when a board member is showing bias against someone or in favor of someone and using his position to attack/protect the individual, or in cases where a board member attempts to change rules in favor of his side or most favored country to further unbalance the game. As well as when a board member is reducing the effectiveness of the board in its responsibilities.
The leader will present his case to the group meeting in MSN (this cannot be done in email) and they will vote to keep or remove the board member. The leader of the group and the board member being removed are not allowed to vote. The vote requires a majority of the permanent members in favor to remove the board member in question. In order for the vote to be valid over half of the current permanent group members must participate.
If removed in this fashion that person may not be on the board again for minimum period of 1 year.
7: Penalties for Abandoning a Game
If you abandon a game while playing a minor country, you must play a minor in the next game all the way to the end. If you abandon a game while playing a major you must play the next two games you attend all the way to the end as a minor. If you fail to show up at all or require a reschedule more than once during penalty games you will have to replay the penalty game/s from the beginning of the next game you attend.
8: Player Behavior Rules
All players will show respect to other players and behave as gentlemen. This means no cursing, disrespecting, or bad attitudes directed at other players. This doesn’t mean occasional outbursts of bad language directed at no one, yourself or the AI. However constant and repeated bad language is unacceptable as well.
False accusations or other intrigues done with malicious (purposefully negative) intent against another player are expressly against this rule and will be subject to SEVERE punishments with a minimum of a 1 full game suspension.
9: Group Leader Responsibilities
The leader of the group will announce all sessions via email, after all schedules of permanent group members that desire to play are considered.
The leader of the group is responsible for recruiting new members, and scheduling trial games for trial members. The leader of the group also has the duty to further board investigations by supplying evidence and suggesting possible violations.
The leader of the group has the right to require a meeting with any member of the group. The individual must comply within a maximum of 2-week time frame. If the individual does not comply they are considered suspended until they do comply. The leader of the group or the person required at the meeting have the right to request a board member to act as a witness to the meetings proceedings. If we don’t have enough players to fill all the countries then the leader is responsible to fill the countries in the following order, UK, GER, ITA, SU, JAP, USA, NAT SPAIN, CAN, ROM, All others.
10 Nation Scelection Prosedure: The board and the group leader have decided that we want to change how the countries are assigned to group members. Basic principal is that each member should have the opportunity to play a game as a major followed by a session, where he has to play a minor. If a player shows good behaviour (not rescheduling, showing up on time, not violating rules etc.) he will more frequently have the opportunity to play a major. Each permanent group member will start with 30 points and new permanent group members will be given 30 points to start with. After all permanent group members have been assigned a nation by the bidding procedure described in this document; group leader will assign trial members a nation.
Bidding:
Nations are divided into four categories each with a different minimum points for bidding. Group leader will send an email announcing to all group members that the bidding is open and players must send their bid to group leader by answering this mail.
Group leader will send his bids before this date to the board. A player can make a minimum of 4 bids and his bids must be on 2 Axis and 2 Allied nation. At least half of your bids must be from different country size categories. Example (2 major and 2 medium), or (2 medium, 1 major and 1 minor) etc. Player must list their countries from the one they most desire to play to least desire to play. Two players can bid on a major or medium nation together. The two players must bid the same number of points and if their bid is on USA it is considered 10 points higher than it actual is, otherwise it is 5 points higher.
Country selection procedure:
After the end date has passed the group leader will see who has the highest bid for a nation on the filling chart. Followed by the second highest bid for a nation on the filling chart etc. In case of tie the member, who first sent a mail with his bids to group leader, gets to play the nation. Group leader is considered to be the 4th person to have sent his bid. Bids for nations lower on the filling chart than the total number of players wanting to join a game are not valid (e.g. if 12 players want to attend a game, all bids on Argentina and South Africa will be discarded).
If more than two players do not have a highest bid on any of their bids, a second round of bids will take place. The rules are the same as for the first bidding round expect if the number of free nations are less than 4, the player only need to make the same number of bids as the number of free nations. There will be bidding rounds until not more than one player do not have a nation. If only one player do not have a nation, he gets the nation highest on the filling chart not taken.
The player only pays the number of points he has bidden for a nation he actually gets.
Minimum point costs for countries in the various categories:
Major Nations require 30 points
Medium Nations require 20 points
Minor Nations Class 1 require 10 points
Minor Nations Class 2 require 0 points
Major nations are: Germany, USSR, USA and UK.
Medium nations are: Japan, Italy, Nat Spain and Nat China
Minor class 1: Romania, Hungary, and Canada
Minor class 2: all other nations.
Filling chart: Germany, UK, Italy, USSR, Japan, USA, Nat Spain, Nat China, Romania, Canada, Hungary, Brazil, Argentina and Australia.
To be able to bid for or play major or a medium nation it is require to send/receive voice communication in wartime (for example to have and use a headset). To be able to bid for minor nation in class 1 and 2 a member must the ability to receive voice communication. The group is currently using teamspeak 2.
For each session a player attends he will get an amount of points depending on which category the country he is assigned at start of the game belongs to. If a player substitutes an other player with a nation in higher category he will get the number as if he had played with his own nation during the session.
Point gain per session attended:
As a major Nation: +5 points
As a medium Nation: +6 points
As a minor Nation class 1: +7 points
As a minor Nation class 2: +8 points
Bonus points:
If a player with a minor nation volunteers to be a substitute for a player with a major or medium nation: +5 points pr session with a max of +15 points for an entire game.
By writing an AAR at pre-designated location before Tuesday 12 GMT in week after a session has been played: +1 point pr session.
Minus points:
To as a minor let the AI run your
nation for a session (unless substituting): -15 points
To reschedule the game for a session: -35 points
To come to 15 or more minutes to a session
later: -3 points
To come 30 or more minutes later: -8 points
To not come for the session without giving
notice to group leader: -70 points
To violate a GR the board can fine you up to: - 70 points
To violate a GGBR the board can fine you up to: -70 points
To require a substitute from your own alliance and
Substitute’s country has to be AI controlled - 15 points
To require a substitute from your own alliance
and a non-group member as substitute for other group
member nation. - 5 points
Not attend a session when you are sharing a major
Country with an other player -10 points
If a player accepts a substitute for a session
found by group leader or Board as major or medium: -10 points
If a player accepts a substitute for a session
found by group leader or Board as minor: -5 points
Options to avoid getting minus for not attending a session:
If a player knows that he cannot attend a session for an upcoming game before the game has started, he has several options to avoid getting minus points: to request that a session is not played on this date, request the session is played on Sunday instead of Saturday, find a substitute himself or have his country is AI controlled (only for minor nations). This request must be sent together with the player bids for countries to group leader. From the requests received the group leader will decide if a given weekend shall be without a session. Group leader will generally not make more than two game-free weekends for an entire game (For a game is reserved 8 sessions). Group leader will in his decision consider how many players cannot play on a given weekend, game continuity and who sent the request first in this order. For the session to be moved to Sunday instead of Saturday requires acceptance of all players. Each request by a player for more than one session, during for AI control of a minor nation, the player’s bid is lowered by 10 points. If a player himself has found a substitute for a session he cannot attend he does not get any minus points, if the substitute has not been assigned a nation at game start.
Using substitutes not member of the group:
If the substitute is not a member of the group, the player is responsible for the substitute and can be punished for the substitute actions. The player must ensure that the substitute shows good behaviour and is familiar with the general rules and his country specific rules. If the substitute violates a GGBR or GR during the game, the board will treat it as if the player had done the violations himself. All substitutes must be familiar with the game (know how to research, to produce unit, etc.). The substitute must have msn and Teamspeak 2 installed. Only minor countries can be substitute by players not member of group. The substitute must follow his alliance leader suggestions with a best effort.
A player with a major country can request a group member, who is currently playing a minor country on his side, to substitute him and then the player, who is not a group member, substitutes the minor country. A player wanting to use an outside substitute must inform group leader and his alliance 3 days before the session and send the name and an email account where the substitute can be contacted.
If the alliance leader, who is on the side the substitute is fighting on, finds substitute is playing unacceptable bad during the game, he can request that the substitute’s country will be AI controlled rest of the session. A player on the same side as the substitute can send a complaint to the board over the substitute after the game. If the board agrees that the substitute’s playing skill had an unacceptable low level, the player, who provided the substitute, can be punished for it with up to –70 points and banned from using substitutes not member of the group for a length of time decided by the board.
11: Player Rescheduling
Players of major nations is allowed ONLY ONE reschedule per game. This reschedule will only have a duration of one session. If that player needs to reschedule for longer than one session they need to get permission from the leader of the group. If the leader of the group needs to reschedule for more than one session then he must get permission from the board.
12: Alliance Leaders Rights and Restrictions
Alliance leaders (UK, Germany, USSR) shall assign strategic objectives to other nations within its alliance. These objectives are to be followed with a “best effort” approach by the member/s the objective is assigned to. The Alliance leader has no right to tell others what to build, or research in their own countries. Alliance leaders may of course suggest a plan of research and building, but must never pressure alliance members to use their plan.
13: Board Meeting Participation and Staff Member Responsibilities
Board meetings are conducted in a closed session. Only the board members will be present for these meetings, unless the board solicits someone to join the meeting. The group leader will witness all board meetings that will include a vote on board issues. All results from board member votes are public and will be distributed to all permanent group members via email, by the board or the group leader.
Communication between staff members in game and out of game will be done on a private chat channel at all times.
The Board is required to send the leader of the group copies of all responses to game rule suggestions by players.
The board and the leader of the group will send each other a monthly update discussing the general situation of the group and a brief summary of what has been done in the previous month.
In Game Pausing Rights and Responsibilities
Pausing may be done when needed; there is no limit to the number of pauses
you may take. However this is not a license to pause to adjust production
sliders or change tech slots etc(in intense warsituations you may of course
pause for these matters also). Try to pause only when needed and other
players will try to do the same.
If anyone feels the next pause will take around 3 minutes and longer, he
will inform EVERYONE on the chat of this by saying "timeout". If he can give
a rough estimate of how long this pause will take, it is appreciated if he
also mentions this to the other players; Ex: "timeout 4min" or "timeout
12min". When timeout is announced the alliance leader of the other side is
responsible for confirming this by saying "roger" in chat to everyone. The
pausing side may of course add on time to their timeout or stop earlier if
they feel that it has taken more or less time than announced.(adding time
isnt needed to be confirmed in any way by the other side). Before the game
is unpaused after a timeout, the pausing allianceleader will announce this
by saying "Timeout over", which will be followed by an "OK start" from the
"waiting sides" allianceleader, after he has made sure of that all the
players on his side is ready for this. Then the pauser may unpause.
Complaining about someone’s pause duration is considered a breach of GGBR
rule 8 and will be dealt with accordingly. If a pause is longer than 15
minutes then a polite reminder that they are in pause is acceptable.
15: In Game Rules Clarifications and Emergency Rule Suspensions
Rules discussions during a game are forbidden, unless a player wishes to request a rules clarification or and emergency rule suspension.
Rule clarification questions will be made in a closed channel with all members of the board present and the leader of the group.
Emergency rule suspensions are a request to the board to suspend a specific rule for the duration of the current game. Emergency rule suspension requests will be done on a closed channel with all present board members only. The board will decide if the rule should be suspended and all decisions are final.
16: Player’s Rights Responsibilities
Every player has the right to demand an open discussion concerning a rule to be voted on during the meeting to vote. Here players may discuss the rule in question before voting begins. Board members may if they desire participate in this discussion.
All players may request a meeting with the board and/or the leader of the group to discuss group issues of any sort. These meetings will be on the board or leader’s time schedule and consist of at least 2 board members or one board member and the leader of the group.
All players may demand and immediate inquiry by the board into in game rules violations. This will be done on a private chat channel with the board before or during a game. The game will be paused until the board makes a decision concerning the possible rule violation.
Any discussion about rules with board members outside these rules is forbidden unless the board solicits your opinion.
17: Save Game Protocol
Looking at enemies saved games is prohibited, unless the board votes to look at a save to investigate possible rules violation. Playing a game forward is also considered prohibited. The only exception is that you may play the game forward to the next 0:00 hours to see your current trade and resource situation. Any transferring of data in any form from an ongoing game is strictly forbidden.
18: Rules Violations
Violating any group or game rule requires review and investigation by the board members of the group. Any Player may challenge being subject to penalties by presenting his case to the board for review, their majority vote decides the outcome. Board decisions are FINAL.
19: Lost techs due to lag
If a player has lost a tech due to lag, he can request to have it
edited into the save. The editing will done either by the group
leader or a board member. The player must have a save with 80% of
the tech researched (player can ask host to give the autosave to
group leader or a board member). If the player considers the tech
to be vital for his immediate plans (f.ex.
land doctrines in war), then there can be a rehost for the tech to be added.
Otherwise the tech
can be added after the session or when a rehost is needed for an other
reason.
[Version 0209 2006]
The HIGH COMMAND Group Charter
Group Governing Body Rules
1: Creating a Board and Replacing a Board Member
A new Board consisting of three permanent group members will be formed. Two of the members will be voted on in a Group meeting. First a nomination must occur. Any Permanent group member may nominate any permanent group member other than himself, except current board members and the leader of the group cannot nominate at all. Any permanent group member that nominates another permanent group member cannot vote for him during the confirmation vote. Once a permanent group member is nominated a confirmation vote is called. If no permanent members nominate a candidate, then and only then, the current board members may nominate a permanent member if they have a unanimous board vote to nominate them.
A confirmation vote consists of all permanent members voting on the nominated candidate, with the exception of current board members the member that nominated the person being voted on and the leader of the group who are not allowed to vote in this process. All permanent members are required to vote either yes, no or abstain. Voting can be done via email or by MSN, if done by email everyone has 96 hours to respond from the delivery of the email. Votes will be sent to the board and the leader of the group email ( Board_hcgroup@hotmail.com and ronhovde@hotmail.com ).Votes are only valid if at least 50% of the current permanent members (allowed to vote) send in a vote. If less than 50% of the permanent members vote then the nomination is void and the process starts anew. If the candidate nominated gets a majority vote of yes he is now considered a Board Member. If the candidate gets less than a majority the nomination fails.
This process continues until there are2 board members are selected. Only one person is considered nominated at a time. After 2 board members have been confirmed, the group leader will appoint one member of the 3-person board from the permanent group members. All 3 board members have the same voting power, and responsibilities. The group leader is not allowed to be a member of the board, or to affect the board in any way.
1a: Board Vote Procedures
All board votes must include the participation of all current board members to be considered valid, with the sole exception being a vacationing board member. All board votes require a majority to be valid. Any board vote that is a tie is considered to be a minority result and the current vote fails, unless a board member is on vacation in which case it is considered a deadlock vote (one for yes one for no). See vacation rules below for the procedure on deadlock votes.
1b: Board Member Vacations
At any time a board member may desire a vacation from board duties in order to prevent burnout. The board member that desires the vacation sends an email to the other board members defining the time period for the vacation. This email should be sent a minimum of 1 week before the vacation starts. Only one board member can be on vacation at any time. The maximum length a board member can take for a vacation from board duties is 1 month. If a board member requires a vacation to be longer than one month both of the other board members must agree. After a board member vacation is scheduled a public email announcing who is vacationing and how long they will be vacationing must be sent to all permanent group members.
A board member cannot take an second vacation in a calendar year before the all other board members take a vacation in the same calendar year, unless all other board members agree to the request. No board member is allowed more than 3 months vacation during any calendar year.
During this period of time the board will make all decisions and run with the 2 remaining board members splitting the duties. If the board gets deadlocked (one for one against) on an issue then the vacationing board member is forced out of vacation temporarily, and must vote on the issue. If the vacationing board member cannot be contacted within a week, then the leader of the group is forced to substitute for the vacationing board member on the deadlocked issue only.
2: Game Rule Suggestion And Vote Procedures
All official suggestions for game rule changes from permanent members must be passed on to the board and the group leader via email ( Board_hcgroup@hotmail.com and ronhovde@hotmail.com ) to be taken seriously. The board will evaluate all player suggested rule changes, fine tune them and then decide via a board vote whether they will be passed on to a Group meeting vote. If the suggested rule gets a majority vote in favor of showing it to all the permanent group members it is then brought before a group meeting for a vote, or an email will be sent out to all permanent members for a vote. The voting will continue for one week from the day the email containing the rules is sent.
The board or leader of the group is responsible to email all permanent members a list of the rules to be voted on in the next group meeting.
If a rule receives a majority vote in a group meeting, it is then added to the game rules for future use.
2b: The Board has the right to change wordings of rules in order to clarify the rule or better define the situations around the rule, as long as the rewording stays to the spirit of the original rule.
2C.Board Protocols for voting and other actions.
2C1: All board members must be informed about all actions or issues before any vote is considered legitimate, or any punishment issued.
2C2: Votes on a new rule require a majority of the board to vote yes the new rule is then passed on the to group for a permanent member vote.
2C3: If a rule change is to be considered a revision instead of a new rule (and thus bypass a full vote of permanent members) all board members must agree it is a revision. If any board member doesn’t agree the rule is considered a new rule, and the usual protocols apply.
2C4: In game rule changes require a unanimous vote of all attending board members to take effect and are considered active only for as long as the current game lasts. In general this should never be done unless the rule is clearing creating problems in the game.
2C5: Adding new rules or revisions to rules in an ongoing game require a unanimous vote of both the board and the leader of the group. The whole group is then informed of the revision immediately. New rules go before the permanent members for a vote. The minimum voting time for any rule addition during an ongoing game is 48hours. If the minimum time isn’t available the rule cannot be added before the next session.
2C6: Disciplining Board members; In cases where a board member is the subject of an investigation the accused board member cannot take part of the investigation or the punishment phase if he is proved guilty. In circumstances where a board member could benefit directly in any way (in the game) from the results of an investigation he must recuse (remove) himself from the board for the investigation and punishment determination of the offence. In cases where the board has a tied vote on an investigation the group leader will act as the tie breaking vote unless he is involved in the offence or could possibly benefit directly (in game) from the results of the investigation.
2C7: Board rules creation decision making process; all rule decisions made bay all members of the board should be objective and focused on the long term balancing of the game in a way both sides will have a roughly equal chance to win and all players will have a fun experience playing with our group. If any board member is found to be promoting or trying to get passed rules that are just to benefit himself, friends, or his favorite side this must be reported to the group leader immediately.
2C8: Board investigation and punishment decision making process; all investigations should be made with objectivity and no personal motive. If a board member feels he cannot be objective and unbiased concerning an investigation they MUST recuse (remove) themselves from the investigation. Board members found to make decisions with bias or a personal motive or agenda must be reported to the group leader immediately.
3: Group Governing Body Rules Suggestion and Vote Procedures
Any official suggestions for changes to the group governing body rules are passed on to the group leader High command. If the group leader agrees to the group body rules suggestion it is passed on to the board for a vote. If the board vote results in a majority for a group governing body rules suggestion then that rule is a added.
4: Player Violation Investigation and Enforcement
The board is also responsible for issuing punishment upon individual group members for violations against group governing body rules or game rules.
The board is required to investigate any suspected violation objectively and make every effort to ensure that the violation was committed. The board will send a public email concerning the investigation and give the accused 72 hours to reply via email or msn. If the reply is in MSN it must have at least 2 board members to witness it or 1 board member and the leader of the group. If the reply is via email it must be sent to the leader of the group and the board. If the accused doesn’t reply in 72 hours then the board will make a decision based on its own investigation taking any mitigating or further incriminating circumstances into account.
A board vote will then called to determine if the accused is guilty. If the majority of the board votes yes then accused is considered guilty.
If the guilty party broke a group governing body he will be subject to at minimum one of three sentences: A warning, B suspension, C permanent banning of the guilty party. He may also be subject to other punishments based on the circumstances of the board’s decision.
If the guilty party broke a game rule he is subject to the same punishments as a group governing body rule, but may also be subject to in game penalties determined by the board. (example: would be to pay 5000 supplies to another player for the violation)
Once the penalty is suggested the board will vote on enacting the penalty. A majority is required to enact a penalty. A permanent ban requires a unanimous vote of the board in favor of permanently banning the guilty party, and the leader of the group must also agree.
Once the board determines that a player has committed a violation the board MUST issue a punishment. The punishment is to be made public via email, and all permanent group members will immediately be informed of the violation and the punishment of the guilty party.
5: Group Leader Board Participation
HC is the leader of the group and will not be allowed to be a board member. The Leader of the group is required at every board vote and must keep track of the votes and all issues discussed by the board during a vote meeting. The leader of the group is an observer at board meetings and is not allowed to interfere or intervene in board meeting discussions, or votes in any fashion, unless solicited by the board to get involved.
6: Board Member Removal Procedures
The leader of the group may at any time convene a group meeting and demand a vote of all permanent group members to remove a board member from the board. This should only be done when a board member is showing bias against someone or in favor of someone and using his position to attack/protect the individual, or in cases where a board member attempts to change rules in favor of his side or most favored country to further unbalance the game. As well as when a board member is reducing the effectiveness of the board in its responsibilities.
The leader will present his case to the group meeting in MSN (this cannot be done in email) and they will vote to keep or remove the board member. The leader of the group and the board member being removed are not allowed to vote. The vote requires a majority of the permanent members in favor to remove the board member in question. In order for the vote to be valid over half of the current permanent group members must participate.
If removed in this fashion that person may not be on the board again for minimum period of 1 year.
7: Penalties for Abandoning a Game
If you abandon a game while playing a minor country, you must play a minor in the next game all the way to the end. If you abandon a game while playing a major you must play the next two games you attend all the way to the end as a minor. If you fail to show up at all or require a reschedule more than once during penalty games you will have to replay the penalty game/s from the beginning of the next game you attend.
8: Player Behavior Rules
All players will show respect to other players and behave as gentlemen. This means no cursing, disrespecting, or bad attitudes directed at other players. This doesn’t mean occasional outbursts of bad language directed at no one, yourself or the AI. However constant and repeated bad language is unacceptable as well.
False accusations or other intrigues done with malicious (purposefully negative) intent against another player are expressly against this rule and will be subject to SEVERE punishments with a minimum of a 1 full game suspension.
9: Group Leader Responsibilities
The leader of the group will announce all sessions via email, after all schedules of permanent group members that desire to play are considered.
The leader of the group is responsible for recruiting new members, and scheduling trial games for trial members. The leader of the group also has the duty to further board investigations by supplying evidence and suggesting possible violations.
The leader of the group has the right to require a meeting with any member of the group. The individual must comply within a maximum of 2-week time frame. If the individual does not comply they are considered suspended until they do comply. The leader of the group or the person required at the meeting have the right to request a board member to act as a witness to the meetings proceedings. If we don’t have enough players to fill all the countries then the leader is responsible to fill the countries in the following order, UK, GER, ITA, SU, JAP, USA, NAT SPAIN, CAN, ROM, All others.
10 Nation Scelection Prosedure: The board and the group leader have decided that we want to change how the countries are assigned to group members. Basic principal is that each member should have the opportunity to play a game as a major followed by a session, where he has to play a minor. If a player shows good behaviour (not rescheduling, showing up on time, not violating rules etc.) he will more frequently have the opportunity to play a major. Each permanent group member will start with 30 points and new permanent group members will be given 30 points to start with. After all permanent group members have been assigned a nation by the bidding procedure described in this document; group leader will assign trial members a nation.
Bidding:
Nations are divided into four categories each with a different minimum points for bidding. Group leader will send an email announcing to all group members that the bidding is open and players must send their bid to group leader by answering this mail.
Group leader will send his bids before this date to the board. A player can make a minimum of 4 bids and his bids must be on 2 Axis and 2 Allied nation. At least half of your bids must be from different country size categories. Example (2 major and 2 medium), or (2 medium, 1 major and 1 minor) etc. Player must list their countries from the one they most desire to play to least desire to play. Two players can bid on a major or medium nation together. The two players must bid the same number of points and if their bid is on USA it is considered 10 points higher than it actual is, otherwise it is 5 points higher.
Country selection procedure:
After the end date has passed the group leader will see who has the highest bid for a nation on the filling chart. Followed by the second highest bid for a nation on the filling chart etc. In case of tie the member, who first sent a mail with his bids to group leader, gets to play the nation. Group leader is considered to be the 4th person to have sent his bid. Bids for nations lower on the filling chart than the total number of players wanting to join a game are not valid (e.g. if 12 players want to attend a game, all bids on Argentina and South Africa will be discarded).
If more than two players do not have a highest bid on any of their bids, a second round of bids will take place. The rules are the same as for the first bidding round expect if the number of free nations are less than 4, the player only need to make the same number of bids as the number of free nations. There will be bidding rounds until not more than one player do not have a nation. If only one player do not have a nation, he gets the nation highest on the filling chart not taken.
The player only pays the number of points he has bidden for a nation he actually gets.
Minimum point costs for countries in the various categories:
Major Nations require 30 points
Medium Nations require 20 points
Minor Nations Class 1 require 10 points
Minor Nations Class 2 require 0 points
Major nations are: Germany, USSR, USA and UK.
Medium nations are: Japan, Italy, Nat Spain and Nat China
Minor class 1: Romania, Hungary, and Canada
Minor class 2: all other nations.
Filling chart: Germany, UK, Italy, USSR, Japan, USA, Nat Spain, Nat China, Romania, Canada, Hungary, Brazil, Argentina and Australia.
To be able to bid for or play major or a medium nation it is require to send/receive voice communication in wartime (for example to have and use a headset). To be able to bid for minor nation in class 1 and 2 a member must the ability to receive voice communication. The group is currently using teamspeak 2.
For each session a player attends he will get an amount of points depending on which category the country he is assigned at start of the game belongs to. If a player substitutes an other player with a nation in higher category he will get the number as if he had played with his own nation during the session.
Point gain per session attended:
As a major Nation: +5 points
As a medium Nation: +6 points
As a minor Nation class 1: +7 points
As a minor Nation class 2: +8 points
Bonus points:
If a player with a minor nation volunteers to be a substitute for a player with a major or medium nation: +5 points pr session with a max of +15 points for an entire game.
By writing an AAR at pre-designated location before Tuesday 12 GMT in week after a session has been played: +1 point pr session.
Minus points:
To as a minor let the AI run your
nation for a session (unless substituting): -15 points
To reschedule the game for a session: -35 points
To come to 15 or more minutes to a session
later: -3 points
To come 30 or more minutes later: -8 points
To not come for the session without giving
notice to group leader: -70 points
To violate a GR the board can fine you up to: - 70 points
To violate a GGBR the board can fine you up to: -70 points
To require a substitute from your own alliance and
Substitute’s country has to be AI controlled - 15 points
To require a substitute from your own alliance
and a non-group member as substitute for other group
member nation. - 5 points
Not attend a session when you are sharing a major
Country with an other player -10 points
If a player accepts a substitute for a session
found by group leader or Board as major or medium: -10 points
If a player accepts a substitute for a session
found by group leader or Board as minor: -5 points
Options to avoid getting minus for not attending a session:
If a player knows that he cannot attend a session for an upcoming game before the game has started, he has several options to avoid getting minus points: to request that a session is not played on this date, request the session is played on Sunday instead of Saturday, find a substitute himself or have his country is AI controlled (only for minor nations). This request must be sent together with the player bids for countries to group leader. From the requests received the group leader will decide if a given weekend shall be without a session. Group leader will generally not make more than two game-free weekends for an entire game (For a game is reserved 8 sessions). Group leader will in his decision consider how many players cannot play on a given weekend, game continuity and who sent the request first in this order. For the session to be moved to Sunday instead of Saturday requires acceptance of all players. Each request by a player for more than one session, during for AI control of a minor nation, the player’s bid is lowered by 10 points. If a player himself has found a substitute for a session he cannot attend he does not get any minus points, if the substitute has not been assigned a nation at game start.
Using substitutes not member of the group:
If the substitute is not a member of the group, the player is responsible for the substitute and can be punished for the substitute actions. The player must ensure that the substitute shows good behaviour and is familiar with the general rules and his country specific rules. If the substitute violates a GGBR or GR during the game, the board will treat it as if the player had done the violations himself. All substitutes must be familiar with the game (know how to research, to produce unit, etc.). The substitute must have msn and Teamspeak 2 installed. Only minor countries can be substitute by players not member of group. The substitute must follow his alliance leader suggestions with a best effort.
A player with a major country can request a group member, who is currently playing a minor country on his side, to substitute him and then the player, who is not a group member, substitutes the minor country. A player wanting to use an outside substitute must inform group leader and his alliance 3 days before the session and send the name and an email account where the substitute can be contacted.
If the alliance leader, who is on the side the substitute is fighting on, finds substitute is playing unacceptable bad during the game, he can request that the substitute’s country will be AI controlled rest of the session. A player on the same side as the substitute can send a complaint to the board over the substitute after the game. If the board agrees that the substitute’s playing skill had an unacceptable low level, the player, who provided the substitute, can be punished for it with up to –70 points and banned from using substitutes not member of the group for a length of time decided by the board.
11: Player Rescheduling
Players of major nations is allowed ONLY ONE reschedule per game. This reschedule will only have a duration of one session. If that player needs to reschedule for longer than one session they need to get permission from the leader of the group. If the leader of the group needs to reschedule for more than one session then he must get permission from the board.
12: Alliance Leaders Rights and Restrictions
Alliance leaders (UK, Germany, USSR) shall assign strategic objectives to other nations within its alliance. These objectives are to be followed with a “best effort” approach by the member/s the objective is assigned to. The Alliance leader has no right to tell others what to build, or research in their own countries. Alliance leaders may of course suggest a plan of research and building, but must never pressure alliance members to use their plan.
13: Board Meeting Participation and Staff Member Responsibilities
Board meetings are conducted in a closed session. Only the board members will be present for these meetings, unless the board solicits someone to join the meeting. The group leader will witness all board meetings that will include a vote on board issues. All results from board member votes are public and will be distributed to all permanent group members via email, by the board or the group leader.
Communication between staff members in game and out of game will be done on a private chat channel at all times.
The Board is required to send the leader of the group copies of all responses to game rule suggestions by players.
The board and the leader of the group will send each other a monthly update discussing the general situation of the group and a brief summary of what has been done in the previous month.
In Game Pausing Rights and Responsibilities
Pausing may be done when needed; there is no limit to the number of pauses
you may take. However this is not a license to pause to adjust production
sliders or change tech slots etc(in intense warsituations you may of course
pause for these matters also). Try to pause only when needed and other
players will try to do the same.
If anyone feels the next pause will take around 3 minutes and longer, he
will inform EVERYONE on the chat of this by saying "timeout". If he can give
a rough estimate of how long this pause will take, it is appreciated if he
also mentions this to the other players; Ex: "timeout 4min" or "timeout
12min". When timeout is announced the alliance leader of the other side is
responsible for confirming this by saying "roger" in chat to everyone. The
pausing side may of course add on time to their timeout or stop earlier if
they feel that it has taken more or less time than announced.(adding time
isnt needed to be confirmed in any way by the other side). Before the game
is unpaused after a timeout, the pausing allianceleader will announce this
by saying "Timeout over", which will be followed by an "OK start" from the
"waiting sides" allianceleader, after he has made sure of that all the
players on his side is ready for this. Then the pauser may unpause.
Complaining about someone’s pause duration is considered a breach of GGBR
rule 8 and will be dealt with accordingly. If a pause is longer than 15
minutes then a polite reminder that they are in pause is acceptable.
15: In Game Rules Clarifications and Emergency Rule Suspensions
Rules discussions during a game are forbidden, unless a player wishes to request a rules clarification or and emergency rule suspension.
Rule clarification questions will be made in a closed channel with all members of the board present and the leader of the group.
Emergency rule suspensions are a request to the board to suspend a specific rule for the duration of the current game. Emergency rule suspension requests will be done on a closed channel with all present board members only. The board will decide if the rule should be suspended and all decisions are final.
16: Player’s Rights Responsibilities
Every player has the right to demand an open discussion concerning a rule to be voted on during the meeting to vote. Here players may discuss the rule in question before voting begins. Board members may if they desire participate in this discussion.
All players may request a meeting with the board and/or the leader of the group to discuss group issues of any sort. These meetings will be on the board or leader’s time schedule and consist of at least 2 board members or one board member and the leader of the group.
All players may demand and immediate inquiry by the board into in game rules violations. This will be done on a private chat channel with the board before or during a game. The game will be paused until the board makes a decision concerning the possible rule violation.
Any discussion about rules with board members outside these rules is forbidden unless the board solicits your opinion.
17: Save Game Protocol
Looking at enemies saved games is prohibited, unless the board votes to look at a save to investigate possible rules violation. Playing a game forward is also considered prohibited. The only exception is that you may play the game forward to the next 0:00 hours to see your current trade and resource situation. Any transferring of data in any form from an ongoing game is strictly forbidden.
18: Rules Violations
Violating any group or game rule requires review and investigation by the board members of the group. Any Player may challenge being subject to penalties by presenting his case to the board for review, their majority vote decides the outcome. Board decisions are FINAL.
19: Lost techs due to lag
If a player has lost a tech due to lag, he can request to have it
edited into the save. The editing will done either by the group
leader or a board member. The player must have a save with 80% of
the tech researched (player can ask host to give the autosave to
group leader or a board member). If the player considers the tech
to be vital for his immediate plans (f.ex.
land doctrines in war), then there can be a rehost for the tech to be added.
Otherwise the tech
can be added after the session or when a rehost is needed for an other
reason.
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