# Mayflower Moderation Manual #

[TOC]

## Introduction

This manual has been produced as a guide to help new and existing members of the moderation team in the execution of their duties. The manual contains guidance on procedures and instructions on how to use the many tools available to moderate effectively.
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## Moderator Rules

Moderators chosen by the Head Moderator and those allocated by departments are subject to the following rules:

* Keep to the very rules in the environment(s) under moderation, set a good example
* Moderation powers should not be abused or misused at any time, this includes for personal gain, such as using the watch command to pursue criminal suspects
* Act fairly and without bias in each action made
* Know when you should enlist the help of another moderator if your actions may contradict this
* Keep any discussion of any moderation action concerns in the private Moderator channels
* Ensure professionalism and maturity when dealing with moderation queries and actions
* Report any issues you may have with another moderator to a member of the administrative team

Breaking any of these rules may lead to loss of moderation powers. Moderation powers may also be removed for any reason by the administrative team.

## Discord

### Jurisdiction

The State of Mayflower Discord and all Discords for department purposes should follow the rules set forth in the `#guidelines` channel in the State of Mayflower Discord.

The State of Mayflower Discord is the only Discord which should contain channels accessible to the general public/citizens of Mayflower. It is for this reason that moderators in this server are handpicked by the Head Moderator for their dedication and commitment to the community.

:::danger
Some particularly severe offences may require cross-Discord action and should be referred to the administrative team for further review and action.
:::

#### Department Discords

Servers that can be found in the `#help-and-links` channel are allocated moderators via their own department hierarchy. These servers should not contain channels that allow the unrestricted public/citizens to chat/speak in.

Other Mayflower-related Discords are to be moderated by the departments they represent. It is, therefore, the responsibility of department leaders to ensure these servers abide by the rules.

Those found in violation of Discord rules in these department Discords should be dealt with by their superiors. Any concerns regarding decisions should be DM’d to dataxry.

### Suggested Actions

#### 1. Common Sense Clause
Use common sense when participating in the community. Any content that violates the Discord Terms of Service or the Discord Community Guidelines is not permitted in this community.

Suggested Action:
Most violations should begin with a warning or mute depending on severity. Continued or intentional violations may escalate to a soft-ban or permanent ban.

#### 2. Discretion Clause

Moderation or administration may impose any punishment on any individual at any time as they see fit, provided there is objective reasoning for doing so.
The Policy on Government Announcements applies.

Suggested Action:
No predefined punishment. Staff may apply any level of enforcement when justified and documented.

#### 3. NSFW Content

Not Safe For Work (NSFW) content is prohibited. Any posting of NSFW content will result in a permanent ban from the community and may result in action inside other affiliated servers.

Suggested Action:
Permanent ban. Screenshot or log the material and notify an administrator.

#### 4. Respectful Conduct

Be respectful when engaging in conversation with others; don’t seek arguments or intentionally provoke conflict.

Suggested Action:
First offense should result in a verbal warning or 1-hour mute. Continued behavior should escalate to a soft-ban, followed by a permanent ban if it persists.

#### 5. Spamming

Spamming in any channel—text or voice—is unacceptable. This includes repeating messages, excessive emoji, microphone spam, or abusive use of mentions.

Suggested Action:
Mute for 1 hour. If the behavior continues, issue a soft-ban; further violations warrant a permanent ban.

#### 6. Derogatory Terms & Inappropriate Language

Excessive swearing in severe cases is prohibited. Any hateful, derogatory, or malicious language directed at others is strictly forbidden.

Suggested Action:
Minor offenses: 1-hour mute.
Severe hate speech (1st offense) (e.g., slurs): 3 day mute.
Severe hate speech (2nd offense) (e.g., slurs): Permanent ban.

#### 7. Advertising

Advertising third-party Discord servers, websites, or ROBLOX groups is not allowed unless officially listed in #help_and_links.

Suggested Action:
First offense: Warning via @ mention.
Second offense: Soft-ban.
Repeated violations: Permanent ban.

#### 8. Personal Information

Posting personal information or Personally Identifiable Information (PII), regardless of intent, is strictly prohibited and will result in a permanent ban.

Suggested Action:
Permanent ban. Immediately notify an administrator for further review.

### Commands

| Command | Description | Usage | Example |
| -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- |
| Ban | Bans the chosen user either permanently or for a specific amount of time | `?ban [user] [limit] [reason]` | `?ban @danieI#5687 1h NSFW Content` Bans Noah permanently with reason `NSFW Content` |
| unban | Unbans the chosen user | `?unban [user] [reason]` | `?unban @danieI#5687 Ban appeal successful` Unbans Noah with reason `Ban appeal successful` |
| softban | Kicks the chosen user and deletes 24 hrs of past messages | `?softban [user] [reason]` | `?softban @danieI#5687 Spamming #general` Kicks Noah and deletes any messages sent 24 hours prior with reason `Spamming #general` |
| kick | Kicks the chosen user | `?kick [user] [reason]` | `?kick @danieI#5687 Spamming #general` Kicks Noah with reason `Spamming #general` |
| mute | Mutes the chosen user either permanently or for a specified amount of time | ?mute `[user] [minutes] [reason]` | `?mute @danieI#5687 1h Spam` Mutes Noah for 1 hour with reason `Spam` |
| unmute | Unmutes the chosen user | `?unmute [user] [reason]` | `?unmute @danieI#5687` Unmutes Noah |

### Common Issues

#### Invalid Discord invite

Some users may report that an invite for a specific server is invalid or not working for them. You should first of all check yourself if the invite they are trying works for you.

:::danger
If the invite doesn’t redirect you to the server it’s registered to, it is invalid and you should contact an administrator to remedy the situation.
:::

:::success
If the invite does redirect you to the respective server, then the user is either banned from the server, has hit the maximum number numbers of Discord servers they can be a member of (100), or they are banned on another Discord account they’re not telling you about (Discord bans by IP address too). See Rolypoly for identication assistance.
:::

#### Spoilers

Spoilers do not negate the moderation offences of their hidden contents. Implied content should also be moderated as if it is clearly stated, e.g. `you're such a n||ice person||` is read by other users as a certain other derogatory term and should be moderated as such.

#### Rules in Direct Messages

Some people may report that a user is sending them direct messages, via a Mayflower Discord server they are a member of, that are violating the Disord rules. In some circumstances, it may be valid for the offending user to have moderation action against them but it is important to identify the context of the situation before deciding on any action.

Illegal activity should be permanently banned regardless of its location, administrators should be notified if action is undertaken like this or you are suspicious over the legality of a topic.

#### Screenshots

Screenshots of Discord and Roblox are frequently shared in often to support someone’s claim of a rule violation against another user. It’s important to always take into account the ease of forgery, especially with Discord screenshots. If it’s possible to, try verifying the validity of images yourself if the claim is in a public channel e.g. Checking `#discord-logs` for a deleted message.

## Lee County

The Lee County game is to be bound by the rules found in the #guidelines channel on the State of Mayflower Discord. Moderators are chosen by the Head Moderator and are also moderators of the State of Mayflower Discord.

### Cmdr

[Cmdr](https://github.com/evaera/Cmdr) is an open-source command console enabling an interface between moderators and the Lee County moderation system.

The Cmdr interface is opened and closed by pressing the semi-colon `;` key.

Commands are entered and auto-completed as you type them by pressing TAB. Pressing enter will execute the command. Pressing the up and down arrow keys will also navigate through your command history and allow you to quickly repeat old commands.

:::info
You can run the `help` command to list all commands available to you.
:::

#### Argument Operators

You can substitute player names with the following:

| Operator | Meaning |
| -------- | -------- |
| `#USERID` | Player with the UserId USERID. |
| `.` | “me”, or the player who is running the command. |
| `?` | A random single player. |
| `*` | All players. |
| `**` | “others”, or all players who aren’t the player running the command. |
| `?N` | N random players. |
| `%TEAM` | All players on the `TEAM` team. |

#### Examples

* `ban #8166491 Exploiting` - Bans a user with UserId `8166491` for “Exploiting”
* `watch .` - Watch yourself
* `watch ?` - Watch a random player
* `notify * Hiya` - Notify all players with “Hiya”
* `notify ?4 Hiya` - Notify 4 random players with “Hiya”
* `notify %Citizen Hiya` - Notify all players on the Citizen team with “Hiya”

### Remote Commands

Commands may also be executed via the State of Mayflower Discord server through the use of the stateFLOW Discord bot. The following commands are available and function identically to their Cmdr counterparts as if executed in-game on your own account:

* `/gban [username] [reason]`
* `/gtban [username] [reason]`
* `/gunban [username] [reason]`
* `/gkick [username] [reason]`

The commands are all executed on the server the targeted player resides on as a priority, before being executed on a random server if sufficient time has passed looking for the target. Commands should take 10 seconds maximum if a player is already in-game. Otherwise, they make take up to 2 minutes.

#### Get Server

There’s a final command available called /gserver [username]. This command retrieves information about a player’s server and its server members. You can use this to join a server if you’re having trouble joining a server off of the original target player (their follow settings may be restricted).

:::success
This command provides you with a URL like this, `https://www.roblox.com/games/7276246955/Lee-County?jobId=d2a6cee9-e96e-4f23-af55-e18f59949933`.
:::

### Other Discord Commands

#### Modlogs

Use the `/modlogs` stateFLOW command to identify any game moderation a Roblox account has received. This is useful when a user has many username changes to which Discord search becomes tedious.

#### Usage:

* `/modlogs ROBLOX_USERNAME` Find all moderation actions a Roblox account has received

### Suggested Actions

#### 1. Abide by the New Life Rule

Any suspect pursued by law enforcement or any public agency becomes a new player if they die during that pursuit.

All criminal charges before or during that pursuit become void.

Officers who knowingly attempt to arrest players who have already died violate this rule.

Suggested Action:
- Tempban.

#### 2. Do Not Exploit

Exploiting includes cheating, glitching, or using unfair third-party tools.

AFK software is allowed, but only two accounts may be used simultaneously.

Suggested Action:
- Ban for any exploit or cheating (severe violation).
- Tempban for using AFK tools on more than two accounts.

#### 3. Do Not Reset or Disconnect to Avoid Action

Do not respawn or leave the game to avoid combat, evade a pursuit, or avoid being processed by law enforcement.

If you disconnect and the officer cannot complete the arrest, you are still liable.

Suggested Action:
- Tempban.

#### 4. Do Not Spawnkill

Killing players at spawn locations or immediately after they respawn is prohibited.

Suggested Action:
- Tempban.

#### 5. Do Not Use Alternative Accounts to Circumvent Moderation Action

Using alternate accounts to bypass moderation is strictly prohibited.

Suggested Action:
- Ban for all associated accounts.

#### 6. Do Not Abuse Game Mechanics

Residency abuse, firearm abuse, election manipulation, or maintaining multiple residency accounts is not allowed.

Abusing public agency or admin tools, including giving out unrealistic tools, is prohibited.

Buying or selling tools/accounts for Robux or real currency is also forbidden.

Suggested Action:
- Tempban for minor or unclear tool misuse.
- Ban for residency fraud, election rigging, real-currency transactions, or major abuse.

#### 7. Play in a Fair Manner (Rule 7 / R7)

Players must play fairly and avoid disrupting gameplay.

Examples include:
- Blocking entrances with barriers or vehicles
- Shooting unarmed players
- Ruining active player-created scenarios (e.g., hostage scenes)

Moderators may establish R7 protected zones.

Suggested Action:
- Tempban.

#### 8. Abide by ROBLOX Guidelines

Players must follow ROBLOX platform rules and report violations through the platform.

Suggested Action:
- Tempban for platform-related violations.
- Ban for major ToS breaches (e.g., severe conduct or safety violations).

#### 9. Metagaming Clause

Media evidence is only admissible if the recording began while the player was alive.

Recordings that begin after a player’s death are invalid.

Evidence rules may be reviewed or overridden by the judiciary or Central Authority.

### Commands

| Command | Description | Usage | Example |
| -------- | -------- | -------- | -------- |
| checkban | Gives information about a user’s active ban if they have one | `checkban [user]` | `checkban Noah_McDoogIe` Returns information about Noah_McDoogIe’s active ban if they have one |
| ban | Bans the chosen user permanently | `ban [user] [reason]` | `ban Noah_McDoogIe Exploiting` Bans Noah_McDoogIe permanently with reason `Exploiting` |
| tban | Bans the chosen user by a predetermined amount according to their moderation history | `tban [user] [reason]` | `tban Noah_McDoogIe Leaving to avoid arrest` Bans Noah_McDoogIe for a predetermined amount of time with reason `Leaving to avoid arrest` |
| kick | Kicks the chosen user | `kick [user] [reason]` | `kick Noah_McDoogIe New life rule violation` Kicks Noah_McDoogIe with reason `New life rule violation` |
| unban | Unbans the chosen user | `unban [user] reason` | `unban Noah_McDoogIe Appeal accepted` Unbans the user with Roblox user `Noah_McDoogIe` with reason `Appeal accepted` |
| watch | Watches the chosen user | `watch [user]` | `watch Noah_McDoogIe` Watches Noah_McDoogIe |
| notice | Displays a permanent message atop every user’s screen | `notice [message]` | `notice Game shutting down soon` Displays a message atop each user’s screen with message `Game shutting down soon`. Calling `notice` without a message will result in the notice being removed. |
| notify | Sends a notification to a chosen user in the game | `notify [user] [message]` | `notify Noah_McDoogIe No lollygagging, thanks` Sends a notification to Noah_McDoogIe with text `No lollygagging, thanks` |

### Common Issues

Lee County is far from perfect and contains many bugs that are always yet to be resolved. Here are some known issues that may influence your moderator decisions.

#### Vehicle clipping

You may find that some users are able to have their character walk through vehicles with no collisions, it’s important to make the distinction between users affected by this bug and genuine exploiters. Users affected by this bug will only be able to clip through vehicles, whereas, exploiters will clip through any surface. Those affected by this glitch should be kicked from the game as a maximum.

#### Money farming

Users often try to avoid the Roblox idle detection by moving their character every few minutes/seconds to stay in-game and continue to accumulate more money into their accounts. This is a consequence of the current design of the game and should be lessened in the future through game updates. Users should not be banned under any circumstances and should merely be kicked if the server also happens to be full.

#### Alternate Accounts

If there is sufficient evidence to link an account playing Lee County to another under the same owner, it is suitable for the alternate account to be permanently banned **if the main account is also currently banned.**

#### Search Warrants

Due to lack of a reasonable, fair, and technically-achievable game mechanic to solve the issue, search warrants are to be dealt with by moderation in the case where a player is not willing to comply with a search warrant issued to them. In the case of this, players should be banned with a temporary ban (issued under rule 7) at most. With the search warrant to be executed as soon as their ban is over. **Do not permanently ban

Temporary bans may be repeated if the player still refuses to comply after already serving a similar ban. The punishments stack up anyway.

Search warrants should also be executed with minimum disruption to other players to the game (i.e., car dealerships should not be blocked off using ploppables). Law enforcement officers are not exempt from the rules during this process.

#### Full servers

If a server is full and an event has been organised by a State of Mayflower department (including legislature sessions), it may be tempting to kick Tourists to make room for attendees currently queuing. This is highly discouraged as it results in a bad experience for users, especially new ones in the case of Tourists. It also often requires more than one kick for every user intending to join. Instead, look for people that are AFK and kick them.

:::info
It is recommended that organizers establish the event in the smallest server possible and only when essential attendees are all ready.
:::

## Procedure

When performing moderation action, it’s important to ensure you remain clear and professional in what your intentions are behind any action.

If moderating on Lee County, you should also be careful in how you phrase moderation reasons as your input will be filtered by Roblox and may become unreadable to a user who has had moderation action. Also be aware that these reasons are broadcast to the game server and its players a user is kicked or banned.

### Correct Usage

> tban Noah_McDoogIe LTAA [color=#FF0000]

> tban Noah_McDoogIe Leaving to avoid arrest [color=#008000]

> tban Noah_McDoogIe ToS Violation [color=#FF0000]

> tban Noah_McDoogIe Violating Roblox rules [color=#008000]

Do not abbreviate moderation offences. Users may be new to the community and may not be aware of these shortened forms.

---

> tban Noah_McDoogIe Violating Roblox rules, using the n word [color=#FF0000]

> tban Noah_McDoogIe Violating Roblox rules, derogatory language [color=#008000]

> ?mute @Noah_McDoogIe 1h Stop [color=#FF0000]

> ?mute @Noah_McDoogIe 1h Stop spamming the same message [color=#008000]

You have to find the balance between being too vague and too specific in your moderation reasoning. In the first example, stating what word triggered moderation action is too explicit in the context of Roblox, so it may be more appropriate to abstract it into derogatory language which can appear without issue on Roblox.

---

> ?mute @Noah_McDoogIe Spamming the same message [color=#FF0000]

> ?mute @Noah_McDoogIe 1h Spamming the same message [color=#008000]

Always include a time duration when muting a user, else another moderator may have to spend time seeking context before un-muting.

---

> ban Noah_McDoogIe Excessive leaving to avoid arrest [color=#FF0000]

> tban Noah_McDoogIe Leaving to avoid arrest [color=#008000]

Bans which are ordinarily temporary shouldn’t become permanent just because a moderator wasn’t there in the first instance of a rule violation.

### Moderation Evidence

On the stateWARE Community Support Discord, the channel, `#moderation_evidence`, is available for the purpose of Discord moderation actions and game actions. Pasting evidence of wrongdoings into this channel is not mandatory but it certainly helps other moderators when investigating appeals for your bans. Evidence should be posted in the format `USERNAME / REASON / (LINK TO) EVIDENCE` ASAP after moderation action has taken place.

Moderation evidence is not expected on accounts that appear “new” and “alty” (look at citizenship, clothing, join date, badges, etc.) as it’s often obvious that the account was a “throwaway” used just for rule violation.

## Appeals

Unless a moderator immediately recognises their own mistake, all moderation action should be appealed using the stateWARE Community Support Discord before repealing a moderation decision. All users should be directed to this server upon requesting an appeal.

Appeals on bans made by stateWARE should be accepted only if they are the user’s first exploiting-related ban and they provide admission and appear remorseful. stateWARE bans are designed to ban only when false positives are impossible, there is no way someone would receive a ban unless they were tampering with the game.

Appeals should be responded to within 48 hours of their submission. You may discuss or question a user directly regarding their appeal if you wish or require additional information to aid the appeal process. After you grant an appeal, be sure that the person is notified of it.
:::danger
If you were involved in moderating the appealing user, **avoid** the appeal and allow another moderator to make the decision.
:::

### Appeals Completion Process

These steps must be followed while processing any appeals.

* Investigate the appeal and look at the user’s moderation history using commands such as `/modlogs`, as well as `?modlogs` for Discord moderation history
* **If the user is accepting responsibility**, take into account the context surrounding their ban and how old any moderation is and if you believe enough time has passed and lessons learnt to warrant an unban
* **If the user is not accepting responsibility**, look at the context surrounding the ban and any evidence that was provided at the time. Use Discord search to try to find the original command that issued the ban. Identify if there was any mistake or ambiguity off of the evidence provided at the time.
* **If in doubt, ask other moderators for their opinion!**

---

* Run the `/gunban` command, or `unban` with the cmdr system in-game.
* **Example**: `/gunban Noah_McDoogIe Appeal accepted`, `unban Noah_McDoogIe appeal accepted`

## Useful Links
* Grab a user’s Roblox profile directly from their username:
`https://www.roblox.com/users/profile?username=AlaaXxide`

## Questions or Concerns?

This document is intended to evolve over time, DM isotryn on Discord with any queries relating to this document, its usage, and if you weren’t able to be helped. DM the same account if you also are having issues with an existing moderator’s conduct.