Post by Greyhound4000 on Jan 16, 2015 18:00:38 GMT
Groudon@Guild Rules
This section explains all the Ins and outs of leading, participating and understanding the Guilds system. This Rules segment aims to answer the questions, rules and procedures aimed MAINLY at the social side of the Guilds, if you would like to see how the battling side is intergrated, then please look at the CPSG section for further information. Instead of having the rules listed as bullet points, they will be formatted into short paragraphs to extend your understanding of them.
Contents:
1. Leadership and ranks
2. Rules
2. Rules
Leadership and ranks
The Guilds are split into a semi-democratic system in order to suit both the Guild Members and the Guild's order and integrity. There is a ranking system within the Guilds based primarily on the battling skill of players, however VIP ranks are available to generous benefactors within the Guilds, such as Shop Owners, Tournament Referee's, etc, to people who the Guild Leaders think deserve them. Please note that if you are a Guild Leader/Vice-Leader or applying for the role, then you should be familiarised with these Ranks, and if applying for Champion then it is highly recommended. Please note that all moderation ranks will be called Guild Managers as a group from now on. The ranking of members and their In-Guild permissions are as follows:
Moderation Ranks:
1. Guild Leader (x1) - There is only one Leader at any time, unless difficulties within Leadership arises (see the Ranking Exceptions sub-section). Guild Leaders must apply for their role, but once a Leader is chosen, they can only be swapped out for other Leaders if enough Guild Members agree with the change in Leadership (again, adhere to the Ranking Exceptions). Leaders are responsible for maintaining the Guild, keeping Members happy and making sure the Guild remains functional and fair for all users. The Leader usually has the final say in terms of what goes, but can be overruled if neither Vice-Leader is supporting of his/her decision. The Leader is also responsible for setting tasks for themselves, the Vice-Leaders, and the Champions if need be, and should message the appropriate ranks their to-do list (preferably with time slots as well) at least every fortnight. The Leader should cater to the demands of the members as much as possible, but shouldn't go along with any decisions the members decide that conflict with Guild, Forum or CPSG rules. All movements made by Guild Leaders will be moderated by the Staff before coming into effect. The Guild Leader will have bestowed a custom badge for their signature upon ascension to this rank
2. Vice Leader (x2) - The Guild Leader usually has two Vice-Leaders to accompany them, however exceptions again can be made in certain circumstances. Vice-Leaders must also be apply, and once chosen can be promoted and demoted by the Guild Leader as necessary. Impartial Mods will judge their decisions of demotion, but promotion is usually of no concern. The only players eligible for Vice-Leader application are Ace Trainer and Champion, and they are chosen based on basic battling skills BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY on their Forum Management skills, and their people skills. An Ace Trainer applicant must have 100+ legitimate in-guild posts (preferably containing some advice/constructive criticism/examples of leadership qualities) and be a capable battler (not necessarily the best, but be able to hold their own against most opponents). Champions must have 85+ legitimate in-guild posts.
Vice-Leaders are the order of the Guild, as Ned Stark is the Hand of the King in Game of Thrones. The Vice-Leaders will receive to-do lists from the Guild Leader when necessary, in order to assist them in the upkeep of the Guild. NOTE: This does not make the Leader themselves exempt from tasks, but gives them an alternative of finding people to orchestrate smaller tasks instead of just putting them off. Vice-Leaders can be assigned Champions to help with even smaller tasks, but they will still be in control of the job, for example: If the Guild Leader/Vice-Leader has accepted Rank-up requests and needs someone to referee and facilitate the battles being hosted (say, on Pokemon Showdown) they can assign a Champion to referee the battle and verify the result. The Vice-Leader is in charge of sorting out in-guild disputes, as Guild aligned Mods and Admins cannot enter their Forum Board, and they are also responsible as a safety net for the Guild Leader, either allowing or denying Guild Rule/Mechanic changes. Vice-Leaders receive a custom badge for their signature upon ascension to this rank
3. Champions (x5) - Champions are the elite of all battling members of the Guilds, and must apply for Champions In-Guild. In addition to this application, they require 65+ legitimate In-Guild posts, and also have to defeat either 2x Vice-Leader+, or 2x Differing current Champions and 3x Ace Trainers consecutively. If a Champion sustains 3 consecutive competitive losses (Battles with other players for recreational purposes do not count) then they are demoted back down to Ace Trainers. Champions are usually the favourites to represent a Guild in Tournaments, however Ace Trainers and below can be selected. Champions represent the lowest level of Moderation within the Guilds, only allowing to request temp suspensions privately to Vice-Leaders/Guild Leader, and to be entrusted with temporary powers bestowed upon them by Vice-Leaders/Guild Leader. Champion does, however, command a high level of seniority and respect within the Forum, and is an incredibly prestigious rank to achieve. Champions receive a custom badge for their signature upon ascension to this rank.
Normal Ranks:
4. Ace Trainers (--) - Ace Trainers is the highest level of non-application Rank a Guild Member can receive. To be eligible for the Ace Trainer rank, you need to have at least 50+ legitimate posts In-Guild, and have completed the following number of successful battles: 1xChampion and 3x AceTrainers, 3x Ace Trainers and 2x Pokemon Rangers, or 10x Pokemon Rangers consecutively. Ace Trainers are highly regarded in Tournament try-outs, are eligible for applying for the rank of Champion (provided there is a vacancy), and are regarded as a senior level of Player throughout the forum. Ace Trainers receive a custom badge for their signature upon ascension to this rank
5. Pokemon Ranger (--) - Pokemon Rangers are the middle rank of the three standard Guild Ranks. Whilst they may not be the best battlers or wisest of members just yet, they have shown a capacity of commitment towards their chosen Guild and also a capacity for basic battling skills. Whilst Pokemon Ranger is not a particularly hard rank to attain, it requires commitment, dedication, and patience. Oh, and bear in mind that this is the Middle Rank of the standard Ranks, so we can't make it too easy to attain, can we? In order to meet the terms required to attain this rank, you must first: have made 35+ legitimate In-Guild posts, and defeated either 2x Ace trainers and 1x Pokemon Ranger, 1x Ace trainer and 3x Pokemon Rangers, 2x Pokemon Rangers and 4x Pokemon Trainers, or 8x Pokemon Trainers consecutively. Pokemon Rangers receive a custom badge for their signature upon ascension to this rank.
and finally
6. Pokemon Trainers (--) - Pokemon Trainers are the starting point for any new member, this member cannot be de-ranked (none can except for Champion unless they have committed a major/serious offence) but can be suspended and banned if necessary, which applies to all ranks. Pokemon Trainers receive a custom badge for their signature upon ascension to this rank.
Obviously, some clauses apply to the aforementioned Ranks, however here is some basic information:
All Rank Battles must be requested in a thread provided by the Guild Leader/Vice-Leader, and the score should be officially recorded and the result sent as a reply to the application by either the player or a referee. Posting illegitimate scores is a de-rankable and suspendable offence for wasting Guild Manager time.
Rank badges are provided by the Guild Managers. If the Guild does not own a custom badge then the Staff will be happy to supply the default rank badges for usage to that Guild.
Now to some circumstances that must be addressed:
Re-Votes:
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Re-votes can take place if the enough Guild members (around 1/3 of the Guild's current number approx.) report that they are unhappy with their current Leadership and the Representation of their Guild to the rest of the CPSG and to ArcaNation. In such a case, a poll will be opened by the Leader to vote whether the Leader should remain the representative and head of the Guild. If the Leader is voted out, they must relinquish control to the Crucible, a panel of unbiased Mods that will then assess whether the Guild has any worthy candidates of Leadership (mainly from the Vice-Leaders category, but Champions are also taken into consideration). If no suitable replacement is found out of both of the Vice-Leaders or 5 Champions, then the Leader regains control of the Guild, however they are run under strict Mod supervision to verify that the Leader is making an attempt to improve the Guild's conditions, and if the Leader makes no attempt to improve then the Guild becomes a complete democracy that is Mod supervised until a willing suitable candidate is found. If, however, willing suitable candidates are found within the Champion and Mod category, the candidates will be entered into a mini-leadership tournament as well as the Leader themselves, normally on Pokemon Showdown unless all players agree to battle on DS (Tourney is only induced if there is more than one worthy candidate). The winner of the tournament becomes the Leader under Mod supervision. If they run the Guild well and the majority of Guild members are happy that their needs are being catered for, then they become permanent leader until such time they cannot lead efficiently anymore. At any time during this process, the Leader can resign, but if multiple willing candidates are applying, the required battles will still occur.
Resignation:
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If a Guild Leader resigns from their post, due to the feeling they can no longer efficiently govern the Guild and devote the time that as needed, then the same steps as a Re-Vote occurs, minus the Leader's participation. If no willing candidates for leadership are found, then the Guild becomes Mod supervised until such a time where one is found. If a Champion or Vice-Leader resigns, it is up to the Guild Leader and other Vice-Leaders to elect new willing candidates as and where they are needed.
Emergency Powers:
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If a Guild Leader has commitments outside of the forum that need attending to (such as exams, family commitments, personal affairs, financial matters, etc) but would like to retain their Leadership, they can bestow emergency powers onto one of their Vice-Leaders or Senior Champions depending on who they believe to be best suited to taking temporary command. The Leader then has six months to get their affairs in order, before Leadership permanently becomes the Vice or Champions (provided they have been running the Guild smoothly). Please note that the Leader must be returning for the foreseeable future, and cannot take another break like that for at least another year after the date of their return. Please be aware that if a Leader is demoted and then returns past the due date, they are not longer leader or have any place in the Guild Manager rank area, however they are will have a veteran and possibly a VIP rank bestowed upon them.
Veteran and VIP Ranks
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For anyone with the Rank of Vice-Leader or higher within the forum who has either resigned or left after a notable term in their respective roles are eligible to receive a nomination for veteran rank if a Mod brings it to the Staff's attention during the monthly meetings (NOTE: All staff outrank Guild Leaders, but Guild Leaders are received with the same level of respect and knowledge). The same thing applies to members, who can receive a VIP status if they have consistently contributed good will and content to either their Guild or to the Forum in general. Nominees for this award can be put forward either in a Guild Thread if it's a Guild VIP, and General VIP's can be nominated in the General section of the forum. VIP's/Veteran's will be granted certain privileges, such as access to Management Meetings, Special access to certain CPSG tournaments, and other features as well. For more information on the VIP/Vet ranks, and how you can nominate players for them, please head to the General Board.
Transfers
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Players are allowed to simply resign from a Guild and then re-apply to another Guild after a month, however some players may want a direct transfer from one Guild to another. Another reason for transfer may be that a Guild Leader would like to lend a Champion to another Guild for a predetermined deal (each deal would have to be agreed by all both Leaders, at least one Vice-Each, and the Champion themselves, all trades would be supervised and reviewed by Staff). To do this, you must apply to transfer on your Guilds Transfer list (unless it is a Champion Transfer), with a valid reason to transfer, and to which Guild you would like to transfer. If the transfer is accepted, the Leader would then ask the other Guild Leader whether this is acceptable. If the Leader accepts, then extensive player background research will be done to determine whether the transfer is legitimate and not being done with malicious intent. If everything checks out, then the player will be transferred to the other Guild at one rank lower than their current rank (NOTE: Any of the Guild Manage Ranks that permanently transfer are set at Pokemon Ranger) You may also be asked to reapply to the Guild you wish to join, depending on the Guild Manager's wishes.
Rules:
And now for the second section of this INCREDIBLY LONG POST: The Rules. These Rules are actually contain the Forum Rules for the Guilds, and the CPSG Requirements for the Guilds to be legible to enter the competitions
Forum Rules
1. - Guilds must not discriminate against people within their own Guild or in any other Guilds, this includes Religion, Ethnic Origin, Country of birth, and so on and so forth. Guilds are indeed competitive, but the main focus is to have fun, and nobody likes a sore loser.
2. - Guilds should not become an excuse to hide illegal forum activities from Mods. Whilst this would not work anyway due to the impartial Moderating Staff, it also poisons Guild usage for other legitimate members of the Guild, so don't do it.
3. - Guilds should be inclusive to ALL MEMBERS, despite of what Rank they are. Each Members is equally valued for their input, questions, and opinions
4. - Guilds should respect all their members and the other Guilds. The Guilds are to facilitate the CPSG Tournaments, which will not tolerate childish and crude behaviour at the detriment of the professionalism of the Gamers. Banter is to be expected and encouraged, but please don't take it to extremes.
5. - Guilds should remember that ALL In-Guild talk is NOT TO BE DISCUSSED OUTSIDE OF GUILDS, unless this is unrelated to the Guild in any way, shape or form. This is a kickable and to a larger extent bannable offence.
CHAMPION CLAUSE: Champions may not abstain from official ranked battles if it is their rotation unless they have a legitimate reason, just to try and preserve their winning streak or to keep themselves from being de-ranked due to three consecutive loses. NOTE: Champions need not fully re-apply if they are attempting to re-gain their Champion status, however they must notify on the Rank Page in their Guild Hub, and can only re-apply to try and re-gain their Champion status after two weeks of demotion.
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These rules are not part of the Forum, but the Guilds must comply with these rules at all times to be eligible for any Official CPSG Tournament, and must have competed in every seasonal Tournament whilst abiding by the rules in order to be eligible for the CPSG Annual Cup.
CPSG Rules:
1. - Guilds are not allowed to supply their players with teams or team ideas (unless a Mascot Battle is taking place) NOTE: that Guild Leaders are not allowed to set up Guild Shops in the name of the Guild, but can however co-operate with others to create their own shops (for example, a leader may not create a shop with his/her vice-leaders called The Official Flux Store, but may be allowed to create the 'Unofficial Flux Breeding Store', or the 'Unofficial Flux Item Store') simply because CPSG Rules state that the Guild as an entity cannot officially supply their players with Pokemon, as the players have to have obtained these Pokemon on their own initiative.
2. - Guilds are not allowed to supply tutoring/team strategies/mentoring/training for the duration of tournaments, and all such threads are expected to be abandoned, locked or closed for the duration of these tournaments, however up until the official launch of the tournament the aforementioned resources are allowed to be supplied. NOTE: Team strategies are not allowed to be supplied from player to player UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, as the battler must create and use their team using only their own wits and knowledge of battling mechanics, however general advice may be given as well as training, tips for pokemon usage, and so on and so forth.
3. - Guilds are NOT ALLOWED to submit only their Champions to the Regular Rank CPSG Tournaments, and must have at least one other rank of member in the Tournaments. We strongly suggest that the Guilds create a fair and equal selection process for all players wishing to try-out for the Tournament Teams, however this is not necessarily required.
4. - Guilds are not to exchange team lists, Pokemon lists, Guild strategies, etc, for any kind of Tournament whatsoever, nor may it be shared with Non-Guild CPSG Tournament Participants. To do so means you risk suspension, expulsion, and possible banning, depending on the severity of the leaked information, the grounds on which they were released, and so on and so forth.
5. - Guilds are not to attempt to make biased, unfair or illegal decisions during the Tournament selection processes or during the Tournaments in order to try and reach a higher chance of wining.
Well, thank you for sticking with this very very long post, the more people that recognise the Guild Rules and adhere to them, the more successful this project will be. Thank you very much, and good luck within your Guilds!