Roleplaying Dispute Resolution
Roleplaying Dispute Resolution on the VI
Contests
The VI strives, for the most part, to be a collaborative roleplaying environment where everyone gets along and tells great stories. However, the VI Staff realizes that at times the “how” of these stories can be sometimes be a matter of dispute resulting in what we call contests. A contest is a disagreement over a particular action, usually PVP but sometimes PVE, where the writers may disagree on how exactly to move forward. In such situations, the following shall be how the VI Staff will mediate such disputes.
Level 1 Contest Resolution
This is the most basic level of resolving the conflict and the one the staff prefers: that you at least try to work together before asking for meditation. This involves reaching out via Discord, the site’s private messaging system, or a future integrated chat box to the party whose post you have an issue with to see if you can work with them towards a favorable resolution. Oftentimes many, perhaps most, disputes may be solved at this level and never even need to rise to staff mediation in the first place.
Level 2 Contest Resolution
After you have tried resolving the method at level one and if you are still having trouble coming to an agreement with the other party, you may now request a VI staff member mediate between the two of you and see if they can reach a mutually agreed upon resolution. While their ultimate recommendation is not binding at this level after listening to the parties involved, it is highly preferred that most situations be resolved at this stage.
Level 3 Contest Resolution
If you still cannot find a resolution even with the help of a staff member, you may ask for a staff ruling on this issue, which will be handled by a minimum of, but not necessarily only, two staff members, who will review the situation according to a variety of factors listed further in this policy to come to a joint ruling. This ruling is now considered to be binding upon all parties, and VI staff reserves the right to go further and possibly end the thread itself depending on the circumstances. VI staff members may not at this level issue a ruling that involves the death or severe permanent injury of a character (e.g. loss of limb) per the roleplaying rules.
Level 4 Contest Resolution
This is the absolute last step in resolving a dispute, wherein the head admin will review the administrator’s ruling on an issue at the request of one or both parties. He or she may simply let the lower level ruling stand, modify it, or void it completely and write his or her own ruling. It is advised for both parties to think very long and hard about escalating to this level, as the head admin retains the sole right to force an injury or death upon a character, and he or she is not going to be happy if you escalate it to this level as they are often very busy with many other site functions. This is the final step of the appeals process with the head admin’s word being final.
Factors In Resolving Contests (Levels 3 and 4).
If one escalates to where one is seeking a staff or admin ruling, the following factors will be weighed upon in determining its resolution and “victor”, if any, but the exact weighting is done on a situational basis; that is, there is no one way to game the system into you “winning” to discourage competitive writing and encourage collaborative writing. I repeat, do not try to game this system in a competitive way or it will not end well for you. You have been warned.
Narrative - what creates the most interesting story?
Situation - what are the IC circumstances behind the dispute in question?
Skills - what skills does each party have and what are they trying to do?
Demeanor - have both sides been respectful OOC to each other while trying to resolve this conflict?