Rules and FAQ
This section describes the rules of SourceOP servers and provides a FAQ to clarify what some of the rules mean.


Rules


Format:
Action
Admin responses (not necessarily in the same order)

Being an obnoxious jerk
1. Warn
2. Gag
3. 1 week ban
4. Lifetime ban

Micspam
1. Warn
2. Lifetime ban

Exploiting map bugs/glitches
1. Warn
2. 30 minute ban
3. 1 week Ban
4. Lifetime ban

Hacks/Cheats (Aimbots, Speedhacks, etc)
1. Lifetime ban

Griefing
1. Warn
2. 1 week ban
3. Lifetime ban

Harassment
1. Warn
2. Gag
3. 1 week ban
4. Lifetime ban

Stacking (Defined as moving to spectator after being auto switched
1. Kicked (Script does this automatically)

Stacking (Defined as moving to spectator to force someone to be auto'd so you can join their team)
1. 1 week ban

Racism/Sexism
1. 1 week ban
2. Lifetime ban

Spray abuse
1. Warn
2. 1 week ban

Abusing the votekick system:
1. Warn
2. 1 week ban

Trying to enforce arbitrary "community rules:"
1. Warn
2. 1 week ban
3. Lifetime ban

Avoiding a ban:
1. Lifetime ban for all known accounts now and in the future.

For the PropHunt server specifically:

Ghosting:
1. 1 week ban
2. Lifetime ban

For Arena/Prophunt:

Intentionally not ending the round (blue team specific for Prophunt):
1. Warn
2. 1 week ban

FAQ

Format:
Question
Quick Answer
Long Answer


Question: Is it considered exploiting by building my engineer gear in weird spots? Like on top of that overhang of roofs on Badwater, or the roof of Gravelpit?
Quick Answer: Nope.
Long Answer: Nope, but as long as you're not doing it to grief (building tele's leading away from the objective and behind your spawn, building things to get people stuck like on the second stage as red on Dustbowl, building to go outside of the map, etc), or being useless because you 'hate this map' (building in the rafters on Well while your team has already captured the middle, and the next point). So long as the other team can, ubered or otherwise, eventually get your base down, it's all good. Tricky engies are good engies and are credit to team.


Question: Is trading/asking for trades allowed?
Quick Answer: Within reason, yes.
Long Answer: SourceOP is not a trading server. You can ask 2 times per map if 'anyone have X' or 'Anyone want Y', but be prepared to get warned if you're being obnoxious about it, and kicked if all you're doing is trading in spawn.


Question: Spawn camping - is it lame and can we kick the jerks doing it?
Quick Answer: Nope
Long Answer: Play better.
Long Long Answer: Work as a team, build ubers, go out secondary doors and continue to work as a team to push the other team back. Some maps this is more difficult than others, especially with a coordinated camp. But if everyone works together (remember, people that stand by the doors to open them just so the team can get killed are technically griefing at that point), it shouldn't take more than 60 seconds to break the camp. Treat it as a challenge, not a problem.


Question: Jumping the rocks on Degroot will get me kicked?
Quick Answer: Yes.
Long Answer: After A and B are capped, you're fine, perform the jump all you want. But before that, yes, it really will get you kicked. It's technically a bug, and it doesn't matter what Robin Walker did in a tourney or how fun it is to do. It's an exploit.


Question: Then why can I do it on every other map?
Quick Answer: It's not an unfair advantage on other maps, and doesn't ruin the objective.
Long Answer: On Degroot, what's in front of you is what you have to worry about. On every other map, you also have to worry about what's above you - stickies, pipes, rockets, flares, sentries, boolets etc, making it a lot less of an advantage. A quicker way of thinking is 'Can a sticky or two get the demo there?' If you're on a map where stickies aren't allowed (Degroot) then the answer is no, and the answer is you can't use that glitch.


Question: Backburners + A point door on Steel = ?
Quick Answer: 30 minute ban
Long Answer: It might have been allowed previously, but it's a map exploit. You will be warned and then kicked like the rules explain. It's not just for exploiting, it also violates the 'don't be a jerk' rule.


Question: I heard shooting pipes through the window on 2fort on reds side is something that will get you kicked. Is that true?
Quick Answer: Nope.
Long Answer: Like the answer above, it may have in the past, but you're shooting through a window. Don't be silly.


Question: This map sucks. RTV?
Quick Answer: Nah.
Long Answer: Nope.
Super long answer: This feature is not enabled, nor will it be. Admins on SOP will certainly listen to any ideas you have about improving the map rotation. Check out the SOP forums, Server section - there might already be a thread open where you can throw in any ideas you have. Remember - just because it's not your favorite map doesn't mean it isn't someone else's.


Question: I bought a reserved slot, so I can ignore the rules/be an admin/kick people when I want, right?.
Quick Answer: Nope.
Long Answer: You didn't buy a reserved slot, you donated to the support of the SourceOP servers and their maintenance, for which the entire community is grateful. As a thanks for the donation you have been given a reserved slot on the SOP servers that allows you to join one as long as their is an available reserved slot free (16 per server). This slot only prevents you from being auto-kicked when another reserved slot having member of SOP tries to join, nothing more. It's still up to you to follow the rules that help make SOP a fun place for everyone to play, donator or no.


Question: This team sucks. Scramble?
Quick Answer: Nope
Long Answer: Play better.
Long Long answer: There is an automatic scramble after two round wins in a row by either team. If your team is losing, it could be as something simple as not having the right class balance, new players that aren't sure what to do, etc. If you take the initiative to change class to help the team, or help (kindly) guide new players (as examples), the auto scramble may not even be needed.


Question: Dude, I'm sorry about hacking/aimbotting/calling that dude a racist name after getting kicked/banned for it before/etc. Can I get my ban lifted/reduced?
Quick Answer: Nope
Long Answer: See the very first rule.
Long Long answer: SourceOP is a community where people come to have fun. You violated a rule, without a second thought. The first rule in this list is don't be an Obnoxious jerk. You really violate that rule by violating any others. Obnoxious jerks aren't conducive to good times and having fun. You can post for an appeal on the SourceOP Server forums, but depending on your crime and how you approach the request will greatly influence the decision. We want everyone on SourceOP to have fun, and letting someone off the punishment they got for ruining the fun of others isn't something we would normally do; but we'll definitely listen to your case, just please be respectful and remember you weren't kicked/banned arbitrarily.


Question: I saw X doing Y, why didn't you kick or ban them?
Quick Answer: Oops, our bad.
Long Answer: We didn't see them doing it. We saw you doing it. If there was a problem before, and we missed it, we apologize. However, you broke the rules and were punished. If you see someone doing the same, please use "contact admin" so we can take care of that in the future.


Question: Are the servers English Only servers?
Quick Answer: Yes
Long Answer: Yes, too many reasons to list.


Question: Is going spec to clear dominations okay?
Quick Answer: No.
Long Answer: No, it's not. It's just a domination, don't care about it. Going spectator doesn't change the fact you just got dominated, so learn to let it go. Also doing it might get you hit for trying to team stack, since that's the only reason anyone would want to go spec.


Question: Porn/shock sprays are okay, right?
Quick Answer: No.
Long Answer: No. Models might be fine, but it's better you don't try to find a line and just get a funny 'Teleporter order' spray instead. There's a web browser in the steam overlay if you need to look at that kind of thing. Leave it off the server.


Question: Sticky traps + Taunting = ?
Quick Answer: An easy kill on you.
Long Answer: Nothing wrong with it, but don't blame us for how many times you get killed.


Question: Is kill stealing real?
Quick Answer: No?
Long Answer: Not really. If someone is following you around the map being a dick and killing anything you shoot at, they're griefing. Not kill stealing.


Question: What? I was just telling this idiot to not use his minigun/melee only/etc and tried to votekick him because he didn't listen to me swearing at him!
Quick Answer: That's why.
Long Answer: You were kicked for Votekick abuse, griefing, and harassment. Your community rules are not actual rules. Consequently, you are not allowed to break actual rules to enforce them. Everyone wants to have a good time, but that doesn't mean anyone should force their idea of a good time on others in the server.

Question: -Prophunt- Is being a friendly class against the rules?
Quick Answer: Yes, and no.
Long Answer: You can play pyro or heavy any way you like. If you want to go around taunting props that's fine. You will however be subjected to punishment if you are throwing sandviches to props being damaged or if you are intentionally not killing one of the last few props (see the next Frequently asked question).


Question: -Prophunt/Arena- What the hell, why was I kicked? I was just standing on a prop/hanging out with the other team!
Quick Answer: End the round so others can play.
Long Answer: Not ending the round is griefing. By making the round longer for your own fun, you're ruining the fun of anyone who is dead/waiting to play. If you find a prop early in the round and are messing around with it, fine - in doing so you'll be calling attention to it, spoiling its spot. But with three or less props left it's harmful.


Question: -Prophunt- Is it okay to jump behind fences? Like on Timbertown and Sawmill.
Quick Answer: Yes.
Long Answer: Yes.


Question: -Prophunt- Then why is it bad to jump into the pit on Goldtooth, out of the map on Basalt or Oasis, etc?
Quick Answer: You shouldn't need to ask that question.
Long Answer: As an average pyro or heavy you can see through fences, jump over them and jump back out without dying/nearly dying. You can't do that in the examples you cited. Exploiting map clip boundaries and bad map making is exploiting - hiding behind a fence is not.


Question: -Prophunt- So being a heavy and jumping on Goldtooth to stand on the invisible floor in the sky so you can shoot everywhere on the map is..?
Quick Answer: Really?
Long Answer: A good way to be banned, yes.


Question: -Prophunt- So does that mean I can Rock, Paper, Scissors with props?
Quick Answer: Yes.
Long Answer: Yes, and you can in the middle of the round (before they get the gun) too. Same rules about being friendly apply though - no saving props to the end to RPS, no trying to RPS them for the entire map, etc


Question: I dont agree with some of this or, I want to comment on Admin's performance - doing that on the server is the best idea, right?
Quick Answer: No.
Long Answer: If you have any questions, comments or snide remarks regarding rules or Admins or the combination of the two in action, take it to the forums instead. Doing so on the server is disrupting others from enjoying the game and will in almost all certainty, get you an extended break from the server.


Statement: I didn't read any of this so I can't be banned.
Quick Question: No?
Long Answer: Good luck with that!