Hi everyone, as we kick off 2025 we wanted to make you aware of some updates related to the appeal process, an update to the FAF rules page, and the publication of a dedicated information page on the reporting and appeal system.
TL;DR: see the bottom of this post.
Improvements to the appeal process
Decisions by the moderation team, such as bans and mutes, can be appealed. This system is designed for requesting a second evaluation of the decision and correct eventual mistakes or miscommunications. We have previously received feedback on the waiting time of the ban appeal system. Due to how this system was organized, appealing short bans often took longer than the ban itself; less than ideal.
In order to improve the appeal process, we have adopted a new way of submitting appeals. Where before you were required to send an email, appeals may now be filed through the FAF discord using an appeal-ticket. You can create such a ticket through the #Moderation-support channel in the FAF discord. When submitting a ticket, we ask you to explain why you believe your ban should be reduced or revoked. Your appeal will then be reviewed by at least two moderators who did not handle the original report.
We have been testing this new system for a few months now, and have been happy to see that appeals get processed much faster. The feedback we’ve received on the new system has also been very positive. To make sure that people who cannot or will not use Discord can file appeals, we will also keep the old email system in place.
We have created a new webpage that explains this process in detail. There you can find detailed instructions on how to file an appeal, as well as an expanded explanation on how the report and appeal system works.
Clarification of existing rules
The FAF rules page is another subject we have received a lot of feedback on. Because of this, we have spent the past months rewriting and reorganizing the page. There have not been any new rules added that were not already moderated previously. The page has been improved by:
- Removing duplicate and/or similar rules
- Improved organization
- Clarifying previously not explicitly stated rules
- Overall update and made rules more clear
While we do not think it is possible to write a rule set that covers all possible scenarios, we have done our best to remove ambiguity as much as possible. Examples of rules that were not explicitly stated include the ban on political discussion in general chat channels (the decision to moderate was announced in a forum post), and the ban on base CTRL-K (which fell under the vague ‘You will not ruin the game intentionally by any means’ rule).
Changes to the rules relating to quitting games
One rule has been changed: the rule relating to leaving games mid-game. As part of our approach to making rules less ambiguous, and given the varying opinions we've heard within the community about leaving games, we have sought the views of the FAF association on what rules to have for people who leave games. The results of these polls have been reflected in the updated rules.
- Previously, leaving games that were not decisively lost was considered a violation of the "do not ruin games" rule.
- Based on the poll results, players will now only be in breach of this rule if they leave within the first 5 minutes of a match or if they frequently leave games (defined broadly as three or more reported incidents per week).
FAQ
Additionally, we have written a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section on the rules specifically and moderation in general. You may find this FAQ, as well as a section explaining how we determine the duration of a penalty, on the report and appeal system webpage.
TL;DR
- Appeals can now be filed faster through Discord using an appeal-ticket system, with reviews handled by at least two moderators. Email appeals remain an option, and the new system has significantly reduced response times.
- The rules page has been rewritten to improve organization, remove ambiguity, and clarify previously implied rules, like bans on political discussion in chat and base CTRL-K actions. No new rules are added.
- The rule on quitting games has been changed following a vote by FAF association members. It is now considered a violation only if a game is left within the first 5 minutes or if frequent quitting occurs (3+ times per week).
- A new FAQ which explains rules, moderation policies, and how penalty durations are determined, is now available on the report and appeal system webpage.
Thank you to the moderation team for the work with the updates and the community in general for the related discussion and feedback.
