Report System: A Comprehensive Guide

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§1 - How does the report system work?

The report system serves as a mechanism for users to flag violations of community guidelines to the Moderator Team. Once submitted, reports are processed, potentially resulting in warnings, temporary or permanent suspensions. Reports will help to maintain a safe and orderly online environment for all users.

The report system operates on a priority queue-based system, which means that the more reports an individual receives, the higher their priority becomes in the queue. This ensures that users who engage in repeated violations or problematic behavior are dealt with more quickly and effectively.

The consequences are determined by the severity and frequency of the offense, as well as the number of reports submitted. A first-time offender may receive a warning, while repeated or egregious violations may result in temporary suspension ranging from a few days to several weeks.

Extreme violations may lead to a permanent ban. The consequences are carried out by a single Moderator, but the Administration and the Moderation Team have insights about the decision process. This multiple-eye-principle prevents misuse of power or favoritism of offenders/reporters.

§2 - How do I make a valid report?

You can report through the website or via the FAF client (top right, under your account name → Moderation reports):

Insert the name of the offender. (The system keeps track of any renaming)
If related to a game - Insert the replay ID and the exact Game Time Code HH:MM:SS where the incident happened, in their respectively cells.
Provide a short and crisp description of the incident. If the incident was outside a game, then you need to attach a non cropped screenshot of those messages via a sharehoster like imgur or your favorite hoster.

It is important to provide clear and detailed information in a respectful manner in order to ensure that your report is taken seriously and given proper consideration.

Example:

§3 - Common questions and answers

3.0. What is smurfing, and why is it not allowed?

Smurfing is having more than one account, and it is not allowed because it undermines the ranking system, can discourage new players, and can lead to toxic behavior. The anonymity of multiple accounts can give some players the false impression that they can behave inappropriately without consequences.

3.1. How to appeal?

To appeal a ban, please send a message to [email protected] that at least includes the following information:

a. Your FAF username
b. Your reasons for requesting the ban to be lifted

We have converted permanent bans to temporary bans in the past, giving players a second chance. Honesty is key, and we will treat you with honesty as well.

It may take several weeks or longer until you get a reply, because it is a team decision and at times the Moderation Team has a significant workload to process.

3.2. Can I get TrueSkill points reverted from a certain match, or can you reset my TrueSkill points?

No - it's not possible for the Administration or Moderation team to change your TrueSkill or reset your points. The TrueSkill system is designed to adapt quickly to your skill level, so your points will adjust accordingly as you continue to play.

3.3. Is it acceptable to quit matchmaking games when it seems like the game is lost?

While it is not allowed to make use of the self-destruct key to destroy all units in a match-making game, simply quitting the game without having the ACU in a friendly base is within the allowed limits.

Repeatedly abandoning games due to minor setbacks in the early stages may result in disciplinary action being taken. This behavior is considered unsportsmanlike and disrupts the integrity of the game.

3.4. Player steals reclaim and mexes

Any mex or reclaim on the map is 'Whoever comes first'. However, it is recommended to communicate with the team and to play fair, otherwise the non-cooperative player could be excluded from future games of its teammates.

Maps often have a meta that establishes guidelines for gameplay, including which resources are fair game and which mexes are typically claimed by certain players. To learn the map meta, check the replays from veteran players.

Example: Search for map 'Seton', with 1700+ rating and ranked:

3.5 Destroying air units near the map border

Because of the large reclaim reach from an engineer when he has an attack move from its factory, it is allowed to destroy any air unit near the border to let the wreckage fly behind it. Even if you can not see the wreckage, you are able to reclaim it.

3.6 Abusing the map border to hide air units

Deliberately making waypoints with the purpose to hide air units behind the map border is not allowed. If an attack on an enemy unit which was near the border is causing this off-mapping, then it is accepted.

3.7 Cherry-Picking offenders games without participating

It is considered unethical to go through a player's game history and report every minor chat offense for revenge or vendetta. However, exceptions to this rule may be made in cases of extreme harassment of a player.

3.8 Game gets desynced or Unknown Result

Desynchronization or unknown results can be caused by a variety of factors that are not always easy to diagnose. If we receive reports of a player intentionally desyncing games or manipulating the game state to avoid a rating loss, we will take appropriate action.

It is still helpful to report these incidents so that moderators can identify any unusual patterns. Not every desync or unknown result is on purpose - sometimes it just happens, unfortunately.

3.9 Player lags the game and makes it unplayable

If you encounter a player who is lagging and causing issues in the game, you can contact a moderator in Discord or the FAF client for assistance. To ensure a fair process, be prepared to provide screenshots that show the lagging player, and both teams must agree to the decision to kick the player from the game.

You can still report the player with the proof. If the player has a pattern of frequently lagging games, then we need to find a solution.

Press F11 when you are in game and post this screenshot. It shows which players have connection issues.

3.10 Host has enabled cheats and someone ruined the game by cheating

It is your responsibility to check for any non-default game settings when you join a game. You can easily see any non-default setting in the starting lobby; for example:

Track any non default options via this button:

And to know which settings are default to begin with, you can get an overview, when you click the button 'Options' while in the lobby:

3.11 Why do the replay times have different lengths?

The top clock icon is for 'Real Time', while the bottom is for 'Replay Length'.

The total time it took the players to play this game was 26 minutes and 12 seconds, but the actual play time, without any slowdowns or lags, was 22 minutes and 48 seconds.

This difference in timing can lead to false reporting of game events, as something that happened at 25 minutes in your current playing game, which may have slow speed and lags, could have actually happened at 21 minutes in the replay.

To avoid reporting false game times, it is the best you watch the replay after the game has finished and report the actual game time.

3.12 The report system is not meant for reporting technical difficulties

If you need help with technical issues, ask in the tech-forum. It has already many helpful topics: https://discord.com/channels/197033481883222026/1089792111290875964

3.13 Matchmaking: Playing the map, no matter what

Playing the game when you queue up for matchmaking shows respect for your fellow players and contributes to a more positive and enjoyable gaming experience for everyone involved.

Before you queue up, you can click on the button 'MAPLIST' to see the current map pool - They change each season. The match gets immediately ranked when the game starts.

Report System: A Comprehensive Guide

Table of contents:

§1 - How does the report system work?

§2 - How do I make a valid report?

§3 - Common questions and answers

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