Policies and Consistency

For each event, create two policies: one for the players, and one for the customer service staff. Make sure that both staff and players know the policies; this will save an immeasurable amount of time and manpower. Also make sure that the paid staff and volunteers are following the same policies: players will rarely differentiate between the two, and complaints will mount quickly if enforcement is perceived as erratic. This is especially important in multidimensional worlds, as it only takes one person creating his own rules to throw the game off balance and create an uproar. Create and publish policies covering player character names, reimbursement issues, harassment, exploits, player-versus-player violence (so-called "player killing"), and any other issues that are unique to your game.

Case Study 4.3.2: Customer Service Policies

A Sample Player Policy

"Disruptive behavior that might affect others' enjoyment cannot be tolerated. Disruptive behavior might include, but is not limited to spamming; monopolizing chat lines; use of profane names or language; or interrupting an event organized by another player or a Game Master. Any such behavior might result in your character[s] loss of game privileges for a time, and repeat offenders might be banned from the game permanently."

A Sample Staff Policy

"When you receive a complaint regarding disruption, go invisible, log the incident, and send a private message to the disrupter identifying yourself and asking him to cease the behavior. If the player continues the disruption, silence him for five minutes, warn him verbally and in writing, and note the incident in the player's history file. For extreme cases, notify a senior volunteer or Game Master and ask for a suspension of the player involved."