Community guidelines

1.0The rules

All community rules are written to be enforced in spirit, not to the letter. Not every situation and rule break can be defined in advance, so enforcement of the rules below is subject to staff interpretation.

Extended discussion of the rules, or of rulings made by staff, should be kept out of community channels. Take it to a general or management ticket in the No Way Out Discord.

Any player can ask about the reasoning behind any ban in a ticket and will be given an explanation, minus anything sensitive or personally identifiable.

2.0Zero tolerance & harassment

No Way Out has a zero-tolerance policy for any of the following activity or content:

• Harassment. Any form of bullying, threats, sexual harassment, or targeted harassment of users or staff.
• Doxxing. Sharing or helping to spread another person’s personally identifiable information without their consent.
• Hate speech. Racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, and any other discriminatory or bigoted behavior, including hateful symbols or imagery. Slurs are strictly prohibited.
• Ban evasion, server brigading and raiding.
• Inappropriate content, including sexually explicit content (images, GIFs or erotic writing), real-world gore, excessive violence or animal harm, and any other content banned by Discord’s Terms of Service.
• AI usage. Artificial intelligence and generative text programs are banned for any written content, including applications, in-game roleplay, and ticket responses. AI-generated character images and art are allowed.
• Scamming. Falsely claiming to create content, including art, music, and video, in exchange for pay. This includes passing off AI creations or plagiarism as your own work.

Violating this policy results in an immediate ban, and a report to Discord where the violation breaks their Terms of Service or Community Guidelines.

3.0The community

You must be 18 or older to participate in No Way Out. Any user suspected of being under 18 will be removed until they are 18.

No Way Out is a roleplaying community built on mutual respect. We are all here to tell a story and enjoy our free time.

• Be civil, mature, and respectful to each other.
• Do not be toxic or flame others, including people who are not on the server.
• Do not badmouth other Project Zomboid roleplay servers or banned users, and avoid extended discussion of other servers’ drama.
• Prioritize immersion and respect for other players’ experience.

If you see an issue, need help, or are unsure about something, contact staff through #ticket-support. We encourage and welcome all tickets.

3.1Server communication

No Way Out is an English-language community. English must be your primary language on Discord and in game.

• In game, use the in-game language system when your character speaks another language, and avoid writing full sentences in languages other than English.
• For in-character Discord posts such as radio broadcasts, include an English translation, spoilered or in subtext.

Messages not in English may be removed by staff. Repeated violations can lead to punitive action, including bans.

4.0Politics and controversial topics

Discussion of real-world politics and other controversial topics is usually not appropriate for our community. Examples include:

• Real-world politics, including elections.
• Current sensitive events, such as ongoing or recent wars and conflicts, recent high-profile political deaths, and ongoing or recent natural disasters.
• Religious arguments.
• References to genocides or war crimes, historic or ongoing.

This list is not exhaustive and will change as needed. Defining “controversial” can be a challenge, and staff reserve the right to rein in or end conversations, including ones not listed here. Controversial or sensitive topics that relate to your character or their backstory must be treated with appropriate sensitivity, dignity, and respect.

We want to keep our community healthy and protect the atmosphere we have built.

5.0Staff interactions

Everyone on the staff team enjoys talking with the community. Feedback, back-and-forth, and banter are what keep us close. Even so, tickets are essential: they keep records, protect players from staff abuse, and protect staff from false accusations and misunderstandings. Every ticket produces a full transcript, so every interaction with staff is transparent. Tickets benefit everyone involved.

Separately from these rules, every member of our community should expect fairness, courtesy, and respect from staff. If you feel a staff member has not treated you fairly, whether in an out-of-character interaction, an in-character concern, or a ticket ruling, open a management ticket. We take these concerns very seriously.

Harassment of any staff member is not tolerated. Please stay as civil and courteous in staff interactions as you can.

5.1Staff rulings are final

Even when something a staff member tells you is not spelled out in the rules, their verdict on the intent of the rules is final. We trust our staff to make these decisions and uphold the spirit of our guidelines. If you disagree with a ticket ruling, you are encouraged to open a management ticket to appeal.

5.2Do not message staff directly about server issues or tickets

Official staff interactions happen in tickets. No rulings or decisions are made in direct messages. This keeps activity organized and preserves transcripts for transparency.

5.3Staff personal relationships

If you and a staff member share a personal relationship, that staff member will generally not rule on your tickets, including approving your applications. This avoids any appearance of bias or favoritism.

5.4Do not “staff shop”

Asking for a different staff member, or trying to sidestep a staff member’s decision because you disagree with it, is discouraged. If you are unhappy with a ruling, appeal through a management ticket.