MUD Moderation Policy checklist for MUDs

Verify code-of-conduct explicitly defines prohibited OOC behaviors, including explicit language thresholds and unwanted sexual content, separately from in-character roleplay conflict

Confirm policy documentation provides concrete examples of metagaming (using OOC knowledge IC) and griefing (repeated targeting without IC justification) specific to your game's mechanics

Check rules explicitly prohibit using alternate characters (alts) to circumvent sanctions, spy on rival factions, or manipulate in-game economies

Validate that policy acknowledges response-time expectations during off-hours and identifies which immortal timezones cover peak player activity

Confirm public changelog tracks every rule modification with timestamps to prevent retroactive enforcement disputes

Test that sanctions progress through distinct levels: verbal warning, written warning, temporary suspension (1-7 days), and permanent ban with no skipped steps

Verify temporary ban durations are predetermined by severity matrix (e.g., harassment=7 days, exploits=3 days) rather than arbitrary immortal discretion

Check ban system logs both player name and connection source (IP/telnet host) to detect evasion attempts via new characters

Confirm immortals can observe player communications (tell, page, channel) without visible presence to gather evidence before intervention

Ensure public ban notices exclude graphic details or mockery; verify enforcement logs remain private to prevent community pile-on

Verify every log entry captures UTC timestamp, involved parties, witness names, specific rule violated, and evidence location (screenshot path or log buffer)

Confirm all immortal actions on private channels (tell, page, whisper) are logged to immutable storage inaccessible to enforcing admin

Check policy mandates 24-hour delay between sanction issuance and appeal acceptance to prevent heat-of-moment litigation

Validate harassment claims require player-submitted screenshot or immortal log capture before sanction application; verbal reports alone trigger monitoring only

Verify protocol exists for transferring active cases when enforcing immortal goes offline, including case status and pending actions

Confirm appeals form routes to senior immortals or dedicated appeals board outside the enforcing admin's direct chain of command

Check staff library contains anonymized precedent cases showing rule application to reduce arbitrary enforcement

Verify immortal staff have copy-paste templates explaining specific rule violations to players, avoiding vague 'admin decision' language

Confirm process exists for players to request clarification or exception before rule breaches occur (policy pre-check)

Validate procedures exist to purge personal data from logs after appeals window closes while retaining anonymized enforcement statistics

Require new immortals to shadow-review cases with senior staff for 30 days before solo enforcement authority; compare decisions in weekly calibration meetings

Verify monthly review of enforcement patterns checks for disproportionate sanctions against specific player factions or clans by individual immortals

Check escalation protocol exists to relieve immortals showing signs of emotional investment in conflicts (retaliatory language, rapid-fire sanctions)

Confirm staff-only channels (immortal chat, Discord, email) use end-to-end encryption to prevent policy discussion leaks

Validate quarterly audit compares sanctions for similar violations across different immortals to identify enforcement drift