trh382 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 10, 2024 11:34 pm
The naming rules seem very broad to me as well
But if you look at what happens in practice - with very few character renames - I think you can read the rules as giving the GMs broad powers to compel renames if a combination of name / in-game behaviour / reputational associations causes problems for the project. Given that this is happening on everyones free time, a rule allowing them to force rename if your name is causing any headaches at all is understandable.
Since the punishment is just a rename, it doesnt seem too concerning to me.
Your reading of the rules is interesting and given that your post was highlighted and added to the OP, apparently it corresponds to the staff's view.
However, going by the actual wording of the rules, it is not necessary for there to be a 'combination of a rule-breaking name + bad in-game behavior + problematic reputational associations for the project'. It is sufficient for someone to report a name and depending on how the GM handling the report interprets the intent of said report, a forced rename could be issued.
Also, two points on the punishment 'just being a rename'. The name of your (main) character is a big part of your identity in a social game with a tight-knit server community like this one, so losing it is not a completely trivial matter. And beyond that, each violation of the CoC is actually logged against the offending account and taken into consideration with future violations (see the 'Disciplinary Policy' section), so a forced rename triggered by the report of a bad actor for a harmless name enabled by an overly broad naming policy (a maybe unlikely but possible scenario) will leave a permanent mark on your account.