ER:LC server rules template you can copy

Good rules are short, specific and numbered. Players should be able to read them in two minutes, and staff should be able to point to one by number. Below is a template you can copy into your Discord, followed by an explanation of each term so new players understand them.

The template

General

1. Be respectful. No harassment, hate speech, slurs or discrimination, in game or in Discord.
2. Follow staff instructions. If you disagree with a decision, open a ticket afterwards instead of arguing in game.
3. No exploiting, hacking or using glitches to gain an advantage.
4. Usernames, display names and vehicle liveries must be appropriate.
5. No advertising other servers or communities.

Roleplay

1. No random deathmatch (RDM): don't attack or kill anyone without a roleplay reason.
2. No vehicle deathmatch (VDM): don't use vehicles as weapons or ram people on purpose.
3. No failing to roleplay (FRP): stay in character and react realistically, for example by stopping when police pull you over.
4. Follow new life rule (NLR): after you die, forget the situation and don't return to it.
5. No powergaming: don't force outcomes on other players or do things that would be impossible in real life.
6. No metagaming: don't use information from Discord or outside the game in roleplay.
7. Value your life: act as if you'd be afraid at gunpoint.

Driving and vehicles

1. Drive realistically and follow speed limits unless you're in a pursuit or responding to a call.
2. Restricted vehicles are only for the teams or ranks listed in our Discord.
3. Don't leave vehicles blocking roads or spawn points.

Teams

1. Emergency teams must respond to calls and act professionally.
2. Don't switch teams to escape a situation.
3. Criminal roleplay needs a story: no mass robberies or shoot-outs without build-up.

Sessions

1. Stay within the area of play announced for the session.
2. Priority situations (major crimes) need staff approval and must respect the priority timer.
3. Leave the server properly; don't leave in the middle of a scene to avoid consequences.

What the terms mean

How to enforce rules fairly

Rules only work if staff apply them the same way every time. Agree a punishment ladder, such as a private message, then a warning, a kick, and finally a ban, and write it down so every moderator uses it. Check a player's history before acting: a first slip and a fifth warning this week deserve different responses.

Keep a record of every action with the rule number and evidence. When someone appeals a ban, you can show exactly what happened instead of relying on memory.

Keep rules up to date

Look at your moderation logs once a month. If one rule is broken far more than the others, it may be unclear, or players may simply not know it. Reword it, or add it to your in-game announcements with :h.