Staff Report
Your BYOND Key MaximusRex
Date of Incident February 3, 2023
Your Character Name? Prime Runner GR-U6
Their BYOND Key Clarion
Approximate time and date of the incident 11:30 PM
Which of the following are you reporting? 3. Enforcement Action Taken
Description of the incident The incident took place on a round of LV-522 Chances Claim, during hijack. I was playing as a runner, and during the Alamayer-side combat, I noticed that a sizeable amount of UPP combatants were on the ship. First, I saw them near lifeboats. However, later on in the round I saw what looked like the entire UPP detachment flanking and attacking us in the hangar. Needing to alert the queen, I called out "UPP HANGAR", and proceeded to heal and engage them.
As the fight was dying down, I was PMed by Clarion. They informed me that referring to the UPP troops as "UPP" was against Rule 2, and that I would be receiving a note. I was told instead to use the vague term "Greenhost". After a curt but polite exchange between myself, Clarion, and MrDadMan, I was informed I would be receiving a note. Not satisfied at all, I informed them that I'll be taking this to a report.
Never before in the past has a ruling like this been made, where xenomorphs have been restricted from using true English names to describe enemy combatants. During combat, xenomorphs MUST be able to use precise and to-the-point description. When multiple factions are present, it is of the utmost importance to not only relay physical descriptions of enemies, their equipment, and their movements, but of what team they're on. It's vital to the gameplay loop, and has ALWAYS been allowed. As per the xenomorph RP guidelines, it states the following:
"You are a hive-mind, information is shared - Because a hivemind works on the INSTANT transmission of information between all those connected, you CAN use words like "shuttle" or "hydro" to describe things. It's assumed that because you are a hive-mind if you say "shuttle" your alien character understands what you're describing instantly (because it shares consciousness with you), but since we can't actually "emulate" this, using English to describe things is OK."
Specifically, that last part. "Using English to describe things is OK." When I called out the UPP in the hangar, the intent of that communication is to as clearly and quickly describe the threat that is present to the hive and currently killing us. I was *NOT* describing that they were most likely part of Ganbetaar's Smoldering Sons, the cold war between the UA and UPP, their preferred choice of potato-based alcohol, or any other information that is outside the knowledgeable purview of a single rouny.
As for language in a more broad sense, although the usage of pseudo-caveman speak like boomrocks/long spitters/metal bird are accepted, they are NOT what xenos have ever been forced to use. Neither are vague descriptors like Green-Host, Grey Hosts, evil hosts, or any other color-based observations. Off the top of my head, there are eleven factions that xenomorphs can face during the course of a round from either ERTs or admin intervention, and literally over a hundred of potential combinations of medic/specialist/commando/PFC/ect that aliens can come against. Being forced to use the language Clarion described in his PM is a dangerous precedent that is quite frankly unenforceable. A HUGE library of approved slang would need to be created, read by new players, and moderated accordingly. It doesn't make logistical sense.
I can see that Clarion had no malice in this ruling and I do *not* want them punished. All I ask is that my note is removed, and a well discussed manager rule-clarification is made on the discord.
Evidence Unfortunately I missed my second and third responses due to how fast chat was moving, I hope they will be included in the logs.
Admin PM from-Clairion: Heya! While I know that its tempting to tell your other xenos that UPP is attacking, please dont call them UPP. Something like green tallhosts is fine but as a xeno you shouldnt know the names of the factions like the USCM, Marines, UPP, CLF those sorts of terms.
PM to-Admins: Clarion, there is a long held standard that xenos can refer to places like the Alamo, Alamayer, Marines, RPG, Tank, ect. The hivemind is a realtime translation of english so we cann understand. I'll stop because that's procedure, but you ARE wrong.
Admin PM from-Clairion: Just to make sure that I wasnt going insane, I also checked with some other staff members. And in fact you can indeed not call UPP by their faction name. Just like you shouldnt be calling PMCs PMCs, or marines marines. Some more specific concepts you are allowed to use, like you say you can say SADAR, GL, DS, LZ and other stuff like that. But those are all singular concepts. The UPP,USCM,Marines,CLF,PMCs are all a bit more broad of a concept so you shouldnt be calling them by their faction name. Its not like Xenos would know what the faction name for them would be anyways, I doubt QM is too interested in Human politics.
Do you understand that staff make the final decision in the resolution of this report? Yes