Our Social Contract

1. Real Life Comes First.

Family, health, work, and other real life responsibilities always come before gaming. Star Citizen is a game, and it must be understood that there are other priorities before it. We won’t kick you out of the org if you take a vacation, or even a long-term break from the game (as long as you are still contactable).

2. Have fun!

It’s a game! Of course, bugs will occur, battles will be lost, and friendships will be tested, but in the end, we’re all here to have a good time. Your effort to help encourage a positive and welcoming environment goes a long way towards that goal.

When you inevitably incur losses of credits and time due to bugs or other unfortunate circumstances, the org can absorb some of those losses and help you get back on your feet. During the Alpha, we’re focused on increasing game knowledge and team bonding rather than pinching pennies.

3. Show Respect to All Members

The concept of “free speech” is not a protected right in online gaming communities. See this relevant XKCD comic. If our rules feel too restrictive to you, you’re welcome to find a different community.

Racist, sexist, ageist, ableist, homophobic, politically incendiary, or otherwise offensive material will be immediately removed from chat. Additionally, chat spamming and frequent irrelevant image / meme sharing are grounds for suspension.

We’re here to play a game together. Help us maintain a friendly and welcoming environment for all players by avoiding discriminatory language and jokes at the expense of others. While Sol Armada is displayed on your RSI profile, this also extends to any interaction you have within the wider SC community, whether in Global Chat or at in-person events.

Some members have pronouns which may not match your assumptions based on your perception of their voice. Be mindful of corrections if you refer to them wrongly, and respect their requests.

Problematic words

These words and phrases contribute to an unwelcoming gaming environment for many individuals, and will turn away members wanting to participate in the org. When this language is used, expect to be publicly called out on it—even in the context of "jokes". Repeated use of these words is grounds for expulsion from the org.

  1. Raped — say wrecked / “rekt” / dumped on / dunked on instead.

  2. Gay, used negatively: “that’s so gay” — say dumb/stupid/frustrating instead.

  3. Retarded (say ridiculous/dumb instead) — even if you’re referring to yourself.

  4. Gypped / jipped (here’s why - it’s racist)

  5. Slurs: f*ggot, trap, tranny, n-word

  6. “Females” used as a noun. Using the word as an adjective is fine: “female players” is okay, “females who play” is iffy.

    • Just say women/ladies instead: “a female” is closer to how you’d refer to an animal (or a baby) than how you’d refer to a woman, so it’s objectifying and infantilizing to refer to a woman as “a female”. We have women in the org, don’t be weird about it. Under no circumstances is “Whoa, I never thought I’d see an actual female playing Star Citizen!” okay.

Asking for support

Gaming is only a temporary escape from real life issues—if you need relationship therapy, guidance, grief counseling, or trauma therapy, please get professional help. Everyone is fighting their own battles. This is not to say that you cannot seek support or advice from trusted friends you’ve made in the org—as it’s a natural thing that happens between friends, asking friends for support is normal. However, asking for help from strangers and acquaintances in an online gaming community may not be handled in the appropriate way, and you may get harmful, joking, or incorrect advice.

If you’re experiencing a crisis, please reach out to a professional. For the United States, here is the list of crisis hotlines and resources. While we are aiming to make Sol Armada a safe environment, we are not qualified to help with personal crises.

Zero Tolerance Topics

We’re not a debate forum for divisive real-world topics, so do not engage in debate here. These topics are better left away from an online gaming community.

  • Religion

  • Sexual acts

  • Abuse and trauma

  • Gender theory

  • Abortion

  • Politics

  • Gun control

  • Immigration

  • Human rights issues

  • Involuntary celibacy "incel"

  • Gambling

  • Financial advice (we play Star Citizen, don’t take financial advice from us)

  • Medical advice

Why this matters: in general, people should expect to be treated fairly in an online gaming community, regardless of their identity and beliefs.

Sol Armada runs a rainbow logo during June for Pride Month. We care deeply about the well-being of our members and their loved ones, and this gesture, while small, reminds us to celebrate the continued existence of our friends.

4. Undermining Leadership

Commanders and officers are instrumental in building group cohesion and enabling smooth operation as an org. Respect their commands during operations, even if you think there would be a better plan of action, as plans are difficult to modify once they have been set into motion. You are welcome to voice your thoughts on decision-making and management successes/failures after an operation is finished, and your suggestions will be taken into consideration during subsequent event planning.

5. Be a Team Player

Don’t go off on your own during operations or break from the role your team has assigned for you. More broadly: although many will pursue solo work in game, it will be far more rewarding to work with fellow members and allies to achieve common goals. Safety in numbers applies to space travel, too. It helps when someone is there to watch your back when you can’t.

6. Voice Communication is Required

We use Discord for most active communication and organizational purposes. English is the primary spoken language. We cannot rely on reading chat messages on Discord (or even in-game) - many have Discord muted, and the in-game chat turned off. If you do not have a microphone, use your cell phone to join the call if you need to.

7. Profile Visibility

All Sol Armada Members must mark Sol Armada as Primary and Visible on their RSI profile. No Sol Armada Member or Affiliate may have any Redacted organizations in their RSI profile (unless that org is EVOCATI - proven with a profile screenshot). No Sol Armada Member or Affiliate may also be a Member or Affiliate of any organization involving pirates, piracy, infiltration, or any activity that goes against the best interests of the Sol Armada Organization.

8. Live Streaming Policy

Before and during live streaming or recording any gameplay with Sol Armada members, it must be made EXTREMELY clear that you are doing so, by:

  1. Updating the voice channel’s name or description to include “🔴LIVE” or “🔴RECORDING”

  2. Asking all present and newly joining members in voice comms for their consent to have their voice recorded.

If any present members in voice comms do not consent to having their voice recorded, you must either modify your stream/recording audio settings to remove Discord voice, leave the voice channel, or cease recording/streaming.