2019
Vanguard
Officer Code of Conduct
Section 1. Officer Conduct and Public Relations
1) We are all ambassadors.
We are all liaisons, recruiters, messengers, trainers, captains, crew, leaders, and organizers within our Organization. If one of us in leadership finds ourselves in a position where we may be making a major decision without input from the rest of leadership or without delegation directly from the Vanguard Leadership Council, it is more than ok to tell representatives from other Organizations, or content creators looking to collaborate with us, to wait until we can discuss it.
Please ensure that any intentions to officially collaborate with other Organizations, Players, or Content Creators outside of the Vanguard are discussed with leadership. Everyone in Vanguard will in some way or another represent us as a whole. In order for there to be a unified message, we should avoid making plans or commitments that affect Vanguard without discussing it and surfacing to the VLC for approval.
2) Please ensure that all conversation with online content creators both in designated VoIPs or through text/email correspondence remains professional at all times.
When a rapport has been built with our ORG and the content creators or personal relationships form, our group is not here to tell you how to conduct yourself personally. During the initial process or when participating in functions and/or establishing ORG relationships, stay professional. Remember, we represent each other. This ORG will need to make sure we stay unified, friendly, and respectful as far as speech, tact, class, demeanor, word and language choice, grammar in ‘official VNGD’ correspondences, and overall personability. We know we do this already, let us make sure we continue to.
3) ORG Rules and RSI Terms and Conditions— Follow them.
When content creators start to play with us, we need to make sure comms are limited to group activity while also facilitating a space for players to express themselves. If things start to get off topic or distractions and hitches slow down our ability to capture content then we are wasting everyone’s time. It is ok to ask fellow members and non-members to take the conversation to private or to the Ten-Forward (off-topic) channels.
No Cheating. Glitches and bugs are always fun and we understand that, cheating however is unacceptable.
4) If the operation has started or a leader is facilitating an OP, all other leaders need to defer to that leader.
It will make things go much easier, even if the OP looks like it is out of Wing assignment or is run by a member without access to command chat, there is more than likely a reason for that. None of us butt in on each other during an operation now, but as we grow and the controlled chaos and cat-herding gets more difficult, we need to make sure to always have each others back, lending help to who is facilitating/leading the operation.
5) Concerning cross-wing relationships and command infrastructure:
Our ranking and wing system is designed to ensure that we all have structure while giving players and inter-org sub-cultures and groups the freedom to form lasting relationships and to have the freedom to grow, innovate, prosper, retain self-sufficiency, and anchor into a cohesive unit. We know that Star Citizen is a video game so we want to strike that balance of order in an open and chaotic game while not restricting members to a certain play style or demeanor in house. When addressing other leaders, please be respectful and mindful even if they are out of rank.
This is not the military, however, our leaders need to hold a position of authority and respect within the ORG to maintain the level of seriousness that members, content creators, and other players in the game currently have for us. Our ranks and leadership are important and will continue to represent VNGD in a position of responsibility as long as we set the tone for all members at the top. All structural decisions, leadership decisions, and Wing decisions need to have the consent of the Wing Commander and the group captains.
6) The Wing Commander’s decision is final concerning in-Wing decisions unless brought before the Fleet Marshals for a second opinion and/or veto.
For the sake of coordination and operational flow, when making cross-Wing leadership decisions during operations or during projects, please defer to the ranks as far as leadership structure. The Fleet-Marshall’s, Wing-Commanders, and Group Captains can always delegate positions outside of rank as long as it does not override the chain of command. We should always be flexible. Leaders should know when it is time or it is ok to step back. In order to allow leader’s to step back we need to be on the same page in leadership and know it is ok to drop a bad idea, change an old idea, or posit the other position to ensure that our ORG weathers changes in command, the game, the projects and operations, and overall direction in regards to VNGD as a whole.
7) Perception is reality in this game’s community. Our image is our currency.
Be considerate of others’ experience. Heated competition and off-color humor are welcome here. Overuse of profanity is considered in poor taste for leaders. We advise our officers to limit the amount of cursing (cussing) while leading or participating. Mean-spirited comments (whether to opponents or teammates), excessive negativity, and a general disregard for others’ experience are not. VNGD is a community, and if you are making it an unwelcoming place for others, we’d rather not have you around.
8) No bigoted language.
Although we are usually concerned with the intent behind language rather than the use of any particular words, we make an exception for language which is primarily associated with hate speech towards a particular demographic or group. Regardless of intent, the cultural associations with these words makes their usage not conducive to a friendly environment.