Code of Conduct

All attendees (designers, playtesters, publishers, guests, sponsors, volunteers, and staff) are expected to abide by a set of policies which are in compliance with United States law and the general policies of Discord itself.

Rules of the Convention

Virtual Table Space

Tables are to be shared by all designers. You may not set up your game and/or marketing materials on a table and occupy it for hours on end. If you camp by yourself in a virtual table voice channel for an extended period of time, we reserve the right to ask you to return to the #looking-for-a-game text channels to find a playtest to participate in.

Solicitation

All of the server space at Protospiel is designated for playtesting tabletop games and general conversation in service to making the presented prototypes the best games they can be. Do not conduct any sales transactions within the server or approach other attendees with sales pitches for products or services.

Sponsors

Protospiel Online may enlist sponsors to help create the best event experience possible. We will choose sponsors we feel support the designers and projects presented at Protospiel. Negotiating a sponsorship with the organizers is the only way to get offers posted in our read-only partners channel.

Marketing

Marketing materials such as links shared to your projects are allowed at Protospiel Online as long as these links are not over-shared (spammed) in any text channel and are not used in an invasive way.

For example, going from table to table to share a link or posting the same link multiple times to the general text channel is considered invasive. Placing a link in your current table’s private text channel for your project while you are in the middle of your playtest or giving playtesters an opportunity to sign up for your email list during your feedback session is not considered invasive. Use your best judgement, and, when in doubt, ask event staff.

Alcohol

Alcohol is allowed, subject to all laws and rules. Drunkenness, Fighting, and General Rowdiness will be dealt with at the discretion of the organizers and/or event staff.

Staff Instructions

Attendees must follow instructions and directions given to them by a Protospiel Online staff member. Failure to do so may result in expulsion from the Discord server without a refund.

Refunds

Full details of our refund policy are available here: https://protospiel.online/refund-policy

Inappropriate Content

Explicitly sexual or gory imagery is considered inappropriate for this event. Please use discretion when presenting themes that may be considered offensive or disturbing to others.

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Special Considerations for Virtual Playtesting

There are a few pieces of etiquette specific to virtual meeting and board gaming platforms we ask all attendees to keep in mind:

Playtester Availability Based on Platform

Not all playtesters will have access to every virtual board game platform. The platforms currently supported by Protospiel Online are Tabletop Playground (TTP), Screentop.gg, Tabletopia, and PlayingCards.io. Designers should not expect playtesters at the event to be able to use any platforms outside of this supported list.

Sharing Digital Players Wanted Cards

The only posts allowed in #looking-for-a-game are Players Wanted cards using Protospiel Online’s provided template. The information shown on these cards must be truthful and non-deceptive.

No Unsolicited Direct Messages (DMs)

Refrain from sending DMs to server members unless you believe the recipient is expecting a message from you. If in doubt, confirm the intended recipient would welcome a DM by messaging in #clubhouse or #current-table-chat (text channel tied to a playtesting table voice channel).

If you need to talk privately with an Organizer, message @Front Desk (at the top of the members list in the right-side panel).

Digital Prototype Access

During online playtesting sessions, designers will share access to their digital prototypes with playtesters through various means. If the playtesting platform requires players to save a local copy of a game, they must delete it when the playtest is over. Playtesters may not save an access point to a digital prototype for any reason without the explicit consent of the prototype’s creator.

Avoid Overloading the Simulation

Although “fiddling” with game pieces on a physical table surface is a harmless habit, doing something similar inside a board game simulation puts unnecessary load and strain on the program running the simulation, creating lag and other frustrations for your fellow players. Please refrain from interacting with virtual table spaces in any way that is not necessary for playing a game or demonstrating and idea/suggestion.

Keep Your Head in the Game

Even though you and your table mates are not sharing a physical space, everyone is expected to be fully present and engaged with the group they are playtesting with. Please keep side conversations and activities to a minimum while you are actively playtesting.

Limit Noise Interference

Since everyone’s main connection will be via voice chat, it is important that you ensure your microphone is set up to capture your voice clearly and to obscure distracting background noises or echo. Please be aware of possible background noise on your end, and use headphones/earbuds and/or the Discord push-to-talk option to keep background noise to a minimum.

Be Responsible About Your Tech Issues & Be Patient with Others

Virtual playtesting often relies on many pieces of technology in many different locations to function properly. Internet connections get overloaded, head set batteries run out — and attendees may be using a piece of software that is still new to them.

Whether you are the one struggling with your tech or you are trying to help a fellow attendee with their tech issues, patience is the key virtue here.

If others tell you they can’t hear your voice clearly, believe your mic is causing echo, or bring any other issue with your equipment/connection/software to your attention, put in the needed effort on your end to resolve the issue. You can get troubleshooting help in the tech chat text channel or the Tech Chat Voice channel.

Prioritize Human Connection

Virtual playtesting is, by its nature, less connected that playing together in the same room around the same table. Taking a little time for all players to introduce themselves before a playtest can help everything start off on the right foot. Turning on your video feed during introductions and feedback also makes it easier to connect, take turns speaking, and understand one another.

It’s wise to disable video while everyone’s focus is on a virtual tabletop (Tabletopia, Screentop.gg, Tabletop Playground, PlayingCards.io, or Board Game Engine). When you are communicating via voice chat, try to make room for everyone to speak without interrupting or talking over one another. Although it’s impossible to completely avoid doing this, when it does happen, acknowledging the blunder and apologizing can help everyone feel comfortable continuing to participate in the conversation.

Harassment

No attendee shall harass a guest, staff member, volunteer, another attendee, or other individual present in the Discord server. Any such behavior may lead to expulsion from the Discord server and revocation of your badge without refund.

The convention reserves the right to remove any posts or individuals displaying or acting in a way it considers offensive or in disagreement with its policies and philosophy, including, but not limited to, any promotion of hate, slander, religious/anti-religious proselytization, unauthorized solicitation of products or services, anti-feminism, or similar.

Harassment includes offensive verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, political affiliation, body appearance, race, religion, or gender identity; sexual images in public spaces; deliberate intimidation; stalking; following; harassing photography or recording; inappropriate physical contact; and unwelcome sexual attention.

Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately.

If you, as an attendee, feel harassed, notice that someone else is being subject to unacceptable behavior, or have any other concerns, please message @Front Desk inside the Protospiel Online Discord server to report the incident to a Protospiel team member as soon as possible, and we will address the situation.

Inclusivity

Protospiel Online strives to create a safe and inclusive space that welcomes gamers from all walks of life. We hope to build a community space that includes all gamers.

We celebrate all races, ethnicities, body types, the full spectrum of genders, all sexual identities, and persons with all ranges of abilities and ability challenges. While this list of identities is not complete or perfect, we function with a spirit of inclusiveness.

We believe that a diverse range of experiences and perspectives is absolutely necessary in building a thriving and healthy gaming community. We welcome you to share your perspective and experiences with us at Protospiel.​

Information Collection, Use, and Sharing

We are the sole owners of the information collected on this site. We only have access to or collect information that you voluntarily give us via email or other direct contact from you. We will not sell or rent this information to anyone. We will use your information to respond to you regarding the reason you contacted us. We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organization. Unless you ask us not to, we may contact you via email in the future to tell you about specials, new products or services, or changes to this privacy policy.

A Final Word

We ask that all attendees of Protospiel Online operate with the assumption of good intentions on the part of other gamers. Make new friends, playtest with enthusiasm, and enjoy the convention!

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Code of Conduct FAQ