- Nov 3, 2021
- 398
- 974
As I understand it, the process goes like this:Genuinely curious about rule 7 and how it's enforced/applied.
1. A game gets reported as a (potential) R7 violation. I'm sure some threads get caught by a mod looking at the uploaded screenshots in the first post, but reports are the main vector.
2. The thread gets quarantined, not deleted. Only Mods/staff can access it, but this explains why a thread can disappear due to R7 only to reappear months later with all posts intact.
3. Each mod/staff needs(?) to vote on the thread: yay, nay, or abstain.
4. If enough mods/staff say it's okay then the thread is reinstated. I'm not sure what the exact numbers are (does everyone need to vote? Is it based on some sort of yay/nay threshold? Do less-suspicious games need less approval? Can a motivated mod fast-track the process?). This process can take anywhere from a few days to several months.
5. Once a game is approved/denied, it tends to stay approved/denied. This can lead to "inconsistent" rulings since the approval chance is dependent on whoever was around at the time, and the current team may be more or less strict than past personnel. Note that games can get re-reviewed (particularly if they're still in development and getting major updates) and 2D games tend to get more leniency than 3D ones.