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Title 7 — Offense Categories

This Title establishes the tier classification framework for all offenses under NAP 9.

It does not define specific rules, behaviors, or punishments.

Instead, it provides the structural blueprint that statutes, penalties, and case decisions must reference.

No action becomes an offense unless the Council passes a statute placing that action within one of the tiers defined herein.

Definitions Table​

TermDefinition
TierA severity band (Minor, Moderate, Severe) used for classification and penalty mapping.
OffenseAny act, omission, or behavior that a statute defines as a violation.
StatuteA Council-passed rule identifying specific conduct and assigning its tier.
IntentThe degree to which the conduct was accidental, negligent, reckless, or deliberate.
ImpactThe material, diplomatic, or strategic consequences of the conduct.
DisruptionThe degree of disturbance inflicted on coordination, diplomacy, or server stability.
PatternRepeated conduct across time that may alter classification.
AggravationFactors that increase severity.
MitigationFactors that reduce severity.

Article I — Purpose and Scope​

Section 1 — Purpose​

The purpose of this Title is to:

  • provide consistent definitions for offense severity
  • supply universal criteria for classification
  • ensure statutes share a common structural vocabulary
  • guide escalation (Title 8) and penalties (Title 9)

Section 2 — Limits of This Title​

This Title:

  • does not define specific offenses
  • does not prescribe penalties
  • does not attach consequences to illustrative examples

All enforceable rules must come from statutes enacted separately by the Council.

Article II — Classification Principles​

Section 1 — Factors Considered​

When classifying an offense into a tier, the Council considers:

  • Intent (accidental → deliberate)
  • Impact (low → catastrophic)
  • Disruption (minor inconvenience → server destabilization)
  • Pattern (isolated → repeated)
  • Harm (negligible → serverwide)
  • Context (preventable vs. unforeseeable)

Section 2 — Statutory Mapping​

Each statute must specify:

  • the tier assigned to the offense
  • any conditions that alter classification
  • how pattern or escalation (Title 8) changes the tier

Section 3 — Non-Binding Illustrative Examples​

Examples listed in Articles III–V are not statutes, not rules, and not enforceable.
They exist only to communicate the intended spirit of each tier.

Article III — 🟨 Tier I: Minor Offenses​

Section 1 — Tier Description​

Tier I encompasses conduct that is:

  • low-impact
  • accidental or negligent rather than deliberate
  • isolated rather than patterned
  • disruptive only in a limited, recoverable way

Section 2 — Illustrative Qualities (Non-Binding)​

Minor Offenses often involve:

  • small, temporary inconveniences
  • accidental contact or timing errors
  • minor misunderstandings
  • behavior correctable through communication

Section 3 — Statutory Use​

Statutes using Tier I are expected to address conduct that:

  • produces minimal harm
  • is unlikely to repeat with guidance
  • does not destabilize diplomacy or operations
  • can be resolved with restitution or clarity

Article IV — 🟧 Tier II: Moderate Offenses​

Section 1 — Tier Description​

Tier II covers conduct that is:

  • meaningfully disruptive
  • repeated across time
  • harmful to alliance operations or diplomacy
  • negligent to the point of ongoing interference

Section 2 — Illustrative Qualities (Non-Binding)​

Moderate Offenses often involve:

  • noticeable material loss
  • repeated patterns of Tier I behavior
  • persistent refusal to communicate
  • moderate but recoverable impacts

Section 3 — Statutory Use​

Statutes mapped to Tier II typically involve:

  • measurable impact requiring formal response
  • ongoing behavioral issues
  • disregard for earlier warnings or resolutions
  • context showing more than mere accident

Article V — 🟥 Tier III: Severe Offenses​

Section 1 — Tier Description​

Tier III includes conduct that is:

  • deliberate
  • escalatory
  • destabilizing
  • harmful at scale
  • deceptive, evasive, or coordinated

Section 2 — Illustrative Qualities (Non-Binding)​

Severe Offenses often involve:

  • catastrophic or wide-reaching damage
  • intentional or coordinated aggression
  • attempts to undermine governance
  • evidence tampering or evasion
  • repeated Tier II behavior forming a pattern

Section 3 — Statutory Use​

Statutes mapped to Tier III involve:

  • actions requiring decisive Council action
  • behavior incompatible with server stability
  • harm requiring restitution, review, or removal
  • circumstances where leadership-level scrutiny is triggered

Article VI — Relationship to Escalation and Penalties​

Section 1 — Interaction with Escalation​

Escalation (Title 8) may move an offense into a higher tier based on:

  • pattern
  • evasion
  • tampering
  • aggravation

Section 2 — Interaction with Penalties​

Penalties are governed by Title 9.
Tiers define severity boundaries but do not prescribe outcomes.

Section 3 — Council Interpretation​

The Council retains authority to consider:

  • mitigating factors
  • aggravating factors
  • context
  • proportionality

as long as final decisions remain consistent with the tier structure.

Last amended by Council vote [not amended].