AHIKS was formed to provide a friendly, experienced, dependable, adult environment for PBM and PBEM of games. In order to maintain this environment, we must establish guidelines for the conduct of game play.
The Constitution of AHIKS provides for the termination of membership for any player who is judged lacking in a minimum display of courtesy. Elsewhere in this Members’ Guide, you will find suggested methods of play and recommended attitudes toward opponents; however, this code establishes the minimum BEHAVIOR demanded for play. Past experience shows that discourteous play breaks into three broad subject areas: timeliness of play, rules of play, and interpersonal relationships.
Timeliness of play: given the mature nature of the membership, we must expect some incidence of personal duties delaying game activities; although we prefer game moves to be returned (on the average) within 7-10 days, we recognize that this is not always possible. The primary thrust of our requirement for “timely” play is that you do reply to an opponent’s move within reasonable bounds and (most important) inform him if you experience an unusual delay. For example, if two opponents agree to play on a two-week turnaround time, and one of them cannot get his move out by the end of two weeks, he should contact his opponent stating his estimate of how much longer he will take. A member who ceases responding altogether is automatically subject to dismissal from membership in AHIKS.
Rules of play: AHIKS has gone to great lengths to ensure that games do not founder on a rules dispute: the AHIKS Judge is one of the basic services to the membership. With the addition of rulings summaries published for many games and with the rules for PBM error resolution contained in this Guide, there should be no reason for a difference of opinion on rules or procedure to persist. If, after the Judge has issued a ruling, a player refuses to abide by such a ruling, that member shall be subject to dismissal from membership. If a member fails to follow the instructions for play specified in this Guide; he may be subject to dismissal.
Interpersonal relationships: we do not require that you develop friendship for opponents (we prefer it, though). However, treating an opponent with insulting or degrading language will not be tolerated.
Over the years since its founding AHIKS has applied the above principles of conduct to all of its members. This resulting in the “weeding out” of undesirable opponents. Generally, you should not experience any of the above problems. But please realize how important your help is in maintaining our standard of “adult” conduct. First, observe the above rules. Second, encourage others to do so. Third, ask for action by your Match Coordinator or any Executive Committee Officer if any player fails to maintain these standards. Ignoring an opponent’s violation of the above code simply results in his using the same behavior with other members, eventually reducing the enjoyment of our hobby by all members. It is the expected duty of all members of the Society to issue formal complaints to an officer of the Executive Committee whenever discourtesy is encountered in another AHIKS player in order to make sure that this does not happen to OTHER members of the Society.