Team Limits and Raiding Rules: Designing Fair Rust Server Guidelines
The fastest Rust servers to die are ones with either no rules (chaos that alienates new players) or excessive rules (micromanagement that alienates experienced players). The art is finding the minimal rule set that creates a fair, enjoyable environment without making admins into arbitrators of every disagreement.
The Core Rule Categories
Team Limits
State this clearly at the top of every rule list:
"This server operates as [Solo/Duo/Trio/Quad] max. Team limit is enforced by plugin and monitored by admin. Intentional allying beyond team limit results in permanent ban."
Define what constitutes a team violation. Common edge cases:
- Two separate trios cannot "just happen" to always raid and defend the same bases
- Trading between teams is allowed; coordinated PvP defense is not
- Clans cannot split into smaller valid teams to bypass limits
Raiding Rules
Raiding rules vary significantly by community type:
Full PvP (recommended for < 7-day wipes): "Raid any base at any time. No restrictions."
Raid hours (recommended for casual/EU servers): "Raiding permitted between [specific hours] only. Offline-raiding allowed but discouraged."
No offline raid (recommended for community servers): "You may not raid a base if none of its owners are online. Plugin enforced." (NoOfflineRaid uMod plugin)
Toxic Behaviour
Define this clearly — "toxic" is vague. Specify:
- Racial slurs in chat → permanent ban
- Repeated harassing spawncamping of same player → 1h kick
- Threatening real-world harm → permanent ban + Steam report
- Stream sniping → Temporary ban (context-dependent)
Writing Rules Players Actually Read
Rules walls of text are ignored. Best format:
📋 SERVER RULES
✅ Server type: TRIO MAX | 2x Gather | Weekly Wipes (Thursday)
✅ No team limit violations (plugin enforced + admin monitored)
✅ No cheating, exploiting, duping
✅ No racism, threats, or personal attacks in chat
✅ Raiding: Allowed 24/7. No offline raid protection.
For dispute reports: discord.gg/yourserver #admin-reports
Short, scannable, actionable. New players read the top five lines. That is enough.
When to Break Your Own Rules
Never. The fastest way to destroy community trust is selective enforcement — banning a random player for a minor infraction while warning a VIP or friend for the same behaviour. Document every moderation action and keep logs accessible to your admin team.