What are the rules for Alterac Valley?

As the title suggests I'm looking for information on what the rules surrounding this particular battleground event are. The reason I ask is recently a friend of mine was banned for win trading. Normally I'd just chalk it up to someone I know breaking the rules, but this particular individual is not the type to do such things and we've been harassed by another playert. Anyway, a little beside the point. I don't want to get a 30 day ban for wintrading like my compatriot who didn't even take part in such things even during the 'feed' meta that existed for a week or so. The problem is there is no clear answer on what actions constitute poor behavior in the battleground. I see all the time now that other players are threatening reports if someone in the raid calls for tactical retreats when a line cannot be broken or trying to rally the rest of the raid to go in at the same time in order to break aforementioned defense. I've personally been targeted as a rogue for sneaking past the bridge and capturing the graveyard after being told I was afk and a waste of space for hanging back and waiting for an opportunity to pick off another player. So I'm going to get reported if I don't sneak around and back cap, but I'm also going to be reported for waiting for an opportunity, but most importantly if I go fight I'm getting threatened with reports for wintrading since I cannot do much more than die if I reveal myself in front of a large group.

I'd just like some clear answers and reassurance that I'm not going to eat a ban because someone else is unhappy with they way I'm trying to meaningfully participate. A lot of people are unhappy in general and I understand this is a divisive topic, but if we knew what was actually allowed it would mean the GMs are having their time wasted to a lesser extent by frivolous reports and no one would have to fear taking a ban for actions that were unclear to them that qualified as something that didn't fall under the purview of the copied pvp rules I'll post at the bottom.

[quote]NO PVP EXPLOITING
There are five known methods to abuse of it:
MMR Dropping: Losing in arena on purpose to lower own MMR below normal value.
Honor Exploit: Allowing someone to kill you or let you kill his/her toon to get Honor points in locations where it can be done fast and deliberately is not allowed.
Wintrading: Arranged battles in order to profit of its prizes is highly forbidden leading to bans.
Twinks: Using Pointshop items with no-level requirements on a low level character to have advantage in PVP against any other players is NOT fair. Doesn't matter how many Points or Coins you spent to make it. You are going to have your twink force-leveled and won't be refunded.
Arena Boosting: It is not allowed. neither paid or for free Besides it, no afking in bgs, follow, botting etc. These are bad attitudes that may get your account suspended.[quote]

Getting threatened to be reported or even being reported don't somehow equate to a ban. I don't know what juice people are drinking to somehow make that sort of connection. Any cursory look over the reporting rules will let anyone know they have to go with evidence, not some written story. No matter what someone accuses another person of in the text, if they don't show proof of it, nothing is going to happen. So, be it for you or your friend or anyone else, for a ban to happen there has to have been solid evidence sent showing what you're being accused of - as in, if you don't do it, you won't get banned for it.

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Originally Posted by Obnoxious

Getting threatened to be reported or even being reported don't somehow equate to a ban. I don't know what juice people are drinking to somehow make that sort of connection. Any cursory look over the reporting rules will let anyone know they have to go with evidence, not some written story. No matter what someone accuses another person of in the text, if they don't show proof of it, nothing is going to happen. So, be it for you or your friend or anyone else, for a ban to happen there has to have been solid evidence sent showing what you're being accused of - as in, if you don't do it, you won't get banned for it.

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So if a group of guildies keep reporting the same person afk to harass them and now there are multiple evidence photos of the person "afk" is that checked? Reports all coming from a same guild or people on each other friend lists? That would be a fun guild activity to do. I know of some mages that participate and I see them go drink and are immediately reported afk. So if you take multiple screenshots at different times of this person just sitting there with the afk debuff then recording them now going back into combat to remove the debuff so they can safely go back to drinking. "Avoiding AFK mechanic"

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Originally Posted by Wrothx

So if a group of guildies keep reporting the same person afk to harass them and now there are multiple evidence photos of the person "afk" is that checked? Reports all coming from a same guild or people on each other friend lists? That would be a fun guild activity to do. I know of some mages that participate and I see them go drink and are immediately reported afk. So if you take multiple screenshots at different times of this person just sitting there with the afk debuff then recording them now going back into combat to remove the debuff so they can safely go back to drinking. "Avoiding AFK mechanic"

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In what world the same screenshot from multiple people would be evidence of standing AFK? I'm not even a GM and it took me two seconds to reason that a ban like that would require multiple timestamped screenshots showing the character in the exact same place over a span of time, perhaps coupled with some of the battle results to show they weren't doing anything. Why would anyone not under psychotropics think for a moment that just spamming hollow report tickets would... what, peer pressure the GMs into banning? I can't even get what the reasoning for thinking that could be.

I understand what you are saying and appreciate the response. I however have evidence that shows the ban my friend received as frivolous. (Yes, I gave them the screenshots and evidence to submit as part of their ban appeal since it is against the rules and a waste of time for me to make a ticket on their behalf.) It's also pretty clear, albeit circumstantial, that the evidence I allude to shows a clear correlation as well as cause and effect between being threatened with a mass report and having a result that ends in a ban. So, although I appreciate your input, insinuating that there is a problem with the mental faculties of an individual who has some form of context and stake in the matter because they are, as you put it, drinking some sort of juice is unprofessional at best and grievously insulting at worst. For a bit of further context to an unrelated event, I know for a fact that some of the screenshots and video presented by the community for reports has its original context so far removed from truth that the story associated with such images is skewed. I am aware of another individual who spent hours not participating in a battleground in order to catch one singular individual performing one action that they then misconstrued. This resulted in the individual in the video getting banned despite the author of the video being the one who truly broke the rules for far longer in order to obtain a singular instance of shoddy gameplay.

Look, I get it. I've been a GM elsewhere before and the community is at its worst when complaining. I fully admit that despite making my best effort to perform due diligence in every case, you are nonetheless expected to resolve a number of matters quickly. In the vein of mass reports it is all to easy to fall into the mindset of, "Well if this many people say so it must be true." It sucks, but we're all humans who deserve respect and should only be punished when there is truly wrong doing. I wouldn't stick my neck out for everyone, but my friend who was wrongfully punished is someone I know to be of good character and I know both evidentiarily and in my heart that we are the target of a bruised ego who is bragging about getting my friend banned in their discord. There is no juice. I'm not upset about mistakes being made. I just want to bring attention to the topic and get a clear answer on how I am allowed to participate in Alterac Valley without getting punished by a group of individuals who don't believe I am playing the "correct" way

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Originally Posted by Barbolgarth

I however have evidence that shows the ban my friend received as frivolous.

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So you have access to the evidence that led to his ban?
Because unless the answer to that is "yes," that's where I stopped reading your post and won't go back to it.

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Originally Posted by Obnoxious

So you have access to the evidence that led to his ban?
Because unless the answer to that is "yes," that's where I stopped reading your post and won't go back to it.

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Yes. Though as I mentioned previously it is circumstantial evidence. We are not privy to the reports themselves nor given context.

Regardless, you're getting off topic. I didn't post to appeal a ban or get anyone in trouble. I merely used examples to grant insight into my concerns. I am here to gather a response for when I inevitably get mass reported. This is so I can avoid any wrong doing and if I am summarily punished for alleged wrongdoing that does not break the rules I have information given to me that allows for more rigorous due process in the appeal of such a ban.

Obnoxious doesn't play, and therefore doesn't understand just how hellish it is to play right now....and why we need clear and explicit standards.

Just about everything you do in AV is facing threats of report/bans by players. And if we've got a number of friends on the server, we can all point to someone that did these things and got banned (and didn't do anything we saw when playing with them that merits it), but it's not clear WHICH specific action got them banned. As the OP stated...trying to organize pushes to break a turtled position receives threats. Retreating when a push fails to avoid death receives threats. Dying on the push receives threats. Waiting for an opportunity when you can stealth and cap behind the turtle receives threats.

It seems, depending on the player, any activity you do is possibly bannable...and if a player wants you banned, it's too easy to get a dozen screenshots proving whatever they want to prove over a 2-hour BG session.

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Originally Posted by Barbolgarth

Yes.

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Really? Who in the Staff showed you the evidence we received? You seem quite confident it's circumstantial and "devoid of wrongdoing" despite not having access to the report, also that your made up scenarios are something that is happening.

If that was the case, why wouldn't the vast majority of players be getting banned, when all it takes is "dozen of screenshots proving whatever," which are "so easy" to get. Meanwhile the players just playing the Battleground normally neither get banned nor some "show concern" over something easily understandable.

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Originally Posted by LezChap1

As the OP stated...trying to organize pushes to break a turtled position receives threats. Retreating when a push fails to avoid death receives threats. Dying on the push receives threats. Waiting for an opportunity when you can stealth and cap behind the turtle receives threats.

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Are any of those threats from GMs? Unless the answer is "yes," refer to my previous replies.

I'll share the information with a GM. Still, this is not what the topic is related to.

"Unless you hear it from a GM, you can ignore it."

The first thing you "hear" from a GM is a 90 day ban...

I spent a lot of time in the AVs until they went to hell. I watched players get banned for "wintrading" who I never saw do anything of the sort. So yeah..."wait and find out if you cross an ambiguous line with a 90day" is great advice.

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Originally Posted by LezChap1

I watched players get banned for "wintrading" who I never saw do anything of the sort.

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Well, you should have started with letting me know anything you didn't see didn't happen.
That would have saved some time.